Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
So here's the deal. I hate some of your blogs. You make it difficult for me to enjoy my stay. You see, I have pet peeves that are a challenge to overcome. I fight through my annoyance in order to get to the content that I know will reward me for my efforts. I go through this trouble because I appreciate strong opinions, sweet stories, deep thoughts and humor. I just wish you wouldn't make it so difficult for me to visit.
We all have pet peeves in life - so why be surprised that they exist in the blogosphere too? If we all liked the same things the world would be a boring place. So therefore you either find a way to live with what bugs you or you avoid the stuff that does. And no blogger wants to be avoided.
I hate auto tunes. That is a killer for me. I, like my husband, enjoy music. It is a big part of our lives. But I don't want it shoved in my ears when I go to a blog. Display your playlist and let me decide when to turn it on and when to leave it off. If your widget won't allow for such a feature, please display it somewhere right at the top so I don't have to frantically scroll around looking for the OFF button on your blog. Others might not be so patient and will just go elsewhere.
I save your blog for my Reader because the sound doesn't kick on through there. But I think twice going to leave a comment sometimes because I don't want to brace myself for the tunes. If I happen to enjoy your selections, it isn't quite as bad, but in general it is like when you accidentally forget to turn the volume on your alarm clock down. And I know, I have a mute button on my laptop. I use it often. But why make me annoyed to begin with?
I dislike moving ads on blogs. The ones that dance and wiggle, blink and flash. They make things run more slowly and distract my eyes from the posts I came to read. And they make me question the purpose of the blog to begin with. I love my DVR that lets me fast forward through commercials. I change the radio station when an ad comes on. Flashy ads make me want to leave your blog.
And speaking of ads, I dislike cluttered sidebars in general. I get a bit overwhelmed with all that information. I put my blinders on to focus on your posts in the center of my screen. But I keep getting distracted by all those shiny awards, ads, blog rolls, widgets and of course, the musical playlist. I enjoy an informative side bar that tells a lot of information about you and what you love. Don't let it get lost in all the clutter.
OK. I feel better. I know that I'm not alone. Some people share my pet peeves. And others will defend their choices to end of the blogosphere. And that's why freedom is a great thing. I'm sure some of you have pet peeves about our little corner right here. Our posts are too frequent, or too long. We cross promote to my outside articles too often. We have too many photos or can't seem to focus on one simple niche. You can't please everyone. But sometimes, if only people would share their issues, we see things from a whole new perspective and make an adjustment because, now that you mention it, that thing we do is annoying to us too!
What's your biggest pet peeve on blogs? Has anyone ever suggested you make a change? Have you ever brought up your pet peeve to a blogger? And by all means, go ahead and give us some productive criticism if we're a prime culprit. Don't be afraid to share - your blogger thoughts are safe with us.
34 comments:
At first, I was cringing because I was afraid I was doing something that bugged you! I may do something irritating, but I don't think I do any of those things! Whew!
Moving things don't bother me, cluttered sidebars are ugly, but I ignore them. But the music? AAAAACK!!!!! I can't stand it! I have one blog in my reader that does that, and I find that I don't even want to open the post. I don't have the nerve to drop the blog, because the person is so nice. Please people, if you have auto tunes, TURN THE DAMN THING OFF!!!!!!!
Ohhhh, yesssss, right on, sister! I have dropped one of my favorite blogs, because I can't stand the playlist thing, especially because it is her family's music. It takes forever to load and it just annoys the crap out of me! I've displayed playlists before, but with the sound off. Only once did I have one come on automatically and it was because it was essential to the post and I removed it right after.
I have tried to clean up my sidebar so that it basically either gives information about me or about my blog, and I don't do ads (sorry blogger). Just can't stand them. My blogroll is kind of long, but that's because I don't usually go to Reader.
I do love the stuff I have at the bottom, but hardly anyone sees that stuff. It's for my own enjoyment.
Thanks for saying what needs to be said!
I hate word verification!
I hate it because sometimes you can't read the word and have to type it several times OR you comment thinking there isn't one and just when I'm about to leave the word verification scene appears. I have left many times because I've forgotten this.
Well, I don't know what my biggest pet peeve is...except feel sad when some peopel only complan on their blogs all the time. I really find it difficult to be loyal if someone's theme of their blog is complaining. Of course we all get riled up about stuff...I do all the time but the odd blogger out there is only commited to being negative about the world and life...often about mundane things. I just find those blogs and their atmosphere depressing.
meanwhile...I enjoy coming to your blog! I've been mad busy and therefore a lousy blog pal...but I hope to change my evil ways.
Cheers, and miss you!
