In The Holy Bible - you know, that Book your tax dollars must be forever separated from? That Book which your children’s eyes must not fall upon in a public place for fear that the kids might actually start following the example set by that robed and bearded Rebel, that Maverick of mavericks, Jesus Godriguez. – Well, in “that” Book, there is a section titled “Acts”. And in the 17th chapter of Acts we find Saint Paul ingeniously addressing a gaggle of Greeks about their altar inscribed, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”.
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Well, this blog bit is addressed “To The Unknown Reader”.
Are there “unknown readers” of this blog? That’s what I aim to find out.
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A funny thing happened on the way to my blogging retirement. When for the first time I announced on this blog that it is my intention to discontinue posting on ‘Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends’ (F-FFF) at the end of this year, my new friend ChartsAndGrafs, whom I did not previously know existed, suddenly came out of the woodwork to tell me that I must be “temporarily insane to consider shutting this blog down.”
ChartsAndGrafs wrote some very complimentary and persuasive things to me in an effort to get me to reconsider walking away from this blog. Here is what he said in part:
Believe me, you are reaching people both directly and indirectly and helping to fuel the increasing spread of information necessary to the burgeoning freedom movement. … Needless to say, your words have been instrumental in helping me put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I replied:
C&G, I appreciate what you have written MORE THAN YOU COULD IMAGINE! Naturally, you make me wonder if there might be others out there, quietly, invisibly following this blog unbeknownst to me. And if so, how many?
But people need to understand that a person can't just keep writing and pouring so much energy and passion into a blog like this if they don't periodically receive some feedback assuring them that they are reaching others. One cannot seemingly write in a void and keep up their enthusiasm enough to continue it indefinitely.
And that is why it is so important that readers occasionally reach out and contact the writer, letting him or her know that their efforts are not all in vain. I don't mean that I need a regular dose of comments as complimentary as yours was, but I - we! - need SOME feedback in order to know that the words are having SOME effect. Otherwise the writer becomes dogged by the impression that it's just words in the wind and all for naught.
And that brings us to the reason for this blog bit addressed to the Unknown Reader. I simply need to know if there ARE any unknown readers out there, or if ChartsAndGrafs was the only one of his kind.
As things stand right now, my intention is to continue posting at ‘F-FFF’ until the end of 2010, after which I will disappear entirely, or – more likely – disappear for the most part but occasionally – RARELY! - put in a guest appearance on my own blog with perhaps a new installment of ‘Sex, Tattoos & Violence R Us’, or maybe a brief commentary on some future hot-news item that I simply can’t refrain from speaking out about. (“Speaking out” – Ha! “Hollering about” is more like it.)
At this point, I need to know how many regular or even semi-regular readers this blog might have that I am currently in the dark about.
ChartsAndGrafs seems to think that . . .
“For every follower I bet you have a handful of others who are too lazy to make it official. In fact, I bet some shadowy lurker will someday read my comments here and make themselves a follower just to officially increase your number of followers.”
I would like to believe he’s right, but I’m skeptical. I’m always skeptical. About EVERYTHING! And I’m not willing to go on under the assumption that more persons are regularly reading this blog than are signed up as official “Followers” of it. Especially considering the fact that I strongly suspect only 5 of F-FFF’s registered “Followers” are reading it on an even semi-regular basis.
If anyone out there is reading this blog routinely but unbeknownst to me, I need to hear from you . . . now. I certainly am NOT fishing for compliments (heck, I never even fish for fish), but I’m Looking For Mr. Lurker. Or his wife. Or his mistress, his lesbian lover, whatever. (Don’t ask me to explain what I don’t understand!) What I’m DEFINITELY NOT looking for, however, is pictures of Brett Favre’s... uhm... “football”.
The response I get (or don’t get) to this blog bit will likely play a significant role in my decision about the future of ‘Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends’. I am tired of writing, and I’m especially tired of preaching to a choir of five or so, and receiving no reaction from the “outside world”. (I’m merely assuming there is one.)
If you exist, Unknown Reader, and if you find the existence of this blog valuable in any way, shape, form, or degree, NOW is the time to show yourself; NOW is the time to stand up and be counted. I’m not saying that now is the time to sign up as a legitimate “Follower” (you “bastard”), I’m only saying that I need to know you’re out there and checking in from time to time.
Unknown Readers, that is non-“Followers” (henceforth to be known as my “Beloved Bastards”?), if you exist and if the survival of ‘Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends’ is important to you in the least, please submit a comment to this blog bit’s ‘Comment Section’. Please tell me approximately how long you’ve been reading this blog from your unseen hiding place, and please tell me approximately how often you return to it. Once a week? Once a month? Once every 6 months? Only when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie?
