A Rough Guide to Having Nice Blog Manners

image from here via Google - thank you Strikethru - home of all things lovely and typewritery.

It's Nice Manners to Comment

I am sure, like me, that some days you race through your favourite blogs like greased lightning. You've quickly noted that Blogger Esmerelda has announced her baby, that Blogger Betty has made a super good paper mache bowl and that Blogger Mabel is considering throwing herself off her shed roof. You were going to go back and comment later, posting some congratulatory/classy/conciliatory thoughts, after you've finished the washing and plucked your eyebrows.. but somehow you got stuck watching Martha and it all went awry.

I know it's really hard to find time to comment - and I think it's absolutely okay if you don't comment all the time - but perhaps you could just comment weekly on your favourites? Weekly is not too much, is it? Some blogs don't really NEED a lot of comments - they are checking their stats and they know that they have readers bookmarking them from Brazil to Boneo... but some lovely little blogs need a lot of love. So give it up when you can.

I do go on about thoughtful comments, but I'm talking quality rather than quantity. I'm sure you can do quick and thoughtful... because you're crafty and clever, aren't you?

If someone comments on your blog - it's up to you whether you comment back or not. It depends how many comments you get, and how much time you have. If you are super busy, you might consider putting a little note in your sidebar saying something like 'I appreciate and read all my comments, but I might not have time to comment back all the time, be sure to leave me your link so I can visit you sometime too!'. You should decide what's best for you. If someone asks a direct question in your comments - endeavour to respond.

A little tip for Blogger users - be sure your comments are set to POP-UP BOX - then you can stay on the same page of your blog, just scrolling through the posts and replying to your comments superquick! Go to SETTINGS then COMMENTS then scroll down a wee bit and say yes to POP UP WINDOW.

It's Nice Manners to Be Polite

Remember what your Nanna told you? If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Or say something short and sweet and diplomatic. Remember what a blog is? - someone's online diary. It's all about them. And perhaps they are really different to you. Which is okay. Unless they openly ask for constructive criticism - and even then I'd be a bit careful about inciting a riot! - perhaps keep your narky comments to yourself.

On the other hand some blogs really encourage healthy debate. You will be able to tell from the tone of other comments whether you can post a bit of a comment smackdown on someones blog. Personally, i like to keep it positive, but you might like nothing better than to get on a soapbox. Most craft blogs are not the forum for this kind of chatter though - so think carefully before you start throwing punches.

Just because someone might write their personal blog in a cynical tone, it doesn't mean it's open slather for dark comments or criticism - leave that to their Mothers. Some of these bloggers are using their blog to have a healthy (public) vent, others are seeking acknowledgement that there is someone out there just like them and some bloggers just have a great grasp of black humour. All deserve your utmost respect. Always treat them like people in the real world. Keep it nice. If a blog really grates on you - DON'T GO THERE! Just click away. Easy.

It's Nice Manners to Introduce Yourself

I don't mind if people comment anonymously - when it's a nice comment. But I really object to negative anonymous comments, and so should you. If you are 'anonymously' commenting on a blog because you don't have a user profile or web url - then you should sign your name in the comment text box. If you are leaving a negative comment - ask yourself if it's really necessary. Would you write the exact same comment in a personal email to the blogger in question? Would you happily sign your name? I personally can't think of any reason to leave a negative comment on a craft blog. Bloggers blog for the love of it, to share and to express. Don't say stuff that will hurt their feelings. Just click away.

What To Do If You Get A Nasty Comment

Delete it. Why let some one yick make your blog a yick place too? Just delete anything that upsets you - it's YOUR place - don't let someone come in and wipe their muddy shoes over you nice place. Quietly usher them out with a minimum of fuss and don't give 'em another thought. Don't draw attention to it. Remember your lovely manners. You can't help it if SOME people were raised in a box of smelly socks, can you. And maybe they can't either, so raise one eybrow and move on. You might like to think about turning on 'comment moderation' if you are concerned about negative commenters (or spammers).

