Thursday, June 7, 2007

A Blog Post on Blogs

Eslocura's last post gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and sparked those neurons which haven't quite been firing lately to write this post. Since reading and posting a (looooong) comment on her latest entry, random thoughts have been roaming my mind about blogging.

I just began my blog a couple of months ago, and as I commented at Es', it has given me this inexplicable freedom-liberating me from my usual world of ubiquitous analytical, and "business-like" thinking. It gave me the "okay" to make some squares round; to say up is really down; and to occasionally...okay, frequently curse without the fabricated justification that I have selective Tourettes.

So other than paying homage to those blogs that I frequent (and are conveniently listed in my side bar to the left), I figured I'd also spark some random thoughts among my friends out there in blog land...I'll start with a list of hmm's, huh's, and aha's!

1. What makes you read further? What sparks your interest when perusing blogs? Is it the pictures? The titles? The blogger?

My Thoughts...I begin each day reading Mist's blog, because aside from her being my new best friend (more than 10 minutes has lapsed since your last call by the way), that is my daily dose of humor, and I know that I am ALWAYS in for a treat and a good, hearty laugh...

2. Who do you especially like? Dislike (this may start fights---I warn you...I'm armed)? Who's more creative? Who's topics have the best range of content and/emotion?

Fringe is the awesomest! She makes me laugh, and similarly, she has brought me to tears...

3. Do you have a blog crush? Does someone have a crush on you?

Dagromm, I had a dream about you...

4. Does it bother you that you don't know what (some) bloggers look like?

I think it's great to imagine what everyone looks like! I love the little avatars, and am currently in search of one for myself (anyone in the Quad, feel free to render suggestions). And thank goodness for my good friend Nina!!! At least I know what she and Nance look like in real life, so there's evidence that at least a couple/few of you are real people...

5. Do you get mad when people frequent your blog and say nothing?

I don't care! Perhaps they're not interested in what I'm talking about, OR they are too chicken shit to say something for fear of being ridiculed and sheer rejection...

6. Do you get mad when conversations are going on in comments that you know nothing about?

Hell no, that gives me prime opportunity to make shit up on my own! The worst that could happen is that they could laugh at me and/ignore my comment...

7. Do you get mad if you have someone listed in your favorites and you're not listed in theirs?

No...that is MY preference and I may not necessarily be theirs. Admittedly, for a while, I thought that 25% of the Quad did not like me...I am not thoroughly convinced that that's not true...

8. Do you ever worry that you're not deep enough, or funny enough etc?

Nope...I write freely, sometimes with deep feeling and conviction, sometimes with my mind in the gutter, and sometimes other...

9. How do you feel when you don't get many comments?

Thanks to my good friends here, I don't have to worry much about that!!! Thank you to all of my frequenters...and new visitors alike....

10. How do you feel about long posts?

LOL! So what... (blowing raspberry)

P.S. Bastards! I can't add a picture!

In comments, answer/comment on one or two...maybe all, new questions/comments, and encouraging Tera to get her ass to work!

27 comments:

Dagromm said...

1. Authentic pictures on the profile or at least reasonable ebough for me to imagine they might be real are a big draw for me. I'll check out anybody's blog that stops by mine and I love to surf through random blogs too. I'll read quickly through a couple of posts at least. In the end if they appear to have any interest in conversing with me on a regular basis, I'm pretty much in.
2. I like everybody in my sidebar. Mist is very good and very consistent which is amazing in itself. I've found a few offensive blogs, but I resist the urge to twist off on them and just ignore them and move on. Also, The Rock's blog kind of sucked.
3. I've had a few blog crushes and immensely flattered that I've done anything to get your attention. And don't worry, you have mine as well.
4. No. People worry about security, self image, conflict with private life. I get it. I work in HR and some of the things that I may write might not be very good for my career, so I act like I don't even know what a blog is at work.
5. No. I do like to get comments though, because it means somebody out there cares enough to even just say hi. I'm more upset that no one has bothered to e-mail me since I added it to my blog some weeks ago.
6. No. I know that my blog has always had a running commentary in the comments section from the beginning. I'm just glad that some of you weren't intimidated and didn't think that you weren't invited to join in. I think new comers to some of our blogs are probably a little lost as there are a few running gags and callbacks to previous posts/comments.
7. Sometimes. I can't say never, but I don't think I add tons of people to mine so I can't get to upset about it.
8. Only when I'm leaving comments do I ever worry about this. On my blog, F it, it's my blog. On other people's I don't always know what tone they were looking for in the comments. Sometimes what I think is really funny gets no response what so ever. In that case, I leave it alone, feel bad, and then just don't go back to Roadchick's blog.
9. I'm amazed what garners a lot of response and what doesn't. On Mist's blog all she has to do is mention sex toys, masturbation, or panties and she'll get 100 comments. On mine some of the stuff that I think is my best gets hardly any response. Then I throw something together in five minutes and gets a ton. I don't get it.
10. It just depends if it feels long. If it feels long then I start to read every third word. I love leaving long comments though!

