Sites I follow

~ beetleypete

I do follow quite a few sites. At one time, it was over 100, but it is now down to just 86. So why did I decide to drop over 14 sites from my followed list? The answer is simple. They just stopped posting.

I sit and wonder what their reasons are. Lack of ideas, disillusioned with blogging, or just don’t have the time? Maybe they just didn’t get much from it, or it was not what they expected. Who knows? The world of blogging is a strange world to inhabit. Some people are ‘chasing’ followers, others selling books, or Internet services. Over the years, you learn to tell the difference, and to be choosy with the blogs that you follow.

But even applying some rules and experience, it is not an exact science. Blogs just vanish overnight, with not a word, or a reason why. Is it only me, or do you also think that they owe their devoted followers just a small word of explanation? Just one line, explaining why they have stopped blogging, or why they are having a (very long) break.

So this evening, I un-followed some blogs. Those that had not posted anything for over a year, and some who didn’t even bother to acknowledge my last comment. I am genuinely sorry to see them go. After all, if they did not have merit, I would not have followed them in the first place. Maybe they expected too much. Perhaps their book sales did not happen, or their return followers were not to their liking.

New bloggers, a word of advice. If you follow a blog, do your best to follow it. That involves commenting on posts, or at least leaving an occasional like. Then when you get followers, treat them with a little respect. They take their time to read, follow, like, and comment on your blogs. If you decide to stop blogging, which is of course your right, at least have the decency to tell them.

73 thoughts on “Sites I follow”

  1. You have a great style Pete. I can see many hours ahead of me reading your posts regarding blogging. Some are into Blogs for the numbers. If you aren’t at least supportive about the others in the community, then there should should be no expectation of support from them. Leaving a small notice is just good manners if your taking a break or leaving altogether.

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  2. I completely understand where you’re coming from. No buts, no caveats. I hope you, and others, can also understand that for many of us blogging is intensely personal and often teeters of the brink of anxiety. As a blogger with one or two ‘Houdini’ acts under her belt I can say that sometimes this exposure, however anchored in (relative) anonymity, gets too much. Life, too, gets in the way and a host of other circumstances. I’m still not sure I’m ready to return, which is why my blog is set to private. But equal to writing is that connection you build with followers/readers, and I can’t say enough how much I have missed you. You know the score. But enough personalising. Spot on, and at the end of the day, it’s their loss. ((hugs))

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    1. Naturally, my delight at your return knows no bounds. I am reminded of the old advertising line when thinking back to your blog, and our long acquaintance. “The Original, and still the best.” If you ever decide to return to blogging you can be assured that this loyal follower will be there for you. In the meantime, your presence on beetleypete is an honour to savour.
      (And this post never applied to you. I knew you had gone…)
      As ever, Pete. x

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  5. sorry my son stopped blogging.. So, I’ll pass on the heads up.. I’ve not stopped just taken a little break,, but I’m still here and enjoy many blogs that I read… How’s Ollie been since he turned 5? Does he feel any older or just another day in the life of a loved and cherished pet… Take care, Laura

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    1. He’s much the same, Laura. Some more ear trouble this week, sadly.
      I was sorry to hear that your son has decided not to continue to post his great drawings. He might have a change of heart later, hopefully.

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  7. Good advice to new bloggers, Pete. It really is common courtesy. I have the same situation with bloggers who seem to have dropped off the face of the earth. Hmm… I will follow your advice and take the time to go through my “manage” on WordPress.

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  8. Hi Pete! You are a great blogger because you are one of the ONLY bloggers who consistently make an effort to read your follower’s posts and comments. I treat my blog as though it were a magazine, that is, I attempt to provide information and shave off the personal adjectives. I don’t want my post to be a facebook substitute. I think privacy is important and necessary in this unsafe world.

    I read a similar advice post from another blogger who maintained “no one owes you anything” and “you don’t owe them an explanation”. I gravitate to that kind of thinking. OTHERWISE blogging can be dangerous, if you allow it, and an emotional burden. For me, the real parts of my life take second-seat to the virtual hobby. Sometimes I’m so busy, I cannot check in with all my followers. That should be okay. Space is good. I don’t like frequent, overly-mushy posts expounding on feelings or “I’ll be back in a few days” twice a month. It’s a turn-off. Let me read quality posts or remain silent until you can. Obviously, I’m the unsentimental type.

