Comments on: Pondering: I’M POPULAR, DAMMIT!

By: karen Jones

karen Jones — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:48:38 +0000

Your site is beautiful but I couldn't find contact/email info anywhere...I'm interested in writing a guest post about our new romance line called Curvalicious and adding you to our list of review sites. Karen Jones kjones@accomplicepress.com

By: Emily Cardinal

Emily Cardinal — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:27:13 +0000

Since we are playing this game…I’m still older than Liviania.

Liviania, there have been times when I think there’s a reason why people have that opinion of romance readers. One reason why I shut down my old blog is that romance isn’t really what I read any more, and it isn’t really what I write either.

I would never talk about work on my blog. I’ve been thinking, and I’ll probably strip my blog off everything related to economics. The past 6 weeks have been a delicate exercise in feeling around my blogspace.

By: Liviania

Liviania — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:38:34 +0000

Hey! I’ll be 21 in three weeks! (Well, three weeks and two days.)

By: limecello

limecello — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:46:02 +0000

Emily – Yup, I’m a Yank And, I agree with Liv on her points. (Hi Liv! Also… awe… you two are both just babies!!!)
The stereotypes are big, but even so, anything/everything you say and do online. While some of my jobs they didn’t care, my internship on the hill we were explicitly told not the blog, or mention anything about work. Not even facebook updates, etc. And that if we did, it was cause for termination. So. It just depends.

By: Liviania

Liviania — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:12:55 +0000

Emily – You’re about my age, rather than limecello’s. ^_^

I must admit, I tend to be ridiculously wordy in blog posts and person. I’m far more concise when using my “academic voice.”

I try to keep my real self and blog self separate if only because my real self is no one’s business. As for the employer thing, you never know. For TGTBTU, I think the touchy issues are that we swear sometimes and talk about sex. The sex is all in the context of books, but still, we read and advocate reading sexy books. I know people who would take issue with that. Not to mention a lot of people have the idea that romance readers are unintelligent, unsociable women who have trouble interacting with the real world. Not true at all, but not a stereotype you want going through a potential employer’s head.

By: Emily Cardinal

Emily Cardinal — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:29:57 +0000

limecello, oops! I forgot that you’re in the States. I am studying in the UK, and law is like an undergraduate economics program: it’s a 3 year degree, after which you go to bar school.

Word economy is something I require. In the language of mathematics, it is a necessary condition, if not sufficient to attract me to a blog.

I think swearing is a smaller issue than you’d think, as well as online interaction provided you don’t come off as a crazy, nasty harridan from hell. Frankly, that would take more effort than simply being courteous.

By: limecello

limecello — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:57:56 +0000

Karen – whoops! Hi there Thanks for stopping by – we’re trying to convince Sybil to blog about stuff, but she’s being no fun and laying low. *raspberry*
Also, no idea on the comments. The higher ups are working on that.

Sybs – DO THAT POST. You know you wanna! [And we want you to as well ]

By: limecello

limecello — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:55:25 +0000

Edie – lol lol lol you get a gold star You also might just be my very favorite person of the day! (You know, because so many people waffle about whether or not they drop authors etc.) I’m considering reading Back in Black… but it’s gonna be a library book.
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Emily – Hi, thanks for commenting. And, agreed on the economics. Which is why, in school, I totally didn’t mind stopping by ~150 blogs daily. I need to multitask to keep focused, so taking notes + playing online = perfect blend.
Er… if you’re just going to graduate from undergrad this year, lol, I think I’m rather much older than you are. I’m so old I might as well die O_o.
Anyway. For word economy, I tend to be much more forgiving when it’s myself. Or someone I like. Word economy in public speaking, however, I’m 100% with you.
Right. I don’t think someone wouldn’t hire me based on what books I liked or didn’t like. Exactly as you said- if they did, they probably aren’t someone I want to work for anyway. My “concern” is how I act online. When I *gasp* swear. Or mention politics. How I talk about my life, etc. Employers do care about that. And while I don’t do anything wrong I don’t interact with people online the same as I would with say, a judge or public official. And that, is something employers look at. Big brother is all around these days.

By: Emily Cardinal

Emily Cardinal — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:35:46 +0000

I’m here via a link from Monkey Bear Reviews. I used to read this blog, but nowadays, most of blog reading is related to economics.

Blogland is a lot like high school. These days it just amuses me, but it was a lot of why I quit reader blogging several years ago.

I like to read blogs where the comments threads are interesting and not full of sycophants and, maybe more importantly, where the bloggers are not stridently shrill. Bloggers who ramble are, on average, a waste of time. If you can’t/won’t write concisely, most of the time I spend reading is not worth what I get out of it.

