I’m making a few changes around Redhead Ranting.
I’m still working on my color scheme and logo so don’t get too used to either of them. I have learned that I choose the design of this blog like I choose my husbands. I choose the design because it is new, different, attractive to me for a while, and then I get tired of it and need to change it. I really do want stability so eventually I will settle on one. Hopefully I can do that with a husband too.
Moving on.
I don’t know if it is due to cabin fever or what but there have been scandals, back stabbing, nit picking and all kinds of other nasty behavior in the blogosphere this week. Reading some of the blogs this week was like going back to high school. That isn’t why I write nor is it what I want to read.
I’ve decided to leave Entrecard, with this blog at least. Not because of all of the stuff that happened this week but it didn’t help. This week while dropping I have been Rick Rolled numerous times (seriously who still does that?), I have found several trojans and I have to restart my computer at least once a night. I hate dropping. It is excruciatingly boring. 90% of the blogs I visit via Entrecard I don’t read. I’ll admit it (and if I had known of a way to cheat the system, to make the task almost bearable, I would have used it too). I don’t read them because they are poorly written, they are nothing but ads, they never update their blogs or I simply have no interest in the subject matter. The ten percent I do read I would read anyway, I don’t need Entrecard to visit those blogs because they are well written, entertaining, I enjoy the subject matter and I have connected to the writer in one way or another.
I’ve left Entrecard before, I stopped dropping last summer. It was wonderful, I had time on my hands to actually write and visit the sites I enjoy. It also gave me time to get away from the computer for a while and socialize with people face to face. The problem was my traffic dropped off considerably. I like it when my stats say I have a lot of visitors. It makes me think you all like my stuff. The problem with that mentality is that the ones who didn’t come back are the ones who don’t read my blog. Why do I want people to visit my site if they aren’t reading it? That’s insane.
I need to stop paying attention to my stats.
For the moment I am going to leave my widget up there, I have many advertisers in the queue and will wait until they have run. I have started to add all the sites I visit, comment on, and enjoy, to my blogroll. I plan on eventually getting everyone into a reader and going about things that way but so far I am just not that organized, and old habits die hard. If you comment on my site you are in my blogroll. If you are someone who lurks you need to speak up so I know you are there and can add you to it.
Ultimately I like making the connections. I like good stats too but they are misleading. Making a connection with another person is much more satisfying than having my hits go up, especially because I know those hits aren’t meaningful.
This will free me up to comment more. I spend so much time dropping, waiting for the pages to load, reloading, and skimming blogs I know have nothing I am interested in that when I do read something I want to comment on my comments are often short and somewhat confusing. It doesn’t help that there is a child, or two, constantly interrupting my reading and writing but I can’t do much about that right now. Time will solve that problem.
Don’t get me wrong, Entrecard is a great tool for bloggers. I have met some wonderful people through Entrecard. The truth is however, I would have met them anyway because they are good blogs. They are well written, amusing, thought provoking and the writers are engaging. I would have found them eventually because their blogs stick out as shining examples of what blogging is all about.
Entrecard is great for the beginner blogger. When no one knows about your blog it is a quick and easy way to find visitors. I don’t regret signing up for Entrecard. But Entrecard can be limiting for blogs that want to expand and reach new readers. If I am visiting 300 blogs per day within the network that leaves me very little time to go outside of it to find other blogs. And there are so many other great blogs out there that are not part of the Entrecard network. I want to read them but I simply don’t have the time if I have to read 270 blogs I have no interest in.
For those of you who know me, comment on my blog, email me and basically are my friends don’t worry, this will not change anything. I will still continue to visit, stalk and leave strange comments on your site, along with the occasional long email. If I haven’t connected with you you won’t miss me and I won’t miss you. If you would like to connect with me then by all means leave me a comment so I can say hello and add your blog to my list. I love meeting new friends.
Hi Jen, just stopping by … after reading your post and talking about traffic, I think you would like this site; http://www.thesitsgirls.com/
I haven’t had time to really get involved there because of being so busy with EC, but that will change now 😀
Anyway, see what you think – I recommend!
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Happy Valentine’s Day!! =-.
I have eliminated several sites that I used to drop on due to trojans and such. I hesitate to drop on sites I’m not familiar with and yet, I do enjoy discovering new sites, particularly when they have similar interests. So, I continue with EC, for now.
I have bookmarked your site though and wish you continued success in your blogging journey!
.-= Lynne´s last blog ..Four Foods on Friday – #106 =-.
I drop using the EC toolbar. on the first 300 blogs that pop up. I’ve noticed lately that I skip over about 100 of them because they suck and I refuse to drop on blogs that I can’t understand. I’ll still visit you’re blog – so, see ya!
I’m with you all I do is accept a site on the entrecard site (can I get a virus from that) if so let me know otherwise I do nothing with them because I don’t care about my stats, like you, just the wonderful readers who come back and leave me their true thoughts..which often help me through the day.
