I love to read blog critiques and then reflect on my own blog to try to improve. There is a now defunct blog called 10 Things I Hate About Your Site that offered critiques to bloggers who signed up. I discovered the site too late and never got that harsh criticism I was looking forward to in some sado-masochistic way.
I do think that we, as bloggers, often shy away from any sort of criticism of other bloggers in this blogging bubble we live in - especially the "big" bloggers. My blog friend, Janet, and I were discussing that oftentimes readers will complement ANYTHING bloggers post- "they could smear cat poo on a canvas...frame it and hang it in the dining room and everyone would be in awe of their creativity." Have you ever found yourself doing that? I think I'm guilty.
Well, I think a healthy dose of criticism is good for the soul and since I couldn't get a critique from that blog I mentioned, maybe I should ask for it here!
I'll list my top 10 blog peeves and then you can critique my blog and then list some peeves of your own. What do you think?
1. Your avatar doesn't link to your blog. If you don't have your blog linked in your profile, I can't click over there to see who belongs to that lovely face I see over there in my "followers" box.
2. You don't have an email registered with Google. I can't respond to your questions, or make a little joke, or ask you a question after you comment!
3. Word verification, word verification, word verification...I cannot tell you how many times I just click off a page with word verification because I don't have time to mess around with it when I want to leave a quick comment. Blogger has tightened up their spam criteria and almost 100% of SPAM is filtered into your spam folder now. Try it! PLEASE try it!
4. The long list of blogs in your profile and half of them are defunct or private. When I'm faced with several blogs in a profile and I click on the first one that is private or not in use I get so frustrated! Did you know you can set your private and test blogs so they are invisible?
5. Auto-play music. I admit I jumped on this bandwagon when I first started my blog - thank goodness I came to my senses! Most people don't like the same type of music, or they are already listening to music, or sitting in an cubicle secretly reading blogs instead of working ... your music just ratted them out!
7. Your posts are written in one large paragraph. Break it up with space between ideas, many paragraphs are sooooo much easier to read!
8. You don't include photos. I'm not going to lie, I need a little fluff to entertain my brain. I like to see what you are talking about, even if it's a clip art photo of a concept. Show me pictures, it makes me happy!
Oh, BTW, check out how hilarious my son looked when he fell asleep during the long drive home from New Jersey:
See? Do it like that!
9. You only talk about your Etsy/Artfire/Whatever business. Dude, branch out. It's kind of boring and a little indulgent. It's not interesting to read about the same thing every day. Gain readers by keeping the topics varied, regular, and interesting, then those folks will see your "goods" when they visit you.
10. A cluttered sidebar. When I see random buttons from every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the sidebar all willy nilly it just looks messy and crammed. It makes me feel stressed, like I need to come over and clean. And I hate to clean.
It's Feedback Friday...
.
**UPDATE**
Okay, so far, here are the things I've changed based on your feedback:
1. I changed by feed back to full feed.
2. I added the buttons to allow you to Tweet or Facebook posts
Too chicken to sign up for that. Ditto on your hates. I've gotta check if #1 and #2 apply to me. The music autplay un-nerves me each and every time. Adding to the list: I hate it when linky parties make you back link in each and every post. Who wants to have 10-15 backlinks at the bottom of every post? Not me.
ReplyDeleteHello Jenn,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a brave soul...let's see if we have any gutsy ladies and gents out there!
OK...one of my biggest pet peeves is not one you are guilty of..
1. too much advertising! Some blogs out there have so much sponsorship and corporate adds, that I can't tell where the body of the blog begins...big turn off for me.
2. I hate when bloggers don't tell you their name...why the secret? You are writing a blog for the world to read, how private can that be??? I like knowing your first name and what state or country you live in.
3. In a bloggers 'ABOUT' page, the over use of the word 'AMAZING' when talking about your husband. I have been happily married for 36 years and let me tell you...they are not always amazing ;-> Keep it real gals!
