Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Some more goals for the Blog Improvement Project


After having browsed all other BIP-participant's posts yesterday and today, I have found that I actually have some more goals for my blog in 2009.

I will be better commenting on other people's blogs. I will try and avoid (realizing that I probably cannot avoid it completely) commenting with only a "sounds like a good book" or "I read that one too" and stuff like that. I want to make my comments more personal, which will also be more satisfying for the blog-owner.

However, there will be days where writing the long comments simply aren't an option and as I know I often want to show certain bloggers that I have been by their blog, I may fall back on the shorter comments. So it is not like I am going to write a short story every time I comment. But at least I want to make my comments more interesting.

Another goal is to decide upon a certain amount of posts pr. week. For instance by joining one of the many weeklies which are out there. I am writing a thesis and my days are rather busy and I know it will just get worse for the next months, so until late spring, where I deliver my thesis, I will tentatively say that I will post at least 3 times a week with some project- or book related stuff.



Image is called goal juve and is from user pierodemarchis' photostream on flickr.

14 comments:

Beth F said...

I like your additions to your goals. I too want to be a more meaningful commenter, but sometimes I just want the person to know I've read her post, even when I don't have more to say. I'll have to think about ways to do this.

My post is finally up.

Anonymous said...

To be a more meaningful commenter would mean I'd have to be a more meaningful person, and hon, I as about as shallow as they come. ;)

Just remember to have fun. You have a pretty active schedule, so keep that in mind too.

Louise said...

LOL J. Kaye, I have bouts of shallowness myself - often...so let's see how it will work out :-) I never forget to have fun though. Never.

Louise said...

Beth, these days I find it okay to have something to say, because I am visiting all those blogs where people are presenting their goals, so it is easier to say something (relatively) meaningful than if they have a lot of posts up about books I haven't read myself for instance :o)

Beth F said...

Neither of you are shallow!!! Or I'm just too shallow to know the difference.

Maybe the answer is that I don't have to leave a comment every time I read a post. In fact, if I don't, then the comments I do leave will automatically become more meaningful.

Clearly I need more coffee this morning! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Beth F. ~ I understand exactly where you are at! I'm caught between wanting to show support for my fellow blogger, but at the same time, I don't want to leave a comment that lacks in feeling.

I have literally given up. I don't think there is a way to show support and leave a meaningful comment every time. That said, what comment I leave I actually mean...even if it's been said on twenty other blogs.

This is really a great topic. I think it's just an ongoing problem bloggers face.

Louise said...

I agree. 100%. It is not possible to say something lenghty and/or meaningful (meaningful doesn't have to be lenghty) every time you stop by a blog you like. So that is really an ongoing "issue". Of course I don't want to make this any kind of a problem, it is just something I think about. If I venture out of the safety of the book blogging blogosphere and check news-blogs, political blogs or even religious blogs, I often see very lengthy and awfully meaningful comments and regular debates going on. I see a lot of meaningful comments on the book blogging blogosphere as well. It is not that. And don't get me wrong, that is absolutely how I like it. If I wanted mega-debate and controversy, I would have made a controversial blog. But I still have the vain hope that I can be better myself at leaving meaningful comments around the community. Not necessarily lengthy and "wise", just better than the short sentence showing that "I was here, are you coming to see me as well" if you know what I mean :-)

Have a fab day

Louise

Beth F said...

This is a universal problem, but I think we've kind of hashed out a solution. Thanks, Louise, for the forum!

Louise: Help! Where did you find the code for your blogroll? I really need to do the same thing.

Louise said...

Beth, this template is the blogger template called minima lefty stretch and you can find it on the blogger dashboard under templates :-)

Louise said...

Argh. That wasn't what you asked. Anyway. I just went into the blogroll-template and clicked the option of showing only 10 of the most recently updated blogs.

Beth F said...

Oh. I guess I missed that option in blogger blogroll template. Thanks bunches.

Beth F said...

OMG! My blog looks better already!!!

Melody said...

I too want to be a more meaningful commenter! I am like Beth, I leave short messages if I've nothing much to say as I want to let the other person know that I've read her post. Another reason is, I read too many blogs! ;)

Louise said...

Oh Melody, tell me about it. I also read SO MANY interesting blogs and I know how hard it is to come up with something meaningful in each and every comment. And I am like you (and a lot of other bloggers) in that sometimes I just want to let the blogger know that I have been by their blog!