43 Comments to “What Kind of Blogger Are You?”

1. January 31st, 2007 at 12:59 pm
   Whitney said

   When I first ventured into the blogosphere, I had no expectations of my comments being acknowledged by the author. It was sort of like getting a letter to the editor published; it might get published (in blogging, it does for sure) but you won’t get direct comment back.

   After more than a year, my mind has changed. People like you and Michael Stelzner have spoiled us with your personal responses — however short or long they need to be — to our comments. That acknowledgement of input, the relationship that’s formed through the give and take, are big reasons why I read your blogs daily.

   Lack of any acknowledgement of my comments doesn’t stop me from going back to a blog whose content I like…but it does affect my decision whether to include a blog in my daily must-read list or my weekly must-read list.

   That relationship, and those responses, take a lot of time from what I know to be busy schedules. I don’t judge people harshly for not responding — especially those who have one really high traffic blog or several blogs with moderate to high traffic. But I do now view those differently who have one blog, who are clearly trying to start something, and who spend a lot of time dropping links on other people’s blogs…but don’t respond much (or at all) to those who leave comments on their blogs.

   (I hope that all makes sense. Writing test cases all morning has stunted my powers of expression…)

2. January 31st, 2007 at 1:06 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Whitney,
   It sounds like you’re a relationship reader.

   Yes, everything you say makes sense. From Why would you have an expectation? to Why wouldn’t you go where there’s some conversation? you make a good case for what you do.

   I read plenty of blogs that I don’t comment on and blogs where I do with no expectation of an answer. But I live for the conversation, not the comments, because that’s there the thoughts in the post get bigger, deeper, and re-invented. I like sharing the thinking part best.

3. January 31st, 2007 at 4:10 pm
   Shawna R. B. Atteberry said

   I’m a relationship blogger. I want to build relationships with my readers and other bloggers. Why do it if there isn’t going to be any conversation?

4. January 31st, 2007 at 4:56 pm
   Hugh Hollowell said

   I love reader comments. In fact, I often get some of my best post ideas from comments made by the readers that I think would apply to the whole readership.

   When you think what it would have cost us just 8 years ago to have this level of interaction with our readers, it is mind blowing indeed.

   As a reader, I tend to judge a blog by the number of posts without comments. I wonder if no one is listening or if the readers know more about the blogger than I do and know he would not be open to listening.

   By the way, I love your blog. Thanks for publishing.

5. January 31st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
   Tisha said

   “one link stand” fantastic!

   I build relationships with my readers and we have the most intense discussions! It’s amazing that from different corners of the globe we can communicate, interact and share our visions for the world and that is my main objective.

   Being a cross-cultural consultant is actually my life and not just a job, great being an entrepreneur!

   Thanks for that Liz ^.^
   Tisha

6. January 31st, 2007 at 5:42 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Tisha!
   You do have the most interesting discussions! It’s fun to read them and to watch them!

   You are are a cross-cultural relationship blogger!

7. January 31st, 2007 at 5:50 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Shawna!
   Welcome. Nice to meet you! Sorry you had to wait backstage while I was in a meeting. I feel much the same way as you do. Thanks for saying so.

   Just writing information doesn’t hold much appeal for me. It’s the interaction that gets me thinking about what I wrote again and seeing it in new ways.

8. January 31st, 2007 at 5:55 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Hugh!
   Sorry you had to wait too! It’s great to see you here!

   It is an amazing thought how much our readers contribute our blogs with their insights and ideas. I remember how folks were dying to get a sense of community of their webistes. Like you said, about 8 years ago, the cost would have huge and it wouldn’t have been nearly what it can be now!

   What an insight about the number of comments. I didn’t realize that I make a judgment about whether the blogger might not be willing to listen, but now that you say that, I think I might.

   Gosh, Hugh, thanks for the compliment. I had no idea. Look at this blogger grin.

9. January 31st, 2007 at 10:23 pm
   Mark Goodyear said

   I love responding to folks on my blog. I’m not as fast as you, but you are one of my models in that regard.

