This is a rant!
I have been inundated this week with comments that are no-reply commenters. Please tell me why you would ask a question and leave no way for the person to reply to you. It is like leaving a phone message without your return number.
I started to copy and paste the comments here in hopes the person would see them, but why cause more distress. If you are in doubt about your profile, check to see if your email is linked. Linked does not mean it is openly displayed, but it allows the blogger to reply to you. Nothing is shown on the blog.
Instead, I thought about why I began to blog and what I wanted to accomplish here. It is to promote quilting in general, to share my experience and knowledge, and have a record of the quilts I make. So.............here is my list of general replies to some very common questions. Take your pick :)
#1. I do not sell patterns. Thank you for the interest and kind remarks. My quilts are made as self-expression. Many of them have a story behind them. I suggest you use the search feature on the side bar to look for posts about the quilt you expressed interest in. Or use the "Labels" feature to look for posts in general.
#2. I no longer teach classes, instead I share all I know here on my blog. Like I stated before, use the search feature to look for information on the topic you are interested in. The Labels feature could also be helpful. It may take some time, but it is free!
#3. Each watercolor quilt is unique. Duplicating them is impossible. But the technique is learn-able. I have a page at the top of the blog "Tutorial for designing...." . Here you will find many links to exact posts full of the details you want. You are free to print out the full tutorial to use on your own. Under the Patterns tab at the top of the blog, there are 2 design guides for value for 2 watercolor projects. I suggest you start there.
#4. I have no idea how much yardage is required for this quilt. Scrap quilts are just that....made from scraps from other projects. In this one, I added background fabric and border fabric as well as binding. In general a queen quilt might take about 8 yards of fabric......if the blocks are scraps, who know???? And don't forget the backing.
#5. A fabric stash is built over years.....not with a single shopping trip. I bought what I could afford along the way. For building a floral stash, I bought many fat quarters because you can get a lot of 2'' squares out of a 1/4 yard cut. But yardage of at least one to two yards is needed for borders and featured parts.
#6. I have no idea. Buy a book, or check out Pinterest for information.
And I will call it a day on this! Happy stitching.
22 comments:
well, I am not surprised you got a big response from the lattice quilt. It caused me to pull out scraps and start on one. Mine is not as pretty as yours, and I can't quite figure that out yet but will keep at it. I've had trouble for years with the no response issue, and cannot seem to correct it, so I just put my email on my blog. If I ask a question I include it in the comment. I have questions all the time, and if there is no email included, I just reply under their question on my blog and figure they'll check back or someone else might want to know the answer too. Your info and inspiration is a wonderful resource and we're all grateful, don't fret! LeeAnna
Thanks for the great post. I agree, so many question, no way to get back to the person. I probably have 40% of my comments coming from no reply people. And......they just need to do a little detective work themselves going to the search box (top left on the blog) and the label list most of the time.
I am so appreciative of the commentators who do have links.
Sadly Google's default account settings end up as a no-reply blogger so most people don't even realize it. Then, Google made a change last year which I think caused accounts to go back into a no-reply status (or at least that is how I explain what happened to me). I do think I'm no longer a no reply blogger (hopefully).
Years ago, I would periodically do a post and list the names, with links to their profiles, of who was leaving comments and had a no-reply status. It helped to get their status issues fixed, but was slow and time consuming.
I also think that the changes to Google have made it difficult for people to figure out where they need to make their changes and there has not been much documented in blogland to show people how to check & ultimate fix. Maybe we need a blog hop to unite and provide a public service announcement on this topic.
Some people who used to leave comments on my blog were bounced to no reply comment by google. I tried to tell them, because I knew their emails, but they felt frustrated to find where to change it and did not do it. I remember when google did something and it disabled getting comments. I was grateful to quilt bloggers who showed me how to correct that. Google help is not help.
I am so glad you share your gorgeous quilts and techniques.Thank you, thank you.
Great post. I don't get too many no-reply commenters anymore. Over the years, most of mine just emailed me comments instead of posting comments. I think many people feel their email is "out there" but it really isn't. Hope you have a great weekend. It's too warm here to be outside. ~Jeanne
Good post. Yes, I also dislike noreply comments. I so want to reply and then I can't. I even get them when I have a giveaway and tell them that with noreply, if no email address, then no entry. I even had one lady leave the message that I could reply to her thru her blog (no email address there, either). I wont' post on someone's random blogpost just to reply to a comment that they made on my blog. Oh well.
I like #6!! - I learned what I know from the hundreds, if not thousands, of books that I bought over the years - BEFORE the internet. Or you could "google" it!
I get no-reply commenters, too - I reply to the people I know - and check the profiles of the others. If they have a blog - maybe I can find their email address there - but if not - oh, well - the end. If you want a reply - I need your email address.
