On Blogging: Why I Will Never Shut Down My Comments

Over the last couple months, there's been an....odd trend in the blog world: turning off comments. When I first heard of this, that people were intentionally taking away the comments sections of their blogs, I was totally baffled. For me, comments are the most important indicator of my blog's success.

But after reading a ton of articles that bloggers have written on the topic, I think I'm starting to understand what thoughts are swirling around in those bloggers' brains. But I still don't agree.

From what I can tell, the reasons for shutting down comments sections are that they're an unnecessary use of a blogger's time (to read, moderate and respond), that the quality of comments these days makes them less than worthwhile, and it directs people to respond on social media. Here's why I feel differently:

1. Reading, replying and moderating comments is a waste of a blogger's time. 

For me, it just comes down to what your goal in blogging is. For me, it's a way to express myself and my thoughts and connect with people interested in similar things. It's a very weird, odd sort of community. Yes, I understand that commenting and replying to comments takes a ton of time (like half as much time as actually blogging!), but I think it's very worthwhile. For me, the comments sections are where I meet people and build relationships and connections with people reading my blog. 

2. The quality of comments nowadays makes them undeserving of the time it takes to respond and read.

Sometimes this is true. I see it even more on bigger blogs--you know, those comments where someone just types, 'Love this! Check out my blog at blog.com!! xoxo'. Those comments are a waste of time. But I truly believe that when you take the time to read and thoughtfully respond to comments or when you invite real opinions on your blog posts, you'll get comments that actually further the community on your blog. I treasure people who write those paragraph-long comments--those are so worth my time. And by responding thoughtfully, I invite more of those types of comments in the future.

3. It's more important that people communicate via social media.

I get that this is an attempt to get people to follow you in more places and so I can respect that if having x thousand twitter followers is your goal...but it's not mine. I might be a little bit anti-social media on occasion, but I'd rather the conversation stick right here, where it started. It makes way more sense to me to have the comments about a post sitting right under that post, not on a totally different website. Because then if someone reads a post of mine and wants to talk about it...they really have no easy way of finding the other people who have something to say about it. It wouldn't be a real dialogue.

And this is just what I think. Different kinds of blogs do things different ways and I'm sure that for some blogs, shutting down the comments just makes sense. But to me, I'd rather build the friendships and conversations right here. 

This post was inspired my Allyssa Barnes' look at the comment section debate. Read more on her blog and then chime in below!

Blogging My Way

Well, here we are. It's been nearly two weeks since I've even opened my laptop and powered it on. Two weeks. I don't think I've ever done that before and I've done that now at least twice in the last two months. Everything feels foreign--the way it rests on my lap, remembering typing and trying to put words together in a way that I haven't had to attempt in nearly two months now.

I've missed blogging. But I also...haven't. Blogging is a weird thing. It's a hobby, right? Like jogging or knitting or whatever. But for some reason, with blogging, there are all sorts of irksome, unnecessary expectations. Blogging isn't just writing a post and clicking publish (if only!). Blogging means social media scheduling and 'networking' (ew) and SEO (double ew) and all sorts of things that frankly, I'm not interested in. 

If my main hobby was running, and I loved running, I could just go out and go for a jog and enjoy it. If I don't feel like reading hours worth of online articles about form or buying five hundred dollar shoes or running a marathon, I don't have to. There's nothing keeping me from just...running.

But blogging is an odd beast. It's so all-or-nothing. All I want to do is write posts and read other posts and have people read my own, but it seems like I can't without all these other requirements. 

I'm pretty sick of all the rules that we as bloggers put on ourselves and each others. There is a certain place for analytics and "niches" and things like that, but it's not for every blog, you know? I'm ready to take a little more organic approach, focusing on the community more than the stats.

So I'm back. I'm focusing on making blogging a hobby that fills me up instead of drains me. I want connections, not just comments (but I like comments too ;). I want to build relationships, not just a readership.

P.S. If you're a blogger and you've ever taken a long break like this, you probably know how weird it is to get back in it. Don't hate me if I'm a little inconsistent as I get in this. :)

On Blogging: Leaving Quality Comments

Commenting on blogs is something I've been thinking quite a bit about lately. I've always considered myself a "lurker"--I read tons of blogs. I probably read 20-30 posts every day but only leave two or three comments a week. That's a really low percentage! 