Damn, I've got to get back to work! I used up all my blog time here. Check you later bloggers.

Nina said...

Hmmm....I don't like to read long posts but I don't mind writing them, sometimes. I will read a long one if the title is catchy though. Otherwise, I'm gone.

When I don't get comments my feelings are deeply hurt. I often cry. It's really sad.

I don't mind not knowing what people look like. But I do mind finding out what they look like after I've already decided what they SHOULD look like in my head.

That's enough for now. Get your ass to work!!!!

Tera said...

Dagromm~I feel privelaged that you used all of your time on me! Nice feedback!

Nina~I don't care how long MY blog post is, you read it damn it!

Nina said...

Don't worry Tera, I've only skipped a couple of your long ones. Come to think of it, I never read all the comments in other blogs either. maybe that's why I never know what all the little jokes are about.

Tera said...

Nina~Just a couple huh? I wish I'd known that BEFORE I read your post yesterday!

EsLocura said...

I could swear I posted earlier but now it's not here, I do that a lot lately. I read many blogs and just judge by how much I enjoyed them. I love comments, and I enjoy the humor, and the craziness. I am always proud and thrilled to see I have been mentioned or listed in someones blog (thank you) I don't have a blog crush but am taking applications. I don't care what anyone looks like, I create my own picture, but it would be fun to see if my picture matches the real person. I never get mad if I have no clue what is being said in comments, I just make something up to join in. I never worry about how funny or deep my blog is, it's just whatever floats my boat at the time and if people comment it's an added bonus. I don't mind long posts or comments, as long as I don't fall alseep. is it too late to yell at you to get work? if not ... wtf ... get to work. If it is too late then, hi, hope it was a good day.

Nance said...

Yikes...I haven't added to my sidebar in ages. But now that it's summer, I will have to do that. I hope no one takes it personally.

I don't care that I don't know what people look like. Tera, when's the last time you saw me? If it's been a few years, I've lost a half a person along the way.

To be honest, I don't read very many of the "sex" blogs. I'm just not interested in dirty joke type stuff. Mist is interesting because she's smart and funny along the way. The rest of that, I just don't see the point, really. Maybe it's because I teach teenagers. I also tend to read blogs that aren't entirely just a diary sort of thing. I like more of an eclectic essay-type blog, not a "here's what I did today" thing.

Sometimes I get irritated when people say that posts are too long for them to read, or that if they have to scroll too much, they click off. I guess they're not my audience, then, and that's fine. I'm not writing for the ADD set.

I love when a post racks up the comments, but if most of the comments are about each other's comments, then it's not quite the same. But that's still fine. I like providing a place for people to hang out and chat. Kind of like a virtual coffeehouse. Basically, it's like you all hanging out at my office...the Dept. of Nance!

fringes said...

You're the awesomest, Tera. Now that Buttercup has discovered YouTube, I don't get much time on the computer, but you are still one of my daily stops. (I sometimes check yours before checking Q's, but don't tell him I said that)

Tera said...

Es~Thanks for the comment and the kick in the ass ;) Oh, I give credit where credit is due :)

Nance~I appreciate your candor! Given that you frequent my spot, I guess I don't bore you! That is terrific!!! Oh, Nina told me about the weight loss...Congratulations, that can be a tough thing to do!

Fringes~You let Butter do her thang ;) And tough titty...Q will have to deal with it! :)

Susan said...

I had answered all of these in one word because I thought it would be amusing but then it didn't make a lot of sense outside my brain.

1. What makes you read further? What sparks your interest when perusing blogs? Is it the pictures? The titles? The blogger?
Honestly, I give everyone a chance. I will read a blog post or two from beginning to end. I've ended up at quite a few sites by people commenting on mine. It's weird, though, that I can't remember exactly how I started reading anyones. Anyone listed in my sidebar gets multiple checks daily from me because I'm too lazy to set up my reader account.

