this is me now

2.04.2010

blogging do's and dont's

I read blogs---lots & lots of blogs----I read my friends---my family's---I read MINE!---and then i read yours---and then your friends---and then your friends' friends---and then....I'm reading a blog of someone i dont know's friend who i REALLY dont know----more than that i am investing my time into their life----and if it was interesting i come back---stalk stalk stalk---bookmark bookmark bookmark....read read read......

so here are the things i do/dont like about blogs----if you see yourself---then i apologize (but it probably WAS directed at you---if you dont see yourself---then you should apologize---because you arent being honest!

1.i dont like music on blogs----it interferes with the voices and music already going on inside my head---and so i have to mute you to be able to concentrate---which means that when i want to watch one of my cute grandsons' videos i have to UNmute---and that requires way to much effort...there is one blog that has music that i like---robin petty's---hmmm---should i use real names? okay---so i like RP's music----its very melancholy and i like that.

2. i dont like private blogs---i UNDERSTAND private blogs---but dont advertise private blogs on your blog list---because i cant see that blog---and i want to----so it prevents me from trolling....thats not right. I am tempted to put in peoples names or cute initials standing for someone's name of blogs who do this---but i wont---because i nice.

3. i like recipe blogs....i like knowing what you made for dinner and how to make it....and how did it turn out? who spit it out? who liked it? how would you have made it different? you inspire me to cook better for my family---or to think about cooking better while tossing Stouffer's lasagna (family joke) into the oven. but dont tell me about what you cooked and NOT INCLUDE THE RECIPE...wait...rats...i do that....oh well...ask me for it in the comments.
3 1/2. if you ate out at a restaurant...tell me what you ordered...take a picture of it (thanks mv---THATS YOU MARCIA!)...oh...errrrrr....rats...anyway....we like to eat out at restaurants...but not to get surprised by yuck....AND, while i'm at it....if you go somewhere weird...nevermind...i'm an olive garden-red lobster-red robin kinda eater (thats for you KATIE OF INGLESIDE!)....dagnabit...get it right merf....sigh.

4.i like pictures...doesnt matter if they are downloaded or off your camera or off your phone....entertain me...but dont judge me if i dont include a picture---i dont have that kind of time....and i dont always remember to download or upload from my phone or my flip...and dont judge me if i put up the same picture you saw on facebook and on my kids' blogs....if its good it should be seen. (insert random picture of northeast mall in hurst, tx here---thats for you olivia!) AND IF its a cute picture of your child crying or tantruming----I TOTALLY WANT TO SEE IT...those are my favorite pictures---thats for you Liz (2nd generation from lyric)..your daughter crying is a doll!

5. PLEASE COMMENT...let me know you were here...yes---this is a blatant cry for attention....thats okay--- now---i wont comment on yours---because it makes me look like a stalker---especially if you are two or more generations (link-step-things) away from someone i know relatively well---because thats just creepy. and i try not to creep. and i always assume you dont know who i am. but you should want to. but thats prideful. and i try not to pride.

6.content is not as important as style---hmmm---there must be a better way to say that---but---its like a documentary----it doesnt matter what you are writing about if you write about it cleverly then i want to read it.

7. use good grammar....obviously i dont mind if you dont capitalize...and use way too many "..." or "---"....but PLEASE---know the difference between than and then, know and now and, my personal favorite, your and youre! this comes from the proud child of teachers and grammatically-strict parents.

8. blog...JASMINE. your cute son has a following...we need more baby ben hall videos.

9. giveaways are fun...but only if i win. the world loves a winner. THANKS OLIVIA!

10. it doesnt count as a post if you write "I dont have time to blog---but i havent died---I'll get around to it"....that doesnt count...thats just teasing...and thats not nice.

11. and on facebook---since there is nowhere to post something like this without appearing petty and i dont want to be cryptic---altho if this makes me appear petty it may get crypticized:

nevermind.....no way to say it without saying it the way I want to and i'm not ready to do that---so you'll have to wait.

12. and TOBECONTINUEDs totally make me come back to your blog! i love countdowns---if you tell me you are pregnant in one post---guaranteed i'm coming back in a few months to see pics of the baby....or to hear how miserable you are at 8 months pregnant....and, while we are on the topic...include belly pictures---from beginning to end....truly---they dont have to be BARE belly pics---but growing belly pics are fun.

17 comments:

Olivia Carter said...

Fun blog! LOVED THIS! A couple comments

1) I hate music on blogs too. I mute it ALWAYS.

2) I don't like private blogs either. I never get to reading them if they aren't on googlereader.

3) I like recipes too. I need to do more so I remember recipes I've made too.

4) I like pictures too. I desperately want you to put up more pics. I can't blog something if I don't have a pic of it. Can. Not.

5) I love comments too. And I don't think its stalker=ish for strangers to comment. I LOVE IT. I have A LOT of people that comment on my blog that I don't know, don't know how they got to my blog, and don't care. You should comment on those blogs too. Do you think if a stranger comments on your blog their stalkers? Naw, you're just glad they commented.

