Aug 19 2007
Who’s reading your blog?
Have you ever wondered?
I suppose it’s one of the reasons that many of us have MyBlogLog or other similar widgets in our sidebars. Or why we install Google Analytics, or other statistic-reporting programs.
We’re dying to know who’s reading us.
Yesterday, I stumbled upon a blog written by a guy I knew in Middle School–we both attended the same snooty private school, I in my hideous plaid skirt which I gleefully shredded at the end of my 8th grade year, he in his “your shirt’s not tucked in, Mr. Bohn, and I will report you to Mrs. Perry” uniform-rule-breaker-ness. He was a fun kid, and it was cool to see that he’s turned into a rather decent human being, with a family and a law degree and on the verge of greatness. And yet, ending up at his site completely randomly made me wonder–who ends up here? (I commented at his site, by the way, but realized that since I write under a pen name here and it’s been, oh, 15 years since we last saw each other, he’s not likely to catch on real fast as to my true identity–nor, perhaps, care very much. Who knows?)
There’s another blog I must confess to reading. Once upon a time, in her senior year of high school, Brillig made an enemy. An arch-rival. A girl so wretched and ridiculous and horrid that just thinking about her makes me want to start a catfight and pull her hair or something, even after all these years. I suppose it’s really a story that should be told as an SOS one of these days, since I think you’ll get quite a kick out of it. Anyway, I somehow ended up at her site through a funny trail of friends and acquaintances and linkies. And guess what! She actually seems like a rather decent human being. I KNOW!!!! No one is as surprised by this news as I am! I have never commented at her site, nor will I ever. But I read it–faithfully. Maybe because I’m looking for dirt, but maybe because I’ve genuinely come to like her. But SSSSHHHHH!!!! Don’t tell ANYONE!
And yet, it occurs to me that if I found her… couldn’t she have found me? Is she here right now?
If so, hi, you frickin’ brackin’ $*!@&.
Also, many of you know, through snippets of the drama that I have posted, that I have an ex-boyfriend who reads my blog. We still have a few friends in common, and I guess he followed a series of links and immediately recognized me as, well, me. He was courageous enough to comment, even after I had written a particularly ROTTEN post about him. I nearly DIED when I saw his name here (seriously. Ask Kate. I was FREAKING OUT!!!) but as it turns out, he’s been gracious and kind and unnecessarily apologetic for some of the crap that went down between us all those years ago.
Anyway, it’s just kinda funny to think about.
So, ‘fess up. Are you lurking somewhere that you shouldn’t be lurking? Are you sometimes surprised by who ends up at your site? Do you comment when you run into a real-life acquaintance in Bloglandia, or do you cower in a dark corner, sign out of your “mybloglog” profile and hope that they never know you were there?
Along with all of this, I have two blogs that I need to send you to–not for you to lurk, but for you to love, as I do. The first is written by a dear friend of mine who is not exactly new to blogging, but she is new to her new name and site. This is a girl who has been a friend of mine since high school–we have seen each other at our worst moments, we’ve seen each other at our best moments. And, through it all, I love her dearly. Her new blog made it’s grand debut yesterday with Soap Opera Sunday, and I suspect that you will find everything she has to say to be witty, charming, and entertaining. So go on! Check her out! She’s at MiniVan Diva. Isn’t that one of the greatest blog-names ever?
The second blog you MUST check out is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. Seriously. It’s as though the universe smiled upon me, by taking two of my all-time favorite bloggers (Jenn in Holland and Soccer Mom in Denial, to be precise) bringing them together, and blessing the world with art and entertainment. Really. I was cunning enough to receive a link before they were ready to go public, and I fell absolutely in love. So, I’m so excited to be able to share it with all of you now! Go on, go clicky-clicky! They’re at Looking Into.
And with that, Gentle Readers (and Evil Lurkers–yes, I know you’re here–I’d actually be kinda disappointed if you weren’t), I bid you adieu.
Thanks Brillig for the nod to the new place, but thanks especially for your very kind words about it (and us).
As to your question, I am not really a lurker. If I have stopped by I generally comment. I just like for people to know I am reading I guess. Though there are times I don’t say anything, but that’s more out of having been distracted by real life things such as a diaper change or people needing to eat (Did you know that children should be fed every day? Every. day. Woah!)
I know there are multiple lurkers at my place and that’s okay with me too, if they are repeat lurkers all the better, because at least then I know they like what they are reading. (Or maybe they are just looking for dirt? Now I am not so sure)
Oh, and generally my comments are longer than the original post…
I forgot to say that MiniVan Diva’s site is GREAT! Oh, my, that SOS story made me giggle!
Thank you so much for the linky-love and kind words. I do hope folks find Jenn and my new site interesting.