As a blogger, I love getting comments on posts that I've spent a lot of time on. And to me, the community is a huge part of why I love to blog and while not impossible, it's pretty hard to stay present without leaving comments. It's also tough for me to get to know readers who don't leave comments.

This week, I'm committing to visit the blog (if you have one) of every single person who comments on my blog and leave a comment. So if you've been a silent reader, just leave me a quick comment so we can get connected!

Even if you're someone who comments all the time (good job!), don't forget to make sure you're leaving quality comments. All the time, I'll see a blog post with twenty comments, but they will all just say something like "great post!" or "I agree!" and then a url at the bottom. Let's be honest, that doesn't contribute to the community. Here are a couple tips that I use when I comment:

1. Respond to something in the post. If the blogger takes a stance on anything, it's easy to share your opinion--whether you agree or not! For example, you could comment on this blog post that you know what, you think blog comments are totally pointless and if you have to comment on a blog, it should be as short as boring as possible. So yeah, that could be your response to my post. 

2. Share a similar experience or something from your own life. When I read posts about other college students, it's super easy to leave a comment about a professor or class of mine that is just like theirs or something like that. With a little effort, you can find some common ground.

3. Ask a question. If you're reading a travel post, ask the blogger how they decided on that destination or what their favorite part of the trip was. 

4. Respond to other comments. This is where a well laid out commenting platform like disqus (which I highly recommend) comes in handy. In disqus, if you respond to another commenter, they'll receive a comment and hopefully come back to continue the conversations. Plus, disqus automatically includes your url so that I can come visit you!

 Are you a loyal commenter or habitual lurker (I'm shamefully raising my hand on the second one)? Don't forget--comment on this post (use one of the tips above or just tell me your favorite animal) + I'll come visit your blog! 

How You Can Support Bloggers

(Unsplash)

This post has been on my mind a lot lately. It seems more and more than readers (many of whom are bloggers) are becoming "lurkers", meaning that these people come to blogs, read the posts, and then leave. Unfortunately, I'm well acquainted with this group, because I struggle with being a lurker. But even more unfortunately, over the last few years, I've noticed that this trend is weakening the strong communities that used to exist between bloggers and readers. 

I don't expect everyone who reads a blog post to suddenly become best friends with the blogger. Obviously. If you find a post on Pinterest + find exactly what you need + don't plan to return to the blog, I don't expect you to reach out to the blogger. But to all of you...who read the same blogs every week? This post is for you.

All bloggers love a little love. I'm not writing this post as a needy call for comments and emails from y'all. I just want to do what I can to boost the mutual friendships around these parts. So here's what you can do, to keep bloggers spirits alive, to thank them for their hard work and to make new friends:

+ Comment. Seriously, this is the easiest thing ever + I don't know about other bloggers, but comments mean so much to me. Comments on my posts means that my writing made someone react, made them feel something. That is so important to me. If a blogger's post is helpful, inspiring, interesting or just funny, let them know. But bloggers, you have to do your part too. Install a comment platform that's easy. I use Disqus. Respond to comments (within reason) so that readers feel heard.

+ When another blogger releases a new service, like consultations, sponsorships or some sort of store, congratulate them. Encourage them. It takes a lot of courage to release new ventures like that + I know a lot of bloggers feel disillusioned when they are met with complaints about being "too salesy". Even if you don't buy the service, try to refrain from complaining. 

+ Help promote bloggers that help or inspire you. If a post is helpful or has particularly gorgeous images, pin them. If you know of someone else who would needs to read a post, share it with them.

+ Look for ways to participate. If a blogger hosts a survey, please fill it out. I'm sure it'll only take a few moments + the blogger is probably asking for your opinion because she (or he!) wants you to like their blog even more. That's super nice of them, isn't it? If they host a link up (and you're a blogger in a related topic), join it! 

+ Keep a blogroll on your blog (assuming you're a blogger). I like to keep my navbar very clean, but my blogroll is very important for me to share. If you like reading my blog, you'll probably find a few that you like on my blogroll. This helps the reader + other bloggers + everyone is happier! 

