Lightening has tagged me for this meme. In fact, I think she tagged me a month ago. Sorry - it takes me a while to do these things sometimes!
The Rules
1. Post five links to five of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the five key words given below (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like).
2. Tag five other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least two new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.
3. Don’t forget to read the archived post and leave comments.
Family
For anyone new around here, earlier in 2007 I compiled a family history and self-published it for my grandparent’s combined 80th birthday. Here is an extract from the piece I wrote for it.
Friend
Remember my friend who wanted a home-birth? Well, she got it. Her beautiful baby girl was born on Boxing Day.
Myself
Here is my response to a particular question regarding my past with an eating disorder.
Love (of country)
Melbourne vs. Sydney? I personally like the ‘Aussie jokes‘ list - and so did you. I got a lot of email from that!
Women and blogging in Australia
I personally think that blogging in Australia - particularly women who are blogging - has spiked in interest and respectability in 2007. This is a good thing. How could it be otherwise? Women everywhere are finding a contemporary medium where they are comfortable; to express their creativity, to foster a business or their personal goals. Even better, for those who choose, their digital ‘homes’ can be visited and made a community experience, which may then be reciprocated in social and political ways. ‘To Make a Difference’, to put it a different way. At least, that’s part of what I’m trying to achieve here at Miscellaneous Mum.
Going back over my 2007 archives, I was interested to see how I contributed to it. Not in an emphatic way, mind (I don’t pretend to be a venerable source of opinion or fact in this field - yet); just in the way I reported it. For example, back in April, I asked whether there was any reliable ranking system for Australian blogs, sort of the kind that Mamablogga (Jordan) ran. Since then, as most Australian bloggers know, there are now two such things: Meg’s Top 100 Australian Blogs list and more recently Leigh’s Top 50 Australian Women’s blogs list.
(<bragging> I am lucky enough to make an appearance in all three. </ bragging>)
So to end this meme, I am supposed to tag five people. I am going to be extremely naughty -as I usually am - and not do this.
Instead I’m going to ask you - how has your opinion of blogging changed over the course of 2007? Are you new to it and still ‘learning the ropes’? Are you becoming bored and disenchanted with some of the competitiveness and stakes-raising that (occasionally) happens? Or do you see yourself as becoming a major player; that blogging will pave your way to glory in gold?
I’m very curious to know!
7:39 am
I’ve only been blogging since September, and I love it. I call my blog my new toy! The sense of community that others mention is palpable and I feel that it has given me a creative outlet for my writing that has been sadly neglected since I started full time work four years ago. (Single Mum + 4 boys + full time job doesn’t give a lot of down time to get that Great Australian Novel going!!)
However, one thing that does bug me a bit is people begging and pleading for ‘linky love’, or for votes to various popularity contests. (I’m not including you in this… just thought I’d better mention that!) I’m a bit of a traditionalist, in that I believe that if you desire a readership then it will develop organically over time, providing of course that your writing/pictures are good enough to inspire people to keep coming back. ‘Linky love’ pleas smell to me of desperation, and I’ve been on enough dates to know that it’s not a particularly attractive aroma! I prefer to read people who are happily (and entertainingly) doing their own thing without worrying about their ratings. If their writing speaks to me, I’ll recommend them on my blog and I’ll be back. Surely that’s how a person can sustain a consistent readership over time. Or am I being naive?
Frogdancer’s last blog post..Memory Loss is one of the first signs, they say…
7:44 am
No! Not at all. Personally, I agree with you. The BEST blogs I read do the same as you describe; just plod away, only interested in being as good as they can be. I have solicited votes in the past - I admit! - but I only did it in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge way that I hope most people got!
Nice to see you again, too
8:38 am
I’m loving my blog. I like it heaps better now that I am self hosted, even if my subscriber count disappeared after I moved. (I don’t think I did the feedburner thing right. Ah well.)
Veronica’s last blog post..What I Wanted, But Didn’t Want To Hear
11:05 am
Although I’ve been blogging very intermittently for a few years, this was my first NaBloPoMo and the first time I took it at all seriously. I enjoyed the creative outlet and discipline of blogging daily, but having readers does perhaps make me a little more self-conscious about what I write. I am still really cautious about letting anybody I know in person read my blog. They might realize that my steely exterior is all a farce. Or they might not think it’s funny. Or they might think that I am airing deeply personal dirty laundry in a shameful and embarrassing way. Which I am.