Have fun, and be peaceful….hugs
Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
.-= Dorothy Stahlnecker´s last blog ..Marriage, shmarriage! =-.
heh – you said tool.
.-= Acadia´s last blog ..You Failure =-.
Entrecard sounds like a butt-load of work. I’m with you. I’d rather visit and read blogs where I connect with the writing and have others hang at my place for the same reason.
Liking the look and colors of your blog
.-= injaynesworld´s last blog ..injaynesworld we preempt our regular feature for "A Word About Valentine’s Day…" =-.
I feel uneducated because I have no clue what Entrecard even IS. But, it doesn’t seem I am missing much.
I obviously have no clue what gets readers. I know bloggers who have been blogging for a quarter or half the time I have and who have hundreds of followers. I have about 20. I suspect that the “problem” is that I write for myself, not to get readers. And, especially lately, I know I am BORING.
Still, there are times I envy those with hundreds of readers and think about how wonderful it would be to get HUNDREDS of comments on a post. But, if it means “selling out” in some way, I’m not interested. I’m still learning about the “business” of blogging…. I’ll get it figured out eventually.
.-= MsDarkstar´s last blog ..Happy Feast of St. Stoogepie! =-.
Stats are nice, but like you, I appreciate comments more. (Besides, half my counter hits are probably me refreshing the page to see if anyone has posted a new blog…)
.-= Kristy´s last blog ..201B – Constellation Lives =-.
I stopped dropping my card on Entrecard because it was time consuming just as you stated. I just started back to dropping just over a week ago. Since I started dropping again, I have gotten two viruses and one trojan. One of the viruses was Google Redirect. That one was the proverbial virus from hell. Took me three weeks to get rid of it.
I’m surprised Entrecard has so little competition. I came to Entrecard only after BlogRush went belly up. I hate to quit dropping after just starting up again so soon. But, I can’t keep fighting these viruses and malware.
.-= David´s last blog ..Spam and Malware =-.
I don’t even know what Entrecard is, but I know all too well what blog drama is. I’ve been experiencing my own trip back to jr. high and nasty comments about friends of mine. It makes me so sad.
.-= Kristina P.´s last blog ..Golden Ticket Winner!!! =-.
Vicki: I have seen SITS, and read a lot of the blogs already. I’ll have to look at it more closely.
Lynne: I tried to do just that, drop on only the blogs I read, but my inbox was full and I felt as if I had to reciprocate. It’s the nice girl in me. I think just doing away with it will work for me best in the long run. Thanks for bookmarking me!
Sheila: Your blogs are some of the ones I stalk, well written, thought provoking and best yet, funny. You don’t need EC at all, but I think they need you.
Dorothy: I thought about leaving it there and not dropping but what for? I’m beginning to think that having the widget is sending out the wrong message for my blog. You can’t get a virus from the widget, it’s visiting the sites that might advertise on your site that can give you a virus. If you don’t drop or surf you should be safe.
Acadia: You crack me up!
Jayne: Me too. Don’t get too used to the new look, it will change, I just haven’t had time to play with it too much and a have nap scheduled for today.
MsDarkstar: Don’t bother with it. Until the clean out some of the crappy blogs (the majority of the network) there is no need to find out what it is. If you write for yourself than nothing else matters. I don’t write for myself, I have my readers in mind when I write. I want to entertain my readers. If I were just journaling no one would read after the initial shock value wore off. I’m rather boring myself. I don’t consider Entrecard selling out, it really is a great way to meet other bloggers who have the same interests as you. But my need has changed since I started with Entrecard and for this blog it is time to move on.
Kristy: There is a way to have your counter ignore your IP so that doesn’t happen. I love the comments, it’s a great way to get to know someone. It’s also nice to know that I am not the only person who does silly, stupid, or just plain bizarre things.
David: I can’t keep fighting the viruses either. It’s too frustrating and I don’t want to have to buy another computer right now. It’s not worth the inflated and inaccurate hits to me.
then why dont the people in this post start a comment cabal? seems to make sense to me.
.-= Acadia´s last blog ..You Failure =-.
Kristina: It is sad. I really think it has to do with the weather and the absence of soap operas on TV anymore. I can’t believe some of the nastiness I have seen this week. It really floored me. I hope it stops because I don’t want to read malicious blogs, unless of course they are talking about celebutards, that’s completely different.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I don’t know anything about EC. The only time I hear about it is when bloggers are quitting it. I let my Google Analytics go a few months ago. It was one more thing for me to check and obsess over. I have no idea how many hits I get. Thankfully, I’ve missed any blog drama this week.
Have a great week!
.-= Tracie´s last blog ..Bamboozled And Busted But Not Afraid Of Obama =-.