4. Blogs that get sooooo big that they never take the time to comment or visit...even interact with their followers. When it gets that big, it's not a blog anymore...it's a business website (in my humble opinion).
5. No photos and too much repeated sad personal info...if you are that sad, you might need to speak with a professional.
6. Blatant idol worship...come on ladies...we all sit when we pee and 6,000 followers does not make a goddess.
7. Ok...I'll end with a really controversial peeve...
Please when you list things you love, don't put Jesus in the same sentence with Starbucks and the color pink!!!!! If you must, I would hope that Jesus won the top slot by a landslide vote.
Whew...this was so much fun!!!!
Thanks Jenn
Janet xox
http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/
Ps...many thanks to you Jenn for pointing out my mistakes when I started blogging...my blog is better for it.
How do you turn off word verification? Wait. How do you know if you *have word verification? lol!
ReplyDeleteWell, I love your blog, and I really don't have a critique for it, but the ones you mentioned above are some very real pet peeves for me. I like to read my blogs in reader for that reason. Oh, wait! I don't like when I try to read a blog in reader and I can only read the first 2 sentences! We have our Tv hooked up to our computer and if the kids are watching a show, or the husband and I click out of reader to a new window it opens up *over the show, which always pleases the family. Also I have some 200 blogs that I read and I don't have *time to click on every single blog, and more importantly, i don't want to. Between cleaning, cooking, crafting, bible-study, working out, and everything else that comes with life I just don't have the time to devote a lot of time to each blog, unless they are my favorites (Hope Studios, The Rusted Chain, Saucy's Sprinkles, (in)courage etc...)
Hmm, you listed most of my big no-no's already.
ReplyDeleteSo the only ones I have to add aren't that big of a deal. I don't like the 'under the banner ads', like you have, but I get why that is the best place to have them. So I can deal with it.
I can't deal when people put there followers gadget there, ah way too much in my face.
I personally dislike banners that are too big, if I can't see the title of the post I might just move along.
Oh and one that you sadly have and that I really dislike is partial feeds. I have unsubscribed for that reason alone.
I have given a really indepth blog critique in the past, but only if someone really wanted too. If you'd like I would do it for you but only if you really really want it too. (and I don't think I'd have that much to say about you anyway).
Love this post!
Personally, not a fan of Disqus.
ReplyDeleteAnd people . . . spell check. For the love of all that is good and holy, s-p-e-l-l c-h-e-c-k. Please! (And that could just be the former teacher in me.)
Thanks for the forum.:)
For those of you who don't know if you have word verification:
ReplyDeleteClick "Design" at the top of page
Click "Settings" tab
Click "Comments" tab
Scroll down to see how you can modify your own settings. The word verification is a yes/no click.
Songbird, I totally get it! Thanks for your honesty!
ReplyDeleteI really hate that banner ad too :( I'm making some good money on it and so I'm torn...
I might consider switching back from my partial feed. The reason I have my blog set that way is that last year I got hacked by another blogger who was taking my content and pasting it into their own blog that had ads for porn and other disgusting things.
I found pictures of my kids on there and freaked! I was advised to switch to partial feed by google help - they said that is how they had it linked up to copy over to their blog.
Okay, I'm going to go in an switch back! Yikes!
i HATE when people comment on my posts and their comments have NOTHING to do with what i've done. If i just re-designed a room or baked a cake and i want to know opinions/suggestions i don't want a comment that goes a little something like this, "hi! im following you, now you HAVE follow me! and enter my give away!"
ReplyDeleteso impersonal lol, and i can tell you're only following me to get more followers, not because you actually like or are interested in what i'm doing......but maybe that's just me!
and i agree with you etsy/business ads all over the place are annoying...if you're amazing we will notice and find your little etsy button....i mention my business in my about me on a separate tab as to not annoy anyone and even then its more of a, this is what i do in my real life situation
and USED to be guilty of the cluttered sidebar but i hated it and i changed it after months of being lazy :) now i have a separate tab with links to my linky parties
loved this post, sometimes i think i'm the only one with these pet peeves!