+ Semi-related--if you're looking for new blogs to read, go to all your current faves and click on their sponsors. Chances are, your favorite blogger is sponsored by similar blogs + I bet you'll find some you like! Plus, sponsors who get new readers = repeat sponsors = funding for your favorite blogger. 

On that note, thank you all for reading. I love that you're here + I wish I could get to know all of you. If any of this post struck a chord with you, I'd love if you'd share/comment :)

THE CASE AGAINST SCHEDULING BLOG POSTS

(photo by me, at Alcatraz)

There are a lot of great reasons to schedule your blog posts ahead of time. By writing posts ahead of time + scheduling them, I've been able to take time off to study for exams, vacation or just busy times. Any of you bloggers who have tried scheduling out posts ahead of time know that it can be an extremely convenient practice.

But over the last few months as I've been scheduling posts as much as two or three weeks in advance, I've felt more out of touch. Some days I don't even know what post is going live, only that it's a Monday/Wednesday/Friday so there must be one!

I find that I don't mention much what's really going on in my life...because it would be weeks-old news by the time it went live! For example, in the last couple posts, I haven't mentioned that I've been in the Sierra Nevadas on a hiking trip for the last two weeks. But that's because I wrote those posts a month ago!

Somehow, that just doesn't feel right. I want you to know what's going on right now, and in the same way, I want to be updated with you and my favorite bloggers. If I was just writing for a newspaper or something, scheduling would be fine. But because blogging is about community, I'm feeling the need to add that little life update back into my posts.

I'm not saying I'll never schedule posts again! I probably will when I'm on vacation or during exam weeks. But I'll try to write my posts less than a day or two ahead of time when possible so that I can stay in tune with what's currently going up on my blog. Make sense?

I will still keep an editorial calendar (which I recommend all bloggers do!) and will probably plan out posts ahead of time to some extent. But I want to make sure I focus on sharing more of the day-to-day details, and that just doesn't happen when I schedule posts. 

So I mentioned that I wanted to share more of what was going on in my life, like right now? Here's what I've been doing lately:

• I graduated, just over two weeks ago. Super exciting! Super crazy! Super busy!
• Two days later, I flew to San Francisco with my family.
• Over the last two weeks, we've been hiking through Sequoia, Yosemite, Big Sur, Kings Canyon and Lake Tahoe. We've been swimming and rafting and sleeping in yurts (no, really!) and ziplining and driving (so much. How is California so big?!) and so much more!
• I'm currently in Sacramento with friends, getting ready to fly home tomorrow.
• It's been crazy exciting but I'm ready to come home to NC.

Now that I've updated you, I want you to tell me. What have you been up to? Do you schedule posts? Tell me why you do or don't!

It's Hard to Be a Multipassionate Blogger

(Source)

Hey lovebugs! So you know how I've been in this weird in-betweeny space with this blog? Kind of like when you like a guy and he likes you but no one wants to admit it first so you just say awkward icky things for like a month. Anyways, y'all have offered me lots of great thoughts + advice about my struggle between writing about my passions + finding an audience and they have helped me so so much. 

A couple readers have left really really thoughtful comments (which I so appreciate) and one of the commenters (holla Amanda) asked me why I feel like people don't want to read about what I want to write about. And I responded that I feel like I can't put myself and my blog into a niche like 'DIY blogger' or 'mommy blogger'--I want to be a music-design-productivity-science-positivity blogger. I confidently consider myself multipassionate, and that's great! But it's not so great for finding people interested in all the same things as you. 

I'm beginning to embrace that. I understand that you might not follow my blog for the science, but stick around if you enjoy the playlists or the positivity or whatever. And in the end, I'm telling myself that the people who stick around are the people who I really want here anyways. Now I don't mean that to sound mean, but I just want to put it out there. I understand that not everyone will like my blog and that is so okay. It's okay if you want to unfollow me, it really really is.. If we've become friends, please still tweet at me once in awhile but don't waste your time trying to be interested in something that bores you!

So this is just a short post to kind of recap all of the jumbles that are bouncing around in my brain. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I love reading your thoughts.

(P.S. Someone else appreciate the cool shark picture with me...)

