November 23, 2015 · 7:08 PM
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It’s like a theme that won’t let go

I posted recently about how slow things have been in Blogland lately. I get it, many of us are involved in other things this time of year. One thing many have done to stay involved is to reblog the posts of others.

I reblog posts from time to time, if I think others might appreciate them. I also reblog posts that have a direct connection to me somehow. This is my way of supporting those who've helped me along the way.

I mention this to show that I am a kindred spirit, right before I start complaining about it. Lately my Reader looks something like this…

There are bloggers out there who are guaranteed to appear in my timeline seven or eight times per day. I usually read them… Once. They are generally good posts. One blogger appears to reblog her own posts.

I qualify those posts I reblog, meaning I read them first before sharing them with you. I read blogs for original content, and lately it's been pretty easy to get through my timeline. I just keep moving when I see the words, “Originally posted on.”

I'm probably missing something, and admit to that. Maybe someone qualified a post from a blog I do not yet follow, and my bad attitude caused me to skip it.

Twice now I've opened a post that was a reblog, clicked through and discovered it was also a reblog, leading me to a third site to read the post.

What about the rest of you? Are you seeing the same thing lately? Are we so scared of low stats, or losing momentum, that we look for something to reblog rather than skip a day? I actually understand that, in a way. Many of us are blogging to build an author platform.

Would you rather your favorite bloggers skip a day, or reblog something as a placeholder? I'm asking because I want to understand, not to be snotty.

Oh, and while I'm at it, feel free to reblog this post all you want. Maybe we can get our own Deja's Vu reblog mirror going about reblogging. Maybe even re-re-blogging.

23 Comments

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23 responses to “It’s like a theme that won’t let go”

  1. joey
    November 23, 2015 at 7:35 PM

    Haha! I love that meme!
    I tend to unfollow people who reblog a lot. I used to follow a woman who appeared to reblog 10-20 posts a day and only published her own original content about once a month. No thanks.
    Also, I have a word for people who continue to reblog themselves –Narcissists. If I didn’t like it the first 95 times, I’m not gonna like it on the 96th. Seems like THOSE PEOPLE care more about their stats than their audience, and that’s my cue to unfollow.
    I’ll read a reblog now and again, or follow a link to an old post, but I’m not big on reblogs or guest posts. I may be terrible, I’m not sure. Don’t care, really, lol!
    I don’t give a fig about stats unless there’s a huge drop or increase in the likes or comments. Those are my stats.
    I am busy, and I am avoiding my WP Reader. I can’t believe how much time I gain, and it may well be worth losing followers.
    Thank you for this opportunity to vent 😀

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  2. Carrie Rubin
    November 23, 2015 at 7:39 PM

    I tend to link to posts rather than reblog them. Guess it’s just a personal preference. I will stop in and read reblogs, but I don’t tend to comment on them as much as I do original posts.

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  3. Charles Yallowitz
    November 23, 2015 at 7:46 PM

    I have noticed a lot of reblogs and I follow them when I can. Though I have to admit that when things build up or I have a lot going on then reblogs are the first to get pushed to the side. I try to save those that are promos for other authors, but it gets crazy when I see the same author showing up on multiple sites. Never sure what to do there.

    I’m usually not paying extreme attention in November because half of what I get is NaNoWriMo updates.

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  4. Éilis Niamh
    November 23, 2015 at 10:13 PM

    I definitely think it’s worth skipping a day, or two, rather than reblogging for a placeholder. When I reblog, it’s because someone else’s work moves me greatly, or resonates with me.

    Oh and I have thought about reblogging a few posts that I wrote way back in 2013, but have not done so, because I feel that might be misunderstood as me being too self-promotional. And now we have… me… re-presenting… myself!… (again.) That kind of thing. 🙂

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  5. Ali Isaac
    November 24, 2015 at 3:54 AM

    There are definitely too many reblogs. And because we want to support a fellow blogger/ author’s new book launch or success story, etc, we jump on the reblogging bandwagon as a way of demonstrating that support.

    But all that happens is we get blinded to it. There’s no point in linking to a blog post that we want to support, very few people bother to click links… a few highlighted words are rarely that enticing when we have 50 other blog post notifications cramming our email inbox.

    The best wayto show support is to buy the book, read it, and write about it on your blog, far better support than everyone reblogging about it, imho!

    There are some blogs which seem to reblog a lot. A couple are genuinely very supportive of the blogging/ writing community, and that’s ok, because they give a lot of original content too.

    But there are others that only reblog other posts, and when you check them out, there is no original content at all. They rarely have many followers.

    I follow people for their original content, not what they reblog. I want more of YOU, that’s why I followed you in the first place. I just can’t keep up with anyone who blogs more than once a day, and I make no apology for that. Even once a day is hard to keep up with.

    And btw, I’m loving the old map you have as a background, Craig!

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  6. Sue Coletta
    November 24, 2015 at 5:35 AM

    I’d much prefer to read original content than reblogs. Personally, I almost never reblog, as you know. My site is so narrowly focused on crime that I feel my audience wouldn’t enjoy it. Though I do ask permission to share bits of information from other sources, and then write an original post about it. It’s a lot more work, but I think it’s well-worth the effort. But that’s just me. I certainly don’t fault anyone for blogging differently. Life would be boring if we all did the same thing.

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  7. debyfredericks
    November 24, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    Yes, I’ve been aware of the same thing. Particularly on Facebook, certain “friends” seem to do nothing but share memes. Since Facebook always tries to show you more of what you “like,” my news feed became nothing but meme after meme.

    Realizing this has made me cautious about what I “like.” Even if I agree with a particular meme, I often don’t click the like button because I want to hear my friends’ actual thoughts rather than just see a procession of memes.

    If I’m still feeling overwhelmed, especially with inflammatory political material, I block the source of the memes. I’ve only twice had to block the person sharing them.

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  8. John W. Howell
    November 24, 2015 at 10:55 AM

    I post all original stuff unless I’m supporting someone with a reblog. My reblogs are in addition to the original stuff. That’s seven days a week. Whew! I’m beat. (just kidding)

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  9. Planetary Defense Commander
    November 24, 2015 at 8:42 PM

    I’m a sporadic poster at best, and I don’t THINK it’s hurt my site’s popularity…

    So, I won’t reblog just to fill space, but I’m not happy when I realize I’ve let two weeks slip by without a post.

    I’m hoping to write up a number of new articles over the holiday and let them trickle out during December.

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