What you say might well make a difference. And how often is that the case? Don’t miss this fabulous opportunity to be noticed, to have an impact and maybe bring about REAL change. (Unlike that “Change” you voted for in 2008 and never got. Remember that?)
Ferret-Faced And Fascistically Yours . . .
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
'Loyal American Underground'
Link:
C&G And STMcC Discuss The Future of ‘F-FFF’
[See the 'Comment Section'.]
YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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I don't know if you want me to answer this or not or where I fit in but I took one whopping break from the blogs and just got back; but I never stopped linking to your blog on mine so that anyone who stops by to check on mine would hopefully end up stopping by here and being edified by your stuff. But I wasn't conscientious about commenting to you in the past either so maybe I am one of those others, and who knows; only a couple people comment at my place too. But partially because the settings got mixed up.
ReplyDeleteHey, you do what you have to (I did); just make sure you leave a link to any place where you might be at some point so I will run into you whenever possible. In the meantime I'll go catch up on the archives ASAP.
ANNIEE ~
ReplyDeleteHi. Well, let's see... you're not signed up as an official "Follower" of this blog, therefore this post does apply to you.
But then again, I do know that you've had a link to this blog posted on your own blog for some time now, I am amongst your blog's collection of "Followers", and we've known each other for a while and commented back and forth on a few occasions, therefore this post does not apply to you.
Applies?/Doesn't Apply? Applies?/Doesn't Apply? Heck, you got me!
But I think in the end, I'd have to say that you have NOT been a regular reader of this blog. I don't know if you were at one time maybe, but with your long absence from the Blogosphere, certainly you haven't been for over a year.
>>...I'll go catch up on the archives ASAP.
Ooh. Ya gotta LOTTA catchin' up to do. But as you can see, in the time that you've been gone, I've learned how to post text in italics in a comment section. That's about the only thing that's changed around here.
Glad yer back...even if I'm now leaving. (Don't take it personally - it hain't got nuttin' to do with you. :o)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Well, of course you know I'm here every now and then and even if I do read a post and think, "Well I don't know exactly what to say about that, but I guess I'll just say something". Not all readers think that way.
ReplyDeleteI have written about this myself on my blog when I'm talking about blog etiquette. It's like if I meet up with somebody and they say something, I'm not going to just ignore then and keep walking. It's easier to do the equivilent on a blog. A reader can just pop in, read, and leave without a word.
I also think you have different readers sometimes--the kind who read and may agree or not, but choose not to say anything.
That's why I say you need to make your posts more open to conversation. Say your piece and then ask what readers think. Ask some specific questions to get them thinking on their own and want to become involved.
I've found that when I just post my say about something, the post gets fewer comments than when I leave with a series of questions. I think it's better not to make the post just come across like a lecture or diatribe, but to leave it open for dialogue.
That's just my opinion gained from my experience on my blog and looking at other blogs. And I don't think that this particular post today is going to be an accurate indicator of if your followers are reading or whatever because I think it may elicit an "I'm not sure how to respond to that" reponse from the readers.
I still think you should try to experiment with a couple of shorter, very succinct, posts with powerhouse topics that are not overly broad, ask a couple of questions about readers opinions on the topic, and just see what happens. It can't hurt to experiment.
I didn't mind the long posts about the Vegas trip and the McCarthy pilgramage because they didn't require too much thought and they were narratives that were easy to follow. And they were fun. Hope you don't stop having fun sometimes.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Well I'm glad of that. Just sorry you might be leaving. Dammit, Unknowns, show yerselves!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a follower? I thought I was. Stupid. I have trouble with the blogspot format because I am teh stupidz internetz.
r-LEE-b ~
ReplyDeleteI stopped having fun about 1992.
>>...That's why I say you need to make your posts more open to conversation. Say your piece and then ask what readers think. Ask some specific questions to get them thinking on their own and want to become involved.
Well, I have little doubt that this approach would elicit more comments from readers, but would they be comments worthy of posting? And reading? And responding to?
I mean, considering the weight of the issues I most frequently address on THIS blog, I wouldn't think I should NEED to prompt readers to respond. This is important, serious, liberty or slavery "stuffs", and if I have to ask the reader a slew of questions in order to get them to react, then they simply don't have enough concern and I suppose any remarks from them would be a waste of time reading and replying to.
