Guest Blog Spot February

I'm sorry that I've not had the opportunity to post properly the last few weeks. I've only had a few minutes snatched here and there. But I would just like to remind you all to check out the 'Guest Blog Spot' for February on the right hand column. They are all worth taking the time to visit.

The History of the Guest Blog Spot

Teeni recently asked me about the origins of my 'Guest Blog Spot'. Well, it started with a wish to celebrate on reaching my 2000 visitor. Now I know from looking at the stats and the referrals that some of this blog's visitors are transitory fleeting migrants landing briefly after a Google search. They don't even stop long enough for the site to register any amount of time. All that is left on sitemeter is a nano of a second footprint. On the other side of the coin there are visitors who stop and read for 2 to 30+ minutes. Many of them do not leave a comment. They just quietly leave. A few make return visits - silent visits.

I came up with the idea I'd offer a prize of a 'Guest Blog Spot' for the first NEW commenter on the site meter hitting the 2000 visitor. Once I realised some people leave comments as a means of self promotion I then assumed that every reader would be a blogger and would have a site to 'promote'. I've since found there are what is known as 'blurkers' - they only read blogs. Now I only started to read blogs after I'd started one. In fact originally, I'm rather embarrassed to say, that I didn't even know how to leave a comment. I assumed the purpose of comments was to let the blogger know their entry had been read. I admit I would only choose to leave a comment if I found the blog of interest. If it didn't attract me in any way then I would leave silently. I would not return.

My first virginal comment was actually emailed to the blogger. I thought I'd made a mistake by clicking on the little white envelope and not on the comments link. But now looking back at my archived emails I think I may actually have sent her a 'link' to her post. (Blush) Everything was by trial and error. I slowly realised that when leaving a comment the blogger often visited my blog and finally someone left me a comment. An exciting moment. Until that point I had made one or two comments anonymously on my own blog. And persuaded a close friend to visit and leave a short sharp remark. I wanted it to look as if I had readers. I can't quite remember when I found sitemeter and installed it.

I've mostly found out how to blog by the sink or swim method. I've enjoyed jumping into the deep end and finding my way around the system. I sometimes sneak off to use a friends PC or one at the library so that I can check how my blog looks on other page set ups. I've recently read this book which has introduced to me some other ideas on blogging and some blog slang terms such as blurker. There's much to improve on in the future.

Now to return to the initial point I had a great deal of fun choosing the Guest Blogger. I was reluctant to close the slot at the end of the month. I also liked the idea of promoting blogs that I might not have found very easily by just surfing the blogosphere. It also encouraged bloggers who may have been shy of leaving a remark previously. I'm aware of a couple of regular readers who did eventually rise to the bait and leave a comment. I don't want to promote every guest to my blogroll as it would just grow and grow. But if I become a regular reader they do attain that sort sought after position. Lucky people.

The guest bloggers will always be there in the archives. Anyone who is interested in finding out previous guests will only have to click on the tag 'GUEST slot' to see all the previous posts. I hope to figure out if it will be possible to eventually link the tag to the monthly slot in the sidebar. But that will be for the quieter days of the New Year.

Finally, on writing this I have had confirmation of what I long suspected. Regular readers who read an entry via a feed RSS or Atom may not appear in the stats. So to all of my fellow bloggers who allow site feed - you may have more readers than your stat counter shows.

Guest Blog Spot

Well the Vital Statistics prize winning blogger, Vichchoobhai, has been on the top of my side bar for nearly a month now. I rather like the idea of keeping that site reserved for random 'Guests'. To be refreshed and renewed on a monthly cycle. A kind of Bed and Breakfast Blogroll. I just have to decide now how to pick such guests for the slot. I will try by seeking previously unknown [to me] bloggers who leave a comment. And then make a choice from these new sites each month. So if you are a blogging reader but don't usually leave a comment please do so. I wouldn't be looking for a reciprocal link. It's just as a means to widen the circle of interesting blogs. Meanwhile, as I have enjoyed reading Vich's blog I have 'promoted' him to a permanent link on my blogroll. I like his sense of humour.

Compulsive Reading

It's compulsive reading each day. To turn on and log in to Sitemeter. To check whether anyone has read your latest postings. What a thrill goes through you when you see that someone from Australasia checked into your blog and spent 70 minutes with you. 70 minutes! One hour, ten minutes. Great - I must have struck a chord with someone. Then the thought comes. That maybe, just maybe, they had to go off to visit the bathroom, answer the phone and/or get tea for the family and didn't log out! Thank goodness for the kindly souls who take time to leave a comment. At least then you know that someone read it.

But wait - a closer examination of the statistics on the site and you see that during Australasia's 70 minute visit, Aussie blogger looked at 16 pages. 16 pages. That many? I didn't know I'd written so much.