Winter's not done with us yet, nor I with it.
~~~
A year or two ago I dsicovered the wonders of feeds. I spent an unconscionable long weekend transferring all my blogroll to RSS, and whenever I took on a new blog, I clicked that little orange icon and on they went.
I've just spent the best part of today deleting them, or most of them, as I thought. I left on those which have been long dormant, in case they should reawaken, a few who post relatively infrequently but I want to know when they do, and a couple who, for different reasons I don't have on the blogroll, and it's handy to have them to hand. This still left me with an overwhelming 24 feeds.
I couldn't keep up, the feeds had just become overwhelming and a source of guilt, telling me always just how long I'd been neglecting you all for. Neither will I do any other kind of feed reader, Blogger Followers (still haven't a clue what that's about, though I appear to have 20 of them, not many compared to some, but Blogger won't tell me who they are anyway...), or that kind of feed blogroll thing lots of other people have. From now on it's up and down the blogroll in the old-fashioned way, which will probably be quicker as I won't have to wait between feed and going to the blog to comment, especially for the Typepad ones or people with loads of posts per page or fussy widgets...
This has meant that in the last few days I think I've managed to visit almost everyone and comment on most, an infrequent state of affairs which, by definition, won't last long. Sorry if I've still missed you, I'll be along as soon as I can. Likewise if you're a new but fairly regular visitor, I'll get you on the sidebar very soon.
This has meant that in the last few days I think I've managed to visit almost everyone and comment on most, an infrequent state of affairs which, by definition, won't last long. Sorry if I've still missed you, I'll be along as soon as I can. Likewise if you're a new but fairly regular visitor, I'll get you on the sidebar very soon.
I may even find time to write something half-worthwhile here one of these days. Still, pictures are probably more interesting, and quicker to look at.
23 comments:
I use Google Reader for my blogs and such but have to keep cleaning it out when I've added too many.
Your photos are always worth viewing as is your writing.
I love the almost angry abstract nature of ice. Google reader is also my vice of choice, and after a bit of time away due to a broken computer, I am trying to be less tied up with being caught up all the time. Sometimes there are just too many. And that's okay.
Good to stick to fronds, really.
Fabulous frostscapes!
Oh, I use the feed all the time and have far far too many! For me, the advantage with some of the less personal, eg archaeology, gardening etc blogs is that I can skim them quickly and only read posts that are of particular interest to me. Still too many, sigh...
Hi! I am one of your followers, so I thought I might introduce myself. I found you through the lovely and talented Belgian Waffle who linked to a post of yours a few months ago. Your photos are stupendous and inspiring. I'm a musician and photographer and a few other things; feel free to stop by if you have the time :)
Oh, the wonders of frozen water! I feel happy that you and I have had a another bout of parallel play this wintry month.
Terrific photos, especially the last.
I have a Google bookmarklet in my browser which, when clicked, takes me directly to the next unread blog post in my 'roll. Best of both worlds.
I hope you left me on!
I had a big discussion (almost an argument once) with someone who felt that using Reader was a bit like standing around outside someone's house rather than knocking on the door and making their presence felt. They felt it was wrong to read posts without visiting the blog. I disagreed - couldn't really see it made much difference.
I use Reader. And I know what you mean. I went through a phase of feeling that Reader was nagging me mercilessly. I'd go there, see this huge list of unread items and retreat again in horror.
I gave myself a sound talking to and now I will not let it make me feel under pressure. I just read what I can. If I only have a little time I flick through and pick those that I have something to say about. Other times if I am stuck at the pool or something and have nothing useful to do I might work through all of the posts. But I am in charge now!
I don't have a blogroll on my blog for a variety of reasons so Reader is the most sensible way for me to keep up to date.
Congratulations on touching on that most delicate of subjects, worthy of incorporation into the first chapter of "War and Peace". As one with the stingiest list of links (though slightly bigger than my Christmas card list) I feel I must take off my shoes before addressing you because I've always wondered how you did it. That and walks with Mol, English classes, advanced cuisine and slumberous monitoring of BBC4. I'd offer myself as a sacrificial goat, to be visited not more than once a fortnight, except that that would be a fortnight of the coldest of cold turkey. I've added names reluctantly guided by the crassest of motives - self-interest; I fear I don't see the Blogoworld as a charity. In my own defence I ask myself one question: would I resent being compelled to write a three-hundred-worder to this person if the need arose? So my stingy list represents three-hundred-word worthy people and that, I suppose, is a left-handed sort of compliment. In fact once or twice I've written more, exposing myself to the danger of being typed as one who runs off at the mouth. As I said, a very delicate subject.
Your frost photos are not in the slightest bit pretty. They're jagged with Angst, a timely reminder that nature exists outside the policy decisions of the Walt Disney studio. In some cases it's purely a matter of straight lines; strange how frightening they can be.
Thanks people, I feel this was a bit of a curmudgeonly post!
