Feeding That Blog Beast

What animal do you think is the world title holder as the greediest of the lot? Elephant? Nah. Dinosaurs? Oh boy, they’re instinct, man. Pigs?

Okay it’s the polyphemus moth. This tan colored moth usually found in North America can eat 86, 000 times its own weight at birth. Go figure.

I bring this up because I’m feeling the pressure of feeding this baby blog. It has become a beast, demanding daily feedings. I go to work in the morning and it eyes me suspiciously as I leave – perhaps doubting if I’d bring home the bacon for its night feeding. Which is a correct assumption. Because I have doubts myself.

At work, I think up blog ideas. Where do I go this time for inspiration – shall I raid the family treasure trove of secrets and dirty linens? Or should I mine first my neighbors’ antics?

But why bother. Why not post at my own pace, say thrice a week. The problem is that the baby’s pediatrician named Mr. Analytics says every time I leave the baby at home to socialize my baby’s vital signs drops dangerously low.

My parental instinct is thus challenged. True, I did not ask my baby if it wanted to be brought in this world. I did it entirely on my own. Now, I have to grin and bear it and wait for the time it becomes of age so I can leave it well enough alone. Angelina Jolie can of course take a liking to it and adopt it. But what are my freakin chances? Nada. My baby and I are not from Africa.

Am I missing something? Should I ask somebody to babysit once in a while so papa can play? How do you think I should handle my baby?

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Jan

@Yatot: So that's how it is. Nice. Thanks, Yatot.

Okay, so it has to be this week then. Very well. Yehey! :)
yatot

@jan: oh, there is no way to edit one's comment in blogger once it is published but you can delete the spam one's by logging on to your blogger, go to your comment page section, and clicking the small trash can below each comment and choosing an option whether to delete them or delete them forever!

yup those are two different things: delete them will have a phrase like "Comment deleted with author's request" or something to that effect, and delete them forever, will not show this the above-mentioned phrase and the comment itself...

this way, you don't have to moderate comments whether they are spams or not... you just have to subscribe to your comment field through email to monitor each coming comments in real time...

we can talk about this in YM or gmail talk... hehhehe and maybe discuss about your blog's forthcoming transformation... i am very much available this week... (not sure if this is the same next week...) office time... lols!
Jan

@Brian: Yup, I'm into my three months as an author and still groping for form. But the anxieties and anguish - all these disappear when fellow authors and readers give the gift of their precious time. To visit and to join in the conversation. That's the great equalizer. And learning new things. Thanks - you've bothered to drop by. Aww! :)

@yatot: Is there a way to edit one's comment in blogger? Ang dami ko ng maling grammar and awkward expressions dito. Nakakahiya tuloy. My consolation is this is like real life chats. Riddled with errors and incomplete thoughts. Not that I'm thinking of deleting posted comments. You mean, if I did away with moderating my comments I will still have the option later on to delete the spammy ones that got published? That's news to me. Can you tell me how?
yatot

@jan: hahhhaa... ok lng makialam, basta wag lang sobra to the point na you are making pakialam with the grammar and become a grammar nazi! lols... anyway, writing isn't about grammar naman eh, it's understanding what a writer wants to express to him/herself... hehhehe... yeah! i learned that on my own! lols!

regarding spams... i just delete them the moment i logged in! hahahhah... i hate spammers!
Brian Elliott

I like this humorous look at blogging and its strenuous requirements.
Jan

@bingkee: Yeah, tags and awards can be lifesavers on those slow days. You don't have to think much. All you have to do is open your heart and see which bloggers have taken residence in your four little chambers. At nagsiksikan pa ang mga lekat. :)

Thanks for the new tag.
bingkee

Ano ba eto nakalimutan ko...meron pala ako tag sa iyo...so this is a light post for you. Check out the tag at my site;
http://fliploveusa.typepad.com/a_filipino_immigrants_lov/2009/02/birthday-wishes-and-honest-tags.html
bingkee

Be concerned about your average not the daily visits. Because the average is the major factor in determining your Alexa rank. So if you're really bothered with decreasing views on certain days, try to post "light entries" on days that you really don't feel like thinking what to write---I call it light posts coz I don't need to think; tags, awards, videos, photos, jokes, etc. Paid posts have become "light posts" to me since I just post based on what the advertiser's instructions. And it 's like I'm just doing a job that I always used to for so many years---public relations copywriting. Pareha lang talaga kaya easy peasey sa akin ang PP.
Jan

@Lindsay: Thank you, Lindsay...It's all Greek to me, this proxy thing. But I'm glad you found a way to work around this puzzling block Vietnam imposes on blogger.com.
Lyndsay Cabildo

Finally! I get to find a trick to view blogspot blog from here in Vietnam. Geeez, I found a proxy to hide my IP. For some reason, Vietnam blocks some websites here, and now that I found this ninjaproxy, I'm glad that I am now able to read your blog.

Specially yours, dang! I was like, geeee, I've got to see your blog because you've been commenting on mine few times now, and I 've got to return the favor!

Luckily, now I did! Your blog is one of my fvorites, tackling different interesting topics and everything has sense. Keep it up Jan! I'll be checking you out every now and then, no worries...

Ciao!
Jan

@bingkee: It bothers me a little there's a big drop of visitors when I don't post. Of course, the blog picks up when there's a new entry. Well, I have to live with that I suppose.

I gave up watching television because of blogging. Now, I get to watch only for 30 minutes in the morning before I go to work and it's mainly news I watch.

It's the right balance I'm working on right now. Thanks for your insight, Bingkee.

@Dee: To sum up, you're chickening out on me. hahaha. cackle. cackle.

