An Opinion on Blog Topics - Andrea Dietrich's Blog

I saw that TPS was asking us how we would feel about only doing blogs pertinent to poetry.For what it is worth, this is my opinion. A long time ago, when I started doing my own blogs, I had put up information on how to write various poetry forms, and I also did a few blogs about good writing techniques using knowledge I had gained from some poetry classes and from my field of English teaching. To my chagrin, hardly anyone visited those blogs. In fact, a few people commented that it was "over their head."  However, when I did some fun blogs that included personality tests or jokes, I remember being thrilled to see many more people visit my blogs! I have seen the pattern remain the same, more or less, in all the time I have been here. Often, the people who blog about unusual topics (dare I say controversial?) as well as the standard "fun" blogs, usually see more participation from the members.

I've also seen what does NOT work for me here. I adore movies and probably see more movies than anybody here, but I can get very few people to respond to my movie blogs. And when I was doing blogs about holidays (I did Holiday of the day for a number of weeks) I noticed they were not very popular either. I think it's hit and miss with the blogs; however, I can almost promise you this. If the blogs become a platform for the sole purpose of "education," you will see the numbers here drop off. And oh well, maybe that would be a good thing (though I am sure people will still continue to argue in inappropriate ways when they disagree. It seems to be the nature of the beast.) So let's bring on the all-poetry blogs.  I personally could use more time for seeing the poems here and start cutting back on my blog activity! 

Feel free to express your opinion on this, my friends, and Happy New Year to you all. I really appreciated the recent blogs by my friends here who are lovers of peace and kindness! 

Kabuteng P.Ink K. Date: 1/3/2014 10:05:00 PM Hi Andrea! Sometimes I really don't know what makes a blog 'tick'? It is kind of weird though how blogs on poetry aren't as big as a hit as the non-poetry ones? But yup, I do remember your blogs and I enjoyed the ones on those personality tests...maybe blogs here can also have categories? Just a thought... Login to Reply

Joseph May Date: 1/2/2014 3:30:00 PM Will the site still be called Poetry Soup? Login to Reply Joseph May Date: 1/2/2014 9:27:00 PM I think soupers will be drawn to the controversial and fun topics,it seems to be the nature of the beast, but Poetry goop is a perfect name, but in any web site we have to be careful of trojan horses Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:41:00 PM they could call the blog section: poetry GOOP!! what do you think, Joseph?

Painted Hunter Date: 1/2/2014 2:04:00 PM Hi Andrea. Good points here. For me, sadly, poetry blogs tend to bore me even though that's what I'm here for. Haha. I think that a blog page that is strictly for poetry blogs would be a quick and definite flop. The blog page tends to be more for the fun of it than the information. Honestly, if I could only blog about poetry, I'd probably never blog again. I know that sounds terrible, but hey, it's true. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:41:00 PM hahaha, my feelings too, Caleb! Here is what I have learned here. The people who could use the informative blogs the most are not even visiting them. So what is he point?? Almost everyone likes the fun ones, so there ya go!!

Carol Eastman Date: 1/2/2014 11:21:00 AM I believe that there's room for some education... some fun... and some chit chat... The disagreements I could do without... This is a community where the newest contest and it's results are posted... Fun is to be had... and some education can show up... I read the educational blogs and I'm sure many do... But they don't seem to need a comment... They're educational... and not asking for opinions to be bandied about... But I read most... The younger generations probably use facebook and the chat rooms more than the older generations. I suspect we're more blog people. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:47:00 PM yes, I think our age is giving us away and we are more about blogs than chats. That's why I think so many of us older poets here enjoy the blogs for the "community effect" A lot of the educational blogs can stimulate great discussion, actually. but I've even seen fights disrupt on THOSE kinds!! There is a separate place here at soup where people have posted informational pieces. I have some grammar articles over there but I highly doubt anyone has read them! I don't know why there cannot be a place for chatting about poetry and forms, and a separate place for just chatting blogs.