I'm constantly trying to whittle down my sidebar! I'm sure I have too much, but I'm a sidebar hoarder, it comes hard to me :)
ReplyDeleteI hate when people tell me to follow back. I get "You're not the boss of me!" syndrome :)
Ditto to all of that and what Janet said, too. hate the music that plays. I'm not a churchy person, tho I have my quiet faith, and i greatly dislike the contempo Christian pop. Yuck. And photos draw me in, for sure, so I tend to read those posts more carefully, and skim the ones that don't have 'em. Also, humor is a big plus - just not the same humor you see on other folk's blogs. I like that Hope Studios is original - keep up the good work! (:
ReplyDeleteneed to print this post before any change on my blog!! :) and will print the comments too!
ReplyDeletei don't have anything to add, but i'm sucking all these info an learn.
a funny note: google ads cut me off! i discovered that my 74 years old mom in italy was clicking all these adds thinking that all these websites were mine! :D
Oh thanks honey. If you get rid of one word verification, you will have done the world a favor.
ReplyDeletei also hate the feeds that don't have photos enabled.
Suggestion to any blogger - subscribe to your own blog in Google Reader or some other reader. That's how I found out I was violating both of the above points.
I agree with you on #2 #3 #4 and especially #5. I also agree about the partial feeds - it wont stop your blog getting ripped off as they can just as easily rip it off by visiting your blog as through Google Reader!
ReplyDeleteI also hate giveaways that expect you to follow and like them on facebook and all that. Why do you want readers that are only interested in freebies and not your blog??
Big blogs with no content annoy me - showing links to other people's creative projects does not make for a blog.
Bible verses and long praises of god turn me off too. Each to their own and if someone is religious, then fine, but it's not on to shove it in people's faces. Yes, I know people can write what they want on their blog, but it is a public blog, the ones I read are all sewing/crochet/crafty blogs and so I think the writers should be careful about that kind of thing.
I love your list! So true! I would add one thing I hate about MY blog is that I am the worst photographer. I am working hard to change that and spend more time on the presentation but sometimes I get so caught up and excited about getting the post out that I settle for sub par pictures.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.holy-craft.blogspot.com
I agree to most (not quite all) of the above ~ Another thing that totally turns me off... Dark backgrounds ~ especially black backgrounds drive me CRAZY. Also, when the post over lap into the side bar ~ annoying ~ there is one blog in particular that I read that has this problem..... maybe I should just tell her, now that's a thought!
ReplyDelete:)
Hey by the way, where did your tabs go?
Well said. My only further input would be don't use all different colors of texts, it drives me batty and for the love of all that is holy use the spell check!!!
ReplyDeleteWoot!! This is my same list too!! I can't wait to check out that site...I'm always trying to mimic my favorite sites and make mine better...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much...I'm sharing on FB and Twitter
Oh the 11th thing I hate is when there isn't a share button so I can easily share the post with my fb and twitter friends:(
ReplyDeleteI think I just fell in love with Janet. She and I have the same pet peeves.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. In fact, you are actually one of the very few blogs that I follow that have over 1,000 followers. You interact with people and that is why we come back for more.
I am trying to make over my blog right now so I quickly looked over your list to see if I was on the nice or naught list!
In fact, if any of you want to run on over and tell me what I am doing wrong it would be appreciated!
ReplyDeleteI know the side margins are wonky but I am not really sure how to fix it!!
Great post! I'm so new at this still so I found it very helpful. Thankfully I don't think my blog has most of that going on.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Janet & Michell. Keep it real for pity sakes. Imperfections can be endearing and a link to share is helpful. Now I have to figure out how to do that.
