Technical Difficulties

I am having problems with my internet connection. Responsiveness is slow. My screens keep freezing. The computer tech is coming over tomorrow. Meanwhile, it has prevented me from posting or responding to comments.

Bestest Blog

"Bestest Blog" came up today during my random sojourn through the "next blog" button. This is the third or fourth time it has come up during my sojourn. I think I'm being sent a message to which I will respond: I shall link to the "Bestest Blog Of All Time."

I still have not hit any other blog more than once.

ppwienr

As those of you who comment on this blog know, I employ word verification. It has been a useful tool for preventing spammers from bogging me down with irrelevant offers. Being middle aged, I sometimes have difficulty discerning the letters in the word verification. Today, however, as I was leaving a responsive comment to a commenter on this blog, the word verification was very clear: ppwienr.

Love Makes The World Go Around

I have been overwhelmingly busy with work lately -- so much so, that every night, after being at work all day, I have homework. For the past week or so, when I sit at the computer it is not to blog but to work. As a result, I have neglected my post.

I've noticed that when my energy is diverted away and I am not wandering the blogosphere as diligently, my blog receives fewer visitors. It's like the more I give, the more I get.

Blogger Frustrations

I have been having a lot of problems commenting lately. Often comments that I painstakingly compose somehow do not show up - - either on the blogs I visit or in response to comments left on my blog. That's really frustrating. Several times I have thoughtfully written a comment, a quip, a response only to find that it disappeared into the vastness of the blogosphere. That just sucks!

I am impressed with the response to my question "why do you blog." Some people have left sincere responses -- others, as is seen quite frequently in the blogosphere, have been "cute." The responses are as varied as the bloggers themselves. I encourage visitors to read the comments above, and leave their own. So far, my hypothesis (that people blog because they want to be loved) has not been clearly supported, but I am still waiting to see what is revealed by these responses.

As a somewhat prudish (albeit liberal) middle-aged woman, I was cheered to see one reader believes blogging is healthier than porn. I trust some blogging addicts, however, might differ.

Today's Sojourn

I have listed 265 visited blogs since October 10, 2006. How long do you think it will take me to view the millions of blogs posted in the blogosphere? A few of today's blogs made me chuckle:

Kissing4Press

Coffee2Go

Turning the Pages of Life

Meanwhile, I am debating whether if I should try to aggressively "market" my blog or just let readership develop organically.

Respite

I have not been sojourning through the "next blog" button this week because my work commitments have left me with little time to do so. I did spend a few moments viewing other blogs either through blogrolls or searching for specific types of blogs. That was a different experience as I was pro-active in my quest for blogs that pique my interest. This little diversion in no way threatens my commitment to the "next blog" button -- it just may be a few more days before I resume my random sojourn.

My Expanding Blog Involvement

For readers who are interested in staying up to date with my random sojourn through the "next blog" button, I just added a subscription feature. I continue to be amazed at all the free goodies that are available to bloggers -- counters, subscription monitors, linking monitors. . .and I'm still learning about what is out there. Wow.

Slogging

My sojourn has been somewhat interrupted by the demands of my working life which has made it very difficult to spend time at my computer this past week. The time I have been sojourning has been more like "slogging" through the "next blog" button. I'm kind of sick of it because I come upon so few spectacular blogs. There really is a lot of drek out there. Nevertheless, I am committed to my methodology.

This is not to say I do not do other types of blog viewing. I do visit blogs that are linked on some of my favorite blogs. On occasion, I search for blogs that cover themes of interest to me. But those visits are not memorialized herein because the purpose of this blog is to record my sojourn through the "next blog" button and my efforts to make other bloggers feel loved. (Although how much love can other bloggers feel from someone who is thinks most of the visited blogs are uninteresting?)

Bobby Griffin tried to get me to use his "random blog" button, asserting that the "next blog" button only takes me to the most recently updated blogs. In the past, I never paid attention to that. Last time I sojourned, I watched the dates on the blogs I hit. Some of them had not been updated for months. I think this disproves Bobby Griffin's assertion.

The Persona

I visited one of my favorite blogs this evening, "Fancy Schmancy Anxiety Maven." Maven's latest post is about the blogging persona. What synchronicity! For just this morning, after re-reading many of my posts, I started contemplating on my blogging persona, which in turn led to some thoughts about the blogging personas of others. I left a comment for Maven to that end, indicating that I think the persona is part of the creative aspect of blogging; it allows us an opportunity to explore a particular voice that, while it certainly does not encompass the gestalt of personality, clearly represents the chosen "face" of blogging. Either by exaggeration, omission or utter fiction, the persona becomes another creative voice. In a way, starting a blog is like starting a new school -- you can re-invent yourself. To be continued. . .