I think I just talked myself out of blogging ever again. Whoops.
Stella’s last blog post..Her face says it all
1:55 pm
I was about to tag both you and lightening for this meme. I am glad I checked your blogs first
In answer to your questions - my basic opinion of blogging has not changed at all. I am still passionate about the benefits it offers in so many ways.
I do get tired of having to promote my blog - as I recently began afresh with Wordpress on my own domain I had to start over again in many ways, the blog promotion being a necessary evil. I still do not like the competitive aspects which is why I do not take part in schemes that do not sit right with me even if they may pay dividends in terms of visitors.
I have become much better at leaving comments on blogs of those I do not know or do not know well. I still comment because I like the blog content rather than for the sake of linkbacks alone even though it is advised to comment on blogs of note for promotion purposes. This is something I should perhaps work on.
Part of me would love to be a highly respected and highly read blogger but I am not sure I have the motivation to do what this takes so will be remain content with my smaller loyal following.
I would like to get back on the Aussie top 100 and top 50 lists though. I was there with my old blog but not my new one.
I too have a tendency not to pass on memes or to change them in some way so I thoroughly approve of what you have done with this one.
I still tend to write reams when I comment as you can see!
10:15 pm
Further to what Frogdancer said, I have actually had rather popular bloggers email me privately and practically BEG for me to add them to my blog roll. Makes me wonder if that is how they got to be as ‘big’ as they are, basically begging the newbies to love them. Meh.
I was astounded that I made the top 50 women bloggers considering I don’t do any of those Tuesday whatevers, apparently that is the way to get a higher ranking or somesuch. I am just happy that people are actually popping over to read my foul mouthed rantings and commenting. That is enough for me
Kelley’s last blog post..Alright…. what the fuck is that!?
4:18 am
Well, I can’t recall when I started blogging. Could have been 2006. And I’m an infrequent blogger. I’ve never had a desire to be an uber-blogger, but I’ve often considered shutting ‘er down, simply because I don’t do it consistently, and I rarely know if people read it, since I don’t often get comments. Now, I’m not saying I need anyone’s validation. That’s not why I started in the first place. It’s merely helpful to know that others read what you write, ’cause otherwise it seems that I’m just talking to myself. And I do that at work, so I don’t really need to do that during my leisure time. Huh. Maybe that does sound like a mild plea for validation. Drat.
D.Paul’s last blog post..SPEAKING OF
7:09 am
V - I like it better self-hosted too.
Stella - No! Don’t talk yourself out of it!
Kelley - REALLY?! I’m dying to know who
D.Paul - Well, I read it. There’s one.
1:44 am
Karen,
Thanks for the support! I guess I’ll keep ‘er open a little while longer.
D.Paul’s last blog post..SPEAKING OF
9:40 am
I’m pretty much a veteran blogger - coming up to 4 years. I started just to write because I’ve always been interested in that and blogging has turned out to be the perfect platform for me to write.
It’s only this year that I’ve connected more with Australian bloggers and also made the top 100 aussie bloggers (although I’ve dropped off this fortnight) and the top 50 aussie women bloggers. It’s also the year that I got my own domain then moved to self-hosting. I don’t see myself giving blogging up any time soon.
I don’t know that I’ll ever be a major player - whatever that is exactly - but I am getting more involved in blogging and the aussie blogging community which I really like.
There’s lots I don’t blog about but there’s also lots that I do blog about and I love the support I get when the chips are down, and the support I can give to other bloggers.
jen’s last blog post..And Christmas was pretty good
5:21 pm
I recently started my own blog after being part of a blog team - much better solo LOL.
I’m hopeless with memes !
Just plodding away, popping in several posts each day and slowly building up a storehouse of Aussie book titles,trivial history,forgotten treasures that someone might like to read someday lol.
I comment on other blogs to encourage others’ writing that I enjoy reading.
Jayne’s last blog post..Updates