Harry Horsman Date: 1/2/2014 10:16:00 AM part two ,because i only see the usual crowd here,,thank goodness i think are we the only ones, keeping the site going,,,or being not involved with other aspect of soup,,,like facebook, chatroom,the wall. is that where i am missing out,,? is this the reason why the family feeling as gone, because there are so many different aspects to choose from, and i only read the blogs??? i dont know,, but the contest and the blog seem to me to be under used if one remembers the past here on soup..... Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:55:00 PM well, I am not good with chats, so if that is where the action is at, I guess I am missing out. Did there use to be a lot more people at the blogs? I seem to remember it always being about this many people. I always try to get to all the blogs as much as I can and am always surprised by the lack of support that many bloggers here receive. Harry Horsman Date: 1/2/2014 10:16:00 AM read part one first below

Harry Horsman Date: 1/2/2014 10:14:00 AM this blog is so interesting Andrea, i have for a little while now wondered about various aspects of soup,,one of them the blogs i could go on and on, but will try and summarize as best as i can with an example..we are made aware that there are thousands of poets here on soup,,and if one goes to the new poems section it looks like that may be true,,,,yet on my count which i have just done,,,on blogs and we all have the last three hundred, approx only 45-50 poets on this site wrote those....where are the thousands, Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:50:00 PM harry, do I understand you to mean that 45 -50 poets are doing blogs? I think there is a small group of us who are very involved here. And so we are the the main ones at the blogs. It's been this way since I can remember. Before I was a premium member, one lady kindly asked me to leave the blogs. she said it was only for premium members. Don't know if that is true, but I just ignored her.

Brian Strand Date: 1/2/2014 4:04:00 AM Andrea, I've always seen PS as a Poetry workshop.If this was't on line and we met week by week we would obviously discuss other things in passing .Perhaps the only thing to remember is to avoid politics and religion and keep it pleasant as we would face-to-face.A Happy creative 2014 whether poetic or otherwise, to one and all, from your English friend across the pond.Rgds Brian Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 8:52:00 PM yes, those two topics seem to cause the most uproar, don't they!!

Charmaine Chircop Date: 1/2/2014 1:50:00 AM After a day of work..It was always my pleasure to read your fun blogs and relax..I hope you'll get more of them.Re other blogs..I guess I'm going to be reading less blogs and read more poems instead.Tnks for sharing your thoughts sweet lady. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:37:00 AM charma, this is the way I might be going myself if we are have to limit blogs to only poetry . thanks for coming here. I hope you stay with us for a long time to come. You are my heroine! (feminine AND strong!)

Tim Ryerson Date: 1/1/2014 11:39:00 PM Andrea my friend - ANY time you wanna post a movie blog I will gladly participate! If the comments lag, I will personally comment again and again to make it 'hot'...The last blog I posted was political, poking fun at our President and it quickly became nasty and personal and I will admit that I got caught up in the madness too...Blogs restricted to poetry, etc. would quickly become tiresome...A few poet tributes I posted recieved VERY few comments... Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:34:00 AM and I am happy to hear you love movies too. I did a blog on top holiday movies and I think i put it up last week. Maybe you can go there and tell me which movie sounds like your favorite! Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:32:00 AM yeah, I think we need to stay away from those political ones. hahaha. I have posted at least four or five "tribute blogs" and of those, I think only half of them got more than a few comments. It made me feel bad for the poets I had paid tribute to . I thought to myself: what if that was ME being paid tribute to and only a few people bothered to say a word about my poem that was shown? I want to do it again. I just hope more people will comment to them. I admit I have not been commenting to all the blogs here lately. I simply have not had time.

Just That Archaic Poet Date: 1/1/2014 10:56:00 PM I hope the blogs stay open and free for all acceptable content. I enjoy posting both fun and serious blogs, in addition to my collage art. Hope we are never restricted. My 2 cents :) Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:27:00 AM thanks for your input. Sorry I don't always comment on your collage art. A lot of modern art I just don't get it, but I admire your passion for so many things in life!

Nette Onclaud Date: 1/1/2014 10:25:00 PM andie, i don't know if i'm making sense but a blog is like a respectable newspaper or magazine ( not a tabloid, please).. we have the news, editorial, lifestyle, arts, business, columns, entertainment, sports ,others... a good mix is fine with me as long as we stay balanced... i'll blog soon!.. huggs Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:26:00 AM I am not really up on proper blog etiquette. But like Popeye the Sailor Man: I Yam what I Yam and Me Likes what ME likes!! Blog soon, Nette!

Sandra Adams Date: 1/1/2014 9:42:00 PM I am newer to finding the blog section but I like many aspects of what I have seen, such as learning forms, seeing holiday greetings, or hearing about someone's marvelous trip....I think we all agree though that this is not the place to argue it should be a place to bring the members together not pull them apart! Hugs Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:21:00 AM thanks, sandy, and I wish you were here more often. I love your spirit as well as your poetry.

