So I have been a subscriber to Bloglines for a little while now, and I have decided to abandon it. Not because it's not useful in being able to see when your favourite blogs have been updated ( and my favourites list is quite exhaustive), but I get annoyed at not being able to see the posts in the beauty the writers intended, including layout, colours, and how the post looks in relation to the layout of the blog itself, but also, COMMENTS!
Ok, maybe this is a newbie bloggy preoccupation, but I am holding bloglines personally responsible for the fact that people don't leave enough comments for each other. This may be due to the fact that, as a new blogger, whenever I get a comment I am left irrationally excited, quickly rushing over to the comment leavers' blog and wondering how on earth some fabulous knitter from Canada, or a crafty maven from San Fransisco possibly found me on the endless sea of the internet.
Is there some way of leaving comments from Bloglines that I don't know about? If not, I am still going to use it to check for updates, but I will insist on viewing the proper page to read said updates. So There. (end rant here)
On another note, I have been mulling over the need to find my true voice on this blog. For some reason, when I sit down to write a post, I slip into some other kind of weird alter ego where I am nice and polite and super excited about everything and I never swear or use any kind of witticism. Ever.
I also tend to use Americanisms like "thrifting" instead of "op shopping" (though I do like "thrifting" as a term in itself).
It may come as a slight surprise, dear readers, but I have actually spent most of my adult life writing and reading Art Theory, swearing like a fucking sailor, and chain smoking cigarettes. In my time, I have been a hardcore feminist, activist, punk, hippy, traveller, art student, painter, seamstress, cocktail waitress (don't ask.....or maybe do!!), bartender, writer of terrible typewritten poetry, and god knows what in between.
I think I just needed to get all of that out in the open, just so you don't think I'm some prissy little woman who sits at home embriodering her doilys. All power to you if you are a prissy woman, but it's just not me.
Hmmmm.... now this has turned into one of those posts you think twice about publishing, so I'm going to press that button before I chicken out.
Oh.... and the computer above shows Shim and Sons in all it's non-bloglines glory.
Cheers.
I think that was the most I have laughed out loud whilst sat in front of a computer. Ever.
ReplyDeleteI vote for saying op-shopping too. I must confess when I posted my image on flickr today about being banned from a group because I thought it was funny I did indeed think twice.
Probably we blogging girls are much naughtier than we all let on - pink doily, crochet and stiff drink in hand... !!!
Oh yeah - and I just read the text via bloglines, but if I want to see the thing in context I click on the item heading to go to the real blog page.
+ +
Funny thing, the Authorial Voice. I have one myself.
ReplyDeleteThe language I use in real life. I can't bear to witness it in print.
You can't begin to imagine.
Amen sister. To all of that.
ReplyDeleteBloglines has led to the lessening of my comment-leaving too. But I'm trying to fight it. I try to just skim through the posts, but on certain posts (or indeed, certain websites) I'll open them in a new page and comment my little heart out. I think the key to my sucess would be cutting down my list ( I think I have well over a hundred now... hmm)
And also about the voice, I for one would certainly not complain about a bit more crass language, sarcasm and realness in blogland. I should really work on keeping my blog a bit more real, but at the moment I'm too busy just trying to think of something to write. The problem with keeping things real is if you get a bit miserable for a few weeks you worry about boring the hell out of your readers until you get over it. hmmm.
Anyway. A wonderful post. Look forward to the next one, as always : )
Here, here! I agree! More comments, more real language and more wine!
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I came across your blog. But I did and I like it.
ReplyDeleteFunny post. I like it too.
Oops, forgot to say that I just don't get bloglines at all! I must be missing something. I don't even know how to add my favourite blogs, so I didn't get very far with it at all...
ReplyDeletegood for you be yourself, we like you better that way. i don't use bloglines because of all that you stated. i just go down my long list alphabetically.
ReplyDeleteBe yourself, for heaven's sake, we don't mind. I haven't been reading blogs for very long, but I am very impressed. I have learned a lot and been entertained by the voices of women I seldom find here in the USA we need the kind of voice, comradeship and intelligence that I hear in the blogs. Thanks for the inspiration and the joy. ( Ps. I am here at home taking care of my 30 something daughter who is severely retarded and all the blogs just make my day and give me the strength to go on. Keep on)
ReplyDelete