Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Embracing Blogging Stereotypes

One more post about blogging. This time, what I love most about blogging. And I love how Jill and Heather just could NOT keep it negative in the comments on the previous post and insisted on mentioning the bright side of blogging. What is wrong with you ladies?

I LOVE:
* Keeping in touch with friends and family. I've gotten back in touch with some good friends and cousins, one of whom used to be my best friend/worst enemy (remember those days?) I believe we're friends again! (Okay, we have been since we stopped being 12, but we've hardly been in contact since then, until now).

* Seeing so many different things from a new perspective. I love reading about people's joys, struggles, mistakes, spiritual experiences/growth etc. and how you deal with them. I feel really uplifted by reading about them.

*Making friends. Whenever I read about "bloggy friends" I used to do a virtual eye roll. Now I totally get it. I love getting to know new people through their blogs. I love to do the reciprocated blog reading, although I don't like to feel obligated myself or for others to feel that way either, of course. I also hope that visitors to my blog won't ever feel like I belong to some sort of clique, as I love meeting new people, but am very grateful for those of you who I do sort of consider "mine." (sorry to be all possessive like that!)

* Cyber hugs. Another thing I used to roll my eyes at. Now, however, I love knowing that if I ever posted something on my blog to vent or was looking for sympathy, I almost surely would find it here with you great people.

*Excellent comments. I love reading your responses to my posts. I used to hate reading through a food bloggers comments on their peanut butter chocolate cake and read 35 "Oh!! I just LOVE the peanut butter and chocolate combination!!!"s because it's kind of like, who doesn't? But I feel like you guys are the awesomest commenters. This isn't just because I "know" you. Even my sister mentioned in the comments on the previous post that she likes to read the comments because I have some "fun followers." It's really a joy to read what you have to say, and then read it again. Long or short. Funny, simple or profound.

**NOTICE: Because you ARE such great commenters, and I sometimes wish I could email a response to your comment, (like the one who offered a recipe!) I was wondering if you might consider including your email contact in your profiles. I know some of you don't want to, but I'm sure some of you just haven't considered it. If that's you, please consider it! Or maybe just email me, if you're not afraid of me and my stalkerishness. My email address is on my profile. I love being able to email those of you that I do have contact with.

* Having questions answered. Andrea mentioned in the negative comments about the use of a lure to get comments in the form of a question at the end of the post. I think she was kidding. But I actually love that if I actually DO want to know something I can ask, and you'll tell me!! Like about the weather. I got a great weather report all across the U.S. and I really did want to know that. Also, I love when people ask a fun question on their own blog and I want to come back and read through all the comments later.

Sidenote here: About thinking that Andrea was kidding. She put a :) after it. But as Becky commented, it's really hard to catch tone sometimes and it can make it hard to be sarcastic. And sometimes adding a smiley face to the end of your comment sucks all the humor right out of it. Dry, dry, dry! It must be dry!!

*Having a good laugh every day. Every day at least one of you writes something that is so funny I have to tell Greg about it.

* Contests. Okay, this isn't really something I love about blogging, but I just had to inform you (not brag to you, of course) that I won a highly prestigious poetry competition. Or at least a limerick writing contest on a blog where you submit them in the comments. It's almost the same thing. One of the three I submitted stole the show. My prize was a place in the Limericker Hall of Fame (or something) in her sidebar. And it was loads (I am HILARIOUS) of fun, too. (Oh, the reason I'm so hilarious is because the subject for the limericks was "laundry" and I said it was "loads" of fun. That makes people hilarious, when they say stuff like that.) And I like when people do things like that, or like Pam's giveaway with a twist.

*And while I'm informing (not bragging), I just had something published at Bloggers Annex. I'm sure it wasn't exactly published for the writing it contains (there's not much and it's mostly recitation of facts), but more for the subject matter. If you've never read about what we found around the corner from our house and you're feeling in a thoughtful mood, you should take a look.

I was going to mention my unfortunate relationship with my site meter, which obsession I haven't been as successful at curbing as I have my early desire for comments. But let's not dwell on that, as it may make me look a tiny bit stalker-ish. Can you be stalker-ish looking at something on your own blog? You can't? Oh, good.

Also, I'd like to inform you that I have a new feature in my sidebar of posts I recommend. I will try to recommend posts that I don't think you have to know the blogger to appreciate, which will mean that some posts that I will love myself, won't be put on there, just so you all know. I'll just choose a few. And Jill's post (Thou shalt not whine) that's on there? It helps if you know that Max is her darling 3 year old who uses the word "also" at all times and in all things. . . even if it's out of place(s).

Now share, if you like, and not because you're compelled to because I'm asking :), what it is that you love dearly about blogging.

22 comments:

Pancake said...

Ok, well.... I too at times have an unhealthy fixation with my site meter....

I love the laughs, the connections with others- those newly formed those discovered and those that are strengthened.

Heather of the EO said...

let's just face it. If you have a sitemeter, it's an automatic for habitual checking to a stalk yourself degree.
did that make sense?
who cares.

Becky said...

I love having bloggy friends, too. The other day, my husband told me that if any of my blog pals ever visit Alaska, they should stay with us. He laughed at me because I got all excited and went on and on about how cool that would be.

Kazzy said...

I have always been a people watcher. Reading others' blogs is like people watching, only you get to interact too.

Thora said...

I love blogging. I love being able to read about others' lives; I find when they're uplifting, it uplifts my life as well. I also feel more social, and for the last year living in England in the country and being pregnant, that was very nice fore me because I didn't get out much.

