November 2006- Start my blog. On a whim. Because I’m killing time before going on a date. My first post talks about how bloggers are pretentious (no really, it does) and how I’m scared no one is going to read my blog. And then, because I’m afraid no one WILL read my blog, I attach my blog url to my email so every “real life” friend will have access to it. (I later refer to this “Blogging Mistake #1“).
November 2006- December 2006= No one reads my blog and I do not understand why. Doesn’t the internet know I exist?
January 2007= Someone introduces me to the idea of commenting on other blogs. My world gets bigger. And the “spare time” window shrinks.
March 2007= I get introduced to google reader. The idea of “spare time” is now laughable.
August 2007= I get my first really nasty email related to blogging. I cry.
September 2007= My first experience with plagarism. It’s as romantic and lovely as you imagine.
October 2007= I fall so in love with bloggers, I showcase some of my favourites.
March 2008= I have my second freak out seeing my words attached to someone else’s name. The phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” makes me want to punch a puppy.
October 2008= I say what I still feel. About you, and blogging and dogs who eat their own poop. This becomes one of my favourite posts, one that I will re-read now after getting a nasty emails still suck like a bad hair cut on a first date, they don’t bother me as much now. Because for every nasty email, there’s a gazillion nice ones. Good triumphs evil and all that jazz.
November 2008= After reading a blog that mentioned how the person doesn’t put up a new post until they’ve responded to all the comments they have received, I decide I’m going to do the same.
December 2008= I realize I suck at replying to comments. And commenting. I’m reading as much as ever, but December/January have been hellish in terms of time. I offer my kidney to numerous bloggers as an apology for my lack of commenting.
April 2007- January 2009= I worry less about generating comments. I write when the mood strikes, with abandon and often without any idea of what I’m saying. My posts are long, my grammar is poor and at times I’m so self indulgent that I make Veruca Salt look saintly. I develop friendships with bloggers, people who know about coding and comment moderation and who understand why google reader is life changing. But they also understand me,- maybe not the way my “real life” friends do, but they know about Mallard and my political views and are far more versed in my insecurities and frustrations regarding being a teacher. Because sometimes it’s easier for me to write it than say it out loud, these friends often get the unvarnished version of what is bothering me. I realize that I’m no longer commenting just to ‘put my name out there’, I’m commenting because I want to wish you good luck because I know how much you want the interview to go well, or I’m excited that you are engaged or I’m heartbroken about your loss. I comment because I want you to know I’m reading and less because I want people to read me. I also get lazy when it comes to starting new paragraphs.
January 2009= I publish a post talking about Blogging annoyances and then read multiple people talking about how they felt it was directed at them. Which? Breaks my heart. I decide to write a post about the evolution of me as a blogger, to show that I often do exactly what I said I find annoying (long, self indulgent posts with a lot of links and minimal content? Check!). And that’s how it should be. Because no blog is perfect. Sometimes you can’t tell the best story without it getting long. I know this. I’ve done this. And I know the day will come where I will once again do it again. And sometimes LOLZ talk makes me laugh. (True story, but let’s keep it on the down low).
If I’ve learned anything this week, it’s that you all think God farts and that we all have insecurities about our blogs. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in either of these thoughts, though I have to say, anyone of you who is willing to put your words out there should be confident about them, because they are worth sharing.
Now. It’s Friday. It’s time to plan some adventures that involve making some well thought out, bad choices.
Have a good weekend everyone!
Wow, as a new reader of your blog, this def put things in perspective about you :)
I think I’m gonna love reading your words!!
Have a fantastic weekend!
I love your blog!
Have a great weekend!!
I’m obsessed with this post. And you.
I just comment on your blog because it gives me another way to make fun of you.
I’m joking. I comment on here becuase I want you to know that I actually read you- not skim, which I may or may not be guilty of doing sometimes.
And also so you know that I think setting blood on fire is pretty fucking awesome.
As someone who has only been blogging for a few months, I haven’t evolved quite that far. Haven’t had any experience with plagiarism nor have I had any nasty emails. I agree completely about Google Reader.
But Princess, it is a good way to put “you” in perspective.
Have a lovely weekend Ma’am.
Loved this post! I can’t believe someone sent you that nasty email! I just don’t get some people, if you don’t like reading the blog, don’t read it! No need to be mean.
And p.s. adore your blog. :)
This is good. Very good. Cheers to you! Eff the haters you just keep doin’ what you’re doin’.
I just have to say this now: I’m going to continue talking about how awesome you, I, and other people are, even if it’s annoying. It has to be done, and I should have never held back.
Have a good weekend filled with both planned and spontaneous bad choices! After all, that’s what awesome people should do.
