Always good to try out all the WordPress bells and whistles, so here is a poll for you all. To those of you who haven’t tried it, it is easy. Click on polls, click on create a poll, click on automatic account from polldaddy – and shazzam! you can start to play.
This one is based on the fact that on here, and on the dog’s blog, people (and dogs!) say they want to see and read more about Gibraltar, and Spain too.
Yet, looking at comments and visits, the most commented on posts are the most mundane topics – baked beans tops the list, followed by a walk to the shops. OK, I admit my walk to the shops is pretty scenic so I did get the chance to stick in some nice Gibpix. Interestingly after those two, my pretty serious post on International Women’s Day came third in the comments rankings.
But my busiest days (ie most visits received) were the posts about Commonwealth Day (and more recipes) and Not a drop to spare (the water being cut off :D). Now I accept that busiest days don’t necessarily mean people are just reading the main post of the day, eg on Commonwealth Day, just over half the views (55%) were on that particular post. Virtually the same percentage applies to the water post (53%).
Looking at the most commented on blog posts, the balance shifts a bit, and two thirds of the visits (68% and 63%) were on those particular posts (baked beans and shops). What does all that prove? Not really much, except you can tell I used to analyse statistics can’t you?
My only sensible conclusions are:
a) that people do like looking at pix of Gib/Spain and reading a bit about it, but what is there to comment on? (apart from supah post dahling)
b) everyone can comment about baked beans or whether we like shopping or not, it’s something most people have in common (apart from people who don’t do their own shopping or have never eaten baked beans)
c) I’m guessing, and this is why I have added a poll, that people actually like reading a mix of topics – I do when I visit other blogs, although I also like some of the ones that are single topic based. And maybe you like to get to know the blog owner?
With which I shall play by the rules today and tell you seven things about me that I was meant to do to accept one of those award thingies.
I am tall, slim, green-eyed and have brown hair. It was blond when I was a child. I lack my appendix and tonsils/adenoids.
There. Wasn’t that riveting? Bet you couldn’t have managed without knowing that today.
And, two blogs for the other part of the award. I’m only doing two a day, ‘cos I know you all don’t click on the links. These two aren’t on my blogroll although I do follow them.
This one is one of those photo a day blogs. Based in NSW, Aus, the author tends to take some great photos of her local surrounds, often sea or water shots of some type. Worth a look.
And moving swiftly around the world to Colorado, USA, for a totally different photoblog here. The author isn’t too keen on people (can’t blame him for that), so tends to photograph old trucks, old buildings, animals, nature – you get the idea. He has a dog so there are some dog photos too.
Don’t forget to play at my poll. You can click on as many options as you like – if I have set it up right. I hate the ones where you are only given one choice :( So click away :)
roughseasinthemed 
I haven’t read enough of Rough Seas to do your poll – sorry. For me the most important thing is the writing. I’m surprised at some of the blogs I’ve found myself reading – and in the end I have to say it’s the writer’s voice, combined with topic, that hooks me. Am keen to read eco-posts, ideas, cutting edge technology, unusual recipes or tricks with food…also posts/images that show me something personal without it being too intimate or private. I was totally entranced by a photo series this guy posted of his off road cycling through the woods behind his house in upstate New York. he built the series around a water tower and the rubbish that collected round its base, and the rise and fall of stream bed he used to as a trail…I love reading Jennifer Ward Pelar’s Zero Military Waste blog – her whole focus is to reduce her trash to minus zero – she even makes business cards for her blog out of beer cartons! You hooked me with your feminist edge! :) I also liked your overall shopping and mending post: personal, but not too intimate or private. :)
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Thanks Alison. That’s as helpful as the poll. I think you have hit on the essentials, style of writing is essential (assuming it’s not a total photo blog), topics that interest us, or even ones that don’t if they are well written. [ETA because it was not well written] I think that’s what you’re saying.
I shy away a lot of the time from repeating what I think is obvious, without realising people don’t actually know it. Reducing waste is obvious – but apparently it isn’t. Recycling, repairing and mending should be obvious too – but aren’t.
The overall post was about putting a number of different takes on IWD. All of them were serious. But I think it is important to change the tone, so when it came to me, I could make it more lighthearted. I am a good sewer, and necessity has finally taught me how to mend (which I used to loathe). I have no problems saying that I mend – I think it is a good thing, and more people should do it, I’m seriously considering turning collars next! But I do have a problem with being well-qualified and experienced and not being able to get a job. Different issue. Anyway, gotta another patch to do.
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Well qualified and experienced and not able to get a job is a common experience. Lucky you have a partner who can bring home the bread :)
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Absolutely. Although it hasn’t been mine before. Unqualified, inexperienced and unable to get a job is worse in a way – how to ever get a foot on the rung? How to even find the ladder?
Life normally seems to have let one of us earn. Seems like it’s his turn right now. I think I can manage to make the salads pots etc ;)
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Probably many people are familiar with baked beans, and not with Gibraltar… :)
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My thoughts exactly.
But which do they wish to read or comment about??
You should have the answer after your recent photo experiment :)
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No I haven`t…
But this is my sense on it: people, normal people, are quite busy, this why I believe photo-blogs receive many more visits proportionally, than literary ones. You see a pic and you like or not straight away… a writing post, specially a long one, is not matching the timing of everybody, you need several minutes to read a long post -to realize at the end it was a piece of sh…t. So I think the merits of the story are not the important part of the equation, but the envelope. Humor for example is a good formula, but real humor is not easy and not all writers are able to deliver it.
