WordPress.com Forums » Tag: preferences - Recent Posts

jimharwood1956 on "Turning off unwanted notifications"

jimharwood1956 — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:25:16 +0000

Further, my problem was the cause of the most unwanted notifications, being people abusing the "Like" button. They just sit there at "Reader" and "Like" everything they see in order to get attention for their blogs - usually not what WordPress would consider to be "spam blogs" but what I would consider to be "spam blogs" or otherwise there to push a product or service. By trying to get my attention to get me to go see who "Liked" my blog and what their blogs are about, they get me to come to the spam instead of bringing the spam to me such as in comments. That's what I mean by "passive spam" compared to "aggressive spam" via "Like" button abuse by using Reader. But a lot of the abuse appears to be social like Twitter, not a spam issue. I once posted a very long complicated political article at one of my blogs, which should have taken 20 minutes to read. In 10 seconds after posting it, it was "Liked" by someone who has never visited my blog - I got the notification - I checked stats and hadn't had any visitors yet that day. So it had to have been "Liked" from WordPress Reader. I don't want "Likes" or "Followers" or "Subscribers" causing notifications. I just want real readers who read what I write and get counted in stats as actual visitors to my blog. The "Likes" and relating notifications are just part of the WordPress social fantasy world, useless to me and the purpose of my blogs. However, timtfj, I do like your About page content http://timtfj.wordpress.com/about/ but I'm not going to "Like" it and cause an unwanted notification. Keep up the good work! I'll check you blog in the future.

jimharwood1956 on "Turning off unwanted notifications"

jimharwood1956 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:54:17 +0000

I've had the same problem. I agree with your position on this issue. I beleive this subject has come up many times since the creation of that notification feature, and I suspect many others do not like it. I've taken the same steps you have, such as to limit notifications to comments, as far as email notifications are concerned. And I just took it one step further, for the notification feature at the blog, which might be useful to you too. The majority of irritating notices I get there are people "Liking" my postings. Problem is WordPress Stats and StatCounter I also use shows no visitors to my blog or a particular posting when it has been "Liked." I tuned off the "Like" buttons at my blog, and still I get "Likes" by people who have never visited my blog. I found out they are using the WordPress "Reader" at http://wordpress.com/#!/read/ where they can read and "Like" postings without being counted as a visitor at the blog. So it's like I have no visitors, but a hundred people "Liking" postings and me being pestered by that many notifications. I just figured it out, I hope. I used bulk action to delete all tags on all postings. "Reader" appears to be dependent upon tags. No tags, then my postings can't be found there in Reader. The loss of tags does not stop my blog from getting people who read postings at my blog and get counted as visitors, found via key words in title and text, still showing up in Google Search, BING, etc. That way I get real visitors who are counted and don't get pestered by notifications. I consider many of the "Likes" to be what I call "passive spamming" to get my attention, unlike "aggressive spamming" bringing the spam to me. No doubt about it, that the "Like" button is being abused in that way. And it's like Twitter users "following" me only to be "followed" back, not to read my tweets. Many WordPress users "Like" my postings only to get me to "Like" their postings or to "Follow" their blogs, without ever having actually read my blog. It appears to function as an attention getting social feature more than anything else or anything really useful to me. So, removing tags from your postings using the bulk option should reduce notifications without loss of actual visitor traffic, by stopping the social aspect of "Likes" by people who don't read anything anyway.

timtfj on "Turning off unwanted notifications"

timtfj — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:40:22 +0000

Clarificiation: I want either to customise which types of notification the icon lists, or turn the feature off altogether (since the information exists elsewhere anyway).

timtfj on "Turning off unwanted notifications"

timtfj — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:38:10 +0000

On my dashboard and various other pages, at the top right, next to my logged-in name, there's a s small icon which lights up to show when someone has followed my blog, when someone has replied to one of my comments on another blog, and so on.

I don't want most of these notifications. I have email notifications turned off for pretty well everything except new comments in the moderation queue, and I'd like to turn them off here as well. Especially the idiotic "badges" or whatever they're called, which I find embarrassingly childish and annoying . . .

