Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Few Pet Peeves

Maybe they're not even pet peeves but just a few things that mildly irritate me. Four have to do with how people drive, and three others have to do with bloggers (other bloggers, not you).

First, my Driving Peeves

1. Slow drivers who speed up noticeably as soon as they reach a passing zone on a two lane highway. They then slow back down the second the passing zone reverts back to two lanes.

2. Drivers who approach stop signs going about fifty miles an hour when I am entering the intersection perpendicular to them. I am always affeered that they might not stop.

3. Cars that sit on my bumper when I'm already exceeding the speed limit on a two-lane road. I don't mind so much if they pass when the opportunity arises, but when they don't, I feel like frightening them just a little by touching my brakes. I don't though; a car is no place for games.

4. This is specifically directed to the guy around the corner who decided to back into his driveway while I had to wait for him. I didn't really mind the waiting, but what was the dirty look all about? Would you have preferred that I didn't stop but plowed right into you? You are a very silly twit. Sir.


Three Peeves Aimed At SpecificBloggers

1. There's a certain romance involved in linking up with another blogger and following him or her. When a stranger posts a comment to my blog I reciprocate, or at the very least I go to his or her blog and decide whether I would like to reciprocate. If we repeat the process a few times, I tend to assume that I've got a regular visitor, and I add this person to my list and begin to follow and not wait for his or her initiating comments. So far so good, but it really peeves me when I never hear from that blogger again even after I comment a number of times. I don't really care who follows me, but let's not do the dance if you don't want to go home with me — so to speak.

2. Then there's the blogger who had an old template that didn't really lend itself to following. So, when he finally updated his template, he sent me a note that I could now follow easily. Except he never bothered to follow me. Really, Mr Professor, you're not all that special that I would find your writing so irresistible that I would follow you one-sidedly with endless devotion. Blogging is at least partly about relationships and give and take. Otherwise, I can find better writers than you in the newspaper.

3. And to you Dear Lady: you've blogged for a long time and we became blogging friends. Then you moved and no one that I know of has ever heard from you again. Have the courtesy to at least say goodbye. Someone else just did that — said goodbye — and I'm really cool with that, but I am somewhat miffed that you stepped into the void without a departing word. Common courtesy, my dear.

18 comments:

Ginger said...

A silly twit? I'm highly amused, having not used that term in quite some time. I'll have to resurrect it.

As for blogging, it's interesting how we develop these social sensibilities around a community that could be perceived as vapor, isn't it? I have found it curious that the interaction brought on by blogging can affect my own feelings, as well.

Unknown said...

I am thankful I have one blog that I follow each day, faithfully, because she has such wonderful ideas that I use all the time. She never comments. But after all I am going there to get something for free so I guess she just puts it out and doesn't care to become friends. She is a paid blogger for a company. Well that is okay. A legit peeve A/C.
QMM

Diana said...

Well AC I agree with you on every single pet peeve you have, except maybe the guy that backed into his driveway as that hasn't happened to me yet! Really every single pet peeve!! Love Di ♥

Mara said...

Since I drive a coach I always get extremely annoyed by people wanting to overtake me and then drive slower than I do! Why do they do that?

For the rest: hear hear!

Jinksy said...

AC, I think you need to look out for vivnada, who has recently set up a Miserable Old Bat's Blog for exactly those kind of pet peeve rants! The ones that get to me, are the bloggers who join up, leave their picture staring at you for ever more, and never say a dicky bird in comment or email. A close second are those who don't enable their email address, and then spend HOURS answering evry one of the comments on their own blog, until there's a list a mile long!
OK. My moan is over - your turn again now! LOL :)

Kila said...

Can relate to many :)

I, too, often wonder about online friends who suddenly disappear, especially since recently learning that one blog friend died in July and we didn't know for weeks.

Anonymous said...

I think it very sad when bloggers suddenly just disappear. I have one particularly person in mind when I say this and even though we had never met face to face, I was very fond of her. To this day I wonder about her and hope that everything is all right.

Ruth said...

I have noticed a number of bloggers dropping out of sight after signing up on Facebook. I am sure they think they will get back to blogging but they don't have time. One East coast blogger dropped off and I later found out she had a stroke. I agree with your roadway peeves. I particularly hate it when people follow too closely.

Bernie said...

Oh AC I agree with you especially about those bloggers who become so important to me, I come to care about them, their families and their lives then they just stop blogging without as much as a hint that they are about to do leave.
I am not sure why people would do this......:-)Hugs

Judy said...

When bloggers suddenly disappear, I just assume that they have died.

It helps with the rejection I always feel.

oshee said...

As someone who used to blog, used to comment and yet still reads. I know why people sometimes disappear without that "common courtesy goodbye". There's always that feeling of "I'm going to return to that just as soon as..."

Add in life's anxieties, depressions and heartaches, it can be difficult to bring oneself back to blogging when the words just aren't there anymore. Enough time goes by and it can just turn into guilt and feeling that nobody is out there listening anymore anyway.

I didn't have all that many readers but still I hope I didn't leave anyone hanging and feeling like I abandoned them. How awful to think that I might have hurt people by turning my focus away from the internet for awhile.

We never know what people are truly dealing with, even if they write a blog where they share much of themselves.

I still enjoy reading those bloggers I grew fond of years and years ago. You among them AC and I am grateful you continue to share your life with all of us.

Anvilcloud said...

Oshee: I would say that you kind of petered out gradually, which is a little different from blogging regularly and then completely disappearing. Good to hear from you though. Thanks for dropping by.

Pearl said...

yes, it's odd when people just disappear without a word. site poofed.

some play this collecting links game and will relentlessly comment on everything then as soon as they get enough google-points of links suddenly announce their life as too busy to read anymore. gaming the system thru people. I suppose that's why if one person leaves one comment I don't tend to follow thru unless they prove they'll stick around.

Ginnie said...

I've had the same experience, AC. A person comments one time and I (DUTIFULLY) go to their blog & reciprocate but never hear from them again.
Oh well, it just makes me treasure my "regulars" more !

Amrita said...

Dear SC I agree with all your blogging peeves

Pearl said...

pah, another friend just poofed offline. this one used to be face to face friend. that penchant for insularness is a pain. esp. if it means I have to use a phone.

Sue said...

It's been a long time since I commented, but I do still follow your blog - via Google Reader now, since Bloglines is being discontinued. That means I can read blog posts (and see photos) without actually visiting the blog, so it may appear that I've vanished - if, indeed, you remember me at all! - but I'm still around. Still reading. I don't actually worry about who - if anyone - reads my blog regularly. Most of my hits are one-offs, found by people through Google searching. I know of a few real-life friends and relatives who read my blogs, and I tend to post the links on Facebook so that a wider circle can read if they wish - but it always surprises me when someone I've never met actually makes the decision to follow it. And if they vanish without trace - well, so be it. Other things come up. The Internet can become addictive/compulsive, even without it's darker side, and I'm sure some people go cold turkey in order to get on with real life.

Anyway, I do enjoy reading your blog but am not much of a commenter. I have no idea if you read mine or not, and am not worried either way :-)

Anvilcloud said...

Sue, I remember you. You from Larnaka, and I live in Lanark County. Somewhere along the line, in a computer switch or some such, I lost track of you, but I did follow you for quite some time. I also use Reader and generally only click on the actual blog to comment.