If you’re interested in being a guest blogger, send me an email or click on the contact me link above.  I do have one guest post coming up the week after next when I’m on vacation and someone is even interested in interviewing ME!  I’ll be sure to post the link when and if that ever happens.  Barbara S., I know I owe you one, I’ll make good on my word, thanks for your patience.  I hope to get some writing done while away and finalize the posts I have written, once I find them. That’s the downside to writing my posts out by longhand, keeping up with the notebook I wrote them in.

I’ve also been looking around for a new blog theme, so if you happen to stop by one day and things look weird or different, then you’ve landed on the right blog, come on in.

I’ve enjoyed my summer and now I’m reluctantly preparing to roll out the red carpet for S.A.D.  It’s already getting dark way too early and it’s messing with my mood.  I do plan to keep myself occupied with the A Photo a Day for 365 days project, the artificial light should help a little.  Sounds like a lot of work fun!

I highlighted the word mistake because that’s what a typo is, it’s a mistake and even though we all make them, nothing unnerves people like a typo. Why is that?

Illustration: We’re surfing the web, maybe we’re reading a blog post, and then we see it, a typo. We look at it, maybe we go back and reread the sentence again. Yep, it’s a typo and we stare at it like it’s a two-headed monster.

Next, we either run away screaming or somehow we muddle through the confusion of H being transposed with E and realize the word the author meant to type was “the” and we leave a comment.

After clearing up the confusion in our mind, we go on our merry way, but we can’t stop thinking about that typo! We go back to their blog, or the article, to see if it’s still there, and it is, the author hasn’t corrected it yet.

We scratch, we twitch, and maybe we call Bob from Accounting or send a copy of the typo around to people on our email list and announce we found a typo. No mention of a cure for cancer, but we found a typo. Unable to cope, we send the author an email pointing out their gaffe. All better now.

Seriously? That type of behavior reminds me of a cop who writes a ticket for a parked car because the meter expired while the burglar behind him tiptoes away with the booty. There are more pressing issues, especially in casual writing situations, when a typo can be overlooked.

So, besides the embarrassment, what is it about the typo that agitates people to no end? Is it our place to contact a blogger, or anyone, if they have a typo in their writing? When we make errors, are we as vocal about our mistakes as we are with the mistakes of others?

I read a couple of blogs that remain typo free, I commend you, and I’m sad – not really – to say I won’t be joining you in the ranks. I make typos here, not on purpose, of course, and if I’m a regular reader of your blog, then I leave typos there too. I might leave another comment asking the blogger (if I know them well enough) to fix my typo, or not, but I know I suck at proofreading.

Is that a lazy way of thinking. I suck so I refuse to try? No, I think it’s more of, I know when my writing needs to be error free and if I have an occasional slip of the finger, it’s not the end of the world, for me. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care or that it’s okay if our blog posts or emails contain errors, but if it’s a minor typo, can’t we all just get along, without the nitpicking?

Of course, no article, blog post or anything written should have an excessive amount of typos, it’s embarrassing and it looks bad.

If you’ve made a typo on your blog and someone contacted you about it, is it a big deal, do you freak out, become upset or do you say thank you and correct it?

I’m curious, how do you feel about typos? Should you or do you correct the typos from commenters on your blog? Is it about being perfect or not looking sloppy or ignorant?

I think Dee said it best when she said typos don’t appear until we (bloggers) hit publish.

This post was proofread by me and another set of eyes.  I am nervously going to hit publish now, but if you should happen to find a typo, please do not email me, I made a mistake and I’m okay with it.

Additional Reading:

Jeff Deck’s Fearless War on Typos

I forget that not everyone knows where to find me on the web, but here, so if I don’t post or visit blogs, I appear to be missing. I don’t like it when people disappear or seem to have fallen off the face of the earth and I’m left wondering what happened.

It’s the same feeling I get when I’m picked up late and I don’t get an explanation as to why. I’m like whoa, whoa, whoa, no explanation? No, I’m sorry I’m late, but the engine fell out of my car or the dog swallowed my keys and I had to wait. Tell. Me. Something.

My explanation? The mental day I needed turned into a mental month. I hate being in a funk, but it happens. The weather also sucked, so let’s give some of the blame to Mother Nature.

Good news is, lately I have been in a great mood and I’m ready to come out of my dark cave and into the sunshine. Just wanted to say hello, I’m not dead, yet, and I appreciate the bloggers who stopped by to check on me. Meleah, thanks for “screaming” at me. I love how you just come right out and say it, “I need an update” and you bounce. Thanks for the nudge, sister.

