This is a confession. I know, I know… day early. However, this ISN’T a MOMMY CONFESSION. This is a much deeper, somewhat personal confession.
Some bloggers intimidate me.
I’m a newbie, novice (call it what you please) and I have come to LOVE BLOGGING, but I have also noticed a less desirable side of blogging.
When you are new at something, you have to start somewhere. Some prefer to dive right in and learn it themselves. Other may prefer to educate themselves through books and courses. But no matter how you prefer to go about learning it… EVERYBODY LOVES SUPPORT along the way.
And this is USUALLY the case…
BUT NOT ALWAYS.
I have noticed a trend among some more experienced bloggers to complain about the mishaps of us newbies… and I will be honest, it can be intimidating! I just try my best not to take it to heart.
The following list is meant to be funny… and as a friendly reminder to those more experienced to take it easy on us newbies! We’re learning. Please and Thank You! 
TOP 5 Pet-Peeves of BLOGGERS
- Platform Choice – Blogger users think you’re a stuck-up snob if you use WordPress. WordPress users think they are elite and professional in comparison to Blogger users. Can’t we all just be friends and realize that more often than not, it’s a choice regarding ownership (NOT whose better than who).
- Poorly Designed Blog – There is nothing worse than if your site looks and appears amateur. If you have a header that extends beyond the fold, cluttered sidebars, lack a button (note MY sidebar, NO BUTTON, amateur here), or use Comic Sans font (or any font too big, too small, or difficult to read), others will (more likely, than not) automatically assume that you are not worth their time of day. Sad, but all too true. I’ve read it… this is what other bloggers are writing and posting about.
- Captcha – Nobody likes it. Period. In fact, I have heard some bloggers say they won’t even bothering commenting on a post if they have to bother with captcha. Captcha is that word (and number) authentication process you have to go through to leave a comment on some bloggers’ posts. I’d recommend just switching your commenting settings so that you have to moderate comments before they appear (even if its just a one-time deal for first-time commenters). This will most likely prevent spam and eliminate the need for the captcha that everybody seems to despise. (and please note, that I will still comment even if I have to deal with captcha and try 3 different word/number combinations before my comment is accepted)
- No-Reply Commenters – Feeling lonely? Feeling like nobody is responding to any of your replies or comments? It may be because you are a no-reply commenter. Which means that when a blogger receives an e-mail that you commented on their post, the author pops up “no-reply commenter” and they have no e-mail address to respond back to. There are easy fixes to this problem for Blogger users (just Google search “how NOT to be a no-reply commenter and a plethora of tutorials will pop up); however, it’s not quite that simple for those of us that use WordPress. I ended up having to create a test site of sorts to set-up a Bloggers account and manage my e-mail settings for when I reply on others’ posts, then deleted that blog and reverted my account back to Google+ (so far, this has seemed to resolve the issue).
- Manner of Commenting – Finally, the way you comment on others’ posts. Nobody… I repeat, NOBODY… appreciates the generic comments of “following you, please follow me back.” It leaves the impression that you are desperate for followers and haven’t even taken the time of day to read what they had to say because you aren’t even sharing your thoughts or reactions to it. I was slightly guilty of this myself when I started blogging. I’d share that I was a new follower, but would never share WHY. Share that you’re following, but ALSO share what intrigued you to do so. Bloggers are much more inclined to check out your site if they feel that they can relate to you. So be genuine and skip the desperate, generic comments especially when participating in link-ups.
These are just a few of the things that I have noticed and learned as a newbie. Hopefully, this can prove helpful to somebody else as new to this as myself. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m loving every second of it.
What are YOUR best tips and advice to follow when it comes to blogging? I would love to hear them, so please share below! Here’s to an AWESOME week!
Haha so true! others even design their own font?! I’m proud of myself if I manage to get a blog out, let alone ‘pimp my blog’.
At the end of the day – anyone who judges a book soley by its cover is not worth getting upset out (they blatently neber leave the house).
