Our Blog Followers
Several comments about blogger's word verification included comments regarding our followers and whether or not the number of followers really means anything.
The number of followers/members can be a psychological belief that that many people are actually following our blog and it can make us happy to "think" that many people read our blog. It can work psychologically in another direction as well. When we go to someone's blog that has hundreds and thousands of followers, and that can make us think that we must be missing out on something really big at this blog.
It's only a number, but it seems to be a number we all want to attain on our blogs whether it be a true following or not.
It's only a number, but it seems to be a number we all want to attain on our blogs whether it be a true following or not.
Personally I have about maybe 20 - 30 actual followers. That would be my guess. Of my 280some followers, 260 of them joined my site in order to have a chance to win a prize on another blog, Sew We Quilt. They were extremely nice prizes. I would also have to credit 15 - 25 of you actually following me found me by way of Sew We Quilt. Because I only had 3 flickr friends when I started blogging.
I have an attraction to collage. And all those little squares of followers up there make up a really fun collage. But I do not in any way kid myself by thinking that many people are reading my blog. They just wanted to win a prize. A handful even returned after the contest and removed themselves from my following.
I guess I would rather have a collage of true followers up there, but I haven't figured out how to delete the prize chasers or even if that is possible. In any case, I enjoy the collage, and I know that my new followers and my very first few followers are my "real" followers. After my guest appearance and the prizes were distributed, I began to watch you join my blog as a follower (It must be because you want to follow) and I always go and check out your blog in return (if you have one).
It's your blogs there to the right that I love to check in on most because you're checking in on me too. Some of you don't have a blog...yet. But I keep checking so I know when you do start blogging! I so appreciate all my true followers and thank you for all your generous and kind comments.
So, does the number of followers mean anything to you?
! * & " + ! * & " +
Happy blogging!
Annie
It's your blogs there to the right that I love to check in on most because you're checking in on me too. Some of you don't have a blog...yet. But I keep checking so I know when you do start blogging! I so appreciate all my true followers and thank you for all your generous and kind comments.
So, does the number of followers mean anything to you?
Now here's a fun one too...our
List of Blogs
that we follow.
Everybody wants to be at the top of everyone else's blog list. So, very soon now we no longer will need to know our alphabetical order...we'll need to know the order of importance for punctuation marks.
! * & " + ! * & " +
Who's winning on your blog?
Happy blogging!
Annie
39 comments:
I agree with your blog philosophy. I have a tiny blog that I occasionally post projects I have completed. It is mostly just for me, but if someone else enjoys it, all the better.
Well I am mused by your musings lol
Hi Annie
These are true words ...
But really the importance of this trailer?
It's a nice invention from Google, etc., a game of small images ...
My blog is my personal journal, and what I want to show the public ..
No one knows what tomorrow.
About this collage brings me my way back to you.
Right now I'm curious to know more beautiful needlework to see from you ...:-)
♥ڿڰۣ♥ಌڿڰۣ«ಌ♥ڿڰۣ«ಌ♥ڿڰۣ«ಌ♥
Happy stitching
♥☼♥Barbara♥☼♥
Amen
Ditto on your thoughts. Followers are nice, but true kindred spirits are best.
LOL, well, I am a follower. I think I found you through the Madame Samm Extravaganza. Maybe not. Really not sure.I actually thought I saw a "She has a button Announcement" somewhere and thought, "Who is SHE?" lol. At any rate. I use Wordpress (which I privately call WordPain)So, the person at the top is the last one I (manually)edited and since you have had a peek at my lack of blog editing skills that should make you laugh.
Well, I did find you from Sew We Quilt, but I stuck around because I enjoy reading your posts and seeing what you are creating. I appreciate you sharing a bit of yourself with us (me). Thanks!
I follow this blog, and quite a few others, but I am not a "follower". By this I mean I read it whenever I possibly can, but am not signed up as a follower. For me, this a better way as I don't do a lot of computer work, am not a blogger, and don't feel behind when I'm unable to come for a bit. It would be just one more thing to keep track of. I am aware of my responsibility to participate or give back so I do try to comment regularly.
Just to let you know I am one who reads and follows your blog. Not sure where I got your link, probably piggie backed off of someone elses. But I stay because you are interesting and I learn something from you. By looking at who commented above me we obviously run in similar circles. Isnt it funny how people who havent met have circles of friends in cyber space. He he! If we ever met face to face I would probably be looking for your hat and you would wonder why I dont look like a duck or a purple flower or sunbonnet sue(depending on what icon pop up when I post this comment) LOL!
