Blog Etiquette

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Fairywebmother on May 23, 2008 at 2:01pm

I don't always find them, but if you are on a blog site and the person has a profile, go there and you may find their contact info. Sometimes people are fearful about giving it and I don't blame them. That's why I keep a private email address, but also one I use for general contact.

I rarely give a reciprocal link on my Website, but do, occasionally, on my blog...and only if I can truthfully recommend the site, otherwise the list would be too long. I DO, however give reciprocal blog comments.

When you are new to all this, it seems like there's space for everything, but you soon realize if you don't have limits, your life on this machine never ends...lol.

I don't think it matters who links to me, as long as I have content that I can feel good about. I feel good about who I link to and I think that is where my responsibility ends. There are ways to find out who links to you, but stopping them, if they don't respond to a simple request is another matter. I am only responsible for my own content and that includes what I link to, or what I suggest to others.

As far as friendship forwards, award linking and memes, I just don't have time for most of that stuff. I'm on this machine too much, as it is, and I know I am not alone. I've received an award of two I'm proud of...but many awards were simply designed as reciprocal links and I don't feel obligated to honor those....and I NEVER respond to chain letters of any kind. I'm afraid I ignore any attempt to manipulate me into responding and I feel tags do that. Once in a while...if I'm really REALLY bored, I'll do one of those questionnaires, if it looks like fun, but I remove any text that looks like a tag or a chain, IF I pass it along.

Also...I have music on my blog, but an option to turn it off, if you don't like it. I've had nice comments about the music and since I am a song writer and one of the songs is mine, I feel it's the same as posting a pic of my art, but I would not add it without an "opt-out", as I DO hope people will hang around. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sandi Wedemeier on May 9, 2008 at 11:24pm

found more very helpy websites rather by accident.

http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050714gardner/ ** this one defines and explains blogging terms**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blogging_terms

http://paulstamatiou.com/2005/11/03/how-to-boost-your-blog-traffic

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by arlee barr on May 10, 2008 at 10:22am

I've been blogging for 4 years now and have learned a few (hard) lessons along the way! Number ONE----don't get obsessed with it! I've gone through periods when i was neurotic about it, especially if i got no comments---i didn't know at the time that could mean that while i had readers, they either were too shy, too computer inexperienced or had nothing to say on the entry. You can install sitemeters/counters if you want to see who's coming to dinner, if it really matters to you.
That being said, the best way to get comments, is to make comments. Same with links--if it's a "big time" artist, i ask. (you get some notice this way too :}) If it's someone plugging away with modest readership, you help them, they help you and friendships can develop as well as the blogging reciprocity. That way you can also privately talk to each other, with valid criticism and support. If you want to come up in a Google search, the more that link to you, the more you will be "hit upon"---in a nice way of course :}
If i can't respond to every comment, i either add a followup to that entry, or i do a new entry addressing that question/subject. And some comments just don't bear reponding to :} I also check regularly to see that none are purely spam, or questionable content! And some legitimate commenters won't leave contact information either.
You aren't obligated to post awards or memes or the like-----"blogging without obligation"--thank the tagger, post or not the "chain" you've been sent and be true to yourself.
The big thing now with so many blogs and forums is exchanges----if you commit, make sure you *do* commit!!!! NOTHING hurts your readership more than promising something, then either delivering substandard or not at all. If you are perennially late, admit it, but choose wisely from then on---i speak from experience here---:}
The most important is to have FUN!!! It's your blog and you can cry if you want to :}

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Christy on May 12, 2008 at 8:04pm

Hello I am new here my name is Christy. I am a web designer/ developer and I've been blogging since 2006. I've been building / designing blogs since about 2004 or so. I would agree with Arlee 100%.
Do not get obsessed with the numbers. Whether that is comments, page views, spam comments. If you are blogging for you then the numbers do not really mean anything.
If you are blogging for business, or to network professionally then the numbers do matter. More importantly the content matters. And it is something you will need to constantly watch, edit, alter and plan.

I blog for fun. Not overly personal but yea, sometimes I get a little personal. Mostly I share with folks what I do. Be that web design, art, music, books. It's just a way for me to keep folks up-to-date and interested.

Links to other blogs. No, there is no blogging etiquette that requires you get permission. In fact on the major blogs getting permission is almost impossible as the blogger may recieve 100's or 1000's of emails/comments a day. If you love a blog and want to 'represent' then do so.

If your content in some way reflects badly on that blog do not be surprised if the blogger requests you remove it. I have had to do this on two occasions. Both of which were porn sites who linked to me simply because of the title of my blog. It was insulting to me to receive 100's of daily visitors who stayed for all of 5 seconds until they realized I didn't offer nude pictures LOL
So I adamatly requested my site be removed from their links.

Other than that I am quite flattered when someone links to my blog and also quite flattered when someone writes about something and puts a link to my site in one of their posts.

As for watching who links to you, yes I do. I also am very nosy and go and visit sites that mention my web address or link to me. If I like the site I usually leave a comment or even return the favor and link back to them too.

The best way to network, and get your blog noticed (other than the content you write/post) is to visit other blogs and leave comments filling in the link to your website (your blog) in the comment post box. Post your blog address in your signature line also for your email. If I am reading a group post and I see a blog / website link I invariably click on it. Sometimes it is because I am bored, liked what that person had to say, their art, or just because I am nosy :) And I am very nosy. Oh and a bit opinionated too LOL

As for being tagged and memes I rarely play. They remind me far too much of chain letters and I still have friends who send them to me. I don't send them off to others. Now, that is just me, and sometimes they look like a ton of fun. Like the 5 weird things about me, or the one I was recently tagged with and haven't figured out what to post yet is 6 words that describe you. Hmmm... me as a whole? me as an artist? eesh, it may take me forever to decide on 6 words. Maybe 6 paragraphs!

The other thing is.. do I even know 6 other artists who would still speak to me again if I tagged them? Hmm I don't know...

I try to always reply to comments on my blog... the point to having a comment area is to generate a discussion within a community of people with similar or maybe even slightly dissimilar ideas/thoughts, etc..

And I try to always revisit blogs where I have left comments to see if anyone has also commented or perhaps replied to what I have said. That is easier to do/have happen on web design blogs where you will see comment threads that grow to the triple digits in only a matter of hours. We can be an opinionated group. But it is fun to get a lively discussion going so give it a shot when you can.

Gee is there a word limit on this box? I also talk a lot and write a lot and share a lot :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stacie Williams on May 12, 2008 at 8:19pm

ROFL- No there's no word limit Christy.....so happy to have you here- share away! ;-)

▶ Reply to This

• 1
• 2