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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
September 11th 2008 21:08
Which Term Do You Use?
While I realize this isn't an issue of earth-shattering importance, the question was brought home to me this morning when MS-Word unceremoniously informed me (via the dreaded squiggly red underline) that the word "commenters" was incorrect. (For those of you who may not yet know it, this is the form I use exclusively [and without apology]--at least with reference to the people who comment on blogs.)
Allow me to add here that my personal preference for the word "commenters" over "commentators" is in no way intended as a criticism of those who choose the latter term. However, my mention of this issue is intended to present the reasons for my preference, as well as the reasons why MS-Word--and anyone else who believes the word "commenters" to be second-rate English--is just plain wrong.
Dictionary Definitions
My (print) dictionary tells me that "commenter" is indeed a legitimate term for one who comments, since it happens to be listed as an accepted form of the word "comment." It also defines a "commentator" as either "one who writes commentaries" or "one who discusses or analyzes news events." Personally, I've always tended to view the term "commentator" in this more specialized and official manner.
I am aware, of course, that, because the word "commentaries," used in the first definition, can simply mean "comments," it's also perfectly legitimate to use "commentators" to describe those who comment on blogs. But, my intention in writing this post never was to dispute that fact in the first place, but rather to demonstrate that "commenters" is an equally valid alternative.
Other dictionaries I've consulted (online), however, tend to reinforce my interpretation of the term "commentator" as an expert who writes and/or broadcasts analysis of the news, sports, weather, and the like, most of these websites making no mention of the simple, casual act of "commenting." But, apparently, as in most questions which involve the continuous evolution of the language, there's a great deal of room for interpretation on this issue. So, dear readers, I would contend that the choice is entirely ours.
Judge Not
Nevertheless, I've always been--and I suspect will always remain--partial to the term "commenter" when referring to those who offer feedback on our blog posts. I also suspect that I'll continue to reserve the term "commentator" for more specialized use. You, on the other hand, may choose to do otherwise, and that's certainly your prerogative. I promise not to judge you if you won't judge me.
What's Your Take?
Which term do you prefer and why? Does it bother you to read or hear the alternate term (when used to refer to those who comment on blogs)? If so, why do you think that is? Does one or the other term seem less appropriate or somehow less grammatically correct? I'd sure love to hear your take on the topic!
Question for Those With More Recent Versions of Word
If you have a version of MS-Word that's more recent than 2003, does Spell-Check indicate that the word "commenters" is incorrect? I'm quite curious whether Word has caught up with the times and corrected this anomaly.
For the love of Words!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? What are your own personal thoughts on the "commenters/commentators" issue? Do you care? Do you view it simply as another interesting rhetorical question, or is it a pet peeve of yours? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Posting Frequency: A Timely Topic
I've been meaning to tackle the topic of posting frequency for quite some time. And since my posts have been spaced a bit farther apart of late than they had been previously, I think this would be the perfect time to broach the subject.
The sparseness of my most recent posts was not entirely intentional, however. I've actually been fighting a very nasty cold, which has had me down for the count. Though I was unable to get out of my regular writing assignments and was thus forced to brave a few projects anyway, I've rarely found anything as tough to do and, at its worst stage, the battle left me with not an ounce of energy left for blogging.
Too Much of a Good Thing
It's funny the way things happen, sometimes. I'd just become convinced that it was better to post slightly less often, because posting daily--and particularly posting more than once a day--causes posts to move down the page and out of sight before many readers have had a chance to read them, only to disappear into the "archival abyss." Well, I no sooner decided to try posting every few days, to give my readers more time to "discover" my posts, than I ended up with these longer, unplanned posting delays which were much more than I'd bargained for. But I learned a great lesson from them that I probably wouldn't have learned any other way, and I'd like to share it with you.
Technorati Is Watching!
Even mildly protracted delays in posting can negatively impact Technorati ranking. (I hadn't expected this, though perhaps I should have, since it had been about five days since my last post.) When I checked my ranking, I was in for a shock; it had fallen by over 10,000 points in a single day!
Prior to that very discouraging day, I'd been quite happy with my steadily rising ranking. In fact, I was one proud blogger the day I broke the Technorati 50,000 (9/13/07) and, as I watched that number gradually decrease, my happiness gradually increased.
But, as a result of my five-day blogging "vacation," my ranking dropped from a beautiful 43,331, on 10/9, to an absolutely horrifying 54,000 +, on 10/10! (I didn't manage to copy down the exact number before it changed again on 10/12 [for the better this time, I'm happy to say]. I must have been too shocked and disappointed to write the entire number down, as I usually do.)
My ranking now stands at a dismal 53,658. (And, yes, sadly, I must now break 50,000 all over again. I wonder what it will feel like the second time around. Not quite as satisfying, I suspect.)
Lost Ground and a Lesson Learned
On that depressing day (10/10), I lost all the ground I'd so patiently and painstakingly gained. It had taken close to a month to move from a ranking of 50,867 to 43,331 (9/11-10/9), and I literally lost it all in one day.
