Friday, 24 February 2012

How Big is Your Blogland?

CJ made the comment in his post yesterday that "I couldn't cope with the hundreds of e-mails that I'd get if I ticked the little box on people's blogs! I know GB does but he has access to the internet on his phone and seems to follow about 200 blogs and read their replies as well. He always did manage his time better than me."  Oddly that's the first time I have realised the big difference between our Blogland lives and the way we follow bblogs.  I actually follow very few Blogs (excluding family I follow around 20 or so and not all contribute regularly) but those I follow I follow in detail and I try to read all the comments made on them and I try to follow up on all the comments made on mine.

So although my Blogland horizons have slowly expanded over the years my Blogland is still very small.  I do, however, feel that I know my Blogland friends quite well. I also enjoy the discussions which posts and comments can lead to both within and without the comment box on a blog itself.

I think that I realised just how different my approach to Blogland is when I read a post recently after being directed to it in someone's post on word verification.  The blogger said "Just being 100% point blank, here.  I follow between 300 and 400 blogs.  I leave a TON of comments all over Blogland every day.  I CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO SO IF I RUN INTO WORD VERIFICATION AT SO MANY SITES!  I don't mean to be rude, but my time is better spent in other pursuits than decoding and typing nonsense.  Let's face it, we all have limited time to give to blogging (and I already give too much!)"  With over 700 followers and 156 comments on that post alone I could see where she was coming from.  But it certainly is not where I want to be!
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21 comments:

  1. Librarian25 February 2012 at 01:09

    Dear me! While I feel that blogging (both as a writer and a reader) enriches my life, it certainly IS not my life - my offline activities always take precedence (usually, though, the online and offline parts of my life harmonize very well).
    Your question made me go to my dashboard and count; I am currently following 43 blogs, at least 10 of which are hardly ever updated, and some have been completely abandoned, it seems.

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 08:50

      I actually have more than 20 on my Dashboard but that's because it's so hard to get rid of them. However I don't actually follow them all and, as you say, some have been abandoned. Even some on my Blogworld list rarely blog but are still part of my Blogworld. Like you my two worlds seem to harmonise well and in places overlap.

      Delete
  2. DawnTreader25 February 2012 at 04:23

    I recognize that blog comment but can't recall where it was I read it before. (I suppose I may have been directed to it the same way you were.) I think I may have between 80-100 blogs on my dashboard list but that does not mean I'm actively following all of them, all the time. Not counting those that are only for weekly memes, I guess there are less than a dozen that I really make an effort to catch up with every post in, even if from time to time I visit some more frequently. So I guess my blogland consists of a 'city' that I know quite well, while my excursions out into the surrounding countryside are a bit more random! (the 'city' consisting of people all over the world though)

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 08:55

      The blog was The Run Around A Ranch Report . I can't recall who directed us there though.

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  3. Heather25 February 2012 at 04:25

    There are SO many that I've clicked 'follow' on, and do visit when I have found an update but some only visit blogland now and then. Some are ones that I wouldn't want to forget are there, such as those that share templates and ideas for photography. Some are truly friends that I watch over ;)

    As for the little box, I RARELY do that because then I receive everyone else's comments to the post. I'm not always interested in what everyone has to say on a particular subject, but sometimes I am. Which also leads me to the idea that there, most likely, have been MANY times that someone has replied to one of my comments and I've not seen it.

    I like it when bloggers leave an email address open, therefor I'm able to reply to them via. email {which I prefer very much}. The WV is a pain in the butt, as far as I'm concerned, yet I understand why so many choose to use it with all of the darned spammer hacks out there - but there is a way around it, even on the most busy traffic blogs.

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 08:57

      I think that you have a much wider set of interests than I do Heather because I rarely step outside of my small world. I do like to correspond with a few outside of the posts though.

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  4. Ruby25 February 2012 at 05:21

    Oh my! She must be a full time blogger with excellent time management! My blogland is quite small (85 followers) but I guess 15 - 30 who comment :)

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 08:58

      Your Blogworld is certainly very diverse though Ruby.

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  5. Scriptor Senex25 February 2012 at 06:31

    Interesting, I had never added up those I follow before - it works out at 34 people - outside family and three close friends. Of those about nine have hardly posted in the last year. That leaves 25 - most post about two a week but some post more than one a day. There is no way I could keep up with all the follow-up comments on all those.

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:02

      I find that separating out all posts to a separate email address makes it easy to scan those I want to read in detail. Because I don't do any memes or whatever FSO and so on are called I don't get many comments I don't want to read and I don't often comment on the memes. In addition Apple Mail highlights all which relate to the same post which is handy.

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  6. Cat25 February 2012 at 06:45

    I hear you, I come across new blogs every so often that look interesting, I watch them for bit or read back in the archives before commenting. It amazes me how people have huge followings, where do these folks find the time?
    I don't get the "follow" thing I can hit the button but I never hear from folks again (no updates, no nothing) so now I don't bother.

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:05

      I don't "follow" blogs very often either. When I used the word in my post I was meaning ones I read as a matter of course. I read that Blogger is getting rid of followers anyway.

      Delete
  7. Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers25 February 2012 at 07:57

    I follow most blogs on Google Reader, a few by email. I would remove some but the process is time consuming and they are all there for a reason. Now I quickly scan the reader and select those that I always read vs those who's post grabs my attention that day.... If I am moved to comment I will open the blog separately. Often I am defeated by Wv, particularly if reading on a phone or iPad and decide the comment was not that important. Occasionally I request follow up comments on other peoples blogs but it has to be important and not result in too much traffic..... I do however have my own blog set to email me any comments so always get those.... They matter :)

    What will we do when they drop the Follow option shortly..... Such an easy way to add blogs.

    Might go check my blog roll and WV settings!!!!

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:07

      I generally use the Dashboard and Google Reader and where people are on Networked Blogs that too. I find if I want to comment it's generally easier just to go to the Blog from Dashboard. When I'm in NZ I don't read blogs on my phone.

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  8. Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers25 February 2012 at 07:58

    Oops whose..... Damned auto correct!!!!!

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  9. Canadian Chickadee25 February 2012 at 08:39

    The blogs I do read regularly have increased my knowledge and pleasure in the community of the world enormously. The ones I never miss are yours, and CJ's of course (his was the first blog I "discovered" about three years ago), plus Pondside, Comforts of Home, and Age of Uncertainty. There are many others I check every week or two, for a total of perhaps 15-20. There are so many interesting ones out there, that I could spend 15 hrs. a day on line and still not get through them all.

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:08

      That's why I'm so selective, Carol. I could be here all day too!

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  10. Kate25 February 2012 at 15:34

    Yes, CC, there are so many wonderful blogs, I would never get any art done ... I have about 5 I check daily, and I always follow all the comments. But I get side-tracked easily and there's dozens more I dip into occasionally!

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:09

      I try and resist getting side-tracked because I am so easily diverted that I'd be at it for ever.

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  11. Scrappy Grams26 February 2012 at 08:59

    hmm...it looks like I'd be busy all the time if I read all those listed as blogs I follow. but actually I check only on a few on a daily or near daily basis. I've tried deleting those blogs whereas people seldom post, but no matter how many times I've tried to do that, they never go away.
    I enjoy both your and Graham's sense of humor. (humour?)

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    1. GB27 February 2012 at 09:11

      Thanks Norma. I've given up trying to delete blogs I don't follow or which have ceased to be extant.

      Delete

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