Feel free to critique me any time you wish. I'm off to read the rest of your blog.
i hate word ver. in fact just tweeted because i just got done visiting too many blogs that had....i agree with everything here! i don't leave juicy comments about things that i don't like....i left a comment on a guys blog yesterday about osama and obama and he prob hates me now...oh well...bloggy world is crazy!
ReplyDeletei hate whenever someone shamelessly self promotes on comments...it's my biggest pet peeve and i will not show them the time of day!
BTW: Gooood PIC:)
I agree with all of these. My biggest pet peeve is the no reply comment blogger. Sheesh. I want to be able to email you. Create a generic one if you don't want people to have your real one.
ReplyDeleteI like about blogs the freedom, freedom to hate, to love, to write, to put photos (OR NOT, like me :D)....
ReplyDeleteSo I'd love to take all you ladies out to lunch. This is such a great post, that's made me think about it all morning. I even blogged about it (I linked back) and am no bracing myself for the harsh wave or reality.
ReplyDeleteThe ones you listed are my main pet peeves when visiting other peoples blogs. Too much advertising is annoying, but I understand why people do it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that drives me CRAZY (like someone else said) is when people leave comments saying they're a new follower and want me to "follow back." I only follow blogs that really impress me and I'm interested in...otherwise it's just more distraction when I'm trying to browse through blogs for ideas.
I always enjoy reading your blog, it's helpful, funny and gives me things to think about. I agree with every one of your peeves, plus some of the others mentioned. This is not a problem on your blog, but some blogs have so much content that it takes the page forever to load. I get impatient and pass.
ReplyDeleteAhhahah!! I am a new blogger and I totally appreciate this! I also cant stand the word verification thingy..wait do I have that? LOL! This was too funny and made me laugh.
ReplyDelete-Linds
Delighted Momma
I literally just laughed out loud! Okay thanks for the heads up on the word verification...disabling that asap!
ReplyDeleteReally great stuff here Jen. I would agree with it all. Biggest pet peeve of mine is word verification or some other hoop to jump through to make a comment. I like it when I am 'remembered' at a blog so I don't have to enter my name, rank and serial number.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of spelling correctly and using grammar wisely, especially as a former English teacher, but spell check is not the answer. It doesn't catch homophones (of which I found my latest post guilty of ... wholes vs. holes!) and I make mistakes, too.
I detest music on sites and have quit following certain ones because of it and black backgrounds with reverse text are awful! I have found blogs with black background and blue text...so that I have to highlight it to read it! Don't people look at their own blogs?
I love to respond to comments - turn on your email! I never get spam from that, I don't know why you wouldn't want comments back. It makes me sad when someone comments time after time with no way to reach back to them. I suppose they think I am stuck up and never respond, but I can't if I don't know who you are!
And please don't beg me to follow you! I follow over 300 blogs daily and add and remove ones all the time, but that plea is really desperate. I absolutely refuse to sign up for some blog just on the off chance that I will win something. I am just not that lucky and I hate being asked to jump through hoops like that. If I have a giveaway on my blog, the most that I will ask for is a comment, not a like, or a follow or an offer of your first-born, just a simple comment (and a way to contact you! Again, turn on your email!
I am a sidebar hoarder as well. I think I should back off of that. And I definitely agree with blogs that are all about the selling. That is just not inspiring to me at all... it would be like having coffee with someone who was always trying to push their latest widget on you. I would stop having coffee with said person! I love your blog, and thanks for this insightful look into what people like and dislike. I think I need to go and gussy up my own.
;-)
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Well..well...looks like we hit a nerve Jenn.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see we are not the only ones who have these pet peeves.
