Following. You Follow A Person Because ...
They're a great writer? Interesting? Their online persona? They're popular with others? Everyone else has, why not? They're reciprocal? Fun/funny? Share your views? You're reciprocal?
I ask because some days I appear to accrue followers/fans *cringes at the words* and I don't know the reason why.
They don't appear to interact with me or let me know they've arrived (you know, by saying hello by way of 'fan mail' *cringes again).
You all know what I mean.
For the record - I do it because I enjoy a combination of what the hubber writes about and because of their Hubber personality. A rare event and I rarely leave comments these days ... but I still get quietly round.
If anyone takes the 'ump with me for any of the above and wants to exit my fan club *shudders* I'm good.
Curiosity kills the cats. Not frogs
ditto frog
For the record - I do it because I enjoy a combination of what the hubber writes about and because of their Hubber personality. A rare event and I rarely leave comments these days ... but I still get quietly round.
just like dat!
cheers
but if it's a dude , shooks can't believe anything, i mean anything!
What's a girl to do?
Oh right go home to spouse
Frog thanks for bringing me around again
Are there smoking hot toads? Just curious, well it could be relevant
I always visit anyone who follows me but do not always follow back - I also note anyone who writs poetry and visit when they write anew hub and follow if they are writing poetry
I occasionally follow frogs and other assorted objectionable things alsoThanks guys. I was just a-wonderin'
*gulps*
Edit: dunno why the first quote box appears. It shouldn't as I edited it out. And it doesn't show on the preview either. Sorry for the waste of space. I'm sure alternate poet is too
- DoorMattnomoreposted 13 years ago
0I fan/follow/stalk people becuase I like the person they either are, or I believe they are. I base this on hubs, profile info, forum comments, a vivid imagination, and sometimes.....emails.
I hope your jaw is healing?Yes, thankyou. Glad the infection is behind me *nods*
- AMBASSADOR BUTLERposted 13 years ago0
Ok. I won't. We won't. They won't. Go in fan-lessness
And then again.... there are some bugs that Kiwis don't like the taste of
I follow members here because some really do Need to have a Kiwi in their fanpile!!
(They keep wood slaters, bugs and frogs at check
)
And if you need to have a Kiwi in your fanpile... you might as well have a really Good Looking One... 
:PD - frogs can't be checked. Only green. As for good looking? You really oughta know that your current pic is not your best side ...
Just saying ...
I follow people whose writing intrigues me or those that I think can teach me something. You know, this old dog needs a few new tricks every now and then.
And who wouldn't follow you with such cute avatar?!
You are a sock lrohner. Is the a la mode right now? Should I wear one? Over me head?
I follow another hubber if I think they are cool and there are some cool hubbers here....in fact I've followed myself numerous times, I have no shame!
Thankyou kimberley
How do you follow you yourself Wayne? Is that possible? Or are there many you's?
I used to be a follower, but what with my new ankle bracelet…My reply to this thread came out longer than I would have planned (as my replies so often do
), but I left it uncut because I thought it was a good chance to say what I've often thought people I don't follow (but may go looking for in spite of that) knew (or else wish the people who follow me but I don't follow back knew).
I follow people who write the kind of stuff I'm most likely to enjoy reading. Usually, those are people who write a mix of Hubs that include writing done "for the sake of writing". They're kind of "general-writing" Hubbers. Once in a while I may see a niche writer and follow because of that.
Sometimes there's someone who I think I'd probably like as a person, but if they write, say, fiction, I don't follow them because I don't read fiction. (I need my reading time for non-fiction.) There may be someone who writes amazingly professional or otherwise impressive Hubs about things like technology or products. I don't follow them, because if I want information about technology I'll search for it. Technology isn't my "thing", so there's no sense getting a string of technology Hubs run by me. I don't follow people who write nothing but product Hubs. I'm not interested in reading about products I'm not buying, and if I'm buying, I'll search. Again, no point having a string of Hubs run by me if I'm not looking for a parade of products/services I'm not on the watch for.
Sometimes when I have a little extra time (or else if I have time when I see that someone has followed me) I'll go to their profile and see if they write the kind of stuff I enjoy reading. If they do, I'll follow them. If I get there and discover they write about nothing but hunting and fishing, or refrigeration (or something), I don't follow them.
