You know that phrase – ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?’ Well, take heed, because I didn’t and there has been much gnashing of teeth and frustration here this week, I can tell you. Like a teenager with troublesome spots, I couldn’t leave it alone and the more I picked at it, the worse it got. (Excuse the simile but I’ve been surrounded by them this week. Teenagers, that is, not spots).
I thought it might be fun to change the appearance of my blog pages – and while I was at it, to try and rid my Community pictures of a few prospectors who appeared a while ago and whose presence was beginning to irritate me. You know the type – ‘professional’ bloggers who click once expecting you to think they are your new best friend. You never see them again.
Now, whether it’s my inherited chunk of healthy cynicism or the fact that I used to work in publicity and know the value of its free worth, I soon cottoned onto the fact that by clicking back on their site out of curiosity, earns them payment for no effort on their part other than to sit in front of a screen all day, clicking ‘likes’ on every conceivable category in the WordPress reader. Well call me downright mean, but I’m not about to help some lazy slob earn money. Go and get a proper job.
(Phew – I think I’ve made myself clear: I feel better for that).
So, wanting to refresh my page I started fiddling around with the widgets. For any non-bloggers reading this, widgets are the little devices provided by WordPress so that us bloggers can personalise our pages, have pictures down the side, a category box, social media links – that kind of thing.
When I first started blogging I was fascinated to see from the stats provided just how far flung this World Wide Web thing is. Tim Berners Lee was onto something with this, wasn’t he? However, I realised, for similar reasons to the ones above that the number of followers recorded is in no way commensurate with the number of actual followers, so I removed that statistic from my page. Easy!
I then experimented with the word cloud but couldn’t get it to look as I wanted, so binned it; I juggled around with several picture gallery ideas – didn’t like them – and then I altered my Community widget. Everyone disappeared. That wasn’t supposed to happen – and when I frantically tried to retrieve them, they had gone.
I panicked a bit and then got really cross; then shut the computer down for the night in the hope they would miraculously reappear. They didn’t. More fiddling ensued the next day, and the day after that when a few familiar faces began to pop up. Because I wasn’t approaching this with a methodical plan, I couldn’t remember what I had done to get the few back in the first place.
However, as you can now see – doggedness paid off: everyone who should be there hopefully is and any cheapskate random clicker has been banished for good.
At least, that’s the plan.
charactersfromthekitchen 
Oh, Jenny, I love your in-your-face honesty (especially the Go and get a proper job!) And we are so much alike that if we’d been trying to fidget with the widgets on our blog sites together, we’d both be sitting on the curb now…
But all’s well that end’s well, and once again you’ve made us smile, nod in agreement, and applaud your antics. You keep life interesting!
Your curb or mine? I’d love to sit curb-side with you for a real good chat!
LOL! I’m probably your most non-tech follower, Jenny. Just reading your hilarious post created tightness in my chest. I have no patience for widgets and gadgets. I become so frustrated when I’m unable to figure something out and then I panic when something like the community disappears, so I’ve left things as is, even though I’d like an update.
“‘Professional’ bloggers who click once expecting you to think they are your new best friend. You never see them again.” Ugh…they tick me off! I had no idea these clickers were getting money when I clicked on their profile. Thanks for the heads-up.
I think that’s it – patience is what’s needed at times like this and I don’t have time: technology is supposed to work, isn’t it?!
Much better to leave as is – I know that now 🙂
I didn’t know that either, Jill. You and I both need Jenny to keep us up to date. And then the three of us can sit on the curb together after we make our tech mistakes. Maybe we’ll come up with some great writing ideas!
Sounds like a plan, Marylin!
Wouldn’t that be great – trade writing ideas and to hell with the technology…I’d like that!
[ Smiles ] It always pays highly to do some research before fidgeting with one’s widgets. I would hate to make a mess of things!
Yes, but where to start?
Thanks for dropping in – hope to see you again sometime 😉
Phew, I’m still in your community. Had we worried there for a while.
I normally check out the profile of new viewers before clicking on their sites. Often you can see they have things to sell. I don’t usually check out their site after that
Thanks for the laugh and new knowledge as well as smart advice.
You most definitely are, I’m pleased to say. Looking forward to your travel posts.
Yes, I wish that wordpress had a simple way of turning off some of those pests. Each week I get two or three new ‘follows’. Like you, out of curiosity I take a look back to see just who’s so enamoured with my few scribbles. 90% of the time it’s obvious, from the content on their site, that they just followed me in the hopes that I would follow back.
Good luck with that.
There are about 20 blogs that I follow. Here’s what follow means to me: I find the subject matter and/or the writing style and/or the blogger’s personality interesting; challenging. When I hit ‘follow’ that means I’ve made my mind up to read everything and to comment on the majority of it.
One day during the summer when I was too damn lazy to do what I was supposed t be doing I took the time to check out those who were following me. Here’s what I found (and the numbers are approximate and sum to more than 100% because some of them fell into multiple categories):
10% of the followers did not exist at all; either they’d been made up or deleted
30% were “serial followers” who seemed to be in it for the reasons you mentioned
40% were “follow back hopefuls.” Clearly they’d followed me in the hope of getting a follow back.
10% were lunatics, espousing views that I either found objectionable or just plain stupid
10% were people who seem to have stopped blogging and remoed their account. They were once active in that they liked some of my early stuff but the accounts seem gone now.
20% were people who seem to have given up on blogging–the last post was, say, six months ago.
Around 10%–maybe 15% were people that I am fairly sure visit my blog regularly.
Less than 15% 🙂 But those ones are worth it.
