Saturday, November 29, 2008

Jumpstarted By A Comment

When I first got into the doors of the blogosphere, I felt like I have crashed into someone else’s party. There were many people in attendance but no one seemed to give a damn that I was there. The shy person in me wanted to get out as fast as I could to the confines of an enclave I was more familiar with and where I felt comfortable. The other side of me who seldom leaves a challenge go untried wanted to stay and just make the most out of the situation. I did not need to toss a coin to see which side would win. I did what I believe was the more logical thing to do. I decided to stay and if it did not work I could always head towards the door.

I knew that the the first thing I had to do was seek out the acquaintance of everyone I could manage to rub my elbows with. I believed people would only be strangers if you would let them. It did not take long before I found myself into the thick of a blog hopping adventure. My agenda was not only to get to know as many as I could "shake hands" with but also to learn from them. There was always something to learn from each blog I visited and always when a blog post hooked my attention, I wouldn’t go back to my hopping without leaving a comment.

My idea of making comments was prompted by several reasons. It could be that I just wanted the blogger to know how much I appreciate his/her work. It may also be that I wanted to share what I thought on the subject he/she had written on based upon my own experience. Sometimes, I raised questions on issues the blogger discussed for clarification on some points I was not very clear about. Whatever the reason or reasons behind comments I made, I always made sure that I did it in a way that was polite, with respect and devoid of arrogance. It was the least I could do as I consider it a great privilege to be allowed to share in the blogger’s personal thoughts

Then it happened! I left a comment on a physical fitness blog,
Inspiration Life. Terilynn, the blog’s author, writes her physical fitness post in a manner which made me really want to give the exercises she suggested a try if only I wasn’t too old to go for it. LOL. She must have liked the comment. She added my blog into her blogroll. Inspiration Life was soon to be chosen as a Blog of Note by Blogger. As a result of the honor, Terilynn’s blog was an instant hit. My blog rode on the fame of her blog. Her blog was getting several thousand hits a day as a result. Visitors to her blog clicked on my link. Imagine my surprise when I was getting several hundreds of hits a day from people visiting her blog. For a blog, that was only three weeks old, that was simply awesome.

The visitors soon dwindled when a new set of blogs were named Blog of Notes. My blog, however, continued to receive visitors from Terilynn’s blog and surely would continue to do so. Thanks to Terilynn, I had met lots of nice people and made friends who had made my blogging saga, a wonderful experience given the fact that I did not fit into the mold of what some people believe an ideal blogger should be.


31 comments:

  1. Yay you! I always thought it was a bummer that "personal" blogs are relegated to the bottom of the heap as supposedly "less successful" compared to other more commercial endeavors. It's a shame because there's some really good stuff out here on the fringe. :)

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  2. Glad to have you back posting.
    Some blogs are like journals, they are proof that we were here and are important for that simple reason.
    I shared A Creed To Live By with my alternative school students, they really liked it.
    Keep blogging

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  3. Reading your post reminds me of a quotation, "There are no strangers in this world, only friends who we have not met." Glad that you are enjoying every bit of blogging now. :)

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  4. I really enjoyed your post. You sound a lot like me. I was so overwhelmed at first, then I wanted to get my blog "out there"! On any given day, I will blog-hop and find myself laughing, crying, amazed, or angry right along with the blogger. It's a fascinating trip each and every time. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Nice post. I think the blogs that are the most sincere and have the least shock value often tend to have the most true value, lol. Personal blogs rock. Kudos to you for getting the proper spotlight. :)

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  6. Nice post. I stumbled upon your blog through Entrecard. One thing that I do that I think people appreciate is that I comment on their comments. What I mean is, if someone leaves me a comment on a post, I leave a response comment. :)

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  7. You have been given an award.
    Pick it up at http://journeysofcactusjack.blogspot.com/

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  8. Love your blog! I love receiving comments and try to leave them when I have something to say. I've met some wonderful bloggy friends this way.

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  9. That's what it's all about...connecting. I love your analogy that this is like a party. I felt the same way and am so glad I stayed. Love your blog.

