I have a confession: I lurk.
I am a lurker. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually commented on a blog prior to this adventure. Not my thing. I like to be anonymous. Now, I realize that this isn't fair and some even consider it rude. I'm working on it. Baby steps. (As a side note, is there somewhere that lists the "blogging etiquette"? I'd be happy to read up on what's polite, what's rude and what's unnecessary.)
Back to my confession. I've stumbled onto a dozen or so blogs in the last 6 months that interest me for one reason or another. When that happens, I bookmark it and then check it. Frequently. Usually I grab a cup of coffee and settle in with my computer and spend more time than I care to admit methodically checking each blog one click at a time. It takes a lot of time to lurk.
Today, Thing 3 introduced me to RSS. And suddenly, life was that much simpler. After subscribing to the many blogs I've come to love, I puttered around and found a few other sites. I'll now know when my favorite Etsy shop adds new pictures. I'll keep up on local news. I'll know all the gossip related to the upcoming Oscars. And all this in less time than it takes me to make the cup of coffee.
Amazing. Now I'll have to come up with a new excuse as to why the laundry never gets folded.
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2 comments:
Judging by the number of people who read our blog, Skimming the Cream, but by the lack of comments, I'd say that you are in a majority, headfones. There are lots of lurkers out there and that's okay. It does take a lot to leave a comment because it's like introducing yourself at a party where you don't know anyone. (This is compounded by the fact that lots of people don't use their real names online.) If you find a blog you like and start leaving comments, you might end up with an online friendship. Not a bad thing, actually, but it does take work to keep it going.
As an aside - I see that you have your commenting set so that you will only receive comments from other Blogger blogs. (I had to use my personal account to leave this comment.) There is a way you can set it to receive comments from other blogs (ours is WordPress), but still know just where comments are coming from. Play around with with your comment settings until your comment area adds a box for nickname. When that is selected, another box for a URL will pop up that allows other bloggers to insert their addresses. You can also set your blog to moderate all comments, so that you see them before they post. This allows you to catch trollish or inappropriate contents before they appear on your blog. That's the real secret to online etiquette - comment moderation.
P.S. I've added your blog to our Bloglines account. Gotta love RSS!
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