A small rant

Morning ladies, it's been a while since I had a rant, but I'm in the mood for one today.  I've had toothache since I had that tooth out last Tuesday and whilst it isn't at agony levels, it still hurts and it's constant.  On top of that, I strongly suspect that the injury I got whilst on holiday - the bruised foot with the lump - is actually a fracture... and today I'm wearing heels.  Toothache + suspected broken foot = grumpy Wendy!

I was having a rant to myself on the way to work and thinking about posting it.  Then I got stuck on someones Word Verification during my coffee break and that set me off again.  So here we go, a Monday rant!

1. If you won a giveaway / competition on someone's blog and that person sent you a prize, would you email them to say thank you?  I know that I certainly do.  I've had two giveaways / competitions on my blog over the last 2 years.  The giveaway winner only thanked me after I emailed her to see if she'd recieved her winnings, the second one hasn't emailed me at all!  And I know she got it as it was a gift certificate that was emailed to her...  Rude.

2. People responding to comments on their own blogs.  Now, this may not seem important and I'm sure there are new bloggers out there who do it without realising, but I'm seeing a growing trend of established bloggers saying they'll respond to comments on their own blog.  So, let's weigh it up.  Someone comments on your blog.  You either go into the post and click "comment" to answer them, or you go to your emails and click "reply" to answer them.  I can't see how the former is easier or quicker than the latter.  Yes, there are times you may want to reply on your own post - people are asking questions about a project and you may want other people to see the reply, or the commenter is a no-reply blogger.  But apart from that, I just find it arrogant.  I read a lot of blogs.  I try to comment often.  Should I be bookmarking these pages, then go back the next day to see if they've replied.  No reply, so go back the next day etc...  ??  Is it just me or do you find it rude too?

3. Bloggers who ignore me.  To me, blogging is about connections.  I'm sure to some people it's a business, but to most it's about connecting with crafters around the world.  So why ignore those very same people?  Now, I'm not saying you should respond to every comment, we've all got busy lives.  I do try to reply to as many as I can and I ALWAYS reply to new visitors to my blog.  Admittedly, it could be a week later, but I have a busy life too!  Recently a blogger asked a question on her blog.  She was looking for something.  7 people had commented and said they didn't know.  I did know, so I told her.  I never got a reply.  OK, fair enough, but then in her next post she said "she'd" found this thing.  No acknowledgement to me or anything!  I went back to the original post to see if she'd replied to me there, nope.  I just don't understand that kind of thinking, but I'll never answer another question on her blog.  Am I over reacting to this?

4.  Word verification.  Seriously!  It's bloody hard.  I wear contact lenses so have pretty good vision (with them in of course) and I can't read half of them.  Why??  If you don't want spam, don't allow anonymous comments.  I haven't had a single spam message since I stopped the anonymous comments and I'd never had a geniune one anyway, all anon comments on my blog were always spam.  I see word verification as yet another hurdle to trying to reach out and communicate with a fellow crafter.  Worse still is the word verification where you type your comment, then the page reloads and asks you to type nonsense.  I must have written tons of comments that were never received as I didn't realise the blogger required me to type nonsense in order to communicate.  If you really must have word verification on, make sure it's visible when the commenter goes to type their message (open in new tab or pop up comment form).

... and calm.  Preaching over, as you were.