From what you say, I don’t think I’m very much older than you. I graduate with my undergrad this summer, and when I was solidly reader-blogging, I was…a few years younger.

I see your point about keeping your options open in the public/private sector. A person who knows enough about the internet could probably trace me back to my real identity. But as a reader-blogger? It’s really not that hard to keep your nose clean. A potential employer’s probably not going to not-hire you because you disliked her/his favourite book ever. If that’s a problem, you probably wouldn’t want them to hire you anyway. You’re a law student, you’re going to be a lawyer (??), and how does liking to read/write/talk about fiction affect extend to that?

By: Edie

Edie — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:14:15 +0000

Dangnabit – I have to leave all the good stuff off the resume!
I have been avoiding her all together – as My Man Michael was the next Foster book I picked up after the disaster, and I had to break off the reading relationship. Two traumas in a row, was way too much. I think I read the first three chapters in a state of shock, then the last two, I don’t think we missed much. It was pretty bad, even if you completely ignore the complete mislabeling.

By: Saturday Links and Observations

Saturday Links and Observations — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:03:17 +0000

[...] at The Good, The Bad and The Unread has an amusing post called I’m Popular, Dammit! about the quest for popularity in [...]

By: limecello

limecello — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:44:10 +0000

Edie- I think that would be a fantastic addition to your resume! Alas, I don’t think employers would agree. Unless say, you’re an author/illustrator of children’s books. Or work for Disney
Hmmm… have you been avoiding her SBC books too? I know Back in Black is out but… I’m kinda scared. (Well, I’ll get it from the library.) I also can’t remember if this is the one right after My Man Michael, or not. And… MMM was such a horrible mess. At least… in my humble opinion. (Of course I didn’t read it. Could barely skim through the first 2? chapters.)

By: Edie

Edie — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:32:58 +0000

Yay I am now a fairy advocate!
I wonder if that will fit on the resume?

Unfortunately I think that series is still going, but have been pretty much avoiding her ever since that first one, so there could be hope that I am wrong.

By: Sybil

Sybil — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:55:52 +0000

I sorry I above all people adore rambling. Do ramble on. Sorry lime if I misunderstood.
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KARENS! It seems I killed the subscribe to comment button and am fixing it as we speak. Sort of…. I hope it will be all back in place today.
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To be fair holly has been bitching about it for weeks and weeks and weeks and I misunderstood.
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As for my cave, I am trying to come out of it more. HONEST. Of course then it will go back to OMFG she posts SOoooooooooo much shut her the fuck up.

By: Karen Scott

Karen Scott — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:16:42 +0000

I discovered Sybil in 2005, back when there was just her, herself and she. These days she tends to live in a cave like a hermit with a bad case of morning breath.
Hey, where’s your subscribe to comments button?

By: Sybil

Sybil — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:22:09 +0000

I still don’t get what your post is about… are you sad more people don’t comment to your posts?

You need to ponder on what interests you. Some things will ‘hit’ with many people. Others not so much. But you can’t set out to blog something thinking OMFG people will LOVE ME/THIS and comment tons. Because if that is your driving factor it almost always won’t work.

Which is what I keep saying about this silly topic…

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:31:22 +0000

Oh Sybs- plz to NOT NOT NOT project on me. [I know you're thinking XX and that kinda makes me want to smack you. Wait, no, it does make me want to smack you. Dork.]
Really, that’s the whole “point” of this post. There is no point. And that’s what amuses me. Long winded puffery that doesn’t account to much yet has some subtle [ideally winning] points. *bows*
And actually, yes, at the end, I was curious as to what made people discover the pond, and what keeps the coming back.
So I guess if you want me to parse it down to having a purpose, that’s it. Nobody really has answered, other than you’re major draw. *kissy*

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:06:22 +0000

Cindy – Hi! Yes, more and more of the old guard being established in my mind, which I think it super cool
Edie – lol lol lol you, are full of win! And no, you aren’t a suppressor of fairies, you’re a total advocate today. That’s all. Going the extra mile and everything
I’m an equal opportunity ranter and… *shudders* LL Foster’s first book was bad. So was the second. And isn’t there a third? Please tell me the series ended.

By: Edie

Edie — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:03:57 +0000

Whoops forgot to say I discovered the site before I became a blog hopper, when I was searching out info on LL Foster’s first book.
A book that I loathed with a passion and needed to rant publicly about. LOL

By: Edie

Edie — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:02:33 +0000

I am a lurker generally.. does that make me a suppressor of fairies?

