Blog, Stumble, Fall

Blog, Stumble, Fall



Good thing I don't make New
year's resolutions. Already I would have fallen off the "blog more
regularly" wagon.  Three posts are in some state of preparation,
and there's no guaranty all three will end up seeing the light of
screen (har har), much less even one or two.



Menwhile, although I am posting with less frequency, the referrer logs
are going nuts and the readership is increasing.  Some of this is
from one or two high profile links.  Others are coming from a
seemingly new group (new to me, anyway)
of blog readers from some LiveJournal linkshare exchanges.  Two
exchanges I know of, perhaps more.  Very rewarding, nice to know
people actually come here, click in, and even come back for more.



A few times hereabouts I've discussed my Imaginary Readership
Panel.  When considering just what should or shouldn't be posted,
what might or might not be offensive, might be crossing a line, or what
perhaps would or could be seen by the wrong set of eyes, I consider
what the reactions would be by various members of this imaginary
panel.  It helps me to self- edit, to choose words, and to decide
on tone and content.  This conceptual  panel is very helpful,
serving as a guide for the writer.



Well guess what?!  Surprise, surprise!  It turns out that two
of the members of that exists-only-in-my-mind panel actually are
readers of the blog!  It came as quite the shock when they
mentioned to me that they're DeanLand readers.  All this time I
had them on the imaginary panel, never once thinking they really ever
clicked in.



Now I wonder if I should replace them with others, just to keep the imaginary aspect of the panel intact.


Also bringing over many new blog readers is Stumble Upon [1]. 
This is a blog referral service, working as a simple right-mouse-click
used to add a URL to one's list of referrals.  This is similar to del.icio.us [2],
but serves in more of a social networking capacity.  Tags and
links are critical to del.icio.us, in a more clinical or technical
manifestation of sharing. 

Stumble Upon is more personal, social in the person-to-person
review/refer sense.  It has more of a site-like user interface; a
web-sensory look-feel-see-click experience. 

Del.icio.us [2] seems more a keyboard automated device than a personally
interactive service; more a utlitarian tool, a  listings service
used by early adopters, web-savvy and geekier types.  Read the
reference, the tag -- then click if interested.  Stumble Upon feels
more social in presentation and interaction.

Then again,
I am a social and sociable sort of guy, yet I click over to del.icio.us [2] more than I do to Stumble Upon [3]. 
Must be a function of age, inclination, and personal sense of how
referrals and click appeal varies among users.  Clearly there's room
for both services, and very likely more entrants in  this arena.