I was nodding my head in agreement as I read this, Annie. Isn't it crazy how if you post about any sort of prize, people show up like ants at a picnic? lol It's the "real" followers that don't make me feel as if I'm only as good as my next blog post. Sometimes it all feels so competitive - that blogging is a huge popularity contest or something.
I love reading your blog and only became a follower after I checked out a lot of your previous posts and knew you would be a fun place to visit. I used to have a private blog with lots of followers and I found that they kept me motivated to keep posting.
I had six followers before I held a giveaway - now it's over 100. I still get very few comments though, and the ones that get comments seem to surprise me (I wrote a post about guild guilt that got three, posting with photos of several new projects got none). I read all the blogs I follow each weekday morning in Google Reader, and I click over to comment on very few of them. I didn't leave a comment on your word verification post because another quilt blogger mentioned the same thing recently and I commented there - I've been using blogger for almost nine years (quilt blogging for less than one) and I've been hit by spambots hard, so I was happy when they introduced the word verification methods to keep them off.
Anyway, I find that I follow blogs pretty equally for giveaways (and I enter selectively few giveaways) and tutorials, but over time I go through and clean up if I'm consistently not liking what I'm seeing from that blogger, either my taste in their quilting or they get consistently off-topic.
But yes, sometimes that list of followers can be misleading. It's like standing on stage talking in a microphone and getting no reaction from the crowd although you think you see them all sitting there.
I admit, I probably found your blog when I signed up for a prize with the great Sew We Quilt campaign, but I continue to follow. I don't always comment on many of the hundreds of blogs I "follow", but I do usually read them/summary of them - allbeit sometimes I'm a little late - through Google Reader and now bloglovin' too. I enjoy your musings
I don't have a blog and don't comment on blogs very often. But I love your work. "Following" can be accomplished in many ways.
I don't have a blog but try and leave comments where appropriate/time permits!
It's quality not quantity that counts!
Annie, I don't remember how I found you either, but I am definately a regular follower. I don't comment much, but wanted you to know that. Personally, I love having people that follow because they want to and what I do speaks to them, just as there are some that speak to me. I go to some for inspiration or tutorials, some for anything they post because I like them as a person, and some for giveaways. You are my most recent follower and I am glad.
I'm pretty sure I found your blog through your flickr pics. I never host giveaways because my blog isn't that type of blog . . . but having said that, I don't have that type of blog because it just seems like "those" blogs are under a lot of pressure to ALWAYS be giving stuff away, to impress readers, or to at least offer a continual lure to keep them coming back.
But the blogs I follow -- well, I follow them for content. I like reading ideas and information that others present, especially when it's well-written. I love your postcards and that is reason enough to check in and see what you've got going here, but I also like reading what you write.
i agree with you I don't think most of us start blogging to get followers but then one person follows you and you start to get caught up in it. Its nice to think that someone out there cares about what you have to say. I read every blog i follow every morning and try to comment on everyone too...but then its 1pm and i am still in my jammies and nothing gets done...lol
This is an awesome post. I have to agree with you, completely. I actually removed the word verification from my log this week because someone emailed me that that is why they didn't leave comments, so I switched to comment moderation. I'm so annoyed by the spam comments, and don't have time to go in and moderate, that I'm switching back and I don't care if I only get a small handful of comments on each post. I know who is reading, and I know who I enjoy reading. 'Nuff said.
I think I was one of the original 3!! In fact, I know that for sure! I'm here because I want to be....AND, I love you! You make me laugh! And.....believe me, I need to laugh! Not much else is too funny!
Oh dear Annie ... Something else to learn? And punctuation? I think my brains full! Blessings, Marlene
Hi Annie, so true so true. I enjoy your musings & your projects.
Well, I follow you cause I like your style. I never sign up for a blog just for prizes. In fact, unless it is something I really do want or plan to buy later, I find anymore that I just don't have the time to jump through all of the hoops for some prizes. Sure, giveaways are fun & I enter some of them-even occasionally win-but by no means do I enter every one out there. Now if someone wants to give away a fat quarter bundle of Brrr, I'm right on it, I'd rather win it than buy it, but if I don't win, I'll buy. You had some very valid points though and I personally think it is tacky to follow a blog just for a prize-then stop following if you don't win.
I so agree with you...it has a psychological effect on us. I rather have good comments and encouragement than numbers but I won't say that I don't notice my follower 'number'. I have never actually set up a blog roll on my page but rather read blogs I follow from my dashboard.