Besides, I'm mostly interested in inspiring people to learn the truth about their government via books and documentaries. Any discussion I entered into would be primarily geared toward directing the other participant to important printed matter that throws a light on the New World Order conspiracy.
You might well be right about several things here, and if I had it to do all over again, maybe I would try posting more bite-sized blog bits for today's American soundbite and lightweight mentality. But I never wanted to stoop to that "entertainment" level or compromise my approach: I felt serious matters deserve big blog installments with plenty of text, subtext and details.
Maybe I'd "sell out" and try a lighter approach if I were starting from scratch. But I won't be starting from scratch. In fact, I think this cake is already baked and we can stick a fork in it.
But I appreciate your sincere and lengthy comment, Brotherman!
ANNIEE ~
Well, no, you don't appear to be a "Follower"; your icon doesn't show up in my "Followers" collection in the left-hand column of this blog. Do you receive updates on your dashboard everytime I post a new blog bit here?
I think you would need to click the "Follow" button and input the URL of this blog in order to "Follow" in an official, high-tech, Member O'de Clique sort of way.
I don't believe there ARE any "unknowns" out there, but I'm willing to wait a few weeks before coming to that hard and fast conclusion.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Say it ain't so! I just found your Ferret-Faced in the last couple of months (you ever thought about mentioning it on your other blog/)! I for one do enjoy reading and commenting!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's part of why people don't comment - I've found that a lot of people online don't know much about...BOOKS. Books? What are those? I found myself actually having to explain what a book was to someone when he/she asked me in all seriousness how I knew who Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh were if I don't watch Fox News. I was dumbfounded. Fox news? I have to watch TV to know who people are who were writing books before Fox news ever existed? Some people don't know anything unless it comes in 140 characters or less. Meanwhile I've been reading one book after another. Best case scenario, there are people who are running out and getting the books you recommend, then they're way too busy reading to keep up online, much less make comments :)
ReplyDeleteJUDY!-JUDY!-JUDY! ~
ReplyDelete>>...Say it ain't so!
It's so.
Oops. You asked me not to say that, didn't you? Sorry.
ANNIEE ~
OH! You have SO hit it right on the head! You have no idea how much you just agreed with me. I'm outta time for today - (workin' for a paycheck calls) - but tomorrow I'll return and post a link to a conversation I think you'll find interesting.
Yak again tomorrow.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I still say to just experiment a bit and see if you can find a way to capture some readers with a few shorter posts and see what happens. You won't know unless you try it.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Howdy, ANNIEE ~
ReplyDeleteOf course, I don't believe in the "best case scenario" you set up in your comment from yesterday.
;o)
But what you said which really got my attention is how people don't read books anymore. I fully agree with you. For the most part, the only books that people will read is fiction spy thriller sh#t, and horror crap by Stephen King, or silly nonsense like Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling write.
In several places on this blog I have commented that conservatives are intellectually lazy. They don't like reading books and would much rather just listen to a Rush Limbaugh or watch a Glenn Beck and get all the information they think they need from those "entertaining" sources rather than actually crack open a book, digest well-researched material in greater detail, and learn to think for themselves.
I have also remarked several times that liberals read more political books than do Conservatives. Of course liberals read bullsh#t political books that fill their heads with half-truths and outright lies, but I will give them credit for being more devoted to their crappy cause than are their enemies, the conservatives.
It's because liberals will read lengthy books and blogs and articles and conservatives rarely do, that liberals are sometimes able to seemingly knock conservatives senseless in debates. In America, no conservative should EVER lose a debate to a liberal (because conservatives actually have the truth on their side), and yet they sometimes do lose debates because they come armed with only the weapons they got from FOX NEWS and Rush Limboob.
One example I have used a few times on this blog is that of the blogger calling himself "The Existentialist Cowboy". (My friend Arlee Bird gave him the new nickname "The Excremental Cowboy." Ha!)
Although Excremental Cowboy posts blog bits that often exceed mine in terms of verbosity by huge margins, he has a couple hundred "Followers". I have 13. Why? Because my blog, which is Constitutional in nature (i.e., "conservative"), is directed toward those with a more politically conservative mind-set, and CONSERVATIVES DON'T READ! My posts are too long for conservatives, but I believe that if I were posting liberal bullsh#t here, I'd have many more "Followers" than I currently do.
'THE COWARDLY COWBOY SPEAKS BUT ONLY “OWNS” THE F-WORD’ (Or, ‘THE EXISTENTIALIST COWBOY PRACTICES CENSORSHIP!’)