I love all you ladies!!!!!
janet xox
PS...now please go to my blog and follow me (just kidding) ;->
I'd have to say my top blog pet peeve is truncated posts. I hate having to click "read more" then go back to home page to look at anymore posts, then "read more" each time again. Total turn off. Oh and I totally agree with the auto music thing too. I'll admit I did it for a little while in the beginning, but then I came to my senses. ;)
ReplyDeleteI hate it when a long term and popular blogger starts naval gazing and wondering aloud (on their blog) why they blog and what the point of it is, or worse, complain that they don't have enough time to respond to the 9 trillions loved up comments they get. My response? Fine. Go away then. Just go, and don't make a song and dance about it, you probably really just want everyone to beg you not to stop writing and I'm not playing that game.
ReplyDeleteOh Gretel...I forgot about that peeve...YES! I also hate that.
ReplyDeleteCase in point...I happened to stumble onto a blogthe other day and as luck would have it, it was one of those "I love you all, but goodbye" type posts. She went on and on about how her children and family need to come first and she was backing away from her blog to do ...and I quote "the right thing".
She ended her post by giving us all the blog address of her new cooking blog and hoped we would all come "follow" her and spread the word.
WTH!!!!!
I give this stuff to my son who is a stand up comedian...he loves this material ;->
Janet xox
Those are my same pet peeves too.
ReplyDeleteI go back and forth with word verification. I get @25 spam comments a day. While blogger catches almost all of them, I still get the email. I open up an email thinking someone left me a nice comment and end up reading about London escorts or some penial issue. No thanks. I hate the thought that some person makes their money by sending me that junk.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for switching to the full feed!!! It makes me crazy- a lot of times I am reading on my phone and I don't want to click through.
ReplyDeleteThis just made my day!
I agree with almost all of your 10! I definitely hate word verification. I do like music but it disturbs my hubby's TV watching. My biggest pet peeve in the blogging world though is ADVERTISEMENTS! I know some folks make money off their blogs by doing this (and I could sure use some extra money), but I see enough ads on TV and in magazines. I know my blog leaves a lot to be desire because I'm not savvy enough to know how to perk it up more. I really would like to have better photos but I don't know how to improve that either. I enjoyed this post!
ReplyDeleteSince you took the time to find out that i had word verification for me, I took the time to peruse all of the setting crap and figured out how to fix it! Woohoo! :)
ReplyDeleteAmen, sister!! Do you mind if I add this link to my post? I am in desperate need for some of my followers (and people I follow) to get a clue on some of these!! :)
ReplyDeleteI HATE word verification too! I'm like you, I rarely even comment if I have to do word verification. And music, gahhhh I hate music. I immediately X it out. Thanks for posting this! I might be brave enough to post on my blog...
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did share it on my blog's facebook page. :)
Oh man you hit some nails on the head-especially word verification and music playing-BLAH!
ReplyDeleteI think we should critique design and not content-if you don't like a blogger's content, then don't read it!
Another thing I hate is when blogger's have like 3 to 5 ways to follow their blog and they are hogging up the sidebar. Really, can't you just pick one program and go with it?!
#1 Word verification.
ReplyDelete#2 Music.
The rest could be over my head at the moment...
oh man, i think i agree with all of those! i didn't realize my blog had word verification for a bit there and i was getting so annoyed with everyone else's that i went and made sure it was taken off, it's just so annoying! and no pictures..if i wanted to read a novel i wouldn't go online!
ReplyDeleteI kinda hate outfit posts. A few here and there are fine, but if I see a blog where all the author does is take pictures of herself, I roll my eyes and move on. I like to follow blogs where talented people share knowledge and interesting things- not just a massive load of vanity.
ReplyDeleteI could not resist this blog title and am so glad I read it and every comment. Totally made my night.
ReplyDeleteMy peeves are pretty much the same - although someone did just have to point out to me that my email wasn't on my blogger profile. Didn't have a clue. Now gotta make sure I'm not violating #1!
I hate book-length posts (who has time to read all that?) and centered and/or italic text (can't read that either).
Can't stand the demi-god bloggers who NEVER respond or post with "I'm so busy, no time to bless you with my brilliant-ness!" posts.
