Or, as I like to call it, Leave The Feed Reader Day.
Several days ago I read Schmutzie’s entry in my feed reader and almost “shared” it to show up on my sidebar but decided it need it’s own entry instead. And then, I forgot about it. Which is why the “shared” tool in Google Reader is so handy, my short-term memory can falter all it wants. (I blame the hippie years, but don’t we all?) Then, the next day I saw this at JenandTonic’s and thought, “Oh! Don’t forget to post about that!” And then what did I do? Immediately forgot.
But then…THEN…today I saw something shiny and thought, Wait. Wasn’t there something else shiny I saw recently I wanted to talk about? And I remembered! Yay, me!
Evidently there has been a decline in comments around cyberspace. I am the worst about not commenting. Seriously. I am a slave to my feed reader and never even notice if someone has changed designs because I don’t visit their actual site. So, obviously I suck at commenting. Seriously. I SUCK. I should rename tomorrow, “Don’t Suck Like Zoot and De-Lurk Day!” I read entries where bloggers talk about how no one comments on their site anymore, and what am I doing? Reading that entry in my feed-reader and not commenting on their site. If you’re looking for me, I’m over here in the corner, being lame and not commenting. I’m sorry.
But tomorrow! Tomorrow we De-Lurk! Tomorrow, those of us who hide behind our feed readers and fear the blank comment box, tomorrow we De-Lurk and we comment! Because schmutzie and jenandtonic told us to! And because it’s nice and it seems like the blog world could use a happy does of “nice” right now. How about it, will you join me?
I dont know what a feeder is, but I totally understand whata its like to miss things. I always feel like somthing is not getting done!
I enjoy your blog. My sister told me about it a while ago, and I look at it every couple of days.
@Juliesmama – A feed reader is something that you can say “These are my favorite sites” and it will pull all of the updates from those sites into one page. (That’s the best way I can think of to explain it – if anyone else wants to try something better, go ahead.)
Since I use GMail – I jumped in and use the Google Reader (reader.google.com) as my Feed Reader but many use bloglines, feedburner, and many others. I tell Google Reader what sites I want to “subscribe” too and it sends shows me the updates. It supports THE LAZY. hehe.
I love to look at all the different blog designs out there so that is just one reason why I always visit the blogs instead of using a feed reader.
As for commenting, I think I go through spurts. Some days or weeks, I am a commenting FUH-reak! Others, I read and think, “I should add my two cents.” and then I don’t. Still other times, like on your blog, I don’t comment because about 50 other people have said what I wanted to say and I feel silly saying, “Yeah! What they said!”
But tomorrow, I shall de-lurk all over the blog world!! Just because Zoot told me to. Because jenandtonic and schmutzie told HER to.
I’m getting horrible at commenting again. I was doing so good! But I am a slave to the reader and even find myself skipping over long time favourites that don’t have full feeds because I’ve become so lazy at clicking through.
Thank Gawd for full feeds! LOL
I will delurk and comment with you tomorrow, maybe. Depends how tired I am. Hahaha
I always, always read your blog because it is awesome. I never comment because how many tiimes can I comment with, Dude you are awesome, without sounding like I am a crazy stalker. I am old school though, and I never use the Google reader, I just go through my blogs on my favorite list because I am a freak.
I just started using my Google Reader, but only for updates and then I click on over. I like reading other people’s comments too much not to, plus all the pretty photos and designs don’t show up in Reader.
I’ll join in the de-lurk day…if I can remember;>
I’m so guilty of reading in Google Reader and never commenting. Trying to do better.
Does it count if I de-lurk today? I can’t trust my brain to remember tomorrow.
I am one of your faithful lurkers! I comment every once in a while but mostly I just hide out and laugh at your great blog. I love your blog so much and I can relate to so much of what you say. You see, I too live in Alabama and I have a 13 year old son and a 2 year old son. Keep up the good work and I will try to comment more I promise! BTW, congrats on the pregnancy!!
Well, I’m better than you then.
I use a reader, but then I click onto the original item so I can comment. (And look at all the shiny.)
I”ll delurk tomorrow…I’ve actually started to delurk more and more because I had kind of started to feel like I was missing out on some good stuff to comment on. Have fun delurking everyone!!!
OMG I thought it was just me…I’ve noticed my comments were down, too, and I thought maybe something was wrong with my blog, but didn’t want to bug Megan about it.
I will join you!!!
Why doesn’t Google reader let us click on a comment link or something? That is what is needed to fix this problem! I’m going to ask people to de-lurk on my site tomorrow as well! THANKS!