Randomness Defined

A random process is a repeating process whose outcomes follow no describable deterministic pattern, but follow a probability distribution.

The term randomness is often used in statistics to signify well defined statistical properties, such as lack of bias or correlation. Random is different from arbitrary, because to say that a variable is random means that the variable follows a probability distribution. Arbitrary on the other hand implies that there is no such determinable probability distribution for the variable.
Randomness has an important place in science and philosophy.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Random)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random

I came upon a duplicate hit -- "Steve Irwin." Other than the "Bestest Blog," this is the only time I come upon the same blog more than once as I continue my random sojourn through the "next blog" button.

Commenting Tips

The vast majority of bloggers seem to be blogging for the reward of comments. I found this guide that suggests various ways of enhancing the possibility of receiving comments on your blog. Let me know if it helps.

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/12/10-techniques-to-get-more-comments-on-your-blog/

National Blog Posting Month

Where have I been? I almost missed "National Blog Posting Month." I heard from visiting some of my favorite blogs where there was mention of NaBloPoMo that November is dedicated to daily blog posting. I guess I'm not yet a first class blogger because I have not been posting on a daily basis -- of course I was sick last week (no excuse) and starting a trial this week (another lame excuse). I can try to catch up. Perhaps I can double up daily posts to miss the few days that I did not post. Or, I can do some fraudulent posting maybe and back date some posts. . .hmm. But I'm just not one for fraud. I try to post only when I feel that I have some inspiration, thoughtfulness or at least a modicum of subject matter. I would rather be a delinquent blogger than compromise my integrity.

Love's Reciprocity

Love is an amazing thing. A little love-gift can germinate into a big love fest. Sometimes it can be challenging to feel loved. I've been there -- forlorn, self-possessed, misunderstood. Then, someone comes into my life who is kind or generous or gentle just when I was feeling roughed up like what I needed was to be seen and responded to intuitively with grace and charm. If you can let the love in, you can let the love out so that when you see someone beat up or low down, you can respond to them with some sensitivity. Sometimes it's as simple as laughing at someone's joke. Ultimately, the subject becomes the object -- the lover becomes the beloved. And the more you let it out, the more you can let it in. What a tremendous untapped resource.

Refreshed

I was sick this week so I did not do much sojourning. Oh well. I did not have pangs either. I guess that means I'm not really a blog addict. That's too bad because I think it's the addicted bloggers that probably have the best blogs. I also think the best blogs cover a variety of topics and are not necessarily thematic, as is this blog. I also tend to favor blogs with a sense of humor. Too bad for me that while I appreciate good humor, I don't seem to be too funny myself. Nevertheless, this blog is a blog with a purpose! To travel through the "next blog" button ad infinitum. . . Will I ever reach the end? Who knows.

Sick

I have been sick all week. Will post properly upon recovery.

The Insecure Blogger

I seemed to have lost my perspective. My original intention in this venture was to give love -- to visit other blogs and let them know I visited, hopefully leaving a sincerely positive note responsive to the blog's content. My goal was to make others feel loved.

Somehow, I now find myself desperate for the warm comments of others -- to be the recipient of love. It's an anxious feeling I try to cope with by thundering my way through the "next blog" button leaving comments in my wake. Even though I have vigorously visited numerous blogs, the return commenting has slowed down considerably. Have I become uninteresting? Will the dearth of comments be the death of my blog?

Kicked

I have not posted or surfed the blogs for a couple of days. Does this mean I kicked the addiction or have just been remiss?

Internet Addiction

I would imagine many bloggers have heard about the Stanford study on Internet usage that suggests that pathological Internet use is on the rise. I do not have an addictive personality. I do not even have an obsessive-compulsive personality. But I am afraid that I might show signs of an Internet addict. While the DSM has not been revised to include criteria for diagnosis of "Internet Addiction," one can easily surmise if there is a problem. The tell-tale signs of addiction can be seen in many Internet users, myself included. I find myself negotiating a

strong drive to compulsively use the Internet to check e-mail, make blog
entries or visit Web sites . . . not unlike what sufferers of substance abuse or impulse-control disorders experience: a repetitive, intrusive and irresistible urge to perform an act that may be pleasurable in the moment but that can lead to significant problems on the personal and professional levels.

For now I will take solace in the methodological weaknesses of the Stanford study and hold onto whatever hope is left that I have not fallen into the abyss of addiction.

Oh! To Love

I long to love. My random sojourn through the "next blog" button has taken a sinister turn as I desperately make my way through searching for blogs I can love. I yearn to be inspired. I long to be engaged. And while I view so many, I am deeply moved by so few.

