What New Blogger Wants

What Blogger WantsReading Harry Sufehmi’s latest post which guides me to some other links with similar topic I come to know that there’s a case in which a new blogger got frustrated and ended up deleting her blog. The reason: none of the “elder” blogger care enough to comment in her blog.

Well, that might raise another question I consider important: what does actually a new blogger want the most from his/her more senior blogger as a show of support?

When I started blogging actively last year (May 2005), I learned and read a lot about blogging tips in English from various sources available and in Bahasa Indonesia from Enda’s blog in particular and many other Indonesian bloggers.What I needed at the time is a good and step-by-step tutorial for a really newbie like me on how to build a blog, make use of it and drive a little bit traffic and visitors. I never thought then how to get a comment although I did make a comment every now and then in other blogs. So for me reciprocal comment is not an issue. What I needed the most, as I read many SEO tips and guides back then, was a linkback. One linkback from a good blog/website will make your blog known to Google and other major search engines and good traffic should start by then. When the search engines recognise your blog and traffic flowing in, what you need is only one: good and regularly updated content. And that shouldn’t be a problem.

That’s why I was so happy when I came to know that Enda Nasution had linked to this blog. He’s the first and only senior Indonesian blogger who generously gives a link to any new blogger like me without any expectation of reciprocity, something I can’t afford to do. So, to me, giving a linkback to a new blogger is more important as a show of support than any other kind, including giving comment.

Having said that, I am aware of the fact that different person has different priority on what they expect from their relatively more senior blogger as a sign of fraternity and support. If any new blogger really cares about this thing, you may care to write in the comment box below of what you expect from any more senior blogger as a feedback for them. Let me give some choices in case you’re in a blank mood. Mind you, this ‘questionnaire’ applies to any new blogger, not only confined to Indonesian blogger:

1. Commenting on your blog regularly in every post or once is enough;
2. Linking to your blog;
3. Say Hi! in your shoutbox everytime you say Hi! in their shoutbox;
4. Giving tutorial blog;
5. Responding to your comment in your own blog, not in a blog you’ve commented on.
6. Giving advice and opinion in your blog on what should and should’nt be done.
7. Other.

Update: Cosa Aranda feels that comments is important, even indirectly suggest that many comments is tantamount to a recognition and even the very “existence” of a particular blog. That’s why he feels blogging in Bahasa Indonesia is necessary for him to drive readers’ comments as blogging in foreign language, such as English, make Indonesian bloggers are reluctant to respond for language barrier. For me, as stated above, comment is not important at the same time am grateful if any.