Tuesday, February 10, 2009

How do you ....

How DO you keep up with reading blogs that interest you?? I know there's been a lot of discussion about this before but really, I just can't keep up with all the blogs I'd like to read.

My latest is that I have about 15 blogs on my daily reading list. About 5 of those change depending on the content. If I run across one that is posting some interesting stuff, it goes on the Daily list...if one stops appealing to me...I drop it off. These are typically just *inspirational* ones with techniques or quilts that I'm drawn to.

Secondly, I try to visit the blogs of people who leave comments, I'll click on their profile and go take a look - I don't always comment but if you've received a comment right after you've commented on my blog...that's why....you've moved to the top of the list just by commenting.

Third, when I have some spare time -- I try to run through my list on Google Reader ...it's usually over 600 posts these days and I do a lot of skimming but I do try to comment some on those too.

So, how many blogs are you following and how do you manage to have a life, quilt, AND keep up with them??


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43 comments:

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Confession time...I have 502 blogs on my reader...some quilting, some fun and some having to do with photography. I work mornings and my routine is to read what I can when I get home and have lunch and then (and this is the hard part) I switch the computer off and do something else. (quilt/clean) I will then allow myself to "read" blogs between in the afternoon when the kids are having their wind down time after school. I don't read every word...I like pictures and I sometime will look at links...but generally if the first two sentences don't appeal I hit "j" which jumps me forward to the next post. Hope that makes sense ;o)

Anonymous said...

It's hard! I've learned so much and been so inspired by blogs. I'm addicted to both knitting and quilting, so my googlereader is packed. I've decided that if a blog doesn't make me feel better or inspire me, I dump it. Other than that, I don't have an answer for you. Blogs are my way of avoiding things I don't want to do.

Mary said...

I have my favorite Blogs on my Blog list and they are sorted by most recently updated. I read them as they are updated and sometimes go to other Blogs from there. Your Blog is one that Inspires me... Thanks

Vicki W said...

I admit that I have over 500 blogs in my reader. I read over breakfast, while watching TV and during telephone conference calls at work. I spend way too much time doing it but it's fun so I do it anyway!

Nancy said...

I have too many blogs on my reader, but thankfully, they don't all post at the same rate. I usually spend about 1 1/2 hours in the morning (with a hot cup of tea) scanning the blogs. I always save your posts for last because I know that you will inspire me to work on a project.

YankeeQuilter said...

When it comes down to it there are about 20 blogs I follow on a regular basis...about once a week I run through the folks who have posted and check out their blogs. If I like them I add them to my list or maybe just make a note to go back to them again...I never set up the blog reader because I was afraid it would eat up all my blog time!

Anonymous said...

Mary, yours is the only one I read on a regular basis. I look at the ones you point out on HeartStrings and I infrequently visit the ones on the HeartString Blog ring. I have never started a blog 'cause it would be one more thing I have to do!!!! YIPES! But I do enjoy visiting.
Sheree

GailM. said...

Ahh, Readers.. that's how you do it. I only follow a few on a regular basis, but I don't do it through a reader... I read them from my dashboard...I do look at many blogs on other quilting blogger's sidebars. Sometimes quilters recommend a great tutorial. I always go and look at the tutorial and sometimes make it. If I do make it, I always leave a comment. I spend way too much time on the computer. I like to leave comments from time to time. I wonder what the percentage of commenters vs readers are? Pretty low I expect.

Michelle said...

I only have about 20 on my Google Reader, so I can read them daily as usually there is only 5-8 of them with new posts each day. I also occasionally go through some of the blog rings, but that's been less and less lately as there just isn't enough time! I find I'm not quilting/sewing as much lately and I think it's due to so much computer time! :(

Joanne said...

Simple -- I don't have a life!

Karen said...

Mary, I'm slowly building my Reader list. I've got 15 blogs so far that I like to routinely keep up with. Yours is right up there. I hit the quilt blog rings and a few other places and as I find blogs I enjoy regularly, I will add them to my list. I'm afraid to have too big a list or I'll do nothing but read blogs. :)

Joyce said...

I read blogs from Bloglines every morining but since I have lots, I don't get to them all every day. I have to save a bit of time for sewing.

South Jersey Quilter said...

Luckily not all the bloggers post every day, and mine are sorted by time of last post.

Add that to having to check face book to see what my children are up to, and having to check Icanhascheezburger, and checking the amazon daily sale- jeez, no wonder I don't get anything done! If I didn't have to go to work every day I'd never get out of the house!

Holly

Joyce said...

I try to check all of my favorite blogs daily, in the evening. If, after a while, they don't interest me, I drop them off of my daily list and just put them in a file on my "favorites" list instead of in my "feeds" lists.

Leah Spencer said...

I have 603 blogs in my reader! I have no idea how I keep up. :P

Over Christmas I got about 4,000 posts behind. I read whatever *I* felt like reading and shrugged off the rest. If I had 15 or 30 minutes to blow (like when I was eating breakfast or lunch), I'd just skim through them. By skimming, I mean *click, scroll* and if the pictures or topic looked interesting, I'd pause to read the story.

