Wednesday 27 January 2010

Comment t'allez Vous?

Was reading a post about followers and comments the other day. About how we need to write our posts for ourselves and not for the followers or the comments.
Hah! As if.
I mean, I agree.
As you all know, I never count comments or followers. I just open up my blog and write my post.
Not.
Decidedly Not.
Oh, no. I count the damned comments on the most recent post. Sigh if there's not many. Smile if there's lots. See that followers is still stuck on 119. What's bloody wrong with 120? Get irritated with self for bloomin' well caring. Because, really, WHO CARES?
Loadsa people, apparently.
Following this post I had read, about comments and followers, were HUNDREDS of comments! Really long ones, not the sort when people go
'Yeh! ;)' or
'Great!' or
'Love your blog!' type of comments. You know, those ones when you want to leave a comment but can't really be arsed to write much.
No, these were Essays. And I'm talking 2000 words essays. On and on and on. Was rather ashamed of my mere ten-line comment. Thought I should go back and add another 70 or so.
It seems that comments and followers, and the lack of, really get up people's noses. Sometimes it seems to be more important than the actual writing of posts.
And that is plain Silly.
I started up this blog to record one year of my life. Now it has stretched to fifteen months. I LOVE to read back the earliest posts and remember what was going on. All the posts about my children are treasure to me. To actually record things your offspring have said and done... How brilliant is that! All put away neatly for me take out and look at in the years to come. Priceless.
And so it seems a silly and faintly ridiculous thing, to care about the number of followers and comments.
I have just spent a few minutes looking back over my posts. Things about sheep and chickens, smelly fridges, Nativity Plays, singing, children, husbands underneath fridges. It was LOVELY to remember all those things.
Good to smile about the Wedgie Incident outside school, and the policeman stopping me on the way to the Dump. Fun to read about Youngest and his Thug Incident.
Nice to see that I had a go at being a Loose Woman.
(no links for these... who uses links anyway??)
Thoroughly enjoyed my trip just a little way down Memory Lane and Reminiscent Road.
It was fun and didn't cost a penny. How about that?!
THAT is why I blog.
THAT is why I love to do this mad posting lark.
THAT is why I comment. To show other bloggers that I hear what they say.

As if I did it for the comments!
Honestly.

(Troy, I will watching you and your comments!)

Yes, I know it's a link... but you must do this one. Scroll down a bit when you get there. You'll see what I mean...

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I started my blog to have a record of our family holiday to Australia - so for a while it was only family and friends having a look (and not commenting). Then my blog started getting comments, I started visiting other blogs, and the numbers of visitors started to increase. It's kind of addictive - I feel I should write something most days. I blog for me, to have my thoughts and memories recorded, but I do love getting visitors and followers. It's good to make connections and there's some really great people out there :o)

trash said...

Yeah!

Ladybird World Mother said...

Love my blog!

geraldgee said...

Was tempted to copy and paste the Bible but letting you off this time. xx

Anonymous said...

It's been altogether too long since I last commented on your stuff and I should do more because you really are a case of 'yeah' and 'great'.

I shouldl give your followers thing a kick. Maybe it's stuck?

Tatersmama said...

I agree... What CambridgeLady said. Except slightly different. ;-)

I've been a bit MIA lately, but as much as I miss blogging for "me", I miss my friends and their blogs, even more. I solemnly swear that I'm going to spend time reading and catching up today, even if it means I end up leaving the kids to their own devices.
Yeah right. With school holidays still on (tommorrow is the last day - Thank you, Jesus!) if I turned my back on 7 children, I wouldn't have anything in the house left in one piece!
How you do it, is beyond me!

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

I love your blog LWM. I think the first post of yours I read was about the Nativity and it had me laughing and weeping and I've been a fan ever since! Not too sure why I keep blogging but it's hard to keep away from at times. As for followers - huh - last week I had 43 - this week 42! Can't for the life of me work out who has jumped ship though. A x

crawling the bookshelf said...

Husband keeps telling me to 'advertise' my blog somewhere and I snap back that I'm not doing it for people to read, it's just about wanting to remember things I've done and things I've read and I couldn't care less whether people like it or not... at least that's what I snap back when I hear him above the whirring of the laptop as it struggles to meet the speed at which I'm clicking on site meter, or decide to talk to him again after he's 'wrecked' my stats by leaving his browser open and giving me 2,000 phony visits in the last day... and that's from someone who has virtually no followers, is new to this blogging lark and gets virtually no comments!

DJan said...

I never fail to read your blog, but I don't comment often because mostly I read it for the humor, to hear what the kiddies are doing, and how your life is going. But I DO read it, and follow it with a great deal of joy. As an old lady with no grandkids, I sometimes pretend... really. Usually I can't think of anything to write on yours except: I LOVED it, thanks!

Joolz said...

Ha, I just became your 120th follower! :D
Love your blog because you say it like it is and you have a great sense of humour.

Cheers - Joolz

smileymamaT said...

I really hear you; I started nearly 3 years ago I think, and it was a way to keep those fun memories and also to vent a bit-- but I was suddenly forced to delete the whole thing when a well-meaning Mother decided to share the link to the quite-private outpouring of my daily life with a certain Father who was never intended to be one of me readers. OH NO. And so I deleted the whole thing and started anew - but first I copy-pasted the whole thing to my hard drive and saved it! I mean really, I still wanted my written memories... so now I know where I can still find them. :) And I've started all over so - a new chapter!

