@ The Reader - It's About This Blogging Thing!

I've been known to repeat myself many times. And a latter day (sorry, Kass) oft-heard blurt is, "Blogging is the damnedest thing I've ever done!" Looking at various blogger profiles, I can easily see that I came to it late. When I was asked, in person, to check out someone's blog, I wasn't sure I'd know how to go about it. But I'm not a woman who enjoys looking anything other than hip, slick and cool, so I gave it a whirl. Hmmmm . . . OK, my friend writes something, puts it up and people make comments to him, which he either does or does not allow to appear. I made some comments and he allowed them in. I clicked on links found on his other blog, and learned about some other bloggers. From their blogs, I went to others, and I'm pretty sure that's how it goes for most of us. It took about 14 seconds for me to know I wanted to have a blog of my own. I love to write and I have a thing or two to say.

Over past weeks, many of us have asked questions about how certain things should be done in the blogosphere or what is the etiquette or how does one edit in html or how does one manage photos and images. I probably have far more questions than answers, and I also have some observations to make. So it was my hope that this post would generate some buzz between us. Perhaps a 12 Step Program & Training Seminar for blogging addicts?

"How is it done?" I asked. I can do many things on a computer - I am far more skilled than the sum of my parts might suggest - but my initial impression of blogging was that one would need to have access to and knowledge of all manner of graphics and other things I know nothing about. Not so! "There are a myriad of templates and gadgets. Investigate it!" I was told. I have some experience developing and managing some websites. "Is it similar to using DreamWeaver to build a website?" "Much simpler," he told me. "Investigate it!" Finally I did. Creating the thing took no time at all once I landed on the way I'd like to present myself and what I had to say to the world. I've been flexible about adding certain elements or removing them as suits my whim. Some things I put up on Day One and they will remain so placed until I blog no more - "My Favorite Bit of Paper Cup Philosophy" comes to mind. But then I'd like to have that tattooed on my person so I could refer to it many times daily.

Photo or no? I was extremely dicey about showing myself at the start, and to the left, you see the original portrait of LimesNow. It is a good, colorful image that projects many things about the actual me. I liked it. It felt comfortable to me, whereas showing my face made me feel very uncomfortable.

To moderate or not moderate or all things in moderation? I did from the start and I still do. When I started my blog, I felt certain I would draw comments from someone I didn't want to communicate with privately or publicly. This blogger had "picked me off" a time or two in blog comments and I didn't care for it. She did appear on my blog quite soon. By then, however, I was a pretty sturdy blogger and I have always let the comments in. I called her out publicly on my blog when I felt she was taking some potshots at me and through a very circuitous route, we have become fast friends. Life is twisty. All roads are not straight and narrow. I can state unequivocally I have only failed to publish two comments, both within the past 2 weeks, both from Kass. It may strike the reader as odd that I'd disallow anything Kass had to say, but these comments took up some difficult subjects. Kass knew I wouldn't publish her words. She said what she had to say and pointed me to her e-mail link in her Profile. That's where we deal with things that do not need to be shown the light of day.

What if I wrote for the blog and nobody noticed? (If Limes is talking in the forest and nobody's there . . . . ) It didn't happen that way. By the time of my first post, I'd been following some bloggers for awhile, commenting, interacting. When I finally said, "I've put up my first post, if you'd like to stop by," I was warmly welcomed. It felt nice. I've tried to welcome other new bloggers I become aware of - don't we all want to be appreciated? And I learned quickly and easily, that this is rather like mingling at a party. Ask a question or make an observation. See if there is any energy that flows between yourself and the other blogger. Go from there and always keep investigating more blogs to expand your circle of 'tend friends. A very humbling observation: from time to time I've written a piece that actually satisfied me - I've felt the writing was good, the subject was interesting . . . . and it never drew a comment. It puts one in one's place. Keeps one from getting a little too . . .

Photo or no redux? After some time, I wanted to put my face up. I am a woman who does not particularly like seeing herself in photos, but I was suddenly rabid to get a right-now, up-to-date picture of myself on that blog and as my icon. I'd made 'tend friends by now. I could see them, and I wanted them to see me. It might be fair to say I pestered without mercy until I was photographed repeatedly. Did the posting of my portrait cause the world to be a more beautiful place? Of course not! It just put a face with the words. I will say this, however. At the beginning, my profile was being viewed at a slow, steady pace, probably like most everyone else has experienced. One's friends, family and followers take a look and drift away. The number rises. The moment, seemingly, I put my photograph up, the number of views became exponential. It made me feel a little unnerved at the start. Rather like, "Oh, I was right. One doesn't want one's face all over the internet." I left it there. I've posted many more views of my real self over time. I'm OK with it. It's OK to do. Kass, I told you that in this most recent set of photos, I resemble your death mask tissue dispenser. All I need is the little tail of white tissue protruding from my nostril.

What is appropriate behavior? When I was nailed with words in some commentary, I was stung and asked the blogger, "Hey, is that OK to do? I was commenting on your writing. Now she's commenting on me! I don't care for it." He replied that he probably needed to manage the tone of his blog by deciding what comments to allow or disallow. Later, I watched in dismay as a couple of miscreants attacked and counterattacked Erin O'Brien, one of my favored bloggers. She was not moderating comments at the time. The cretins had plenty of things to say. I was following closely that day and finally had to ring in. The morons immediately began to attack me, but Erin sidled up and asked me if I had her back and if I'd keep at it with her. I did. It was a hilarious day of contention, but it made me feel a little unsettled. I was glad I lived in the west, maybe 2,000 miles away.

