Question for readers of this blog-UPDATED

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UPDATE: Regular readers, to whom I am deeply grateful to, have commented and said some things that have caused me to rethink things. Due to a setting change, comments closed after one day; if there are other commenters out there, the comments are open again.

 

Clearly I have a lot to think about and consider. Thank you to all readers and commenters.

Here is a question for anyone who happens to read this blog. This post will only appear here, and comments can and should be made here, or emailed to me. If you don’t have, or can’t find my email, leave a comment saying that you need it and I will reach out to you.

Question for readers of this blog:

Do you dislike it saying “please continue reading at the Times Union?”

If so, do you generally not continue to the TU?

Do you not comment, because you do not like the TU?

I do not have a contract at the paper, nor am I paid to blog (hahahaha – sorry) for them or anyone. I suspect that I would seriously dislike paid blogging, even though I need money!  In all seriousness, I have heard from some of you (feel free to reiterate if you are among them) that the paper seems like a more commercial venue, less private, and other things.

I would really like to know. Thanks for reaching out, privately or in the comments. Thank you for reading.

Fran

37 thoughts on “Question for readers of this blog-UPDATED”

  3. Fran, I seldom click over to the Times Union. I’d be much more likely to read your posts if I didn’t have to click to another website. Having said that, I don’t click a good many links, nor do I comment on blogs as much as I once did due to time constraints.

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  5. I also prefer to read here, probably because I have no idea what the Times Union is, but I do usually click over. I thought you were being paid, and good luck to you if you were, but do not see the point otherwise unless it brings you more readers. The blog world does seem to be declining but I refuse to go to Facebook. I want to keep reading your thoughts wherever they are.

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  6. Fran, my thoughts are exactly those written by Brian. If the Times Union is a way to spread the Good News to more people who would never see your writing,then stay with it. Let’s pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

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  8. Dear Fran,
    Sometimes I will go to the TU to continue reading, but there have been times when I don’t want to go off to another link. And I don’t comment on the TU because I don’t know how many people can see it!!! 🙂

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  9. When you post on FB or Twitter that there’s something new, I come here then click over, but I don’t look at anything else on the TU pages because y’all are just so far away!

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  10. Sometimes I click, sometimes I don’t. More often I’m just confused where the link from twitter is taking me. In fact when I clicked through today I thought “Is this going to take me to one of the pages where content is, or is not?”

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  12. As one who has a job that uses Social Media and sees how this world works, clicks are the key. The people in charge of such things want eyeballs and the more pages they get you to see, the happier they are. That said, it pisses me off, big time, when I have to click to see the rest of the post. I really feel a loss of respect to the reader. Plus, usually newspapers have a huge amount of ads, that gum up my computer. Sometimes worth the click, sometimes not and note, that means that you may be losing readers to your message. Is it worth it? Only you can decide.

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  13. I go to wherever the link is leading because I use Twitter as my blog feed. If you’re automatically cross-posting to TU and not generating new content, then I recommend continuing to do that. I agree with those have said it’s a way to reach more (unchurched) people.

    And I wouldn’t worry about the lack of comments. For one thing, many more people read (and ponder) than comment. For another, you need to stay true to why you blog and it’s to write and share your thoughts, insights, wisdom, love…not to rack up a virtual body count!

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    • Thanks Meredith. It is not so much about a lack of comments, but rather based on having someone tell me that they frequently did not click through to the TU. If having that jump means people bailing out, simply because I was trying to consolidate and only have to moderate one set of comments, I am not sure that it is worth losing readers over.

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  15. I love reading you wherever you are, but can honestly say I sometimes don’t click through to the TU because I’m in a hurry. I am glad you appear on the TU, but I admit to muttering a bit when it tells me to click to continue reading.

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  16. Hi Fran: yes, it is disruptive to be reading along and then have to go to another sight. However, I don’t mind your blog being hosted by the TU; I think that is a good thing, a voice in the whirlwind for some who might not see it otherwise. I’m probably not a good one to ask about comments; I read a number of blogs but rarely comment. And if the comments start to get snarky or off on a tangent I stop reading them. Marie

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  17. I don’t really mind clicking over the the TU; since I hope it reaches more people. As you know, I’m not at leaving comments, even though I read them. Chris 🙂

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