The moral of this story is that, while you may, to some extent, be free to determine your preferred posting frequency, if you care at all about--and are in fact attempting to build--your Technorati ranking, Technorati definitely has a say in the matter. And, while I still tend to believe that posting one substantial post every few days may in fact be best (unless your blog is new and has little content), it probably isn't wise to go beyond one post every three days, if it can be avoided, and certainly not beyond one every four days, if you have a choice. It isn't worth the risk.
"Blog Reactions": Technorati's Other Ranking Criteria
Bear in mind, before you worry too much when you're too busy or otherwise unable to post as often as usual, that Technorati ranking is based on a combination of posting frequency and backlinks. It may very well be that my super busy schedule prior to my illness, which prevented me from visiting and commenting on as many blogs as I usually do, causing me to have fewer Technorati "Blog Reactions," was the sole reason that five days became the straw that broke the back of my Technorati ranking. Had I been consistently commenting on other blogs and drawing links back to my site, my ranking might not have dropped as much after a five-day break between posts. Only Technorati knows for sure.
What Are Your Views on Posting Frequency?
I'd be very interested to know the views of my readers on what you consider to be the optimal posting frequency. Do you think a blogger should post daily? More than once a day? Once every few days? (I hope I haven't unduly frightened anyone with Technorati's incredible power of persuasion to help us bloggers determine our posting schedules. But it's imperative that we take Technorati into consideration when making such decisions, as I learned the hard way.)
My View: Blogger Burnout and Too-Frequent Posting
I believe every blogger must decide for him/herself what works best, since there are so many variables. But I also believe that many bloggers feel tied to a daily posting schedule, whether they like it or not, because they feel that's the only way to be successful at blogging. This may be one reason why so many bloggers burn out so soon.
Blogging should be something we enjoy--and not a chore. And we really needn't worry that our success is dependent on daily blogging, because I've discovered that my readership is rising despite the fact that I'm no longer posting every day. I believe that if we post quality content, consistently giving our readers value, as our blogs mature and our store of content grows, our readership will grow with it.
What do you think?
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have anything to add? Please feel free to join the conversation!
Do You Suffer from Feed-Reader Overload?
I'm wondering how many of my readers subscribe to RSS feeds and how well that actually works out for you (i.e., are you able to keep up with your feed reading or does the number of posts waiting to be read simply keep building and building until you wonder whether some terrible computer disaster might be imminent due to feed-reader overload)?
Personally, I find that the busier I get--and I've been quite busy of late--the less time I have to read my feeds (which I do feel bad about, because the blogs whose feeds I've subscribed to have lots of fantastic info that I definitely want to keep up with). Unfortunately, it appears that, with feed readers, as with anything else, good intentions aren't enough. As I watch the number of posts in my reader climb at an alarming rate, I begin to feel overwhelmed and wonder why I ever got myself into this position in the first place.
Reading Feeds vs. Visiting Blogs
What ever happened to the good "old-fashioned" practice of simply visiting the blogs we like to read--which we must ultimately do anyway should we decide we'd like to read, respond to, or leave our own original comments. Perhaps I'm less tech savvy than I should be; or perhaps it's simply that once you let the posts in your feed reader build up, you tend to procrastinate further because the job of reading, sorting, or even scanning just seems too formidable to tackle; or, it could just be that you should never sign up for RSS feeds in the first place unless you're prepared to keep up with your feed reading on a more-or-less daily basis.
One of the reasons I originally decided to try RSS feeds was to keep track of all the blogs I wanted to read regularly--rather than using bookmarks, because frankly I've got too many of those, too. I thought it would be easier to have these blogs all in one place--and in one way, it is. But, I must admit that I often find myself not even wanting to go to my feed reader, because there's so much there waiting to be read that I hardly know where to begin!
RSS Feed Management: There's Got to Be a Trick to It!
RSS feed management is proving to be a difficult proposition--at least to this feed reader. Perhaps there are some tricks/techniques I'm unaware of. (Let me reword that: No doubt there are some tricks/techniques I'm unaware of.) Nevertheless, the more full my writing schedule becomes, the less time I have for reading/commenting on other blogs--though I truly want to find an efficient way to fit this into my schedule because building and maintaining good relationships with other bloggers is very important to me. Theoretically, at least, a feed reader should make it easier for me to keep up on the latest happenings at my favorite blogs.
Perhaps I simply need to begin thinking of my feed reader as my servant rather than my master. It's there for my convenience--to make life easier for me--and not to command my loyalty or make me feel guilty every time I neglect to do its "bidding".
What experiences have you had with your feed reader? Have you mastered RSS feed management? Have any tricks or techniques that might make feed management easier for the rest of us? Any words of encouragement or commiseration with those of us who are drowning in RSS feed content?
Awaiting your feedback,
Jeanne
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