Monday, December 14, 2009

the quest



After slowly accruing followers for the past 11 months, I was up to 76.  Until now.  In the last week, I have lost two.  One I don’t have the faintest idea who left even though I have poured over my follower list trying to see who is absent.  Someone.  Eventually my subconscious may drag up the icon.  It takes a while sometimes, to rummage through all the debris. The other was one of the pictureless and blogless followers that had only come on a month or so ago.  


Was I boring?  Did I offend?  Was there a test?  An audition?  There was a test, wasn’t there?  Maybe I should have mentioned that I don’t test well.  Set me up and I will fall flat on my face every time.  


Or maybe I failed the audition.  Hey, I can do better, I’ve been busy with work and all, just give me some advance notice.


An engraved invitation would have been nice.





See?  If I had only known I could have lined up some killer posts.  I could have weighted the dice and bribed the jury.  I could have danced naked around the fire.


I’m probably guilty of the occasional boring post.  And although I’m also probably guilty of the occasional offensive post I do not write to intentionally offend.  But I’m not exactly mainstream either.  You never know if I'm going to go after a dog pack with firecrackers or try to herd a snake out of my garage.


I don’t know which is worse, to be boring or offensive.  I’ve seen some boring blogs that have way more followers than fascinating little ole me.  I’ve  also seen plenty of blogs that I’m pretty sure would be offensive to just about everybody in this little town we now call home.  And they have hundreds of followers.  Really, it’s sort of a blow to the ego.


Maybe that’s it.  I should strive for boring offensiveness.


Now if I can just figure out what that is.

27 comments:

  1. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Ellen. Those who enjoy your posts are going to read them. One day last week, I lost five followers in one day. Go figure.

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  2. Yep, there are some great blogs with less than 50 followers and some diabolically awful ones with more than 700. Welcome to the middle ground.

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  3. Not to worry ... I gain a few and lose a few but kind of stay where I'm at.

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  4. I'm mystified that anyone follows me at all, so I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped. But it does hurt the ego just a bit. Of course, when I had someone drop a few months ago I couldn't figure out who it was, so that could be the reason - I wasn't giving them enough love :)

    Don't change your style - it's why I'm here, & after all I think I'm your most important follower :) I'm not? Humph!

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  5. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Followers come and go. The ones who like what you write will stick around. The ones who don't? Well, who needs 'em?

    Just write what you like, and the rest will take care of itself.

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  6. Maybe one of your commentators farted or something, you know, made the air stink and a couple of other commentators thought if people fart round here I'm off and off they went. A tenable theory.

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  7. Ah yes, the great mystery of the Followers. I think it is a mystery that cannot be solved, but definitely pondered and scrutinized from time to time in the name of blog wisdom ;)

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  8. Kinda goes with the territory, cher. Some followers will drop you if you don't visit their blogs, on a regular basis. Cie la vie!

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  9. You never know - they may have had to delete their blogs and it has absolutely nothing to do with you or what you wrote.

    I had a blog for two years and one day I had to delete the whole thing because I had a stalker that would not leave me be. I hated to do it, but I had to.

    Some people delete their blogs because they have nothing else to say or for work purposes. You never know.

    Your content is just fine [IMO] I wouldn't change a thing - you may never know why they don't follow you anymore, but it could be about something entirely different.

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  10. I understand the mystery of the missing followers. I have found and lost, found and lost, and I never quite remember who. We who inhabit the middle ground should embrace it for all its worth.

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  11. I have absolutely no idea who at least half of my followers are, because although they follow, they NEVER comment, not even to say hello, here I am. So I don't worry about those. If you can't figure out who is missing, it's probably one like that.

    I change my own follow list pretty regularly. Some are etched in granite. Others come and go as my interests change over time. It doesn't mean I don't like the ones I drop. it just means, I have to limit my follows, because I want to give the time I have available for blog reading to my most favorite people.

    I HAVE dropped one or two people whose blogs I liked, for not reciprocating. I don't mean regularly. I mean at all.

