The etiquette of the blog-follower

The lovely GB posted recently on the question of why people stop following blogs, and I have been pondering this question.

I have my own unofficial blog-following etiquette/guidelines. I follow blogs that reflect my interests (eg writers' blogs), or which I find amusing/entertaining/informative. Blogs I enjoy reading. I also prefer blogs where the posts are fairly short (because of time), and I like bloggers who respond to comments. If a blogger never acknowledges a comment (of course, this isn't always possible) I feel as though my comment has been dropped into a void (others may disagree). I myself try always to acknowledge comments. That way, some kind of cyber relationship is formed, and I enjoy this.

However...it seems that there are people who comment on a blog just  in order to recruit followers. This happened to me recently. X posted a nice comment on my blog, and joined as a follower. He added an invitation for me to look at his blog, which I did. When he next commented, he issued an invitation to follow his blog. I thanked him, but did not join for a number of reasons, not least, that he already has hundreds of followers, and there are so many replies to each post that a visitor who wanted to keep up with them would need a great deal to time to do so. X promptly removed his name from my list of followers (which I'd been pretty sure would happen).

Now, I don't mind about this, but I'm puzzled. Is the point of following a blog just to boost your own numbers? I'm sure for most of us, the answer would be no. As for ceasing to follow a blog, I don't do this. Sometimes I drift away from a blog, but I don't take my name off the list of followers as it might leave the blogger puzzled or even hurt.

What do you think?

(Btw X, if you happen to read this, no offence taken or intended. I'm just puzzled.)

Wasting time

Are you wasting time, reading this? Or, more to the point, am I wasting time writing it? Or is it a matter of opinion?

I have a friend, in her eighties, who regularly puts me to shame. She never seems to waste a moment, always busy,and she thinks blogging is a waste of time. She doesn't have a computer, and seems not to see the point of computers, and she may well have a point. But our recent conversation - about what constitutes wasting time - set me thinking.

What exactly is a watse of time? Or is one person's restful inactivity another's waste of time? Is it subjective or objective? I blog  because...I enjoy it ( I also do it to defer the moment when I have to write something that might actually earn me some money, but that's by the by). I enjoy writing posts, and reading other people's. I like the peaceful companionship of the blogging community of which I have become a part. So - can something be a waste of time if you're enjoying it? Is stopping the car to admire a view a waste of time? Why would some consider reading a frothy romance a waste of time, but ploughing through War and Peace a good use of time? I happen to prefer War and Peace, but many don't, and wouldn't it be a waste of their time reading it it they didn't enjoy it?

Doing things for others is obviously not a waste of time, and neither is Work. But isn't doing something just to please oneself sometimes a good use of time? Many of us writers write because we enjoy it, with (in some cases) little hope of publication. Is that a waste of time? I think not. Provided the writer enjoys the process, then isn't that OK?

As for fishing, well, I just don't get it. But many would considere the "activity" of fishing less of a waste of time than reading that frothy novel. Or blogging...

One other question: if you weren't reading this, what would/should you be doing?

Why do you blog?

I'd really like to know. Because there are an awful lot of us at it, and we probably all have different reasons.

I blog because:

I am writing, but don't having to worry about whether anyone likes what I've written ( although of course it's nice if they do)

I can tell myself it's work. After all, I'm a writer, and I'm writing, so that's work, right?

I am getting away from the WIP, which like all my WIPs is much better in my head than when it lands on paper. Something seems to go wrong in transit.

(Currently) my terrible injuries make concentration difficult

(Currently again) I'm awaiting my agent's verdict on the first part of the aforementioned (I love that word) WIP, and there's no point in my carrying on until I get her verdict.

I enjoy reading other people's blogs, and like to join in as well.

I am a terrible procrastinator, and blogging is a writing procrastinator's best friend (well, wine and chocolate are good, too).

Looking at this pathetic list of reaons, I feel rather ashamed. There doesn't seem to be a single good one among them. Oh dear.

Please tell me why you blog. It just might help.