How do we interact if we're not directly commenting back and forth, or if one of us "left the room" for awhile? I've more recently interacted with a couple of bloggers who will comment on a post - any post - if they want to wave their arms to attract one's attention. I'm OK with that. The comment drops in and I can tell that someone wants to discuss something. Maybe their comment shows up as not related to anything in the post, but it is an attention grabber. Of course, we could all put e-mail links on our Profiles and make life easy. No, mine doesn't have one. ;~{} Connecting through Google Friends would also work. There are a number of ways.

The care and keeping of followers: Admit it! When Blogger screws up and all your followers disappear, you get a twinge, don't you? Kirk Jusko unveils his followers with a welcoming blog post. Once another blogger and I lost a mutual follower at the same time on the same day and we both wondered, "What did I do?" We still don't know. And the follower still follows each of us and comments from time to time. He just is no longer "declared". Conversely, when Erin O'Brien's was designated a Blog of Note, she immediately was slammed by more than 550 new followers, but now it's been a little minute and they drop off in ones and twos. And is it only me, or does everyone have pictures of some followers who've "declared" but never made one comment and you don't know whether they actually look at your blog or not? And one can always ponder why one had two followers for months and then gained 16 in a week.

But you don't really know those people! A pragmatist in my daily life says, "Come on, Limes, you don't know who these people are!" But I do. We read one another's words and exchange comments, and there often occurs a connection. How could I have known Tag must be ill and wasn't behaving in his usual ways if I didn't know him? How would he know to say he understood my character if he didn't know me? How could Kass have put her finger on so many things in so little time if she didn't know several of us who interact? How could I have divined what ailed a blogger I follow (a medical condition) if I didn't know at least a part of him? I've always felt that Doozyanner keyed in to some parts of my tapestry about the second time we interacted. We "know" each other in certain ways. Perhaps, in some ways, this virtual knowing is preferrable to actual knowing. We may only "get" isolated elements of a fellow blogger, but I believe I'd like to know about and bond to some narrow slice of a person that I really enjoy rather than deal with the whole ball of wax but I don't care for 85% of it. I guess I'd make an argument for making small connections wherever they are true.

Do I post my real name? This is the last hold out for me, dear readers. At the start, I was equally as squeamish about putting out my name as I was about putting out my face. Once I wrote a post and purposely put my name in it, but the sentence that contained it was buried by many other sentences. One sharp follower caught it and commented to me about it. Two separate commenters used my name when commenting to the one particular post - that was OK, by then. I let the comments in. I've been less than vigilant about keeping the name of my company out of pictures, so some readers have looked up the company website and figured out both my name and at least one way to reach me on e-mail - at work. I'm still just a little hesitant to openly use my real name, even though using some blogger tongue-in-cheek name can cause odd things to happen. Kass and I had become friends and started to e-mail. I said, "OK, now you know my name is _____." She was startled. "I can't get used to that being your name." But it is. She asked if no one actually calls me Limes. No one does, except when giving me the business about my blog.

Peeping - politically correct or not? I've seen a lot of bloggers write that they feel a little guilty when they look at someone's blog and fail to comment or leave any trace of themselves. I'm not sure I think that's a crime. Maybe one looked and was not struck to say anything. Maybe what one would have said would have been hurtful or insulting. I try to keep in the front of my brain that I am writing in a public forum. My words and images are there for anyone to see. So far that's been OK for me. I'm baffled from time to time when someone has obviously looked at my blog, picked up something I've written about and then appears in other blogs I follow, using my words or ideas, but I can't prevent it. I don't lose a lot of sleep over it.

And lastly, YouTube or no YouTube? I've only recently started to put in music. I think YouTube is a real mixed bag of stuff. Some of the quality is so poor, I'm put off to think I'd put that in my blog so that the reader, too, could suffer poor video or a poor rendition of a song. And don't start me on the YouTube offerings that feature a great song with one still picture to stare at for 4 or 5 or 7 minutes. I guess I'd have to say I'll only present YouTube if I think the quality is top shelf. You don't need me to serve up less than wonderful entertainment!

So, bloggers, please ring in! What are the things about blogging that have baffled or amused you, frustrated or charmed you? From whom do you learn things, and who makes you laugh? Are we getting something meaningful from this or are we as bad as adolescent electronic game players who become absorbed by their devices? And please, do you mean to tell me I'm the only blogger who actually sits at the dinner table and asks, "Did you check out Tree today? How'd you like Tag's musical offerings? Erin made me laugh out loud. Kass gave me an idea for redoing that plunger device left over from when my French press cracked." I get responses, too. They show me I'm not the only one who reads a blog or two.

Photo credit for the shot of LimesRightNow: J.D. Morehouse

In my ears right now: I've always loved the song. I think Mr. Letitbleed put together a nice group of photos from their earliest days up until today. I hope you enjoy it. My little parakeets and I sure do!


Something that charmed me: I charmed me! I took a call from a customer this afternoon. He needed a patch repair and he needed it before Saturday, because on Saturday, the national chain of carpet cleaners was coming in to clean his carpet. He was concerned whether our patch repair would be good to go for a Saturday cleaning, would he need to wait longer than that, etc. Stole that $500 job from that national chain of carpet cleaners. I charmed that man, told him exactly why he'd get better service from us, and I made him mine. We needed to book that job today!