Reading blogs as they are

A few years (or maybe last week? I don't remember), one reader commented they did not know how to navigate my blog. (All my blogs are one column with no sidebars like this blog you're currently reading.) I guess I should have asked them to explain but I didn't want to make a fuss so I let it go.
    Even if you are new to a blog, all you have to do is click on anything (ie, a post header, an image, any word that looks like links, etc), it goes somewhere - is that not simple? Even if you're used to blogs with a sidebar, that shouldn't matter. But that's probably not the problem. I really don't know the problem was. Does anyone know?
    That comment made me think about how blogs are viewed. In the beginning, blogs are designed for large screens (such as a computer) but you can still view them on a small screen (such as a phone) but in a more simplified way mostly as text or just not with a lot of the graphics/images or with the structure of a blog. Now with more powerful phones, viewing blogs is almost like viewing them on a computer only everything's smaller.
    I'm not much of a phone user so I cannot say if viewing a blog on a phone is worst than on a computer screen but the small size does put me off. But I mostly prefer viewing blogs on a computer screen and in a browser and seeing all the elements at once in their proper place and looking at images and graphics at regular sizes. I don't think you get the full experience of a blog on a small screen even if it is designed to look exactly the same as on a computer. 
    Besides, bloggers work hard to get their blog to look a certain way and set up all these little nuggets you probably dismissed or couldn't see too well on a small screen. Mostly, a blogger's hard work deserves to be seen properly.

Do you have problems navigating blogs? Do you prefer to view blogs on a small or large screen?

Quick Quiz

All the weird questions you have never wanted to answer about blogs and blogging and some you probably wish to never think about. If incline, answer one, two, all or none of the questions.

01 - What nickname would you give your blog?
02 - Do you blog in your swimsuit?
03 - Is your blog clever enough to change a lightbulb?
04 - What happens when you drop a blog and a piano down a well?
05 - Why do blogs cry when it rain?
06 - Do blogs multiply when you leave them in the bright sunshine?
07 - What do baby blogs do if you leave them in a room full of broken computers?
08 - Do clocks go backward if you revert a post?
09 - Where do bad blogs go when they are sad?
10 - Do blogs dream of analog sheep?

Pet Peeves About Blogging

I had talked about a lot of blogging pet peeves before so I thought I just list a few that I didn't talk about. Here are three of my blog pet peeves. 

01 - Script, italic or fonts that look like hand writing — Using script fonts and such sparely is fine but if the whole content is using them, I find it hard to read. I know this is a preference and sometimes it looks great but I would prefer to use these sparingly.

02 - Posts that kept on going — I think this feature is only for Wordpress blogs. I have not seen it on any other types of blogs. When I like a new-to-me blog, I like to browse the archive to see what else a blogger have posted, so having older posts keep appearing as you scroll down is not a good way to browse because it's especially daunting if a blogger have years of posts. You can't stop and bookmark and come back to it later. I don't know if this is a template thing or a feature thing but it's definitely one that I wish people would stop using.

03 - Subscribe popup box — It used to be subscribe popup boxes pops up when you go to a blog but now after you press the comment button, it pops up before the comment goes through which I just don't get. It's interrupting the comment process to ask if you want to subscribe – that's dumb and dumber too if I leave another comment, I'll see that same subscribe button again. I do not subscribe to blogs and even if I do, I like to be able to choose to do it and not have a box to remind me every time I comment.

Do you have any blog pet peeves?

Ordered Lists & Old-Timer Bloggers

Maybe you have noticed many of my a-z posts (and my regular posts) are in list form. I kind of think in lists most of the time so it makes sense to post lists. Lists are easier to read and sometimes they are easier to write.
    I usually limit my lists to 3, 5, 7, 10 or 14 items. That doesn't always mean I deliberately make them a certain number. Sometimes if I can't think of 4 items, I go with 3 and if I can't get past 6, I go with 5 and so on. But most of the time I go with 7 items because seven is sort of my favorite number. And I always place a number before each item because it's more ordered looking and readers can refer to a number instead of repeating what that item is referring to.
    I'm an old-timer when it comes to blogging. This years makes 20 years of blogging for me. (I'll probably post about this in July when I celebrate this blog's anniversary). But there are bloggers who had blogged even longer than that. It's a bit comforting to know many bloggers keep blogging while so many had quitted. 
    Newbies to blogging (those with a few months posts) is a bit rare. I haven't seen any lately (those bloggers who started a blog just for the a-z challenge doesn't count). So maybe blogging is an old-fashioned hobby but I like it and it's still the only platform I'm comfortable using. Blogging has become not only a habit but a part of my life so I can never really quit it.
    
Do you like list posts? Are you an old-timer when it comes to blogging?

New Acronyms for Blogging

Just a couple of acronyms I made up.