Where is the setting to do that, please? The page where I thought I'd find it turned out just to be a list of all the notifications. I want to turn off everything except Likes and new follower notifications.

Thanks in advance.

laavventura on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

laavventura — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:08:25 +0000

What do I look for in a blog? Well, first and foremost would be things that intrest me. Travel, cats, photos (however not to many pics, and not large. I don't like blogs with tons of pics, every detail of their trip, takes my comp ages to load. And I prefer to 'read' something then look at pics.) I like blogs that pop on the screen and opening sentences that grab me.
The ranting is ok if done correctly. I love poetry so I search and read others here.
I admit - I ALWAYS comment on a bloggers post if they have captured my attention to the end. If I've read something I feel it's only approiate to leave a comment and thank them for sharing their ideas. I mean that's why we are all here no ... to gain a readership. So if you don't comment, people won't comment on your own work.

lifewith4cats on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

lifewith4cats — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:43:43 +0000

There is one thing I never want to see. When I click the 'about me" I don't want to see the words, "I was bored so..." I get an immediate red flag when I see that sentence as the reason for starting a blog. It's like saying, "Hi, I'm boring, nice to meet you."

Take that with a grain of salt. I currently read and heartily enjoy some blogs that actually do say that on the about me page.

But think about it. It's not the best way to represent, is it?

thehappyhealer on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

thehappyhealer — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0000

I love something a little different, quirky... fun. There's too much news out there , that we're exposed to every day, that just brings us down - if we allow it , of course.
I love a great title, good word combos, a fun photo or two... Something inspiring... always inspiring..
http://animafoto.wordpress.com/
http://thehappyhealer.wordpress.com/

anthonyleecollins on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

anthonyleecollins — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:28:50 +0000

@timethief,

Huh. I was not aware of this policy, but maybe I didn't read the fine print. I duplicated some of the content of my site over here because it's so much easier for people who are already members here to comment on other wordpress.com sites, etc. Can you direct me to the specific place where this is outlined in the ToS? Thanks.

I don't really care so much about SEO, my site isn't commercial and I'm not trying to drive people there. But if I can't duplicate content I'll delete my blog here, that's no problem.

Thanks.

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:57:31 +0000

@anthoyleecollins
Hi there I visited the blog you linked to above and read something on your About page that made me go -- oh! oh!

WordPress.com blogs are original content only blogs. They cannot be set up and used as duplicate content blogs and cannot be used to drive traffic to third party sites. If that's what you are doing or intend to do then your wordpress.com blog will be subject to suspension or deletion because that would amount to ToS violations.

See here for Google on duplicate content.

However, in some cases, content is deliberately duplicated across domains in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings or win more traffic. Deceptive practices like this can result in a poor user experience, when a visitor sees substantially the same content repeated within a set of search results. http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66359

anthonyleecollins on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

anthonyleecollins — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:44:19 +0000

I like blogs that are focused on a subject that I'm interested in (obviously), but most important is that a blog needs to have focus in the first place (well, it could be more than one, but not just "this is what I'm thinking about today, oh, and I just had a nice dinner, I'm petting my cat, etc." -- that's what Facebook is for :-) ).

And, like many others who are posting here, I do like a blog that's carefully written. It doesn't have to be magazine-perfect, though (i.e., consistent idiosyncrasies of capitalization are fine, for example, but constant carelessness is not).

I talked about some of these questions here:
http://anthonyleecollins.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/tavi-and-roger-and-bob/

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:59:05 +0000

In face to face situations when someone pays us a compliment, or comments on a project we have on the go, or on one we have completed we respond. It's polite to do so and impolite not to. More to the point, it's my opinion that if a blogger is not focused on building a blog centered community and do not intend to respond to comments from readers then they ought to consider diabling comments on their blog, rather than misleading those who do comment and who expect the common courtesy of a reply.