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Most fun. And you received the 120th follower from it! I was surprised by the volume and content of responses to Nancy's blog. Long, long responses. Must have struck a nerve.

Going to send this to my mom. She will appreciate it.

Reasons said...

Nice one!

:-)

wonderwoman said...

'Love your blog' !

x

Ladybird World Mother said...

THIS is why I bloomin' well blog...what lovely comments from each and every one... yes, even you, VC!! AND 120 followers! Thanks Joolz... not that I am counting or anything. But counter has been stuck on 119 for AGES and then even has the audacity to LOSE a couple of followers before going back to 119 again. Dammit. Anyway, thanks again, you'all. What a nice thing this all is. xxx

YourEastbourne said...

Oh no! Don't say I'm too late?

Mwa said...

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Suburbia said...

With you all the way! (can't manage the other 95 words, sorry!)

Maxine said...

I am sure that so many more people read your blog than the 122, or whatever it is now, followers that have signed up on the doodah. You are one of a few special blogs that are simply saved in my favourites and I call in most days to check up on you all. I couldn't write a blog to save my life so am in total admiration of you bloggers...Bravo the lot of ya.
x

Troy said...

More than 24 hours later and I've only got a word count of 14,793 on my draft comment. So I thought I'd better just put a holding comment here whilst I finish the introduction part of my draft comment. Frankly, I can't see me getting to the main section of my comment until the weekend and the conclusion until much later next week. The cross-referencing of all the footnotes and insertion of html links will take me well into February.

It was a lot easier when you were just happy with a one-line wisecrack comment to be brutally honest with you.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

I just looked at a blog that has more than 7,000 followers. Very big sigh. Congrats on having 100+ followers. I would happy with 20!

Livvy U. said...

Hello, Thankyou so much for coming over to my blog and leaving such a heartfelt comment about your friend Pete in response to mine about Deb's death. It is so lovely to meet a new reader, and when I can finally work out how to get my Blogroll back up and running, Livvy's Life won't look as ungrateful as it does now!
Have a lovely weekend, Ladybird
Livvy

Midlife Roadtripper said...

P.S. I did send it to my mom and she did love it. Has referenced you in her blog

http://bernie-oldwho--me.blogspot.com/

Most fun.

Ladybird World Mother said...

Mr VV bored - Thank you!! How lovely to make followers to 121... am totally tickled pink. Not that am counting. No. xx
Mwa - !! Yeah right back... x
Suburbia - honestly... its only 95 words!! Actually it should be lines, but who's counting. xx
Maxine - that is such a damned nice thing to say... thank you so much. And your write such good comments... get going with a blog! I'll be your first follower....x
Troy - Now listen here, you. This comment is plainly too short, not enough detail, and defies grammatical persuasion. (yer wot?)
Deeply disappointed. Will be looking for length, depth, and at least a chapter on blog history and diversity.
Failing that, short and pithy is lovely. xxx
LL - 7000 followers!! Good grief... imagine the comments and having to reply to each one. No, we are better off with our modest amounts. xx
Livvy u - oh, how nice you are to say such kind things...your post really struck a chord... hope you are feeling on the up. xx
MJ - I saw, I saw!! Her blog is bloomin' Blogtastic. Loved her post on the Young at heart people... and cried and cried listening to their songs. Thanks for putting us together! xx

Exmoorjane said...

Tagged I fear...but it's not a difficult one.

London City Mum said...

Am back, am back - in the public forum, that is. No idea why your blog list is not updating!!

LCM x

WV is phomice - new version of phantom menace?

Troy said...

So LWM, you're deeply disappointed eh? Well then, I suppose I ought to comment about your comment on my comment - but keeping it short and pithy as per latest instructions.

You're not the first lady looking for length and depth.....but certainly the first looking for blog history and diversity.

imbeingheldhostage said...

oh seriously, 28 comments and you're moaning? ;-) I eek out 15-16 and that's only after I've paid a few people to come by.
I've been putting my blog to book this week and although it was amazing to look over what has happened in 2 years, it was very sad that there were so many posts I didn't feel the need to archive for my old age.

geraldgee's comment is hilarious.

BTW, Love your blog.

Ladybird World Mother said...

Troy - bloody disgraceful, thats all I say. But we're doing well, because what with all our banter, the comments list is now up to 30. Nice one.
And no, we don't look for width and length. I think its GIRTH. Now thats an awful word, rather like cruets or dinette. xxx
imbeingheldhostage - I know, and now its 30 comments!! yippeeee! Not that am counting, of course.
You are doing what with your blog?? I want to do that too!
And yes, gg is always funny... and his blog is fab.
Thanks for lovely comment! Much appreciated. xxx

June said...

Well, there you are, you sweet, complimentary and perspicacious thing, you! Could there possibly be two of us? Is the world equipped?

As for the responses,oh pooh-pooh...I write to please myself alone.
Mmm-hmm.

Potty days! said...

Don't you find that the depth is important too. I mean it is good to do a deep meaningful, thought provoking blog every now and then.

Humdrum Mum said...

I've just started blogging for me (having blogged for my son for 4 years - I keep mentioning that) and I don't have any followers yet, but I do have a couple of comments. When London City Mum left my first comment, I felt like I'd really been accepted! The second comment I'm sure is my friend being anonymous! I do blog for myself but it would be lovely to be read too.