Candy
I just figure it's all part and parcel of blogging. Everybody is entitled to fix their page up like they want. I usually leave the volume off while visiting. I put up with word verification because My niece had her computer hacked through blogger. I've blocked two spammers my self and 2 weeks ago I picked up a dreadful trojan horse that we are having a terrible time finding. So I think word verification is a good thing. I don't like ads.
I've had people complain about the size of my pictures because they take so long to load. I've considered downsizing them, but I do love the bigger pictures.
I also dislike the music, but if I enjoy that blog I still go there and just go turn it off right away.
Ads do drive me crazy though, and I think there have been a couple of blogs that I have gone to that the ads end up making my internet browser go wacky. Of course I don't have a way to prove that, but it only happens when I go to a couple of blogs that have a lot of ads.
The auto playlist and the word verification are bummers for me. And I'm not fond of advertising, but that's just me.
I don't care about sidebars, bottom bars or headers. It's their blog and they can do as they see fit with it. Occasionally, but rarely, the blog page is so cluttered with stuff that it's actually difficult to find the actual post. Otherwise, I don't mind how they have their page set up.
As for blogging etiquette, it's a matter of opinion. What bothers you might not bother me, and vice versa. It does annoy me when I read a post about etiquette/rules, and then the commenters apologize for breaking one of the writer's rules. I'm not apologizing for anything. They were the writer's rules, not mine.
As for content and frequency, again it's the blogger's personal choice. Some people only write about one specific topic....sports, cooking, interior decorating, family, medical, you name it and I've probably seen it. While others blog about everything and anything. Some blog every day, sometimes several times a day, while others post once in a blue moon. It' their blog. Let them do as they please, and who am I to judge them for it, and tell them they are right or wrong.
As you said yourself,if we all liked the same things, the world would be a boring place.
Sandy = I enjoy your online home very much! And I feel that we are friendly enough that if I thought you were doing something detrimental to your success I could point it out.
Susan = That's what this space is for each Friday. To vent, to confess, to commiserate or even to disagree. But getting things out in the open - while not always creating a discussion - at least gives people food for thought.
Little Ms = I dislike the type of word verification that pops up after I have typed my comment. I don't think that's the setting we have here - I think ours requests a verification above the Publish button. I'm talking about the ones that pop up after I've hit Publish.
There have been many occassions where I left a comment, hit Publish and then closed out of that blog. Then I come back later only to realize I missed that final verify step.
We use verification to keep the spammers at bay - not to discourage shared thoughts. I accept it as the way of the blogosphere, but I know that Andy gets frustrated by the commenting process and more often than not just lurks.
So I wish that Blogger et al could find a way to make it easier for comments to be left while still building a layer of built-in protection from those up to no good. I don't have time to monitor all comments and approve them behind the scenes to do my own policing. Better auto filters is what I want that doesn't put all the onus on those wanting to talk to me.
Candy = Debbie Downers are a drag. That will certainly keep me away from a blog. I have enough complainers in my real world. That doesn't mean all of my blog visits need to be happy go lucky Pollyanna. This post itself is all about complaining. But when a place is too extreme on the emotional spectrum - happy, sad, mad, etc. it isn't likely to keep me coming back.
Kaye = Do you mean large pictures in size or in pixilation? On the UpTake posts I provide, I am told to adjust all images so that their pixil sizes are no bigger than 400x600 in order to allow pages to load more quickly. The physical appearance of the images on the page isn't of concern, it is the pixels within. So I try to abide by that on our personal blog as well. I haven't noticed that the images suffer from that resolution.
JoJo = If a site knocks me out then I don't go back. It may have just been coincidence but then again, it may contain something troublesome to my browser, etc. If it is a place I have visited without incident before I will try again some other day. If I continue to have issues I try to find a way to let the blogger know. There is nothing more frustrating than having great content that people can't get to.
Matty = Bloggers can and should do as they please. It is a free blogosphere after all. But sometimes there are self-created barriers that people put up between themselves and interested readers. And if, for example, they only knew that X percent of their target audience hates the slow page loads because of their inordinate amount of widgets then they probably would find a different way to express things.
I live and let live. But I wonder if we were all brave enough to point out something now and again, if people wouldn't thank us for it later. Kind of like that show What Not to Wear.
One of the most helpful activities I took part in for blogging was having another blogger take a blind look at our blog and provide uncensored input about it - visually, contextually, etc. It gave me one person's opinion to mull over and see things from a different angle. I agreed with some ideas and not others. And I made changes and compromises which I hope have helped us become more accessible to those interested in stopping by.
I hate the nusic too. Right now I only follow one that has it and only do so because I feel she needs the support.
I need to declutter by sidebar, but haven't taken the time. When I catch up on my commenting, reading, posting, and emailing (yes, I saw today that I have not responded to an email you sent a month ago! Yikes!) I will declutter what I can.