Damn! This made me feel pretty stupid. I have not idea what an entrecard is and the only Trojan I know about is a rubber. Still, as long as I can still access your stuff, it’s fine with me!
.-= Linda Medrano´s last blog ..Don’ Cha’ Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me? =-.
Amen, sister. I , too, would like to get off the “Entrecard teat” some day. I think that was you who referred to it as such. I left once before and my visitors tanked. But at some point I think I can leave again and not suffer such a hit. I’ve built up since then. I don’t know. I’m still obsessed with my numbers.
But good for you. You have a healthy number of regular readers. You’ll survive. Like you, I want to get off this ride and explore other blogs outside the network. I’ve begun doing that more now by clicking around other people’s blog rolls. I’ve found some new good blogs by that method.
.-= Junk Drawer Kathy´s last blog ..Taking It to a Whole New Level of Dumbassery =-.
Jen- I like you. I knew it from the moment I read you, not even two months ago. It was entrecard, that got me there. With or without, the widget, I’ll be by to read, and comment if I feel the desire.
Since it took me about a 1/2 hour, to get here, from way up there, I don’t think you’ll need the damn, widget. All, commentators were thoughtful, and get it. I will probably spend, the next 1/ 2 hr winding my way back up, and visiting, some strangers, that may become, READING friends.
There, is a entrecard exodus going on. And, so far it’s true talent, not Ad whores&pimps. So, you go girl- your peeps are behind you 100%. I’ll be right behind you, soon as I grow up a little more. Unless, I can find a better arena, for folks to find me.
Your new look is great. To convey a guy secret, to ya’. Men like it when you, change it up a bit. It keep the intrigue going…
Peace.
.-= Don E. Chute´s last blog ..A BUMPY RIDE 2.8.2K10 =-.
Oh, that darned EC is like a drug that is hard to quit. I have been on the fence many times and I don’t know why I stay. I have met a ton of good blogs through them, but lately, it doesn’t seem so. I laughed at the “Rick rolled” because I too got that on one particular blog. My kids laughed at me, but I turned it up–I actually like the song. Well, I did–a very long time ago.
I’ll be checking in on you still, pally.
I am basically now just reading blogs that I am following. I haven’t had much time for others. I don’t know what you are referring to since I don’t pay much attention to entrecard anyway although it did help me a lot in the beginning as you referenced. I wouldn’t have found you and your blogs without it 🙂
I have just heard too many horror stories about the viruses from too much blog traveling through the entrecard system and being without the computer for three days was bad enough. That was erm, cat hair not a virus. *sigh*
.-= Pricilla´s last blog ..Uh-Oh! The Publicist Said Something She Shouldn’t Have =-.
Jen, I have to also admit that I have no idea what Entrecard is. And after reading this, doesn’t look like I’d want or have time to care to. ….Don’t tell but I don’t know how to check my stats either. Which is a good thing because I refuse to make time for another thing to obsess about.
My insanity dance card is quite full thank you. (-:
Bloggers make all their own choices. The freedom is pretty great.
Just like real life… only better (-:
.-= mrsblogalot´s last blog ..Who’s She In Bed With Now? =-.
Theres dramarama on the blogs?? where?? I always miss this stuff.
In all honesty I blog to get shit outta my head. It was my secret little world when I started. Its weird to me that people, albiet not many, visit my blog. Some on the regular. They have become friends and I like it. The only person who knows me outside my blog world that visits is my sister and sometimes my brother. I think he’s forgotten about it. Come to think of it, I think my sister has too.
I dunno, this world is still new to me. I only started last may and to think a year is coming up really soon just blows my mind. I dont know if I’m in it for the right reasons. I havent figured that out yet.
No clue what this entercard thingy is and I dont have the patience to visit 300 blogs and have no idea who has this much time!!!! lol
I’m thinking you may be stuck with me. We got otherworldly connections. I can feel it.
.-= peedee´s last blog ..Owl City =-.
This entire post is exactly on point. Why do I not feel confident enough to leave entrecard? I would love to, I don’t read most of the blogs I drop on either as many of them are not interesting to me, I just “do my drops” then I get around to my daily, blog roll people. These are the ones I enjoy and read and comment on but by that time I feel like I’ve spent my day on the computer and….yada…yada!
The new drama this week has been causing me to roll my eyes in annoyance. I kind of want to say “just grow up”. Oh and what is Rick Rolled?
.-= Buggys´s last blog ..Ski Patrol To The Rescue! =-.
Tracie: Don’t worry about it you aren’t missing much. I need to unplug from my stats too, it is simply something to obsess about and I don’t need more.
Linda: Entrecard is a traffic exchange for lack of a better word. I go to their site and they come to mine, some of them are really good but the majority are nothing but ads. Trojan is like a computer virus, nasty buggers, you don’t want to have one.