01 - GHOST = Going on Hiatus & Operating on Slow Time 

02 - NOPE = Not Offering Proper Elation

03 - RUDE = Refusing to Understand Dumb Exhortation

04 - FRET =  Failed to Realize Everyone's Terrible

05 - BITCH = Being Incredibly Too Calm to Hurry

06 - HELL = Having Effing Lousy Luck

07 - FOMB = Fear of Malfunctioning Blogs

Do you have any new acronyms for blogging?

Fiction: Memory Bus

The memory bus had a silver and white outer shell and a driver decked out in a crisp, gray uniform and gray cap. After studying the bus for a bit, Vincent got on. His heart was thumping so loud he swore everyone heard it. He pressed his chest and released a short breath.
    Once inside, he was immediately transported into ten-year-old Vincy and sitting beside his mother. Dawn's early light filtered in through the many open windows. A shiver ran up Vincent's body. He noted the watch on his right wrist: 8 am, seven more minutes and the accident would occur.
    Two young boys with black izzards on the front of their hoodies were playing games on their phones. After awhile, they took out staple guns and began shooting at each other, moving around the bus and climbing over seats and people. The other passengers complained for them to stop but they kept on, laughing and shouting, sending nails here and there. Staple nails went here and there but one ricocheted off a metal part of a window and drove into Vincent's mother's head who was asleep. Vincy had pulled his mother to his side but the nail had struck her in the head and killed her instantly.
    When the bus screeched to a halt, the boys with their staple guns fled. Alerted by Vincy's shouts, the few passengers started crowding around Vincy and his mother.
    Vincy was transported back outside and standing in front of the bus. This fifth time made it clear — there was no effective way to get an outcome in which his mother lived. The only sure way was to never let the two picaroons to step inside the bus.
    But Vincent could not change the past and even if he was able to do so, it wouldn't alter anything as the memory bus could only run within and did not affect the outside world.
    Vincent exhaled. He got the proof he needed. Now he could finally let go and move on.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This month's Words for Wednesday's prompts are provided by messymimi over here. This week's prompts are: shell, deck, chest, proof, dawn, effective and/or brabble (a loud, dumb argument), izzard (the letter z) and picaroon (a scoundrel). 

Lament for the lonely blogger

Here's a poem-ish homage to bloggers. I used the word lonely because I couldn't find a word starting with L that means incredibly dumb, miraculously marvelous, exceptionally vexing and highly delightful. This was inspired by a dog who liked to shake pear trees on Wednesdays.

Lament for the lonely blogger
To blog or not to blog, what a simple question
whether you're a novice, a master or in between
you will probably despair, you will probably dwell
you will probably freak out once or twice or thrice
but all is nonsense if a blog is not a blog
but a butterscotch cake made of butter and scotch
maybe you will choke on insolents and compliments
maybe you will talk nonsense without end 
until the birds of destiny drop poop on you
to blog or not to blog is always a simple question
all who answer will be vexed but delighted 
all who don't answer will be on their second nap
all who know it's a dumb question will have skipped ahead
but who cares, just say hurrah, hurrah
you have blogged today so goodbye, goodbye

Do you have a lament for bloggers?

Keep calm and keep blogging

To combat rude readers and rude bloggers, I thought I share some pep talks for bloggers who panic when they are blogging or not blogging or for posting something everyone hates or just for surviving rude people or for simply being awake. These might not be useful or wise or even sensible but at least you can ignore them.

01 - To whine is a policy for the living.

02 - The only time you should look back is to make sure there's no toilet paper on your shoes.

03 - Taking a vacation from your life (& blogging) is part of your life schedule.

04 - Don't worry about going insane, we're all crazy here.

05 - Sometimes all you need is chocolate and to avoid everyone.

Do you have some pep talks for bloggers?

Joys of Blogging

Just a few good things about blogging.

01 - Meet like-minded people — Not to say you couldn't do this without a blog but some of us are shy about talking to strangers in person. With a blog, it's easier. So yes, you might encounter unpleasant people but you also might encounter some of the kindest people in the world.

02 - Reach people from all over the world — Your blog can be read from different parts of the world and you can blog in any language. If you blog in another language, there are translation gadgets/apps/services that allow you to translate any blog in any language. I have only seen a couple of foreign language blogs but I'm sure there are plenty that I don't know about.

03 - Share as much or as little about yourself as you like — There's no rule about what you share on your blog. Sometimes I think people overshare but that's their preference.

Do you have something good to share about blogging?

