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Interblogging

By on • ( 79 Comments )

I thought I was the first to use the word, “interblogging.” Then I discovered it had already been thunk up by a bunch of other people. The Urban Dictionary defines “interblog” as something of a portmanteau, used by those who haven’t a clue about blogging and the internet.

Interblog: When discussing blogging and the internet to a much older person, who knows nothing of the web, they get confused and combine them.

Urban Dictionary
Comments are the heart of interblogging.

To cover up my stupidity, I came up with my own definition, which I think is much more sophisticated. I now define interblogging as the involved interaction that occurs between bloggers, mainly in the Comments section of their posts. And really, that’s what I’ve been thinking the whole time I’ve used that word.

I like my definition, because it makes me look less stupid. But more importantly, it puts a label on a netherworld of blogging that exists just one level below the surface of the blogosphere. It refers to an inconspicuous passage that bloggers can travel through. A wormhole of sorts. A hyperlink, that leads to a speakeasy world of free-form forums and direct interaction.

Some bloggers just seem to be putting out their message, without interacting much with the public. They’re what I call “broadcast bloggers,” engaged in one-way communication. Some of these broadcast bloggers can be popular. They have hundreds, or thousands of followers. Some also receive a large number of complimentary comments to their posts.

But their responses seem taciturn. They say stuff like: “Thank you.” “Thanks for following.” “I appreciate it.” “You’re nice.” I wonder if they copy and paste some of these remarks. It seems obvious they’re not looking for a conversation. And maybe that’s because they don’t have much time for chatter. They’re too busy posting.

Then there are the interbloggers. When you check out the Comments, it’s like opening the door into some sort of wild party. Well, not always so wild, but at least something less tame than an empty library full of cobwebs.

The commenters are doing a whole lot more than just complimenting the post, if they’re complimenting it at all. Hell, they could be insulting it. But mainly they’re offering their own profound insights and experiences, debating issues, making smart-alecky remarks, telling a joke, or just shooting the shit.

And the author of the post is often responding with thoughtful or unthoughtful remarks going well beyond a two or three word sentence. It’s an actual conversation. It’s involved interaction. It’s what I call interblogging. At least now I do.

I’ve been interblogging for over six years now, thanks to a long-time blogger named Cranky Pants. Six years ago she had a blog called Gibber Jabberin’, and the interaction that occurred on her site was the quintessence of interblogging, in my view. Gibber, er, Cranky, inspired me, and so I shut down my broadcast blog and began a new one, called Golden Daze, where I put an emphasis on interblogging.

But the theme of Golden Daze didn’t quite feel right to me, so after about a year I shut it down. Exactly five years ago, on January 25, 2016, Chasing Unicorns was born, and I’ve stuck with this blog ever since. Today is Chasing Unicorns fifth birthday. And after five years I’ve managed to almost reach 1,000 followers (994, at latest count). It was up to 999 a few days ago, but I think I might have pissed a few people off. As usual.

Yes, I realize that 95% of my followers are just trying to sell me something, but I’m still proud of my illusory fame. And yes, I’ll admit the growth has been slow, but I don’t follow other blogs just to get them to follow me back. I follow them because I genuinely want to try reading them for awhile. And that doesn’t happen very often. Even more rare is me continuing to follow a blog. I’m very picky.

Most of my followers don’t interblog much, if at all. But a few do, and they’ve made this endeavor worthwhile. I appreciate the friendships we’ve developed. And I invite anyone who’s been reading from the sidelines, and who’s interested, to join the fun.

I think interblogging is the most enjoyable way to run a blog. I’m sure I would have given up on this shit a long time ago if all I did was broadcast blog. Interblogging brings blogging to life. It turns it into a human experience. And it’s a lot more fun, with all the smartasses that leave their smart-alecky comments. I’ve made good friends from interblogging. And a few good enemies.

So thank you to all who follow my blog, and who put up with the smartass remarks I leave on your blog. Thank you for the good badinage and the bad goodinage. You make it fun. I wouldn’t do this without you.

Categories: Blog

79 replies »

  2. I’m glad you changed the name from “Golden Daze”. I don’t need any reminders.
    994 followers… Extrapolating from the rate that I’ve been accumulating them since June of 2014, that should take me another 63 years. At least I have more “followers” here than I had “friends” on my Facebook page… before they locked my account. But it’s more fun leaving obnoxious comments on some anonymous Interblog than trying to think up a new way to respond to another picture of someone’s lunch.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Maybe other bloggers have figured out you’re a hard sell, so they don’t bother following you. Most of them just seem to be trying to sell something.

      I once had a Facebook account, for a short while, but I shut it down. I don’t have the honor of my account being locked, like you. I just got out because I didn’t like how they accumulate so much information on people. It’s kind of spooky.

      And thank you for all your obnoxious comments. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I think that’s why they locked my account… I wouldn’t give them any information. Bogus birth-date, no self-portrait or phone-number, and “friends” who really are friends. I’d only check-in occasionally to message with a distant relative or friend in Japan, and never put the app on my phone, so no commercial value. So when FB demanded my phone number last year as ransom for releasing my account, my response was simply… 凸( •̀_•́ )凸.

        And, you’re welcome.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  4. I like your definition better than the real one. People who don’t read the comments are missing out on a really fun wormhole. Often, what follows the post is more interesting than the post itself. It’s the lazy blogger’s way of getting a story out there without having to learn how to use the updated WP Editor, which I hate. So thanks for giving me a forum to do that. 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

      • I finally found the magic button to switch back to classic editor. They hid it REALLY well, I guess to discourage us from continuing to use it. It is a nightmare to post poetry in the new format because every time you return, it starts a new paragraph. There is no way to group the lines of a stanza together. Well, maybe there is but I just haven’t figured it out yet. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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  6. 5 years, congrats! Keep going! I gain such wisdom from your blog. 🙂
    “The commenters are doing a whole lot more than just complimenting the post, if they’re complimenting it at all. Hell, they could be insulting it. But mainly they’re offering their own profound insights and experiences, debating issues, making smart-alecky remarks, telling a joke, or just shooting the shit.”
    This paragraph made me laugh! “insulting it, smart-alecky remarks, profound insights? ” Hmmm….I have such serious commenters, don’t know if I can relate to the above!
    Your definition is perfect, and ooh what a privilege to see that a comment of mine was posted as an illustration. I am humbled. The comment that has no words, just an emoji that I may use occasionally! LOL!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. Happy Anniversary! And you are the king of interblogging. I’m not sure how I connected with you and Carolyn, but doing so has made blogging much more enjoyable. I am always impressed with how quick-witted and clever you are with your comments, many time I’ve got nothing to come back with except a happy face…

    Thank you for all your interblogging!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. I like your definition much better and I like being an interblogger. I don’t like Urban Dictionary’s definition because it sounds to me like just another term to apply to an old fogey who is way behind on the technology learning curve. That is definitely not me, though I have been known to accidentally run two related words together like that just because my mouth is sometimes faster than my brain!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • When you run words together like that, you’re just inventing new words. I think that’s a sign of intelligence. Who knows, one of those new words could become enshrined in a dictionary.

      Liked by 1 person

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