Kathy: You have quite the following too, as you should, I love your blog. Even if I can never guess what the hell that “what’s this” is….ever. Already I am feeling the withdrawal of EC but I will get over it. I feel guilty as if I should be doing something. I’m going to try not to look at my stats for a few days and when I do look at them, and see that people are actually staying on the site longer than a second I will remember why I did it. Baby steps.
Hi Jen, Yep, I’m with you, I dropped the Entrecard a week or so ago. I’m not going to worry about my stats. Sure, my Alexa rating dropped a bit, but who friggin’ cares? I will visit your site because you have a quality blog, and you are funny. I got tired of all the viruses and all the time it took to drop on a log of blogs that didn’t have any new posts for months.
Met some great bloggers like you, which I am grateful for, but I’m over Entrecard. I’ve got more free time now, and I love it.
.-= Dave DeWall´s last blog ..The Bonehead Gets the Celebrity Treatment at High School! =-.
I will miss dropping on your blog. I enjoy coming here and will try to still remember to do so. I quit Entrecard for about a month last year, but came back. I don’t mind the dropping because I do it when watching TV.
.-= Jennifer/Connect with your Teens´s last blog ..Talk with your Teens about Diet – Part 3 =-.
Don: Thank you and I will continue reading your posts which I love reading. Your comments to people are the things I would like to be able to say, which is why I stay away from political blogs.
Pricilla: Cat hair? That reminds me I need to vacuum. Your blog is one of my favorites and even though I don’t comment I do read it. How many times can I say “Awwww, how cute” without sounding like a broken record. And you have me at Monkey Farts Soap, which is wonderful, btw.
Peedee: You have been a wonderful find, too bad I don’t remember how I found you, maybe through Maleah? When I first started this little blog it was to get things out but it’s morphed into a means to meet up with friends and gab. There is more of a conversational feel to it, at least I hope that is how it comes off. I’ve started to live through my blog in so many ways. If I am invited to do something I decide based on if it will provide good blogging fodder, which it usually does. Do it because you enjoy it and don’t worry about the rest.
Buggys: Rick Rolled is when you are forced to hear Rick Astley sing Never Gonna Give You Up over and over again, you can’t make it stop. It was something that started about two years ago, I really thought it had died a slow and painful death but I guess not. I’m afraid of leaving EC too, it is addicting but I shouldn’t care if people who don’t normally read my blog don’t stop on it anymore. I’m not writing for them, I don’t read their stuff, it shouldn’t matter. It has turned blogging into a chore for me and that isn’t good. There is no monetary benefit to me either, EC Credit is not real money folks. And, I might be wrong but I get the feeling that the EC widget is so commonplace that people overlook it. I rarely click on the ad in the widget, unless it is one I haven’t seen before. And then it is usually disappointing when I get there.
Dave: My sentiments exactly. I don’t know what my Alexa ranking is, and I don’t want to know, it’s just one more stat I would obsess over. And why stop on someones blog if they haven’t updated with a new post? That seems silly to me. I am going to try to post every day as well so people have a reason to come here. I’m also going to try to use fewer words, I tend to run on a bit. If I were living in a tropical paradise I wouldn’t be surfing on a computer.
Jennifer: I don’t have a TV by my computer so it’s a lot of waiting or I hit the toolbar, load ten pages and go and do something else for a while and then forget about it. You can still drop on me, the widget will remain up for a little while. I’ll make sure I stop by and leave a comment to remind you to stop by. I enjoy reading your blog you always have something interesting on there.
I do have more than one blog. The one I’d really like people to read, though, is something I HAVE to do anonymously and, as a result, it has no readers. I’ll figure out a clever way to get people there eventually.
I can’t say I COMPLETELY blog “for me”. There are definitely things I feel very passionately about that I won’t touch in my blog because I don’t want to drive people away. I sortve obsess over what is “too much” for the people I know who read it. For instance, I have a lot of bloggy friends who are Moms and I worry whenever I post something about kids or pregnancy or the like that I think might offend one of them because I don’t want the drama on my blog. There have been a couple of times I’ve held off on hitting “publish” until I was able to get in touch with someone and say “I’ve written this… if it will offend you, I won’t publish it”. I’ve never had anyone actually tell me to not hit publish, though. But they seem to be really grateful that I thought to ask first…
.-= MsDarkstar´s last blog ..Happy Feast of St. Stoogepie! =-.
First, Happy Valentines Day!
Second, I stopped dropping on a regular basis long ago. I still drop when I visit the blogs that I like to read just as a way to let them know I was there in case I didn’t comment that day. I agree that Entrecard can be a great tool and/or it can be a huge time sink! Besides that why oh why do people have to be such poops and be malicious?!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..More Frustration =-.
