leader or follower

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Are you a leader or a follower? I have had some thoughts lately about this whole following thing in the blogosphere. Should one be trying to get followers? Does the number of people who are following your blog really mean anything? If you have 856,924 followers are you any more cool than the person who has 10? How about twitter? Is it the same? What is someone un-follows you or blocks you...should you take that as a compliment or rejection? What's up with blog stats? If you are blogging for a living I can totally understand needing to know about numbers. That's how you get paid: hits, followers and advertising. But if you blog for yourself, does it all really matter? In the words on the wonderful Molly, "blog like no one is reading."

I have had a hard week on the interwebs, and lost a good friend. She both blocked me and un-followed. My feelings are hurt. I will continue to blog like no one is reading, because, to me, it doesn't matter. 856,924 followers or 10, this is my journal and I am honored that some of you choose to read. Thanks.

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I'm so sorry about your friend. I've been there, and it sucks.

As far as the followers go: you can't lose if you don't play. I haven't asked for followers, and I don't follow anyone. I try to stop by and leave a comment if I really care about the blogger ;-)

I get really bummed when I see other bloggers who (in my opinion) aren't as clever get lots of attention/hits/cool blogging gigs. I have to remind myself all the time why I'm really doing this.

One week I got really excited about my blog stats and then I realized it was because I had been visiting my own blog from another computer and copying and pasting posts so I could print and archive them. That's when I KNEW I was blogging for myself.

I checked once on google reader to see how many subscribers I had and the next week there were two less. THAT'S also when I knew I should be blogging for myself.

I don't ever discount the friendships made from blogging. Some last and some do not, just like in real life. It still stings when someone frosts you out, though.

I'm here! I'm reading!
I don't always comment, and some weeks get so hectic that I hit "mark all as read" on all of the ones I follow, and I say a quick mea culpa and start the next week fresh.

Oh I'm sorry about your friend. I'm pottering along in blissful ignorance about followers and subscribers etc. My husband asked me why I wanted a 'follow me' thingy on my blog and I couldn't answer the question other than 'because everyone else has one' (waaaaah so I guess I'm a sheep like follower!). I don't understand google analytics either, but I will fess up to a secret thrill watching the site visits graph going up and up. I don't know why it matters, but it's a nice feeling? Vanity I expect.

Sorry to hear about your friend. The thing I've enjoyed most about blogging has been the people I've met. I'm all for blogging like no one is reading!

Screw her! I know; easier said then done. I still read and your blog makes me LOL. Even been known to snort water out my nose a time or two. I love the quote, "blog as if no one is reading" That's great advice. I for one hope you do just that. Plus I find your WHAT THE FUCK hilarious! :)