So in conclusion… no slightest idea… :)
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Valid comments. But visiting, liking and commenting are not all the same. I like reading longer posts although I accept others don’t always have the time.
As for humour, I don’t even try. I’ve never been able to be intentionally funny, so if any of my posts raise a smile that’s an added bonus. Apparently they do on occasions.
Pero, thank you for your thoughts. I like the idea of the envelope.
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I enjoy reading it all, but I do have my favourite bits too, so voted for those. :-)
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You were lucky. By the time you got around to voting, I had lost track of who voted for what :D But as there are no categories for dogs or landies you had better mail me and tell me which they were – anything with a blue sky maybe?
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My main interest is all the stuff about Gibraltar, especially the stuff you say in passing that you probably don’t even think might be interesting, like how annoying it is that some shops shut on Saturdays. I like the food/recipe posts too. In one post you talk about veganising recipes, which got me thinking about another new word. So I’ve decided what the new word is, I take your recipes and baconise them. Seriously, I did like your buerre lemon sauce recipe, which inspired me to try half white wine half lemon juice, which certainly went well with the lobster the other night.
Blu
n.b. I like Pippadog’s posts too, except when he chases poor innocent cats!!
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I realise a few people have a specific interest in Gib, and I guess that breaks down into three categories? – what it’s like living here, something about history, and news/factual info. Your Saturday comment has reminded me of a post I have meant to do for ages (not about Saturdays specifically though!)
Veganising is not my word, I found it, not surprisingly on a vegan blog. Maybe The Vegan Kat, prob my fave vegan blog. I am of course, horrified to find that you have decided to baconise recipes. I don’t see the fuss over bacon tbh. And I have eaten my fair share of it, I tell you.
I can imagine the lemon butter sauce working well with white wine, and especially with lobster (I would be more keen on lobsterising recipes than baconising them :D). I’ll have a quick look at my French cooking bible and see what they recommend for lobster. That would be interesting.
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Lobster often is served just with butter. I often do seafood generally with buerre blanc, but find the lemon juice helps to cut into the richness of the butter.
As its St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll be doing mixed seafood, hope I have enough lemon juice left !!
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I did check out the recommended sauces. Seems like you got there first with your wine to cut the butter :) A few green herbs was the other suggestion. There was a disgusting cream sauce that I’m sure you don’t want to hear about.
Love lemon. Seriously want to raid my neighbours lemon trees in Spain (mine is too small) – do wish they would give me some soonish.
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Thank you Blu. But – Cats are never innocent.
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“Lies, damned lies, and statistics” – Statistics work every time. I enjoy your posts, but as I’m a “lightweight”, and short on time I focus on the ordinary day to day stuff, Pippa Dog, food, the Gib insights. The photos are a bonus.
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I thought about the stats quote even while I was looking at them and calculating the percentages :D I love looking at them, and coming up with different conclusions depending on how you interpret them. It’s amazingly creative. Just wait for the poll results analysis!
I wouldn’t call you lightweight, you have nearly as many blogs as I do. That isn’t lightweight although it may explain being short of time keeping up to them all.
Another mention for the dog!! which I must update I suppose seeing as he has crept into this poll by default.
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i enjoy all the posts i have read, which has not been that many yet. Geocaching is a new term for me – having first bumped into it in one of your posts. so, of course YMMG, although still not quite sure i get all the fine details. but it seems to be fun. so a brief explanation would be good, or a point to a post where you may have already done so but didn’t get there yet.
the food posts are fun – i enjoy the colours and imagine the flavour and the texture, as i don’t cook.
personal bits are great – such as you have been providing in all your blogs, actually.
polls are also fun, from time to time.
and that’s it for me today. good night! :)
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Thanks C. I can link to my early GC posts, which may or may not explain what it is! I’ll have a look. Think I did that earlier for some reason or in response to some comment.
The food is just part of the mix from time to time. I don’t really like the glossy look-at-me I’m such a savvy cook and have a brill food blog sort of post. But as I never clean out the pans before I take the photos I wouldn’t would I? It’s partly about saying, this is what *some* vegetarians eat, it’s fresh, home-made etc etc. As I invariably adapt carnivorous recipes, people can adapt them back if they wish. Baconise them to use Blu’s awful term!
I think the personal bits and the polls are like the slide shows, good, but when appropriate and in moderation. I am modest me, and really don’t like talking about myself (honest). The trouble is, even I realise it does liven up a post sometimes.
One day we will both be around at the same time!! (Usually if you are up late, as I never am),
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you really are modest you, for sure. i read your comment above about not trying to be funny. however you actually have a brilliant sense of humour and it frequently shines through, and it adds much to your posts. have read more of pippadogblog and everypicture than your other two blogs, but it is quite evident there.
but i also agree that contrived humour is not the point, and readers see through it. but when the moment or the point is funny, then why not say it like it is. anyhow, your writing style is both enjoyable and very readable – and that’s something i neglected to mention earlier. anyhow, a new day is upon me. actually has been for some time. must run! :)
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Thank you. You’ve probably said it all better than I could :)
Yes, I do poke fun at myself on Pippa’s. It’s the whole anthropo whatsit thing though on there.
My sense of humour is very acid and very sarcastic. I will confess to that. Not that it is brilliant :D
I am also on the top ten list of worst joke tellers in the world, which is why I never try to be deliberately funny.
You are also not the first to tell me that I am however. :D
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Here are the GC links where there is a sort of explanation. Enough to work it out I guess. Two separate posts for the same story (too long for one post).
https://roughseasinthemed.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/geocaching-part-1/
and
https://roughseasinthemed.wordpress.com/2009/05/21/geocaching-part-2/
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