Thanks for the heads up on delurking day
I do use ecto reader, but I always click through and have it set to open a new tab in FireFox with the entry. Then I have hundreds of tabs open and can comment at will 
Thanks for joining in! It’s exciting to see so many people getting involved.
Count me in. I love my Google Reader… it could very well be considered one of my best friends (sad, I know). I almost always click over to the actual sites though. I’ll just try to make sure I comment on everything I read though. I wonder how much time that will add to my blog reading hours?
Does that mean that those of us who comment regularly should refrain?
OMG, totally. I read in feed reader too and it’s so so easy to just burn through the posts I need to catch up and not click through and comment. I was poor at commenting before that dang feed reader came around and now look at me. If you’re dorky and sitting in the corner not commenting, then I’m dorkier and sitting behind you no commenting. So I’m definitely with you. I’ll be promoting this on my own blog and trying to get off my patootie tomorrow and leave some comment love.
I felt bad not commenting on the post about not commenting. But I read through the filter too cuz I heard all the cool kids were doing it. And I only get like 3 comments on my site but that’s cuz my mom really loves me.
Yes! I love getting comments and commenting!
I don’t use a read feeder but I’ll join in anyway.
I will delurk, I do every year. I am a very faithful reader but a truly crappy commenter! Congratulations on your lovely news.. :0)
Cheers
Layla
Isn’t there some kind of irony that an entry talking about the lack of comments in general on the old internets generates almost thirty comments in just a few hours?
And my browser has a feed reader built in, that’s my excuse for using it. But I try and comment once in a while…
May I de-lurk today instead?
Oh, hey. I checked out the Boobie-Thon. What an insanely cool idea.
I’ve been trying to come out from the safety of my feed reader. My biggest problem, though, is not replying to the handful of comments I get. That’s my personal mofo-delurk challenge.
Ah Ha! You’ve actually made me feel better about my lack of comments…even if that’s NOT the reason, I can pretend it is!
Ooooh! Delurking time already? I love it.
I will definitely be participating! I love de-lurking days!
I’m in! I’m even offering prizes to randomly drawn commenters.
Hey zoot.. have you checked out the google reader “next” bookmarklet thingy?? It’s a little button that goes up in your browser bar and clicking it brings you to the next unread item in your list (marking it read in the process).. it’s cool. You actually get to visit the blogs!! It’s in the “goodies” tab of your settings!
Enjoy!
…*
National de-lurk day! Sweet… now the thousand of readers that read my site will come out of the wood works to comment.
I think anyone that uses a feed reader is prone to this. It’s easy. And I’m lazy.
But I am trying to comment more. Because I like comments. Therefore others like comments.
And none of us bite.
Will do. De-lurking will commence tomorrow. Of course, I don’t really lurk here. . . I usually just comment away. Whether I have something pertinent to say or not.
OO, You’re pregnant? I haven’t been on here in a while ’cause I’ve been so busy, but I thought to myself as I came on today “I wonder if Zoot is pregnant!” Woo! I will write this all on your post though, just going through the archives now
To be honest, I comment a lot, but I always feel silly ’cause I always tell a story about MYSELF instead of writing about the site author! I always feel so self centered.
I actually delurk often on your site. Comments are alwasy nice.
Yeah, I’m with mdv…should we refrain?
I don’t know if I could!
I’m delurking a day early.
Not fair- my site is temporarily down. That’s okay, I’ll pretend thousands of readers would have commented tomorrow. I’ll be back soon though so you must come delurk.
I am completely shite at commenting. Completely and utterly.
I have however added a Mofo Delurk button and I am making an effort today which will hopefully inspire me to comment everywhere, all the time! People will be sick of me commenting, I will do it so much!
Ha yeah sure.
Anyway, hi! Love your blog. Keep posting. I will be over here, in my feed reader.
thats a good one! sometimes i worry thinking my writing is too boring but i knew it HAD to be something else!
Ooooh, I also have a mofo net out on my site.
I’m not a fan of soup in bread bowls, but I do love me some dip in a bread bowl!
Hi, came over from another site (dackelprincess)
I agree that you aren’t too good at commenting. But you get points for being my first commenter EVER!! I about died when I saw your comment on my blog over 2 years ago!!
My problem with commenting is two-fold:
a. Usually someone else will comment and say what i wanted to say, but they’ll say it better.
b. I am the queen of typos. Seriously, if someone judged my intelligence based on the quality of my typed word I would be in trouble.
Also, Hi there! I do comment once in a blue moon.
Just checking in with you. I hope you are feeling great.