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Are bloggers selfish?

Posted by Zpoet • 10/14/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: read, reading, selfish, write, writers

I am wondering if most bloggers want to promote their own blogs, but could really care less about other blogger's blogs. Sometimes I think since we're a group of writers, that we should be connected to a group of readers, who enjoy reading. Thoughts?

User Comments

10/14/09

ThriftShopRomantic

I don't know if it's selfish to want readers for your blog without reading tons of blogs...

Anymore than it's selfish for a novelist to want readers of his novel without necessarily having to read all the novels out there.

I admit I probably care more about individual bloggers themselves more than reading blogs...

But I don't know if that's necessarily a product of selfishness, as time is limited and has to be doled out carefully.

I would gratefully take anyone, blogger or non-blogger alike, who truly enjoys reading the blog.

Blogging is one of the few creative mediums I can think of where there's this subtle emphasis on reciprocity-- that you comment on me, I'll comment on you, concept.

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10/14/09

Zpoet

"Blogging is one of the few creative mediums I can think of where there's this subtle emphasis on reciprocity-- that you comment on me, I'll comment on you, concept."

Exactly, and it was a surprise to me when I started blogging. I've always done the writing, and let others do the reading. But this subtle shift I find here is fascinating....

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1. 10/14/09
  
  ThriftShopRomantic
  
  The interesting thing is, if you don't go out and comment constantly on a whole bunch of blogs... if you start that and then trail off... your comments trail off, too. It's really just tit-for-tat.
  
  So now I only comment when I feel like it on the posts I feel like reading.
  
  My comments have gone down. My repeat readers have gone down, too.
  
  But the ones that remain are the folks that really want to be there. I'm comfortable with that.
10/14/09

MidwestMom

I think the longer you spend in 'bloggy-land' the more you'll be impressed with what a (usually) giving bunch there is here. Sure, you reap what you sow... but I know I've been pleasantly surprised with the level of feedback I get from other bloggers. In some ways, it's a relief not to write in a vacuum. There is an aspect of the reading/writing balance that is more community-based than traditional media would allow.

I like that.

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10/14/09

offendedblogger

Well I for one am quite the selfless blogger, indeed. I spend hours building and maintaining a website for fellow humorbloggers called humorbloggers.com and while I do receive some donations there, it is not the reason why I started the site.

My cause is much more nobel: to build an army of humor bloggers which will eventually take over the world.

[reply]
1. 10/14/09
  
  Shiley
  
  Pinky and the Brain, Pinky and the Brain, one is a genius the other insane.
2. 10/14/09
  
  MidwestMom
  
  Too funny! Ooh, I'm laughing so hard! -ack! [falls over dead]
  
  Warning: Humor bloggers are very effective weapons.
3. 10/14/09
  
  offendedblogger
  
  Warning: Humor bloggers are very effective weapons.
  
  Only if I can figure out how to detonate them remotely!
10/14/09

petchatter

I think it's a mixed bag. I tend to read blogs with topics of interest to me and comment on those. I don't have the time nor desire to do otherwise.

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10/14/09

Zpoet

I do enjoy the warm nature of the reciprocity. And I enjoy commenting on blogs that I am really interested in; other writers who are writing; who are spending their time perfecting their craft. It's fun to compare and contrast what is being put out there. But blogs about commercial ventures, or blogs that are infomercials, don't really intrigue me; thus I'm not tempted to leave a comment.....

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10/14/09

crpitt

I love reading other people's blogs, but as I have been blogging for three years now, my google reader is becoming chocker block with stuff that I neglect to read.

So lately it takes a while before I start checking out new peoples stuff.

[reply]
1. 10/14/09
  
  Zpoet
  
  Hope you'll check me out...I think we are of like mind.
2. 10/14/09
  
  crpitt
  
  Already added to my ever growing feed collection
10/14/09

FaithfulinPrayer

No more selfish than any other person in the world. I read a lot of different blogs. When I come across one I really really like to put it on my goodle reader.

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10/14/09

Arcticulates

Good grief, why can't someone just blog without having to worry about this and that for other bloggers? It is not my job to make other blogs work.. it is my job to entertain the readers that do come to my blog. If that is considered selfish, then so be it.. I am not worried about it.. I have bigger issues in my life that are in need of my attention, rather then worry if I have visited and commented on a bunch of strangers blogs every day. Why do bloggers put so much pressure on each other?

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10/14/09

Zpoet

Just for the record, I don't personally think it's selfish. I was wondering what others thought about it! I still maintain that readers groups should be intertwined with blogger groups.

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10/14/09

bringbackpluto

We enjoy reading other people's posts and making comments. We're naturally curious! A byproduct of that is reciprocation. And that's great. But we're hoping people visit us because they like the content on our blog.

Reading a friend's Blog keeps us sharp and current. And that's a good thing. Nothing wrong with supporting friends or even someone we don't know that well.

But if you want to be a philosophizer, aren't all acts selfish in some way? If something makes you feel good it could be defined as selfish. So in that case, altruism wouldn't really exist. We don't see it that way however.

Sorry for the digression!!!

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10/14/09

Zpoet

I agree; reading friends blogs does keep us sharp and current...and it's interesting to see what other people are doing. I started this discussion because I wondered if, overall, people weren't really interested in reading other's blogs, and it's interesting to see the reactions....

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10/14/09

offendedblogger

I can see how some bloggers might come across as selfish, actually. I've often felt selfish because I spend so much time working behind the scenes at HB and not actually reading member blogs (many of my members there are also BC members btw) so I'm sure to them they assume I'm a snob. I really miss just being a blogger sometimes and when I do find time to just relax and read my favorite blogs I am so happy.

Then I realize why I run the site to begin with, they are all such great, funny writers!

Another thing that can give an aura of selfishness is when you know a blogger has visited your site (via recent visitor widgets like the one here) but they don't comment. Bloggers seem to take that to heart if a comment isn't left. For me, unless I am in the mood to say something profoundly witty, I will not bother to comment but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the post.

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