While I appreciate the efforts of my fellow bloggers, I do have personal tastes and interests that are piqued by some blogs and not at all by others. I do not mean to offend anyone -- it's just that no one can be all things to all people.

Amazing

I have been sojourning through the "next blog" button for approximately one month. I have not hit the same blog twice. Amazing.

Blog Overload

I have a friend who really is an Internet hound. She is dedicated to her e-mail correspondence, frequently forwarding political commentary or "friend" missives (i.e., "This is for all my girlfriends. . .") She scours the Internet for information about particularly relevant to her moment (this week the hot topic is Lasik surgery). She follows specific websites for their political reporting. She buys books from Amazon. She wins auctions on E-Bay. She forwards me links to websites she thinks I might appreciate. The Internet, in general, is certainly her friend. Nevertheless, she hates blogs -- almost vehemently. She believes blogs clutter the Internet with way too much information. According to her, it is just too much!

My friend made no comment about how she feels about bloggers. I trust she does not have an issue with bloggers themselves -- but maybe she was just being polite and did not want to tell me she thinks I am wasting my time and infringing on her mental state by participating in one of the biggest, eeriest phenomenons of our time.

I'm Just A Kid (A Post by Mrs. Joseph's Offspring)

I am just a child, well...almost a teen but, i still think that blogging is good but also dangerous. To all the people out there who blog and put all info on there blog i would like to let them know that that's not good. Its like having a MY SPACE! If you have your picture it's one thing but, if you have all the info about you, it's another! I mean think about it, people around the world are looking at your faces and reading about you. But, i don't mean to be rude and butt into your personal life, if you don't care about that stuff then forget all i just typed.
Also, I would like to say that i have seen some of your guys' blogs and they're great! A family member of mine has a blog and she's really into it. I see how much effort is put into it but not because you have to, like H.W., just for fun. And of the blogs i have seen I see how other people also love blogging and put down some cool stuff. Well, that's all I had to say and I'm very sorry if you thought it was rude of me to talk about the dangerous stuff and might think that I'm just a kid but, I had to get that out of me. I mean when your school & have speeches about the "Danger of the Internet" and stuff, it sticks with you, I guess. HAVE A NICE DAY!

Please Forgive Me and Thank You

I have received a number of comments. Generally, the majority of comments are from bloggers who are are responding to my comments after I have have visited their blog. What good manners!

If I have been remiss in personally responding, please forgive me.

I am still learning the ins and outs of blogging etiquette. I certainly want all visitors to know you are welcome and appreciated.

A New Feature

As of today, I am listing the blogs I view on another page (see link above or just click here http://itsallaboutbeinglovedannex.blogspot.com).

More Questions About Blogging Etiquette

I did a search on blogspot for "about blogging." There were over 2.7 million hits. One of the most helplful was "Leesa's Stories" post about blogging etiquette. She writes that all comments should be personally responded to. Does that apply to comments from people who are responding to comments I left for them on their blogs during my random sojourn? Is this supposed to become a commenting dialogue?

My Methodology

If I come upon a new blog, I try to read the entire thing. If the blog has been around for a while, I go back to the first post, read some of the recent posts, and maybe check out some of the posts in between. If I find the blog particularly interesting, I might read more, depending on how much time I have.

I try to comment on at least five blogs per session. Because there are blogs I cannot comment on (foreign language, commenting limited to members only, etc.), I generally view more than five blogs per session.

Linking Etiquette

Is it okay to post a link to someone else's blog without their permission?

A Sick Compulsion

The past day or two I have had a physical compulsion to blog. The moment I come home from work, I turn on the computer and start checking. My husband opens the door to my office, grumbles, "Oh you're on the computer," and slams it shut again. My children repeat themselves trying to get my attention away from the screen. I think about blogging before I go to sleep -- What am I going to post? How many blogs can I visit today? Can I find again that cool blog I found the other day? Has anyone left a nice comment for me? I find myself not doing things I really should be doing in order blog. I can see this is starting to become a problem. Will I have to give up blogging if I can't strike a balance between the real world and the blogosphere? Is there treatment? Do other bloggers experience this same phenomenon?

To Be Loved

I learned today that one of my random visits inspired another blogger. I found this out when I searched "Mrs. Joseph." The first hit was a post by another blogger about how my comment touched her. I went to her blog and saw that she actually had two posts commenting on her experience of my random visit and her visit to my blog in return. Because I knew that I made her fell loved, I felt loved! That was nice.