Feel free to give me a critique anytime!
-Stephanie
These are some of my top pet peeves of blogging! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteMikey @ Shabby French Cottage
www.shabbyfrenchcottage.com
A cluttered sidebar is my biggest flaw. I am always adding to it, then culling it down. I haven't found the perfect balance yet.
ReplyDeleteFor my own blog, I have a love/hate thing with advertising. I don't know if I should bother with it now while my blog is still small and growing.
My biggest peeve for blogs in general is junk giveaways/reviews. I say this as someone has done sponsored reviews in the past, and had giveaways, so I am not immune to the lure of getting free stuff.
Unless it was something truly amazing that my family needed, I am not gonna go down that road.
That said, I do enjoy it when someone mentions (as in one or two sentences, not an entire post) about a new product they are loving and using in their house.
The difference I suppose is feeling like I'm being pitched an ad versus a friend telling me about something that is awesome that I need to try.
Just stopping over from Jam Hands, couldn't resist reading your top 10. I have to agree on just about everything except I kind of like my blog party buttons on my sidebar. I think it adds an element of fun. I do know what you mean though, I've seen many that look all messy and just icky.
ReplyDeleteOut of everything I wish blogger would just get rid of the word verification option altogether, that's more annoying than anything else to me. I don't even think a lot of bloggers know they have it on since it's an automatic when setting up a blog that has to be turned off. Frustrating!
I'm a new follower :-)
great post!!! These things drive me nuts, too. I read suggestions about how to have a blog that looks better, is easy to navigate, etc, and I'm always working to make mine look better. One battle is the sidebar; I really try to keep mine looking as clean as possible.
ReplyDeleteI HATE word verification. I comment on a lot of blogs, so it's annoying !!
I really dislike blogs that are overly commercial, with tons of giveaways and hardly any content. I see enough commercials on TV! ;-) I understand people wanting to make money on their blogs, but sometimes it gets to be toooooo much.
Hi Jennifer :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being brave (bold?) enough to say some of the ten things out loud. ;-)
I stumbled upon your blog due to you hosting a 'theme day' and a project I am currently (or should that be again?) working on. You'll get more info about that later. o:->
I STRONGLY agree with points 3, 4 and 5.
Personally, I'm working on being better about #8.
And then there is #10. The reason that this one bothers me so, could be due to me being an organized person at heart. I word it that way, due to having four sons and a husband who are not - thus my home does not always show full proof of my hearts ways. ;-p
Like others mentioned, buttons galore and mass amounts of advertising frustrate me. The old "K.I.S.S." always comes to mind - "Keep It Simple Stupid" (or for us stupids - either way.)
Two challenges I found while browsing your site -
1- I could NOT find a way to directly contact you via email (this too pertains to what I'm working on with 'theme days').
2 - You have no easy way to return to your 'home' page. Or at least, not that I found. It definitely could be this users error...
For those other commenter's who commented about 'grammar errors'. While I totally get their point, I beg them to not hate those of us who try ever so hard, but sadly disappointed their mother's, who themselves were English majors. o:->
Okay Jen, I am going to be brave and ask you to visit my blog. NO, I don't expect you to want to become a 'follower'. ;-p Nor do I have any 'give-a-way's' going on. Sorry. But I would like for your honest opinion on what you find there. Like I said, my requesting this is a brave step for me. ...
Thanks for at least considering my request,
Awesome! I'm stopping by after seeing your blog mentioned on AGAAGG.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much all your points here. I have to say my biggest one is the partial feeds (which a lot of the blogs I follow have started to go with). I don't understand why!?! I like to be able to scroll down and see everything and not have to click here and there and every where just to read something that looks interesting.
I also hate that noreply bloggers!! I want to respond to people who leave comments, but don't always have time to go to their blogs and check them out and leave a comment there!
AND I dislike blog hop or link parties that have rules like you must follow them and the first and second blogs..blah blah blah...