Anniee, below is one comment section excerpt from my blog bit titled CLOSING THE KENNEL DOOR AFTER THE DIRTY, MANGY, MARXIST DOG IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>>..."7) Paulboy, first of all, [Glenn] Beck knows damn good and well that few of his viewers are really going to go out there and read the books he recommends because . . . MOST REPUBLICANS DON’T READ BOOKS! They listen to Rush and watch Beck; digesting long written pieces is not their forte. Hell, you can’t even get ‘em to read the Constitution itself!!!"
I know there is a comment section of one of my other blog bits in which I hammered this point home even more insistently, but I can't find it now.
Anyway, Anniee, I think your observation about our lack of book-larnin' is very accurate, and I think it, unfortunately, applies even more so to conservatives than it does to liberals.
Hey, I always wondered why you stopped blogging for so long. Just family issues to deal with? Or did you simply get tired of it and feel you needed an extended break?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI tir'd of blog'n.
~ D-'Dog'
Loy'l Amer'cn Und'rgr'nd
ANNIEE ~
ReplyDeleteI’m back, because I found it! The blog bit in which I really went into the whole “Conservatives Won’t Read” concept – both in the body of the blog installment AND in the comment section - was titled “Painful Lessons”, and it was posted on March 11th of this year.
Here’s a link, just in case ya wanna explore my thoughts on this in greater depth:
”Painful Lessons”.
(I do yak on though.)
~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
Wow. Just...unreal. Thank you so much for that. It doesn't bode well, but I'm a little more informed as to what folks are up to. I have an online friend who reads stacks and stacks of good books (some of which I believe you have recommended, or at least that you would recommend) and then sends boxes of them to me, so I'm lucky that way. I already know I'm getting the good stuff when it shows up. Come to think of it, it's all hardcover, too lol.
ReplyDeleteAre you a Christian fundamentalist?
ReplyDeleteAfter reviewing the relatively spartan feedback here and your lack of new followers, I can sadly only offer you one piece of advice:
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your retirement from blogging.
ANNIEE ~
ReplyDelete>>...Come to think of it, it's all hardcover, too lol.
Ahh, yeah! Now THAT'S a reader!
Hi, DONALD.
No, I'm not a Christian fundamentalist. I don't think of myself as "Christian" period, as I hold a few beliefs (reincarnation being just one of them) that would get me excommunicated from just about every mainstream Christian church today.
I am, however, fully convinced that the majority of The Holy Bible was Divinely inspired and that Jesus was indeed the prophesied Messiah and that He is the Savior of the world. So, in some respects I think that Christians have it right, and in others, I believe they have misinterpreted their own sacred writings.
I am also convinced that this country was founded primarily by Christians and that they never intended to see religion (particularly Christianity) entirely divorced from the public arena. The "Separation Of Church And State" concept, as it is portrayed today, is a myth promulgated by those who have an axe to grind against religion (particularly Christianity). I will be posting a blog bit on this very subject pretty soon.
ANONYMOUS ~
I aim to do that. Thanks.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Why have you removed your book review (and recommendation)of Martin Malachi - Hostage to the Devil?
ReplyDeleteDONALD ~
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. I do own the book you mentioned, but to the best of my recollection (and admittedly, at 51 my memory ain't what it used to be and never was) I have never written anything about 'Hostage To The Devil' on this blog.
I recall having included it in a Listmania List that I created at Amazon.com some years back, but I never wrote a full-length review of the book either there or here.
If that old Listmania List at Amazon has been removed, that was their doing, not mine. Is that what you were referring to? A recommendation on an old Amazon Listmania List? If so, it may or may not still be there - I really don't know.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Hi Stephen -
ReplyDeleteSeveral things.
1) I don't know how to become a follower. I always assumed that I had to be a blogger to somehow become a follower and have set up an icon. This is not my area of expertise.
2) After your discussion with Anniee, I went back and read your Painful Lessons, and our comment exchange. I was pretty "saucy" and - reading it all again - I found it interesting and less vitriolic than I did the first time.
3) I think you are right in your comment that perhaps the circle of people I hang out with read more than the common "conservative". Almost all of my "right-wing" (for lack of the perfect term) friends have read the Constitution and other founding documents, and they read actual BOOKS on a regular basis. I have a few that do not, but very few.
4) But you granted that liberals typically emote rather than use logic, and my opinion is that you give them too much credit for reading. I still believe that they read less than "conservatives", but perhaps there are other reasons that it does not seem so to you. I may be wrong, but perhaps because of age demographics there are more young, tech-savvy people (mostly liberals) blogging about their books than Constitutionalists? Perhaps the forked-tongued Marxists simply are more adept at LOOKING well-read than conservatives? (Like our USAP?). Is he really as well-read as libs credit him? I sincerely doubt it! They call him a "Constitutional Scholar"! HA!
