Miscellany
Posted on January 16th, 2008 by --Deb
Just a few, random things to keep the blog wheels turning….
About the ABC-Along:
- Did you know that Vicki has resurrected the ABC-along, where you post pictures demonstrating all the letters of the alphabet throughout the year? I had so much fun doing that in 2006 (even though the fact that my “Z” post didn’t win a prize still rankles a bit), I did seriously consider entering again this year, but really, I don’t have the time this time. And besides, there are some letters I don’t really think I could top. I really did have a wonderful time, though–and I’m enjoying seeing it reappear out there in blogland.
(Hmmph. I just noticed that, on my converted-from-Typepad entry for “Z,” all my pictures have disappeared. Too many for one post? In wonder what happened? But, fine. I’m in the middle of uploading ALL 126 of those pictures to Flickr. They’re too cute not to!)
About Moving:
- If you haven’t noticed yet, the blogger to whom I was referring yesterday was Risa, who has also now moved her blog from Typepad to WordPress. Go visit and say hello!
- And in other moving news, Jessica is moving from Princeton up to northern NJ–she’s going to be a lot closer to Risa from now on.
About Hair:
- Maybe I should take Dorre up on her hair-stylist recommendation. It would be pretty out of the way from here, but within a few miles of TWO knitting/spinning friends. Maybe it would be worth it after all. Either way, I have to do SOMETHING because this haircut has reached the end of its semi-useful life, and I am desperate to find someone who can (1) give me a good haircut flattering to my hair and to my face and (2) won’t cost a fortune. This is the hard part. I’ve gotten any number of recommendations for stylists that cost $60-$75 (or more), but none that are close to the $45 I was paying that are even remotely close by.
- It’s all starting to make me feel cranky, and in the meantime, my hair is so “heavy” on my head (through the complete lack of shaping given by the idiot in November), that it’s getting tangled in my earrings every day. Now, longish curly hair is going to tangle in jewelry from time to time, and I do wear dangly earrings (because you just can’t see post-earrings unless my hair is pulled back), but this last week or so, no matter which earrings I wear, my hair is getting caught. This is not normal or acceptable behavior. I really need a haircut. Especially if I ever want it to look this good again.
About Comments:
- I was reading this post about how to get more comments on your blog, and it made me think–I almost NEVER leave comments on my own blog. I respond via e-mail to just about every comment I get, but I don’t actively participate in the conversation going on in the comments . . . which means that it’s not so much a conversation as a . . . what? Message board? Just a whole slew of nice pat-on-the-back comments for me, but nothing really to warrant having you come BACK to follow up later on. Because, why bother? You’ve gotten a response from me, we’ve possibly exchanged a few e-mails, but there’s no interaction with the group as a whole. But really, there should be, don’t you think?
- Tell me what you think! And, if you haven’t noticed, there’s a “subscribe to comments” option these days so that we CAN have a group conversation without your having to remember to come back to see if there are any responses.
About Charity:
- Here’s a chance to raise some money for Autism with a click of your mouse–just go watch this video. It’s that simple. In fact, there are a number of videos on the site, What Kind of World do you Want, all of which are connected to some, worthy charity. Since it just takes a couple minutes of your time, well, what are you waiting for?
What do I think? I think we’ve just witnessed a moment of enlightenment. Welcome to commenting Nirvana!
We’ll I’ll be…I never comment on my blog, either. I just respond to the commenters through email, too. I’m going to follow your lead, and start commenting on my comments.
Loving the new blog look, by the way!
Thanks for the commenting article link - I never reply to comments on my blog, either. Hmm.
“Commenting Nirvana.” I like that!
I think we’re on to something, though. Conversation is better than Monologue! (Unless you’re Hamlet.)
considering Sean was just diagnosed with Asperger’s, researchers need all the help they can get!
Hey! I just noticed there’s a custom Chappysmom teeny icon thingy in my browser address bar, at least for the main page (not the comment page). Cool!
@Ina–Yes, and I’m darn proud of that little Favicon! Since I am SO not a programmer, any little programmatic thing I can accomplish is an achievement.
I never comment on my own blog either. The only folks I know who regularly do that use blogspot which doesn’t let you respond to comments via e-mail. Jessica will be much closer to where we live too!
Awww - puppy Chappy ZZZZ pictures! You should have won. I would have voted for you.