Perhaps you should start a blog hop where we hop on over to people's blogs constructively criticize them so blogs can be improved upon! :)
Found the link to this post from AGAAGG. Agree with most of your pet peeves (got to admit, some of them went over my head. Feel free to expand on how to fix all these and I will!).
ReplyDeleteTwo thoughts for those reading the comments that might be helpful:
I too hate truncated posts. I too have stopped following blogs because of it. But admittedly there were a few that I totally LOVED and I didn't want to give them up. Then I read somewhere about wizardrss.com it "un-truncates" most posts (it doesn't do all and I'm not computer-smart enough to know why). So if you can't convince a blog you love to go back to full-feeds, pop it into wizardrss.
Also, the no-reply thing. I was reading a blog recently that addressed this. I guess there isn't a way to do this with Wordpress blogs (I don't have one so I don't really know). So BLOGGER bloggers can (and how I love them when they do!), but those using wordpress have no way to connect to them. So maybe the cry should be to enable your email if you are with blogger and if you are using wordpress leave it with the comment!
Thanks for such a great post!
A few things I can't stand in the blogging world are:
ReplyDeleteA. Low quality pics - seriously? You posted a picture of your favorite Victorian style house and it is one by one inch?
B. Outdated countdowns and buttons on the sidebar. Ummmm. You had your baby a year ago, so why is that cute little stork still mid-flight across the bar?
C. Useless and never-ending polls. Should I dye my hair red or green? How many times is healthy to go the supermarket in one week? What kind of pencil is best? Honestly, if you have to poll all your friends and family before making a decision, you should probably be running for office.
D. Open archives. I can't stand it when I see every post you've done since 2005. I quick rundown of the last month would be fine. Or, if you're an avid blogger, maybe just a week's worth of open archives
I also have a beef with word verification. If I am spending more time proving that I'm human than am posting a quick comment, it's not worth my time. I have had a several blogs over the last 4 years and not one has been infiltrated by spam.
Whew! I think I'm doing okay. I'm a 6 month old blogger, but I spent so much time visiting others' blogs (while mine sat quietly for years, just waiting in the wings,) that I started discovering what I liked and didn't like about all the different blogs. So when I did finally launch mine, (it was literally 3 1/2 years in the making!)I had a really good idea of what I did and didn't want to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI spent countless hours trying to figure out each and every little settings feature, some of which I'm still not sure about.
I have noticed comments on people's blogs that say "I'm your newest follower." I took this to be just a nice way to say, "Not only do I like this post, but I bopped around a bit enough to know that I actually like A LOT of your stuff." I've been adding to my comments that I'm a new follower and I'm hoping people aren't taking that as meaning I want them to follow me back. Oh, the nerve of people who say that!
I'm a little lost on the comment reply thing. So do you all click on the person's name to reply as opposed to just replying in a new comment?
Before I ramble on any further, I just want to say, thanks for keeping it real, and taking the time to write such a great, informative post! :)
I'll join in...I love this post! It is an eye opener, and why not take a step back and look at your own blog in light of these comments, and try to make it better! You are so right on these!
ReplyDeleteOne of thing I don't care for is when bloggers "require" you to like them on FB and/or become a blog follower to enter a giveaway. If I'm going to follow you on FB or on your blog, it's because I like your content, NOT just to enter a giveaway. When I do giveaways, I only "require" a name/email because I think that's reasonable. Everything else is just additional, optional entries.
Thoughts?
WOW, ok.
ReplyDelete1. Love this post.
2. Can't remember where I found you now cause I read every word and every comment, but I just found you somehow.
3. Thanks for putting this out there, I'm from the old school, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, so it's really hard for me to say "I don't like" about other's blogs. BUT, that said, I can't stand the blogs that look like they are just there to make money. And they are easy to figure out. Especially in the foodie blog world.