My rant - I totally agree with #2 - "use the search feature to look for information on the topic you are interested in." I personally don't use labels because they are time consuming for me - and I have NO idea what you might be interested in - the labels would be the same as your "search word" anyway - ;))
Everyone is allowed to rant on occasion!
So true, and so frustrating. I know that mine was reset to 'no-reply' without my knowledge. Thank goodness for a long time blogger friend who let me know and how to fix it.
I’m with you on the no-reply, and several months ago, I decided to quit feeling badly about it. Even in my recent giveaway, I’m going to estimate at least half of the entries were no-reply, even with the notation in the body of my blog that people couldn’t win if I can’t contact them. It is very frustrating to be unable to answer questions or respond to certain comments. At least one reader comments with a new question after every post. Months have gone by, and she never gets a reply from me, Still, she persists with questions, and I think, doesn’t she wonder why she never gets a response? So, I’m kind of done worrying about these folks, and I quit trying to accommodate.
Most people don't realize they are noreply. I think it just happens sometimes... shoot, I may be no reply, I don't know. lol I try to let people know when they pop up no reply by going to their blog and leaving a comment. It is very frustrating, for sure!!
I don't have a blog but I read many and comment often. Your rants are perfectly justified. In fact, I'd add another. Commenters who ask a question that was already answered in the blog post, like what size is the quilt or the pattern name, etc. I'm glad you reminded readers to use the labels (and the search box) to go back to previous posts. When I first found your blog I spent hours going back and reading old posts, especially those on your process for watercolors.
Now in defense of some of the no-reply people, they may very well not even realize they are no-reply, so this post may be a wake-up call to some to check their profiles. I also recall that several bloggers in the past have had detailed directions for how to fix no-reply status. Unfortunately, because of all the changes with Blogger, Google and the European privacy rules, those old directions may be out-dated. And for those people who are no-reply by choice and don't want to leave their email address in their comment, they should send a private email to you to ask their questions.
Oh dear, I've created a rant in a comment, I fear.
It's obvious your frustrations are shared by many other bloggers, so thanks for bringing the topic up again. I love your blog and know how much work you put into it. Thanks for sharing your designs and talents so freely with all of us.
Pat
I had no idea that sometimes google reverted people back to no reply. Will check mine! I admire the patience of many bloggers who need to deal with human frailty daily on their blogs, answering repetitive questions, dealing with people with "unfortunate attitudes". That's why I will only leave positive comments. Thanks for all your efforts.
Not sure what I need to do to get my profile back to "reply" mode but for the time being I will click the box under this comment that says "Email follow-up comments to....." Hope this gets to you Debbie & thanks for your patience.
I really don't understand why comment and ask a question - but don't tick the box for a no reply.
All very weird. I'm not the Kerry who posted the comment on 21 July. I leave comments using my Google ID where my user name is 52KID and then just prove I'm not a robot. I don't recall asking a question - if I comment, it's just normally some positive feedback that doesn't need a reply?
AHA - I don't normally tick the Email follow-up comments box, because on other places if I do something like that, I get replies to all comments. I'll tick it on our site in future to be safe. Sorry you're getting so much drama.
Ah - another Kerry - that was me on the 21st. When I was a child I was the only Kerry in the school and it was, in those days, a boy's name. Nowadays I go shopping and often hear a very irate lady shouting "Kerry!" and I think ooer what have I done? But it is directed at her own naughty child!
It's OK, Debbie knows me from elsewhere - I made a floral trips and Debbie was the inspiration. It still needs borders, but the veg patch beckons when the weather is cool enough to work out there!
:D
Well you did say it was a rant, but it certainly was an informative one for all the no-reply commenters and I'm sure will set folks straight with the points you make. Good for you.
I just found you today, from your comment on Bonnie H's blog. Just want to say your quilt is gorgeous. I am on the road tight now, but plan to sign up for alerts later. pretty sure I am set up for replies, but will double check that later, too. hoping you have a wonderfully quilty day.
Thans for sorting out my problem for me Kerry. It's all good now, and nice to know there are two of us. I had another Kerry in primary school, spelled the same way, but now the only other Kerry I know is a man.
Lol! Kerrys united! Nice to meet you! My mum loved the name but she thought I was going to be a boy (hah!)she and my father knew a Kerry in the Canadian Air Force during the war so I guess I was named after him. It was actually his surname! It was a boys name in those days definitely - I remember Kerry Packer who was involved in cricket - an Australian tv rich guy - years ago. Add my middle name to the mix and for many years - even after I was married, I had junk mail addressed to Mr! I knew a Kerrie from Australia and the Welsh version is Ceri. Ciarrai in Irish gaelic, so I think I'll stick to the original Kerry! :D
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