@Kim–interestingly, once you move outside the knit-blogging world, it’s a LOT more common. Because the idea is to create a conversation–if you only answer privately in e-mails, it leaves everyone else out.
@Jennifer–Thanks! I kind of thought so, too (grin). If only because I worked really hard on that post–it took me a full month to get all those pictures taken, uploaded, entered into the post. Not to mention the cuteness factor.
It never ocurred to me to respond to comments IN the comments. Somtheing that adds to or clarifies things should definitey posted in comments. Nto sure about more personal stuff
@ Everyone: As I remarked to Deb in an email earlier (habits are hard to break, huh?), I’m very much surprised that so many people don’t think to comment in the commenting section of their own blogs. True, some blogs aren’t for the sole purpose of making money, but even when I ran personal blogs I always considered the comment part to be the most important. When you think about it, why are you writing? Hopefully not to hear yourself talk. No, you write because you want people to notice you and hear what you have to say. Answering comments helps draw that attention and you never know what it’ll bring, whether it’s new friendships, money, or fame.
The main thing to remember is do it because you enjoy it. The moment you start focusing on one aspect or another, like making money, it becomes a job. For me, comments are a nice break from the workday. I enjoy the interaction and building up the virtual community.
Besides, like I said to Deb, responding to each individual comment must be time consuming, I couldn’t imagine doing that myself. Although it is a very nice personal touch.
@Harry–Well, it’s a rare, rare knit-blogger who’s trying to make money from blogging. An author will generally have a link to her book (usually a her), a person with a shop will have that in their sidebar, and there’s the occasional amazon.com or webhosting affiliate link over there somewhere, but as a rule, knit-bloggers are in this for the fun of talking about yarny-goodness. We share links to charities and people in need, we promote stores and items that we love (knitting or otherwise), but actually trying to make MONEY by blogging? How crass! (grin)
@Deb: oh, I realize that
It is interesting to see what life is like on the outside of the money driven blogosphere. Even so, think of how much more attention you could drive towards those charities, merchants, and products in the process.
Don’t get me wrong, either, I’m in it for the fun too. I love writing, and if I wasn’t getting paid for it, I’d still be writing. In fact, before I started blogging I wrote so much friends and family would ask me why the hell I wasn’t doing it for the money. Believe me, that’s a touchy subject between me and my room mate. He’s like “Harry, you spend so much time on the computer, you need to make it pay off.”
I’d tell him he just doesn’t understand, it’s not about the money at all. Once I learned I could have both, it turned out to be one of the greatest things I ever did.
Thanks for the shout out! Nice being in a new home, thanks to you. I’d been thinking about it since I bought the domain last year. Seemed like a great time to do it. Thank you!
Jessica and I are going to practically be neightbors. It is a small town and all that
I’d say, take Dorre up on her hairdresser. as youknow curly do hairdressers are hard to find and if she’s got one, the sidetrip might be worth it.
Oh and I never comment on my own blog, except the last two days as I’ve tried to tweak the new bloggy thing
There’s also an important but fine line between doing something you love for profit/fame/some advantage and turning it into a chore.
The Z pics are cute! I used to sometimes go back and forth when I was over on livejournal, but that was because I couldn’t email folks back. I think checking back to see what people are saying about my comments here and there in blogland would quickly become a chore. I do like the email back feature of most blogs. The comment thing that I appreciate is that if I’ve commented on a blog that the blog host either visits my blog and comments or emails me back. Doesn’t have to happen all the time, but when it NEVER happens, I feel like it is a one-sided relationship!
I only leave comments in my own combox if the commenter has asked a specific question, or is a brand-new commenter and doesn’t have an email address I can reply to directly. Otherwise I’d be spending way too much time on the computer. Most commenters are ones whose blogs I read regularly anyway!
@Lazy Cow–The point, though, is that then you can’t build a conversation that makes it worth people’s while to come back to read other comments. If you only answer via email (or don’t answer at all), there’s no added incentive for people to revisit posts they’ve already read–but if you’ve got a discussion going on down in the comments . . . it’s worth coming back for!
Thanks for the shout out! *does happy dance* I’m very excited about the move.
As for hair - I think it’s absolutely insane to pay more than $50 for *just* a cut. Especially for me since it takes about 15 min. or less most of the time. I hope you find someone worth while.