Honestly, I like the tiny bits of "fame" with it. Not that I have very many readers, but it's fun to know that people care enough about me and my life to read about it.

Mostly I blog because (as I just wrote recently) I love writing, and it's a place for me to write regularly. I figure it's a good use of time, because it's family history.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this! I've decided to dedicate my next post to you and this very subject, because this is something I've been torn about! I started blogging as a way to link our ward YW together (which is working, btw), and I bit the bug and now I'm addicted. Too much. I spend way too much time floating through cyper blog spaces and not enough time with my children, or house, or job, for that matter. I've had to set a time limit on my daily blogging exercises!

I love blogging because it has opened the world up to me and my limited scope on the world as I see it. I think so many women have latched on to this for that same reason...that we're not alone in the universe, that other people have the same problems, concerns, joys, trials, successes, failures and everything else that the rest of the world has! And by sharing all of this, we're saving a bundle on group therapy sessions!

I also love keeping in touch with family, and long-lost friends, and making new ones. So bless the blogging gods that be for bringing this wonderful outlet to the rest of us!

Oh, and congratulations on the limerick contest! See, great minds...and all that!

Melinda said...

Hi it's me Melinda in Ukraine, I am glad you visited my site. I hope you will visit often. I will be following your blog. It will be fun to read your perspective on living in another country. I saw that you were tagged too so I am looking forward to reading your responses.

Melinda

Jillybean said...

I think I might have already told you what I like about blogging in the last comments section.

One more thing I like, is that I can type something, and look at it, and decide if it's really what I want to say before I hit the publish button. In real life, I will say the first thing that pops into my head, and it usually comes out sounding dorky. I can't edit something once I've said it out loud.

I check my site meter way too often, however, I do love to see who is looking at my blog, and where they're from.

I also love it when people link to me;0)

Lesley said...

I couldn't even come up with something I don't like about blogging to comment about on your last post, but I do hate when I can't come up with a decent post. I used to think I was such a clever writer (before I started blogging) and now I'm so mediocre. Sigh...I dearly love comments and making blogging friends. I also love a post that makes me laugh so hard I snort or one that makes me tear up, or one that makes me think. I liked your blog annex post btw.

Beeswax said...

I just love the writing process. I feel like I'm working out a part of my brain that has been dormant since I wrote my senior thesis 11 years ago.

When I push publish, I feel like I've accomplished something.

Nancy said...

I like having somewhere to put all the random things I think of throughout the day that I want to share with someone. Or the books I want to recommend. Or the recipe you all should try. Plus, it's kind of addicting, isn't it. I find myself walking around now thinking, "and I could blog about that, or that..."

Anne said...

I love creating something, even if it's crappy. Too bad I missed out on the voting, I love lisa lisa bo bisa!!!

Anonymous said...

Blogging has expanded my horizons sooo much! I have "met" people from all over the US and the world, and seen pictures of their families and houses, and heard some of their deepest concerns and most fun moments! Blogging has also caused me to take classes in writing, photography, photo editing and to buy a sewing machine. Well, maybe blogging didn't make me buy the sewing machine, but it does make me even look at hobbies differently when I know I can talk about them on my blog. Blogging is great!

Erin said...

I wasn't able to get the link of the "highly prestigious poetry competition to work". Are you pulling our legs? :)

LisAway said...

Weird! I have no idea why that's not working. I just redid it and it's showing the same error. Let me try linking like this and we'll see if it will work. You can find the link HERE . Or can you?

Barbaloot said...

I love that I'm *fake* anonymous. And it really is fun to kind of meet other people who blog.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Hee hee...I got all happy when I saw you won the Limmerick Contest - yours made me laugh out loud, for serious.

As to what I love about blogging, all the above.

Plus the ego stroking. I am all about the ego stroking. =P <-- silly making fun of myself face, but really, being half serious.

Heidi said...

This is off subject but how did you the button for Sue's blogger book? I'm at her blog all the time and I have never seen it? Can you tell me where to get it? Thanks! Heidi
write2me@heidiashworth.com

Alison Wonderland said...

Oh I love my bloggy friends. I've even met one of them in real, I could pick her out of a lineup, life.

I'm actually not a site meter addict (desperately hoping you don't mention that I don't have a sitemeter) I used to obsessively check my stats but I've actually mostly given that up too. (The obsessive part not the checking part.)

And yes, we know, you won the limerick contest, get over yourself already, geez! (Now all your readers who aren't my readers think I'm a HUGE jerk.)

Melanie Jacobson said...

Oh! I'm sad I'm last!

And thanks for the shoutout in your sidebar. That totally made my day!

And I think my favorite thing about blogging is that it makes me feel less alone and crazy because I realize other people are feeling/doing the exact same things as I am and I feel understood without ever having to explain myself.

And congrats on the limerick. I'm going to go check it out now...

charrette said...

I love the serendipity of having complete strangers show up and comment, many of whom become really wonderful friends!

I also LOVE to WRITE!
And the lure of instantaneous online feedback keeps me at it.

MelancholySmile said...

Blogging has had the unexpected benefit of bringing my husband and I closer throughout the day. I love that he checks my blog every day, knows the random things that I'm preoccupied with, and has a chance to 'see' some of the {non-mommy} inner workings of my mind. When I'm depressed, he knows it by the tone of what I've written. Often he comes home prepared to lift my spirits. Honestly, what's not to love about that?