In the meantime, I have been writing, rambling and amusing myself over here.

I’m turning the comment feature off for this post and will see you soon.

When you’re done watching it, I would love to know what you think about the question Michael asked: Is Social Networking Increasingly Becoming Narcissistic.

The views expressed on this program are those of the host and guest and do not accurately represent the views of ThinkingOutLoudBlog.com, even though I wrote it.

Without checking stats, I’m certain the majority of my traffic arrived via Entrecard and I will give a lot of that back, but I’ll take my chances.

I still plan to post to this blog daily as often as I can and spend a little more time visiting blogs.  I never did say thank you, but thank you to the people who come here. I’ve found some great blogs from commenters and appreciate your feedback on my posts. If I don’t already have you in my reader, I’m sure we’ll meet again in the blogosphere.

I better go post something, it’s been a while.  I’ll be right back!

“Blogs are great. You get to express yourself. Friends read it. Family read it. Strangers read it, and that’s okay with you. The catch is, when you blog, you create an identity but you can’t always say what’s really on your mind”,¹ without repercussion.

At the risk of sharing too much personal information via our blogs do you think it’s better to blog anonymously or at least set up an online identity, but not under your real name? I always felt like having two identities was living a double life, but now I see it as a small measure of protection.

My identity is no secret, I am Valerie Morrison, but sometimes I wish I had blogged under the cloak of anonymity. I try to keep my personal life separate from my online life, but it’s challenging and in some ways, limiting.

Now, I’m not blogging about anything here I wouldn’t want my mother to read, but my alter ego likes to write too and she has no home training. If I blogged incognito this would be a slightly different blog.  I’m not sure I would like that either. Maybe because my identity is known serves as a restraint; I have to think twice before I hit submit or publish.

While blogging can be a great outlet for keeping people up to date, receiving support from our online friends and sharing our experiences – even our secrets – we need to be careful what we put out there.

I came across this post from Judy called, I Have A Secret.  Immediately I had to stop what I was doing and read it, who doesn’t have a secret?  Judy writes:

I  have lived a “fantasy” life for over 50 years.  I have portrayed a life that I wanted people to know, not what actually was. I have kept secrets inside that I have been afraid to let out. I have struggled from day to day to not trip over the “baggage” that is my memory. I have a story to tell. It’s not pretty. It would be about my life. It would be about control, brutality, incest. I have wanted to write this story, but could never leave a hard copy around (or even in my computer) for fear someone would find it. I write it daily in my mind with tears flowing profusely. I feel a need to “let it go” by telling it. I thought my blog could be the avenue to final peace but am uncertain whether or not it would be the proper venue. I would need to do it in short, weekly segments…serial form, if you will. My family, my humor and my faith are the only things that have kept me sane. I don’t want to scare you into thinking that I am unstable; I don’t believe I am…I just have a terrible secret and I’m tired of holding it inside. I was hoping you, my readers, could help me to dissect the pros and cons of such a venture.

I tried to contact Judy to ask if I could use her post here, but I couldn’t find any contact information on her blog, so I hope she doesn’t mind.  Writing is very therapeutic, especially for me, I don’t like to share, much.  I keep my true feelings bottled up and I know that’s not healthy.  Like Judy, I could never have a hard copy of any journal or diary, but I still need to let it go.

Sharing too much information online can be risky.  I opted for a private blog, one that I only share with a few individuals, but I also have blogs that I don’t share with ANYONE.  They fulfill a need.

If you blog under your real name do you regret it or find it limiting as to what you can share?  And if you blog under a pseudonym or anonymously, what tips can you offer someone thinking of going in this direction?

Helpful Sites:

FearlessBlogging.com – Lets you post anonymously.
Hushmail – Provides private, secure free email accounts.

photo: by fatboygotsick

1. FearlessBlogging.com

So on my closed blog, I said I had a very important question to ask. Here goes: “What’s your favorite word?” I stumbled upon a website that said everybody has a favorite word and I thought hey that’s true, but who ever asks that question.  Well I’m asking, what’s your favorite word. My favorite word, well I have more than one, is loquacious.  I also fancy verbose, incognito, enigmatic, inconsequential, just to name a few.  I don’t use any one of those words daily when a simpler word will do, I use them on special occasion. I like their pronunciation.