Love Your Readers to Death – this is key in the early days of a blog when readers seem scarce. The reality is that the 10 readers that you DO have already are a powerful resource – focus upon them rather than the thousands of readers that you DON’T have. Love them – thank them for their comments – involve them in your blogging – promote them and the sites that they have and in doing so you’ll be building loyalty, trust and relationship that one day will pay off. Each reader you have has their own network and can open up new audiences to you. — by Darren Rowse http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/01/06/about-darren/

I love my readers and value their comments as if they were GOLD! I am authentic online and my regular readers know how hard it is for me to blog (visual impairment). They know I struggle when it comes to focusing well enough to leave comments in little comment boxes on their blogs and that I get migraines from doing so. They forgive my typos and they even correct them for me.

I reply to every comment on my blogs indivudually. The only times I have missed doing so was when I suffered an accident and when I was in a health crisis. Then all my readers knew what happened and they chose to continue to comment in order to encourage me and support me in my recovery. They did not expect me to reply and truth be told I was unable to. I was deeply touched by their loving kindeness and will never forget it.

Encouraging blog readers to comment > http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2009/02/09/encouraging-blog-readers-to-comment/

lifewith4cats on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

lifewith4cats — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:00:17 +0000

Replying and saying thanks are the same thing. It shows you care. I had meant those who approve the comment and do nothing else. If it's a super popular blog I understand that not every comment could reasonably be replied to. Think of the commenter, am I alone when I say that before I click that submit button, my inner voice says, "who do you think you are, why do you think people want to read your comments?" It is daunting to put ones 2 cents into in already established blog conversation. sort of feels like interrupting in a way.
Maybe this is why only a few people comment for every 800 views. statistically speaking.

tltcl on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

tltcl — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:35:45 +0000

Time Thief - can you please post a link to your modelling portfolio? ;-)

tltcl on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

tltcl — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:33:50 +0000

Ooh, I have a background in psychology. And hopefully a foreground soon.

I rarely thank someone for commenting. Am I a bad man? I don't thank someone for their comment if I'm talking to them in person, so I treat blog commenters the same. I usually post a reply. Isn't that enough? I'm not ignoring them.

lifewith4cats on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

lifewith4cats — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:29:06 +0000

I never set out to find a specific type of blog. My interests are far too diverse. But I do notice over all that the blogs that seem to hold my interest the most tend to be those written by 3 types of people. 1. freelance authors 2. artists 3. people with a background in psychology. I prefer blogs with pictures but not always. One of the deciding factors for me is: How do they treat their readers? Do they say thank you to first time commenters? If the answer to that last question is NO, then I usually don't visit twice.

sonataslut on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

sonataslut — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:21:45 +0000

I like to think I'm not too picky when it comes to what I look for in someone else's blog, but there are some things I really like. First of all, I like decent spelling and grammar, and no text message-esque abbreviations. I also don't like an overwhelming number of pictures. Finally, I appreciate it when people add a personal touch to their blog. Is that too picky?!

apontedavid on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

apontedavid — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:32:40 +0000

I look for one of the two extremes, a personal insightful blog or a very perfect commercial blog. What else is there?

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:26:41 +0000

@maidiebike
I'm with you when it comes to ranting in blogs. Very few bloggers have strong enough grasp of language and and grammar and the skills required know how to rant with syle and only occasionally.

When I experience blogs with posts full of exaggeration and emotional language and ridiculous punctuation use like this > !!!!!!!???? I click out never to return. Thanks but no thanks.

I do the same if I experience a blog that has posts full of swearing and or adult content. This is not to say that I don't have an appreciation for nude art (I modeled for years). It'd also not to say that I don't believe that now and then a swear word in the correct one to use in a post.

It is to say that when I experience any blog and see content that the average person would be embarrassed to have appear on the front cover of their local newspaper to be viewed by grandparents and/or young children then I click out never to return again.

I recently had a blogger ask me in email if the styff they were posting in a public adult content blog would be available to prospective employers. Yes it will be and it will be in the wayback machine too. We all leave digital breadcrumb trails and i could identify and locate that person in leass than 10 minutes. The other aspect that person hadn't conidered is how they will react when their children find those images and words written of their mommy/daddy online in the future. The person deleted the ntire blog is using the URL removal tool. Google's cahe won't clear for 3 - 6 months.