It's Nice Manners to Introduce Your Friends

Blogging is all about sharing, linking, inspiring, discovering... the 'ings 'go on and on! But if you aren't bothering to link to your friends and favourites, your blog could soon become a quiet place. There is no reason not to link to the blogs that you love, or the blogs of people you love. You don't have to ask permission to link to someone else (but it is nice manners to ask permission to use other bloggers images - unless they are public photos on Flickr and you credit the source). So link to your hearts desire - and let your readers know who you like! Be proud of the blogs you love - and don't feel you'll be judged on who's in your blogroll - because those who judge are not worth worrying about, are they?

If you are not on someone's blog roll - and you want to be - don't ask them. Really. I know you think it's important to be on their list - but they'll put you there if they want to. They might have rules for who they link to, or some crafty strategy - don't let it bug you. Just enjoy reading their blog. If you REALLY want to be friends, then spend lots of happy, fun time on the blog in question. Perhaps someday they'll see just how great you are. Perhaps they already know how great you are, and just can't be bothered ever updating their blog roll. Or perhaps it will become less important to you, that whole list thing.


It's Nice Manners to Be Inclusive

Some bloggers just hang about the 'big' busy, well-known blogs commenting their butts off and hoping that they get noticed. But remember that as great as those big blogging crafty peeps are - they started somewhere less big - so take an inspiration trip and go look at some of the smaller crafty blogs too. There are some absolute GEMS out there - more than we'll ever know, i suspect - if you find one you love, comment freely and nicely and be sure to link to them and share their goodness around a bit! DON'T keep your favourites a secret - because if no one visits, then your favourite blog might just go up in a cloud of 'no-one-wants-to-read-my-blog' smoke. And then you don't have a secret to keep (and you've lost a wonderful source of inspiration) and someone's feeling sad & unpopular too. No winners there.

It's Nice Manners to Care

If you find a blogger mumbling something teary about having a hard time. Say something. Send them your support. Even if you don't visit their blog often. Even if it's not one of your favourites. It can be short and sweet - but sending one teeny comment might make a big difference. The online community should be no different to the real world. Take the time to care about someone when they need it.

It's Nice Manners to Share

Other Ways of Sharing The Blogging Love:

Did you see something on someone's blog that knocked your crafty socks off? Write a little blurb about it on your blog - and link to them.

Is there someone in the blogging community that has helped you out with something, supported you in someway, perhaps constantly shops in your etsy store or constantly inspires you from afar? You might want to link to them! Because it's a nice thing to support those that support you.

Did you just notice that one of your bloggy friends uploaded a gorgeous photo to Flickr? If the photo is set to public, you can blog it directly from Flickr - just click on the photo and hit the BLOG THIS button above it - Flickr will take you through the process of linking your blog to Flickr and in a matter of seconds you can blog any public photo you like. And Flickr will automatically link back to the photo's original source - so your friend can take the credit.

You could also create a mosaic of images from your favourite Flickr-using bloggers - Big Huge Labs Mosaics link the images back to their sources for you - so you are sending lots of visitors to your favourite bloggers by doing this. Which is nice, huh?

Add a Reader Widget to Your Blog! This is a great way of having a blogroll that constantly changes. It'll update regularly, as your Google Reader or Bloglines reader does, and show excerpts of posts from your favourite blogs. It gives everyone a turn on your blog! Freshest at the top is best - as your readers are getting lovely fresh news from YOUR favourites - and of course you want to support them by sending them your readers, don't you?! On Blogger this is a new standard Page Element - for other Blogging Software Google 'Bloglines Widget' or 'Google Reader Widget'

Make Suggestions - if you've found a blog you just KNOW one of your blogging circle will love - send them a little email, with a link and your best wishes. They may never find it without you.. what with all those zillions of pages out there!

Thank you... and goodnight.

xx Mikes

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