Thursday, January 04, 2007

The Ditto Post (edited below)
You know...... the one where I say some things I have said before?

Yes, well, I AM going to say it again. People, you have to STOP!
(all semi-bans on exclamation points shall be suspended for this post)

"Stop what?", you say coyly, looking curious, and mildly amused.

Stop writing so well, stop posting so often, stop giving me new links to follow! I tell you, I'm drowning here, people. There are now so many links in my favorite blogs list that it takes me over 3 hours to click on everyone. I am thankful that some of you are lax about posting often, otherwise it would take 4-5 hours to get through it. See, the problem is that I have no self-control. Once I start going through the list, I feel guilty if I don't click to see if you have a new post. Maybe I shouldn't admit that I am insatiably nosy, but I am, and you might have written the post of a lifetime and I'd miss it - which would be a terrible thing. You may have found the secret to life - or you might have divulged some juicy family secret and I'd be out of the loop in future posts!

Then there is this little problem of you telling me about some blog you just found that is funny, or inspires you, or simply can't be missed....and what do I do? I go and click on it just like you said to, because what are friends for, really, if not to take your advice and enjoy what you like too? If I could stop there, it might not be so bad, but of course I click on "organize favorites" and add that one to my list too.

Another problem is that I am compelled to leave a comment nearly every time I visit. There are only a few blogs on which I lurk, and I usually don't lurk for long. The need to put in my 2 cents worth is overpowering, even though most of the time I am not saying anything earth-shaking; I'm just letting you know I was there.


I will admit that I do clean out the favorites file occasionally. If one of you decides to stop posting for weeks, I put you into a "closed blogs" file. Now and then I will go into that file, to see if you have resumed posting, and that takes time, and I am always disappointed to see that you haven't posted again (you know who you are).

Suppose I had a blogroll (which I promised I'd do last February, after Naomi so kindly sent me directions on how to do it. There's nothing like fear and procrastination, is there?). My blogroll would take up so much space in the sidebar that you'd sprain your finger scrolling down to the bottom of it! (Sometimes my forefinger rolls the scroll wheel so often that it feels sprained, but I thank technology for that scroll wheel and back buttons!)

You know I'm teasing, right? I don't really want you to stop posting or giving links. But I DO need to develop a plan for those times when I don't have 3+ hours to spare, or the nights I think sleep really IS necessary. Maybe I could click on every other blog in the list one night and then the rest of you the next night. How would you feel about that? Would you feel slighted if you didn't hear from me? (Break it to me gently, people, I couldn't take hearing that you wouldn't miss me).

One last item: does anyone have a solution to my spreading butt, caused by coubtless hours sitting here at the computer? After all, folks, you're the cause of it!
****Believe it or not, I do have Bloglines. I set it up over a year ago, and mainly I have it so that if I lose my favorites list, I have a backup to find most of you. Maybe I never learned how to use it properly, because I found it cumbersome. And it isn't up to date, because I haven't added a blog to it for at least 7-8 months. Since so many of you recommended it, I will re-visit Bloglines and see if that makes life a little easier. ****another addition: Uh-oh. I just went to Bloglines and they don't know me anymore. They say I am giving them the wrong email address, so I gave them all 3 and they still won't let me in. I guess I'll have to start from scratch (that willl only take a week, right?)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Judy,

I sympathize! I commiserate! I'm with you 100%!

I've just started this blogging thing and already my butt has enlarged, and I too keep discovering new stuff.

Soon, I am afraid I will lose my job because the blog world takes up too much of my time and therefore, I will not have enough money to pay for the internet and will have to stop blogging.

Here's how I have saved myself from eternal damnation so far: 1. I have everyone on “Bloglines” feeds; 2. I don't always comment: may skip a post or two. By way of consequence, I DO NOT feel bad if people just come in to lurk sometimes: I have a Site Meter, which teels me people love me even though I don't hear from them. Haha.

Not great solutions, but they've been... preventing a catastrophe so far. Except for the butt problem.

Good luck!

Beverly said...