As for lurking - I’m like Jenn, I try to comment on every site I go to unless the person’s views are so out there that I don’t plan on returning. But I haven’t stumbled upon any old flames or foes in my cyber-wanderings….
You know, I don’t think I have any lurkers, lol… I think it’s a generational difference - my crew (mid-40s) probably wouldn’t know how to find my blog…
And yeah for the new SMID/Jenn blog! Cool!
So, I just have to ask what the name of this private school was. I went to a private school and a Mrs. Perry took care of our uniform infractions. Not likely we went to the same one, or at the same time, but you never know.
I lurke at a blog of someone who lives in my old suburb. She isn’t exactly exciting or interesting, but I like hearing stuff about that part of town. I don’t comment simply because I don’t want to create any ties. Gotta keep my anonyminity (!?) in check.
I also lurke at a lot of my readers. Not REALLY lurke, because I try to comment when I find something interesting or have something to share - but mostly I just read.
I also have a lot of MN readers who don’t comment. I know I have a few friends who found me via myspace and figured out that “The Butrfly Garden” myspace friend I have is my blog. (I don’t generally point people in that direction). But I have a feeling that at least a few of them are people I knew before.
I actually found out that someone I didn’t want to read my blog is reading it… he left a comment. He’s not a nice person and the thought of him reading it makes me sick.
Otherwise, I lurk at a couple of infertility blogs because the writing is so good.
I try not to lurk on other people’s blogs. But I must confess to being much more, um, edited because I’m not sure who reads my blog. For one, my Mom reads it.
But then, guess what i did? Really, just guess. I put my blog address in OUR CHRISTMAS LETTER last year. Um, can you believe that? Now there’s the possibility of family, friends, enemies, all kinds of people peeking around. Aaargh!
So I’m trying to decide noe between continuing with the censorship and just letting it all hang out with a “Take me as I am.” attitude.
Duuuuude I am a total lurker. There are a bunch of girls who I went to high school with who I never really liked and I stumbled upon their blogs and I can’t help check them once in a while. It’s been funny to see who remained friends and what people are up to . . .
I try, very hard, however, not to lurk on blogs that I’m truly entertained by. The “here’s what’s going on in my life” blogs are the ones I tend to lurk at a little more.
Hmmm, I’m not sure I’m a lurker! I rarely ‘blog hop’ and click from link to link on other blogs. There are occasions where I will sit down and just click around, but it’s not too often. Maybe that’s because it’s so rare to find a blog that’s cool, you know what I mean? Although, I have NO idea what random people must think of my blog! I think I’m better being in the dark about who really reads my blog now and then…I might get nervous and think too much about what I’m going to post next…
I often forget that my sister reads my blog. Thank goodness I have not commented about anything negative regarding her he.he.he. She called me Saturday and said “What the H&*@ are your kids doing with the On Demand Movies?! You should take the cable out of your house if they are charging so many movies!” She freaked out about the bills I posted last week he.he.he! Also a friend of ours found my site and she is LOVING it!
I check my stats from time to time. The first time I checked them I was shocked to see how many people lurk and from way out places like Japan, China and so many other countries. I thought only a few people from the states were reading but found out I average about 15 new people per day and 20 return visits. I suppose they are all too shy to comment. Makes no difference to me if they comment or not. I do enjoy the comments I receive from super people like yourself.
I’ve never thought to look for a blog of someone I hated in high school. Goodness, that could be kind of fun. Hmmmm….
Oh I’m a lurker! I’m the worst kind of lurker- the repeat offender lurker. Sometimes I love reading and have nothing to say, so I feel bad, but I get over it when I see that people do the same at my blog. As for places I shouldn’t be reading? Well, there’s one ex-boyfriends blog who I would probably be about 9 million times saner if I cut the lurking habit there, but I just can’t. It’s a nice way to know what they are up to without having to actually (gulp) talk to them.
I think lurking would suit me fine, were it not for the fact that I’m so emotionally unstable that I crave comments on a daily basis. It all comes down to the Golden Rule, for me.
But then, if I foud the blog of someone I hated in High School, I’d so toss the rule out the window. Hee hee…
I’ve never run across a blogger I knew in real life. I know a few people have found me. I have a myspace page that has a link to my blog, but I rarely get comments from anyone from the past. I have a friend from elementary school comment once. Several people I work with know about the blog now, so I have no idea who else reads it. I’m very careful with my content!
I haven’t met a blogger that I know in real life yet other than a couple people I was friends with when they started their blogs. I hadn’t given it much thought, but now I’m curious. Yet another reason to stay up late at night! I also loved reading SMID’s and Jenn in Holland’s blogs.
I don’t tend to lurk. I do tend to leave comments at each site I visit if time allows.