Even if I sometimes refer to myself as "writer" and you don't it doesn't mean we aren't on the same league. As far as I know, I'm not card carrying member.

And you write well. I will not entertain arguments to the contrary. Period.

As this court has no jurisdiction to hold you accountable to a mere suggestion you've made, I hereby grant you - as I see no impediment in doing so - a writ of continuance. Details of future proceedings on the matter we can discuss in my chamber. Bring coffee if you know what's good for you.

Oh boy, I have the makings of a stuffy, insufferable judge. :)
Dee

Oh my gosh! Haha. Oh my! Oh no! Thanks for the offer. I really do appreciate it. And I'm flattered. :) But I don't think I'm ready for guest writing. I am not even in the same league as you are! :) I mean, I don't really consider myself a writer, haha. When I suggested about guest writing, that was just the first thing that came to mind because that is what I see most blogs do. I wasn't implying that I do it myself or anything like that, haha. Maybe when I've been blogging for a long time, maybe then I'll have the guts to do it. But right now, I'm really not that confident and I might just end up embarrassing you or your blog, haha, which I really don't wanna happen. But thanks so much. Thanks a lot! :)
bingkee

Me, I don't care about SEO analytics. I write when I want to. That's great if you can post everyday but who does that esp. if you have other things to be preoccupied about? I try 3 to 4 x but because I am doing paid posts now it has become 2 posts certain days, and sometimes I post 3 to 4 x a week.
Hits are irregular depending on the day and depending on the frequency of your posts. Like I will get 377 unique visits one day , then next day it will only be 200, then next day, 250, then goes down to 189 back to 324 again. It does not really matter as long as your average daily visits are increasing.
Jan

@James: That's a tempting idea - to let loose somebody on this blog primarily to insult everyone else. That will be the day. It's exciting and a potential hit. But who's gonna do it - he/she has her byline appended to the post. Will you? hehehe. Besides, I care for building a community around this personal space.

Of course, you can contribute a post here. There's no budget, however, for compensation. Sadly.
James

while I had noticed it people would rather spent some times commenting to what other people are saying. it is still a good thing; it makes you productive as well. naturally, you can not adore your own abode the whole time while your neighbors are joggling themselves to a fad they find enjoyable doing. Them, will ultimately get exhausted too like eating a platter of sausage the whole week and yank themselves out to fish new ideas outside their own blogging habit. hiatus is a good thing too - natural. away but your soul is dormant. Yep... why not jan? babysitting is a good recourse. have somebody mess around your page. hahahaha. like letting go of a jerk full handle your friendster account and insult all your online friends. hehehe. noe..just kidding of course. go! invite some friends. have it contested. say, a quarter of a dollar per post or so is a good thing. try me, i'm the boogeyman I mentioned earlier. I will post a Bisaya article. hehehehe.
Jan

@yatot: Score for less posting: 2-0. Yeah, I have to learn to let go, which means to stop checking to see the visitor count.

Writing in batches on one's most productive day and having them scheduled for future posts that's a wonderful idea. I have read that in Skellie's blog, this idea of future posting. Pero but coming from a friend parang may mas impact no? :) Will consider this.

The funny thing is sometimes it's easier to visit other blogs and post comments. Lumalabas pagka pakialamero ko noh? As compared to sitting down to create.

Hey, unmoderated comments? You're not bothered you'd be spammed?
yatot

whoa! ang aga naman ng blogging problems mo... hehhehe... i can only suggest that write, write, write on your most productive day, and then have it on scheduled posts! hahahha... in this way, you don't have to worry on everyday blog entries... yung sa akin every morning usually before 8am naka-sked post na ung mga blog entries ko, and i dont even have to worry about the comments kasi auto post naman sya... i dont have to approve them, at siyempre on a regular basis yung pagpost...

i usually post on every other day sked post, but my publication sked this past days won't let me do sked postings... so i just blog whenever there is a time kapag uber busy talaga...

just relax and let yourself free from stress in blogging... you don't want to be eaten by growing figures, do you?

writing is always a good output to relieve stress, to express creativity, and be able to talk to somebody out there and become an omnipresent person... i can only suggest what you previously wrote, or something to this effect: LESS IS MORE. have a nice blogging day ahead... (my gosh, this comment is too long! hahahha :D)
Jan

@Dee: Really? Yikes, my bad. hehehe. I'm a fan, too. This post has Ms. Angelina Jolie's pic ready to go, but I held out the last minute. I just mentioned her in passing after all.

You're making sense, Dee. Crystal. Is not too early though to ask for a babysitter? Aga naman ng blogging fatigue ko noh? hahaha.

I'm inviting you then to guest post here. I love your writing style - your levelheadedness will be a breath fresh air in this blog. Really.

Let me know when you have cooked up something. O ayan ha you have the key under the pot of flowers na ha. :)
Dee

But your baby is from Asia. And Angelina Jolie does have two cute adopted sons from Asia, one from Cambodia and the other from Vietnam . . . How's that? Haha. Just kidding. Forgive me, but I happen to be an Angelina Jolie fan and any talk on the subject warms me faster than any warmers could.

Anyway, you really do have quite a dilemma there ... Some suggestions: maybe you could ask someone to be a guest writer in your blog on those days when you cannot post. Many blogs do that. Or you could write, as you said, three times a week or in any regular manner because I think regularity is the key. You may not be writing everyday but say every other day, then I think that's fine. As long as your readers will be able to recognize that you write according to or following a certain schedule. I don't know if I'm making sense, but there it is. (Whew, it's so difficult to express things in English!) :)

Feeding That Blog Beast

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