Thursday, December 23, 2010

New Comment Feed + Other Thoughts

I added a comment feed to the right column so that recent comments are visible, regardless of how old the post is to which the comment was made.  Sometimes I have people comment on posts from a year or two ago, and unless a reader subscribes to the comments (see the link at the right), then that reader is never aware of the recent comments.

I hope this feature does not discourage anyone from commenting.  Comments are valuable, and even more valuable when others are aware of them.  I have had people state that they don't want to comment too much in this blog, like there is something wrong with making lots of comments.

What you don't understand is that I highly crave comments, and I wish I had more comments!  I wish more people would comment, and I wish that the people who do comment would comment more often!

I really enjoy reading your points of view and discussing various topics with you.  I have been doing some reading about blogging this week, and one writer states that the most interesting part of many blogs is the comment area.  All bloggers want comments and the resulting discussions!

I have had quite a few posts that I thought were really interesting, and not even one person bothered to comment.  It made me wonder if I was the only person who thought that topic was interesting.  But, people are busy, and I realize that much of what I write will get little response even if people like it.  It takes time to write a comment.  Furthermore, Blogger can be really annoying at times.

I have also added the share links to the end of each post so that you can share posts via Twitter, Facebook, and other services.

I changed the template because I wanted a wider template.  I do not like the default colors, so eventually I will make a few changes.

My next post will likely be on December 26 or 27.  I have been keeping new posts to a minimum because most people are too consumed with the holidays.  I will be writing about the proper way to use a blog to market one's online store.

I created a new ID on eBay to test whether my auctions do any better.  They may not, but I have nothing to lose.  I have figured out that it no longer makes any difference on eBay whether a seller has feedback.

I had a frustrating experience last night on eBay.  I decided to ask the seller of the blank endpapers Lilac Inn that was listed last night to give me the information needed to determine whether the book is the first printing.  Lilac Inn is the only first printing book I need, so the response is rather important.  I asked my question around eight minutes after the seller listed the book.  I received this response:

"I'll try my best , but I won't be back until after the Holidays , I may not make it back in time. If I don't and you are not comfortable placing the bid , please hold off ,thanks and happy Holidays ."

The seller can't bother to answer questions right after the book is listed?  I can't begin to express how annoyed I am.  I can't bid very high since I don't know if the book is the first printing.  Sadly, this is why I tend not to ask questions.  I typically get responses that are not helpful at all.

4 comments:

Miranda said...

I've thought about leaving comments in the past but haven't. Just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your writing. I especially like your reviews of old serial books. Right now, you've made Grace Harlowe sound interesting.

beautifulshell said...

i like the new template!

i would comment more, but since i'm not a very serious collector, i don't always feel like i have much to add. i especially like your book summaries, both when i've read the books and when they're new to me. thanks for being such a regular and thorough blogger!

Jenn Fisher said...

I definitely like reading this blog and the comments :) I can't believe the seller couldn't answer the question right after they posted the item and you quickly asked the question.

Jenn:)

Jennifer White said...

Thanks!

I will continue reviewing the Grace Harlowe books after I resume reading them. I decided to read Rick Riordan's latest, The Lost Hero, which is the first installment in the sequel to the Percy Jackson series.

The book is so good that I can't put it down! So often, sequels are not very good, but I'm really enjoying this one so far. It takes place just four months after the last Percy Jackson book.