I heart you. And I owe you an email.
Have an awesomesauce weekend Deedge!
<3
Stef
I love this little history of your blog. Have a great weekend, Brandy!
This is great! I started my blog not long after you and I see a lot of similarities in the evolution. I have a constant resolve to be a better commenter but it’s SO HARD to find the time. Ditto on posting more often. I keep waiting for my life to slow down and give me more uninterrupted Blogging Time, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. So my new plan of attack is Sleep Less.
What a fun post!
I hear you on the blog stealing business. The girl who stole my stuff had the audacity to actually tell ME that “imitation in the sincerest form of flattery” after I caught her!
Are you really supposed to respond to every comment you receive? OMG. I feel like a big blog jerk now b/c I rarely do that. I usually only respond to questions.
My blog is only… hell I started it in June… the thing I fret about is “followers”… On blogger people can “follow” you blog… so it’s pretty cool when I get a new follower… woot! someone like me! But when I lose a follower I sit and wonder what I did that drove them off… *sniffle*
This is like a Lost time-warp jumping from 2008 to 2007 to 2009 to 2008.
I’m also a new reader, but I knew your post the other day would have backlash. Bloggers are insecure and always feel like people are talking about them.
goodness, we go way back dear, dont we?
Dang it, I hate being commenter No. 15.
Posts like this make the world seem a little smaller, and make me so grateful I’ve found this community. I’m learning some of the same lessons you’ve learned along the way and it makes the experience so much richer. I’ve read those “annoyances” from 20sbs, “professional” (ha) bloggers, and tech folks, and I always do a quick check to see what I’m violating, but I always come back to the same thing:
I started this because I loved it. I wrote what I felt, when I felt it, how I wanted. If that touches people, great. If it’s long-winded and senseless and has too many LOLZ or bullet points? Well, sometimes so am/do I :)
Sounds like you’re in the same boat :) And I love your blog.
Hello love. I heart you. And your blog.
I think what I like most about blogging, aside from getting to know people , is that there aren’t rules. I write what I want, when I want. Same with comments. If I’m not in the mood, I don’t. Some days I have to remind myself that I write for me, not for anyone else.
I loved reading how you’re evolved. Very fun.
xxxo
Awww! I adore this post! This was very refreshing to read in light of recent days where I’ve found myself at the stage of, “57 views per day and no one comments!? Damnit, talk to me!”
But what does it matter, really? Am I a more relaxed and sane person because I’ve vented my bullcrap into a virtual notebook? Okay. That’s debatable. I’d like to think I’m better off. And truthfully, for a small while I am. And those small whiles do add up and accumulate into one big while and suddenly… hatchet burried.
And that’s why blogs like yours, this post in particular, are so refreshing. You’re just so honest and I love it. And thank you!
:-)
Great stuff, lots to relate to, and lots to aspire to too, looks like you’ve come a long way. I’m always so happy to read your posts, what a wonderful thing it is to have access to people’s thoughts from thousands of miles away. And? I have just switched from hotmail to gmail, finally understood the lack of folders!!
I love this little history! I’m working on a post like this about the bloggers I “grew up” reading. Have a great weekend!
The October 2008 post is one of the reasons I started blogging myself. I’m glad that you have let us readers along on the journey of your evolution. Keep up the great writing
I’ve never gotten a nasty email from a reader. A couple comments, but nothing as bad as that email you got. Wow, that was a doozy to read.
Yeah I suck at responding to comments. I will do better! Once again a spectacular job of putting it right out there. Maybe it is your teacher nature, but I feel like I’ve learned something today.
My well thought out bad choices begin in approximately 95 minutes or less. Cannot wait. Have a good one – JANUARY IS OVER!!!
w00t! You used my tag. I heart you. And your tags.
Ok, I didn’t read any of the comments before me. But I love this post. I remember my first few months blogging. It was back in 2004 and blogging was a relatively new thing. No one I knew had a blog. But I started one and the only people who read it were my two friends/co-workers. But then, like you, my world got so much bigger when I learned about other blogs. Who knew??
Now it’s more than four years later and I still love it. And you know what? All of the annoyances that you wrote about and I commented about? I have been guilty of also. But that’s what is great about blogging – there are no set rules to it. We write, we read, we learn and we move on. It’s the way of the blogger. We are entitled to this.
Wow…people were worked up about your blogging notes. It’s true though. Especially people who talk in LOLSpeak. It’s funny when pictures of cats use it, not when people use it to write.
First, Great post!
Second, So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb. :)
I just had to say that due to your comment:
“Good triumphs evil and all that jazz.”