    This is a negative response, and I would understand if you are offended. I’m not trying to be offensive. I also realize I break my own rules! I appreciate your friendship and your posts and your comments. So, see where my negativity gets me? Just shows you I have a lot of baggage. 😉

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    1. I am not offended at all, and do not regard it as remotely negative. In fact, if memory serves, you posted last year about taking an absence from blogging. That is all I am talking about, those common courtesies in life. Delving too deep into someone’s private life is not to be encouraged at all, I agree. Unless, like me, they make it an ‘open book’.
      Best wishes as always, Pete.

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  10. Hey, Pete.. just wanted to send a reply more or less to test my new gravatar setup and make sure the new blog is reflecting who I am properly. 🙂
    Did the audio play ok for you?
    Oh.. regarding your post subject here.. interestingly.. my last blog was more hobby (60%)/vanity (5%)/ego (15%)/therapy (20%), and just general purpose. BUT.. my new site.. is purpose oriented (60%)/vanity (5%)/ego (15%)/and therapy (25%). Hmmm.. that totals 105%. Well, Trump has forced me into increasing the therapy value. 🙂

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    1. Hi Doug.
      I haven’t tried to play the audio as yet. I have had some issues accessing and following your new blog. I have now subscribed by email, which will hopefully sort out those problems. Looking forward to catching up soon. (Lobotero sent me a working link, which was good)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  11. I agree with you Pete. There seems to be another trend at the moment where someone follows you and when you go to check their blog – it’s completely empty. It’s just s ‘title’ with no information. I find that quite odd as I don’t understand the purpose of it.

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    1. They seem to start a blog and leave it blank. Then they follow lots of blogs, and hope to be followed back. I have had a dozen or more of those since Christmas. I conclude that it is some kind of money-generating venture, perhaps an elaborate scam, or generated by all those ‘SEO experts’ that inhabit the blogs. Best ignored, I believe.

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  12. Some good advice there, thank you. One of the reasons I’ve started blogging is as a new way of meeting people that I wouldn’t normally come across in day to day life. Also known as being nosy about other folk and I’m just starting to get the hang of commenting and replies. It’s all quite exciting to be honest with you.

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    1. Checking out your blog, I note that you have both a wife, and a (presumably live-in) girlfriend!
      Well, that’s a blogging first for me, so you have a head start there, Jack.
      I have a feeling that the blogging world is awaiting your stories with excitement and anticipation.
      Thanks very much for your comment.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Thanks, Pete. I’ve actually just finished writing up a post about my girls as I was aware it was something that probably needed a little more explanation. I’m aware it’s an unusual situation!

        And there I thought it was just my big ego telling me the blogging world was eager to hear about us haha.

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  13. I tend to agree about the etiquette of life being translated into the etiquette of blogging…this is afterall the blogoshpere not Facebook, twitter, etc or any of the other platforms which encourage split second impulsive responses or non-responses (or friend/unfriend) to just as impulsive and usually not very well thought out ‘postings’.

    Blogging is my net presence of choice and I’m glad there are other platforms for others to choose from as they wish…however, even so, it is one more slice of life to ‘manage’!!! And in light of that, my management skills are subject to inconsistencies!!!!

    BTW: what DOES happen when a blogger passes away – does their blog stay up on-line forever?

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    1. As I always say, Laura, ‘Blogging is not Facebook’, and your comment echoes that.

      I asked WordPress about what happens when you;
      1) Run out of space allowance.
      2) Just stop blogging.
      3) Die.
      Their reply was that unless they receive a notification to close the blog, or to make it ‘private’, then it remains in cyberspace for ever. At least for as long as WordPress exists, or their server capacity can accommodate it, anyway.
      Worth noting that the same applies to ‘Premium’, or other paid-for sites on this platform. If you cannot afford to keep paying, or just disappear mysteriously, then the content you have already published remains ‘live’ for all to see.

      Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. All sound advice Pete, I’m wary of new followers who are really just trying to get more followers for themselves. I’m a point now where I don’t add too many new ones because I want to genuinely read their stuff and good or bad I found there’s never enough time. A few people I’ve lost because they’ve stopped posting and I am sad about that. I figure they didn’t make an announcement because they always planned to get back to it. I know I’ve done that once or twice where a month or two of not blogging got away from me. It is a tricky business this blogging but thanks for the advice in your post.

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    1. You have mentioned your absences though, Lloyd. I agree that some people just have a break intending to go back to blogging, then they just don’t bother. It would be nice to know what happened to them though. If I care enough about someone’s writing to follow their blog, I also develop an interest in that person too. Maybe that’s just too weird, I don’t know.