Stacy = I think sidebars in general just scream out for clutter. I filled ours up with every widget I could get my eager little blogging fingers on. Then I took a step back and realized you couldn't see the forest for the trees and clear cut a ton of it. I think ours is still too busy but - as you said - there are so many other things to do! I like to take stock once or twice a year - see if there is anything that needs updating or replaced. One of these days I'm going to re-design with tabs.
Well, you know when I'm finished here I'm going straight "home" to re-evaluate! (I wish I knew how to set up tabs; they would help) Unless someone has a video embedded their post, my speakers are never on, which eliminates that difficulty. No ads, either. But I do use word verification, courtesy of a spammer. BTW, yours is right up front, so no worries!
And I really would appreciate feedback of this sort...
And here I worried that my blog was so boring and unimaginative (at it still is) but at least I am not pissing people off with auto tunes and blinking banners! Maybe boring is better for now!
Yes! The busy sidebars drive me nuts and those blogs typically go no farther than my reader. Not everyone has the fastest PC and connection and those blogs take FOREVER to load - even at work where I do have a faster PC and connection.
Pet peeves, hmmm? I don't care how a blog looks or about the content, because what may not appeal to me may be great to someone else.
Word verification is just stupid! People should all turn that crap off!
And I hate it when people leave a comment and you can tell that they just left a comment to leave a comment, and did not actually read the post!
DS = I e-mailed you a Tabs script that I found elsewhere. Hope it helps. We'll work on a Feedback forum idea.
Kathleen - What you call boring some might call calming or simple, crisp and clean. But some will call it boring. Not me, but someone I'm sure. Our blog may come across as blah or plain without fancy blinking thingies. But at least the page loads.
Misfit = Agree 100%. That is one nice thing about the Reader option. But when I am inspired to go Comment and everything crashes? Not so much.
Otin = Comment verification is an extra annoying step. But so is cleaning up after a virus, fighting off spammers and the like. But then again, you are a trusting fellow - leaving a phone # on your blog and all ;0)
As for the insincere commenters, that is a post in and of itself.
What are you doing over here anyway? I thought you would still be in happy land after the Yankees victory?
Desert Greetings Molly,
I have to agree with you on the music issue.
Another pet peeve of mine is sometimes directed at blogs hosted on Blogger.com (not you Molly) that only allow you to leave a comment if you have a blog on Blogger.com Not everyone uses blogger.com. Some like myself use Wordpress and I know others who use LiveJournal or Typepad, etc.
Patty = Really? I had no idea you could exclude different platform bloggers from commenting. I cannot fathom why a blogger would want to cut off a portion of their interested audience like that. Sounds counterproductive.
Mine are the same as yours, which is why I don't have them on my blog either!
sure, it is aesthetics to a degree, but I too hate music, or blinking, moving things..or really dark backgrounds. I just find that so tiring on my eyes.
Now maybe some folks love those things, and God bless them, but I am out of there.
Not to say I am totally happy with the look of my blog but at least I don't think I am driving people away screaming! I hope. :-)
Caite = Your comments remind me, I also hate it when the text color is almost invisible due to the background. I have to highlight the text in order to make it visible to read the post. Don't make me work for the info. or I'll be tempted to go elsewhere.
Oh, I wish I had seen this last week! I share your peeve on the music. People forget that readers don't only access a blog from the comfort of home, but from libraries, bookstores, cafes and work, and that sudden burst of music will earn them the evil eye. I would much rather see a playlist that gives visiters the option of listening or not.
I also dislike headers that take up the entire screen, making you scroll down forever to get to the actual post. And, like you, I find animated graphics annoying. Both make the blog load more slowly, and I've even had them freeze my system. Nothing annoys you faster than having to ctrl+alt-del out and open all new windows!
I know a lot of people dislike word verification, but I find approving individual messages a pain (plus you tend to forget to check for them), and when I've turned word ver off I've been inundated with a ton of spam within hours.
Heather = That is a wonderful point about the sound disrupting common areas. I don't know where the mute button is on the library computers so I have to avoid the "noisy" sites when I'm using their equipment instead of at home.
I turned mine off a while ago. I forgot it was there ;).
I just tune in the blogs I enjoy and ignore the peeves mostly or feed read :)
Trish = Feed Read - love the term! I think it is important to check in on your blog every few months because, as you said, sometimes you forget things are even up there!
I'm guilty of the cluttered sidebars and I'm going to clean them up - someday. My pet peeve is the black screens. My old eyes just can't see the print so I only read most of those in my Reader and never actually comment or go to them.
I don't object too much to the word verification as I understand why blogger blogs have to do that. But I really hate it when they also don't show my comment. It says your comment will be seen after approval. That feels very unfriendly. It's like they are censoring my comment. What do they think I'm going to say? But some of my favorite bloggers do it. Thank goodness, not too many.
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