Anywho, if you subscribe to my blog, please update your RSS feed information. If you don’t subscribe to my blog, you can do so now or by email, if you prefer.  Thank you.

I know it’s time to give up blogging when….the blogging mainstream is video blogging, I’m just not doing that.  I’ve seen quite a few video posts on people’s blog and to that I say, not me!

Several times I thought about ending my online life, but then I woke up the next day and thought: you fool!  Actually I did get rid of a few blogs I authored, but I’m not ready to give up on this one. ¹

Anywho, a big THANK YOU to everyone who left a comment and shared a thought or personal experience on my previous post.  Your comments were a big help to me and will always remain the best part of blogging.

The baby is fine, mommy is just going through the terrible twos.  So I’ll continue to be the diligent caretaker, other times I’ll allow her to take long naps and some times I’ll leave her in the capable hands of a CPR certified babysitter.²

When I was writing this post a weird crazy funny thought popped into my head about my mom and the newspaper. She reads the obituaries like it’s MySpace for the up in age, but instead of adding friends, you delete them.  I thought it would be cool if there were an online area where blogs could go to die.  We could search for blogs that suddenly disappear or when we’re ready to throw in the towel, we could submit a snapshot of our blog and onlookers could mourn in the comment section.  We could give our blogs a “proper burial” complete with obituary and all.

Photo: timstvshowcase.com

1. so you’re stuck with me
2. guest blogger

A blog can be compared to a newborn baby.  In the beginning, we’re really excited about our “baby”.  We tell everyone about the baby and where they can go¹ to see the baby.  We can’t wait to try on all the new clothes² we have just for the baby.

We love our baby so much that when we wake up in the morning, the first thing we do is check the baby for “movement”.³  Maybe we give the baby nourishment⁴ for the day to sustain it, keep it alive, as we continually check on the baby throughout the day.

Gradually the baby starts to grow⁵ and demands more and more of our time, but we don’t have the energy to take care of it.  Now the baby is crying for attention because we haven’t fed it in a while.  Instead of the once carefully prepared meals we used to provide, we find ourselves sitting in the drive-thru at the fast food chain of “I’m Not Dead” and “I’m Still Here” for a quick meal.

We still care for the baby, maybe we change a diaper here and there, but the excitement of the first born has worn off. In fact, we’re looking for a baby sitter.

Unlike real children who we are committed to for at least 18 years of our time, energy and expenses, that’s not the case with our blog.  We change as do our interests and what was once important, our baby, is no longer.

Maybe I took the scenic route to ask a simple question: Regarding your blog, do you have a gauge for calling it quits? Will you not be motivated or excited about blogging?  Maybe there’s nothing left for you to blog about or you’re not getting the response you hoped.  Maybe someone has trashed your efforts⁶ and you wake up one morning and wonder: Why am I doing this again?  Maybe none of this is the case, would you still contemplate throwing in the towel?

I won’t participate in the comment section for this post, but will be, and I am interested in, reading your thoughts.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

1. blog address
2. blog topics
3. comments
4. a post
5. we hope
6. your blog, your baby

I hate to “beat a dead horse”, but I see movement and would like to know your thoughts. All bloggers love receiving comments on their blog, but as a blog grows, for some, life gets in the way and responding to all comments can take a lot of time.

So what do you do, respond to some and ignore the others? Post less and spend more time interacting with your readers? It might take me a few days, but for now I like responding to each comment.

Comments are like multiple births. I have 6 of a kind, but each one is treated as an individual.

What about turning comments off for certain posts?  This is not a favorite of mine, so I won’t do it here,¹ because I don’t like the feeling of being shut out.  However, some blog posts, like this one, don’t require interaction in the comment section from the blogger. Should you let your readers know you won’t be responding?

I admit, if I leave repeated comments on a blog and the blogger never responds, I lose interest.  I like feeling that I’m talking to a person and not a wall.

How do you feel when a blogger doesn’t respond to your comment?  What if the comments are turned off, are you?  Should a blogger respond to every comment?  What’s the protocol on your blog?

I’ve shared my feelings, so I will leave the comment section open for your thoughts.

Additional Reading and Plug-ins

Is There A Such Thing As Commenters Burnout?
A.S.K. Darren Rowse: How Does a Problogger Deal With Comments
How to get more comments on your blog
Close Old Posts – Closes comments on old posts on the fly, by default it’s 14 days
Comment Time Out – Comment Timeout closes comments on old posts on your blog

1. although I did once, but that post is so buried no one will be able to find it