And by the way – I think you’re blog is just beautiful!!!
xxx
Thank ya’, thank ya’! I am working on it… its a constant work in progress. For example, I realized the other day that my Pinterest follow button is no longer working and needs attention, haha.
Ok, now I’m super curious who these big complaining bloggers are and all of what they’re saying! And I totally agree with the captcha thing. Not because I’m above the effort, but that it really does take effort for me to get some of them right! I feel like such an idiot when I can’t figure it out the first time
Another one of my pet peeves is not having an “about” section. I want to know who a blogger is and some background if I’m deciding whether to follow, or trying to get caught up.
I learned so much from reading through my Twitter feed about what I really SHOULDN’T be doing, haha… And I TOTALLY agree on the “about” section!
Thanks for the comments on my blog! I waiting to open the mascara until I finish my Clinique one. Also very very excited about not finding out the baby’s gender. My due date is all that more exciting. I don’t have Google + and my email had you as a no reply blogger
I’m writing my post that references your No Monster one tomorrow!
HAHA, how funny that I post about no-reply commenters and I have somehow reverted back to one… I have had some major issues from the beginning, commenting on Blogger blogs… makes me sad :/ AND frustrated that I don’t know how to fix it, being that I use WP.
Pingback: A Thank You Note « Cheri Speak·
I have no tips as I am a newbie myself…but i would like to say that i think your blog is great and I love reading it!
Shannon
Hey girl! Thanks! What happened to your blog? I haven’t been able to access it in days.
I know! i changed the domain to lifeasmrsburnett.wordpress.com I was hoping it wouldn’t affect my followers…but I think it might have
But I’m still here! I’m learning as I go too and I didn’t really have a name for my blog…so thats why i changed it.
Hmm what is this no reply blogger thing? I’m so confused by all these terms!
OK, so know how we get notifications of comments through our WP Dashboard, and respond through such (or even via e-mail, like I’m doing now), but then it posts as a thread in the comments section? Well, Blogger users receive an e-mail of comments and that’s how they respond to comments, but it you don’t have a Blogger account with email settings adjusted correctly, you end up being a no-reply commenter. Which means that when they receive the comment via e-mail, the author is something along the lines of no-reply commenter and contains no e-mail to respond back to… Hence, why you don’t hear back from them in regards to your comments. I thought I had semi-fixed mine, but was told today that I’m appearing as a no-reply commenter again, haha. I’m assuming this is why their comments section never have threads of replies.
On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 4:21 PM, Momma In Bloom
Oh weird.. I don’t even know how to figure out if I am or not! Hmm let me know if you figure anything out!
This is so true!! I felt like a little outcast when I first started blogging. Being on wordpress and all. But, in all honesty the first time I saw you comment on my blog I was like ohhh a wordpress blog, she must be cool.
lol I LOVE blogging and learning how to do all the cool things like buttons and logos and stuff. Its a part I really like. I made my button and then used a GREAT tutorial on how to add the html code box, so if I can help any let me know! I would love to have you on my sidebar. My {noncluttered} wordpress sidebar that it. Man am I funny or is it just me? But really I know I have only been blogging for 6 min, well 6 months, I would love to help anyway I can!
Hailey @ Love, Laughter and Lipstick
Awww, thanks girl! I would love to be on your sidebar… and have you on mine! Did you know that I recently bought my own domain and am in the process of getting it up and running? Has been a pretty, slow process in the works as I’m going along with the pace of an on-line course I’m taking on self-hosting using WP.org (I’m a pretty un-tech-savvy person, HA). Have been brainstorming ideas of what I want my logo to be, but may work with a designer to avoid any copyrighting issues. Have you come across a practical way to reply on Blogger users’ posts without being “no-reply”? If so, please share!
This is a great post. I, myself, am switching to WP so I definitely don’t think one is better than the other… just a matter of my opinion which platform I choose to use. I also totally agree about the “hey, I’m your newest follower, come look at my blog” — just irritates me. If it’s more genuine than that, I’m totally more likely to reciprocate the love, ya know?
