Questions, Questions, Questions: The WordPress Community Experiment

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Last December I asked a set of seven questions to the WordPress community and invited anyone and everyone to participate. The response that I received was incredible, and the resulting answers gave me a small insight into the blogging world and it’s members.

Since then, my following has tripled, I have received nearly A QUARTER OF A MILLION views (I still can’t believe that) and over the last eight months I have ‘met’ and formed small relationships with lots of wonderful people, so I thought it would be a nice idea to do this experiment again. It isn’t a blog party, so please don’t leave links to your general posts, but it (if enough people participate) will provide a great opportunity for bloggers to meet new people who share similar interests. You don’t have to follow this blog, or have a lot of blogging experience to participate.

Here’s how it works:

Answer the questions below, either in your own post (link it back to this one) or in the comment section below. They can be as short or as detailed as you like.

The post will remain open for the next three days, during which I will compile all the answers. Any answers you provide will be directly linked to your blog, and I will include examples of everybody’s answers in the follow up post.

1. How did you create the title for your blog?

2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?

3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?

4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?

5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?

6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?

7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?

 

I’m looking forward to reading your answers! Feel free to invite your bloggy friends to participate – share, reblog, and retweet to your hearts content!

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog, and you can also find me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks

THIS EXPERIMENT HAS NOW ENDED. COMMENTS HAVE NOW BEEN DISABLED ON THIS POST. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED!

 

 

109 thoughts on “Questions, Questions, Questions: The WordPress Community Experiment”

  1. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    Simple really. My blog is about vintage rock (60s, 70s and 80s music) so I called it
    http://vintagerock.wordpress.com/
    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Keep at it. I blog each and every day, and it has become a habit now.
    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    I write about rock concerts that I have attended. I have had quite a few comments and emails from others who have been at the same concert, including someone who was sitting next to me in one instance (we could tell from our seat numbers on the old ticket stubs). Spooky.
    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    I have had lots of positive comments about the concerts I have been to, with quite a few people saying they are jealous.
    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    I would go back and see The Beatles in concert in 1963 or 1964. I was too young to have seen them.
    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    John, Paul, George or Ringo
    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    I was a teenage rock fan.
    Peter
    http://vintagerock.wordpress.com/

  2. 1. How did you create the title for your blog? The DMB song “Grey Street” described my life spectacularly at the time.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers? Blog about whatever is on your mind as long as you are mindful about not being offensive.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had? Being told that parents like me should give up on my child improving through OT/PT/Speech therapy by the psychology director of a big city children’s hospital. Unbeknownst to me, Medicaid was about to stop paying for therapies for children with chronic disabilities.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you? I will always be here for you.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit? The moments before my daughter was to receive her first mercury containing vaccine.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose? Jodie

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called? Recovering From Cluelessness ??

    • Morning! You can either answer the questions in my comment section or if you include your own post you can link to mine by copying and pasting the URL from this post into your own, and it will automatically link up. Hope that helps?

  4. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    I’m Ronovan and I Write.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Pace yourself in blogging. Set a schedule. You can write as much as you like, but you don’t have to post it all as you complete it unless it is a time sensitive subject. I border on burnout daily, hourly.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    Waking up in the hospital without knowing who I am.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    My Daddy.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    My home moments before I fell and suffered the concussion that took my memories away.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Suzie, but I think people might look at me oddly.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    The Cracked Skull

    • You always have a way of making me smile. So glad I follow your blog! 🙂 AND for those of you who do not, DO SO at this very moment. 🙂 Have a great day.

      • Thank you Rachael. Anyone reading this needs to follow you more than follow me. 1) You’re nicer 2) You’re more talented and 3) You are obviously better looking than I am.
        Much Appreciation of You
        Ronovan

  5. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    It was my name and saved me having to think too much.
    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Be true to yourself and don’t try to cater to others.
    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    I’ve had people reply to posts in poetic preachy form trying to be clever: it isn’t, just annoying.
    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    Will you go out with me. And in blogging, I needed those words, thank you.
    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    The Himalayas before anyone else had climbed them.
    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    I like my own.
    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    The Creature from the Black Lagoon (make that dark lagoon as the other titles taken)

  6. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    I’m currently a student, and at the time I started my blog I was feeling particularly reflective, and so boom = A Reflective Student

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    You won’t get 100,000 views on your first blog post. You will start off small, but regular, interesting posts, full of passion will generate traffic. You will meet other incredible bloggers too, there to support you and provide you with advice.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    Me and my brother got lost on a ferry to Spain once. We were young, but it was so strange trying to find our parents on this massive boat.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    “I’m very proud of you”

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    I would go back to when I was in year 2 in primary school. It was my last day at school and we had a summer party in the playground and I remember thinking to myself that I never wanted to leave year 2. Honestly, the best fun!

