What about Blogger Awards?

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond leaving a comment, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read: Blogger Awards<<link

What about “Likes”?

I used to thank every blogger that liked a post of mine.  It was to acknowledge I truly and honestly appreciate the positive feedback. However . . .

1) the numbers of “likes” I get exceed my capacity to acknowledge each one.  If you are a new person “liking” one of my posts I’ll probably check out your blog provided it’s not trying to sell me something. However, if I acknowledged each”like”, I would use up time I prefer spending playing with photographs, words, or learning stuff.  Not saying I won’t comment, just saying don’t be put out if you don’t hear from me.  What remains unchanged is my sincere gratitude for the appreciation of my stuff.

1a) if I like a post of yours, don’t feel you have to do the same to one of my posts.  It means I found your post interesting and wanted to recognize and reward the effort behind it.  No need to thank me, or like a post of mine, unless your heart is really in it.  After all, we likely don’t know each other.

I have removed the option to “like” my posts when on my blog, however, the WP Reader is a way to circumvent that. Too bad, that.

What should I know about Subscriptions?

1) if I subscribe to your blog, it’s because I deemed it interesting enough to be worth my time.  I subscribe to blogs for my benefit and my benefit alone. It’s not to make you like me (few people find that ability within them), to have you recognize me, to increase traffic on my blog, etc., etc. It also means I will read each post. I might hit like but I might not. I might comment but I might not. But, I am reading your posts. If a sufficient number of posts bore me or I otherwise tire of reading your blog, I’ll unsubscribe.

1a) if I subscribe to your blog, don’t feel like you have to subscribe to my blog. In fact, I’d prefer you don’t automatically subscribe in response to my subscription because . . .

1b) if someone subscribes to my blog, I would like to think they have looked at the sum-total of my stuff, and found it interesting.  I know some of my friends and family subscribe only for the photos and ignore the rest of the stuff (they know me well), so I can easily accept that of strangers as well.  However, if you are subscribing to my blog just because I subscribed to yours and you don’t commit to reading at least some of what I post, you are doing me a disservice. Don’t do it.

1c) if you subscribe to my blog, don’t do it thinking I will subscribe to — or even read —  your blog.  Subscribe to my blog without any expectation or don’t subscribe at all.

1d) With very few exceptions, if I check out your blog and I see anything about thanking this or that god, invoking magical thinking, or mentioning anything I consider irrational and anti-science, I will, within reason, avoid all contact. I say “within reason” but it’s a certainty, especially these days. This is to protect you, not me. Meaning, you probably don’t want me challenging your cherished beliefs. Besides, contrary to what I once thought, there are zero benefits for me to attempt to educate, enlighten, or push anyone toward rational thinking. I tried it for more than forty years now, and I’ve grown weary of it.

Tell us, Disperser, about Comments.

1) if I comment on your blog, it doesn’t mean I’ll subscribe to it or ever visit it again. I probably will, but I don’t guarantee it.

1a) if I comment on your blog and you don’t like what I say, delete my comment. If you don’t want me to visit again, tell me. I try to be respectful while on other people’s turf but I’ve accidentally pissed off people before and hence I now know it can happen even when I don’t mean to. I’m a lot more careful but don’t hesitate to come down hard on me because “your house, your rules”.

1b) if you comment on my blog, I’ll typically respond. I’ve been known to engage in long and healthy discussions and I typically enjoy an honest exchange of ideas . . .

1c) if, however, you hold and express beliefs not anchored in reason and rationality and you express them on my blog, prepare to defend them because they will be challenged.  Other than in extraordinary circumstances, I won’t be nasty, but I will be blunt. I say all that, and it sounds antagonistic . . . no; it’s just a fair warning; I’m old, I have little patience for wasting time, and I am frank with my opinions. Some people don’t like that. If you are one of them, stay away.

1d) I don’t like being told what to do so avoid asking me to “check out” your blog. There are exceptions like, for instance, if you happen to cover the same subject or interests that I do. But then, point to a specific post you think might interest me. Just asking me to visit won’t sit well. It might even irritate me something fierce because I’ll conclude you want to build traffic at your site by wasting my time. For the record, I have specific and narrow interests. Learn what they are before considering asking me to subscribe.

Anything else we should know?

This is — mostly — a PG-rated blog. I think I have it listed as an R-rating but that’s because many adults are immature and easily offended. Kids these days — and in the past, and in the future — can handle a lot more than adults give them credit for and I don’t believe in shielding them from ideas. That’s really what the “R” rating is for — the ideas I often express on this blog . . . I don’t want some idiot parent telling me that I’m corrupting their kids.

Still, there’s not much profanity here.

It’s not prohibited but I’m not big on vulgarity and/or swearing; it should be sparse, used only when essential, and only in context. If you’re dropping swear words with the same frequency that Valley Girls drop the word “like” you’re overdoing it, and you should look for another blog to interact with.