And the comment thing - maybe this is because I don’t do this for money or whatnot or I just think I don’t have enough time, but I would much rather get an e-mail response to a comment. I don’t have the time to read the blogs I want to read properly most of the time much less keep going back to the comments just in case the blog author wrote a response there. I also think it kind of falsely “inflates” the comments. Just my $0.02 without the adjustment for inflation.
Deb, in theory I fully agree that responding to comments IN the comments helps turn it into an actual group conversation. In reality, as a blogger, it’s so easy to just jot a quick reply to the commenter through email, and that way I’m certain that the commenter knows I’m acknowledging the comment.
As a reader of blogs, I read well over a hundred blogs. Many I just skim, and I comment when something truly strikes me, or when I just want the blogger to know I’m still reading. I can barely keep up with my bloglines subscriptions as it is. If I added comment subscriptions for each blog, I’d go totally nutso. (As opposed to the partially nutso that I already am!) I think message boards….such as on Ravelry….are far better for conversations.
Also, in the few blogs I’ve noticed where these comment conversations are definitely the rule, I’ve also noticed that there is a lot of controversy stirred up that way. Someone takes a statement the wrong way (or maybe the right way) and the next thing you know, everyone is jumping in and taking sides. It can get pretty nasty.
At any rate, I personally rarely come back to a comment section to see if there is any response. Score one for theory, but not for practice….just my opinion.
@Sharon–No, I agree. Although I DO think it entirely depends on the kind of post and kind of comments. I mean, If I post a picture of a FO and get bunches of people saying, “Beautiful!” I would not consider my leaving a comment saying, “Thanks, everybody, that’s so sweet of you” to be reasonable or sufficient. And, really, who WOULD bother coming back to see if I had said thank you? (grin)
But, if I were to start a post, say, on “This is how I do left-leaning decreases but I’m not satisfied, what do you folks use?” And then people started leaving suggestions in the comments, that’s something that would be useful to everyone, and worth coming back for. At which point, I could leave a comment saying something like, “Ooh, that’s a good one. I tried something similar to that once and found….” In which case, a conversation is a GOOD thing . . . and exactly the kind of post that the ’subscribe to comments’ feature would be ideal for.
You know, though, I find it really interesting that this post about commenting on comments has actually generated so many comments! Who knew? (grin)
@Deb: James (my business partner) had the same thing happen when he wrote a guest post for Copyblogger.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the comments here and find them interesting, to say the least. I like the point of view from those of you who don’t use comments. To me, it’s a totally alien concept, but I do see your points. It’s true, the one liners (”great post”, “I liked this”, etc.) are annoying, but it’s just something that comes with the territory. This is why a “subscribe to comments” checkbox is so important. I have all the comments from posts I’m watching delivered right to my email. If there’s nothing there I want to respond to, I don’t.
It all comes down to whether or not you want to build a community for your niche or not. Comments are a great way to expand your knowledge base and come up with more ideas for future posts.
Excellent job, ladies!
Well, sure, Harry, but knit-bloggers are ALREADY a community. That’s one of the reasons that we generally prefer the personal touch of responses through e-mails rather than the more impersonal reply-through-comments. It’s not because having conversations in the comments isn’t possibly valuable, it’s because it’s impersonal. It’s not that it’s NEVER a good idea, just . . . most of us prefer it the other way.
Unless you’re a part of it, you have no idea how strong a community knitting and spinning bloggers can be! (grin).
I’m with Sharon on this one!
And I’m trying to grasp the concept of the “money driven blogosphere.” Glad it’s not my blogosphere.
Oh, not condescending at all! My apologies if it came off that way. I meant it as a compliment - considering I’m the only guy here at the moment. Call me old fashioned, but it was meant with the utmost respect.
I have no doubt you’re already a community, I can see it, and I’m learning how you go about building it. It’s pretty cool to observe.
And the next time you stop by our blog, ask James about knitting
@Chris: It’s not as bad as it sounds. Many companies today are using blogs as a way to get more personal with their clients and to reach a wider audience. Others rely on heavy advertising (something James and I don’t do). For us as writers, it’s a way to showcase our writing abilities, call it a living portfolio. What we’re finding now is after nearly a year of blogging, people are starting to seek us out for our services rather than the other way around.
Even though we do have a business blog, the money is the farthest thing from my mind when I write. I enjoy writing, it’s a good outlet and gives my brain some exercise. The money’s a great perk, but if our blog didn’t bring in more business, I’d still be doing it because it’s fun.