2. Who do you especially like? Dislike (this may start fights---I warn you...I'm armed)? Who's more creative? Who's topics have the best range of content and/emotion?

I like bunnies. They hook me and hold me. ;) I don't like a ton of negativity. Saying that, I do read one blog daily that's nothing but an angry brit. I think things that make me smile, laugh, that I can relate to, that I totally don't understand..I guess I like about everything.

3. Do you have a blog crush? Does someone have a crush on you?

I have a horrible crush on everyone I read on a daily basis. I'm easy like that.

4. Does it bother you that you don't know what (some) bloggers look like?

Nah. I never end up looking like what people expect. (I still think Michael is telling himself I'm a blonde and the picture I sent him wasn't real) I think it's great to just make up what everyone looks like in my head

5. Do you get mad when people frequent your blog and say nothing?

No. I know how it goes. Believe it or not, I do sometimes actually get to busy at work to reply though I visit blogs daily. I rarely reply to weekend entries though I read all of them too. And hell I lurked on Fringes blog forrrever until she lured me out with cookies. That reminds me...

6. Do you get mad when conversations are going on in comments that you know nothing about?

I don't know what's going on in my comments half the time. They tend to have a mind of their own.

7. Do you get mad if you have someone listed in your favorites and you're not listed in theirs?

Nope. The reason I have people listed in my favorites is because I like having quick click access. Oddly, not to busy to add a blog roll yet too busy to make a reader account. hrrmmm

8. Do you ever worry that you're not deep enough, or funny enough etc?

I know I am neither deep nor funny enough. I, however, do not worry about it. I crack myself up horribly and quite often tend to make myself cry. What I write on my blog, though, is real which is all I think anyone can ask.

9. How do you feel when you don't get many comments?

Like a complete failure and loser...lol I haven't really thought about it much. I know people read it. Sometimes my blogs just don't leave room for people to say anything.

10. How do you feel about long posts?

I love them. I cannot be limited by word count!!

Tera said...

Susan~Good answers!!!

Nance said...

tera--i don't want to take credit for doing something difficult. my weight loss was purely by accident and other factors. it was a side-effect of a medication, and then a by-product of an illness. it was difficult in a different way, to be sure, but there was no "sweat equity" involved. (not that i didn't struggle for years and years before!) just wanted to set the record straight and not take credit where none was due.

mist1 said...

Fun post. I've got to start checking my posts in the morning. I can never remember what the Hell I wrote about. I just adore Ms. Fringes.

mist1 said...

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I haven't called.

Do you think I should dye my hair to match my purse?

Cyber D said...

So was Dags naked in your dream... I know he's always naked in mine.

Tera said...

Nance~I am sorry to hear that! I am however, very grateful that things are fine and that you are okay now, it must have been very rough for you.

Mist~Hmmm, and what may be the contributing factor to you forgetting what you posted...?

Totally

Cyber D~Now, that may be classified informtion...it was quite a dream though ;)

fringes said...

There's love for the fringe all over this place! Thanks, Mist! Thanks again, Tera. I shall go now to shower myself with love in private.

fringes said...

Susan, you never sent me your address. Cookies are on the way as soon as you email me with the place to send them.

Tera said...

Fringe~There sure is!

heather said...

opps! i thought for sure i had responded to this post. maybe i did elsewhere????
long week, things have kinda blurred into one.
rather than type all of my answer here i think i'm gonna cheat and use your questions as a post.
god knows i haven't had an original thought in at least 4 days! lol

Tera said...

Heather~You're always welcome to that. I piggybacked Eslocura, so hey, I've been there too! :)

Lisa Johnson said...

Great post! I could comment forever here, so I'll have to restrain myself and stick to one thing.

"Do you get mad when people frequent your blog and say nothing?"

I think it's nteresting, especially when I check my sitemeter and see that people have stayed for a while repeatedly and don't say anything. I just wonder why. They must be interested, otherwise why linger, but maybe they just want to observe and enjoy. I do sometimes wonder what it would take to push them over the edge and feel they have to comment? : )

Tera said...

Anali~The best thing I can come up with is that those readers see the caliber of the writers and are reluctant to make comments?!?!?

NoRegrets said...

I remember reading this when I was lurking... Damn, it's long! I've made it through 2 of your older posts and really, I need a nap.

Tera said...

NoR~Don't be a wuss...keep reading! :)

Susan said...

Good god I basically took over this comment section with my answers

Kofi said...

The "truths" I discover while blogging are definitely quite different from the truth that is my everyday life.