Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Be careful what you write in your blogs

Yep. Also be careful if you use your blog link in your email signature. I had some correspondence with someone at Zach's college and the first email, remembered to delete my blog link. Succeeding correspondence, I spaced it and left it in.

Today I got a phone call from the college, I assumed for Zach since he's the student there. Duh. Nope, it was for me. A man asked for me by name and said that someone on the staff there had read my blog and had forwarded it to him. I couldn't imagine why he was calling.

Anyone?

Someone read the entry about the encounter between my car, the lawnmower and the license plate. Gulp!

He was very, very nice and offered compensation but truth be told, it's not going to cost much at all and I don't want any trouble from it. But dang it! Didn't they go the extra mile? Especially considering I didn't name the college in my blog. I got an apology and that was quite enough.

What a great place.

I was reading one of the boards on Ravelry today the question: what makes a good blog. I admit I got a bit peeved at one of the answers. Don't talk about personal things. Keep it about knitting (or crocheting)...whatever...keep it on subject. If you want to talk about personal things, create another blog for that. Don't use it to complain about things. blah..blah..blah.. (my paraphrase)

I looked at some of the most "popular" knitting blogs out there and they do all of those things. But you know what? I'm not here to be a "popular" knitting blog. I'm integrating into a community of like-minded people whose blogs I like to read as well. I'm not so single-minded that all I'm interested in is knitting. I'm also interested in the knitter. I like reading about people's families and their lives. I like hearing about their struggles and their successes. I love seeing their projects, pets and petunias.

I love that you want to read my blog. I'm amazed that anyone does, but I do love it. Whether you stop by for a peek or whether you keep coming back, I so appreciate you. And this is about us forming a community, not about me gaining groupies (or minions.) I write because these are the things I would talk about if we were sitting over a cup of coffee.

So...consider the coffee poured (or tea...or if it's a really bad day, a shot, but put those knitting needles down if you're going to do that...trust me.)

I'm not interested in the "rules" of blogging. I'm interested in the people out there. I'm interested in you.

And ladies...got my annual mammogram today. It will be six years on October 18 that I have been cancer-free. It was found on a mammogram after my physical didn't find it so I swear by them.

TTFN

7 comments:

Mad about Craft said...

How I agree with you. I love the blogs that talk about family life , pets, work etc. I love knitting and crochet but I find the blogs that only talk about knitting & crochet limited and one diamentional.
I say keep talk about what interests you, thats what makes blogs special.

Cookie said...

I'm glad you got that call. Although, I would hope that someone gives the man who hit you and didn't say a damn thing a good talking to. Forget the car. You could have been hurt and he never got off his mower to check on you or to apologize for hitting you. If you were married to a different kind of man, you could have had a lot of explaining to do and it would have been the mower guy's fault and the school's because he is one of their employees.

I think a lot of those people whining in that thread are people who are not well read and wish they were. The big deal knit bloggers do talk about more than just their craft and that is a huge part of why they are big deals for the most part.

I also think it's very easy for someone to make demands of others on a message board. I'm always grateful for people who do that because I know who to avoid in future. The oldest rule of boards is the oldest rule of blogs. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Can you tell I'm in a mood? *L*

*hugs*

Kathy said...

Cookie, you rock!

Mad, thanks for saying that. I agree that one-dimensional blogs are boooorrinnng!

I peeked in at your blog but there was no email address. But I liked what I saw and will be there regularly.

Thanks for stopping by.

Angie said...

Too true about blogging. I do enjoy seeing the projects but getting to know a little more about the person making the projects is just as or more enjoyable. I'm often surprised when a family member mentions my blog. It's another way for my family to know more about me, too.

Cheesehead With Sticks said...

I admit, I love the details of people's lives. If I just want knitting stuff, well then I can head to the library.

I intended my blog to be less personal and more craft, well, there isn't much craft in my life these days, so guess what ya get.

Glad the college tried to make right about the mower incident. They could have just let it go, but they didn't. Good for them!

Kathy said...

Cheesehead, I was a bit nervous about talking about personal stuff online but it gets easier when I'm interacting with people. Obviously I don't bare all (and won't) but I like getting to know people and letting them get to know me.

Yeah, Zach's college is great in so many ways. He's really blossomed there and is coming into his own.

I'm still stunned that someone from there read my blog in the first place. I have to wonder if she was a knitter, you know?

Anonymous said...

My favorite books are autobiographies--reading the inside of someone else's mind and what makes them tick. Knitting keeps my heart ticking, definitely. But it's not the why of my life, it's the how.