Ask Arlee: Shy commenters? --#IWSG #atozchallenge

          The Insecure Writer's Support Group has been a blogging institution for the past 100 years.  Well, maybe not that long, but it now seems like it's been around forever.  #IWSG as it is known in Twitter speak was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  For more information go to the official #IWSG site and that's also where you'll find a list of participants.

        My entry for this month once again features an "Ask Arlee" question:

Al Diaz said... What to do when you want to ask a question but you're too shy to do it?
February 25, 2013 

       I've gotta assume that the delightful Al Diaz from Dragon on a Mission is asking on behalf of shy bloggers and not himself, as this immensely talented and artistic blogger doesn't come across as shy to me.  His comments are insightful and outgoing.  Of course, since I don't know Al in person, maybe he does consider himself a bit of an introvert.

        For those of you who are not familiar with my "Ask Arlee" feature, this is where I answer questions that the readers have presented to me.  Al's question was in my response to my initial call for questions.  He may have been joking, but actually his question opens a serious issue concerning blogging that is especially relevant as we approach the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  It's not just shyness in regard to asking questions, but more importantly a reticence that some may have in leaving comments.

Leave A Comment!

         The issue of blog comments has been brought up often on my blog, the A to Z Blog, and on many of your own blogs.   A certain element of shyness might play into someone visiting a blog and not leaving comments, but I think there are also other factors at play such as not knowing what to say, being in too much of a hurry, not wanting to offend a blogger if there is disagreement, or occasionally just plain rudeness.

         During April and always for that matter, if you take the time to visit a blog to read it, why not leave some kind of comment while there to let the blogger know that you were there.  If you're like me, you probably feel a bit insecure when you don't get any comments.  Most of us bloggers want to hear from somebody about what we took time to write.   Golden Blogging Rule:  Leave comments just as you hope visitors will comment on your own blog posts.     I don't think many of us want to be just talking to ourselves or see our words drift without notice into silent cyberspace.

          When it comes to being online, shyness shouldn't have much to do with anything.  No one can see you or get in your face.  Commenting is a good way to practice stepping out in order to overcome fear of meeting strangers and expressing yourself in public.  If you're afraid of saying something stupid, put some thought into your comment before you enter it and then don't worry.  If you're already posting on a blog you risk "saying something stupid" all the time.  Sometimes what you think seems stupid may make a lot of sense to someone else and be just what they need to hear.  Then again, some people may think you did say something stupid.  It's just opinions and we don't all have to agree, but hopefully everyone will be nice in their disagreement.

Why Comment?

          Remember--Blogging is a medium of social interaction.  We want to tell something to others.  We want others to read what we say.  Most of us want to hear what others think about what we say.  Good social blogging is a conversation.    You probably don't listen to somebody when you meet them face to face and then just walk away without acknowledging what they said.  Same with blogging.  Read a blog post and try to say something pertaining to what you've read.  

          Also try to go beyond the "nice post" type of compliment.  Why was it a nice post?  What did the blogger say to which you could relate?   

         And please don't leave a comment that says nothing about what you've read and only invite them to visit your blog to become a follower.  To me that is the height of rudeness.  It's essentially saying "I don't really care about you, but I'm more important and you should care about me".    It's okay to let a blogger that you are visiting for the first time know you've become a follower of their blog and to invite them to visit your blog.   I leave a link in my signature because I find it more convenient when commenters on my blog leave a link directly to their site so I don't have to finagle my way through things like Google+ pages.  

The Positive Outcome of Leaving Comments

        There are no guarantees, but usually if you leave a comment on a site you will get a reciprocal visit from that blogger who will in turn leave a comment at your blog.   If you give, you will usually receive something in return.  Once again--social media.   This is an important concept to remember.  You want to encourage interaction with well written interesting posts, thought-stimulating topics, and questions that encourage answers.

          One goal of blogging is to make one's presence known to the cyberworld.  Another is to establish relationships with others in that world.  Leaving blog comments is one of the best ways to make new friends and build on those friendships.  This is one of the main goals in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge as well as the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

          You want readers for your blog and so do the rest of us.   Don't be insecure due to your perceived shyness, fears, or whatever excuse you are using.  Leave comments when you visit blogs.  It doesn't have to take a lot of time or any big effort.  You'll be glad you did it.

          Are you ever shy about leaving comments?   As long as the ability to leave a comment is easy, why would you not leave a comment?   Have you found that commenting on other blogs has caused your own blog to receive more comments and gain more readers?   What advice would you offer about leaving comments?


       

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New Job Creation: What Can We Expect?

RI-EDG64-182 Sign twirler Ray. (Photo credit: e_pics)

Statue of Liberty? (Photo credit: Theophilus Photography)

Recently Seen on Facebook:

I'm curious how many jobs "created" in the last six years involve sign-waving or standing roadside in an embarrassing costume.

      As you have undoubtly have, I have also seen the sign twirlers, placard holders, and costumed chararacters advertising tax preparation services, new housing developments, or what have you.   Human advertising devices have been around for centuries.   Strangely in our age of ever-increasing technology there seems to be more use of old fashioned advertising techniques.

       In the decades before the 90's I don't recall seeing that much of this type of advertising.  I'm sure it was out there.  I probably wasn't paying that much attention or just didn't notice, but I don't think that there was as much sign carrying for the purpose of advertising as there is now.

       When I was a kid back in the 50's and 60's I associated sandwich-board advertising (a person carrying two large advertising placards front and back) with the depression.  I only saw it in old movies and cartoons.  I can't recall ever seeing a person in my real life walking the streets wearing a sandwich-board.

       After I moved to Los Angeles in 1991 I began seeing the human street advertising on an increasing basis as each year went by.  Maybe it's the nature of advertising in car crazy L.A.   It's one way of catching the attention of all the people who are on the streets.  Sign twirling and crazy costumes usually gets a second look if not a prolonged stare from those drawn by the spectacle.

