I took the opportunity while visiting family in Southern California to ask a couple of them what they thought of the blog versus a weekly "letter". Predictably, the response was mostly along of the lines of "the same stuff" or "can't really see a difference". Natalie opined that she misses getting a weekly letter that was addressed to her personally even if it wasn't very personal. A family newsletter and a blog are both going to be impersonal. In fact, a newsletter being imposed on the reader somewhat involuntarily is almost in the same class as spam. At least with a blog, a reader is voluntarily looking it up.
I'll have to admit that I had hoped for more feedback with the blog. I almost never got feedback from the newsletters except when Jon helpfully gave me links to purchase IBM computers at a good rate in response to my whining about our computer getting old. So far, the only comment I've gotten from my blog was a helpful one from Carolyn pointing out a couple of typos. Maybe people haven't figured out that clicking on the "Comments" count at the bottom of the post allows them a chance to talk back. Or maybe I just need to be more controversial or ask questions. What do you think?
Hi, Arnold! Steve and I have really been enjoying reading the blog and check it regularly. As far as posting comments, what sort of dialogue were you hoping to initiate? General news from everybody, social discussions, getting opinions, something else? Perhaps knowing that might influence willingness to comment, and help guide us in doing so.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa. You ask a particularly good question that I really hadn't given much thought. My posts don't usually cry out for comment, do they?
ReplyDeleteI think I was hoping for additional information or points of view, PICTURES (such as the engagement), or just an occasional Amen. I'll give some more thought to this and probably start including questions and comment encouraging statements in the blog entries.
I don't think you need to log in to leave a comment. At least that's the setting I selected. You can choose "Other" as your identity and sign whatever name you want to the comment even your real name but without signing in. Or you can select "Anonymous".
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