Here's what I figured - they don't know if I'm reading their blog or not, unless I comment. It's not going to be the end of the world if I have to skip through some posts. If it was a good one, chances are that it'll get linked to as reference in future posts.

Almost everybody knows that there's too many blogs out there. Just like there's too many books. I dunno about you, but I'll pick up books from the library and find out that they're not quite connecting with me. They got skimmed and maybe a page or two opened... then ignored until my next library trip to be returned.

Lastly, I don't watch very much TV. Currently it's 1 hour a week right now. I've been trying to convince my husband not to bother with getting TV cable in our new place. :) I don't have kids, I don't have pets, houseplants aren't demanding. I'm a slacker house cleaner, I live in a 650 square foot apartment that's looking to get even smaller this summer. So not a lot to vacuum and sweep. Only one bathroom to deal with.

Kristin C. said...

I love google reader! I have about 50 blogs I keep up with, so it's relatively easy. It helps that I've only discovered blogs within the past 6 months or so, and I started one only a couple weeks ago. Your blog was one of my first to officially follow!

Lori in South Dakota said...

I use bloglines, and add blogs to it quite a bit. Sometimes I don't always get to them, but I often will read many days of posts later. Just checked--there are 66 blogs on there.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I have about 100 on my blog reader. I occasionally add more and occasional delete some that aren't very active. I do spend too much time at the computer but a lot of times I only skim through what people write, but some I find really interesting. Most are about quilting, several on cooking and photography. I find it interesting. I don't know if I could keep up with much more than I have on my reader now though.
I just found your blog now and adding it to my reader :)
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Anonymous said...

I just read them in the morning when I first wake up and right before bed. Im afraid to count how many I follow.

Nancy said...

I am amazed to discover I have 88 blogs on my list. There are 5 (yours included) that I do my best to read every day. I think I take something different from each of you. The others I check on usually once a week. If I'm not able to keep up during the week, I veg out on Saturday mornings with coffee and quilt blogs. I usually read some in the evening, while my husband watches tv. And then I surf everyone's blog lists on their side bar to see what else I might be missing. Occasionally I delete someone from my list, if they just don't post much at all, or if I feel either my interests or theirs have changed. I have learned so much form these blogs, inspiration and encouragement. Some of you are so prolific, I find that encouraging too. Thanks for sharing yourself with all of us. Oh, I don't have a blog. I'm afraid I would spend SO much time trying to write it, that I'd never read or quilt anything else ever again. :0)

Anonymous said...

I haven't figured it out either. I do a lot of blog reading in bits and pieces . . 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there. I wish somehow they could just audibly feed onto my iPod while I'm sleeping, then I could listen to it all while quilting the next day. Hey . . maybe I just thought of something that could make me rich! Somehow I'm betting everyone but me is already doing something like that.

Bonnie said...

There are only about five or six blogs that I look at regularly - yours among them. Every once in a while I treat myself to an evening of blog reading and catch up on all the blogs I have on Reader. Emails from family and friends, and blogs all take too much time, but I love the communication we have in this computer world.

Lisa said...

I have about 15 blogs I read regulary... most I've read the past 4 or so years since I started my own blog (previously at a different site & private) ... a few I've dropped off the list when over time they no longer interested me, a few are more recent additions. I love my new blogger in that it tells me when the blogs listed on my blog last updated - so I don't waste time clicking to them only to find no updates.

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

I have about 30 blogs on my Google Reader. About 18 are quilt related, 2 digital scrapbooking, a couple misc., and the rest library related. Having them there at least means I know when there's a new post. Sometimes I'll go around a blog ring, and like you, do a lot of skimming. I still think I spend too much time on the computer, I've gotten hooked on cnn.com as well. I find I've been watching almost no TV and I haven't been reading as many books. But, I figure it's all a phase & I'll move on after a while. I do enjoy the quilting blogs, it's like a quilt group meeting every day.....inspiring to see what others are working on.

tami said...

I have about 250 blogs in my reader. I started with only the ones in my rings and have just kept adding. I need to get control of it becasue I spend way too much time on them. I tend to read in little bits and pieces. While I'm waiting for water to boil. While I'm waiting for software to build at work. While I'm watching TV with DH. I have found myself skimming more and more and commenting less and less.

Anonymous said...

I have 135 on my bloglines, plus I check in on some more via a couple that are on my bloglines. Maybe a third of mine don't post very often, so the reader is great for those - they are highlighted when a new entry is posted. I do occasionally remove ones from my list, if I find I'm not enjoying them; and I don't add a lot, usually only after lurking for awhile.

I usually spend time reading when I first get home, and then more time later in the evening (younger son's bath-time a couple nights a week!). I don't watch a whole lot of tv, and the reading I can usually do while I'm knitting.

Anonymous said...

Some days, I'm all over them - but then there are other's where things happen and I get behind (like 31 posts from you LOL)

I just read as I have time / inclination or interest. Some blogs I know are a quick read that are like little sound bites but love reading them, other's are novels and I have to be in the mood to read them ..

I stopped feeling guilty about NOT being up to date with everyone's blog - I read when I can and want to .. that way I can enjoy them more :)

And like you, other's that take the time to read and comment on my blogs, I read theirs too :)

Hope you enjoyed your dinner :D

hugs
g

Bricoles Textiles said...