I have yet to catch up with anyone (friend or foe) from my past through my blog. At least not that I know of. But I’m all for it. I would love to know what some of them are up to now.
I only just found your site today, so I’m guessing that doesn’t count as stalking. Especially since I commented. So… hi.
I don’t have any myself, but I’m pretty sure that a few people who know me/knew me in a former life lurk on mine for whatever reason.
And that’s o.k. with me.
They can see my fabulousness all they want.
I do wonder who’s lurking! My dad told me the other day how he referred a friend of his to my blog. My dad’s friend called my dad after reading my blog and said he knew more about breastfeeding than he ever wanted to know. I was so embarrassed! I hate it that people in real life know more about me than I want them to!
Aww Brillig. Thanks for your kind words and the shout out! I have lurked now and again, linky-linked around…got some good laughs at the particular girl blog YOU are talking about…Good times.
I think I have a big mouth because I don’t lurk. When I visit a blog I always seem to say hiiiiiii and I’m here…like it should matter…lol.
Yes, the “who’s reading my blog?” is a fascinating line of thought. I use the cluster map to get geographical bearings and I am always shocked at how spread out all over the planet my readers are.
I shut down the lurkers on my daily-life journal. It’s over at livejournal, and I just friends-lock all my posts so that only people who have LJs that I know are reading me can read it.
As for my writing journal (which is this one), I don’t really care who reads it, lurking or otherwise because I’ve figured out how to make myself as anonymous as possible.
The only bloggers that I know in real life are the kind of people I want to remember me. Like you.
Now I’m intrigued and I want to go and find someone I konw from hs.
Fun topic! I don’t really lurk, although I am leaving fewer comments than I used to.
I’ve not come across any blogs of long lost boyfriends or enemies, but if I did I would ABSOLUTELY lurk for awhile. I suppose I might eventually comment, depending on the situation.
I wonder if any old flames read me? Great question!! Very intriguing.
I always wonder if anyone I know reads my blog. If there is anyone, they have never let on. I think it would freak me out!
When I was new to the bloggerhood, I was too chicken to post comments. It wasn’t until I started posting regularly myself that I realize how crucial comments are. Now I comment on nearly every post I read.
I have only run into one person in the ether that I once knew in real life; because we were friends back then, I immediately emailed him to re-connect.
But there are many people from my dark past whom I would rather avoid for the rest of my life. if I somehow found them accidentally, I probably would visit them only from the computer at the public library, under some pseudonym or other. I’m always paranoid that people will have a far better stat monitor than the one I use. Yes, I AM completely crackers, thank you!
Thank you for making me paranoid, now. I hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought . . . until now.
Yeepers!
I have to admit. I don’t lurk on any blogs that I “shouldn’t” be. I guess I’m just not lucky enough to know the blogs of any of the creeps that I had bad experiences with over the years. I totally love knowing who comes to my blog. I just wish more of my readers were members of mybloglog. Then I would really know who lurks!
I have a good lurking confession…hmmm…maybe I should post about it ;).
Basically I googled an ex, found he had a website where a bunch of people I knew were posting, and starting posting under a pseudonym. I know, bad BAD. I came clean and they thought it was hysterical…and a weird wacky way to reconnect.
(yes my husband knows).
So here’s the thing…I have a bunch of blogs that I read regularly. I usually post as often as I read there. But when I’m starting at a new blog, I lurk more and test the waters before I become a regular commenter. Often, when it’s a good first post that I’ve read of someone new, I will post, then come back and lurk some more, and eventually post.
Problem is, my plate is a bit full, so often I read more than I’m posting, due to time constraints. Really, I have no business adding more blogs to my to-read list, lol, but we’re all so interesting!!
LOL I see what you mean about the posts we both made being very similar. That is funny. Well you already read MY post so you know my answer
Too funny about your arch-nemesis!
In bloghopping, I haven’t run across anyone that I know in real life (yet) but always think that might be kind of neat. A couple of friends read my blog, but I think I probably bore them to tears.
I got a good chuckle out of this post. Sometimes I wonder, yes, who in the world reads me. It seems unfathomable that 700+ people bother to come back month after month. And I only know maybe three or four of them. What is it that makes us fascinated with one person or another? What makes one blog get 10,000 readers a day and others only 10,000 in a year?
I would love it if I could find a blog to secretly lurk at. Like an ex-boyfriend or something. The closest I’ve come to that is my ex-husband’s myspace page and there is absolutely nothing interesting there. Well, he’s wierd, that’s for sure, but I knew that about him before finding his myspace page. I think I’m the only person that I’ve ever known who is computer saavy enough to actually have a blog. *sigh*
What? No coughing up of arch enemy URL? I am prepared to stalk there too…
Love knowing how much you think about the lurkers, too! Hi Brillig, unlurking, kay?
Great blog.