There are Hubbers I think I'd like "as people" and Hubbers whose writing I admire tremendously but don't follow - just because, in general, what they write about isn't a subject I usually read about when I have reading time.
What doesn't show up in "who follows who" is that much of the time I go looking for specific Hubbers just to browse, even though I don't follow them for the above reasons. I don't need to follow these people, though, because I know where they are and often just click on their name if I'm in the mood to browse. I suppose I should (maybe?) follow these people to "show support" and give them the extra follower, but I pretty much try to stick with doing things they way I think "we're supposed to be doing things" (according to what I've seen/interpreted when it comes to how HubPages has things set up). Besides (and I'm not just saying this to skulk out looking "anti-social" by not following people I like or admire), but there are a whole lot of people I think I'd like or whose writing I admire. I can't follow all of them, based on liking them or admiring their Hubs only. I'm pretty much all about the writing and the reading on this site.
Maybe HubPages needs a new kind of thing: "Writing Admirer" (people whose writing we like), "Like" (Hubbers we find likable), "Hubbing Accomplishment Admirer" (people whose earnings success, traffic, or other HubPages accomplishment we admire), and "Reciprocal Follower" (We all know what it is, and that we aren't supposed to do this one; but it's hard to overcome that sense of appreciation or fairness when someone else follows us. ) Oh, and the "General Support" category (People we just kind of want to give a little Hubbing support to, even though we have no particular reason to follow them. )
On the fan mail thing: I don't send fan mails because - believe it or not - when things were different than they are now, I didn't really see how/where to send fan mail to people. So, I didn't get in the habit of it. Now it's more obvious how to send people fan mail, so I suppose I should re-think that not-in-the-habit thing I got into. (I know I could have learned, or sent someone an e.mail instead of fan mail, before; but when the urge to send a fan mail hit I didn't have the time to figure out how to send it - and then when I wasn't in a fan-man-thinking mode, I'd forget to ask about somewhere. (I live with a concentration problem (a lot on my mind) that acts up sometimes more than other times, so - really - I can run into some ridiculous stumbling blocks sometimes. )And that's part of what makes you unique Lisa. Never say less when more will do
I am curious though - are you as wordy in person. Or do you find writing out your thoughts far easier than verbalising them?
Thankyou for your detailed, well thought out reply.
@ Wayne ... are you sure? Maybe you're other you's are just echos of the real you. Like ... imaginary friends
@ ralwus - I saw that
@ lrohner ... gee thankyou. But you didn't answer. Why are you a sock?
@ mega - can't fault you. Honesty is usually the best policy. Excepting when honesty won't do
@ cags - ty. Simple, concise. The way I like instructions
Wow, Lisa HW - that sounds so much like the way I think. It feels good to read what you wrote, and I am so glad you wrote it, every word.
- ralwusposted 12 years ago0
- zampanoposted 12 years ago0
You're welcome Frog.
(((HUGS))) I'm with you WG, my sentiments and all that. BTW - my car reg plate actually says RBT ... ribbit. And it looks like a crouching frog too
I'm happy to have any followers and most comfortable if they don't leave any notes. I think the main thing with me is that I like simplicity (or at least complexity in direct proportion to the the original thing). It takes a fraction of a second to click "follow". It shouldn't involve more time than that to explain why.
I don't know... but someone must know why regularly adding a note could seem unbalanced (or something).
- ralwusposted 12 years ago0
It never occurred to me to think there should be a note ("fan mail" - another cringer, here) when someone "follows". (I'm actually kind of uncomfortable (for one reason or another) about "fan mail" - which is maybe why I haven't made more of an effort to send it
).- ralwusposted 12 years ago0
- ralwusposted 12 years ago0
@ lrohner ... ahhhhh the mystery is solved - ty
Did the ferrets do their job?
@ ralwus and mega ... behave. The decorum is fast slipping away
@ Lisa ... you fan mail *cringe* and the words fan or follower *cringe* have the same effect on meI just received fan mail yesterday which says apart from other things thanks for following me, I have not and may not.
I generally read a couple of hubs and see if their topics interest me and then follow. Following is based on common interest.
I do find it difficult to follow people who don't tell me why they follow, either through a comment or fan mail.
I have noticed that when I don't follow someone back some of them unfolllow, that is okay with me.
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