Ms Darkstar: I struggle with that “too much” too. I know a lot of friends and family read my blog so I don’t want to say anything that might shock them or worry them. I hate writing with that in mind and generally try to ignore it but I do think about it. I will rarely ask if someone minds if I publish something. I have been asked not to talk about certain topics at specific times and I don’t have any problem with that. I’m not a journalist, I have no code I follow, but I do believe in free speech but of course with that comes certain consequences some times. I never try to hurt people with my writing. I do poke fun at people but only if I am relatively certain they don’t read this blog. I wish I didn’t care about those kinds of things but this is a blog and not in some hugely circulated newspaper. I have to earn my readers each and every day so a little tact goes a long way.
Stephanie: I thought about doing that too, dropping if I happen to be there but not actively dropping. I suspect for a while I will simply do it out of habit, I already have tonight. Which is why I want to get rid of the widget eventually, gotta get off the teat.
I don’t know why people have to be such poops but the dark side of the blogosphere certainly reared its ugly head this week. I don’t want to be around petty people. And I certainly don’t want to be around anyone who takes anything that seriously. Life is too short.
I keep reading about people who are dropping EC, and I still don’t have any idea what EC is. But good luck. Nothing should make blogging a chore.
As far as high school drama goes, I didn’t like it then, and I didn’t like going back to it this week. It sucked, and I regret allowing myself to get caught up in it. Maturity, it turns out, is somewhat cyclical.
.-= MikeWJ at TooManyMornings´s last blog ..Hallelujah, It’s Valentine’s Day =-.
I do read a lot of blogs and then I decidec to come back or not. And I never drop 300…that is crazy and indeed boring. And you ‘re right, too many virusses out there. Because of that I protected my computer and laptop with so many stuff that it automatically breaks the internet connection when I site is full of virusses or simple too difficult to download.
success
kindest
hans
Dutch in Turkey
.-= Hans´s last blog ..Closed =-.
I haven’t dropped 300 in ages. I just drop on the blogs I read. I’m too chicken-shit to leave EC.
.-= Lola´s last blog ..Sunday Stealing =-.
I’ve only been on EC since the beginning of December and I totally get why people have such issues with it, and also why they are reluctant to leave. It took forever to find and bookmark the blogs that weren’t junk (junk sites meaning poorly written, on boilerplate-impersonal topics, basically blog spam). But along the way I also found a lot of gems, yours included. Here’s my criteria: if a cat can write a fairly literate (i.e. good spelling and grammar, no LOL crap), engaging blog, then that’s the least I expect out of a human-written blog. And I’m not sure exactly what went into this happening, but my Alexa rating zoomed about a month after joining EC (although I’ve seen many EC blogs with dumpy-1,000,000+ Alexa ratings, so it may be something else gifting me with this). I have a book coming out in August, so ratings and stats are important to me (and the sales department of my publisher).
So I’ll be sticking with EC for a while, at least until I can find a more effective way of getting traffic to my site, a small portion of which is gold, even if the rest is rusty tin. But I will be back visiting the sites that left that I enjoyed – obviously yours is one of them!
.-= Sparkle´s last blog ..Photo Hunt: Broken =-.
Oh my! So you’re leaving Entrecard, too? Well, I’ll surely miss dropping on your yellow widget, but I’ll still visit you. Your blog is one of a kind– funny, entertaining, full of wit and humor. That makes it worth visiting always.
But I still visit your blog, with or without Entrecard.
.-= Eli @ Business Sphere´s last blog ..Kung Hei Fat Choy! =-.
We decided to leave Entrecard a few weeks ago when my Mommeh got a new full time job. Since we have much less time now, that was the first thing to go. And it is such a relief! Our last ad finally ran out and we removed the widget.
.-= Daisy´s last blog ..Happy Presidents Day! =-.
Let’s all just be friends on Facebook instead. I love getting the blog updates and can then read the titles to see if it’s a post I’m interested in (which is ALWAYS for yours). I also make sure to hit the original post, ‘cuz I know that’s how we (bloggers) like it. EC takes way too much time to regularly drop. I’m currently using it as a tool to bring attention to certain posts. If I have a giveaway I’ll drop 50-100 cards for that blog and let the post sit for a day as my recipricals usually come the following day. Other than that I place a few ads and leave it alone.
.-= Shelly´s last blog ..What the Hell Wednesday~ Commercials =-.
Mike: You aren’t missing anything. Congratulations on winning Knuckleheads contest. You are a winner!
Hans: Thanks for stopping by and saying hello. No one should have to worry about viruses when visiting blogs. The problem with using the toolbar, where you can open 10 tabs at once, is that it’s difficult to tell which site has the virus so they don’t get reported and infect others.
Lola: You shouldn’t be chicken shit, you write an interesting blog. What happened when you did all those comments last year? did that bring a lot of new visitors and did you keep up with them?