    5. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    I wouldn’t; I really like my first name. It’s Latin and mean lioness.

    6. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    The best of a Reflective Student

  7. 1. How did you create the title for your blog? I’m taking Dr. Oz’s advice for a year and his name is perfectly suited to “The Whiz-ard That is Dr. Oz”. I changed the spelling of wizard to avoid law suits.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers? Once you figure out what your theme is, you have to remember it each and every time you post. I can’t write about fashion and celebrity in my blog unless I can find a creative way to bring it back to health and Dr. Oz’s advice.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had? I’ve had too many to count. Every subway ride can become a strange experience. I’ve had hair sniffers, people tell me that their children were kidnapped by aliens and that I have to help get them back, I’ve dealt with flashers and a host of other things that make living in a big city a melting pot of oddities.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you? That I’m a great aunt.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit? I know it sounds trite when there are so many interesting people to meet, but I would love to go to my grandparents’ wedding.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose? Rose – I used to run around when I was a kid telling everyone that my name was Jill Rose. It’s a very old fashioned name but it’s still better than Apple or North.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called? Not a Girl, Not Yet a Cougar – sort of like the Britney Spears song – “Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” but I’m passed the age where I can say that with a straight face.

  10. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    The essence of a favourite song chimed with the moment

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Ignore blogging advice of others – it’s organic, and can be polished from the off.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    Hallucinating on LSD

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    Will you marry me?

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    My teenage self to warn against making major life decision based on love for the wrong me

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Eve

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    The return of the blogger who never went away

  11. 1. How did you create the title for your blog? greatsnaps, goodtimes and me I wanted a title that was upbeat and focused on what I would be blogging about: Slice of life experiences and photography.
    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers? Just do it. Hit the “Publish” button. Don’t be afraid that it isn’t good enough or that no one will like it.
    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had? My husband is in the Army and when we lived in Kansas he came home on a Monday and told me that we were moving to Ft. Drum, New York that Friday. This was just after 9/11 and the army needed him to deploy to the Middle East. So…we packed up our household goods, four kids, two cats and one dog and off we drove to New York on Friday.
    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you? My 20 year old daughter told me I was the most important person in her life and her best friend.
    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit? I would go back to high school so that I could try again, this time with confidence. Popularity wouldn’t be my goal; I just didn’t live life to its fullest because I was incredibly shy and worried about what others thought of me. How I Overcame My Shyness
    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose? Bella. This is my dog’s name and I think it’s pretty and feminine.
    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called? Estrogen Overload…I have four daughters who are 21, 20, 18 and 15. Good times!!!

  12. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    I love islands and when I set up the blog I was listening to Lykke Li’s “I follow rivers”. I hope she won’t mind! 😉

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    If you’re not inspired by the Daily Prompt don’t force it. Every time I struggled and still attempted a post hoping people will read it, I actually had less views. People should know you for your quality, not quantity.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    I drank a shake in a bar on Koh Phangan… no further comments necessary I think..

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    My boyfriend said to me once “We will both grow old and let’s face it, not look youthful and fabulous any more. But you have wonderful personality so you will always be the most beautiful person in the world to me.”

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    I’d travel to the year 2250 hoping to see flying cars, colonies on Mars and a cure for AIDS.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    To be honest, I love my first name and can’t think of one I’d rather have.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    Confessions of a Sugarholic

  14. Gracious, this is fun… thank you for this opportunity!
    1) How did you create the title for your blog? Well, the main title, rather a practical thought as I use my full name all through social media so the blog title came about to LINK everything, however the subtitle came about because I wanted to identify those words I would want others to use to describe me.
    2) What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers? RESPOND to the blogs you read. People LOVE to engage with you so let them KNOW you are there!
    3) Strangest experience you’ve ever had? Working at in Int’l border crossing and a naked man walked in and asked my supervisor for a cigarette and a light, then walked back out into the rain.. we all just stared as each of us was speechless.
    4) What’s the best thing that anybody ever said to you? It was when my father told me he read this one book I wrote, every night before he went to bed (a wee book of poetry, prose and photographs) and he actually would quote it to me when we spoke weekly!
    5) When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit? The MOON to witness the first ever, man on the moon.
    6) If you had to choose a new first name, what would you choose? Emily
    7) If you were a B movie, what would it be called? The Perfection of Pollyanna
    cheers