@Harry: Hmm, I guess I do read the Dreamhost Blog, because they’re my hosting company. That’s been particularly interesting this past week, watching them respond to their massive billing snafu.
But I think the knitting blog community (I can’t speak about other craft blogging communities) is pretty amazing. While a conversation in the comments can spawn additional comments, a conversation in email can spawn close friendships that transfer to “real life.” I’m thinking about my knitblogger’s tour of Colorado last summer, during which I met and stayed with various knitbloggers I’d met through comments and email conversations on my own or their blogs.
@Chris: I guess no matter how you do it, it works, huh? I’ve met a few people IRL through blogging, but usually transfer over to emails after several comments.
I have to say I’m glad I stopped by here, I’m enjoying the experience. Knitbloggers rule!
Interesting conversation, and time for me to chime in.
1 - Direct email conversations and friendships isolate everyone except two people. It’s nice and makes two people feel special, and it’s extremely rude to everyone else concerned, much like hosting a party and pulling someone into a separate room for a “private” discussion. Not nice, folks.
2 - Direct email conversations take up far more time than getting a conversation going in comments - You must maintain 20 email-to-email conversations versus hosting a party where 20 people talk amongst themselves with your participation. For the time crunched complaining that blog commenting takes more time than email convos, do the math
3 - Anyone who feels they have to come back to a blog to check for new comments is visiting blogs that aren’t properly set up for usability. The “Subscribe to Comments” plugin (that checkbox to stay updated) solves the problem, and most blogs have them. Those that don’t might not know about it, so drop them an email and suggest it.
4 - Deb: You’re right. Comment conversations can help other people. Email conversations don’t help anyone but two people.
5 - Chris: While email conversations develop friendships faster because they are more intimate, comment conversations develop friends just as easily. Anthony and Brett have been commenting on our blog for a week and I now consider him a regular, we talk, we tease, we make inside jokes, and I’d be more than happy to chink beers with him.
6 - Harry: Knitters are an extremely… well, a close-knit community. It isn’t a craft; it’s a mindset they live and breathe. Kind of cool.
And yes, people. I knit.
@James–Actually, I can’t think of many knit-blogs who have a “subscribe to comments” feature. In fact, I saw somebody complaining not too long ago that her blogging-server was adding it and who in their right mind would want something like that??
And, again, to me, it all depends on the kind of post. Most of my posts are general, “what I did with my day” kinds of posts that don’t really warrant that much conversation. (”No, really, you knit? And the sleeve on your sweater is HOW long now? That’s just fascinating! And then, you did some spinning? For how long? Wow….”) But on the ones where I ask for advice or questions or opinions–theoretically, those comments would be worth subscribing to.
Hey, at least the option is there, right?
And, James, so tell us more about this knitting…. You KNOW we’re all interested!
No, you’re not. Really. (Harry is so dead.)
I would say that the people who read knitting blogs are probably not probloggers who really need to stay on top of things, but if it makes sense to keep a convo going, why not?
Why not be unique? Why not… step out and be different? Blog on cotton or size 7 US needles in a way that makes people want to chime in and tell their experience? What about the emotional therapy of knitting? What about… hell, I don’t know. *loses battle*
(Alright, I obviously need more coffee, eh?)
My story: My mum was a huge crafter. HUGE. I learned to knit when I was a wee lad. And to sew. And to crochet. And to make dolls and Christmas ornaments and all that jazz. Knitting stuck the most, and it’s something that really fits with my ADD tenancies (keeps the hands occupied and brain nicely empty). Plus, I’ve found some really beautiful books about knitting with pictures that really get to me - like this one by Melanie Falick
I honestly like knitting, even if it’s a girl thing to do. (And go ahead, I dare you to tell me I’m being sexist.)
But I did I know a backhoe driver once who could knit like a whiz, believe it or not - huge guy, 300 pounds, mr. toughass construction worker… The wait times while he was working were so long, he took up knitting in his backhoe to pass the time. Too funny.
It wasn’t always a “girl” thing, and there ARE plenty of men who knit and even blog about it. Heck, the RAF pilots in WWII were encouraged to knit argyle socks to keep their nerves in line . . . which, considering the nerve-wrackingness of all that intarsia, says a lot about flying combat (grin). I just left a comment on your blog with a link to the Brooklyn Tweed blog. His photos of his knitting are just incredible.