The Anonymous Blogs

During my random sojourn through the "next blog" button I come upon these random, corporate looking blogs that are advertising vehicles for a particular product or cause, for example:

Imbruglio Blog
Mexico
Multiple Sclerosis
Health Sciences
Blog Blog
Truck
Liability Insurance

They always format the page so I lose the "next blog" button and I have to go back before I can go forward again. They are often the same format, same colors -- the simple block template you chose when setting up a blog on blogspot.com. Who creates these blogs? Who maintains these blogs?

Waiting for Love

While I have received responsive comments, I have not received random comments. I guess to be loved, one must first be known.

Quality

As I continue my random sojourn through the "next blog" button, I am increasingly aware of how few blogs really stand out. The majority are sincere. Many are well written. Some have spectacular photography. I ran into one blog today that had a short video clip of a whale watching trip. While the video was nothing great, I sensed the immediacy and awesomeness of the moment as a large pod of Orcas jumped out of the water. I really enjoyed seeing that. Some are just are so far removed from my culture that I do not relate at all to what the blogger is saying (i.e., the teenage blogs with all kids of chats and tags and abbreviations that read like a foreign language -- that's the generation gap, I guess). I come up many blogs soliciting comments.

Where is the Love?

My friend just started a myspace page/blog. She eagerly awaits comments on her blog. She can't understand why someone would visit without commenting. I feel her pain.

Feelin' The Love

I don't know how many blogs I have visited so far -- but there have been many. I always comment on the personal blogs. People have responded with comments to any one of my blogs (depending on how I signed my comment). The reponse has been warm, friendly and encouraging. I like that! I do not comment on blogs that I find offensive like the white supremisist blog I stumbled onto. I also have not commented on blogs written in foreign languages, but I think about doing that anyway. I do comment on international blogs that are written in English.

Hits

A google search for "blog" resulted in 3,050,000,000 hits.

Beta'd Out

I have been thwarted in my blogging sojourn. I have been "next blogging" my way through blogs -- going for a handful at a time -- letting the bloggers know that I visited. However, there are many blogs that require a blogger id that I cannot access because they are not beta blogs. Blogger suggests this will be remediated in the future. Meanwhile, I just keep going.

Counting

I added a counter to my page. I learned that you can start the counter at any number. I wonder how many bloggers inflate that number when they start the counter.

Giving Love

I am commited to spending some time, every day, to randomly viewing blogs and letting those bloggers know that I visited. I feel this is especially important for the bloggers whose audience is apparently quite small.

Yesterday I read there are 50,000,000 blogs on-line.

Wings of Desire

Everyone is compelled to tell their story, their reason for being. To tell, to be heard and then to be remembered. There is the catharsis in the telling and redemtion in having been listened to. To connect, to be connected. What's your story?

The Pressure and Resolution

I certainly feel pressure to keep my blog up to date. It seems like some of the most interesting blogs are regularly updated by bloggers who do not necessarily have anything particularly interesting to say but have an interesting way of saying it. By no means am I assuming that I have an interesting way of saying anything -- I'm just here for the journey. But I am trying to figure out what makes a blog compelling.

As a result I have been doing some research. I spend minutes at a time, surreptitiously when at work, clicking the "next blog" button in search of inspiring blogs. I always click on the "view my profile" link because I think bloggers want to know that someone is reading their blog and many blogs do not have counters other than the profilew view counter.

I do not always comment though. That might be a little too personal -- although I'm thinking perhaps that's really what is called for when reading blogs. If I think someone's blog is good, I should let that person know. Otherwise the whole experience remains anonymous and voyeuristic. Is this a resolution? Perhaps.

It's All About Being Loved

I've become addicted to blogging. I spend an inordinate amount of time clicking through the blogs to peer into the worlds of fellow bloggers. A little voyeuristic, I know. But then, people want their blogs to be read otherwise the blog wouldn't be published. Similar to a well-dressed woman -- a woman who clearly and purposfully chose clothing, jewelry, hair style and makeup to illuminate her features -- turning around and snapping, "What you looking at?!!" Obviously, if you don't want me to look, don't look so good.

Blogging really is a phenomenon. Some blogs are truly purposeful. I've run into a couple of those. I like the purposeful ones because they are not merely exhibitionist missives. Some of the personal blogs are really good -- so good that you wonder if the author is making it all up. I have just begun my analysis of what makes certain blogs so compelling and will hopefully integrate that here, as it develops.

I have a blog beside this one. That's my real blog. That's where I post writing and art and all that stuff that I do in the privacy of my own home. Only now I put it out there to share. I have told my peeps that I have the blog. I guess by nature of being posted in a public forum, people other than my peeps might check it out. I frequently check how many times my profile has been viewed to get a sense of how many people are reading my blog. No one I don't know has left any comments yet though. That's what I look forward to -- some type of recognition. It's all about being loved.