are you lurking?

this blog (as of 12/17/11) is hosted by a division of Google... most of my stuff is.  but google is kinda messing with my head!

part of the way google is taking things is unifying all the services - for example, the 'about me' page was just changed from the old school general about page, and now links to my G+ page.  i think it's kinda cool... but, there's also a new interface for the blogger system, it's cool, but it gives me more information, just enough to mess with my head.

i've apparently made 99 blog posts (this is magic 100)... not a lot, but i don't blog that often.

however, it claims i've had 500 unique visitors - this makes me wonder, WHO??  i've had a few comments, i've had a few people tell me they read this, but 500?

and it's such a tease, because i have no idea who it is unless they comment on things.  the integration into the G+ system is cool, but that tells you about me, not me about you.

i've had some problems with the new system... well, confusion in how the system is setup.  it seems that some of the things i've wanted to share (pictures, video, Latitude info, link secured YouTube things, etc) cause the system to need the viewer to log in with a Google account.

i'm not a fan of this, because not everyone has a google account - and not everyone wants to set one up - and not everyone wants to deal with another account.... bleh.

however, i recently had someone i know complain to me that she likes to read my blog when she's bored, and she couldn't see it a few days ago - this was because of these new settings.  she claimed it was fixed by logging in.  i had no idea this was happening - because so few tell me their thoughts!

so lurkers, if you have something to say SAY IT - if she hadn't said anything, the world would think my blog had stopped existing by now, ha.

and really - why lurk?  i get that maybe you don't have anything to say, maybe the post you just read didn't stir up any thoughts... i guess that's possible.  but for those of you who are being sneaky since i can't tell you're following my life and you feel like you need to check up on me for some reason... wtf is wrong with you?

if you really don't know me, and you're just getting someone else's opinion - awesome.  if you knew me years and years ago, and you're just reading what i'm up to - right on.  but if you and i are friends who talk in person or online... even if it's every so often, then speak up!  i'd love to hear anyone's thoughts.

seriously people, if you know me well enough to have spoken to me in the last year in one form or another, then say hello... or say something!  think about it - if we're friends, i want to hear your thoughts!  if we aren't friends, and you're just secretly stalking me on the internet, that's just creepy.  the less we talk, the creepier it gets - do you want to be a creeper?  do you like knowing you're that creeper?

here's reality - if you don't talk to me, but if people realize you're well versed in me and my life - you look creepy, and it's YOUR fault.  there are plenty of people in my life that i don't talk to often, but i still talk to them every so often, it's ok to keep in touch!  but if we only talk by accident, yet you're still keeping tabs on me because i'm a hot topic or because you have some odd interest in me, that's creepy.  if you're reading this now, you know it's creepy - so say hello, at least make it less creepy... at least give people a reason to understand how you're out with your girlfriends and know all i blog about but never rarely talk to me.  ya know?

and really, if i'm so interesting to you, i'd rather you say hello somehow.  say hi on facebook, send me a tweet, email me, invite me out with you and those girlfriends - buy my broke ass a drink!