Stop and Smell the Roses, People!

NOTE: A couple points of clarifications can be found at the bottom of this post....

I am amazed at how people approach HNT. Of course, when comments are opened at 9:30, there's the phenomenal initial rush to let us know that you've posted. That part certainly makes sense to me. It's fun to watch! But what happens right after that? Some examples:

• One certain blogger put up a bit of a story, with a nice picture of her laughing face (one of her first, I believe). If anyone read the first couple of lines, she wanted to see who was there to read her post, or just look for boobs. There would be a question at the end to answer in the comments section. Out of 41 comments right now, NOT ONE PERSON answered the question, which was just under her picture. But the real story--if anyone bothered to read her post, she instructed the reader to mention something about her boobs in the picture. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO BOOBS! Of the 41 comments, maybe a third mentioned her boobs. Obviously, a majority of her visitors clicked her link, looked for a picture, left a comment and fled....
  
• My own site! When the Mystery Guest (more than happy to do that for you, by the way!) posted, I made a note immediately afterwards to leave comments for her there, but to leave the "I'm up!" comments on my HNT down below. Even did it in a different font color! I won't go back to check how many, but a significant number of people left their notification there. Now excuse me, but if you've come to Os' site to leave a comment on his HNT, wouldn't a nice set of ta-tas make you think twice about where you're leaving your comments? Or at least read to see what was going on? I mean, thanks for the compliment, but those weren't mine!
  
• Remarkably few people probably even realized that one of our longtime HNTers lost her father yesterday, and posted an incredibly touching picture for her post. Our hearts go out to you.
  
• I'm curious about the number of people who read about the projects that other HNTers are doing. Go back and read my post....
  
• Other incidents in the past have included comments about one woman's husband being lucky to have her, when just one post earlier, she talks about having left him the day before because he was an alcoholic ass. Or the lack of reading other people's comments prior to posting their own. The obviously bad pun being made is cute the first time. It gets old after 4 or 5 other people make the same one. Or asking a question about the post, without noticing that it had been addressed in the comments already (often a couple of times...) And my absolute pet peeve--the "cut & paste" comments, where the commenter, rather than leaving something original, pastes the same comment on all. Like we're not going to notice? We all follow each other around out here! You think we don't notice? I'd rather have no comment than the same one left to 300 of my other HNTers!

So what is the rant here? Stop and smell the roses. Or the coffee. Or the bullshit. Just stop! We all obviously blog for different reasons, but when we add HNT to the mix, it would be nice to think that people are actually reading what we write. Or will at least do a quick skim of the text! There have been a number of people who have quit HNT precisely because they feel that their blog offers much more than booby shots, ass shots or more. HNT has become more of a voyeur's paradise for some people. How many of us only check on a certain blogger's site, hoping that she posted another picture of her boob? Or to some guy's site, hoping to catch a glimpse of his pecker as he steps out of the shower for his HNT? Some people like that, some people don't. If all we have to do for HNT is post a picture, and we ignore the stories, the poetry, the lives, the confessions, the joys, the sorrows and everything else that we all bother to write, then perhaps it's time to pull the plug on HNT. I happen to think there's a great deal more to each of us, and I'm not ready to pull the plug.

Just stop and smell the roses!

Unfortunately, the people who need to read this won't be back until next Wed/Thurs, and they'll skip over it, looking for my pecker as I step out of the shower....

This post has elicited more real feedback than any other I've done. And it's only been up less than 8 hours! After reading the comments so far, I want to clarify my own views of a couple of things...

• There's no way to get through everybody involved with HNT before the weekend. Trust me, I've attempted!
  
• For every "transgression" mentioned above, I'm as guilty as anyone for having done it myself!
  
• Sometimes a generic comment is all that can be left. I don't have a problem with that. It's the "cut & paste" method that upsets me. The exact same comment for everyone's post--male or female--foot, boob, crotch--it's the exact same comment that I don't doubt is really done with Control-V. (This doesn't apply to "tags" that people may have, such as Monkey or Lecram)
  
• I can see the point of view from some of you with regard to reading everyone else's comments before posting yours. I'll still check out everyone else first. (HINT--that's when generic is appreciated! You can skim past those, read anything that's a few lines long, and then post your own!).
  
• I do think we've all been spoiled to some degree by our HNT comment count, compared to our everyday count. Especially the long-timers. As a blog gets "discovered" by HNTers, I guarantee that the visitor count and comment count increase, and we all get used to that. Even if we deny that we're comment whores, none of us is disappointed by high comment counts. Now think back to your own pre-HNT participation. Remember when we thought 15 comments to a post was a good number??
  
• The comment was made that we have lurkers and voyeurs that only show up on Thursdays, hoping to catch a good show. They will never read our blogs. I hadn't ever really thought about that before....
  
• Lastly, one person makes the comment here that HNT is going to continue to grow as people come to hear about it. He says that HNT is still in its "infancy". Oh, dear Lord, where do I find a babysitter for this???