   There are a few bloggers who I’ll forgive for not responding in their comment sections, and they are few and far between. Scot McKnight is one. But then anyone who regularly posts THREE essays per day has earned the right not to comment regularly in my book.

   For me, blogging is all about relationships. Not only do I comment on my comments, but I will often visit their blog and comment if something moves me. A lot of folks return the favor I’ve noticed.

   And of course, we haven’t mentioned the essential need to comment on posts where others link to you.

   This is just another reminder of why I must must tweak my blog to include the RSS feed for comments.

10. January 31st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mark,
    Have I told you lately what a great voice you have? I can hear you talking. It’s nice.

    Thinking, talking, relating, hearing folks telling their stories. Gosh it’s all such great way to learn. I can’t begin to measure how much I’ve taken in and expanded by listen to what folks have said in the comments on this blog and so many others.

    You are so right about relationships. We’re all really doing this together. It’s sort of like baseball — every player has a position, but were all on a team.

11. January 31st, 2007 at 10:34 pm
    Kian Ann said

    Like Whitney, I think when I started blogging - all blogging meant to me was “publishing information”. Today I’ve learnt that its more “building relationships” than “publishing information”… and I am working my way there.

    Thanks Liz.

12. January 31st, 2007 at 10:38 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Kian Ann,
    I just got done writing a post for the Blog Herald tomorrow about relationship blogging that says we all start out thinking it’s about writing information for people to read — that it’s a surprise to find that blogging is about people.

    Kian, from the first, I would never have guessed that you were learning!! Oh no! You’ve always been about your readers not the information. You can’t help yourself.

13. January 31st, 2007 at 10:40 pm
    Renée said

    Liz, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a terrible relationship blogger.

    It’s not the path I choose to be, but majority of my commentors are seeking for solutions rather than seeking to connect. I don’t “blame” them for that because most of my posts are aim to solve solutions. I’ve tried asking for open-ended questions at the end of the post but the result is not so rewarding to pursue much further.

    Those who seek to build a relationship with me are bloggers themselves, which I’m very thankful for. In short, I really don’t know what sort of blogger am I? Hermit blogger, maybe?

14. January 31st, 2007 at 10:51 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Renée!
    I think you’re a healer blogger and a helper blogger and a blogger with vision. I love to listen to you to talk.

    You always bring insight and wisdom to any question, and it’s packed with honesty and care. What more could a reader want?

15. January 31st, 2007 at 11:06 pm
    Renée said

    Liz, everytime I come here, you always have so many wonderful things to say about me. Coming from you means alot to me. If only T will say those nice things to me everyday…hope I’m not pushing it!

    Nonetheless, I’m saving all your comments for him to see them later on.

    Healer and helper blogger, I like that! I hope to my readers for the my new blog will appreciate that. BTW, my new blog will be on alternative health coming end of spring or early summer. Hope to gain a SOB badge from you then.

    Liz, I’m still waiting to see your new template! How is it doing?

16. January 31st, 2007 at 11:12 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Yea Renée!
    That is so cool healer blogger is doing a alternative health blog. You should see me smiling about that. I can’t wait to see it.

    The new blog design is all new code — from the first < to the last > everything is new except my photo.

    My son did the header. The designer/ developer is doing the very, very last bits as I write this so it could be any day now.

    It will live up to the feeling that I live inside your computer and that you’re only a stranger once. I can’t wait until you see it either!!

    I think you, in particular, will like the colors.

17. January 31st, 2007 at 11:21 pm
    Renée said

    I spent half of last week doing my health blog template, before I realized some of the codes are not compatible for WP 2.1. I will have to do some editings this weekend. I’m still struggling to come up with better tagline.

    Liz, you got me so excited about your new template and I can’t wait to see them. Yeah, the photo stays!

    Good luck!

18. January 31st, 2007 at 11:24 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Renée,
    Email me about your tagline, if you want and I’ll help you if I can.

    I’m excited about the new design too. The waiting is a killer.

    Thanks for your good wishes!

19. January 31st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
    Renée said

    Wow, Liz! Thank you so very much.