I do have a few blogs which I have redirected to my e-mail. These are mostly daily posted ones which I fear not keeping track of if I don't do that, but I don't always comment. Otherwise, I do generally feel I should comment if I've read. I don't mind a bit that people read here who don't always comment, but somehow I feel if I've taken the time to read I want to let people know I've done so, probably pure egoism. So reading in feeds only was a bit of a dead loss, and just increased the time it took. Also, it's nice to see blogs as they should look, feeds often don't do them justice.
Glad you liked the ice, I fear seasonal repetition, but perhpas there's no need.
Angeline - thanks for unlurking, and welcome, pleased to meet you!
RB - you are one for obvious reasons I keep in feeds only. As I say, I don't mind people reading but not coming over at all, I do lurk in a few places myself. Unlike you, I don't read on-line on the go, so that makes a difference.
BB - I am very flattered to be among your links. It means I get regular, thoughtful amusing comments which I look forward to and rely on. I fear perhaps I do sometimes neglect you for two weeks at a stretch. I should be firmer about acquiring more and more blogs to read, and it would be easy to say it's motivated by simple narcissism and a need to be loved, but it isn't only that, I really do like everyone, and their blogs.
I have deleted a few from the roll over time, if I simply wasn't going there and they weren't visibly coming here, or once because though I liked the blog and even the blogger I began to suspect a deep antipathy to their politics which I couldn't stomach. I always feel bad about it though.
I fear Mol might get longer walks if I didn't blog... along with quite a number of other things I'd do more of, but I wonder now if any of those things would have the same savour...
I'd forgotten one further criterion. All my professional life I wrote for a living and was grudging about what I did for free. Faced with blogging (For free) I needed another yardstick; the exchanges had to be a genuine pleasure in which entertainment rode high. Once a sense of obligation obtruded, or I felt the exchanges had descended into an unthinking routine or even slight acrimony, it was time to get out. I see you fearlessly open up briefly on the even more delicate subject of which links get purged other than for inanition. Now there's a topic for a Black Blog where access is only by password. Not that it's a decision taken lightly and, if one is honest, some self-blame is in order for accepting the link in the first place.
I see I am now running off at the mouth but I must comment on your last sentence. Even when I'm away from the keyboard I'm nearly always aware of those aerial channels and what they may contain at that very moment. Blogging can be an extended form of consciousness.
wonderful photos....
I follow a fair number of blogs but it does seem a bit pointless as I find it easiest to follow blogs by going up and down the blogroll as you say and then visiting people as they comment
I love the last shot, it's like a mini aerial landscape.
I'm with you on keeping up with everyone and the guilt falling down on the job brings.
I've never clicked that RSS button and reading about your guilt at the ever-growing list of unread things, I think I'm better off without it.
All beautiful, but that last one really stuns me! Thanks.
My Nokia crashes if I utilize the Feeder function (I still don't have a computer at home, relying on the public computers at the local library branch). So often I am able to read your text only here in the evening. I will either have to upgrade to an iphone or go whole hog and procure a laptop now that they've cut the hours at the library (budget cuts).
"The secret ministry of the frost", wrote Coleridge in anticipation of these photographs.
I depend far too much on Google Reader. It is so much nicer to stop by in person and visit on the porch now and then. Mea culpa.
Beautiful, beautiful work as always.
Ah! I've just seen your fantastic frost compositions. I imagine creatures of the North engaging in wild dances to warm up the inside of the hut. One can almost hear sounds coming from this pictures, Lucy!
Well, this has been educational for me, as I never have really known what RSS and Followers and Feeds were about. I get to points when I just don't want to learn anymore technology, and I get upset that we don't have someone slowing it all down, kind of the way they regulate the French language.
Anyway, I LOVE your frost photos, and the misty photos posted earlier are magical.
I feel like my life is starting to get a little more back to the point that I can do things like this more often. We'll see.
And still need to mail you that package! Sorry!
Thanks for sharing the beauty you see.
As beautifyl as the frost can be and your photos are...........I'm ready for the Spring.
Saw my first Snow Drops last weekend.
Beautiful photos, Lucy. The frost ones put me in mind of forestscapes.
:)
I'm with Sheila . . . !
I tend to go to the blogs that I love when I can, and then just read everything to catch myself up. Sometimes, if I am reading a lot or traveling, I don't get on the computer for days at a time. I try not to feel guilty about "not keeping up," but it seems to be an occupational hazard. Like you, I comment more often than not; isn't that the point? I've just had one of my computer absences, and have just now been catching up on the comments that I got for my No Impact Man/environment post. I want to thank you heartily for the long and thoughtful comment that you left for me there. Truly, when I read your blog (or the comments on my blog) I think THIS is why I love blogging. And finally, I am one of your followers . . . so now you know at least a few of them!
These frostscapes are fascinating; somehow disorienting, too, as I'm not sure what I am looking at . . . and yet I find it beautiful.
Post a Comment