Introductions & Identities

I have a first post but I also an about page (titled hello) and also a gadget (It starts with 'Hello!') at the bottom of the footer – they are all a sort of introduction to the blogger (to me that is). I think every blog should have at least one of these so that readers know who is behind the blog even if they know just a name. If I like a blog, I like to check out the about page or introduction post. Maybe your visit to a blog is just a few minutes but you might like to learn a fact or two about a blogger.
    I enjoyed some anonymity by not posting my full name or a photo of myself in these intros. It's not just to protect myself from internet trolls but it's also a preference. These days you cannot sign up for anything online without giving your info which includes your real name and a lot of things that shouldn't be on the web. Unless you're a celebrity or someone who is already in the spotlight or that you had to blog for work or something that is necessary to use real names, I think bloggers should not have to give out their real identity in order to blog. 

Do you like introduction/about pages? Do you blog with your real name?

Honest Blog Confessions

01 - Now and then I accidentally turn off or on some of the blogging features (for example, email comment notification) and then I forgot how to get it back so I have to search how to do it. It's dumb that this should happen even though I've been blogging for years but there's nothing I can do about it.

02 - Sometimes looking at a blogger's photo on their sidebar makes me uncomfortable. I find photos of real faces distracting while I'm browsing a blog. It's nice to see who is behind the blog but I wish they would place that photo in their about page or use an image that is an illustration or a symbol or an object. There are some very awkward photos on people's blog that I cannot unseen. (I'm not referring to Blogger's profile icons which are smaller.) 

03 - I can be a bit annoying by pointing out the mistakes in someone's blog but usually just spelling mistakes and link mistakes (like when a link didn't work) because those are the kind of mistakes I like people to point out on my blog. Sadly, no one had pointed out I had misspelled 'of course' instead of letting me get away using 'of cause' for many years on my blogs. Maybe I should have checked the dictionary instead of relying on my word app's spellcheck which do not correct such things because it sees it as two separate words.

What honest confessions do you have about blogging?

Fiction: Gaol

Her gaol cell may lacked elegant furnishing, privacy or windows and her shower time may be limited to three minutes per day, it was home to Gin. Should the sea-green wall disturbed her senses or her roommate or other inmates made too much noises, Gin had books to keep them out. It didn't bother her that she was likely to spend her geriatric years inside a cell. She had no dreams nor a bucket list to pin hopes on. She craved only a peaceful existence.
    Every now and then, she would contemplate getting out but dismissed it. She had plenty of time to sit and ponder and read books and though she had some regrets, she was mostly contented. The downside was new inmates often wanted to challenge her. She didn't like the spontaneous trips to the infirmary but she relished fighting with people. Before, she was a pacifist but in here, she lost that peculiarity.
    This morning, when she met the board members, she offered a half-hearted plea to let her out. What was out there for her anyway? More work? More time to enjoy the drudgery of a life ruled by others?
    On some gloomy evenings, she still reminisced about her old life as a bodyguard to powerful beings. But that life was over when she broke a mortal rule – she got involved with a human's life. She was foolish to believe the woman was her friend. On a cold morning, the woman brought her a cup of hot chocolate and Gin drank it without thought. Then she woke up in a deserted place surrounded by a field of cops with guns pointing at her. No matter what she did, she couldn't prove she didn't kill the security guard or the bank manager. The woman had disappeared and couldn't be found. But Gin was at fault for not listening to warnings about that particular human. Why they didn't take away her immortality, she was still baffled but she didn't have to worry about dying but her body aged like any living being, only slower.
    In the afternoon, she was pleased to hear she was staying put for another twenty years. As she turned the pages of a newly borrowed book, she smiled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This month's Words for Wednesday's prompts are provided by messymimi over here. This week's prompts are: elegant, limited, spontaneous, bother, list, pin and these phrases (which I didn't use) don’t count your chickens before they hatch; par for the course; a piece of cake. And Charlotte's colour of the month is Sea Green.

Followers & Female Bloggers

I don't follow blogs by emails or feeds or any type of services. I believe blogs are meant to be viewed on a computer screen or a large screen but mostly because I just don't like blogging or viewing blogs on a tiny screen. 
    Normally I try not to worry about how many followers (readers) I have but with a gadget like the Followers at the footer of my blog, it's hard not to notice since I use my blog's blogroll and also I preview my posts so that I scroll down a lot and often see that Followers gadget. It shows a number which I know not to trust. Most people follow blogs but they don't actually follow through (ie, make visits or leave comments). I think having fewer readers is better because then I know who commented and not worry about getting bad comments but that may be a lie I tell myself. (Note: I used Google's Blogger platform.)
    Most of my readers are female, at least, it seems that way. Also, most of my favorite bloggers are female. Years before, I had more male bloggers on my reading list but most had stopped blogging. I subconsciously or perhaps consciously is often draw to female bloggers. I am a female so it makes sense to want to be friends with other females but that's my upbringing or maybe habit. Of course it shouldn't matter if you're male or female (or others) – blogging is blogging.

