Two of the blogs I have followed have closed up shop in the last couple of weeks.
Several others have not been posted on for a month or more. And it seems like there is less participation lately. It's interesting to see the traffic patterns, the tides of the blog world. It certainly can be a huge time suck and I find myself posting a little less frequently especially now that I am back working in the studio. Still, my mornings with coffee are spent here.
The last time I considered this I decided that I would reply to comments via email instead of in the comments section. Unfortunately, I haven't been very good about that either. I'll just fall back here on the 'busy in the studio' excuse except my failure to respond predated my return to model making and casting. I do appreciate all comments though. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I'll try to do better. Maybe I'll go back to responding in the comments section.
Am I the only one who is vexed by the post editor? It will not hold my formatting. It will look fine in the edit mode but once published, it doubles or triples some of my spacing and the more I try to correct it the more the errors compound. So aggravating. Make one mistake and I'm doomed. And sometimes it will change the font of a sentence or paragraph for no reason that I can ascertain. Lately I just re-do it and delete the previous attempt.
Magaly over at Pagan Culture bestowed upon me the 'A Blog With Substance' award some weeks ago. Thank you Magaly, I'm honored. But as we all know, this blog is the black hole of awards. I'm supposed to sum up my blogging philosophy or motivation in 10 words. Well, my header says it all and, conveniently in 10 words...my life, my art and whatever else catches my attention. Rather than single out 10 blogs to pass this on to, I pass it on to everyone.
And lastly, I would like to welcome all my new followers. The counter has been creeping up. And much as I would like to reciprocate with each and every one of you, it's just not possible (see the whole time suck thing in the first paragraph). I will pop in now and then though so please don't think I don't care. You are all important to me.
I appreciate where you are coming from with the "time suck" thing - since I am pretty much house/chair bound - hee - I get to spend an inordinate amount of time keeping up with my blog and my friends - But I couldn't imagine if I worked, had the family and wanted to blog. Well, it might be nice because then I would have more material. A woman can only post about tuna casserole so many times, know what I am saying?
ReplyDeleteYou will forever stay on my blog roll - and if you don't post for a while I'll understand - but if you are gone for too long I will hunt you down. Got it? heehee
And I know what you mean about Blogger. It can screw with my spacing too [for no apparent reason, grrrr] but those are the posts where you see the ~ in between paragraphs because I am way too lazy to erase and start over.
[Wow, was this comment long enough? Hope you feel EXTRA warm and fuzzy]
Love ya' girlie.
I never have done the responding thing very well. I'm either lazy or can't think of anything to say. Pretty sad for a blogger!
ReplyDeleteI have been extra frustrated with the editor too. I find that with the spacing, sometimes it helps to delete all the hard returns & then put them back in.
Hey, I'm with the Skipster...if you go missing for a long time...I'll just hunt you down, otherwise....well we are out there doing our best, each and every one of us....and you are busy, very busy being a fabulous artist. And I am being totally honest. If I had your talent, well, I don't think I'd be posting at all. So good on you for finding the time to share yourself. I appreciate it very much. Rock on girl. The Olde Bagg
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that the blogs seem to have quieted a little, probably for the last 6 to 8 months now. I'm not sure why, maybe some just have a life of their own and the posts dwindle down?
ReplyDeleteI agree. Bloggers are quitting, readers and comments are down. It's a slightly bleak time to write, but we mustn't let it stop us.
ReplyDeleteI've been terrible about responding to comments lately too. By the time I get around to finding the time to respond to comments, it's been so long that it hardly seems worthwhile. I do read all the comments though, and I enjoy them all (except for the porn spam and male enhancement ads...maybe they're trying to tell me something?)
ReplyDeleteBlogger's post editor sucks. I switched to html mode long ago because the compose view did horrible things to the formatting. You don't have to learn a lot about html to use it - you can just type normal text for the most part, but you have the flexibility to add html tags to get the formatting right, and it doesn't change it on you after you publish.
Ellen, I had all those same problems with old post editor, but new post editor doesn't mess up the spacing or the font. (However, for the past two weeks, it won't let me load images unless I switch bsck to old post editor, so back and forth I go. Grr. It can be changed in "settings", in case you didn't know.)
ReplyDeleteYes, blog traffic is down, it's discouraging. But it will go back up in winter time.
I notice that blogging dropped off a lot during the summer - I have only been blogging since Feb so don't know if its seasonal.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I reply by e-mail but then some responses should be shared. i'm not sure anyone ever comes back to read up my responses to the posts!
Blogging is far too time consuming and real life does get in the way frequently. Blogger is often cross with me too, for no reason that I can fathom, he doesn't want me to put pictures on at the moment and takes an age to do it.
ReplyDeleteAs for traffic and followers and stuff, that sort of thing comes and goes; I have given up thinking it could be personal. There are blogs I lose interest in, so why shouldn't others lose interest in me.
I am trying very hard not to be too serious about it all, keep telling myself, that it is of no real importance, but then I get back to the screen, find a nice new follower I like, or a comment which actually tells me the commenter has read the post, and I am back, hooked again.