DIY Design: Make a Back-to-Top Button for Blogger

Okay, first a disclaimer: I am not an expert coder. If you ask me how to code anything on your website or blog, I will probably send you somewhere else, especially if it involves CSS. But HTML I can handle in small doses. And when I recently figured out how to make a back-to-top button without crazy coding, I just had to show you how I do it!

In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, a back-to-top button is the little button that appears in the corner of my blog and if you press it, you'll be catapulted back to the top of the page. For really long pages like archives, a long homepage or even a post with a lot of comments, this is super nice to have. 

First, make a small button. You can do this in Picmonkey or Photoshop, depending on your skill set (or I can make you one!). I made mine a circle, about 80 pixels in diameter. Upload the photo either in a post or in Flickr/Photobucket and then copy the image URL. If you upload it into a post, flip over to HTML first to find the image URL.

Then, open up your blog dashboard and go to Layout. Make a new gadget in a sidebar (or in a footer if you don't have sidebars) for simple HTML--it's called HTML/Javascript. Simply copy/paste this HTML into the box, add in your image link + admire! Look at you go, you HTML wizard.

<a style="display:scroll;position:fixed;bottom:5px;left:5px;" href="#" title="Back to Top"><img src="YOUR IMAGE LINK" /></a>

If you need to change your margins, just change the number before 'px' and that will change how many pixels of margin you have between your button and the top and left sides of the screen. This code will automatically put the button on the left side, but you can easily switch it to the right side by putting 'right' in instead of 'left'. I chose to do that + I also changed my position to 34 pixels from the right side so that it wasn't half on gray, half on white (at least on my computer). 

Let me know if you have any issues! I probably won't be able to help but I'll try ;) If you enjoyed this tutorial, I'd lurvvv if you would pin the image up top! I'd love you even more if you pin it from the actual post page, not my homepage!

Finding Inspiration for Your Blog Posts

Lately, I've been less than inspired to write posts here. The desire is there--I love having this blog. But I've begun to overthink it. I feel like I constantly have to balance what my readers want to read (that's you!) and what I want to write and how to be genuinely myself in the process.

(Source, as best as I can find)

I was given the opportunity to host the Lifestyle Bloggers (#lbloggers) chat this week, which is every Wednesday from 2-3 pm EST. I choose the topic "finding inspiration for your blog posts". Over the course of the hour, we discussed how to find inspiration, what to do when you're in a rut, getting inspired from blogs and visual sites like Tumblr and Pinterest. All in all, these ladies (and a couple gents) had some wonderful advice that I just have to share with you. 

(I've credited where possible, but do know that I didn't favorite every tweet and don't remember who tweeted everything.)

On being in a rut:

+ "Take a break, forcing a post doesn't work for me. I carry a notebook & jot ideas down." -@daintyandivory

+ "Get out and do something! Leave the computer and choose to do something you love or something new." -@appreciate_day

+ "Sometimes taking a week off blogging doesn't hurt, so you get new energy and ideas." -@VitaPre

+ "Go for a walk. Listen to old music. Make ice cream. Play guitar. Write a story. Call a friend. Sit in silence." -@serpentineshore

+ "My cure for writer's block is no TV, iPad or phone after 9:30 pm, have bath and read a book in bed. You have to switch off." -@thedemongin

+ "I also recommend taking trips to your local library/museum/gallery: get out. get inspired." -@serpentineshore

On finding inspiration:

+ "My inspirations are always visual. I rarely have the patience to go through a lot of text." -@sarmistha_lbf

+  "Don't just follow trends or do what other big bloggers are doing - forge your own path + create your own niche." -@serpentineshore

+ "If I blog about something I'm already passionate about, the inspiration just flows." -@poppybird_

+ "I think people watching is a great place to get inspiration. We're all so different! :)" -@WhimsicalMrsW

+ "Definitely Pinterest! There are lots of great pictures and ideas on there, especially for food!" -@effievanity

+ And my own personal trick: try to come up with 3-4 ideas for each of your topics in under two minutes. It doesn't matter if they're garbage! I feel like this takes the pressure off of coming up with the most perfect blog post idea ever while allowing me to be creative.

It's not to late to pitch in! How do you find inspiration or get yourself out of a blogging rut?