Could you comment on my blog, please?
Honestly, I'm asking you ever single one of you my blog readers... What makes it so hard for you to comment on my blog?
Is my blog too "heavy" that you find it difficult to comment on?
If yes, why?
Lately, I have noticed that my blog is one humongous irony; "Foreign Prophecies" is famous yet people don't care about it.
Or at least, that's what I feel.
I always do my best to update it on a daily basis as to satisfy both my loyal readers and my writing streak, yet this blog is very under appreciated with all this neglect by 30+ of you my RSS subscribers.
As a matter of fact, I really don't care how many visitors click my blog anymore... The only thing I care about is to see my blog entries commented by readers who really care about my writings.
While my blog may look like a gemstone to most, it is a pathetic kind of gemstone which has no value in the eyes of the public whatsoever. People just pass by looking at it without giving any comments whatsoever.
On the other hand, my friends' blogs (you can check some of them in my Blogroll list) are akin to ordinary metals which people hold in high regards.
I don't know why are they commented more while I often get none... Sometimes I think it would be better if I write daily musings like they do instead of commenting on Politicians or other social issues...
Should I write more on sex?
Should I write more on love? Religion? Poems? Or perhaps my daily life?
You name it... Please, if you happen to like my blog and you read this message right now; I hope you will comment on my blog more often!
Now I have asked you my readers a lot of questions up there...
During the month of September 2008 alone, there were only five people who cared to leave a comment on my blog:
- 14 September 2008 by Tree
- 11 September 2008 by Anita
- 10 September 2008 by Diny
- 8 September 2008 by Buana
- 4 September 2008 and 1 September 2008 by Yonna
Why don't the rest of you comment on my blog?
Do you find it to hard to comment on?
Your comments don't have to be smart or whatever... I don't even care if you comment anonymously.
Now this is an open forum, please feel free to support or insult me by doing me the favour of clicking the "words of wisdom" commenting option below, and make a comment.
Even if you want to insult me by using a new pseudonym, I would gladly accept it (in comparison to those who READ ONLY but NO COMMENTS).
I hope there will be at least two responds from my blog readers in this post.
Otherwise, I will consider making this resolution below a reality:
- If there isn't more than 10 comments in October 2008, I will DISCONTINUE writing in http://foreignprophecies.blogspot.com as Toshi and assume a new pseudonym in another blog (possibly Wordpress) where I will totally start anew, anonymously.
- If you happen to read my blog regularly but you don't comment in my blog during the month of October 2008, I will do my best to keep my new domain (which could then start operation in November 2008) a secret from you.
Hahahha... your blog has been source of entertainment for me... please don't stop writing..
But really, the most important thing is the traffic - right? No?
I think it should work both ways my dear. Have you done enough blogwalking and leaving comments on other people's blogs?
Whenever I get people's comment on my blog I usually visit their blogs back and try to respond to their posts. And if I visit people's blog and leave comment I'd expect them to return the favour. I don't see you do this, at least not to mine.
To me personally it's not really a big deal, but probably some people have shorter span of memory and they tend to forget you if you don't actively visit their blogs and leave your marks.
Then you should ask yourself whether having lots of comments on your blog really matter? For example if you read jakartass' or jeannie s.bev's blog, you'd hardly see people's responses but you know that lots of people read their blogs.
Just my two pence.
Most of us start blogging for our own, very personal, reasons.
However, in the words of Phil Collins, I'm a legal alien and there are loads of folk in a similar position, such as Anita and Jennie Bev. And yourself. That I've attracted readers is, presumably, because I've been consistent, albeit seemingly suffering from ADD because of the range of my topics.
In an increasingly frustrating and, in deed, frightening world it seems ever more important that we leave our mark, and that's what blogs enable us to do. Of course, if you are writing in order to get feedback, because you gauge your 'value' by the number of social contacts you make in hyperspace then perhaps you should put your energies into MateBook, Dumpster, or IdleGossip, but then you really would be a victim of ADD.
So continue writing because you do have a readership - you. In the years to come you will be able to trace your path and rediscover what you have learnt along the way.
And what you've taught.
Anita is right about the lack of comments on Jakartass ~ which reminds me. I don't attract readers because of my public persona, and, for private and legal reasons, I don't wish to use my 'real name' . So PLEASE respect my pseudonym/pen name and remove my 'real' name.
No no no toshi don't stop writing. I'm enjoying reading your blog with a nice cup of coffee in the morning. Er... okay not really, I don't drink coffee in the morning. :)
kalo lo berhenti blogging nanti ga ada lagi yang gw tunggu2 tiap harinya dong toshi:)
anita is right, i have quite a lot of comments, well, not so much, but enough to satisfy my ego, because i blogwalk and leave comments in other people's blogs. not just stupid comments, but comments about their posts. I take the time to read it.
it's a two way street, people wont link u or comment on your blog if you dont make the effort to do the same, unless if you are a very popular person, or if your blog is extremely popular or extremely witty/funny.
but i did start blogging just to write, without caring who reads it or how many comments on it. it was luck probably that made my blog the way it is, and also probably because i write about many things, quite a wide range of topics and in both languages, english and indonesian..
btw tosh, i thought you were gonna write another post for Stuff Indonesians Like? I posted your link there so I hope that will give you readers, I also post the entries of SIL in my multiply blog which gets quite a number of visitors as well.
