Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Blogroll pout

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These days I hardly click on my own blogroll, most of my favourite reads come to me via RSS feeds, with 3 noticeable exceptions, James, Helen and E@L, they don't allow a feed. Still for those 3 its no great hardship to make the effort of a click. Although if E@L gets any more graphic about his feet I may have to take a break.
So why do I still have a roll? Basically to be polite I guess, to let them know that I'm still reading, to encourage anyone that drops here to blurf their way. I do notice when I get dropped from other peoples blogroll and I wonder why? Was it that my rambling chat finally bored them? Did they disagree with something I posted? Or do they just plain not like me any more?
I usually don't give it more than a fleeting thought, although seeing one of my very old and rather dull conversations with Indiana being dredged up to illustrate his post does raise an eyebrow, given that he doesn't think I'm worthy of a place on his blogroll after all the time we've known each other. We go back to the days of being Discombobulated and Platypus, I know he still reads here (Hello You) as he comments from time to time. Yet do you see me on his blogroll - nope. This irks me slightly.

I know some people use their roll as a way of showing how popular they are, how fashionable/trendy they are, in much the same way that 'impressive' books will be scattered around an apartment for visitors and the old quote of judging a man by his friends probably stands true for blogroll as much as real life. I use mine as a small way of saying I read what you write, sometimes I don't like it, but often it interests me.

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DISCLAIMER: I'm on day 4 without sugar, so perhaps a little sensitive?

7 comments:

expat@large said...

I thought people CAN get my RSS feed! I certainly have it turned on.

And I too am super-slack on blogrolls of late. Every now and then I realise Chocolate Saucepans (whatever) is not on it - though of course it is on my RSS feed - but like today, I don't have my FTP password handy (it's on my desktop computer).

Sugar, what's that?

p.s. You can tell you're in Thailand when instead of a choice between butter and marge, they give you two brands of butter. LOL!

Liz said...

I am an evil feed reader, and you can now look at your stats and see that I'm breaking company policy and posting from work. Shh!!

I just wanted to say that I feel the same, although I tend to think of my blog roll as friends of past and present. There are some that no longer blog, but I keep their links because every now and then I want to go back and look.

But... I also think of my own blog as my personal expression. It doesn't bother me if people comment or not, or stop by... I guess because the reason why I write is not for others, but for me and my memories.

Just playing the advocate. :}

dgny said...

Ahhhh, the blogroll. It's a bit of high school for bloggers, really. I try to link anyone who comments on my blog, by way of thanks for adding content and to send people along to them. There are a few blogs I read on occasion but know I'd lose if I didn't put them there.

But I have been known to get my nose out of joint on occasion - when you contribute content to someone's blog, it's nice to have a nod on the roll.

... I thought day 4 was the worst of it, after that it was smooooth sailing. Get an extra massage!

(ps your link to Fumier is his old site...)

Mia said...

E@L : Maybe some people can, but I can't - still its no hardship to make the effort to click over and see if you've posted.

Elizabeth: Oh I don't think feed readers are evil at ALL, I've found people who have started posting again after months thanks to my RSS feed. It doesn't bother me tooo much if people put comments up or not either, but when I'm read, commented on, quoted and STILL not in the blogroll it makes me wonder why?

DGNY: Yes, I know its very high school, but hey ho. Re day 4, not doing the full on fasting - too much diving and elephant treking for that, I am however eating really 'well' and not having any sugar - which is a huge challenge for me. As for massages, an 'extra' and I'd not have time to sleep! Thanks for the headsup on F

Helen said...

I also thought I allowed RSS feeds-there's a thingy on my sidebar that's the feed link, I think (I don't use RSS, so I have no idea if it works or not).

I confess I'm hideous at commenting, and my blogroll is nonexistent because I get stressed out that I may offend anyone. Stupid reason, really, but it's the truth.

James said...

I'm with E@L, I thought that it was working! How 'bout now??? I changed everything to "short."

Mia said...

WELL, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I can now get Helen and James on my RSS feed but still no E@L.
A better day indeed.

Helen: I know you're hideous at commenting but you are one of those individuals who I adore from a distance no matter if you comment or not.

James: I could get you on another feed, but not my main one. But now I can! Hip Hip Horray.