Rules? We don't need no stinkin' rules!
I'm starting to uncover a few things about blogging, I think. People have self-imposed rules for their blogs. And I think there's such a thing as blogging etiquette (I meant to ask my mentor, Eric, about this before getting started but failed to do so). So here are my "rules" so far, and if I have any readers left after all the bru-ha-ha that has gone on here in the first week (much to Jim's chagrin), I'd be interested in your feedback (what are your rules?). Here are mine:1) Be nice and respect other people's opinions (I've already broken this rule, twice...my apologies to Jim and Beth ;-)
2) No pop-culture discussions about things I know nothing about (e.g. TeeVee shows, rap music, fantasy fiction*, video games, the latest fashion trends, ABBA, The Village People, etc.)
3) No political discussions unless I can back up my position with verifiable facts
4) Respond to readers' comments
5) Visit my readers' blogs and leave comments for them if I'm so moved (I won't leave pity comments, so know that if I leave a comment, it is sincere)
6) Post something at least once a day
7) Try to balance stupid posts with thoughtful posts (I've yet to begin in ernest)
8) Be real (I've very little tolerance for superficiality and I expect you don't either)
9) No whining
10) There is no #10, but please, help me add a 10th rule (the OCD is kicking in). :-)
* In the interest of full disclosure, I have never read Lord of the Rings, which for all intents and purposes makes me ineligible to blog.
posted by Gwynne @ 5:35 PM
15 Comments:
#10. Have fun! Enjoy yourself. If that means breaking rules 1-9 so be it!
My humble opinion of course.
I like the other rules. A lot. I don't think I've thought out my rules for blogging but the ones you've listed would be a good fit!
I'm with you on all of those. My #10 is "don't blog from work - that's just asking for trouble."
Your number 4 (respond to comments) is a great one. I try to do that with every comment, but sometimes can't find anything to say that wouldn't violate rule #8 (be real). For people I don't know, I'll figure something out. For the regulars, sometimes I'll stay silent.
...and hope they don't think I'm ignoring them...
(word verification: gxlsuv - something big you'd find at the Ford dealer)
Heh. I think that's the first time the random word thingy has had any meaning whatsoever.
Thanks for the suggestions. I like the "have fun" rule! The "no blogging from work" rule is hard to avoid since my work and personal lives overlap so much, but I never charge clients for blogging time. ;-)
Hm. What number are we up to here? 13 or so I think - either way 13 is good so here's mine:
#13 - Don't take blogging too seriously (either comments or other people's opinions - which kinda rules out #1, to which upon seeing your apology (which I know was heartfelt) I nearly snarfed my water. Please. I operate by the "If you can't take it, don't dish it" rule, and generally anything from me that sounds snarky is meant sarcastically. But I'm sarcastic like that. If I offend you, please tell me, most likely I won't realize it. But I will always be truly sorry.) (Plus seriously, you weren't rude.) (Unless you weren't joking and were seriously annoyed by the whole ABBA debacle in which case I support a unilateral bi-partisan investigation into the affair to determine if there was any wrongdoing.) (Oh, and I'm really sorry.)
I was going to try and write a comment that broke all of your rules (just for fun) but for now I think I've eaten up enough with my mongo comment so I will just grin and say - Good luck with the house rules! I'll try to be good. I promise!
Beth, just so you know, I'm totally onto you. ;-) I think we may have been separated at birth. I'm nothing if not sarcastic but sincere. ;-) And like you, if I offend, it makes me feel very bad. My apology to you and Jim was tongue in cheek though. My rule only applies to things that really matter (oops, there I go again). ;-)
Oh, and by the way, Rule #13 is actually the reason I posted on this at all. It seems some people really do take blogging very seriously, hence my curiosity about other peoples' rules. I picture myself behaving like a big Golden Retriever running around the fine housewares department, wagging my tail and breaking all the china. I just want to make sure I'm not, you know, offending anybody. ;-)
Offend away. The Abba Chronicles were the most fun I had all week!
I've never posted any rules on my blog, but I did start it with the intent of writing at least once every day. That hasn't happened, though I've only missed about six days since I started, today being one of them. It gets hard sometimes. Interesting stuff happened today, just not anything I felt was blog-worthy.
Oh, and just to be clear, those rules were specifically directed towards me, as in I will try my best to adhere to these rules. For the most part, they are not meant as House Rules for others to follow. Unless of course, there is an egregious violation, and then I'll have to call for backup.
I think 4 & 5 are important. :) Otherwise I may as well be talking to myself! On the other hand - Girls just wanna have fun! hehe.
"woaxpweo," which, if I'm not mistaken, is from the "Abba Unplugged" concert. Heh. Yeah, that sounds about right. ;-)
Has anyone else noticed the word verifier slurring her words? Not that anyone else is listening right now, but still, I can not read the letters that she wants me to type... :-\
I read your stutter as akin to a child's anticipation of something really exciting about to happen. I'm going to sit at my computer tomorrow night and watch. ;-)
Good rules. There is a sort of unwritten etiquette to blogging. #4 and #5 are crucial and also sometimes the toughest. I know that in the past few weeks I've been really lax in my comment responding at my blog. We all go through cycles of blog-energy, so in those down times it's hard to respond and read others.
One of my rules is to try to share the wealth through linking. Again, I've been lax in that area recently, but blogs started out primarily as link dumps and moved into more of the journal/essay format as they evolved.
And I sound like some pendantic blog scholar. So I'll stop now.
See, I just wanted to read the other comments and make sure that Gwynne was on to me and then I wasn't going to comment, but with a word verification like "egvwni" - which has to be the Gaelic root word for Gwynne, don't you think? - I just couldn't not comment.
Hm. Maybe you need a rule about how comments should actually be worth the electrons they eat up to display...course then I'd probably not have much to say most of the time. :)
ufgbgc
What I say will say upon having to get up Sunday morning after losing an hour's sleep.
Thank you, Jen. I appreciate your scholarship. ;-) And I like the rule about linking. And for all that's going on in your life right now, you've done a fine job of keeping up on #4 & 5.
Beth, that's just priceless, and very close to the nickname that Lyndon and Beau bestowed on me way back when, which I refuse to divulge for fear it might stick. :-)
Jim, you lost an hour's sleep last night? I was working on my own tax return when suddenly, an hour disappeared. I'd never give up an hour's sleep. ;-)
Oooh, we get to choose which hour we lose? In that case, can I retroactively lose the hour I spent formatting references in a document in (I hope) proper APA format and get back the hour of sleep?
Hmmm...I feel more rested already.
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