    That whole thing of which blogs have how many followers is a total mystery to me. I've seen blogs I thought were dull dull dull, and they had a kazillion followers. Goddess only knows why. And I follow some blogs that have less than thirty followers that I think are genuinely brilliant. I guess it's like tv ratings.

    One thing is sure...YOU won't be coming off of my follow list!

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  12. Oh man.

    This is the very reason I don't have a follower list and never check my stats. I would feel so oppressed if I was writing strictly to "keep" readers. Yikes!!

    I love your blog and all its ebbs and flows.

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  13. Don't fret the small stuff. I agree with Willow: you will keep those people who feel good returning. Those you lost dropped out long ago, secret skulkers who got tired of keeping their list going. Good riddance, if you ask me.

    We blog to communicate, a two-way street.

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  14. Eh, fuhget about it.

    I love your blog and I'm fairly discerning. I've been unfriended on Facebook by people, too, and I can't figure out who's missing - it's like that game from Brownie Scouts where they would take something away and you can't figure out what it is, because it's missing.

    That said, dancing naked around the fire never hurt. Unless you dance too close.

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  15. Oh, I don't really take it to heart, it was meant to be a humorous reflection. ..or a trick to get everybody to tell me how wonderful I am. But I am basking in the love now.

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  16. Well, I know one of your followers who left, she left my blog too. Not because you and I were boring, but because her profile stopped working, she might be back soon.

    And you are not boring at all. Reading your blog is like reading sweet poetry while looking at cool pictures, you don't get that everywhere. Plus, I will echo everyone to say, not to worry, it happens.

    And like Mr. London Street said, there are "some diabolically awful [blogs] with more than 700" followers, so don't worry and blog on. I will read it ;)

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  17. Ha, I like the humor here, Ellen. With your tongue in your cheek (or maybe not!) you get at what we all feel at some point or other. "What did I do??" or "Do my readers get me??" etc. Blogging without obligation means you get to do just what you want. If people like reading it, isn't that wonderful?

    Your eclectic mix of life stories and professional artisan revelations is unique, and I'm glad you're here.

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  18. I think you stay true to what you want to write about..write for you and the people who appreciate your voice will always come around. I think there are so many great blogs, and the uniqueness is that everyone has a different voice. Whether a blog has 2 followers or 8000, people find what they like.

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  19. Did you say dance naked around the fire???

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  20. Till you posted this I had no idea about followers for a blog. What I keep learning as I read here. Anyway I signed up as a follower for you so that will add one back. Thanks for your posts, I have been an unofficial follower for a long time.

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  21. Dont worry about all this.
    I will be following you until the blogosphere is present..
    And i hope you can also follow me..

    nuts..

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  22. For every "follower," there are probably 20 readers. Which would you rather have? I know a lot of people tally "followers" as a measure of blog success but, really, you're better off looking at the stats. Followers may click the "follow" box and never visit your blog again. It's the stats that count.

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  23. Ah.. this is probably the main reason I never click on the "follow this blog" button. I just follow silently in my Google Reader. What if I don't like a blog after a few reads and I want to stop reading? The blogger isn't any the wiser and not hurt by my disappearance. Besides many of those who stop following us might do so in order to keep us on a reader instead.

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  24. I lost three - ? Maybe they are all the same ones. I really think some just quit blogging - or maybe we offend, who knows. I'm always amazed when the follow..

    BTW - I love your blog.

    I love Mo's comment! LOL!

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  25. I have a chain saw...I can cut wood for the fire !

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  26. I have just started reading your blog in the last week and enjoy it a lot. I, like you, wonder why some bloggers come and visit a blog then stop. It does not worry me but just makes me wonder if I did say something offensive somehow. Then I think that they are free to go anywhere they want to, but also I kind of think that some people don’t like to read philosophies or ideas different from theirs. I think that the variety in the blog world is great and if some of them stop reading your blog, it is their loss.

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  27. It happens to all of us.

    I gain 2, lose 1, then lose another 1, than gain 3. Seriously. I've been bouncing around like that for awhile now.

    I just don't let it bother me anymore.

    But I think you're fabulous, dahling.

    )O(
    boo

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.