You know, I don’t usually go around commenting on blogs whom I don’t know the owner personally maybe because the same don’t happen to me. Its not actually the norm you see. I’ve been on fictionpress longer than I have than over here and yea, like alan’s forum, reviews there are often reciprocated.

I think that blogs are created at first for use a personal diary and people are supposed to write about what happened that day, did it rain, what did I eat and so on.

But blogs in wordpress are special, go look around blogspot and Zanga, somehow over here, we’ve got this scholarly atmosphere that somehow suited me well.

I was using blogspot for a very long time before I switched and am glad I did. Wonderful people and blogs over here. You know, you never fail to introduce new perspectives in every one of your posts.

You seem to have dabbled in every aspect of the arts! I went to your myspace profile and the one on the becoming of a poet was SCARY! Haha, I for one, would never become one according to your steps, but yes, I know, you’re kidding.

Or is that your biography?

Congrats to all.

One of the reasons I like the idea of this particular award is that it is about the community aspect of blogging. As to the lack of comments, I think one reason is a type of “stage fright.” For every comment I get on my blog, I get 10 or 20 emails. I have my email address posted on my “about” page, so I make it easy for people that want to join the discussion, but not in public. I have asked several people who send me regular emails if they would please consider commenting here instead of sending me emails. They always say no and that’s a shame, but it is their choice and I have to respect it, even as I don’t like it.

In any case we have a growing community of active bloggers that read each others posts and comment on each others blogs. I think the way to grow in number is for we who do this to keep doing it, even if we don’t get a response from most of the bloggers we respond too.

The scientifically impossible I do right away
The spiritually miraculous takes a bit longer

Quite frankly though, WordPress has been something I’ve yet to fully understand the phsychology of most of it’s members.
I’ve been involved in other forums (primarily photography) and the difference is the level of involvement in those other forums. Generally speaking, when I used to post a post there, generally in a few hours you would end up with a dozen comments, some bad, mostly good, but you had this interaction……….here it’s like there are all these little islands I call bloggers, where people are doing there own thing and don’t necessarily get involved with others. I don’t care to tell you how many comments I would leave on other blogs and nary a response. Another interesting phenomenom is how many visits I get and people don’t comment. Probably for every comment, at least 20 visits or so.

Why not just comment and say “hello, I stopped by, and you know I disagree with your viewpoint and here’s why, or say I like that shot because, or say you know I don’t quite get an impression out of that photo, or I don’t get your message, but here’s my point of view”

I’m not looking for smoke up my ass, compliments and such. We’re all out here with a message!
Here’s mine, what’s yours??

Interaction Man! Interaction is how ideas get formed and you build consensus, exactly as you say!
I just don’t get it. I think you said it best, it’s the community of blogging…..it’s how ideas get absorbed and shared. I’ve learned a lot in the month or so I’ve been part of WordPress. I have friends across the world to which I would never have connected with. I’ve seen eclectic personalities to which I’ve learned from and found it rewarding.
QB said it, I don’t give a rats ass about ratings or such, I want to learn ideas from others, I want to give as much as I receive.
On the other hand, there is truth to “dilution makes it weak…”
The few fellow bloggers I’ve hooked up on a regular basis have been an inspiration and so rewarding….perhaps that focus group cannot be as rewarding if it is spread across a larger group.

You know, you have been someone I’ve looked to ever since I joined WordPress and have been rewarded with support, learned a great deal from, found a resource for a well balanced view on life, whether it be Politics or the Arts.

Sorry for my babbling on here………..
In closing, Thanks Man

Regarding blog ratings I personally really never care much. I only once visited I can has Cheezeburger and to me it may be good for majority of people but there is nothing which can attract my attention.

Following are on my list of daily visits. All in alphabetic order on my blogroll.

1. A View from bridge of Clapsotronics
2. Doug’s Darkworld
3. Grumpy Lion.

You all deserve awards.

Keep writing from your own personal perspective little indian. That is where we get our own insights and share them. That is where DISCUSSION springs forth. That is where CONSENSUS is built. That is from where the POSITIVE CHANGE we need will come.

That goes for mudge and the others too. I love to read your blogs because they always are written from your own personal perspective! Lets keep it going. I hope the 5 bloggers I chose will now pick five more. I am looking forward the seeing their choices!

The scientifically impossible I do right away
The spiritually miraculous takes a bit longer

I had to visit bluebloggers
to learn what “power of schmooze” meant.
For I have never had such huge muscles. :-D

I just thought I was being (painfully?) opinionated in the safety of a blogger’s anonymity.
If you reckon my opinions have any value, I may continue for a while longer.
I have made some good friends here, as well as many ‘enemies’.

Thanks for your recognition, I now have to live up to it.
Little Indian

Seriously, as a newbie to this process, I’ve been learning while doing, but having a blast doing it.

Thanks for the recognition!

–MUDGE