I have 265 blogs listed ! And with BLOGLINES I have almost 100 blogs updated each day ... I try to read them all but I have to say that I can't answer to every post that interpellate me. They are classified : Patchwork, embroidery, scrapbooking, Fimo, sewing, création ETC ... I have to update my classification but reading all those blogs take so long that I don't !
hugs

Tazzie said...

I have around 100 blogs in my bloglines - and I'll skim through them when I have time on the computer. If there's something I want to comment on, then I click over to the blog. I would like to actually visit and comment on each blog, but if I did that it would leave little time for other things.
I'm sure this is a problem that everyone faces, and we all do our best to visit with each other when we can.
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Rosa-Munda said...

Hi Mary, I'm new to all of this, and I wondered how to deal with this question. Thank you for letting me in on your secret! Ros

Crazy Bird said...

I follow 34 blogs currently (all sewing relating but not all quilt related) and spend way too much time on the computer. I hadn't thought of doing it through Reader - duh!!
Anne

Dawn's Daily Journal said...

I keep all of my favorites on bloglines. That way only the updates ones are hightlighted so I don't spend hours going through each and every one. I've got all kinds on there....some parenting.....some about quilts....stay at home dads....any and all that interest me. I go through them once in awhile to do a clean up. I get rid of some that haven't posted in forever or blogs that get really depressing.
The blogs about quilts are my favorites. They inspire me and get me motivated to do projects of my own. :)
dawn

Clare said...

About 170 on Google Reader, but as all 170 never post at the same time, I find it easy. I've got iGoogle as my home page with Gmail and Reader next to each other. It makes life a lot easier I can tell you!

I find the people that post about 3 times a day a bit difficult to keep up with (VBG).

zizzybob said...

I am currently following 76 blogs. I have a regular 9 to 5 job that is BORING!!! I only have about an hours worth of work to do each day, leaving me with 7 hours of staring at the wall. Why do I stay you ask? They pay me far too well and I get to read my 76 blogs daily.

Sunna Reyr said...

I am following 7 blogs that I read from the dashboard when there are new posts and with few days a part I read the 8-10 I have bookmarked because they don't have active follow option. Hm, I have to figure out this blog lines thing.
Sunna

Denise in PA said...

I follow about 40 blogs - and most don't post every day. I'm pretty good about keeping up with them. I'll read during a break at work or at lunchtime and on the weekends I really enjoy reading them first thing with my coffee. They feel like kind of a "reward" to me. I truly enjoy the blogs and am grateful to those of you who write them. I listen to my quilting podcasts on the way home from work - and again, it's something to look forward to.

Mama Spark said...

HAHA, I know what you mean. I use bloglines and have a little over 100 that I follow. I skim most and read the ones that have something that interests me and always read the ones that have become my friends. Thanks again for the use of your web page. I hope I get some people signed on to play with me!

Quilter Kathy said...

It really varies depending on my work schedule. I wish I had a system for getting updates...I must check into some of the services your readers have mentioned. I think I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that reading quilt blogs is "quilting", and it's not. Nothing gets quilted when I'm reading :)

InfinityQuilter/Knitter said...

I have almost 150 blogs that I subscribe to in reader. I usually read them at work during my lunch. Not all of them post daily so that helps keep it down. I usually unsubscribe if they haven't posted in a month or more.

Anonymous said...

I don't know how many blogs I scan each day, but I do like blogger's "following" feature better than using google reader. My problem is that every day I find more blogs I want to follow!

I skim the posts each day & pop into each blog/post that interests me. Pics on the posts definitely help peak my interest.

Sweet P said...

I have 300 blogs in my Bloglines. At least once a day I skim through the new entries. I flag the ones I want to leave a comment and then once a week I go through and leave comments.

I always love your photos of Minneapolis. I know I've said that before. You keep me from me from being home sick.

jan said...

Hi Mary,
I don't have as many Blogs to read thru as you do, but there are a fair few of them. I have my FAV Blogs and then a list of Blogs, sometimes I have an evening of just reading Blogs, but that can get very involved, as I flit from one to another thru the comments left. I soon lose my way. But it is always nice to make new friends.
I love what you are doing with all the quilts, I admire you so much for keeping up with everything too. I am lagging of late!!!!
Love to read your Blog, so you are on the FAV list of course. Keep up the good work. Janet in UK

The Calico Cat said...

It might be cheating, but I check out Vicki W's blog - for her list of photos first. (So Vicki has done most of the "work" for me.) I then tend to try to read the ones that have a lot of posts (top of my blog lines) like yours. & then I go to the bottom to keep caught up with some favorites.
While I am doing that I realize that I have not seen "so-n-so's blog" for a while, then i try to skim & recall their blog name... (Not so easy.)
Once or twice I tried to read while nursing - did not work, he either did not keep latched on or I smothered him...

Before baby, I would read in the morning & at lunch & kept up pretty well...

Until I get caught up, I am skimming & photo looking mostly.

Are you going to Mid-Atlantic? Jacob & I will be there on Saturday.