5/25/09

No longer playing the #'s game!

You may have noticed I have removed the 'Followers' gadget from my sidebar.

I always felt like it was just put upon us all one day and I was never comfortable with it. It was all a bit too like being back in school and trying to be the most popular girl, which I never was LOL!

Plus I didn't start my blog to have the biggest readership, it was just mean't to be a creative outlet fulfilling a long held ambition to write. That festering little widget can become addictive, it makes others look with envy, it makes some feel less popular, it put pressure on me and yet it's so unimportant.

I do appreciate all my readers, those that 'follow' and those that choose not to. The 'followers' are still there, I can see them from my desktop, but they're no longer in my sidebar making it all about the numbers!

I FEEL FREE :-)

17 comments:

Kay said...

Hmmmm... this is something to think about.

Mary (Bookfan) said...

LOL, I got rid of it on my blog too.

DeniseinVA said...

I can see your point but I love it, not because it tells me there's a lot of readers but because it provides me with another link to visit friends' blogs. To me it's very much a comfort to see everyone smiling faces looking at me when I open my blog - lol - I'm strange I know.

Vickie said...

I tossed mine too. Caused too many issues. I follow you in spirit, toots.

Fred said...

I never put the gadget on my blog for the very reason you articulated. I try and keep up with my readers through the comments they leave on my posts.

Jill of All Trades said...

I never really thought about that before. I may have to comtemplate that issue.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

I've given thought to that also.
I do use it as a convenience to access another bloggers site, but not always.
I do like to look at everyone's photo, it puts a face with a name instantly.
I understand the part about "pressure" though, we are all here just to document our thoughts and share ideas, not to win a contest.

CJ said...

Hmmm that is so true.I might get rid of it too, now!!

Peggy said...

You have given me something to think about too...hmmmm ?

Melessa Gregg said...

I read via google and didn't realize you had follower gadget on your sidebar. Oh well, I was here before and will continue to be. So count me on it even if I never clicked it. :)

Pam said...

I have read that the followers widget causes problems within the blog too, and I've been suffering from getting bumped offline a lot lately. Thought I might have had a virus on the 'puter but then again maybe it is the followers thingie. I do like having the links back to people, so may experiment a while.

mub said...

I ditched mine for a couple of months, but ended up putting it back on. It is easier for some people who aren't as computer savvy to just click on follow rather than get their RSS reader set up if they don't already have it going. I had a few people ask me where it had gone to so I put it back, though I do agree with your points too! *L*

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Something to think about. I know that some people get upset that they don't have many followers. I like it because many people never leave comments for some reason.

I'll be thinking about getting rid of it. I hate getting into numbers contests.

Daryl said...

Interesting ... sort of like Husband's reverse snob-ism ... in a good way of course ...

m said...

I hear the strains of "Born Free" rising up in my mind as I read this. that makes sense actualyl. MAybe I shoudl do that too--with my shopping 17 followers on my new blog. you know, I NEVER anyone that has a huge readership as the pressure to have to visit others is too enormous. I visit who I enjoy or makes me think. That's it. Keep writing and let us chips fall where we may!

m said...

And for some reason, my blog name link doesn't even show up with my name anyway!!! It is a nice way to quickly visit those who may have come to you blog and give one some exposure to sites one might not otherwise visit though. I'll give that. Still, you make a great point.

Now, question is, what will you do with following others yourself?

The Factory said...

Good for you, I always resisted the temptation myself.