Monday, November 09, 2009

Invitation to Join this Blog

Friend Connect added


Today, I added a Friend Connect widget in the right sidebar of Prairie Bluestem. Friend Connect is a fairly new application that Google has made available. I've decided to try it and see if this blog's readers are interested in it.

Joining Prairie Bluestem through Friend Connect is a great way to show that you are a fan. But beyond that, Friend Connect can help this blog's readers get acquainted with each other. When the readers know each other better, a community of people with shared interests can form around this and other blogs and websites that they enjoy.

As a member (follower) of Prairie Bluestem, you can choose (or choose not) to allow other Prairie Bluestem members to send messages to you. You can also choose (or choose not) to allow me to send you messages.

You can become friends with other members. And you can choose (or choose not) to share news about yourself with other members -- such as the sites you've joined, people you've become friends with, etc.

When you join a new site you like, you can invite your friends to join it too. You can also block and "un-friend" people if you find out you don't like them. If you use other social networking sites, such as Facebook, many of these features will sound familiar.

Please click on an icon for someone who is already a member here. You will see a list of the blogs that person follows. Maybe you will enjoy reading some of those blogs -- and maybe you will see that person  in the comments at some of those blogs. You see, already you know that member of Prairie Bluestem a little better. That's Friend Connect working.

If you have a Blogger profile, the blogs you are following are listed on your profile (and on your Blogger dashboard) so it's easy for you to read them. And others can discover the good blogs that you are reading when they look at your Blogger profile. For an example, please check out my profile and the blogs I'm following.

If you join this blog, and later, you decide you've made a bad mistake, just visit here again, sign in from the Friend-Connect widget, and on your member page, click "Stop following this site."

In conclusion, I want to make two things clear.
  1. You are always welcome on this blog, and you are always invited to write comments here, whether or not you become a follower.
  2. I won't be hurt or angry if my readers choose not to become followers. I understand completely that it's often best to keep things simple. Please come and enjoy the blog, just as you always have.

Friend Connect is just something extra for those who are interested. So let's give it a try. It will be fun to watch it and see what happens.


Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-020731-E DLC]

4 comments:

ptg said...

Thanks for explaining Friend Connect so thoroughly and clearly. I should add this to my own sorely neglected blogs, but will probably have to wait until my complicated move to New Mexico is done.

Genevieve Netz said...

Well, I thought of one more thing that I should have explained. It's also possible to follow/join a blog anonymously. If you do that, your picture and information are never shown in the widget. It is never disclosed on your public Blogger profile that you are following that blog. I think the only place the blog appears is in your list of followed-blogs on your Blogger dashboard page (which is password-protected, of course).

Anonymous said...

Hello! I just found your site and THANK YOU for explaining this blogger feature...I didn't know how it worked!
I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts!

Genevieve Netz said...

Thanks for joining, Mrs. Bee. I enjoyed my visit to your blogs -- your retro theme is right down my alley. :)

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
(Author unknown)

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)

Thanks for reading.