I think bloggers vary in their approaches to blogging. I’m not just talking about the art of blogging as defined by writing and publishing a post but rather the entire process of “interaction”. See, some bloggers will blog endlessly and be fixated only with their blogs. Others will blog rarely but you’ll see their names in the comment section of other blogs. Yet some will try and strike a balance between their blogs and the blogosphere, because the blogosphere is very much (in my opinion) like the real world when it comes to interaction. You can be the secluded type who likes to stay at home. Or you can be the out going type that craves the interaction of others.
I really don’t know what type of blogger I am. I actually do not care much for comments. When people comment on my blog I respect it and do like it in the sense that it tells you hey, someone’s reading. But at the same time I don’t crave that interaction; it’s just not a big deal whether I get no comments or 100 comments. I don’t post just to get the comments. I don’t post just to have my blog stats break ceilings. I blog because I blog. I blog because I’m the type of person who rants about too many things and you get to a point in your life when you don’t want to feel your ranting to no one but rather to an audience. And I feel these days like there’s an unwritten rule in the blogosphere that says comments and statistics are important to your blog’s existance. And the celebrity blogs with hundreds of comments and stats that reach the thousands, well they’re just like the electronic version of the Fonz; leather jacket cool kids who hang with the in crowd in high school.
I personally don’t comment too much on other people’s blogs but I know a few bloggers who do that a lot. To tell you the truth I never saw blogs as discussion boards. I don’t see blogs as places where people hold long debates over random subjects. Mainly because a discussion board has one purpose while a blog is multi-purpose. We blog about our lives about issues about politics about news about people. Sometimes we’re just spreading the word and other times we’re adding a commentary. Every blog is different and everyone has to approach it differently; so not everything is up for discussion. I also don’t like the process of having to go back to blog to see if anyone responded to my comment, it’s a vicious cycle that starts with one comment and then you’re hooked for life. And when you read so many blogs and comment so many times, it’s hard to keep track of what you said and where.
But I do read other people’s blogs everyday. The people on my blogroll are my daily dose actually and others more that I’m just starting to like.
I suppose leaving a comment is visible proof that you read the person’s post, that you cared enough to leave a comment, to add your voice, to have your say, to be interactive. But it’s just not me. I will read and take mental notes but for some reason nothing really compels me to click on the comments and add my voice. There are a lot of people who comment on my blog and I may not comment on theirs, so I apologize if you take offense to that, but do know that I read what you write everyday.
I suppose “taking offense” to the lack of interactive blogging is along the lines of those new techie peeves such as being blocked on MSN. More than a year ago I basically blocked everyone on MSN because I was tired of having to chat with every single person all the time. And I’d get emails about “why did you block me?” and “don’t you like me anymore?”
That was the point I realized I had spent to much time on MSN and it was getting to people’s heads. When we start analyzing smilies and taking offense at being blocked, well then we’ve crossed the threshold of sanity, or insanity, or whatever. This is when I uninstalled it and Microsoft emailed me the other day and said “why did you uninstall us?” and “don’t you like us anymore?”
So maybe I should be more interactive. Maybe I should comment all the time on other people’s blogs and respond to every single comment on my own. Perhaps it’s just plain courteous to do so. Perhaps being part of the blogosphere means youâ??re obliged to do that in the same manner that living in the suburbs means you’re forced to cut your grass everyday, smile at everyone, and have neighborhood cookouts.
My life as a hermit blogger.
Maybe I should get out more.
LOL, cool post.. You cracked me up. Especially at the over analyzation of smilies… ha ha. I’m thinking of a certain “you” over “u” incident that happened last week.. anyWAY, I don’t consider you a hermit blogger. MSN sucks. It’s boring to chat.
Roba, now I feel obliged to reply to your comment 😀 😀
I actually have not swam in the dark waters of msn since well over a year now. Since then I’ve achieved a zen like inner peace; my binary deamons have been put to sleep.
for now.
Okay, I must confess … I stopped reading after I really donâ??t know what type of blogger I am … but I can get a general idea of where this was going … Really, who cares what kind of a blogger one is .. your blog is your own … it is unique..and it’s yours… do with it whatever you wish .. even if you have one that no one knows about …
to comment or not to comment, that is your choice! :p
C’mon Nas, your dexterity shows in every block you present. We are lucky to have you amongst us.
lol first of all, I have no idea how can you write this much about blogging?
I have the same problem with MSN, people do get touchy when they know they’re blocked, I don’t know why is that? and to make things worse, I have the guts to confirm it when they ask. I call my friends once every month or so…I’m just not the talkative type except if by chance certain people have become part of my daily life. If I’ll have to chat with everyone on my MSN list I’ll go nuts, my inner peace will be violated 🙂
About commenting, it all depends on my mood, I’m often hesitant, I always think before I make a comment or submit one that I’ve written, if it will not add anything to what has been said already I’ll refrain from commenting.
Iman, thanks for being honest! 🙂
Hatem, my what now? lol sorry, I couldn’t resist, I havn’t done that to you in a while now. thanks for the compliment brother. 😉
SC, when I left mahjoob i think i had like 17,000 or so comments. Mentally calculating it the other day I realised that 99% of them were a valid waste of Internet space. I think that’s what I like about blogging, I say what I want to say and when I want to say it, with purpose, like an arrow with a target. I’m declaring all out war on idle chatter 😀
Nas, I had 20,000 + !! I assume half of them smilies rolling their eyes and half of the rest what songs I’m listening to 😀
I think yours were mostly grins lol
I wanted to write somthing about this today, but to be honest with you, if i wite it, it will not be too much diffrenet than what you wrote…
i agree with you in all what you said, and i’ve said it before in one the blogs. i really dont care if anyone commented on my post or not. I’m just blogging for myself and most of the time to improve my career by posting about Advertising.
in every post i write i find myself searching and learning more about my job, and founding a new websites or Ideas for my job…
not to forget that i found most of my blog vistors are in the Advertsing filed, and are from Middle east which is my target…
as for commenting on other blogs, when i find myself free and can comment, and when i have somthing to add i write my comment … but sometimes you found yourself in a need to comment on other blogs just to leave a Thanks or to welcome somebody … as you know we jordanians are a very kind people and cant leave others without a few greetings “halla 7abyby”, ” 3ala rassy”, “teslam ya wardeh”, ” allah yekhaleek” … and if anybody left us saying no greetings .. thats mean “HE HATE US” …
anyway, i really adore your way of writing and if there is top ten bloggers list you will be number one for me … “3ala rassy” 😛
I did not read your post but I am commenting here to get on your nerves Abu Karak.
By the way, can you pose a more compelling question for spam verification than “1+1”?
Oops, did I just post another pointless comment?
Ibrahim, lol thanks man, yeah I agree with you. I actually didn’t factor in the jordanian mentality.
Jameed, mission accomplished man. 1+1 is in the rare event an alien species should ever want to make contact with the human race by leaving a comment on my blog, they’ll need to communicate in the universal language that is math. 😀
No comment.
You know i want to comment .. but seriously their has been thirteen comments already … is anyone going to even read this …. Hey nas … can you please unblock me ?
Deeb, you wern’t blocked you were deleted…huw-ha-ha-ha (evil laugh)…deal with it.
Personally a blog needs to grow on me. I cant just comment on whatever blog i find to like. yeah it sounds funny:p thus i also read many blogs beyond JP but also dont comment. 😕
p.s: someone of the above has blocked me. I will restrain from naming names:D but i know u still love moi :p
Ohoud, loooooool :O but you know I love you
now I feel bad 😛
lol shado, dont 😛 we all have our phases :hug: