Monday, May 7, 2012

Reflections on A to Z Challenge



As a first-timer this year, I was psyched at the beginning--ready to read and comment like a mad fiend. Forget visiting the suggested five blogs, I was going to blast through twenty! At least. Then I got caught in the polite commenter trap: several people would comment on my blog, I'd comment back, and then be too pooped to visit more blogs. Repeated the next day, and the next.

Despite the trap, I did find new blogs to follow and gained new followers. In addition, I gained some valuable information. I love it when a blogger tells me my virtual pants are unzipped. Here's two prime examples:

1. Turn off word verification.

I've always been impressed with blogs that use word verification. Like, whoa dude, I wonder how they set that up? Those folks must be computer whiz kids. I felt kind of slackerdly for not setting it up for my blog, so when the warning to turn if off for the blogfest came around, I felt all smug. Don't have to do that!

Then someone commented that I'd get more comments if I turned word verification off. Do wah? The joke was on me. Blogger had word verification as a default and I had no clue, because whenever I commented on my own blog, word verification didn't show up.

2. Set up your follower picture to link to your blog.

When you follow another blog, a little picture of your choice gets added to their 'followers' grid. Like duh, you know that. I love getting new followers and always make a point of clicking on their little picture so I can follow back. Except sometimes the window that pops up has no link to the new follower's blog.

At first I thought, "Hmmm, that's weird. I guess they don't have a blog. Oh well." I mean, you can get onto blog sites without having your own, right? Then I wised up a bit and tried googling the person's name plus 'blog' to find them. This works sometimes, but if the follower uses the name "Katie" then forgettaboutit. A google search ain't gonna cut it. So peeps, go to a site where you can find your little picture and click on it. If there's no link to your blog, fix it!

fashion statement

Image courtesy: tuppus

So, thank you to the bloggers who pointed out these little problems with my blog.  And remember, X, Y, Z, pdq because some people may want to follow you too!

22 comments:

  1. Word verification drives me crazy! Especially the way they recently changed it.

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  2. oh yeah, i do not like the word verification thing at all---congrats to us all

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  3. Great posting. I still have a few followers that I can't find a blog to, hoping they associate their blog soon.

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  4. Congratulations on finishing the challenge and sharing your reflections. I’m following you now and hopefully, next year, we will do it again!

    (the link from A to Z site doesn't work...)

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  5. Ha! That was very funny.
    Don't you worry. If I want to leave you a comment I won't let a little thing like word verification stop me.
    Congrats on the challenge and thanks for your support!
    Heather

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  6. I've noticed lots of Blogger profiles now go to Google + instead of to their blog. That's a bigger turn off to me than word verif.

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  7. I had the same issue clicking on a followers picture! Good advice. It was fun to follow you through the challenge

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  8. HATE the word verification thing. I hate even more that there's no way to find out until someone tells you.

    And I have to say, I have no idea how to link your photo to your blog, but I wish it was a default thing. Makes me crazy trying to find people.

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  9. Hi everyone! Now that my darling is finally over her strep throat, I can get back into commenting. Karen, I agree. Google+ drives me absolutely batty.

    Evalina, I know that link doesn't work, but I've given up on that one.

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  10. I had a problem with some people's profiles not having links as well. I had to check my comments or Google the name.

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  11. I'm glad I read this because I had no idea the word thing was a default. Now I'm wondering about linking to my site from the picture since that's very frustrating when I can't link to someone else's site.

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  12. 10-قومي بوضع شريط لاصق على المرايا على شكل اكس وهذا بهدف حظر تعرضها للكسر اثناء نقلها، وإذا وقع كسر فإن الشريط اللاصق سيقوم بامتصاص الصدمة ويمنع تناثر الزجاج.
    شركة نقل عفش
    شركة نقل عفش من الرياض الى الامارات

    شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الى الامارات
    شركة نقل عفش بجازان

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I will do everything in my power to visit commenter's blogs unless I've been abducted by aliens or my children get sick. (If my children get abducted by aliens, I will be very busy, of course, catching up on my sleep.)