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  10. thanks for sharing. I really like to relate to other blogger's life. I love knowing that there are other normal people like me out there and feel the same the way i do. I love the fact that not everyone does too. I love know about other people from different parts of the world too. That is exciting.
    keep blogging.

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  11. I think commenting is the life blood of blogging. I think very few bloggers take the time to comment on others blogs. I for one appreciate comments and also make sure that I visit as many blogs as possible and leave comments on posts that interest me.

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  12. Great post. I came upon your blog through entrecard. I have yet to have had the good fortune of being added to a blogroll, but I keep writing away in hopes that it will happen for me to. Congratulations, and I hope you continue to have lots of visitors - I'll be back soon!

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  13. Love reading your posts. I am one of those people who appreciates comments. The gesture makes me feel that I am welcome in the blogosphere. i love the way you've said the phrase:

    I always made sure that I did it in a way that was polite, with respect and devoid of arrogance.

    I hope all commenters are like that. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.

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  14. i love your post! =)

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  15. I just found your blog through Entrecard. Thank you for sharing your experience!

    I had a static site for years, and just recently moved to a blog format. It's a whole new world. Now, as a "new" blogger, I can see the beauty and fun of interacting with other bloggers. Of leaving comments when I have something to add.

    Comments are a vital part of the life of a blog, and being respectful of someone else's space, as you mention, is a must.

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  16. You are a lot like me, I was shy at first, but then we all want to get "out there". Nice article, I enjoyed reading it.

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  17. this is a very interesting post.. congratulations.. good that you are getting a lot of traffic.. this is such a motivation for me to comment more..

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  18. Good for you! I 'discovered' your blog during my EntreCard dropping, and like any good blog, got waylaid by your words and had to stop and read your blog, not just blip through with my EC drops. ;) I've been sort of 'shy' about posting comments, except when I read something that speaks to me, that I can relate to, or makes me laugh, I find that I HAVE to leave a comment - like now! ;)

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  19. What a great break you got! But you also write interesting posts so I'm sure you will get return visitors. I was a bit overwhelmed when I started too because there are just SO many blogs! My traffic picked up considerably though when I joined Entrecard which is how I found your blog.

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  20. I really liked reading this story! I've only been blogging for a few weeks but I am really enjoying becoming a part of the great communities out there. I have met so many fascinating people already! And my favorite part is interacting from my kitten's site--she has made a lot of friends! Great gravatar..icon...not sure what it is realy called but it's really nice!

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  21. I think everybody has things to share, and I think people can learn alot from one another. I've been trying to figure out things work, and I really didn't start blogging until July. It's fun, and I'm hooked.

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  22. It is definitely important to make your presence known to the other "party goers."

    Making a name for yourself requires marketing yourself.

    Congratulations on your success. I would bet that your outstanding writing has a lot to do with it.

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  23. This is a great tip! I have just noticed noticed what a difference it makes. I love finding new blogs & i like the foodie blogs so i can find new recipes then go back & leave feedback. :o)

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  24. nice post. mind if we xchange links?

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  25. waiting for more .....

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  26. New commenter here.

    This post is just beautiful; I'd never quite looked at comments that way, or at least not recognized it as such. I'd be honored if you'd be willing to drop in on my party sometime; it's so quiet these days. I get the feeling I'm missing a lot.

    Will there be more to learn from soon?

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  27. And look at all the comments that you got now! Blogging is all about joining the community! So, let's join this party!

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  28. nice post.. i seldom drop comment unless the post is my real interest. but as u said i really appreciate any comments tho' sumtimes they go against my opinions.

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  29. Commenting on other's posts can definitely bring a percentage of traffic to your site. Some of my fellow bloggers have benefited from this, not only from the traffic, but also from ranking high in search engines. I think it has something to do with their links getting more and more distributed in the web that's why their blogs are now getting huge amounts of steady traffic.

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  30. Nicely Said!
    Seeing a comment makes me feel like someone benefits from what I write in some way, and that is more than enough of a drive to keep on writing.

    Really liking your blog; it's simple yet profound.

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