(thanks Mom)
and if I was really deadset on informing you of our latest happenings, I'd probably call you, like maybe during dinner, or something. 
(during dinner)
So, if I'm not motivated by this transference of information, it's the comments that keep me going, the response/appreciation of the reader.
(listening to the masses)
The comment-fiend in me relishes that little "1 Comment" tag below each post, even if it is just my sister Liz, combining invective with affection: "Hey, freaks, we love ya!!!"
(a future comment-fiend)
I've supposed, erroneously, I now see, that if I wrote funny posts I'd get more comments. I called in sick to Life one day, and set upon some research, to discover just how a blogger can win this comments jackpot. Perhaps there's some sort of formula, or image sequence. My latest fish post (which I thought was pretty clever) garnered 1 Comment, my sister assaulting my social status (or perhaps reminding me of it).
(assaulted social status)
I visited all sorts of blogs: personal ones chock-full of recent vacation pictures; political blogs where people discover their true, inner Wolf Blitzer, and write about it; recipe blogs that I purposely left open, hoping that Maria would "get some ideas"; etc.
(Maria getting ideas)
During this online expedition, I discovered what most incited the commenting masses to comment: baby pictures. People just love baby pictures. A baby picture will out-comment a funny story post anyday. A picture of a baby looking intoxicated grabbed Six Comments. A picture of a baby holding a phone upside down to her ear got Five Comments. A picture of a baby wearing what must be her father's cowboy hat picked up an astounding 11 Comments. How can I compete with that? Can I write anything as amusing or comment-worthy as an eighteen-month old riding on top of what one hopes to be a lame Golden Retriever? Maria and I have yet to produce any of these little things, so we are at an obvious disadvantage.
(depressing disadvantage)
I wondered if it was just the situations, if the commenting was independent of the baby presence. Cowboy hats are always funny; maybe the baby didn't even need to be there. If I take a picture of myself chasing a butterfly on the lawn, will the comments get into the double digits? What if I make a mess of the kitchen, or dump the brownie mix on top of my head? Bath pictures?
(staring down the competition)
Anyway, I've decided to experiment on the baby picture theory.
(brown-nosing the commentators)
Thus, have at with your comments.
12 comments:
just have a baby already and update people with pictures of your baby.
I second that. And put you down for two comments at the moment. Cha-ching!
does a comment count if the commentor felt guilted into commenting by the sad story told by the post-writer?
Please Steve, no bath pictures.
Also, people shouldn't think it's funny that that baby doesn't know how to use a phone, they should be worried. Is she going to be dumb???
Sydney taught me (the technology major) how to use google reader. So now I will comment on your blog posts, baby pictures or not.
also, I think at the end of my comments I will type the word verification word to prove to you and the computer that I'm not a robot.
hysiana
(I hate it when I have to press the handicapped button)
Hurry up and have a baby and the comments just come rolling in! All i do is post pictures... you guys actually put alot of thought into your posts!! We love ya
haha... here is my token comment. but only because you asked so nicely. and so creatively. Ironically enough, i believe my blogs are written largely (if not soley) for the attention they receive via comments.
That said... I don't comment on other's blogs that often. Cruel punishment, i know. But its not like the lack of comments means the blog wasn't well read, and appreciated. In fact, its quite the opposite. The blog was so well written (and laughed at) that i am often left without any words of my own. Nothing to add that wouldn't look completly out of place next to the creative (although lie filled) post.
Well.. there you have it. My comment.
I hope you two are doing amazingly!! If you hear of any apartment/house openings in your ward pass the word along.. brett and i are currently on the hunt!
look how cute the babies are!
Hi Steve and Maria: After reading your blogs, and I do, and I check them every day, and I am sad when you have not written anything new, and I made a comment to you personally about the "fish" story and I am not as cleaver as you, and I am old and cannot remember if I have already commented or not, and sometimes I fall asleep before it comes time to comment on blogs. What else can I say? Love you and love your blog. (Baby pics are at the top of my comment list!)
oh lighten up steve,you already have 8 comments cuz your making people write them.and mine makes 9 so hah!
You're hilarious! And smart. One thing I've learned is that pregnant pictures seem to incite even more comments than baby pictures, so if you are really committed to getting comments then you know what you need to do.
For the record, I didn't even know you had a blog until Grandpa Haynie told me, otherwise I might have commented on some of your funniness.
I just read through this post again and thought it was so funny that I linked to it on my blog.
um, hi ...
you don't know me. i don't know you. i don't really remember how i ended up here ... i think this post was linked on the blog of a friend of a friend???
but here's to a dozen comments, eh!
and i swear i'm normal. never been here before. don't stalk you. didn't know the pictures weren't your own children until you told me so...
bye.
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