Skat A Date: 1/1/2014 9:40:00 PM Andrea, happy first day of the year. Today was one rocking day. I'm not here to read blogs, just comments......... jajaja, I'm just joking. I think Sara, Joyce and of course you Andrea, are good role models. You all make peace and kindness seem like a good thing. Thank you for always spreading your love, that's why you are #1 on the community board. I'm not sure if I'm all up for the all-poetry blogs. I will support your blogs about poetry. So Bring Them On!.............. Love Ya............. ~SKAT~ Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:20:00 AM thanks, but have you checked the community board lately? I will try to think of a short poetry blog to do sometime. time is a big problem for me these days and I need to see things that are brief. Skat A Date: 1/1/2014 9:45:00 PM and lovely Gail :-)

Debbie Guzzi Date: 1/1/2014 7:51:00 PM There should be something for every one, and who knows what's offensive to [x] may be [often is?] funny to [y] but I LIKED the PS message before posting or adding to a blog. It made you stop & think? Am I saying anything I shouldn't? Is this a good thing, a constructive thing to blog about? I'd say most of us could do without blogs with off color jokes about sex, race, creed, or national origin? A good litmus would be "could this blog hurt anyone?" Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:07:00 AM Debs, one time when i did an "educational" blog, someone came to me in soupmail and bawled me out for not having a heart! (he said I was using my "mind" too much) at least he did it in a soupmail. haha Debbie Guzzi Date: 1/1/2014 7:54:00 PM learning IS fun to some of us and poetry IS an art form

Mandy Tams The Golden Girl Date: 1/1/2014 7:46:00 PM Hiya Andy as you know i tend not to dwell on the serious, if there is s smile waiting to smile I will help it, life is hard enough and we have enough spats at home with families to contend with so I try and enjoy peace where it can be found. i love to learn off anyone offering help , I am not into egos' and hierarchy and I am not good with authority lol .I do notice the fun blogs get attention, so that's me in a nutshell...fun loving and peaceful if possible, i do have my claws but they are rarely used as I have matured or should i say grown up ... I am all for friendship I know interlectual blogs can be above me but it is more the time element than anything else, getting time to digest . Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:04:00 AM I love your fun ways, Mandy!

Carrie Richards Date: 1/1/2014 6:33:00 PM I am not against open discussions, about most anything. It is only when a blogger or a comment becomes inflammatory, insulting, a personal vendetta, or results in anger or hurt feelings, that we lose hope of making blogs open to everyday subjects. I would rather it not have to be just about poetry....and only that. If we are "family", which many of us like to call ourselves.. a family of poets should be able to share their day, their experiences, their lives, without having to fight.The thing I have loved the most, have gained from being a Souper, is learning that we are all kin, we desire the same things, regardless of country, religion,ethnic background..we should be adult enough to share our thoughts, feelings and friendship. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:05:00 AM Your response is my favorite. It is exactly how I feel, Carrie. Nette Onclaud Date: 1/1/2014 10:09:00 PM yesss, carrie!..:)

Cyndi Macmillan Date: 1/1/2014 5:16:00 PM I want so badly to promise I will never again rise to the bait. I want to vow never blow my stack, always say the right thing, never erupt with passion, but I can't, I just can't. It would be a lie. I don't lie. I can say that I will do my best to not start anything, especially to keep bloggers like you here and active. I love your blogs, even the ones I read and leave without time for a reply. You are sweet, always have been. I want to see the fun blogs, happy blogs, silly blogs, curious blogs... all the blogs. They keep soup interesting, informative REAL. I don't want to fight... craig, I don't. But I won't see my friends bullied either. It's against my nature to see a good heart trod on. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/2/2014 2:09:00 AM Cyndi, I don't know what we can do about the bullying. I am just trying to follow Soup rules but I understand you - how hard it can be not to speak out. I wonder if they can provide us a chat room to air out grievances. I'm serious!!! I do not know the answer to that problem. Nette Onclaud Date: 1/1/2014 10:08:00 PM cyndi, be yourself.. even in anger or frustration, you are polite.. okay, soul sis?.. i have a new blog, so watch out for it.. huggs!

Poet Destroyer A Date: 1/1/2014 5:00:00 PM FUN BLOGS.... ENOUGH SAID ANDREA..... I enjoyed your numerology blog the most.. I kept on my tiptoes waiting for you to post results! -----How about we just keep this a fun poetry site, instead of a debating site. Soup can do whatever they want, sooner or later they are going to see the blog area results. Sending you 2014 cheers! PD Login to Reply