So I'm still fairly new to the blogging world and how all of this works -- the relationships, the etiquette. As you know, I have a Blogger blog. It's been fun blabbing about all the stuff that my world revolves around. I have made some blogger friends - as far as people you've never met can be friends. Maybe it's more like old-fashioned pen pals, but in cyberspace.
I have specific interests that I like to read about - knitting, crafts, sewing, cooking, and anything that makes me laugh. I have bookmarked some of my favorite blogs that I read frequently, which saves them to my Internet browser. As I traveled around reading blogs, I'd see posts where bloggers were trying to reach a certain number of followers through Google Friend Connect. And I realized that I have a "Reading List" of Blogs I Follow through Blogger. So I started clicking the follow button, willy-nilly, on every blog I happened upon. The more the merrier, right?
Except today I went to follow another new blog and was given the message that I have reached the maximum number of blogs I can follow, which is 300. Now just in the past week or two, I have found several new subjects for blogs that I want to follow - scrapbooking and home improvement. But since I have hit my limit, I can't follow any of these new blogs. So I panicked and started, willy-nilly, unfollowing blogs.
Then I received an email from one of the lovely bloggers that I unfollowed today ...
Hey!
Hated to lose you as a follower/friend today. I have been busy and self-focused lately and haven't made it around to everyone's blogs but I do cherish and appreciate each of the friends that I have made through blogging and didn't want to let you disappear without comment. Please let me know if I can do something to invite you back.
And I felt so bad!!! And I emailed and assured her that unfollowing her had nothing to do with her, it's just me. It felt like an uncomfortable break up.
My youngest daughter is also a blogger and we actually had a discussion about the subject of "following" just last week. She said she only follows the few blogs that she will actually read on a consistent basis and she doesn't understand this following everyone frenzy.
And I'm not sure that I do either. So, I'm asking you, my blogging friends. What kind of follower are you ... and why? What do you get out of it? Are you making money blogging and more followers contributes? I would really like to understand the whys and wherefores and the political correctness and etiquette of it all. Looking forward to hearing what you all think!
14 comments:
If you follow through google friend connect, there isn't a limit. :)
I'm surprised at the email you got, though.
I've never asked someone why they unfollowed me. Though, honestly, I also don't scroll through to see who unfollowed.
I follow a lot- it's sort of like a facebook "like" in my opinion.
Though, I don't read all I follow on a regular basis. Not enough time in the day!
I follow those who "touch" me. Whether it be with their humor, their heartfelt stories. Just a connection that I feel. I'm not out to get the most followers that I can get, and I don't make money off of my blog. I still have a small enough group of people I follow, that I do read their post everytime they post. It's like reading a new book, or 5, 10, or 20, every day.
I have been exactly where you are. I wrote a post about it once when I reached my 300 and boy did I panic. I happen to click and follow way more then I could ever read. I have gotten myself in big trouble. I ended up going to a reader. I have close to 800 blogs in my reader. Little by little I have been placing people in different folders. Some people are now in folders that I never read.
I do not blog for money and all of my followers are what I call natural followers. I never asked them to follow me to win some giveaway. I told myself that I never wanted to be the person who only visits the people who comment on my blog. I want to follow those who I enjoy reading and have become friends with. I have about 100 people that I really enjoy following and reading. I try to read them each day. Today I have been here blogging for 12 hours so I have to downsize. That is very hard to do but having them in my reader I do not have to take my following button down. I try not to pay to close attention to my numbers because I don't want to be hurt when people leave me but I do understand when they have to for the very reason you mentioned.
I know that Shell said that there isn't a limit in GFC but there is.
That is where they stopped me at 300 like you!
I follow the blogs that can interest me in one or two posts. If I have to scroll past the first page to find something I want to read, I'm not interested. I like crafts, religion, happy blogs, inspirational, personal, just whatever!
I had no idea there was a cap on blogs I can follow. I wonder why they do that.
I comment on the blogs I like, like this one, but it seems like the more blogs I find that I like, the less commenting I can do. I am still trying to figure the whole thing out too.
I follow the ones I have things in common with and then if we strike up a friendship I read them regularly most of the time. You, I have to say are my favorite new blog! Your a hoot :) in a very kind way I might add! I never knew there was such a thing like google connect with or that anything would place a limit on you. Sounds crazy to me!
I won't ever blog for money or followers because then it becomes a burden not for my enjoyment or pleasure!
Great question and I love reading these responses too!
Hey! I try to follow those that I have a connection with. Blogging for money or followers really does take the fun out of it! I am just trying to work on my content. Blessings!
I don't have any good advice because this is something I've been wondering about myself. I just read the blogs I follow through my dashboard in Blogger. I know a lot of people use Google Reader or other readers but I haven't got it all sorted out just yet. When you figure it out, I'd love it if you could do a follow up post to this. :-)
Funny you should post about this because I was just discussing this with another friend IRL who also blogs.
I do tend to gravitate toward blogs that interest me and I like their writing etc., but I don't always visit daily - not enough hours in a day. I do try to pop in if a subject interests me off my dashboard highlights and will or won't comment.
I love blogging but sometimes feel it can get timeconsuming being friendly with everyone KWIM? So I just resorted to following or commenting when I feel apt to and not feeling bad about it - or if on a particular day I don't get comments it's OK...I just figure my posse is busy that day and then some do flow in a day or two later!
i don't know anything about following (really i don't know anything about blogging!) - i just follow the blogs i like and it's less than 100 but already too many for me to read everyday!
I "follow" very few but keep a blogroll on my own list of blogs I regularly look at - it's getting pretty big though!
Funny story...Beth emailed me too when I acidentally stopped following her. It made me glad to know someone cared whether I showed up or not. :)
I get all sorts of people who follow my blog and say follow me back and when I go to their blog all they do is advertise and do give aways...and the only reason they want me to follow is so that they'll get paid for having one more hit to their blog.
At first I felt that if someone followed me I had to follow back but I don't anymore. I just follow and read the blogs I enjoy.
That's so hard to answer! I don't "follow" blogs because I don't use blogger except for commenting. I do have some blogs set up in bloglines, my feed reader, and others set up as links in a section on my blog and others we seem to just catch each other when we swap comments. :) And I do feel like blogger friends are friends - the ones I've met in person I wish I lived closer to. :)
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