    I will send you in a few minutes, but shouldn’t you be sleeping now!

    Thanks thanks thanks again, and I’m confident it will be good.

20. January 31st, 2007 at 11:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Yeah,
    I’ll be sleeping soon. If I don’t answer you now, I’ll answer in a few hours.

21. February 1st, 2007 at 5:12 am
    Robyn McMaster said

    Hi Liz, when I first launched, I wanted to see if I could “be a blogger” so it was more about learning to write short focused pieces that would interest others. I wanted to share ideas. Now that I feel that I have reached a comfort zone with my writing, though I always strive to do better, I am now more focused on learning from others and sharing at other sites. I like your site, because I get to meet many other folks and get a glimpse of what’s up. Thanks for the way you facilitate all this!

22. February 1st, 2007 at 9:51 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Robyn!
    It’s so fun to have all of you around, and I get to have access to all of the smart things you say about stuff. I get to know more every day just by listening to everyone talking.

    It’s amazing! It’s better than any university and a whole less expensive too!!

23. February 1st, 2007 at 10:07 am
    Mark Goodyear said

    That’s really true about this being almost like a university experience. Like the Iowa Writer’s workshop almost–only each group selects itself.

    Some of the things in the comments remind me how important the content of a blog is–not just to communicate raw information, but to anchor the conversations that occur on our blogs.

24. February 1st, 2007 at 10:21 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mark,
    Thank you for continuing that thought. It brought a lovely image of us all sitting around a wood table talking, writing, eyes engaged. And I thought, “Yep, that’s the feeling. That’s the experience.”

    Anchor is a well-chosen word for what a post does when we do it this way. It holds us together on a focal point and yet gives us room to swim out in any direction for a ways.

    What nice insights you bring to that table you made me see in the first place.

25. February 1st, 2007 at 10:35 am
    Mark Goodyear said

    So blogging is like a dinner party. I like it. So who’s going to be the first to stage a friendly Iron Blogger Battle (cif Iron Chef)?

    But there I go being all competitive and testosterone again.

26. February 1st, 2007 at 10:36 am
    ME Strauss said

    Ah Mark,
    Shift the picture a little — a collaboration — like a movie set . . . Lord of the Rings!!

27. February 1st, 2007 at 1:33 pm
    Mark Goodyear said

    You’re right. We all need “people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. —Blog.— Thing.”

28. February 1st, 2007 at 1:36 pm
    ME Strauss said

    I’m smiling, Mark, because that would include just about every blogger I’ve met.

29. February 1st, 2007 at 9:09 pm
    Ben said

    Stumbled on over. This seems like an interesting place to be.

    I used to be a daily blogger, at which time it was almost impossible to also be a relationship blogger, what with work and family and all that other stuff. Writing mindless trash is surprisingly time-consuming, you know.

    Now I’m more of an occasional blogger. A frequently absent blogger. A sometimes despondent blogger. A mostly speaking to himself blogger.

    But I like your attitude.

30. February 1st, 2007 at 9:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Ben,
    Welcome, The snacks and beverages are in the sidebar — they’re all free.

    So you only wrote mindless trash– huh? Wow. That’s hard to do, if you think of it. I mean look at the comment you just wrote. That’s anything but mindless. There are clear and cogent points all through it, and in fact, better than me — they’re all well punctuated and spelled correctly.

    As for the frequently speaking to himself blogger, you won’t get to do much of that here. People here listen to intelligent folks like you when they speak.

    That’s the only rule we have here — be nice. Because what fun is a relationship if you aren’t?

    Thanks for stopping to leave a comment Ben. Hope you stick around a while. After all, you’re not a stranger anymore.

31. February 1st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
    Ben said

    Hmmm snacks. Excuse me while I make a pig of myself….

    Writing mindless trash is easier. Blogging about stuff that happens to you is much harder - at least for myself it is, on account of nothing ever happens to me.

    That’s how Henry the Adequate came about - I decided it might be interesting to create one of these “weblog” thingies I’d heard so much about, but couldn’t think of a suitable topic. In the end just decided to go with something entirely fictional.