It was definitely a mistake that I made starting out. Not that it was bad that I was sharing that I was a new follower (because most of the time I do so through Bloglovin’, which doesn’t necessarily let you know WHO is following you, just how many followers you have). However, I quickly realized that I should be sharing what intrigued me to follow along, as well. Are they around the same age as myself, with the same interests, inspired by their recipes, have kids the same age as mine, etc. – I think it really helps them realize that you are truly reading what they have to share with the blogging community and interested in how they might benefit from you have to share also!
Hey girl! I laughed over the Blogger/Wordpress thing. I’m in a blogger Facebook group and it is ALWAYS a hot topic! haha ; ) And you’re so right about what you said. If I was starting from scratch, I think I’d go with WordPress though! So many great plug ins and SEO is so much easier!! : )
P.S. Yes, somehow you reverted back to a no-reply commenter because I was going to respond to your comment on my blog, but then I couldn’t! One thing that is bad about Blogger is that if the commenter doesn’t also have a Blogger account, it is super confusing/annoying/impossible. Whereas if someone from Blogger leaves a comment on WordPress it’s SO easy! So many of my family members always tell me they want to comment, but have no idea how! Oh well.
Hope you’re having a good week! xo
I created a Blogger account and a test site/blog of sorts, just so I could adjust the settings to share my e-mail… but then I reverted back to Google+ after saving the changes, so that nobody comes across that fake, generic site, haha. However, it appears that I am going to have to check those settings every so often because it doesn’t remain permanent. :/ Thanks for sharing your input!
You and I started blogging with WordPress roughly about the same time (give or take), so I really don’t have any ideas to offer that you wouldn’t already know. Matter of fact, you are already well advanced past me because I didn’t really understand a lot of the things you were talking about as far as blogging, lol! WordPress is the first (and only) blog I’ve ever used, so I can’t compare, but I’ve liked WordPress so far. The Captcha and No Reply things I don’t really understand, but I do identify with you on the generic reply thing — it is all too obvious when someone is just trying to gain followers. I like this post, and it will give me food for thought as I strive to make changes to my own blog as time goes on.
I also love WP! Captcha is the word/number authentication process that makes you type in a combination of warped letters and numbers to verify that you are a human and not a computer/robot trying to reply. The no-reply is much more confusing for us WP users, I haven’t completely figured out how to resolve the problem myself! :/
Oh, that! Now at least I’ll know the name for those! And I’ll just have to hope I am not a “no reply” to anyone. Thanks for the explanations!
Pingback: Reminder Post! « The Chaotic Soul·
Great list. As far as captcha (which I HATE but like you will still leave a comment if there is one) and moderating comments, another good alternative is akismet for wordpress. I believe it’s built into wordpress.com blogs. I use it with my wordpress.org blog and I can’t remember the last time I had a spam comment go through. Works amazingly well.
Of course it isn’t available on Blogger… but I’m guilty of the “ugh, it’s a blogger blog” line of thinking. Oops!
YES! Akismet is built into the WP.com blogs… however, I am in the ever-so-slow process of switching over to self-hosting and need to look into installing it on my WP.org blog. I am taking an on-line course on self-hosting though and working on my blog site at the pace that we work on the class project, so maybe our instructor will cover this? We shall see!
What an insightful post, Amber! You raise some really good points about newbie blogging. I remember when I first started, I was SO intimidated to leave comments on the BIG players of WordPress. Then, I realized, hey we all put on our pants the same way. I was no longer scared. Also, the generic comment thing drives me crazy. Have something to say or don’t say it at all! That’s why I absolutely LOVE hearing from you because you speak in specifics!
Awww… thanks!
i feel that way! i tried to switch to blogger since it worked better on my phone to “READ” blogs but i hated the input aspect so im back and i like the bloggers more here. but its intimidating to post on someones blog that is great! and you dont seem to be at their level! but im doing more blog hops and i am learning alot of the moms on here are dealing with the same issues i am in the home life and especially with my daughter! but i learnede alot on this post!! i enjoy your blog! your an amazing writter!
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!
Pingback: 2013: Blog Life | Diary of a 'Sensitive Soul'·