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. For a long time I was so worried about falling into the “mommy blog” catagory…so I pretty much didn’t even mention my baby. Then I remembered it’s my blog I can talk about whetever the shiz I want to. I don’t care who reads it and I’ve never looked back.
Wow! You have been blogging on this one blog for awhile! That’s awesome.
All of your posts are great. Seriously.
so true that no blog can be perfect. but this post is pretty dang close! :)
happy weekend!
This was a great post! I’m horrible at replying to comments, I just can’t seem to be consistent about it. It’s horrible because I used to be good about it. I’ve become something of a lazy blogger…
I just noticed that Brookem has her own tag. After I beat you at scrabble, I want my own tag too!
And once again you post something that proves that I can only aspire to your blogging skill…
What I love about your blog is your pure honesty, it is great.
I dont comment much myself and I suck at responding, I have you in my reader and I love reading your views.
I can understand why people take things personally but then again I probably have many things that annoy the shit out of my readers and might even make me not have that many. I cant spend my time thinking about how to please others. A blog is supposed to be a place where you voice your opinion no matter what it is and I think it is sad when you get nasty emails from people who feel victimized or dont like your point of view, then you are just missing the whole point of blogging.
Keep your strong opinions and honesty.
I love your posts.
My writing style sucks, but I do it anyway.
I am totally amazed if someone comments on my blog, in fact I get a little to happy about it.
I am scatter brained and bitch about work on my blog too much.
but to be honest I try not to worry about it… why? well that’s simple… I’m not writing my blog for other people… I write it for me. it’s more of a journal so I can look back to see a glimpse of myself from time to time. I’m not gonna lie, I would love to have more people read it and comment on it… but ultimately it boils down to it being all about me!
I enjoy reading your blog… you do a fantastic job writing and I plan to keep reading for as long as you post!
I found the previous post useful. I’m pretty new to regular independent blogging, so it is helpful to know what in regarded as annoying. One may not be able to adhere all the time to the unofficial rules, but at least one can be aware – and that in itself should help.
Entertaining blog.
I loved this Brandy! So cute! :)
Have a good weekend!
I love this post and I loved looking back at all the links to your former posts – your blog has definitely evolved a lot even since before I discovered you!
I just think you’re great. :-)
I just started reading your blog recently, but I love it – and am horrified at the thought of anyone being so stupid as to plagerize anything, thank god I haven’t had that experience. Our blogging transitions have been a lot alike.
I don’t know about the others, but I didn’t read the list the other day and think any of it was directed at me or at specific parties… it’s good to know what makes a blog user-friendly (or unfriendly, as the case may be) because I think we all want our readers to like stopping by. Sure, different things meet the different needs of various bloggers and their blogs, but I think that on the whole we do want to be careful of extremes, especially those you noted :o)
I’ve got a post similar to this one coming up for the blogoversary in March :o)
What a great post… of and ps I read your post about the nasty email and that was the cruelest and most immature thing I’ve every heard someone say. I love your blog and that person clearly has some issues.
On a happier note, this has been a great way to showcase how far you’ve come – you always have the best posts ;)
great post!!
Like the Darwin of blogging
Oh, come on, how could you not know how self-absorbed we all are? ;-)
Happy weekend, lady!
Fabulous post! You really seem to be able to speak well for the blogging community as a whole.
I completely understand Blogging Mistake #1.
The only reason I comment is that I hope one of my witty sayings will inspire a fellow blogger enough so that when that person wins the lottery, he/she gives me a couple million. (HINT: Canadian dollars are just fine!)
I love your blog, too. I haven’t had any hate emails yet–although I pissed some people off by bashing Sarah Palin. Oops! Hope you had a great weekend, girl!
This post is so great, and it’s one of the reasons why I think so many of us come back everyday. Also, glad to know I’m not the only one who feels a little insecure when it comes to blogging.
i just found you via 20sb, and that’s definitely one of the top five things that’s happened so far in my day.
:)
As a sister blogger and inspired reader, I just want you to know I understand every word you said, and I thank you for the time you devote to reading my blog too.
Someone once told me that if you start getting negative comments on your blog, along with the good ones, you are doing something very right.
So good on ya!
KJ
[...] seeing Brandy’s post about her blogging history I was feeling proud that I’ve not received a single [...]
Love it all, as always. I’m delurking to remind you how fabulus you are and to add to the positive pile so you can keep saving the day!
Keep up the great blogging and completely disregad the nasties…they’re just not worth it…
Yeah, screw them. You said what was on your mind and if they take offense, maybe they can leave a comment. I don’t understand why people get so hellbent about blog criticisms where they fire off angry emails. I swear blogging has created a really bad case of passive aggressive behaviour.
Not that I’m saying anything new here, but this post really spoke to me. Thanks!