Interviews and an informal survey

[sartorias]

A rarity, there are two! Both short, and not really about me.

Janni Lee Simner is doing a series on the mid-career writer and that one is my turn. (I think some of us are "mid-career" until they find us dead at our desk.)

When I approached the questions asked in this interview, I was thinking about Judith Tarr's recent post, and about the

Comments

[3rdragon]

I read the BVC blog when you link to posts (yours or other people's); I'll usually read yours, and sometimes other people's that look interesting. Occasionally while I'm there, I'll wander off on a link to other posts.

[sartorias]

Thank you! What sort of post triggers your interest?

[asakiyume]

Ditto this. I always go when you link, and occasionally when Deborah Ross links. And once in a blue moon, while I'm there, a topic from an earlier blog post will catch my interest and I'll go visit (or if someone else on my friends list or FB or Twitter happens to link there--which happened the other day).

The main thing, from my perspective, that BVC could do that would increase my time there would be to allow for notification when there was a comment added in a post one had commented on. As far as I can tell, there isn't that feature now, which means one has to keep checking back or refreshing the page, which--in my case--means less interaction, as I end up forgetting I've posted, or forgetting to check, and then time goes by.

I've two or three times bought books there, once an anthology to raise money after the Gulf oil spill and other times your books or possibly once someone else's (I lose track and, unfortunately, have yet to read all I've bought...)

[sartorias]

Thanks! Yeah, that business about comments has been brought up. I don't know what the issue is, since I do not understand anything about Wordpress and its widgets, and which ones will or will not play nice with others.

[sartorias]

I suspect that Game of Thrones' popularity lands heavily on the grimdark side. But eventually the pendulum will swing back.

[asakiyume]

Actually, I didn't know! Can you tell me how?

[asakiyume]

Thank you!

[asakiyume]

Hmm, this will, it seems, let me know when there's a new *post* in the blog (like Sherwood's), but I don't think it'll tell me when people add comments to the post. I'm thinking about what LJ does, where it sends you an email when someone has replied to a comment of yours, or--if you sign up--if someone replies to a particular entry.

I feel so demanding! But that kind of notification would make me aware of the conversation ongoing. It's nice to know when someone has posted in the blog, but best of all--for me--is being able to keep track of the ongoing conversation without actually having to be present and watching the page.

[asakiyume]

Alas, when I click on that link, it just takes me to Sherwood's post. I can see over on the right the links for Facebook, Twitter, and an RSS feed, but when I click on the RSS feed, what I seem to get is just notifications of the post--but I may be clicking on the wrong thing?

I don't have a blog reader--I read LJ through my LJ friends list and visit other places (a few wordpress blogs and blogger blogs) when I receive notification that the people have updated. For other Wordpress blogs, there's a little box you can check that let's you subscribe to the particular post, and then every time anyone adds a comment, I get an email. Here's an entry for a Wordpress blog I subscribe to:

http://suzannesmomsblog.com/2013/06/20/how-two-year-olds-talk/

Hmmm, I was hoping just showing you the page would show you the box you can check to subscribe to the entry, but it doesn't. I guess it only shows up if you add a comment.

[asakiyume]

Yes--I apologize for going on and on about my own situation!

[asakiyume]

Not at all--it *was* a help; now I have a more focused sense of what my problem is (LOL!)