Sparkle: It can be a good tool but I don’t think it should be the only tool. Getting people, quality readers, to your blog is hard work. Keeping them coming back is even harder. If you don’t have quality content it doesn’t matter which tool you use to get them there, they will never tell their friends about your blog if it is well written and entertaining. Congrats on the book.
Eli: Thanks for stopping by and not lurking. I am glad to hear you enjoy my blog and will be back, I enjoy your blog too.
Daisy: I bet it feels liberating. I hope your Mommeh isn’t working too hard and still has time to play with you and Harley. I will always visit you with or without a widget.
Shelly: That’s my next change. I’m going to have excerpts of blog posts go to Facebook. I am so tired of people reading the post there, missing all the great comments here and never coming her to see what is really going on. Plus, I then have to go to Facebook to respond to their comments. Facebook is a black hole and if I can avoid going there and having my time sucked away from me I will be much happier too.
Okay, I don’t even know what Entrecard is!!
I know what you mean about being bogged down with the blogging tho. I’m trying to concentrate on the people I’ve connected with and those whose writing I enjoy. I look at the stats, sure, but I have such a tiny blog and following, and I guess it’ll stay that way. Otherwise I think it’ll drive me insane…
.-= Maureen@IslandRoar´s last blog ..Keeping My Head Held High =-.
I find it sad that you’re leaving entrecard. Mainly because the best way for me to remember to look at certain blogs. And PLEASE don’t take that the wrong way. I just have the WORST memory. I understand though. It does take forever to drop on people’s blogs and like you, I don’t read most of the blogs. I try. Well, I used to try, but there are so many things that people write or do paid posts about, and I really just don’t give a shit. I did add myself to your followers, so I’ll be able to get you through google friend connect.
.-= Mee2´s last blog ..Music Monday ~Time Of Your Life~ Green Day =-.
Break the shackles that bind!!! Atta girl!
I’m a much happier blogger since I left Entrecard. I no longer feel the pressures of dropping and now spend that time reading blogs and commenting on those I truly enjoy. I have not noticed much of a drop in traffic either. It’s definitely been a win-win situation for me.
.-= MadMadMargo´s last blog ..From The Mountains, To The Prairies….. =-.
I never knew what entrecard was until I saw you post about it once. I signed up and haven’t had much problem with it. BUT… I usually only go through it if I am too tired to write or work on sites… I will have the TV on and just click through. I use the FF toolbar. There are some blogs that I just roll my eyes at and skip – they hide their drop bar so far down I can’t see it, or they never EVER post… but I think it is a really good tool for beginning blogs – a way to get the word out and perhaps a few comments. But I am certainly no true entrecard dropper, to say the least. It is more of a “fiddle with it” kind of thing if I happen to have my laptop out.
.-= Katherine´s last blog ..The Surgery That Almost Wasn’t =-.
That’s how I’ve known your great blog through Entrecard and I try to drop too and comment….just like you , I can’t comment all the time because of time pressure. But lately, you were gone ….hehehe and now you’re back.
But I’m now conscious of blogs who just recently drop on my blog because some of them have infected my PC with a virus….I tell you it’s true that you can get viruses from blogs too, one from an Entrecard member, and another one from Adgitize member.
That’s why I drop only on blogs that I’m familiar with.
What is Entrecard? Is that what I call Entrefart or Entrepoot? Is it a favorite pastime of bloggers in the NOMF with insignificant penises and dry holes?
Like the new design, by the way. It makes me fart.
I have a Mac so the viruses don’t bother me, but I do hate when someone’s code freezes Firefox and I have to start everything over.
I ignore the middle school online stuff. I get so much of it in the Small Town that I have learned to ignore it so my head doesn’t explode. That would be messy and someone would have to clean it up (and it would probably be me).
I have always avoided Entrecard as well. A few of my blogger friends use it, but like you said, they spend their days having to visit at least 200 blogs. WTF. I can’t even visit the 50 I follow once a week. LOL. And like you, I like to take the time to read the posts and comment appropriately. I have never really liked to zip through them and leave non-detailed responses.
BTW, I’m glad to have found your blog and enjoy commenting on it, and am glad you visit The CC as well. Thanks.
.-= The Constant Complainer´s last blog ..We Are the U.S. =-.
I know I am one of the lurkers, and I apologize. You have been so good about reading and commenting on my site and I am determined to come out of my shell on yours, because I really do enjoy the discourse.
Good luck no matter what direction you choose to go both with site design and entrecard!
Jrodius
You made me laugh out loud with the changing of the blog and the husband. Actually I can relate to that quite well.
Entrecard. I’ve left and come back so many times. Right now I’m staying, but there are so many folks with those horrible roll-over ads. I refuse to drop on them. It does take a lot of time though.
Have a terrific day. 🙂
.-= Comedy Plus´s last blog ..The Toast =-.