And, no, knit-bloggers are generally not remotely interested in being probloggers, but they’ve got a massive sense of community. I’ve been considering setting up a learn-to-knit site with lessons and videos and all that (though the technical stuff keeps bogging me down), and I posted a survey last month to get opinions on the idea. The stats on who would be interested in promoting such a site for a commission got an interesting response–a completely new concept to practically everyone. And yet, even though my knit-blog only gets around 200 regular readers (or, did before I moved it), I had almost 800 people start the survey . . . all word of mouth advertising.
The same thing that made Ravelry such a huge hit this year. (www.ravelry.com) It’s a great site with something like 15,000 members, all of whom had to get an invitation to join. It doesn’t cost a thing (I”m dying to know how the couple running it are making a living), but it exploded through word of mouth on the internet. Any site that has a waiting list of a couple months (it was at some point) has to be doing something right!
Oh, and I knew I had seen another post about the “ridiculousness” of the need for subscribing to comments. (”Ridiculous” is in quotes so as not to offend the more business-oriented sensibilities of Harry and James.) It was over at Norma’s, back in November.
http://nownormaknits2.typepad.com/now_norma_knits_2/2007/11/sometimes-theyr.html
Well, this is an interesting discussion. However, I couldn’t read it all, and that just illustrates the point. I’m super-busy with my own blog and my own work and my own life, and as you’ve pointed out, we have this super-strong sense of community out there. I want to get around and read other people’s blogs. One of my favorite blogs is a long-time read and now personal friend. However, she comments to the comments in the blog and I had to stop going back. I simply think it’s selfish of the blogger to assume that everyone is going to keep checking back all day to see if their comment was answered and to follow up on other comments, as if it were a chat room, and as if that blogger is the only blogger out there. I don’t feel the onus should be on me to go back.
@Deb: This quote from the Norma link is hilarious - “I probably couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel. ” Thanks for the link.
@ Norma - Well, would you rather read an interesting discussion or just get a fast fix when you’re on the run? Most people fall into group one, I would think. They love their hobby and passion and want to learn more or share with others.
You also seemed to have missed the point of a blog set up effectively for commenting - a blog that has the subscribe to comments feature doesn’t require anyone to keep coming back to the blog. Comments are delivered straight to email for the busy reader’s convenience. They don’t miss a thing and they don’t have to keep coming back to check what’s going on.
So I guess my question is: What’s wrong with conversation and keeping it going?
OH, MY GOD, James! I get 100+ emails a day already. (all comments get emailed to me, plus the personal emails from friends) I absolutely couldn’t handle any more. I’ve unsubbed to the few online groups I’ve belonged to over the years because it is just too much chatter and too much clogging up the inbox.
I do have a job and a life outside the blog world, too.
So I guess the real answer is, “To each his/her own.” And the other answer is, as I’ve pointed out before in some of my writings, knitblogs are a completely different animal than other blogs. We have strong relationships both online and offline, and there are just so many of us that we couldn’t just keep on conversing all day on just one or a handful.
@ Norma - LOL! You need to get yourself on a Feed reader and FAST, girl! You’d eliminate that huge mess you’re building up for yourself. (Trust me, I’m a convert myself.)
Plus, you’d have more of that time you mentioned you’re lacking
@James–Well, who DOESN’T use a feed reader?? How else could one possibly keep up with 300+ blogs to read?
Ooh, Deb, you’d be amazed at how many people have no freakin’ clue what a feed reader is…
Which brings me to add - you can get comments in a feed as well
Well, sure. I recently tried to explain it to my Mother, but most of the knit-bloggers I know do take advantage. That’s how I learned about them!
Ok, now I’m ROFL. Gee, I never thought of that. (chuckle)
James, you gotta get a life!!!!
What, you mean like, for example, Bloglines? Where I have about 350 blogs I read on a regular basis? And where I have about 1,000 readers of my own? This is going from the sublime to the ridiculous. I guess you really don’t get us. Not that I’m poking fun at you or anything — it just goes to show that we are definitely different species. And people really don’t understand the knitblog community.
Well, I’m glad to provide the entertainment… I think…
Let’s clear up one thing. As a problogger, I know all about feeds and their benefits.