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      1. No I don’t think it’s too weird at all, it’s akin to being pen pals in some respects. I was away from October to December and I didn’t announce it because I didn’t plan it although I guess I responded to comments in between when concern was raised.

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  15. At the minute Ive bee busy, but I always make it a priority to check out as many blogs that I follow as I can. I think that they’ve bothered to read my work, it’s only right that I do the same.

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  16. Just thought I’d pop in to say, in case you were not aware, Jamiroquay are releasing a new album next week, and JK is just about to be interviewed on Radio 2 Graham Norton show. I will listen avidly as I’m sure he will mention being inspired by the response to your blog post! 🙂

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  17. Yes, I’ve noticed some blogs tend to fade out without a word… If I liked them, I keep wondering what happened to them. It would be nice to know. Sadly, I’ve already had three people I was following die – their family posted a short statement later. And yes, regular housekeeping is necessary- I don’t do it often enough. It’s a bore that there is no ‘search’ feature in the ‘manage the blogs you are following’ in WP. Or alphabetical order- one has to scroll through the lot each time.

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    1. You can arrange followed sites in alphabetical order, Marina.
      Go to Reader>Followed Sites>Manage
      On the second line, top right, you will see a box that says ‘By Date’. Click on this and change it to ‘By Name’, and it will rearrange your sites immediately.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  18. That’s a lot of blogs to follow, never a dull or empty reader for you when you log on then. I often get comments from non existent blogs which I find odd, maybe some people stay around and just chat….that reminds me I should post again soon.

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    1. I have a lot of email and Twitter followers who do not have blogs. They just like to look at other people’s ones. I rarely use the Reader. I have email notifications sent so I can keep up with posts during the day, and not have to face too big a list each morning.
      No pressure on posting, but it goes without saying that I am eager to read your latest composting toilet update.
      Cheers mate, Pete.

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  21. Great points Pete…even when I am busy at work, I always at least re-blog something I liked from before, or share something…trying to offer up something every day – and also always trying to “like” and comment on what everyone else is sharing…trying to stay social with the community!

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  22. I do the same, check if the people I followed are still posting and unfollow if they are not, 3 months is my cut off point. 86 blogs though! That’s a lot of following and commenting etc for you to do, you are very diligent!

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    1. Three months is good housekeeping. I generally wait a full year! It takes me around ninety minutes to keep up with my followed blogs. With some exceptions. they tend not to post too much!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Haha I bet Ed and me are not in the exceptions 😂I love it when you get a daily comment with someone, you get a feel for who the person is even though it’s all just virtual bosh and people can just disappear without a word. The blogosphere to me seems like a creative village, with people coming and going, staying or not, but making the most of today’s tech to find community that has disappeared in the modern world. Blimey that’ll be the wine 😊

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        1. ‘In Vino Veritas’, as they said in Ancient Rome, FR. Nothing wrong with that.

          I know what you are saying, but I don’t really see it as ‘virtual bosh’ myself. I have actually made real friends from blogging. Some I have met, and others that I will meet one day. Many that I will never meet, but continue to correspond with outside of blogging, on a regular basis. I have had great support during some down times, and real encouragement with my writing too.

          As you rightly say, the sense of community is hard to find in real life these days. Even living in a small village, I hardly know anybody, and few that really count as anything like a friend. That has been replaced by blogging to a large extent, and I see that as a good thing. It also allows me to be friends with people across the world, something that was unlikely to happen outside of this platform. I have received invitations to stay with people in the US, and to visit others in SE Asia. In the old days of ‘pen pals’, that would have involved a lot of letters!

          Best wishes as always, Pete.

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      1. I have been catching up for a few minutes and your posts caught my eye. I’m afraid I’m one of these people with bad manners you are talking about but some times life just sucks and bowls one over without any warning. When things are headed downhill fast and there are no brakes on your vehicle, all you can do is hang on and hope there will be some way to gather up the pieces when it crashes. I hope I’ll find you somewhere in those pieces when I am able to start putting things back together.

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        1. Sorry to hear about your troubles, Sandy. I am aware that blogging has to take a back seat when life turns upside down. I was really talking about long-term regular bloggers who go from being an active part of a community, then just decide to stop.
          Nothing personal, I assure you.
          I send my best wishes, and hope that things get better for you soon. Pete.

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          1. Thank you, It is hard to lose someone who has been a part of the community for a long time. I have been off and on here and am not fully aware of some of the regulars. A lot of ups and downs for me for a long time so reading is sometimes all I get done. Things always get better…and it will again. Thanks for your kind words.

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