Hi, Judy,
I'm often left feeling so inadequate with words when I read Roxanne or Vicki, or whenever Bonnie happens to post such beautiful work.
I do get done the things that I need to do because I spend too much time reading blogs. I'm not as bad as I once was...now I spend a lot of time in a cystic fibrosis forum, reading about other people with CF, either the patients themselves or parents of CFers.
So you indeed are not alone with your feelings.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I would miss you, but of course I'd understand.

Bloglines might help you, but you'll need a good day or two to set it up.

Anonymous said...

i totally understand, Judy. there just aren't enough hours in the day.

michele sent me by this time.

Anonymous said...

Although I feel your pain, I can offer no help or suggestions. Between the pressure to be profound and inspirational in my own posts, combined with like commentary on equally inspirational posts from others, I'm afraid I've gone quite insane.

I'll say this... Michele, who sent me this evening, shares in the responsibility!

mike

Anonymous said...

I know how you feel. I always try my best to visit all the poeple on my blog roll and always vist those who are thoughtful enough to leave a comment adn there simply aren't enough hours in the day sometimes!

I don't have time to post every day so just popping by every other day or so should mean you don't miss much if that helps :-)

Anonymous said...

I second that motion to use "Bloglines." It's what I use and it makes the time I spend reading Blogs so much less because I don't waste time checking to see if someone has posted something new. I KNOW going in that they have because Bloglines tells me they have. It does have its limitations however. If a Blog does not include an RSS feed, Bloglines cannot keep track of it so that requires one to add such Blogs to a list of manual visits which will put you back into the same sort of situation, only not as bad as before. Sorry! I guess you are doomed to have a bigger butt. I too have that problem and big butts look terrible on us guys. Not so with the ladies. I sort of like ladies with big butts, like the donkey on Shrek.

Anonymous said...

Bloglines is the go Judy, but as Raehan said it will take you a couple of BUSY days to set it up with a lot of feeds, I'm not sure where you find those couple of days!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This is a riot! And I relate! Everytime I !! I think of you. Blogging doesn't burn many calories but it sure is fun. Some days it can seem like a chore but then I find my groove and I'm off. Forgetting everything else and losing myself in it has a certain bliss. the links tend to grow not shrink and the posts mount up, making me wonder how big can all these blogs get? Will the internet ever run out of space or memory?

Anonymous said...

I hear ya! I really can spend hours (and do) reading everyone's blog and following links all over the internet. At times...it is a great escape and I love to know what everyone is up to. Other times I feel so out of the loop -- when I am swamped and all I want to do is play!

Lois Lane said...

Amen sista! I feel your pain as I can never get to everyone I want to read or catch up with.
I'm glad you were given lots of sound advice for the post below. Good luck.
Have a great weekend!

fakies said...

Every time I decide I'm not going to read any blogs for a day, it bugs me all day. I end up giving in at some point and hitting my usual haunts. Now you know why I don't make New Year's resolutions...

Raggedy said...

I wonder if I am off your list? I mean I did stop posting for a long time. I know what you mean it is hard keeping up with everyone, and all the great links. I am at my limit though and can't take any more new blogs without dropping the old. I knew I had to stop somewhere.
If you figure out the butt thing please let me know!
Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) hugs
(")_ (")Š from
the Cool Raggedy one

sonia a. mascaro said...

Wow Judy! What a great post! I would like wrote it! I feel the same! And with an plus or aggravation, the most part of my dear blog's friends write in English and I have many difficulties in English... I quote you, "another problem is that I am compelled to leave a comment nearly every time I visit.". Me too! I also have Bloglines, but there are so many amazing blogs to read and not enough time....

Anonymous said...

I have a couple of friends who use Bloglines... there's just so much STUFF out there, I don't want to choose unwisely, so I choose not to decide. Is that still making a choice?

Ouch -

Michele sends her best!

mike

Anna said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anna said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

OK, I have a had a bit of trouble posting tonight.

I am worried. Is that spreading butt thing contagious? I am going to get up and walk around now! Great post Judy...I loved reading it. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't function in my blog community without bloglines, and I mean that from the bottom of my gigabytes. :-)

Pat said...

I synpathise Judy but am always glad to have you round. I still haven't fathomed Bloglines and I have a deep antipathy for anything that requires me to constantly sign in as I forget passwords etc. Poor old soul!