Good post. I quit EC and am really happy. I miss dropping on the terrific 50 blogs or so that are worth reading there… but I don’t need EC for that. I’ve been with EC for, what, two years?? wow. And this was the 6th or 7th major controversy– it’s just TOO crazy there. The place attracts the worst blogs and the worst in bloggers. Not all of them are that way, but enough to make it an unpleasant experience.
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..New Rules for Credit Card Companies =-.
I understand where you are coming about Entrecard and oh the design changes, I swear I can’t keep my mind straight about what I want/like either! LOL
I will continue with Entrecard as I haven’t had any issues with them as far as Trojans go or anything like that, and in all actuality my comments come in steady when I am a steady dropper. Maybe I just got lucky, because when I first started EC I rarely had comments and time spent on site when WAY down. Now I am steadily around 3 minutes or a little over, with dropping occasionally (I try to do 100 a day) and I do usually comment on other blogs, which is why I stopped doing 300 per day, so that I could do 100 but also try to leave more comments!
Good luck girl!
.-= Brandy´s last blog ..Happy Valentine’s Day =-.
Wow, you totally summed up my Entrecard experience and why I have left. Those trojans are insane, and I got them from blogs that I would never visit if they hadn’t “dropped” on me. I met many great bloggers in the beginning, but half have left anyway and the other half I can keep up with on my own. As far as stats, my Alexa is worse but my bounce rate is so much better, so I guess that evens out.
I had to chuck about your comparison with blog styles and husbands. I know people that change their theme every month, now you’ve got me curious about what this may mean.
.-= Tina T´s last blog ..Creating Love in the Kitchen =-.
I’m bummed that you’re leaving Entrecard. One of the ways I have found some amazing blogs is through EC. Including your blog. I never would have found it otherwise because I just don’t get “out” much … online or in RL.
And what is “Rick Rolled”??? I’ve never heard that term. Yes, I am a loser.
I love the orange scheme…I’m with you on the changing of things though. Love to change designs around but don’t have time (or knowledge) to actually experiment.
Anyhoo…I hope you find my blog one of the interesting ones. 🙂 I think I must have signed up for e-mail updates so I’ll at least stay connected that way. EC is just a cheap and easy way for me to visit the blogs I like. The ones with ads or who don’t update, I just don’t visit (or drop, even if they drop on me).
Cheers!
.-= megscole64´s last blog ..I’m Sure It’s A Scam =-.
I used to drop 300 cards daily on Entrecard and when I realized how addicting and how time consuming it was, I needed to step away from it for awhile. I go through spurts where I will do a lot of blog hopping to my favorite blogs, some with entrecard widgets and some without, and then I will go days without visiting any blogs. It all depends on my mood now. Life is too short to spend doing something you don’t enjoy doing (no matter how addictive it is!) I’ll keep dropping in and we’re both on facebook now which is where I seem to spend a high portion of my computer time anyway.
.-= Brenda @ Split Rock Ranch´s last blog ..On the Spinning Wheel – Olivia’s Pansies =-.
Maureen: I know what you mean, I can’t even keep up with these comments, apparently I struck a nerve.
Mee2: I understand, I did the same thing which is why , for now anyway, I am trying to get everyone into my blogroll who comments, that way I can just go down the list. I’m sorry to leave but it just takes too much time.
Margo: That is good to hear. You survived and thrived!
Katherine: For me I couldn’t do it sporadically I had to keep the momentum going to get the desired results. It was too much, I still feel guilty however.
Bingkee: Thank you I like your blog too, always an interesting and sassy post. I tried to just drop on people who dropped on me, I didn’t advertise (cuz I forget about that part) but I was only hitting crappy blogs. I wanted to go through and favorite the ones I like and drop from there but it was such a pain in the ass. It’s time to go. But I’m still here and if you want updates subscribe to the newsletter and you can get reminders.
Doctor Faustroll: I’m glad you like the new design and it helps you flatulate.
Anne: The Firefox freezes shut down everything for me. It just isn’t worth the hassle anymore. But I’ll continue to visit, I don’t think I have missed a day yet.
CC: I am glad I found you too, we seem to have a lot in common…complaining. Thanks for stopping by.
Jrodius: Stop lurking, you write great stories and you shouldn’t be shy. Thanks for finally speaking up!
Comedy Plus: The thing about refusing to drop on someone, if you use the toolbar, is that you are already there increasing their traffic and possibly reading what they have written. It doesn’t matter if they have pop ups or roll over ads they still get seen. And that pisses me off. There was no way not to end up on their blogs.
Rebecca: I quit before too but that was because it was summer and I had better things to do with my time. In the winter I don’t really. But I would rather read, write, comment or watch TV than drop cards on blogs I think suck. Not all of them do, there are 50 or so that are really good but I can visit them w/o EC.