Ditunggu yah entry berikutnya!
i happen to come across your blog while blog-hopping from a friend's friend's blog. well, i think if you stop writing just because almost no one commented on your writings is kind of defeating the whole purpose of writing, which i think is to pen down your creative ideas and thoughts. :)
just keep writing, like what people say, dance as though no one's watching, write as though no one's reading? :D
well, for me, i write to satisfy my own self, so i dont care about no one commenting on my writings. :)
Nice threat!
You only need ten comments to be satisfied?
People blog for different reasons and for me it is not about whether people comment or not. I am like Jakartass in that people probably think I am ADHD because I write on such a disparate range of topics. That is how my brain works.
Anita and Rima also have good points. You need to not only blogwalk but comment when you get there. You have commented on my blog in the past but it has hardly been regular. I did not think we were in competition to see who could leave the most comments on the other's blog?
It is your call on whether you shut this blog down and reappear somewhere else as someone else. Yet, this supposes that people are not commenting here because you are Toshi and assumes that people will comment on your blog when you are anonymous. I do not see the logic in that.
You want more comments then say some outrageous things or write about some outrageous events. Controversy brings in the comments.
I do wonder though, now that you look set to get ten comments in October are you going to threaten us again next month and demand you get 20 comments or you will shut down Foreign Prophecies?
The equation here is a simple one. Comment more frequently elsewhere and you will find people commenting on your site out of courtesy. That is the weird thing about blogging, people look to return the favour. You drop by and comment on their blog and then they look to return the favour. It's nice like that :D
@a0z0ra:
thanks for the support. Umm not really the traffic, I’d very much prefer having low readership who comments on my blog regularly, hehe.
@anita:
It actually does matter for me to see comments in my blog. I am the kind of person who easily get jealous to see my friends blogs being commented with whole loads while I often get none. Especially those three people who read my blog everyday but rarely comment here (You know who you are, and YES, two of those three have also commented on today’s post.. Hahaha)
But you are right, I should’ve done more blogwalking and more commenting on others’ blogs… it is a reciprocal thing, right? I promise I’ll do more commenting from today onwards, ppl :)
@Jakartass:
I have done as requested, sorry for putting your ‘real’ name… I knew I should’ve asked your permission first.
Regarding ADD, I think I’m suffering from it too, although with a different kind from yours, hehe.
Now that I think of it, I think I should go back to the first purpose of my writing, which is to write for my own pleasure. Thanks for enlightening me on the discovering my path thingy, J.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t have much time today as I still have more Lebaran visits to my family members, but I promise I’ll answer the rest of your comments as soon as I get back home later…
Have a happy Eid, folks. :)
@gilang:
absolutely right. you should start your day with a tea or milk instead, dude :p
@undine:
this comment of yours, together with gilang's; has played a large part in cancelling my planned resolution above. I really appreciate both of your comments, and I look forward to receive more comments from you, dear :)
@rima:
Gee oh gee, of all the bloggers I know, you are the only one I'm most jealous of, Rima! You enterred Indonesian blogosphere later than I did, yet by today people talk more about Rima than Toshi.
I think luck (together with your great range of blog topics) really have made you the way you are now...
Sorry for forgetting the SIL deadline back then, I'll make sure I'll send it to you by Monday :)
@mypointshoes:
dance as though no one's watching, write as though no one's reading
Yes, I agree that the whole purpose of blogging per se is to satisfy myself instead of caring on comments. Thanx for the quote, appreciate it. :)
@Rob:
Sharp and witty as always :D
I work like you and Jakartass too, because I have written on a large number of topics on my blog instead of specialising on a particular issue... Does it mean that I have ADD too?
I hope not, because I'm already suffering from OCD here, hehe.
Thanx for pointing out the logical fallacy on the not-commenting-bcoz-I'm-Toshi thingy; you're the only one who noticed that today!
I look forward to receive more witty comments from you in the future... Will comment more often on your blog too :)
jealous of me? lol
you shouldn't.. i only have 150-200 visitors per day tops. Anita tuh.. bisa sampe 500!
but really, you should blog walk and say hi and stuff, and also post a lot of things.. and maybe like me, in both languages, then maybe you will get more readers and comments.. :)
Are you suffering from ADD? lol
I don't think I ever made that big a deal when I started my blog 4 years ago and nobody came or commented. And it was no wonder because back then I never knew anything about blogwalking.
This is the 3rd time I've left comments in your blog, what about you? ;)
@rima:
posting in both languages isn't really my thing.. Hey take a look at our ranks this month, now your blog has ranked higher than mine!
will say hi more often to your blogs though :)
@therry:
i know, my bad.. I think I've commented on your blog before (regarding the anita-icha fight thingy) but yeah, i should do more commenting on your blog. thanks for reminding :)