Thanks For Sharing, Mrs. L

I check out new journals all the time. That's why I ask everyone who leaves a comment to also leave me a link.

But, I notice, I've rarely become a regular reader of most of them and I think it's for some really stupid reasons.

First, I'm lazy. I will struggle with small type to see if you have something to say.  But mostly, I hate to find my reading glasses, so I prefer fourteen point BLACK type.

Reading the comments isn't included in this indictment, because they can't be over a certain length, which is manageable for reading, even with eensy weensy type.

I prefer AOL's fourteen point type although I don't think it's really fourteen point type.  I think the size skips from ten to sixteen here on AOL, even though one may be clicking on twelve or fourteen.

Also, while we're on the subject, the typefaces are equally annoying. I can click on Times Roman, a serif face, but it always defaults to some unknown sans serif face when it posts, so guess what?  I don't use it.

But I'm ranting about things AOL has heard complaints about for TWO YEARS, which means I'm wasting my time, when I could be boring you to death with my rationale for reading journals.

Okay, so I click on a new link -- say at Patrick's Place for the Saturday Six, or Scalzi's for his weekly assignment, or Judithheartsong's for the people who enter the artsy essay, or the picks for this week's Editor's Pick, which, by the way are usually pretty lame if you ask me. [With some notable exceptions.] And I was also an Editor once, doing the picking, too.

I check out the Other Journals listed in those journals I already read. In fact I go to other journals I read often just toclick on their links. That whole thing about being lazy again.

But, like I say, I rarely find new journals I stick with. Because of things like this: If I get to a journal I haven't read and the background of the page is black with colored type, I can't leave fast enough.  There's a reason why books are printed on white pages with black ink.  So you can read them.

Don't get too artsy fartsy on me. Design should be in service of the function, if you want some philosophy.

If you're posting art or pictures, go for it. But I'm trying to read what you've written. So long entries in yellow, green, lavendar and pink type suck for easy reading as far as I'm concerned. Unless of course IT'S BIG TYPE. Blue is okay, though.

On the other hand, color is okay when you're having fun, too.

Also, if there is only one long, uninterrupted paragraph for the first twelve inches of writing, I'm  gone. Help me here, I'm trying to keep track of what you're saying and after awhile it begins to blur. A little white space relieves the tension.

And then there is subject matter. I do not like religious, spiritual, or fanciful themes. Unless it's something funny. Like that ever happens.  

I am a woman of a certain age and I find that I don't like most of what other women my age write about. Here again, unless it's funny. Or there are pictures. I'm a little kid that way.

But, having said all this I will come back a couple of times even when I can't stand your graphics to see if I've missed the point or there's really something there.

I really feel bad when someone leaves a nice comment and I visit their journal only to discover that I don't like it.

Ultimately it's the writing I'm after. And making me laugh. I also love a good story.  Or useful information. Or sarcasm -- I love sarcasm, satire, general snarkiness.

Some people are such great writers that I will find my glasses and read all ten entries on the front page at once. Then go back and read them again.  I may not even comment.  Or I may comment on all of them. I'm such a liar -- I may comment on a couple.  I think I only commented on all ten one time, because every entry was so funny.

I also delete journals from my Other Journals if someone isn't posting very much. For instance, once every three or four months and you may be toast.  I want to be entertained, so let's get to writing people.

Having written all this I realize nobody but me gives a rip about this stuff, but I just thought I would share.