Sunday, September 2, 2012

Book Blogger Confessions (Monday, September 3, 2012)





Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that allows book bloggers to discuss issues unique to what we encounter in the blogging world. Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month we will post a question and invite you to answer, comment and discuss opinions and different views.

Please keep the dialogue courteous. No bashing!

If you would like to participate in this meme sign up below and please feel free to to grab the button to include in your post with a link to For What It's Worth Reviews or here at Midnyte Reader.


Question: Following:  How do you follow blogs?  Do you use Google Reader?  Are you on an e-mail list?  Are you more apt to follow people who have less followers?  Would you follow a blog to enter a contest?  What makes you unfollow a blog?

Answer: 
I don't do well with Google Reader for some reason.  It feels very overwhelming to me. Sometimes I'll look at it and if I see a post that interests me I'll click on it, but I use another method to keep up with the blogs I love.  I simply group them together in my bookmarks toolbar. 

I know this may not sound very efficient, but it works for me, mainly because I like to put a "face" or a "voice" to the blog I'm visiting.  If I meet people in a certain forum I'll put their blog sites in a folder with that forum title.  For example, I have all the blogs that have joined my AAD Reading Challenge in one folder and when I participated in the Book Blogger/Publisher Online Conference, I made another folder for the blogs of the people that I met there.  It helps remind me where I came in contact with the bloggers.  It's hard to keep up with all the blogs I like to visit as it is, but with my bookmark folders I can just go down the list.  Another way that I follow blogs is through Twitter when someone Tweets something that catches my eye.  This is a great way to keep up with people and what is going on currently.   

I'm not really on any e-mail lists.  I get so much e-mail as it is and it's such a time suck.  

I will follow a blog to enter a contest if I like that blog to begin with.  More often than not, if a contest requires a follow, I really contemplate if I want to enter or not.  I feel I have so many books already, so  I don't enter a lot of contests. 

The follower widget.  That controversial little box.  Why is it important?  Are those numbers real?  Well, I for one like my follower widget(s) and I'm thrilled when the number climbs.  Maybe those people are only clicking to enter a contest, maybe they click and never return, maybe they really are faithful followers.  Whatever the reason, it's a small thing that makes me happy and I think it's fun.  I am still thrilled when someone follows me.  So, I like to give blogs that are just starting out a follow.  Of course, it has to be a blog that I have some interest in as well.  

I will unfollow someone (or remove them from my bookmarks) for a variety of reasons.  If they haven't posted in a very long time, or if I feel I'm not really connecting with that blogger.  Maybe what they post doesn't resonate with me and I don't feel like I'm getting anything out of reading their blog.  I also don't like to follow someone who is extremely sarcastic or negative...whether it's on their blog or on Twitter.  

So, what is your take on following?  


16 comments:

Karen said...

There are some days now that I think I comment on blogs almost exclusively through Twitter links. The reviews are popping up all day on my feed and I feel like a get a better variety that way.
On my Mac I have a bookmark page that I pull up and it has all my favorite blogs that I visit regularly.

Alexia561 said...

Great questions! I usually follow blogs via Google reader, and have them sorted to help me remember where we found each other (BEA, blogmania, bloggiesta, etc). I don't follow by email because I get too many emails as it is, and would hate for an interesting post to get lost in the shuffle.

I won't follow a blog just to enter a contest as I think that's just a way to inflate your stats, but that's just me. I am more willing to follow and support newer blogs with fewer followers, as I'm still grateful for everyone who supported me when I was first starting out.

I've unfollowed blogs who haven't posted in over a year or who suddenly change their whole tone. I used to follow a really good book blog, but then she suddenly turned it into a shopping blog.

Kate @Midnight Book Girl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kate @Midnight Book Girl said...

For some reason I had a really hard time leaving a link to my post... it could be my stupid laptop though! Great question this week, I can't believe this is my first time participating!

Kimberly @ Midnight Book Girl said...

I totally agree with you on the negativity thing. Blogs should be a happy place! I bookmarked blogs at first but then I found another reader to use that was easier, but I do organize mine into folders too so I can remember where I met people. Otherwise I would never remember.

Julie@My5monkeys said...

Negativity and blogs makes me sad. I only unfollow if they aren't active for some time.
I need to do folders of them.
I rarely enter contests but I am happy with my numbers and if it goes down so be it.

Deepali said...

Aww, the negativity thing doesn't happen to me personally. I just stop blogging for a week or two if my mood is low.

I do automatically follow, as I've found that even blogs that I think won't coincide with my personal tastes usually have something interesting once in a while! I also do enjoy getting glimpses into people's lives via their blogs, so the occasional family pic, or outdoorsy pic can really intrigue me.

Midnyte Reader said...

@Karen-I find Twitter to be very current and efficient.

@Alexia-Yes, by sorting all the blogs I can remember where I met everyone, etc.

@Kate-Thanks for joining!

@Kim-Sometimes even with my folders I have trouble remembering!

@Julie-Folders are pretty helpful for me. I rarely enter contents anymore either. That is great you are happy with your numbers.

@Deepali-That is a good attitude. Blogging helps my mood usually.

Felicia the Geeky Blogger said...

I follow through google reader but only because I can read them on my phone. That being said when I take a few days off and star things to comment on later---it is a little overwhelming.

Jenny said...

"Maybe those people are only clicking to enter a contest, maybe they click and never return, maybe they really are faithful followers. Whatever the reason, it's a small thing that makes me happy and I think it's fun."

SAME! I know every single one of my followers doesn't visit the blog every day, or even every month, but that number still makes me happy when I look at it. It's like a tiny accomplishment every time the number goes up. I don't use Google Reader either, it just gets to be too much for me, so I tend to group people together like you do and run down my list every day or every couple of days:) Everybody likes a comment on their blogs, so I try to leave as many comments as possible!

fakesteph said...

I love being able to connect faces with the blogs I read, but I grouped everything in Google reader. It is totally overwhelming tho and I'm completely behind... it happens. :)

Midnyte Reader said...

@Felicia-That's probably why I don't do Google Reader...I can't keep up.

@Jenny-Validation!!! : )

@Steph-Connectiong people to their blogs makes it easier for me to keep track of.

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