Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Followers

I was so happy when I checked my blog and discovered I had my first follower--my friend and co-author of The Woven Pixel, Alice Schlein. Then this morning I noticed my list of followers had shrunk, and she was no longer there. I felt rejected! Then she sent me an email explaining that by choosing to be a follower, but not having a blogspot blog, she didn't get notification of new posts or anything. However, I put a Subscribe To option below Followers which worked for her. Apparently it sends her emails letting her know when new posts have been made to the blogs she follows. 

Since blogging is new to me, this is all very confusing and I tried to figure things out. I like the idea of getting one email telling me when new posts have been made and went to the google site called Reader, which is where you subscribe to get this list. Much to my surprise, when I went there, I found I already have a subscription. It was automatically generated when I entered the blogs I follow on my blog's "complete profile." I can go to the Dashboard of my blog and by clicking on the name of a blog I follow, see the latest entry. If I click there, it brings me to that site. I don't think I get email notification of new entries but this way works well for me.

I am not sure how I feel about having a list of followers on my blog. It kind of reminds me of junior high school and trying to be one of the popular kids. It seems very Facebook, and I have been resisting doing that for awhile. When I go to the info page about Followers on Google they encourage having it to grow your audience. Again, this doesn't convince me that it is something I want. In any case, for now, I will keep it there. But if in the future it disappears, please don't think that I don't want or appreciate readers, I do, I definitely do! It will just mean I have decided to keep the list private. 

I have appreciated the comments posted to my site so far, very encouraging. I am sure some of you will want to comment about Followers and even Facebook, which does have loyal devotees. Any advice about this feature will be welcome.

6 comments:

  1. I think it is wonderful to have followers, because then you know you are not just writing into the wind, that someone wants to listen. So I am following you, Bhakti!

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  2. Bhakti! I so look forward to reading what you have to write, and to see what your weaving has in store for us!

    Hope all is well with you and Mark in Vermont!

    -Veronica

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  3. Bhakti, love the blog and knowing what you are up too. It is good to connect, if only virtually.
    kc

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  4. I say avoid Facebook. I caved and now I am sucked into the strangeness that is the world of Facebook. Avoid it if you can!

    I'm SO excited you have a blog! I have you bookmarked and will look forward to postings.

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  5. this will teach me to leave comments
    i love your work and i'll be one of your groupies :-)
    i've given you the helping hands award -pay it forward- as a welcoming to blogland.check mu blog. (you don't have to do anything about it if you don't wish to)

    neki desu

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  6. this will teach me to leave comments
    i love your work and i'll be one of your groupies :-)
    i've given you the helping hands award -pay it forward- as a welcoming to blogland.check mu blog. (you don't have to do anything about it if you don't wish to)

    neki desu

    ReplyDelete