Just a couple of random questions/musings this Christmas Eve morning.
Is the Featured Post really featured? — I was thinking that perhaps the featured post sometimes gets lost from conscious view by readers who automatically scroll down thinking there’s nothing new there. Your thoughts?
What prompts readers to comment? — I have just over 7000 comments on just under 3500 posts, or an average of about 2 comments per post. What factors draw comments? Is it having regular readers? Controversial content? The overall tone of the blog? Asking questions in the post? How much I comment on other blogs?
How do you read this and other blogs? — Are you more likely to read posts in a feed reader, or “in person”?
What are your plans for today? — I’m heading in to work early so I can get home earlier. I know that some businesses close early today. What’s going on in your world on Christmas Eve?
What are your more unusual Christmas traditions? — Everyone shares many of the traditions of Christmas from trees and decorations to reading the Christmas story and opening presents. What I want to know is what things do you do that have become traditions in your house that are not quite as traditional. One thing that I’ve carried with me from my long-ago younger days is having Polish Kielbasa for Christmas breakfast. We would have it sliced into half-dollar sized pieces and fried in the skillet. Later at my grandmothers we would have some more cut longer and served on a hot dog bun or slice of bread. Mmmmm Kielbasa! How about you?
Until later, have a great Christmas Eve day.
Loading ...
bRight&Early isn’t the only good-content blog that has had trouble attracting comments; Brian used to have the same problem, but he attributed it to his articles being so well written and tightly reasoned that no one could disagree, and that he had said all that needed to be said!
I’ll be the first to admit: I’m not a fan of the featured post. I’ve learned to scroll down, but it takes up such a big portion of the front page that it’s possible that a lot of other people don’t.
I always view in person; I never use the feeds.
If I were going to offer a criticism of this site, it would be about the layout. Using Mozilla Firefox 3.0, and a 17″ flat screen monitor, I see the left half of the screen (6½” horizontally) as content, and the entire right half as taken up by the two sidebars, 2 3/8″ for the inboard sidebar and 3 5/8 for the outboard one. Perhaps if you narrowed the outboard sidebar some and made the content portion wider, it would help. Also, the aqua background color you use on the inboard sidebar, as well as for the featured post, makes it a little hard to read, especially when it comes to the links which show in some shade of orange of gold.
But, as you said in the featured post, you are dogged in your determination to get things right; I’ll testify to that at any time!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Dana,
Merry Christmas! I always appreciate knowing that you visited and your comments and suggestions.
I think you’re right about the featured post, although I will probably wait to hear from a few others before I make a final decision.
I think most bloggers would like to get more comments.(By the way, I’m hoping Brian has that problem again soon.)
And of course some time off at Christmas and New Year will give me time for site tweaking.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I think we’ll see Brian blogging again, but it might still be a while. He’s got a new-to-his-family house which is requiring a lot of work, and I know that’s taking some of his time.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Let’s see if I can do this in order…
Is the Featured Post really featured? I honestly can’t answer that because of my answer to a question below.
What prompts readers to comment? I wish I could answer that one; some of the best stuff at my place doesn’t draw so much as a single comment, while some “throwaway” posts launch discussions.
How do you read this and other blogs? Through a feed reader that opens up everything that’s clicked into an IE-based browser (specifically FeedDemon). With as many blogs as I read, it’s the only way.
What are your plans for today? Do my Christmas shopping (yes, I am a procrastinator).
What are your more unusual Christmas traditions? Can’t say that anything is really “unusual”.
Merry Christmas Jim, Dana, and everybody reading.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Steve, Merry Christmas to you as well!
While you couldn’t answer the Featured Post question, that is really an answer in itself. I think more people are reading blogs thru readers. I may have to do a poll on that.
What prompts readers to comment may be the great unanswered question of the Blogosphere.
So, everyone’s getting lottery tickets, Slim Jims, and a six pack from the Shop and Drop? Have fun!
Merry Christmas again to everyone!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
One thing that lets me track who reads through the feed is running the feed through FeedBurner (and then using the FeedSmith plugin to force everybody to the FeedBurner feed). I’ve found that over half my readership uses a feed reader of some sort.
It’s Best Buy gifts/gift certificates for the family (I am the technical support of the family, after all).
Like or Dislike:
0 
0