P.S. Your blog is terrific and the photos are such an enhancement to your posts. I love the way you provide detailed captions.

maidiebike on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

maidiebike — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:10:32 +0000

I think the overall, consistent tone of a blog also has a powerful effect on whether I return to the blog for more reading.

If every post in ranting/venting about something without offering something constructive as a solution, then it's a turnoff.

Or it's a blog that is trying to retain their visitors by expressing ideas in a continously in a hyperbolic, inflated or over-emotional way, then I just shrug my shoulder and walk away thinking: Why bother making the effort to determine what the blogger is truly trying to say? Life is short. Make it simple for me. Make it easy for me to grasp basic concepts quickly. I have only 5-15 min. before I jog over to the next blog.

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:46:15 +0000

Thanks so much for making my day! :)

mebatiscat on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

mebatiscat — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:33:44 +0000

Both blogs are awesome
You're the kind of blogger we're both looking for xD

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:56:32 +0000

Thanks for visiting the blog linked to my username. It's focused on better blogging, building a better blog and effective blog promotion.

Re: my primary and secondary interests above
I don't blog on those subjects in my bloggingtips blog. :)
this time ~ this space is my personal development, self improvement and conscious living blog. In it I blog on a very wide range of subjects centered on achieving personal growth and well-being by overcoming challenges.

mebatiscat on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

mebatiscat — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:44:58 +0000

We have the same dislikes. Those are the kind of topics I was aiming at when I said 'nothing but objective information', which was a very poor choice of words now that I think about it. -_-"

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:31:41 +0000

@mebatiscat
You said that there are certain subject that don't interest you. That made me think again. The same is the case with me and I dare say with others too. For example, I have zero interest in blogs comprised of posts focused on regurgitating sports, news and/or political events. Thanks for your reply.

mebatiscat on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

mebatiscat — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:24:43 +0000

@timethief
I agree with you completely, except for the primary interest part. There are certain subjects that don't interest me, but numerous ones that do.
In the end, most devoted bloggers with well written blogs can keep me entertained.
However, blogs that make the blogger's personality shine through are my favourites.
So a well written blog containing nothing but objective information probably wouldn't win me over.

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 06:48:30 +0000

What I look for in a blogger is an authentic person who is both passionate and knowledgeable about their subject matter without being condescending. I look for blogs wherein I find stimulating content, high quality writing ie. in an engaging style that flows and is free of typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors.

What I look for in a blog is information, opinions and true feelings being expressed. My primary interests are focused on mind, body, spirit, nature and relationships. My secondary interests are conscious living, creative writing, psychology, personal development, music and art. I am an artist. I love to sing. The range of subject matter I will read knows no boundaries.

What do you look for in a blogger and their blog?

timethief on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

timethief — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 06:45:19 +0000

What I look for in a blog is I look for is information, opinions and true feelings being expressed. My primary interests are focused on mind, body, spirit, nature and relationships. My secondary interests are conscious living, reative writing, psychology, personal development, music and art. I am an artist. I love to sing. The range of subject matter I will read knows no boundaries.

what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?

supportbot on "what do you look for in a blogger & their blog?"

supportbot — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 06:45:19 +0000

You did not specify a blog address or reason for posting when you created this topic.

This support forum is for blogs hosted at WordPress.com. If your question is about a self-hosted WordPress blog then you'll find help at the WordPress.org forums.

If you don't understand the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, you may find this information helpful.

If you forgot to include a link to your blog, you can reply and include it below. It'll help people to answer your question.

This is an automated message.

matt on "Wordpress, Facebook crosspost problems..."

matt — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:12:33 +0000

You can only use the Facebook app with blogs hosted on WordPress.com. Your blog is not. Sorry!

miserable09 on "Wordpress, Facebook crosspost problems..."

miserable09 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:18:32 +0000

I'd like to use the facebook application for wordpress.

I have a wordpress powered blog at http://www.sadrhino.net. This blog does not seem to be associated with a wordpress.com username and password and it seems you need a wordpress.com username and password to be able to use the facebook app.

Does anyone know how I can associate my blog with my current wordpress username and password or, create a new username and password and associate my blog with it? I'm totally stumped.