Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Why Holidailies: The Christmas Puppy in Chocolate Syrup and Packing Peanuts

Disclaimer: No puppies were harmed in the making of this blog. Likewise--and surprisingly--no chocolate syrup was wasted. The packing peanuts are a different story.

Before we talk about man's best friend and man's best ice cream topping, I want to reflect--one week in--on why I do Holidailies, now for the third year. Go ahead: you take some time to do the same. I give you permission.

  1. The Challenge of Daily Blogging: In the six and a half years I've been blogging, there were entire years where daily blogging wasn't a challenge, it was the norm. Those days have long since passed, but it feels rather good to get back into that rhythm.
  2. The Sense of Community: Really, this is the big one for me. Back when daily blogging came as naturally as the leaves in spring, a big part of that was because I felt myself to be part of a community of readers and writers. It wasn't just that there were people giving feedback, it wasn't just that someone noticed if you didn't post: there was a real synergy there, an energy that made the community greater than simply the sum of its parts. I haven't quite felt that yet with Holidailes--I've found some blogs I like, I've exchanged some comments, but it's not quite there yet. To be frank, I've been surprised that there haven't been more comments going around, not on my blog in particular but on a lot of them that I've read and about which I've been interested enough to comment. And don't call me Frank. And is it just me, or is the positive and negative vote system on Reddit under-utilized?
  3. The Stories and Experiences: It's always fun to read good stories, whether they're funny stories or moving stories or just real stories. With Holidailies, all of us who are participating are taking some time out of our busy lives to think, to reflect, and to write, and whether what comes out is a thought, a reflection, a story, or an expression, with a hundred or so of us taking the time to do it, there's bound to be some good stuff there, stuff that moves us or makes us laugh or makes us think. 
Some of the things that people share have a confessional tone to them, and in that spirit, it's time for me to make one: I have no story about puppies, syrup, and packing peanuts. I wish I did: it sounds like a great story. Maybe I should make one up; maybe you should. If you do, let me know. If you don't, but you have something else to say, let me know that too. I'd love to hear what's on your mind--thanks for stopping by.

7 comments:

  1. I'd like to see more comments and more voting on Reddit too ... that's why we chose Reddit in the first place. I guess you and I will have to lead the charge!

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  2. I feel super uncomfortable with the whole voting thing, to be honest. Especially since you can vote people down. So I vote for no one.

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  3. Jen, that's a good point--I vote up posts that I really like, but I haven't been able to bring myself to vote anyone down. "If you can't say anything nice..." I guess.

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  4. I am so relieved that no choco syrup was wasted. I mean, really.

    As for the votes, yeah, I vote up, not down.

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  5. If it's comments you're after, start a nail polish blog. I get way more feedback on mine than on my journal. :)

    Not having touched reddit until Holidalies went over there, I'm not in the habit of voting, and voting something down just seems mean. I have voted some things up just to cancel out a down vote.

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  6. I missed this post when you originally made it. Forgive the late response?

    I feel like the Reddit system has caused a lack of that "community" feeling with Holidailies this year. Personally, I agree with the folks who are uncomfortable with the voting - it's too public. Also, commenting on the actual blog means the blogger is more likely to see the comment. Except in the case of those bloggers who don't allow non-Google comments (which I don't understand. Why participate in a community meme if you're going to exclude much of the community?) I don't generally use the reddit comment engine.

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