I am very particular about how I read blogs... I don't have my favorites delivered via email because I like popping in and seeing people's actual blogs. That is my first act of blog snobbery... I won't use google connect...I like the thrill of popping over and seeing a new post. It is like dropping by friend's house and not only are they home, but they want you to come in for a cup of coffee and some girl talk... That is my second act of blog snobbery... I only read female bloggers... I would not drop in on a guy friend for coffee and a chat... I choose bloggers like I choose other friends, we may not have a ton in common, but there is usually a common thread... Sometimes it is even just because there is something about them that makes me want to know them better. It's funny because I asked Paul if he reads any blogs by female authors and he thought about it a minute and realised he didn't. He reads blogs for information so it wouldn't be as weird, but even he admitted it would be like him hanging out with one of my friends... Not wrong, per se, but weird.. My third act of blog snobbery is kinda connected to my first one... Since I don't use google connect I save the blogs I read in folders in my favorites... and.... I categorize the blogs I read by how much I like them... I know we all do this in real life, but it seems so harsh to see it played out on that little favorites scroll... I have "R's Blogs Daily" (This is my shortest list and if you have feedjit you will know if you are on this list since you will see Rockport, Maine on your scroll several times a week, if you are posting or not.), "R's Favorite Blogs" (ironically a step down from daily, I pop in on these if I have time left for blog hopping after I check my daily blog), "R's Blogs" (Which get read very rarely but if we have a snow day or if I am sick I do pop in.) Then there are my categorized blogs they are the ones where the author has a particular specialty for their blog, decorating, party planning, diy, cooking, etc... I read these when I am in the mood to be inspired... That comes to my worst offence of blog snobbery... I promote and demote people on these lists... Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that there are blogs I used to read all the time, but for one reason or another I have decided to demote them... Some twice... I chalk this up to seasons of friendship... I am an eternal optimist when I meet a new friend I always think "this is going to be amazing" then as we get to know each other sometimes I am right, sometimes we have less in common then I thought (maybe they are funny but they use a lot of cuss words and it starts to bother me over time.) , or we are too busy to nurture our fledgling friendship (this is usually because they spend so much time promoting products and filling ad space they stop talking to us and sharing.), or it just doesn't spark... And I usually feel horrible when I "demote" someone... Especially if it was a blog I used to read all the time... Yep, that is today's confession... I am a blog snob... I'm a coffee snob too, but that is a confession for another day...
On a completely unrelated topic... Do you ever go back to posts you have already read and see if there was a reply? I usually don't... It hadn't occurred to me to do this, until somebody brought it up... I went back to a lot of my bloggy friends past posts and found out several of y'all had been leaving replies all along... I feel like a cad... So I replied to every comment the other day and it took a lot of time... So I was wondering... Does anyone go back and look for them?
Thanks for listening,
Oh man. . . now I wonder if I've been demoted!! No, don't tell me-- don't tell me. It's best I don't know. ;) ;)
ReplyDeleteI have a nearly identical system for blog reading. Usually the only reason people get "demoted" though is if they just stop posting or post only rarely. It's too disappointing to stop by every day and see the same old post.
ReplyDeleteThere are only so many hours in a day, after all. Some of the christian/ theology blogs I follow are maintained by men, but I rarely comment. Back when I was blogging, I tried to reply to comments. I had so few I wanted them to know how much I appreciated the feedback.
ReplyDeleteI read blog by men (finance, political, & theology) and women (mostly cooking, decorating, finance, homeschooling, homemaking, etc). My faves and people I know in real life are delivered to my inbox so I don't miss a single post. I rarely comment but I do try to read them all. Then I have hundreds more in my favorites folder, some by category but most not. I have a hard time keeping up so your system sounds like just what I need. I really like reading blogs they have been very helpful to me. My shyness keeps me from writing one of my own. LOL
ReplyDeleteI think there is an option to have Blogger email you each time you get a comment. If so that will help you with comments on old posts. :)
ReplyDeleteI have most of mine now in Google Reader so with one click there I'll see who has updated. I do have blogs on the blogroll on my blog but I usually just work thru the posts on Google Reader. If there is an update I do go to the actual blog because it helps me more easily connect the person to the writing. Once they're in my reader I rarely delete unless they post something offensive.
ReplyDeleteI do read some guy blogs but mostly they are associated with charity (Shaun Groves/Compassion) or ministry (Pete Wilson) or writing encouragement and technique (Jon Acuff and The Write Practice). They aren't neccessarily bloggers who write back although The Write Practice has been helpful. It's a man and a woman team there.
There are only so many hours in the day so oftentimes I skim. I am very loyal to those first few bloggers who followed me just as I was getting started and who answered all my silly questions and I try to always read those. I will catch up on blogs in chunks too. It may be the weekend or a day when I'm home with not a lot to do but eventually I try to read what's in my reader.
Forgot to say-I rarely go back into the comments I've left to see if a blogger has responded. My comments are linked to my email so oftentimes the blogger will email me a response and that's my preference. I definitely don't have time to go back-once its read its read!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh... were we separated at birth? Well, not quite, but there are definitely some commonalities :D
ReplyDelete#1 I like to pop in, too. It's like finding an Easter egg, or a little gift, when there's a post :D
#2 I do read one or two blogs by men, but they are more ministry related, and I'm very careful about commenting to keep it "sisterly". Met one of these in person on our family vacation. His wife invited our family over for dinner, along with another bloggy friend in common (female) and her family. Very fun.
#3 This, my friend, is not blog snobbery, it is Time Management. Good for you.
I like blogging. I write mostly for myself (sort of an online family scrapbook) but I enjoy the friends I've made blogging. But it all takes a back seat to my IN REAL LIFE FAMILY. So sometimes I have to disappear for awhile.
#4 Comments... I waffle about this. No, I don't respond to every comment. Maybe I should? If you were here, in person, I'd meet your eyes, and smile, and nod, and we'd toss the conversation back and forth. But it just isn't the same electronically. And, again, it's a time prioritization thing. I try to answer questions, though :D
TTFN,
Julie
(Tigger says Ta Ta For Now)