By: CindyS

CindyS — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:12:09 +0000

Was here when it was just Sybil – loves the Syb

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:13:01 +0000

:-O You? Swearing?! Gwen- why I never! I have to tell you the cutest thing – JenB once asked/said to me “Sybil lets us swear on the blog?”
Heh.

And I likes it here too. <3 <3 <3 Sybses + teh duckies.
p.s. I FEAR teh cellies. And other author forum types. Le sigh.

By: Gwen

Gwen — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:03:08 +0000

I came to the Pond when my posts kept disappearing from the J.R. Ward forums because I was cussing or being a little snarky (I know!). A link to Syb’s world was in one of the posts, so I came, I read, I stayed.
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Being part of the “in crowd” takes too much bloody work. This is a hobby, not a job. I’m glad that the Pond is easy lifting, so to speak. We’re encouraged to say what we think here, and there aren’t too many rules. I likes it.

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:36:37 +0000

BRANDY!!! I thought I responded to you. Sorry for skipping earlier – it was all in my head but I didn’t want it to seem like I was stalking you O_o
lol. Anyway – I’ve seen you comment on a few posts… right? I think? Anyway, thanks for popping out to say hi today! I and the fairies thank you
And I too love the author interviews. Sandy is totally rocking that out with her continuous stream.

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:19:17 +0000

Liv – yeah totally. My paragraphs disappear too, which is why I separate them out with periods. T_T And heh, yay your nice comment other than… I’m no longer a student. And I’m a poor as hell lawyer. Like 98% of the rest of my graduating class. (That’s the bitter coming out that I mentioned. One of the girls at the top of my class was working at Macy’s around the holidays… pretty sure she’s again unemployed…)
HAHAHAHA. Nice girls. I like it. We’ve got you snowed No actually, I do think we’re all pretty nice and civil here, and I’m a-okay with that. Internet is my happy time too. Lol I wasn’t as cool as you. I O_o don’t know if I can name a single cheerleader from hs. lol though I’m sure they existed… Also, I didn’t wear make up ever. Still don’t. Girlfail :X

By: Liviania

Liviania — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:11:32 +0000

Why did my paragraphs disappear?!

By: Liviania

Liviania — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:10:38 +0000

Don’t be ashamed of your poor student status! I need to not be the only poor student in the pond. (And soon you’ll be a rich, rich lawyer while I’ll still be poor.)My high school experience aligns pretty closely with yours. You could say there were cliques, but they were amorphous and most people belonged to more than one. I was a band geek and a mathlete yet a cheerleader did my make-up for graduation. Or perhaps it was cutthroat and I never realized because I didn’t care.I think the pond is filled with “nice girls” – the readers and commenters, and I like that atmosphere. Who cares if we aren’t the popular girls? I used to go to DA and SBTB fairly frequently, but I just can’t take the cattiness. They’re written by funny and intelligent ladies, but the internet is my happy time and I don’t want to deal with people trying to bring the dramz. As for Mrs. Giggles, I like her style but I don’t find her reviews helpful. We have very different taste.Soon, soon I shall hear Sybs voice! Mwah hah hah!

By: Brandy

Brandy — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:05:02 +0000

Delurking to comment.(Yes, I’m a lurker, SORRY!) *G* I found this site when an author whose blog I follow was interviewed here last year and have been reading here ever since.

By: limecello

limecello — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:57:02 +0000

Julia – Whee! Yeah, I always thought it was a little odd my hs experience was relatively painless. But I think I made up for it in college. Thanks so much for the compliments, I’ll definitely take respected and reliable. Especially the latter. Especially when applied to the duckies. Especially me. Can you please frame that and send it to Sybil? *looks cute*
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Janet… er… mhm *scared* Actually, drinking game?! Heh. You know that’ll get happy attention
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Sybseses- Are you having a good day, are you?! I ask because you said you were just going to slap me, not kill me. *angelface* And whatever- I said people know who you are! If you’re not going to take compliments gracefully. *sniff*
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Jess – Yay! Thanks for delurking today! A good way to have Sybs show up is to say that I’m a Very Responsible and Reliable Reviewer. I’m sure she’ll have an awesomely snappy comment. [::aside:: she likes taking cheap shots at me] *looks innocent*
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Jessica- Hm… I suppose maybe it was in the past few years, but it was my impression that it’d tapered off some, at least during some months when I was able to pay more attention. Of course me clicking through the past few pages showed only a handful of posts with 0 comments as opposed to the majority… I’ve been proven wrong.
I’m freely and happily admitting that
I guess it’s just I seem to think so because the chats/whatever I visit if I mention TGTBTU people are like “huh?” :X Or I had other people say some less kind things and that they dropped us. *sniffles*

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:36:55 +0000

I always thought this was one of the more popular websites, too.