       Maybe I'm just being more observant in the past few years, but lately I think I've seen more purveyors of street advertising than ever before.  Often I can look out my back bedroom window and see them across the street.  They're almost always on the corners of the major intersection nearest where I live.  They seem to be just about everywhere I go.

        Perhaps the increase in unemployment has flooded the market with more bodies willing to be human advertising devices.   I'm not sure how many new sign twirler employment agencies have opened in recent years, but I'm sure those businesses have been experiencing a boom as they take the desperately unemployed off the streets to put them back on the streets.

       I say desperately because to me one would have to be somewhat desperate to take a job of that nature.  There are so many downsides I can see to that job.  For one thing there's the bathroom issue.  That might mean an increase in business in adult diapers.  I hope not.

       It's good to see the job market opening up and Americans going back to work.  You can't outsource sign-twirling or street side waving dressed as an outlandish character.   All of the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam imitators advertising tax preparation services almost makes my heart swell up with patriotic pride.  Well, maybe not quite, but it's exciting to see Americans going back to work .

       Just another observation for whatever it's worth:   Most of the sign wielding folks I've seen on the street corners of late are advertising clearance sales for stores going out of business.  Make of that what you will.

        Do you see wavers and sign-twirlers in the area where you live?    Have you ever done a job like this or known someone else who has?     Would you do a job like this for minimum wage?

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Battle of the Bands: Privilege

         It's the first of the month and that means it's time for Battle of the Bands, the blog event started by the bloggers at Far Away Series and Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends.   The point of the Battle is for you to listen to the songs presented below and then in the comment section tell us your favorite version and why you like that one the best.    After you've voted here move on to the next participating blogs that you'll find listed below and vote on their match-ups.

Familiarity Breeds Bias

         In the Battle I'm presenting in this post I've chosen a song that I'm pretty sure will be unfamiliar to most.   Perhaps this will not go over with some of you, but my thought is that the purest Battle might be the one that starts out with no preconceived favorites or preferences due to having known a particular version.  I think other Battles have shown an inclination for voters to go with the version they knew and discard the version that was "new" to their ears.

         This will be my experiment and we'll see what you think.  No crazy 80's song in this match-up.  I'm sticking with a relatively safe sound from the 60's.   Let me know if you like the song in addition to telling me which version you prefer.  Please don't let the "newness" of the song be off-putting to your sense of fair judgment.

          I will probably take this approach again in the future.  That is unless I'm roundly lambasted by all for doing this.   But of course it wouldn't be the first time.

Privilege
(from the film soundtrack of the same name)

        Wikipedia says:    "Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. It was released in 1967...The story is set in the then near-future of the 1970s and concerns a disillusioned pop singer, played by Paul Jones, who is manipulated by the church and state which seek to turn him into a messianic leader."

       In his review of Privilege Roger Ebert said "This is a bitter, uncompromising movie, and although it isn't quite successful it is fascinating and important."

        I do not recall ever hearing this song in the film itself so either I missed it or it was only on the soundtrack of the album.   The song encapsulates what the movie is about.  

          Confusingly, on YouTube you can find recordings of "Set Me Free",  another song used in the movie,  listed as "Privilege (Set Me Free)".    This song was later covered by Patti Smith.  There are several places on the internet where these two songs have been confused.

            In this post I pit the original film soundtrack version by Paul Jones, who had been the lead singer for Manfred Mann,  against the Canadian group The Sugar Shoppe.

Paul Jones "Privilege"  (1967)

             If this song was not actually used in the film, this version by Paul Jones certainly would have fit well in the context of the film.   Paul Jones has been a significant presence in Britain's entertainment industry while remaining relatively unknown elsewhere.   He's been associated with a number of notable music artists in his career, but  is most  known as the singer and harmonica player in the early inception of the band Manfred Mann.    His solo career did not take off as well as expected after his starring role in Privilege, though he has remained a mainstay in film, media, and music in Britain.




Sugar Shoppe "Privilege"   (1968)

          The Sugar Shoppe was Canada's answer to the Mamas and Papas.  They were good, but never really caught on despite appearances on shows such as Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson.  Their album was critically well received, but only a modest seller.   They were together only a few years before going their separate ways.   Most of you have probably seen the leader of the group Victor Garber.  He's had a solid theater, television, and film career, appearing in films such as Titanic, Argo, and Sleepless in Seattle.  He played the role of Jesus in the 1973 film Godspell.   Sci-fi fans might recall his role as Jack Bristow in the J.J. Abrams ABC series Alias.

          The album "The Sugar Shoppe" is a well-produced foray into the realms of  "sunshine pop".  Nice vocal harmonies with a strong back-up by top studio musicians bring an eclectic collection of tunes ranging from the vaudeville novelty sounding "Poor Papa" to the country flavored Bobbie Gentry "Papa, Won't You Let Me Go to Town" to the darker sound of "Privilege" featured in this Battle.  If you're a fan of vocal groups, The Sugar Shoppe is a group you might want to explore further.

           By the way, the stereo separation in the video below is rather extreme as many recordings back then were.  If you don't get a good balance of channels on your computer you can click the link above in the heading of this section to hear a scratchy mono version that is from a 45.   You may want to listen to both if you're curious.

             Listen to The Sugar Shack's version of "Privilege"




Now It's Up To You

           Which version do you prefer?   Please don't say neither.  Pick one and then visit the other participants listed below:

         Faraway Series
         Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
         Your Daily Dose
         DiscConnected


      I'll announce the winner of this Battle on Friday March 7th.   If you'd like to read more about the background of why I chose this song, I hope you'll visit my post at my memoir blog Wrote By Rote.

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