6) I agree with this totally.

7) I know I misspell stuff all the time. Mostly because I blog with children crawling on me and in between crazy stuff we are doing. And I almost never notice when people have bad grammar. But I'm crazy.

8) Amen Jasmine

9) Woot, woot!

10) Amen again.

11) I have no idea what that means but I do know that I understand why you have to be criptic but it drives my brain crazy trying to figure out what you could be talking about.

12) Humm... maybe I need to use this "To be continued" thing more.

And this was an epic comment. It's gotta count for not commenting on the 3 part crockpot post, right?

Unknown said...

you paid it forward like 12 posts! thanks olivia!

Ashley said...

#6 - this is something I struggle with. Sometimes I go days without blogging because I don't have enough energy to do something creative or clever. I think everyone is always trying to be so witty that sometimes it gets a little old. Sometimes I just want to hear the facts about your life, it doesn't always have to be well-written and clever. I guess I don't care if other people do it, I just don't want people to expect it out of me. I don't want to have to be entertaining - I just wanna write what I wanna write. :)

Oh, and I've been bad about commenting lately because I'm almost always holding a baby. So I start commenting as I read the blogs and yours is one of the last ones that I read and sometimes by then I'm tired of typing one-handed :) So I always mean to come back later and comment, but sometimes I forget.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

miss ashley----i understand that YOU might not find your day-to-day humdrum comings & goings very entertaining or clever---but the rest of us do! and picturing you sitting at the computer with babe in arms---yeah---i get it.

Mother of the Wild Boys said...

Aaw, don't be such a private blog hater! By the way, I have no way of knowing if you ever visit my private blog (which I had sent an invite for long ago) since you never comment. I do have a public blog that links directly to my private blog, so you don't even have to remember to check the private one. It's mother of the wild boys dot blogspot dot com. Become a follower and it will tell you everytime I update my blog. And for goodness sakes, comment sometime!! :)

Caroline said...

Just letting you know I was here... Don't want to bring the wrath of the blogdess Merf down on me!

PS - I'm sorry, I have a private blog linked on my blog list.

PPS - I'm sorry about the music at Christmas time. I normally don't do it, and I normally can't stand other's playlists, but I like doing the Christmas tunes.

Scott said...

Total, complete agreement on #1. Always hated that, glad you mentioned it!

Princess Mommy said...

1. I concur and I LOVE bursting into the same song with you! Also, I love it when we both have a different song revolving around the same word!

2. Silly people wanting privacy. Thats no fun.

3. Me too! MEREDITH! You should include your amazing traditional Jeppson recipes!

4. I will try to do better. :(

5. I will try to do better. :(

6. I only do things in the best of style. I learned it from the best.

7. OH MY GOSH!!! That KILLS me when there isnt good grammar! I cant read it!

8. Dont judge me!...I will try to do better. :(

9. YOU WIN! Free room, board, and grandson anytime you visit Beaumont, TX! :)

10. But...I dont have time to blog...Ill get around to it...I havent died...

11. Oooo! Tell me! Tell me!

12. COUNTDOWN! 3/Too Long/4/Too Long

Natalie said...

I totally agree with the music...drives me crazy. I hate it. And...I hate private blogs too. Also, because I can't stalk them.

Katie said...

Ahhhh! I don't check your blog for a day and I miss out on all this?! Well, I will add my comments a little late:

First off, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to be mentioned in other people's blog posts. So thank you for that :o)

1. Hate the music too. I mute it right away.

4. Love pictures too. Like Olivia, I cannot blog about it if I did not take a picture. Mostly, I think having a picture of it is the catalyst for writing about it.

5. Love the comments too. My mother-in-law reads my blog every day but utterly refuses to comment. To me, that is like drinking the milk without buying the cow, or something like that.

6. Yes. Don't just tell me - tell me with style please, and I will love love love you.

7. "your" and "you're" mix-ups are the most grating grammatical errors to me.

11. I am so intrigued!

Michelle said...

Ouch! I guess I'm guilty on A LOT of those counts...I won't apologize. My blog is what it is. I will tell you, though that if you click on my friend Alisha's blog link (I'm pretty sure it's not private), you will find some fantastic food--MOST with recipes.

Michelle said...

Please note that it's ALISHA, not ALICIA's blog who I sent you to.

Christie said...

1ht like Ashley
definitely agree about music, especially when it wakes the reason I'm 1ht

Michelle said...

So I was wrong...Alisha's blog is private. Sorry!

Unknown said...

i know michelle! i tried to see it! lol

natalie said...

Totally agree on most points--though am guilty of having private blog links on my blog (even though mine's not private--it's the only place I can put them to have easy access when i want to visit them (which isn't too often since updates don't show up on some. . .and it's the updates that cause me to click on one of my blog links. . .