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  21. 1) I wanted a name that reflected the contents of the blog. Mary J “WhateverIcancomeupwith” didn’t seem quite right, so I searched for a word that meant “assortment.” I chose to use the first part of my name with the word “melange.” 2) Advice: Go out and follow other bloggers, boldly write what you’ve never written before, and have fun with it. 3) When I worked in another city, I found out my “twin” (the one they say you always have) worked in the same building. For a year, we had fun taunting and fooling those who knew us. 4) When a friend told me that she was “proud” of me for making it through my divorce and told me how much happier I had become. It was validation that I did the right thing. 5) I would want to go 100 years in the future, anywhere, to see what has become of the planet and its people. 6) Alex…perhaps because I had always wanted to have a girl and name her Alexandria. 7) “Exploits of a former Biker Chick”

  22. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?

    I gave some thought about my goal for personal blogging – which was to write about my thoughts, share helpful tips and tell tales about my interesting life — Thoughts, Tips and Tales.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?

    If you don’t have anything interesting to say that day, just don’t do a blog post. (Why do people write about why they’re not writing???)

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?

    Dating as an adult. Four of my horror stories have been published on my blog so far but there are a lot more where those came from!

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?

    The executive director at work (large, worldwide organization) wrote the following statement on his well-read blog last year (about me managing the internal communications blog) — and he’d never done that before or after about anyone else. “… If you ever get the chance to meet Diane XX, please thank her and give her some feedback. She is amazing and we are lucky to have someone like her as a part of our team. Her enthusiasm and desire to help is second to none.”

    That had to be the high point of my working life!

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?

    I’m happy here and now.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?

    Jennifer. Used to type “mini-novels” on my mom’s old manual typewwriter as a preteen starring (who else?) myself as Jennifer, the beautiful, cool teenager with a fabulous boyfriend.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?

    Truth is stranger than fiction.

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  25. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    It was the name of the website that I created during my Ph.D. (which I have quit since then). Originally it was Science Fiction, Media and Fandom, but evolved into Science Fiction, Transmedia and Fandom as I did more research work. Save for gender studies, it reflects my main fields of work as an independent researcher, writer and public speaker.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Take time for the look of your site. A clear organization and easy navigation does wonder, including in categories and tagging. It helps people dig into your content when they don’t spend forever figuring out where things are. The actual content can change with time and become more or less niche like than you originally thought, but a good layout and settings will always help.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    I don’t wish to publicly discuss this.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    That I was strong, creative and inspiring.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    I’m not interested in time travel but would love to visit other inhabited planets.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    I like mine. Some of my characters’ names are nicknames I answer to, so they are also part of me.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    Runezilla in the Land of Muses.

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  28. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    I was looking for imagery. Butterflies represent freedom and Sand represents impermanence.
    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Write, write and write some more, even if you don’t like what you have written it comes from you so it has value
    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    A man in Alaska propositioned me. He had been drinking. His buddies stepped in and apologised. An official from a cruise ship was running across the street to ‘rescue me’. I was flattered.
    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    That they enjoyed what I have written.
    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    Year 5000, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I want to see if we make it.
    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Ella
    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    “My Time Is Now” and its sequel “Damn, That Was Fun!”

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  35. 1. How did you create the title for your blog? My friend Dave came up with the name “The Return of the Modern Philosopher”. Modern Philosophers was the name of a screenplay I wrote a long time ago, and I took the characters from it to write the article in a zine I published. It just made sense for the Modern Philosopher to return when I started a blog.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers? Post something new every day and answer every comment from your readers because they are your customers. Give them new things to read and connect with them in your comments, and they will come back again and again.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had? Being a guest on a talk show to promote my movie. I’m used to writing for TV or watching it, not being on it. It freaked me out.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you? I hate a meeting with Dr. Dre about the possibility of his buying my bank robbery script. He told me, “You are one sick mother$%^&*” and that’s the coolest compliment I’ve ever received about my writing. And it was from Dr Dre!

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit? I’d go back to Brooklyn in the first three years of my life so I could meet my Mom.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose? Albus

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called? The Attack of the Modern Philosopher

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  39. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    It seems like everything I say is part of a bad conversation. So every post is Another Bad Conversation.

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Edit your posts well so that it looks like you care! (because you do!) And read other bloggers’ stuff. Share the love. Learn something.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    Honestly, losing a parent. It’s like losing an anchor and it’s sad, but also a very foreign feeling.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    “I love you. Don’t ever change.”

