Saturday, November 26, 2011

Comments, Comments, Comments


Back when I was a blogging regular before my current resurrection, I blogged because I liked to write. I stopped blogging because I got lazy. Now that I have been back posting every day this month, I have realized how much I still enjoy to write. I realize it may not be the most entertaining stuff but it's what I got. For the most part I don't blog for the acknowledgement, I don't need my ego to be inflated because it's not about that. But I am not going to lie. When I write a post about something that is important to me and I feel like I worked really hard to share with whoever is reading and then after 2, 3, 4 days and still there are no comments it drives me absolutely batty. Like I said, it's not an ego thing, it is just nice to know people are actually reading and maybe once in a while even enjoy it.

The Queen and I had this conversation the other day. She too is lacking traffic to her blog. She had made the suggestion that with blogging "you get out of it what you put in to it." She is a wise one. So I have made an effort lately to read more blogs out there and leave comments in hopes of leading some of those people to my blog. If they are coming, they aren't letting me know it. I have made a point of linking posts on Twitter and Facebook and even with that there is still not much coming in. Yes--I realize there are people out there reading it, as I have a counter on my blog that allows me to look at a map of where everyone is visiting my blog from.

When I first started blogging back in 2004, it was mainly to keep all our family and friends out here on the west coast and up in Canada up to date on what was happening in our lives since we had just moved cross-country to Boston. After a while it became an outlet for me. Some days it was some in depth thoughts...and others it was about my dog playing with a frozen poop in the backyard! But back then it really didn't matter what it was about, I had a lot of traffic and a lot of feedback.

So the questions I have are the following:

1. Is it what I am writing about?
2. Is there lack of interest?
3. Is it just all of you who are too lazy to give me feedback any given day?
4. What can I do differently?

Now that I have started blogging here on a daily basis again, I feel like it is something I will probably continue with--at least for the time being. The lack of comments isn't going to stop me from blogging, but I can say the comments and feedback can only help me and push me to continue writing and entertaining you with whatever useless drivel I choose to toss your way. I mean, you don't want  to miss out on a moment of that. Do you?

So what do you say? Come out from the woodwork you lurkers. Let me know you're there, let me know your thoughts. Even if those thoughts are " hey Evey your blog is so boring I want to poke sharp things in my eyes!" At least I will know you are reading. And poking.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I'm reading and just too lazy to comment, I suppose. Also on this blog (as on Andrea's), I don't have a Google account (and don't desire one) so have to sign in anonymously. Keep on bloggin'! (Diana)

Anonymous said...

Oops, meant to also say that I enjoy reading your blog postings.

Anonymous said...

I'm lazy too, but I do enjoy reading your blogs. Keep it up, Yvonne!!!!!
Char

Cupcake Blonde said...

I read every day but it is mostly on my phone and it's too tedious to post a comment on there. Sorry. :)

Andrea said...

I have two things to say (again)! First, that is exactly why I stopped blogging. After putting lots of time and energy into multiple posts that were getting NO comments, I finally realized it was a waste of [my] time, since no one was reading it, anyway. (If people are/were, I have no way of knowing.) Secondly, I have to say I think it is because people have gotten lazy. I know I have. It doesn't make it right, but I am guilty of reading someones blog and wishing they had a "like" button, because I am just too lazy to write a comment.

Just Dave said...

Hehe, it's funny how everyone comments when they think someone is mad, lol. Anyways Yvonne I'm as guilty as the rest, I love your blogs. They either make me cry or laugh so hard I fill my pants, lol

Portia said...

Seriously, I just drafted a nice long comment about how (1) I love your posts and (2) I get what you're saying. And then Blogger freaked out on me and lost it.

This is why I sometimes don't post comments. The other reason is related - I often check blogs at work (while I'm eating lunch, of course...) and for some reason I can't post comments from there - I always get a stupid error message.

Portia said...

Oh. And I meant to say also - DON'T STOP! I love it!

QueenieCarly said...

Ask and you shall receive. :) Lots of comments here!

I totally get what everyone is saying. First, I love your blog, too. (And not just because you've been so good about being my NaBloPoMo partner in crime.) Second, it sometimes takes me a little while to comment on stuff for the same reason: I'm reading from a place where I can't reply right away (my phone, at work...) I'll add another reason to my excuses: sometimes I don't have anything of substance to add or, if I do, I can't put it together. I know from my own posts that sometimes something that's been written deserves a thoughtful response and I don't feel that I can contribute that. Sometimes it's a temporary feeling, sometimes I doubt I ever will.

I'm glad you posted something about this. I'll probably do the same in the next few days. :)

kristen said...

HI Evey,
I think there are a few things that have changed since we "longtime" bloggers have started blogging, the main being commenting.

With so many readers using either mobile devices or "feed readers" such as Google Reader, commenting involves extra steps- so unless someone has something that they REALLY want to say, we don't comment as often.

There are also so many more blogs out there- so we're reading more and commenting less. Sure, some of the "big" blogs still get lots of comments, but for the most part, I think comments are far less an indicator of readership- page hits and blog stats are. Even blogger got on board and put in a "stats" section in the dashboard!

Anyway, all that to say- don't be discouraged. I know I miss the comment dialogue too.

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