which has me a little crazy. the last time i looked at the A-Z linky on Arlee's blog, there were 583 participants. (i'm sure that number has grown even as i've worked on this post.)
my brain is asking, "how the heck will i visit them all? or half? or a third? and when i visit, should i follow or not?"
i debated posting about the subject, since so many others have already. then i saw that Arlee Bird had posted part of a conversation we had on following and then gave his own take on the subject. as i read through it, and then read the comments, i realized that there are other bloggers who feel the way i do about following.
i think the thing he said that i agree with the most was this:
I only hit the follower button if I feel that there might be a possibility of some future blogging relationship, even if it seems remote at the time. There have been blogs that I have followed that initially seemed of little interest to me, (this is Michelle here - i usually don't follow a blog that doesn't interest me.) but there was something there that spoke to the future. The act of following may amount to nothing in the long run or it might eventually blossom into something special in the future. It's like a business adding people to a mailing list. Not everyone will become a customer, but maybe someday they will.
and then his final words on the number of blogs to read...
On Monday I passed 700 followers and currently the sign-ups for A to Z are most certainly destined to go past the 600 mark. That's a lot of blogs that neither you nor I will ever be able to visit on a daily basis. I don't think anyone has been fooled into thinking otherwise. Just like the local library has more books than I'll ever be able to read in a lifetime--but it's nice to know that they're all available just in case there happens to be one I'm looking for.
it's like going to a party where i don't know anyone (which is a huge challenge to me). i can either sit on the couch and wait for people to come to me or i can introduce myself to as many people as i can handle and maybe i'll find someone who can bring something into my life, or i can bring something to theirs. but if i don't go to the party, i'll never meet anyone.
9 comments:
This is awesome Michelle! I must have missed Arlee's post and I so appreciate the recap. This is how I feel about it too. Very well put Arlee and Michelle. I am going to RT this.
Good take on this, Michelle. Thanks also for this reminder. I need to start putting my posts together.
It's great to make new connections. I agree that not all links will develop into firm friendships, but I've come across some interesting blogs from participating in various activities. I expect that I'll discover some other blogs I'll be following.
Wow! That was fast--I didn't realize you were going to be posting so quickly. Talk about being on top of things!
Thanks for the linkage and the support on the issue. Liked the party analogy. Yeah, we're all at some big blog party and someone's gotta take the initiative to start mingling.
By the way, hate to sound dumb, but in Karen's comment what's "RT" mean?
Lee
Tossing It Out
Twitter hashtag: #atozchallenge
good way of putting it. I agree and I think it is worth engaging with other's or having the potential to engage with others.
Good advice. I don't follow every blog I read. Some are just not my thing as they say.
Everyone's tastes are different meaning there will be someone for everyone.
Great to bring forward his things again.
I agree, too.
Your quotes should be fun, that's something I definitely wanna read.
Nahno ∗ McLein ™
I read Arlees post earlier and I agree with his response. I like what you said too about either waiting for peeps to get to know you, or taking the initiative to get to know peeps. I think most bloggers want to be genuine... and we learn prett quickly the ones who are. The rest just look good for our platform and in all honesty, that's what it's for, right? Any true friends we get to make along the way is just icing on the cake. and I'm glad to report I've made some really great friends thru blogging. :)
It's very frustrating to me that I can't even read all the time all the blogs of people who follow mine though from traffic patterns I know they don't all read mine either! So I don't stress about blogs anymore. I can't. Too much stress in the outside world to bring it online.
I'm very lucky to have limited use of my eyesight- I have to be careful how I spend it! I'm always glad to spend some of it here :~)
hugs
bru
>>.....but if i don't go to the party, i'll never meet anyone.
Oh heck, you should ALWAYS go to the party! No matter what, go to the party! I mean, even if you don't meet anyone, the booze is free and we get to poke around in the host's medicine cabinet in the bathroom and see what pills they pop. GO TO THE PARTY!!!
~ Stephen
"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly."
~ Proverbs 26:11
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