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    Hmmmm…..how about San Fransisco in the 1960s?

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Oy, I’d make a good Jane. Ambiguity.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    What Was I Thinking?

  40. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    It was pretty easy. I named it after my business, mostly. Well, there was the pun, of course. You know, Parnassus was the home of the nine muses. How I named my business makes a much more interesting story. http://parnassusanalytics.com/parnassus-musings-blog/

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Have patience. I’m still waiting for the “they will come” part of “If you build it…”

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    On my blog or in life? In life, setting the garbage truck on fire is probably the strangest that my wife will let me talk about in public. It’s a long story so you gotta find that on my blog.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    I do. August 15, 1981.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    Philadelphia, PA during the 1880’s in order to meet Ben Franklin.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Eric or Erik or Erica or Erika, but I can’t decide how to spell it.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    The Mystery at Euterpe Lodge.

    Cheers!

    Steve
    http://parnassusanalytics.com/parnassus-musings-blog/

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  42. Also, everyone who included an image in their response just got added to a Pinterest board, unless I missed someone 🙂 The Pinterest account isn’t much to look at right now, not ready to roll out, I am just starting to build it. It’ll be an account for bloggers 😉

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  46. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?

    I just wanted a title that would be all encompassing to reflect any topic I decided to reflect on, that was personal to me and my dominant interests at the time. Hence, ‘Carol’s Learning Curve’. It’s not that deep really 🙂

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?

    Just be patient, not all blog posts will generate interest and click throughs / views. But some will go through the roof.

    Have some personal integrity. Don’t just be a crowd pleaser for numbers.

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?

    Probably many but one was just last week in Reykjavik, Iceland. I visited the Phallological Museum (yes, penis museum). The exhibition included lots of giant and very ugly whale penises, some long, thin and spirally ram penises, and even a set of silver cast model penises of the Icelandic Olympic handball team who won silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. During my visit to the museum a strange man, also visiting, decided to follow me round and tell me all about the elephant penis and why it had to be so long and spiral like to reach the female. The guy stopped following me when i left the gift shop.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?

    My mum. Just a few weeks before she died. I stayed over night with her in hospital and she woke up the next morning and said: “how lovely that I open my eyes and the first thing I see is you”

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?

    Probably that moment just mentioned in number 4.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?

    Siona. My alter ego. A wild Irish girl.

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?

    “Hell and back with strange creatures, loving every minute”

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  48. 1. How did you create the title for your blog?
    I used my name and two words that rhymed with it – clever eh? 🙂

    2. What’s the one bit of blogging advice you would give to new bloggers?
    Read, follow and comment on other peoples blogs so that you can build your blogging community

    3. What is the strangest experience you’ve ever had?
    Being knocked out by an electric potato peeler and waking up thinking I was in heaven because this beautiful lady was looking down at me.

    4. What is the best thing that anybody has ever said to you?
    I love you.

    5. When presented with a time machine, which one place and time would you visit?
    A Christmas in the 1970’s when I was a child and my whole family were still together.

    6. If you had to pick a new first name, what would you choose?
    Huw (It’s the Welsh version of Hugh and I’m Welsh but my parents chose to spell it the other way!)

    7. If you were a B Movie, what would it be called?
    Friday the 14th. It’s sequel, Saturday the 15th

    Thanks Suzie, that was great fun 🙂

  49. Here goes….

    1. Title for my blog: Telling the Truth. It describes in three words what I’m doing in the blog. I’m telling the truth (for the first time) about how I was groomed to be a victim, how that affected me as a child, young adult, wife/mother and professional, and what it took to survive and thrive.

    2. One bit of blogging advice: Clarify why you’re blogging–which includes knowing what you want to do or accomplish with your blog, and for whom.

    3. Strangest experience: In 1947, age 3 1/2, waking up clueless in a hospital, flat on my back, my face covered with a white sheet, doctor and nurses’ voices behind the sheet, big pain and fresh stitches in my forehead where a rock impacted me when I fell out of the top bunk of my family’s cabin at a summer family camp. It knocked me out. I remember nothing. Except 1-2 weeks later getting the adhesive ripped from my forehead because it was time to get the stitches removed but not getting my promised ice cream cone afterwards because I screamed too much. Surreal.

    4. Best thing anybody ever said to me: “I do.”

    5. Time machine: Queen Elizabeth’s fabulous coronation in the 1950s.

    6. My new, forced-choice name: Lolla

    7. My B Movie title: My Double Life Without A Wife!

    What fun! Thanks, Suzi.

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