If you're a blogger, do you worry about how many followers (readers) you have? Do you find there are not as many male bloggers around?

Excuse me while I forget to blog

Just reasons why I didn't blog. I'm not saying whether these are true or something I makeup but here they are.

01 - I had a near-fatal allergic reaction to coffee and turned into a cleaning hermit. Every day I wake up surrounded by too many furnitures and stuff and then remember I have a blog but that thought swiftly went out of my head along with any actual cohesive thoughts when I start cleaning.

02 - I was struck on the moon. There was this contest and I won a trip to the moon but once there, the spaceship lost power and the engine died so now we have to wait 644 days before a new one is brought to us. And there's no wi-fi so no blogging.

03 - It wasn't me. My cat turned into a human after he accidentally got electrocuted when he stepped on some tangled wires and spilled liquid. While he was trying to figure out how to be a human, he hijacked my blog and started blogging so if I forgot to blog, tell it to my cat.

04 - I got hit by a nut and had amnesia and recalled only things that starts with the letter Z.

05 - I forgot.

What's your excuse for not blogging?

Fiction: Derangement

The alien ponders why he is here and if he could just disappear. For years, he has lived the life of a lonely, hollow man. Time after time, he has tried to alter his nature but it was as if he was born with a careless prudence.
    The alien finishes his third hot, sweet coffee and curses the system for sending him here. But this is his chosen punishment, his burden. His body is assimilating the numerous brutal and reckless indulgences. When it nears the end, he could leave and go back home. But first, another delicious bun and coffee.
 
This is a drabble, a story in exactly 100 words.

Capitals & Comments

Once upon a time I used to write my comments in all lowercases which I thought was a good idea because it looked casual and none-threatening. Then I got a rather rude comment (on another person's blog) about not capitalizing my sentences coupled with other not-so-great forms of expressions and that's when I started commenting with capitals. I like to say thanks to that person for making me feel like crap for a couple of days and also, screw you. No, I don't mean that. Okay, just a little bit. I may be forgetful, a bit too honest but I never start fights but I'm not a saint. I'm sure I didn't say anything that deserved such respond but people can be sensitive even by the tiniest thing so you can never predict how you can offend someone even if you did and said nothing wrong. I usually do not respond to such rude comments but I didn't listen to myself that time. If you don't like a comment, delete it, ignore it or simply pretend it doesn't exist. Don't engage - that's really the only solution. 

What do you do when you encounter a rude comment? 

Blogrolls & Blogs

It's almost a tradition (to me) to have a blogroll because it not only promotes other blogs, it's also a way to appreciate other bloggers. If you don't know, a blogroll is a list of blogs that you like or visit often or sometimes just a list of blogs you want others to know about. Blogrolls do not have to be in a single page (like my list which I called bookmarks), they can be a list on the sidebar or even at the bottom of the blog at the footer.
    One way I find new blogs is going through other people's blogroll. Not everyone have the same interest but sometimes people do and that's why blogrolls help bloggers find other bloggers. I like to think bloggers can find each other through each other's blog hence blogrolls are useful and purposeful and one way to appreciate other bloggers without too much effort. 

Do you like blogrolls?

Authoring Barmy Chronicles - Blogging From A-Z 2026

My theme for the A-Z challenge is Blogging with a Side of Ramblings and Short Fiction. For this first post, I picked these three words as an acronym to spell out ABC – authoring, barmy, chronicles – which is another way of saying blogging. Authoring is pretty accurate because when you send a post to the world, you publish it and that makes you an author so you're authoring. Barmy means foolish, silly, something like that, which is how I blog. Being serious all the time is not fun. As for chronicles, that would be kind of accurate too since your posts are in chronological order and I think anything you post on your blog is you chronicling something, either the things you do daily or even just little things you worry about. So I'm authoring barmy chronicles which sounds kind of odd but I like it.

Here are some barmy chronicles. As to whether they are true or not, you decide.

01 - My plant died because I remembered to water it.

02 - During a coming storm, two women came to preach about god while behind them, garbage bins and debris rolled past. It was another ordinary Saturday.

03 - The problem with living is all the decisions you have to make like which assassins is best when dealing with your mother-in-law.

04 - My neighbor painted his house blue to match the sky. Then it rained. He, again, repainted his house to match the sky. Then it snowed. And again, he repainted his house. Then a storm came and swept his house away. Now he sits in his front yard and sells paint.

05 - My friend's friend's friend's cousin brought my old coffee table and then tried to return it. He said it doesn't make coffee. I said that's not what a coffee table does but he insisted I give his money back and so I did and I took the table back. It turned out he had someone built in a coffee maker into the table but instead of coffee, it makes tea.

What barmy chronicles would you write on your blog?