Two, previous comments gave me the distinct impression no one else here knew much about blogs, commenting on blogs, blogging communities and feed reading.
Three, I have a life, thank you very much.
As far as ridiculous goes, I can only work with the information I’m given, so I don’t think I’ll shoulder all the blame in making me look like a fool
Now, now, let’s not get carried away! You’ll see that Sharon mentioned something about comment-conversations growing heated (grin).
James–we know you have a life, it’s just not a knit-blogging life. Your focus is elsewhere, it’s understood.
And, Norma, be nice! James doesn’t know your sense of humor as well as the rest of us (grin).
Knit-bloggers as a rule know a lot about RSS readers and the like and the comments are numerous. Many of the knit-blogs get hundreds of comments a day. It’s just a difference of how to respond–personally with e-mails, or publically in comments. I think the different emphasis is fascinating, because I can see valid points on both sides, but maybe at this point we should probably just agree to disagree.
lol… this isn’t heated! (snippy, but not heated.)
My knowledge of knit blogs is nil. My assumption was that knitters tend to be people who are introverted, quiet, nature-minded and peaceful (at least, that’s how they are up here in Quebec.)
A techy knitter? That’s a foreign concept to me, so yes, your stats and figures are mind-blowing!
@James. Ah….but there’s such a fine line between snippy and heated. And there are so many people in this world who choose to get bent over any tone perceived as possibly negative.
The interesting thing is that I’m breaking my own rules by coming back here and rejoining the comment conversation. This is indeed a fascinating one, but I have to back up Norma. If all the bloggers I read had comment subscriptions enabled, and if I subscribed to them, and if I came back to comment whenever the conversation got interesting, I’d be tripling the amount of blog interaction I currently have.
I DO think I’d be better off if I cut way back on the number of blogs I read, and had substance over quantity. But I also feel a certain obligation to at least skim and occasionally comment to those who visit and comment occasionally to me. In the giant scheme of things though, this is what I think of as a “good” problem.
Hmm. I’m looking at the checkbox where I can be notified of followup comments. I’m going to check it. You all had darn well better make it worth my while.
It’s certainly not a bad problem! “Oh, woe is me, I’ve got too many comments, whatever shall I DO?” Or, “Oh, I have too many blogging friends and can’t keep up, they’re all so nice.” As dilemmas go, there certainly are worse ones (grin).
I don’t comment on as many blogs as I’d like these days because time constraints ARE tight, and yes, generally, I’d rather get a reply via e-mail than to have to trek back to reread the comments. EXCEPT on the rare occasions when there’s really something substantive going on–really good tips or discussions about things, as opposed to random chatter.
Some bloggers don’t really like the “random chatter” kind of comments, either, and if you get more than a given number of “Ooh, so pretty, great yarn” kinds of comments, individual emails can get unwieldy, but I wouldn’t expect people to come back to see how many compliments my latest project got. (I’m really not that narcissistic.) But I don’t want them to stop coming, either (grin).
I figure that conversations are fun, and that sometimes–like this one–they’re interesting enough or informative enough to warrant someone deciding to subscribe with that little button down there . . . because that’s what it’s for. Then anyone can keep up with the conversation without having to remember to come BACK (unless they want to). You know, on the times when it’s worth it.
Glad you came back, Sharon!
No pressure to perform… none at all…
Glad to have you back, Sharon, and glad to be back myself (handy dandy subscribe to comments…!)
Alright, so we’ve determined knitters are techy these days and that I’m not a pansy and I have a life. Good. Very good.
We’ve also determined that time is of the essence for almost everyone here - managing that time is crucial.
Well, there, I can certainly agree. While monitoring blogs in a different niche and having blogging as my *job*, I can relate. I have probably about 150 feeds and I comment regularly on about half of those. I have to monitor what’s going on, what’s been said and keep abreast for business - and for pleasure. A sucky blog gets the boot.
Back to the original question - comment, no comment, email or blog? I stick to comment. Definitely. Never sweep on when you have something to add. A nod? I’ll agree with Deb. I HATE nods. With a passion. That just clogs up the commenting.
But a good discussion? I’m so there.
Email? Well, it’s nice to get a personal email, I’ll admit. Deb did it to me (that sounds so… wow) and I got all warm fuzzies. In one email, she became a new blogosphere friend.