    Having said that, when you’re inventing the whole thing it is easy to get burned out. I can understand how it happens to real writers.

    I pride myself on well punctuated trash. And thanks for the welcome.

32. February 1st, 2007 at 9:59 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Ben,
    Consistently adequate is a hard standard to meet. Every now and then you had to slip and do something well. Was that deflating? Did it blow your rhythm? Or were you able to see past it and just keep plugging? [she said with sly and winning grin and twinkle in her eye]

33. February 1st, 2007 at 10:18 pm
    Ben said

    Sadly, I do occasionally write something that is quite good.

    It is deflating, yes, like a balloon in a needle factory. Fortunately mediocrity is soon restored, like a soft squishy thing, or a thing that is soon restored. [he says, bravely, with a grimace, and a bit of something sharp in his eye. Damn that hurts]

    btw my blogging is not past-tense, as you’ve been referring to it; just no longer daily.

34. February 1st, 2007 at 11:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Gosh, I’m so taken aback by finding I was speaking in past tense and didn’t realize it that I hardly know what to say . . . .

    [she breathes]

    I bet the good stuff is better than quite good. I suggest it’s even musical.

    Did squishy mediocrity just poke you in the eye or am I being too childlike literal?

35. February 1st, 2007 at 11:53 pm
    Ben said

    lol - musical
    Hardly. Not even slightly melodic.
    “…better than quite good” - my honest assessment is “quite good”, at best. Fortunately I have a day job.

    re squishy mediocrity poking me in the eye - I fear you give me too much credit. On the other hand, what the hell, I am going to claim that is exactly what I meant. Pretty damn clever, wasn’t it.

36. February 1st, 2007 at 11:59 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Oh I see the problem now,
    In my book, “pretty damn clever” is several levels above “quite good.”

    You must be using the mediocre rating system that doesn’t allow for anything above “quite good” ever.

    BTW, “squishy mediocrity poking me in the eye” < —– that my damn clever Ben, is musical. Say it aloud and listen. The rhythm alone is good enough to dance to.

37. February 2nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
    Ben said

    s/clever/cunning/
    See how cunning I am - stole your idea, claimed it was really clever, then got credit for it, from you.

    The “squishy mediocrity poking me in the eye” line was copied almost verbatim from your comment # 34, after all.

    Of course you already know that and you’re taking the piss, right?

38. February 2nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
    Ben said

    Oops. Language. Sorry, Australian.

39. February 2nd, 2007 at 5:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Now,Ben . . .
    Look at these blues eyes, would they ever tease unmercifully, just to make you laugh?

    I see how cunning and clever you were to get me to say that in the first place so that you could then copy it and say that I said it. You ARE good. A poor homeles, little orphan waif like me is no match for your wiles.

40. February 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 am
    Ben said

    Yeah, I am cunning like a Fox Mulder.

    But of course I misjudged you - clearly such blueness could never do the teasing thing.

    Finally, in a startling and unexpected twist, I’m going to talk about something other than myself…

    As we chatted her I have been looking through your pages. There sure is a lot to see, and for a poor homeless little orphan waif you certainly have a pretty impressive resume.

    I am humbled, and most pleased to meet you. But now it is off to bed I go. See you round the net.

41. February 2nd, 2007 at 7:36 am
    Chris Cree said

    The sci-fi voyeur is incredibly embarrassed as he Googles Fox Mulder expecting some obscure Australian reference. Doh!

    Hey Ben! Thanks for making me laugh this morning.

42. February 2nd, 2007 at 7:38 am
    ME Strauss said

    Chris! Fox Mulder! Even I know who he is!
    Tell it’s just that you’re not awake yet!

43. February 2nd, 2007 at 7:41 am
    ME Strauss said

    Ben,
    It has been a pleasure meeting you. My blues clearly look forward to seeing you again, and my brain awaits in anticipation, being startled and unexpectedly twisted once more,

    Thank you for the nod to my resume. My big brothers bought for my last birthday.

    You’re no longer a stranger here, Ben. You are officially a “quite good” writer friend.