What a farce!!!! Now, I have no problem with that. A lot of bloggers are self-centered immature narcissists and everything they do is intended to really be about them. Al I want to be able to do is get them the frig off my blog list of followers.
No can do.
And aren’t the ones that write blogs only about how you make money blogging really the most annoying of all! They just don’t get that there are some people out there who just plain enjoy this.
Lunatics 🙂 I loved that.
I think we can safely say that it is the quality of one’s followers, not the quantity, that is the rewarding thing, and why we all continue to post.
I’ve just had a count up and I reckon to visit around 18 blogs regularly for all sorts of reasons: some are funny; some are informative; some are arty; some are thought provoking – but they all have one thing in common: they are written and posted by genuine people who have something worthwhile to say. I find it fascinating that one can have so much in common with folks from all over the world – it brings another meaning entirely to ‘small world.’
Maurice–you’ve got a whole blog post here. It’s worth reading… I think you should post it (which would make it larger and therefore easier on my middle-aged eyes). 🙂
Lol… I can be long winded, can’t I 🙂
Well, if it’s worth saying, say it for all it’s worth. Right? 😉
By the way, for my 50 plus eyes, my best friend is pressing ctrl and + at the same time
Be my guest!
Sigh. I never knew I was a cheapskate random clicker but I’m not on your Community Roll. Oh well, look on the bright side. I never knew either that I could be making the big bucks by putting adverts onto my blog. Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Let the cash start rolling in!
(Do you think Nike will still buy ad-space if they find out I only have about twelve people following each blog post?)
Yes you are, yes you are – look! Situation remedied.
Think you might be pitching a tad high with Nike, but then a gal’s gotta dream…
I too like that phrase “cheapskate random clicker”.
Very funny and typical of your wonderful style that got me following in the first place.
Thanks, Denise – very happy to have you here – and to come and read what’s going on in your world too. 🙂
Awesome post! I truly dislike those “professional” bloggers and completely agree that they should go out and get a real job.”Cheapskate random clicker” – great line! 🙂
Thanks, Lynette. I think we’ve got a lovely select community here. Long may it last 😉
Yeah, those cheapskate random clickers got me at first, too. I was all, like, oh my gosh–someone visited! Sheesh, that’s a nasty trick.
But now you’ve talked me into fidgeting with my widgets because i agree with you, the followers counter has got to go!
I’m glad you got your community back up!
So am I! But fidget with caution – you have been warned!
I’m trying out the apple cake this weekend, by the way… 🙂
Congratulations brave pioneer for a successful foray into widget world. I’ve tried a few times but never had the time to dig deeply enough into it. I agree about the professional advertisers, the other thing that bemuses me is that followers don’t appear as reader stats so you can’t readily see the geographic make up. Oh well, one day I shall follow your brave steps lol
I won’t be going forth again any time soon! And I agree with you about the reader stats – I’d be interested to know which posts are read where, but I guess we’ll just have to stay bemused 😉
Jenny, you know that once you start messing about with your widgets nothing but trouble will follow! Seriously though, good on you. I have been thinking about changing my sidebar for a while but just haven’t had the time. I need to take a good look at my ‘followers’ as I have plenty of those ‘cheapskate random clickers’ you refer to – boy, do you have a great turn of phrase 🙂
Also, I didn’t have a clue that they get paid everytime we click back on their sites! I’m so naive about this stuff, but you have not only warned me but inspired me!
I was the same, thinking how lovely to have someone follow me only to discover that they didn’t care a jot (that’s the nice way of saying it but not what I’m thinking 😉 ) about my writing or anything about my blog.
So glad you got it all sorted out in the end and sooooooo glad that I’m part of your lovely community – it really took off since I met you through Spamgate, how great is that 🙂
Jenny I think you are brave. To even toy with the idea of trying to delve into that mess : you have my admiration!
I click with deliberation. And to waste my energy on improving what I barely understand anyway requires do much meditation beforehand. I merely close the computer and cover it up with a scarf. I need someone to hold my hand.
Good for you for even attempting such s difficult task!!!!
This phone ran off with my post before I could proofread. See?
I can’t even type into WordPress on my phone, so you’re doing better on the techno front than me, Hollis!
I’m not going to fidget anymore! I still think there are a few people missing but hopefully, if they leave a message in the future, WordPress will automatically put them back.
Yay for Spamgate!
First good laugh of the day, thank you Jenny. I’ve tried to change my ‘theme’ a couple of times but stuff disappears, my blood runs cold and in panic I revert to the original with a sigh of relief. It’s just not worth the tears:'(
You’re so right, Roy, but I’m glad I helped you to start your day with a laugh. 🙂
Like some of your other noters here, I never knew about the money grabbing Click Clique. I think they`re a separate breed from the ones who pretend to follow in the hopes of being followed. Maurice has a more detailed and humourous note on all of that of course!
Anyway,I`d rather have pics up there of the bloggers I genuinely love to read. That`s most of the thrill of WP for me.
Thank you for a very informative post.
Click Clique – I love that!
I agree, pics of our favourite bloggers is what we want. I’ve just read your piece on Dublin and felt like I was there with you. 🙂
Well, I wouldn`t have minded some company! Glad you enjoyed!
Jenny, you are always fun to read. I was away on a vacation last week, and so missed this earlier. I hope I wasn’t ousted, as I’ve no horse in the race. I am just here for devouring any of your fiction and nibbling at the rest.
BTW– Did you see The Pigmy Giant is back?
Your pink pattern is definitely on my community wall, I’m pleased to say.
Yes, I have already sent a very short story to Pygmy Giant for their perusal, so we will see what happens. I love the PG – lots of slightly odd stories there!