01 - I posted y and z early to finish sooner as I've have already finished writing those last two posts. I did have to fix a few links (by reverting posts and changing the permalink and republishing) as I set all the posts to have just the name of the challenge (a-z-2024) and the alphabet to make easier and shorter links which probably is a waste of time but they're organized.
02 - I think I spent too much time writing posts and working on graphics/arts and not enough time visiting others - this seems to be my bad habit whenever I do this challenge. But I did enjoy working on them.
03 - Toward the end of the month, I barely visited other participants. I don't know what happened. I just didn't have the will to visit more and comment more. Even though I didn't check stats, I can tell this year, I have the lowest visitors and the least amount of comments and that's my fault for not visiting more and commenting more on other participants' blogs.
04 - I didn't sign up on the theme list because I have no theme. This list is kind of redundant because these participants will show up on the master list. And I have to say again, not too many people know the difference between a theme and a format. For example, Poetry about apples is a theme, poetry itself is a format. Why don't people understand that?
I also didn't sign up for the master list (with all participants, at least for those who signed up) because there are 18 categories of things to fill out - too much data to my liking and what the heck do participants need all these info for? They even added a new category this year. Come on, no one thought this is a bad idea? It used to be these list or at least one list, just have a name, blog link and whether it is adult content which I thought was enough.
The third list is the reflection list (where you link your reflection post, the post you're reading right now) which you can sign up on May 2 but I won't bother. I'm done with all the lists. I've gone rogue and I'm never going back. (Update: I decided to sign onto the reflection list so participants can read my opinions on the challenge.)
05 - This is the last time for me. I'm sure I won't do this challenge next year. At this moment anyway. I'll probably change my mind but for now, it's a no for me.
Have you done the A-Z challenge? What do you think of my posts this year?
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My April 2024 Challenge posts links:
You had the most eclectic A-Z Challenge posts that I read this year. Well done! Enjoyed them and all your graphics too.
ReplyDeleteDebra: That was what I was going for. As I have no themes, I can use any random ideas but I do try to make it fun which is one of my goals with this challenge. It's more fun if you can amuse your readers.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Good
ReplyDeleteChristine: Thanks. It seems google keeps marking your one-word comments as spam so sorry if your comments aren't showing.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Gratz on finishing.
ReplyDeleteI also ran out of commenting and visiting steam towards the end. I signed uop to the master list, but I agree there's too many questions of minimal usefulnes.
I am going to sign into the reflections list, and I think you should do the same. It's no good if only the ones being satisfied with the format sign in - then the team behind will never know and never change.
Charlotte: I should sign up on the reflection list at least and maybe I will. I doubt anything will change but who knows.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
I enjoyed your posts. Quirky and fun. And sometimes thought provoking. This is a challenge that doesn't tempt me in the slightest - though I enjoy reading other people's work.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child: Daily blogging is exhausting so I'm not surprised you don't want to try it.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Congrats on finishing! I'm not familiar with this challenge so I haven't participated, but I get your issue with not being able to interact with other participants. I also have this tendency to go overboard with making graphics and formatting posts, which eats up what could be time to talk to others. :( (Also just wanted to say that I LOVE your blog graphics. Everything's so cute!)
ReplyDeleteaimee @ aimee can read
Aimee: I think this is the first time you have commented on my blog so thank you for commenting.
DeleteI trend to do a lot of cute art which are sometimes intentional and sometimes not.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
So, how did people find out you were participating if you didn't sign up on the master list? That could be why you noticed lower views and comments. I see comments here now mentioning your A to Z posts, but I only know about it because you left a comment on my reflections post. I wish I could go back and see the sign up format for the master list! I don't remember it taking long at all! Anyway, sorry I never knew about your posts, but congratulations for completing all the letters!
ReplyDeleteLisa: It's true, people can't find me because I'm not on the master list but I had visited people and left links which is really what people should do because who is going to go through the master list to find the blogger that had visited them?
DeleteI've been on all the lists in my 7 or 8 previous years I've done the a-z challenge and only in these last few years I'm not on any lists and the difference in visitors is very little. I suppose having no theme is why most people stay away from my blog.
Being on any of the lists have nothing to do with not having visitors, it's more to do with commenting. You don't comment, people won't comment back - this is what I think the challenge should be like - visit people, people visit you.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Jamie (jannghi.blogspot.com):
ReplyDeleteI missed you during the challenge, likely because you did not sign up on the meter list. I'll have to go back and read your posts.
Jamie: Yeah, I was not on the master list. Thanks for coming by. Have a lovely day.
DeleteI didn't find you during the challenge either, as you were flying under the radar. I have read a few of your posts now and enjoyed them. I tried to go back and look at the original sign up thing because I do remember it was kind of long, but cannot remember what they asked. I like the reflections list better because it's so small, I can actually visit everyone. At least today I can.
ReplyDeleteKristin: Yes, I was 'flying under the radar.' The master list has one too many info and it's often long so being on that list is kind of fruitless but mostly, I just think it's information gathering and totally unnecessary.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Congrats on finishing the challenge.
ReplyDeleteAs to what you pointed out:
The theme reveal is a fun way for (most) people to get pumped up about the challenge in advance.
The data on the masterlist helps a lot of people to decide what they want to read and what they don't want to open at all. Though I'll mention to the rest of the team that we should cull some questions.
For a lot of people, poetry vs book review is a theme. E.g. your blog will feature poetry this month and that is your main subject matter (theme).
I'm not sure which graphics you refer to as taking up all of your time, but we have a great selection of graphics each year which you can use for the challenge.
And if you don't sign up to the masterlist, the chance of someone finding you as part of the challenge is next to nothing.
I'm sorry to hear that you don't feel like participating again. By the comments before mine, it seems like you'll be missed.
Ronel visiting for Reflections for A to Z Blogging Challenge 2024
Ronel Jane van Vuuren: I actually like the theme reveal list but I still think themes are not poetry, book reviews, etc but I'm not going to argue about that.
DeleteFor the master list, I don't see how most of the info help people. And all the things people want to know about a participants is on people's blogs. I suppose there's no time to get to know participants so perhaps all those infos help but not for me.
The graphics I mentioned are the graphics/arts I made for each post because I have different topics so the graphics are all different.
I just noticed you are the graphics person for the a-z blog. I'm sorry to say the a-z graphics this year is a bit depressing with all the blacks and grays considering the a-z theme is about positives things. But that's just an opinion.
I know people can't find me if I'm not on the master list but that's not true. I left links to my posts when I leave comments. I've been on the master list for a couple years and the difference between not being on the list and being the list is no difference as most people find me because I leave a link, at least, that's what I believe. I think the less you comment, the less visitors you have. This year, I didn't comment on a lot of blogs so I didn't get a lot of visitors which means sense.
I might do the challenge again as I might change my mind but I'll probably stay an unofficial participant. Frankly, I don't much care to be on any lists.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
Hi Lissa, wow, here's a blast from the past, how have you been? I wasn't aware you were participating, and now I know why. I can relate to your points. Your graphics are lovely!
ReplyDeleteTamara: It has been a while. Somehow I only remember to visit you during the a-z challenge or afterward and I'm sorry for that. I wasn't too much into the a-z challenge this year so lots of slacking off in commenting.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.
First time visitor just popping in to congratulate you not only on completing the challenge, but also for being one of only roughly 25% of participants who did a Reflections post.
ReplyDeletehttps://dacairns.com.au/blog/f/the-jury-is-out
DA Cairns: It's too bad more participants aren't doing reflection posts since I like reading them.
DeleteThank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.