The Stress Was Getting To Me
Have you noticed anything different about my blog? Look over to your right...see it now? The blogroll (or should I say the lack of traditional blogroll...) Okay, so now that we're on the same page, let me explain.
My blogroll was stressing me out. I had so many people to add and I just hadn't added them yet. My Google Reader has become my blogroll and I'm continually adding to it. Also, the order of my blogroll was making me worry that I was playing favorites. It's hard to say Heather from Queen of Shake-Shake is more worthy of "top billing" than say Brandy from It's Like I'm Magic. I tried to put less "famous" bloggers toward the top of the blogroll, but then I couldn't get them in an order that seemed fair. I thought about changing the order every few days or just doing an alphabetical list, but this just wasn't the answer.
So....I decided that although this worry was pretty senseless, I needed to change. Instead of the traditional blogroll, I decided to share my items that I read from Google Reader. That way, everyone I read can be on the list as long as they post something that day.
There are some downsides, however. You're only allowed 10 shared items and I read A LOT more than 10 posts per day. Also, if you don't post for a while, you won't be found on my list. And the worst thing is that Google Reader does not always promptly let me know when there are new posts. Sometimes your posts don't show up for 8 hours after you've posted.
I'm going to give it a whirl. If I don't like it after awhile, I'll go back to the traditional blogroll and put all 7,000 of you on it.
And if you don't like it, then I'm sending this thug after you.
[picture removed]
Also, I'm experimenting with responding to comments in my own comments sections. I'm completely paranoid thanks to this thought-provoking post that someone will think that I don't value your effort in leaving a comment. Some people email replies, but I don't have everyone's email. I just don't want people to feel like they have to check my page over and over to see if I've commented on their comment...Does that make ANY sense??
21 People are even more brilliant:
Totally makes sense...
And don't worry about palying faves... We know you love deeply....
Just like we love you back.
Makes perfect sense to me - hope it works out for you. :)
Gotta do what works for you! I just put the ones that I like on- in alpha order.
I like it. Some blogrolls are so long they're overwhelming, so I just ignore (not doing anyone any favors). This one is manageable, interesting (b/c you can see the latest post), and generally a good idea. Maybe someday I'll copy you if I can ever figure out how! :)
Let me know what you think of Google reader.
I did the same thing last year. I am just not organized enough for a blogroll.
By the way, look at the gobledegook code you pasted into your sidebar to make the reader list appear. You'll see:
n=
followed by a number. Change that number to the number of posts you want to show. Mine is currently set to 50, and I don't think there's a reasonable upper limit.
And let me know if you have any questions!
I understand what you are saying. I am only now starting to get addicted to reading more and more blogs. Let me know how the google reader works!
That's one cute thug! :)
That is the cutest thug I've ever seen. Send him to beat me up and I will be happy to zerbert his tummy.
I get just as stressed about my blogroll and my comments section. I don't know what to do about either one of them.
Perfect timing for your post. I'm starting to feel a bit.. overwhelmed with the idea of comments and blogrolls. I started a blog thinking 1) no one would read it and 2) I wouldn't have time to read a lot of other peoples, but I've been proved wrong on both accounts. My blogroll seriously needs to be updated and I need to start commenting more to the comments I get. Actually, what I need is 27 hours in a day. That would make things so much easier!
Blogrolls stress me out, too. I think about it way more often that I should.
Erika (plain jane mom), that is one terrific trick about increasing the number!! Thanks!
And I'm so glad that I don't have to send my thug out after any of you anytime soon, although he'd really like a zerbert!
Holy crap! Peanut knows kung-fu?
(And how did you get your blogroll to look so purdy?)
You know I'm not skeered of the thug, cute as he may be. I know for a fact he won't touch me. Bwahaha! (Will he ever accept me as a nice person? sniff sniff)
You know I'm not high maintenance so all is well! I will probably stalk your page even more now so I can see all of these cool new posts and then one day I will figure out how to set up my own b/c I'm a follower.
The picture is adorable.
I just slowly keep adding blogs to my list... and I have it alphabetically. I'm sure eventually it will just end up waaaaaaayy too long. I'll worry when I get to that point.
And as far as responding to the comments... I've only started getting a few. But, I've also wondered whether to comment back in the comments or try to e-mail a response. Sometimes it seems difficult to get an e-mail if you get linked to a blog. Is that just my problem?
Aaron, I just followed the directions on Google reader...I have no actual computer talent. Or any actual talent at all.
Colleen, I don't know how to get the emails either! That's why I figured it was easier to just respond in the comments section. By the way, your email shows up when you comment, but for some reason, I can't reply to your email. Weird!
You are wayyyyyy more tech savvy than me, you smart gal, you. I need to just give you my e-mail (sarahviz@yahoo.com) because I'm bad about responding to comments on my blog.
Have a great weekend!
I like the change you made. And your thug is a cutie!
I share the same comment/inability to email problem and also do not know what to do. Sounds like lots of us are like that. Maybe we should all band together and make some type of code to live by??
I did figure out that if you go to my blog, then view the profile you can get to my e-mail. Top left side it just says e-mail. I had to do the edit profile and then check off to share e-mail. So... everyone can e-mail me now! woo-hoo. Now, if only I could figure out how to e-mail everyone back?!?!?
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