Ah well.
PS: As I usually reply to all comments by visiting the commenters blog I no longer have the time to respond under the post. Can't do it all.
I have been having trouble with blog too. Mine is alignment issues.
ReplyDeleteI answer my comments by email, seems more personal to me. I did not know you could answer them under the comments for a long time and by then, the habit of emails was ingrained.
Your art amazes me and your words entertain me so you will not get rid of me easily. Take the time you need and I will be here.
Blogging is fun- reading blogs even funner- I don't reply to comments unless someone has a question to be answered, could be why I rarely get comments...it is a reciprocal thing I guess. Love reading your blog even though I don't always leave a morsel, sometimes I can't say anything that hasn't been said already.
ReplyDeleteLOVE your blog, Ellen...don't hang it up even if your words get mushed together by the editor or whatever...doesn't matter- the content is always superb!
I find it completely impossible to keep up with all the blogs I enjoy. And, too, posting because you feel you should goes against what I love most about blogging.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to watch the tides moving in and out of this realm. Right now it is more quiet, kind of a relief in a way. There are more quiet days of FB, too, followed by surges of blogging and posting.
These realms are alive - they breathe in and out. And all of us are shamans, following the energy.
Happy Friday, Ellen!
Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI have long watched the trend myself and am considering still to keep with it, as you know.
Glad you are here, though :)!
Ellen, your blog is one I count on - so I hope you keep on with it. I've been an absent part of the blog world in recent months - perhaps others, like me, are more stretched, stressed, and maxed out with the economy not springing back, and so many of us un/underemployed or working harder to make up for staffing cuts. Also, while many of us don't directly encounter the reality of it, we have been at war now, inflicting and incurring harm, for a really long time. It saps our national soul - and makes so many of us turn hateful. Hard times. Perhaps we need more voices, more bravery, more clarity - more blogging.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is a serious time suck. But I seem to be addicted to it, and since I'm not breaking any laws (that I'm aware of), I just keep doing it, week after week.
ReplyDeleteGo into your EDIT HTML mode on your post template and delete all the code for formatting. Just delete it all till there's nothing left but straight text. Remove any extra line spacing too. Then go back to your COMPOSE window and add back in tags for BOLD or ITALICS or whatever that you want. Should take care of it.
it is intersting to watch people come and go...and sometimes come back...it wil be 2 years for m e this week in blogland...i have met some of the most remarkable people...
ReplyDeleteTime is a short commodity, no matter how you apportion it. I like people to reciprocate in kind-I leave a comment, I expect one in kind sometimes in the future-so that we continue this conversation on an even keel.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you around, here and there.
I hadn't noticed any problems with the post editor, or if I had, just always assumed it was my error, as that's always a safe bet for me.
ReplyDeleteI think people cycle in, out and back in to the blog world. Sometimes it feels fitting to read the stories of others, sometimes the real world holds so much appeal.
For instance, it's an overcast, sleepy Saturday, perfect for reading stories. That's what I like about blogs, whenever I'm in the mood for stories, they are always just a click away.
I'm not having problems with the editor but I stick to the old one for the most part. I don't find there's less traffic in the blogosphere but neither would I be too concerned if it should drop. I know these things tend to wax and wane. Real life comes first. Always.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have to say that I have not had problems with posting or any other complaints about Blogger. I keep holding my breath though because so many out there do seem unhappy. I once considered making the leap to Wordpress but at the last second I chickened out.
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting comment you made about the ebb and flow of the blogging world. I'm still fairly new, but I'm shocked by how often I read about a blogger taking a hiatus. I'm like, "A hiatus? Just don't blog for a few days, then come back. It's not like you have to fill out paperwork before you can stop posting."
I understand, completely. Sometimes the sunshine calls, and our blogging just has to take a back seat. Blogging requires sitting - for LONG periods of time. One of my blogging friends quit - just for that reason. And I have to admit, I've thought about giving it up. But then I know I would miss everyone. My world would get smaller, and that's not something I really want right now. So blog when you can, read when you can, and stay connected!
ReplyDeleteI used to always respond to every comment in the comments section
ReplyDeleteNow I do when I can and when I can't well I can't
sometimes if someone asks a question or makes a really remarkable comment I'll go by their blog to respond
I do the best I can and I think most people get that
It's really cool that you're in your studio more - enjoy :)
Life is a pain isn't it? I feel that my life is being sucked out of a very narrow nozzle. But then, we're all in a similar boat I suspect. Still, I enjoy hearing from you whenever you're around and I hope that's true of many of your readers. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI certainly understand the running out of time thing. I'm horribly behind in all of my blogging duties, too. This time of year I'm working and helping with Boy Scouts and getting back on those indoor projects or just out taking advantage of the weather before it turns nasty.
ReplyDeleteI have some trouble with the editing, too. What I've done is put a divide tag at the front of every paragraph. Then I close it off after every paragraph. That seems to work.