I am one of your followers coming from Sew We Quilt and I do read and enjoy your blog. ♡
Annie I did start to follow you from Sew We Quilt but I stayed with you because I loved your blog and I read you every time you blog. So keep on blogging. Blessings sandra
Hi Annie,
I don't actually know what it DOES to click on a blog to follow it. So I don't follow many blogs, but I read many blogs. If I run across a blog I like, I add it to google reader. Then every day I scroll through all of the new blog posts. So even though I don't register on your blog page, I do read all of your new posts and I enjoy your blog
I probably did find your blog through Sew We Quilt but I continue to follow you because I like to read what you have to say. That is the way I feel about all the blogs I follow. There are so many out there with a lot of good info, hints and helpful tips, and tutorials that it isn't worth my time to follow ones that don't offer me ideas and inspiration.
You are so right! I have a very small blog following, and it doesn't really matter to me! I don't do tutorials and I'm not sponsored by any fabric shops, so the only real followers I have are a small but precious few.
I am a real follower, but only have a member blog on TQS www.thequiltshow.com. I try to check updates to your blog daily. I enjoy the pots as much as the pins.
I did come over from Sew We Quilt and began to follow. I only have time to read blogs in the evenings and sometimes I can't get to all of them. I consider myself a "real follower" though. I try to comment on items that I find cool and/or your comments of things.
I have an occasional blog - http://sewn-seabees-crafty-and-vintage-musin.blogspot.com/ - with less than 15 followers, but it is fun. I try to post what I love that I have been working on - one day I hope to do more :)
Keep up the fun and I will try to keep up with you
Hugs
I believe I popped over the first time because I saw you on Sew We Quilt, but I stuck around because I like your style! :) You use humor (as I do) and you have good content...projects, musings, things that make me think. Yours is one of the blogs that pops up in my inbox, and I'm always happy to see it, and scramble over here to visit!
Oh, Sweet Annie - this is such a good conversation and I am so glad you pursued it. When we "spoke" you gave me insight, and I think I need to stop feeling "responsible" for the number of followers. The true followers have me on their blog roll or email notification and vice versa. They are the friends I visit with every day. I personally have found the best blogs to follow by looking at others "blog roll" on their side bar. Like minded with same interests. Thanks Annie - loved this. JudyCnNC
Hi Annie,
Can't remember how I found you (most likely Flickr), but have subscribed to your blog so that I won't miss anything new.
I almost never enter contests and don't have a blog myself, but love reading and being inspired by others. So many clever and creative people out there!
Please know that you are appreciated and admired -- especially by your silent readers...
Peg
I am still a follower and enjoy reading your blog. Don't have one of my own. I really like the four leaf clover quilt you posted. I could hardly see the rockets and think that the black and white gives the quilt more interest. I like it a lot. I have the little twister but haven't tried it yet, otherwise I would try a four leaf clover quilt too. one of these days.
Oh so wise you are! I will keep this in mind when I begin to get competitive anxiety about quantity of followers. I think I was a SWQ addition, but I love seeing your creative ventures very much!
Hi, Annie: I love your comments. I only follow blogs where I have enjoyed the writing style or see things I love, even if I found the blog through a giveaway offer. I don't always have time to look at all the blogs I follow, and sometimes even less time to comment, but please keep up the great work!
I think I re-found your blog through a giveaway or else one of those long chain link to link to link days where you never can remember where you've been. I do recall that when I opened your site it felt like I was visiting an old friend, and I clicked the follow button so I didn't lose your page again.
I really appreciate your insights on many things bloggy and I will definitely hold on to the thought of creating a quality community rather than a quantity crowd. Thanks.
This is such a thought-provoking message. We all have our own reasons for writing and reading, and the bonus is that we can learn so much and share so much. I have always loved to write, and it was a big art of my career. So writing a blog just fits for me,even if I may be the only one to read it. Your opening picture is a wonderful reflection of a community of quilters. Perhaps life is not quite as simple anymore, but the love and passion for quilting really does have its place. Thanks for opening up the discussion.
I don't think those numbers mean anything at all....large or small...it is the special people we get to have as friends that makes blogging worth the time and energy...in my opinion.
The punctuation thing...the first time I noticed it....honestly...I felt sad that people would even want to do that.
I love the people I've met through blogging and every time I make another friend I count myself very lucky and blessed. I've so enjoyed this walk through so many of your blog posts tonight...it has been cheerful and fun.
Kelly
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