5) I hope you choose to continue with your blogs. I enjoy them, and have learned quite a bit. I will say this publicly to your "five readers": I have already decided to change my next Presidential vote as a result of reading FFFF.
6) As you know, I am way behind on the old stuff, so leave it up so I can eventually catch up, even if you retire!
Mr. Paulboy #VI
Bar-Rag-Breath #VI ~
ReplyDelete1) Well, honestly, how many "official" Followers I have showing up on my blog is and always has been unimportant to me. It's never about "show" with me; it's always "substance" over "style". So, I would be perfectly fine if this blog had zero "official" Followers but 100 persons checking in and reading it regularly without their icons showing.
2) Funny you say that because after posting the link for Anniee, I too went back and reread all of that exchange and I was surprised to find how good it was.
Although we ultimately disagreed, I felt it was a fine exchange between two people who felt strongly about their positions, who were definitely doing some real thinking, and who were able to write passionately but in a civilized way. I didn't think you were too "saucy" at all and I would rate that entire exchange as more exciting than the majority of Super Bowls I've watched over my lifetime.
When you're in the midst of the debate you're too involved to be able to objectively evaluate it, but looking back at it passively some time later after all the embers have died out, you can see it for what it really was. I don't believe either of us has ANYTHING to regret about that exchange and I only wish that ALL of my blog bits at Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends had inspired comments as worthwhile as those were! That was good stuff(s).
3) Yes, I'm steadfastly standing by that observation. Whereas most of your conservative friends HAVE read the Constitution, the majority of "conservatives" in this country have NOT read the entire document even once. Much in the same way (as I stated previously) that most "Christians" have not read the entire Bible even once. I know I got that one RIGHT!
4) No question that liberals are idealists, and with that mind-set comes an emphasis on emotion over logic. But I still maintain that they read more than conservatives do. Most of what they read is crap (and even fewer libs have read the Constitution than have conservatives) but my experiences indicate that overall, they do read more. Especially they're more willing to read lengthy pieces. Conservatives want some meat but they want it wrapped in pudding and in much smaller doses. So, I guess time has not changed the fact that we don't see eye-to-eye on this one point. That's 'ite.
And as for USAP: I consider him neither Constitutional nor Scholarly. He's just a foreign-born con man. But ya know, the majority of Americans fall for these con men. When they say "Hope and Change" (USAP) or "I didn't inhale" (Bubba) or "Smaller government" (W), the people just nod and say, "OK".
5 & 6) I may never retire COMPLETELY, but my output is definitely going to become minimal after 2010. However, I will never delete the things I've already posted because I do believe I've said some worthwhile stuffs and I hope others will find the stuffs as time goes on and after I've moved on. And I will never stop posting and replying to any comments that might be submitted even after I've gone into blogging semi-retirement.
Yak Later, Bro.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
STM,
ReplyDeleteEver consider adding sitemeter to the blog? It takes the guesswork out of who is reading. Also, a wordpress blog would most likely get more attention than blogger.
I recently read your review of The Creature from Jekyll Island (on Amazon)and found my way here.
The attention span of the average American can be measured in nanoseconds but you obviously have the unique gift entertaining and enlightening those who take a few minutes to read.
ANONYMOUS:
ReplyDeleteI thank you so much for your comment and your compliment.
When I first considered which website on which to begin my blog (after being given the boot by Amazon.com), I thought of both Wordpress and Blogger. I chose Blogger because I liked their format and I figured that because it was run by Google, it would probably provide my blog with the most worldwide exposure.
Why a Wordpress blog would get more attention than a Blogspot blog, I can't imagine, but I don't question your opinion, as I am the most computer illiterate person in existence.
Nevertheless, I will admit that I now feel TOTALLY BURNED OUT on the blogging experience, and actually look forward with great eagerness to 2011, when I will cease blogging and take up more productive endeavors. I know I NEED to get back to daily meditation, which I have abandoned since beginning this full-time blogging activity.
I look at my utter failure as a blogger as a sign from my Creator that I need to direct more of my time and energy toward Him.
But I sincerely thank you for taking the time to submit your input. I take your opinion seriously, but feel that God is calling me to abandon this Internet outreach program and return to what is "Within".
I have unequivocally made up my mind that shortly after this year comes to an end, I will cease blogging and redirect my energy.
But, again, I thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Bless And Be Blessed, My Brother!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'