So yesterday, I started doing something I haven't done in YEARS.
I'm culling the follow lists on Bloglovin. (DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUN!)
Don't worry, though. See in the course of my five years of blogging, I've followed about 5000 blogs. (It's so bad that back when Google Reader still existed, I broke it in about two years after starting. This, in case you're a new blogger, is one of the reasons why I have 1000+ follows.)
The thing is that I only really realized the need for separating the blogs a bit sensibly after I broke my Google Reader and I've been putting off creating order ever since.
But last year, my more-often-than-not absence has dwindled to nothing because I can safely say I haven't been visiting enough people. So I thought, what better way to get out there than to go down my follow list and commenting on every single active blog I have on it? (And while unfollowing anything that hasn't been posted on in the past year or more.)
I'm trying to see how many I can visit before April, because I've entered three of my blogs for the Challenge. (Still need to decide what I'll be writing about.) I really really want to meet some new bloggers. But before I do, I'd really really like to actually be able to find them again later.
Then I changed something else today. I noticed a big drop in my comments from yesterday to today. (Which is unusual for my blog. Not blowing my horn, but yours. You regular visitors are AWESOME.) Today while on my visit spree, I noticed that I'm having problems with getting to the comments page on Blogger if the comments pages are embedded. So now I've changed mine to a pop-up. If, for some reason, the comments don't work (or word verification - oh how I loathe those), please mail me at mishagericke(AT)gmail(DOT)com to let me know.
In case you're wondering, I'll still be visiting people who commented on my posts. And if you haven't been commenting lately, I should be dropping by anyway at some point. Right now I'm at A. Don't laugh. I've already been through a whole lot of blogs starting with numbers and punctuation marks.
How many blogs do you follow? How do you maintain order?
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Welcome back Misha! I do follow more blogs than I have followers and it does get overwhelming. It's good to see you posting again. I haven't had internet for a few days, so I too need to play catch-up and make a lot of blog visits today. All the best!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I checked, it was well over 1000 blogs. I only comment if I feel I have something to say on the subject.
ReplyDeleteBut here's how I maintain order. I categorize my blogs by interest.
Some blogs, like review sites, I might skip completely if I'm busy. Others, I'll only read the subject line and sometimes the first paragraph. If it doesn't sound like something I'd be interested in, I pass that day.
If someone comments on my blog, I ALWAYS answer them. I'll also pop over to their blogs to see if they have any recent posts where I feel I can contribute.
Luckily, most people only post once or twice a week so I can usually catch them eventually.
That is a lot of blogs to go through!!! Right now I'm trying to find my way around Blogger's 300 limit (I can follow more blogs through GFC but not all blogs have that). Going through the blogs to find the inactive ones can be very time consuming.
ReplyDeleteThe purging of the following list. I need to do that. Someday.
ReplyDeleteI've always found the popup comment box easier to use.
About a month ago we completely purged our follow list. Threw out the blogs that stopped posting. Or were closed. Tossed out those blogs that no longer visited or interested us. Not to toot our OWN horns, but we can't reasonably read the blogs of everyone who follows us. We'd never get a spare moment to write. But we do make a conscious effort to follow and interact with those who interact with us (and are interesting - sorry mommy blogs). So hey! Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm only a small time blogger by comparison but even so a tidy-up is needed from time to time. Co-incidentally I did a purge yesterday! So many blogs in my list have died off over the last couple of years.
ReplyDeleteHi, Misha,
ReplyDeleteGlad you're still out and about. Hope to see you soon at my place....
I should do the same. I don't have nearly the amount of time I used to have to blog, so I am very select on who I visit.
I ADORE my old blogger friends and I must keep up with them as best I can. Although I totally enjoy meeting new people, I just don't have the time to forge new blogger friends AT THIS TIME...
All the best with your monumental endeavor..
I'm the way way as you... I follow way too many blogs to actually follow. I need to go through the list and remove any of the inactive blogs.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a real time drain, with that many blogs to visit and read? Maybe determine a good way to narrow scope? More than just to removing inactive ones? Of course, you may read far faster thank I do...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure if I hadn't systematically unfollowed blogs along the way, I'd probably be somewhere around 5000 too. But that is just soooo many! I like to keep my list down between 250-300. I can't keep up with more people than that!
ReplyDeleteI think I follow under 100 blogs...terrible, aren't I? Good luck with your mission!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, five thousand blogs???
ReplyDeleteI maybe follow four or five hundred at most. And most of those aren't active anymore. They're people I met during the first and second A to Z challenges I participated in. Seems only a fraction of the people I follow are still actively blogging. Guess I should do a purge myself.
The blogger comments thing is a bit of a pain at times. There seem to be snags with whichever version you use. CAPTCHA sometimes shows up even when it's not been set by the blogger, but generally we can just ignore it and still reply anyway.
ReplyDeletebtw, the 'prove you're not a robot' thing is showing on your blog. I didn't click it before 'publishing' my previous reply.
ReplyDeleteI need a list clean around the first of the year and I'm at about 100. My routine is I post once a week. The I start working my way through my list, reading every post that's gone up since last week and try to comment on most if not all. Then I check for incoming comments on my post came from people I don't already follow and I visit their blog and comment. But this takes so much time, I look at people who are following several hundred blogs or more and I figure I have to be doing something wrong.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Murees. :-)
ReplyDeleteMaria, I'm taking your advice. It definitely makes the most sense.
Sarah, the only way to do that is by using a service like Bloglovin.
Alex, putting my follow lists into order is something I always put off too.
Hey dudes from Beer in a Shower (not sure which one commented here.) I know what you mean. I don't think I'd ever be able to actually regularly visit everyone, but I'm hoping that once I sort out my lists, I'll at least be able to find posts that interest me. Thanks for stopping by!
Ian, the same with me. Most of the blogs I'm deleting stopped updating more than a year ago.
Michael, I'm heading over to you now. ;-) I totally understand why you'd be picky with making more blogger friend. (And am honored that you count me as one.)
Lynda, it's kind of annoying to do, but at the same time, it's interesting to catch up with some old blogs I followed ages ago.
Terry, I actually worked it out. If, once I've visited everyone who visits me, I stop by five extra blogs per day, that adds up to about 1000 blogs in 2015. So it's actually not that impossible to do.
Karen, that's what I did. I followed a bunch of blogs and then didn't maintain the lists. Feeling it now, though. Thanks for stopping by!
Andrea, I think everyone has their own speed. Me, I like meeting lots of people and enjoy reading what everyone has to say. But honestly, I have about 100 blogs or where I can call myself a regular. Often, it depends on who visits my blog regularly too.
L.G., a lot of my inactive blogs are also from A to Z or the Crusades back when they were happening. I'm guessing that next year, I'll be unfollowing a lot of inactive blog from this year's A to Z too.
Patsy, I did NOT know that. Thanks for the heads-up!
LD, that's a great way to do it. At one stage, I did the same as my blog grew, but at 250 people, the wheels came off.
I'm struggling to keep order, too, and I miss out on some blogs . . . I can't seem to keep up.
ReplyDeleteI use Bloglovin' to follow and typically pop in once a week to check what I have. Except this past week I fell behind. I popped in today and I'm all, "Wow! Misha's back!" Six posts!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back around. I'm guessing everything is good on the home front?