4. As for the truncated posts, in the food blog world, If you hate banana anything like I do, you don't want to scroll past 50 pictures of a banana to get to that delicious cake post that is right after, so I get it. And I do it, works for me.
5. Bad pictures, bad grammar, I'm sure in most cases it's the best people can do, why would you want to post something bad if you could do better?
6. That said, proofread your post, or have someone else do it. you won't catch everything but you might catch a few things.
OK, those are my thought for now, saving this post for later as reference.
Since this is the only post I've gotten to so far on your blog, can't say I'll be your newest follower, but I will be looking around more.
Oh and I do like your "about me" guess I'm a trophy wife too. I like that, can't wait to tell hubby later. Hugs!
omg, now how bad am I, didn't even realize I went from Trophy Wife's post which linked to your post on the whole subject, so the "about me" section that I commented on was hers.
ReplyDeleteOh well, nothing I can do about it, but at least you know I really did stick around to check you out further, lol
Have a good one, and the rest of my comments still apply :-)
Oh my goodness, this is like the best post ever! So much good information here! Janet's comment was spot on! It drives me crazy when bloggers comment that they are following me and would like for me to follow back. I want someone to follow my blog because they are interested in my content, not as a tool to up their GFC.
ReplyDeleteFun and helpful post! Thanks for the "heads up" on all things bloggy! Loved reading all the comments too! Maybe when I get braver I'll come back and ask you to honestly go over my blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I didn't read the other 59 comments, but here are my 2cents for your site. #1 your social media buttons are HUGE like comically huge and to the point where they are grainy. You should size them down a tad. Several of your ads in your side bar are also massive. It's OK to have a side bar as large as your content section when it's really two side bars, but some stuff (like your label cloud) is bigger than your main text. IMHO that looks icky. Maybe you want some of your side bar stuff to be big to be seen more easily, but I think it should be a compliment to your main content not in competition. OK that is all. Feel free to pop over and critique me if you want. ( ; I don't expect it though, just offering the chance.
ReplyDeleteVery helpful post, thank you. I found you while checking out another blog, sorry I can't remember where I was. I agree with all of your pet peeves, especially the word verifyer thing. I took mine off as soon as someone mentioned it! As a new blogger it seemed like a good idea, but after I had to deal with it when trying to leave comments, I can see why no one likes it.
ReplyDeleteI am sure I am irking some by doing some of these things, and promise not to snivel if you bring it to my attention.
I am a new follower and look forward to more of your informative posts!
Hugs, GraceinAZ
All great suggestions. My suggestion for blogs is those blogs who have turned off comments. I do understand why they have felt the need because it is time costuming to read, return comments, etc but if you do not have comments I personally no longer visit. It is not enough to have a great recipe on your blog, my other blogging friends have great recipes too and I can send my encouragement their way:D.
ReplyDeleteI just figured out that I am doing #1. I wish someone would have told me. I think I fixed it, but let me know if I didn't. One thing I don't like about blogs are ads that have nothing to do with their blog topic especially if it is sort of inappropriate. I was at a Christian Homeschooling Blog and there was a trashy online dating ad, (not one of those nice eharmony ones). I love the simplicity of your blog, your profile pic, and how you title your gadgets with fun sayings like, "Go ahead, explore the vault." I don't like how you don't have a navigation bar, but I don't know ANYTHING about blogging! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteI love all my followers and receiving comments from them. It really makes my day. Those that comment always have nice things to say about the things I've made. I guess the ones that don't post either don't like what I'm posting about or are too much in a rush to leave a comment.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see someone have the courage to speak out and say I like what you've done but if you did this or added this it would look better. That's how we learn.
I'd love for you to come over to my blog and take a look and maybe tell me what I'm doing wrong or could do better.
Thanks for all your tips.
Maria
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for this post!
two years late, but... giant header images that I have to scroll past before I can see ANY content. Your header image should not fill my whole screen!
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