Our Follower list can become quite long. Do you try to keep the list manageable by eliminating some, and if so using what criteria?
I tend to have a long list of those I Follow. Sometimes I think that I am overdoing it, and should eliminate those who haven't signed on or blogged for a year, or upon further consideration I no longer wish to Follow. Then a favorite of mine who I had regretfully culled because of my one year criteria recently returned to blogging after three years. Luckily she showed up on the Front page, so I now Follow her again. Do you cull your list of those you Follow, and if so, what is your criteria?
Reply to this I don't cull my list. I follow as it reminds me of people I like and if they don't blog then I am even more likely to forget them - so it is why I continue to follow them.
I'd only ever unfollow someone if there writing style or content changed dramatically to something that I wouldn't normally read in the first place. This has never occurred.
Reply to this I have quite a few dormant bloggers on my list, but haven't removed any because of their lack of blogging. There were a couple I think that I did remove as they turned out to only be 'test accounts'.
From the other side of the equation, I haven't published anything for way too long (I know, I know) but don't think anyone has punished me for it by dropping me from their list.
Reply to this I do trim my list from time to time. Generally if a blogger has stopped publishing and stopped signing on to travel blog.
I have unfollowed only one blogger because of a content change.
Reply to this I've never found it to be a problem. If they don't blog, I don't get alerts! Plus, if they were to start blogging again, I'd be able to see. Some people I follow like the hilarious
Reet only blog when they go on holiday, and without following them, I wouldn't know about it.
Reply to this Good point. I guess you are right there is really no need to do that.
Reply to this I have no inclination to Unfollow anyone. I agree it is great to see someone who has not blogged for a while resurface.
My preference is to encourage...to embrace as many bloggers as I can...everyone has a great story to tell and share.
[Edited: 2013 Aug 31 13:25 - Dancing Dave:192151 ]
Reply to this
In response to: Msg #174588
I agree Dancing Dave, I'm always afraid that I might miss a really good blog if I was to stop following as I found today when one of the ones I follow gave a really good account of his trip through Iraq into Turkey which is a route we plan to take in the future.
Reply to this The blogger who triggered my initial question is
Jenniferious. I learned from that experience not to cull bloggers I really enjoy reading, and bloggers I relate to through their writing. So my "one-two year rule for having not blogged" is out the window...dumb rule in any case as I, like Jo, don't want to feel compelled to write more often than my actual trips, which may be more than a year between.
Perhaps this is a throwback to when I first joined TB. Back then bloggers were identified as active or inactive, and I thought I would be dropped if I didn't blog regularly. So now I'm looking back at my old comments, to identify others I may have culled, to add them back to my Follower list in hopes that they may start blogging again.
My "not having accessed TB in over a year" rule bears further consideration. Not having accessed TB seemed to me to indicate an abandonment of the TB family by the blogger. Do I have a "rejection" issue that I should consult a therapist about?
Anyway, thanks everyone for everyone's advice. Now to apply that really subjective evaluation of who has "the great story to tell" or gives "a really good account."
Reply to this When we first joined TB and I was still 'playing with all the buttons', I un-followed a few people because I thought twice about 'Recommending' a blogger (as it was called back then). I was uncomfortable that it could be interpreted that we were endorsing their views.
I now 'subscribe' to a blog for a while and then 'follow' (or not) after a few posts. I don't think I would cull anyone on our following list, but I have unsubscribed from a few bloggers.
Reply to this When I first joined I also subscribed to bloggers, but then didn't see much difference between Subscribing and Following other than subscribers get an email notification.
Now I don't subscribe, but do ask friends and family to subscribe to my blog as many are not TB members or on FB...they only way the know I have posted a blog is if they do subscribe. For everyone else, I Follow.
It's interesting how new bloggers adapt over time as they become familiar with the various options. I Follow some people who have never Followed anyone else...I wonder if they even know about Following or being Followed.
Reply to this Part of my reason for unfollowing bloggers in the past who have not blogged or signed on to travel blog for a long time is that it is easier to find a blogger you are looking for when there are not as many on my follow page.
I agree it is good to subscribe to a newer blogger in the beginning to get a feel for their writing and photography.
Reply to this In response to: Msg #174669 I've just un-Followed a few bloggers who have not signed onto TB for over a year, weren't that interesting after all, and who had less than 5 Followers...I didn't want my action to take them off the Front Page, where should they return to blogging I might rediscover them again. I decided that not signing on to TB in over a year was abandonment. I guess I do have abandonment issues. I also feel abandoned when someone I have been Following for years doesn't Follow me, but I suppress that feeling. It is interesting though that so many TBers don't bother to use the various features that make TB a community. Any solutions???
Reply to this Bob,
You and I have had a conversation about this issue in the past. I see no reason not to do this from time to time. Although I have not done this in a long while. The last person I un-followed wrote what I felt was an inappropriate blog and it helped get them off the front page.
I think there is a process to learning how to properly use the travel blog tools. There have been times in the past, maybe four years ago when I would read an interesting blog and then start following that person. I sometimes didn't go back and read their body of work. Later they would publish a blog and I found it uninteresting so I wished I had not started following them. I think that is the process you just went through and I think you did the right thing. My only additional comment to this process is that if you have gone back to read and assess their body of work and you really find it uninteresting I would un-follow them even if it takes them off the front page.
I personally would use this sparingly and would just become more selective in who you follow.
I do want to be supportive to others who are publishing blogs and let them know that someone is reading along on their journey. For those people I will send private messages or make comments on individual blogs rather than following them. In some way I hope it will help them get more involved in our TB community but I think that rarely influences them. Many people just want a forum to post a blog for their friends and family to read and then they move on.
Also as a moderator, I feel some responsibility to help unknown bloggers who are producing quality work get to the front page.
I think it is important for moderators to follow bloggers they enjoy.
When I start following someone I ask myself do I enjoy their work enough to receive notification whenever they publish (meaning am I likely to actually read it rather than just receive it and delete or only look at the photos) I also ask myself if I think it is a front page blog. Because if you don't think they are a front page blog you can subscribe to them rather than following them and that way you still get to read it but don't put them on the front page. It makes it easier to send them messages because it comes to you automatically.
Front page bloggers--
The front page bloggers have evolved over time and I think we continue to have an interesting selection from a wide demographic.
I know I have a couple of writing styles that I prefer over others but even so I would not want to see just those two styles of writing on the front page. I think we need a variety. It has been demonstrated over time that we have a few bloggers on this site that truly have excellent writing skills and photography skills. We see them on the front page. The front page also has some average writers and some average photographers but they have passion about life, they have passion about their trip and hopefully their excitement comes through to you.
Reply to this In response to: Msg #182139 Thanks for your advice. I do take time to go over those I Follow's body of work. Those I un-Followed I decided I shouldn't have Followed in the first place as their writing didn't merit the Front Page. I don't subscribe as I am usually able to keep up with the Minifeed.
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