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?