Brandy: EC was a godsend when I first started blogging, I was stuck in a small community of bloggers, most now gone. EC opened a new world of bloggers to me and I am grateful but it’s time to move on now. I might be back but I hope not.
Megs: Yes, I really enjoy your writing and will continue to visit. Hopefully you will stop by every now and again too.
Rick Rolled is when someone plays the song Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley from the late 80’s over and over again. It was big with the kids a few years ago but I thought it had died. I used to like that song years ago but now it is ruined. Hope it doesn’t happen to you. I don’t know what blog it happened on because it would freeze up Firefox and I would have to close the whole thing down. It sucked.
I left Entrecard last year and stupidly joined up again because my stats went down so much. I have stopped dropping, and stopped advertising, and my stats have dropped again. I just don’t want to have to do that every day. You are right – It’s boring! I can count on one hand how many blogs I’ve found through Entrecard. Mostly I find them by reading comments on the blogs I read. If the comment interests me I click through to that persons blog.
If I need Entrecard to get readers, I can’t be a very good blogger. Though I must admit that my comments have reduced since I stopped dropping, so I know that some people use that as a way of connecting to a blog on a regular basis.
Still, I may well leave Entrecard again.
.-= babs – beetle´s last blog ..Fivestones or Jacks, it’s all the same to me =-.
P.S. I just dropped on your widget 😉
.-= babs – beetle´s last blog ..Fivestones or Jacks, it’s all the same to me =-.
Most of the blogs I drop on I don’t read either. Mostly it is because the writers aren’t very good. Even if it is a topic I’m not particularly interested in, if it is written well, I will still read it. I’ve caught myself reading blogs whose topic does not interest me, not because of the topic but because the writing was so great. I have found that there are many blogs that I have interest in the topic, but the content is crap.
.-= DogsDeserveFreedom´s last blog ..News Reel – Update on Brittany and Rambo =-.
I find it really interesting that people feel so compelled to drop on a site if they’ve dropped on them. I wonder why that is? I don’t feel that same obligation. Is it because I am just socially retarded? No idea. But I only drop if I find something interesting on the site. I never drop on sites that are just advertising or completely lame. I also sometimes don’t drop if I have a hard time reading the site (i.e. people with less than great English skills).
I’m really bad at clicking on the links I add to my blog (not to mention bad about adding blogs to my list) so EC is sort of a “favorites” bookmark tool for me. 🙂
.-= megscole64´s last blog ..Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Even Now! =-.
Boy have I been out of the loop. I did read about the Ghost dropping on Martins blog. But really did not understand any of it. Having read more I get it…All those strange widgets some who do not have a widget on their blogs, in my drop box now I get it. Well I do not like the dropping much but I do at least 900 drops and about 300 visits to non EC users. It would be nice not to have to drop. I’m with you on the content…EC has a lot of Ads only(which I thought was a no no)and Newbie writers ( Me for one). I have started stepping out to other advertisers. Some day I will graduate from Entrecard and take my place to the real blogger world.
.-= Auntie E´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday-Valentine Bear =-.
I add blogs I like to my favourites on EC and on my browser and then open ten blogs at a time using favourites groups on my browser. That way I only ever visit the blogs I want to visit and if they’ve posted nothing new then I move on. That is why i left Adgitize – I don’t know how anyone tolerates visiting dodgy or iffy blogs at all.
.-= Emm´s last blog ..A Yank Bank to England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns =-.
The great thing about Internet flatulence is no one has to suffer when they breathe. Now that I am forced to allow both EC and paid ads share my widget, I’m gone.
I must say I am an EC dropper that doesn’t read most of the blogs I drop. And it does take up way too much time. I do like seeing that a whole bunch of people are “interested” in my blog, even if it is fake.
I am so happy though that you commented on my blog, and that I REALLY REALLY checked out your blog. I love it, and I love your rantings! They are amazing. And how dare I not really look at it before, since I am in love with all red heads! They are the most incredible things on this earth! (After faeries of course… and the red head faerie… WOW!)
Alison
.-= Alison´s last blog ..My Kids Drive Me Nuts =-.
I have been considering leaving EC for sometime.
Fortunately/Unfortunately the decision to leave was not mine!
On Saturday I somewhat berated EC on a Forum |adgitize.com| On Sunday at 5am est. I decided to move my EC widget to its own ‘static’ page tabbed ‘ENTRECARD’ on both my blogs. See for yourselves.
By Sunday at 5:30pm est my EC |donechute.com| account was deleted. This on a Sunday eve…Mother’s Day too boot, coming from a website that took them eternity to wipe their own asses!
By 5:50am est today, my other blog |decente-contro-perverso.blogspot.com| was deleted also…
I smell something fishy!
I will stay with adgitize and I have already explored Tribal Blogs.
GOOD F’ING BYE ENTRECARD!
PLU!