It was in January or February that I committed to being a more involved social media participant.
No more lurking, instead actively clicking on interesting links. It’s time-consuming, not quite on the government worker, eight daily hours level I achieved at the space program, but, you know, this time around, I had been unemployed for seven months. I got around.
The most recent fringe friday fellowship asked why you guys didn’t click on the links I posted or why you didn’t hang out on each other’s blogs. Christine made a good point about time constraints. I can see that. Plus, you visit your favorite blogs for the emotional connection and, very likely, the content. What I love about voixdemichele, you may not, no matter how awesome I say she is.
On Friday, I clicked in the sidebars of a few blogs I like. Why I don’t do that very often—my full-time gig notwithstanding—became immediately clear. Some blogs are terribly written. Some blogs are simply laundry lists of unoriginal pet peeves. Some blogs are both. Actually, no, I don’t hate it when the person in line in front of me at the grocery store has to dig through her purse for the needed two dollars completing her check-out. That doesn’t bother me in the least bit, but it does kinda bother me when people blog about it like they are saving the world with their tired clichés.
I do understand that not all blogs are published by writers. People are in various stages of catharsis, exploration or experimentation—writer’s pedigree unnecessary. However, wow, I’m either gonna stab my eyes with my Pilot Precise V5 Rollerball or I’m gonna navigate away from the page before that happens. Especially when the tone is grating and overly negative.
I guess that’s enough from me on the topic. Don’t you hate it when writers who blog rip into uninteresting people who blog? It was less of a rip than an explanation. Now I’m feeling guilty, so I’m rambling. I’m sure those blogs I read over the past few days are fascinating commentaries on the global condition, hidden only by my own myopia. Just remind me to always have my money ready as we share a grocery cashier. I’d hate to have my story told with misplaced commas and badly dangling modifiers.
I had to go check but of the 13 blogs on my blog roll nine are written by writers, one is a budding writer and two are close friends and the last one belongs to my ex who writes about sports and pretty women.
Ug! You know what is worse than boring blogs? Blogs that try to hard and vid blog where the blogger just sits and talks into the camera with horrible audio. Those just make me sad.
Wow, I sound bitter. I think I am going to grab some coffee.
Peace out & within
I just wanted to say that I love your ‘Peace out & within’…
We don’t mean to sound bitter. I say go for it, all who may find time to write. I think it’s the lack of compassion and understanding coupled with unintelligible writing that puts me off. This breakroom coffee is horrible today.
I totally agree that unoriginal blogging is stabworthy, but I mostly just ignore what I don’t like. There are at least a half-dozen blogs in my sidebar that haven’t updated in months, but I know their owners in real life and don’t want to delete them.
Fortunately for us, the internet is a really big place. I consider the really bad blogs as some kind of Northwestern Territories — sparsely populated and significant only to those who care.
I love that there are things you love about my blog. Plus, there are all kinds of things I love about you and your blog back.
Yeah, I’m pretty good at ignoring. Sometimes blog topics brew within and eventually spill over onto the page. I write on this subject once a year, acknowledging it’s a touchy one.
I don’t think this post or the comments are bitter at all. It’s true that there are badly written blogs and/or niches that don’t appeal to the masses.
Sometimes I wonder why I blog, or what my angle is. Curiosity, maybe, at what other people in the world are thinking and doing. I know I could put more thought into posts, and not just publish willy-nilly, like I do.
And I’ll bet I have dangling modifiers and participles all over the place. But my spelling? Near perfect:)
I have this little plaque mounted over my coffee pot. It reads: ‘Life is too short for bad coffee’. You should get in touch with HR about that brew in the breakroom!
Aw, thanks for the realism, Christine. You probably know by now I avoid conflict and confrontation. But not about bad coffee. I may start bringing my own!
Oh Lord, when I read this I thought I’d better check my commas. They were all over the place! I’ll use the excuse that I was tired…every day. But I’m not a pro. I leave that to obviously good writers like yourself, that’s why I read you. I also checked out a couple of links in your sidebar the other day when I was lurking and found more good reads. Thanks!
Yes! My world domination through comma placement paranoia is complete! Either that or you just reminded me to add your blog to my sidebar. Half dozen of the other…
Hi,
I found you through Mr. Lady and I visit as often as I can. Most days, I lurk. Friday, I was commenting when I had to shut down and actually work. Sorry you missed my brilliant commentary. Bottom Line, I don’t always comment, or click. Regardless, I LOVE.
debb, thank you for stopping by regularly and for commenting today. I understand all too well when paid work interferes with social media activity, not that I’m complaining!