She also accomplished something else: I pay attention to her now. I have to; she’s my friend. I want to be nice to her and she’ll be nice to me. Networking like that is valuable to bloggers of my type for many reasons ranging from genuine friendship to business.
But if all my commentators emailed me, I would quit my job. I mean… wow, now I have to maintain 20 one-on-one conversations versus participating in a party of 20 people every now and then? Nope.
Comment feed: Excellent. Cuts down on time, organizes comments so they don’t land in my inbox, and I can take 30 minutes of every day to read up, go comment, and get on with my day.
Mind you, I write fast. I read fast too. I blaze in and blaze out (except in cases like these when I’m writing a small novel to impress Sharon because I have performance anxiety).
Most blogs don’t have comment feeds though. Shame. I’m not sure why, it’s right there on Feedburner.
Email comments: Well, now, why do you have to trek back to a blog if you have that? You get emails, you read, you’re updated and eventually, someone says something and you think, “Okay, NOW.” Bop over, comment, and you’re gone again.
Cut back on blog reading? Yes. I have to do that regularly. Everyone gets the two-week test. Pass, and you stay on my feed. Fail, and you’re gone.
Whew. Okay, I’ve run out of gas. Did I pass the test?
Well, I didn’t say I HATED the quickie, “fluff” kind of comments, just that I can see that they get unwieldy and, in quantity, can’t necessarily be responded to individually. But, that said? I still almost always do. Even to all the “Happy Birthday”s that I got last November–I wrote back a “Thanks!” e-mail to every one of them, end of “conversation.” (grin) But would, say, Stephanie the Yarn Harlot have time to do that on every one of the hundreds and hundreds of comments she gets every day? Or Norma with the quantity she gets? No, of course not! But I wouldn’t feel the need to subscribe to the comments, either, to hear all the “Gee, you’re having a bad day? How awful” commiserations, either.
But then, there’s a difference between a casual, friendly, recreational, sociable kind of blog where people talk about general things just to chat, and blogs–or posts–that are very specifically addressing a solid topic of information or education. On the rare occasions that I talk about serious issues here, or that I ask for help on, say, tips for long-draw spinning, then those are the comments that are worth my reader’s while to come back to–and those are the ones that are well worth my commenting on myself.
But–you said it, James. The e-mail comment makes FRIENDS, which is part of what knit-blogging is all about. (You probably didn’t see my post tonight, about the goodie-package my Mom got in the mail from a reader, just because . . . gotta love those random acts of kindness!)
And now, James, for a little extra credit, talk a little more about your knitting!
Oh god. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.
Well, let’s see. It bothers the hell out of me to see $200 sweaters on sale for basic knitting that anyone can do with a little time and effort. So I make my own. Warmer, better quality and nicer.
I like patterns and cables, too. While I hate math, I love critical thinking and I think creating designs in knitting is similar to that.
I also knit because it’s therapeutic (proven, as well). I have a speedy mind, but when I knit, I don’t have to think. That’s a very, very cool thing and helps me to keep my mind rested. I can knit and watch TV, too. The ultimate in empty heads. Love it.
It also keeps me busy at the same time, which is a good thing. I have a tendency to find it hard to sit still or do nothing, so I can both relax and calm my jitters at the same time (told you it was therapeutic).
You know, you don’t have to sell US on the idea that knitting is therapeutic. WE understand, that’s why we blog about knitting (and other things, too). Not only that, but this is a group that will think BETTER of you for being a knitter, because that makes you one of “us,” whether you blog about it or not. Believe me, we think you a better man for it (grin).
And, I can’t remember the last time I sat down in front of the television without knitting–or a book–in my hands! It’s handy to carry around for standing in bank lines or sitting in waiting rooms, too . . . although that IS easier if you carry a purse which, of course, most men don’t.
Much as I’m all about equality of the genders, I would rather walk around nude in a Canadian winter selling frozen beer than carry my knitting to the bank or waiting room…
Well, I suppose you’re not ready for KIP yet. (That’s Knitting In Public.)
I am definitely a reply via e-mail person - but I only get a few comments and I have no great drive to increase it.
If something relevant to more people comes up in the comments I usually include it in a future post (because I don’t go back and check old posts again so don’t expect others to) and update the one (just in case anyone does go back
).
Occasionally something in the comments spins into a whole new post. But I wouldn’t subscribe to comments - I read way too many blogs as it is without feeling driven to go back to the comments again and again.
Interesting idea