Why I'm ditching the linkys

I've been joining in with Project 365 for 5 years now. It's a blog hop. When you add your link it shows all the other blog posts who have joined in. There are around 12-15 link ups each week and there is a core group of us who have become firm friends, either online and/or in real life.

I'm disappointed some weeks when I comment on everyone else's post and half the people don't comment back, but then this is life and we really don't have many rules other than it being a weekly photo a day post that gets linked up.

Some of the other linkys I join in with just have far too many rules. The standard rules are as follows:

• Add the badge to your blog.
• Comment on the host.
• The post in front of yours.
• One other post of your choosing.

It's not difficult, quite simple to adhere to except:

• One linky I received NO comments for 4 weeks from the hosts.
• The people who comment on my posts are regular readers and don't need to find me through the linky.
• I comment on my share each week and often more or all the other posts linked up, if I have the time, but what comes back? Maybe 2-3 comments.
• I rarely have my post shared online by the hosts, yet they share their favourites, as in bloggers, not posts.
• Too many sponsored posts appearing in linkys. It's so hard to say something about a restaurant in a town I'll never visit or a new mattress I have no intention of buying or the latest opinion on raising children, when mine are now all adults. But I do, I read the post, I find something nice to say and what do I get back from others? 'Nice post, thanks for joining in.'
• Requests to add the badge to the bottom of the blog post. Where has this come from? This is all about creating backlinks, but it doesn't give me a back link and if you read the above, it's not been drawing new readers to my posts at all.

A lot of my favourite linkys have faded away, it is hard work as a host to keep up when 20+ bloggers link every week, to find the time to read, comment, promote etc. Plus write your own post each week, I get that. It's a good way to promote your blog also and get the back links, however it is a two way process. Those who link up use your hashtag, @reply you with their link and comment on your posts every week. I keep seeing more and more requests from the hosts for people to follow the rules or their posts will be deleted. I can't be doing with 'office' politics anymore, so I'm out. It's supposed to be fun.

My blog is in its 10th year. I set it up as a way to Tweet longer, I have a DA score of 31, that wasn't affected by the latest adjustments. My blog just plods along. Sometimes I do a sponsored post or a review but only if it fits with my blog and I rarely approach companies, they come to me.

I've removed all badges from my side bar now, apart from #mysundayphoto a monthly link up run by Darren Coleshill. #pocolo a weekly link up for a post written that week hosted by Stephanie and Morgan and of course #project365 under the title of #OneDailyPositive on my blog.

No offence intended to all the other hosts and I may join in again from time to time, but my baby, child, teen, empty nest days are long gone. If I do join in I'll add the badge to the bottom of each post, but if I don't feel the love being returned from those who link up, I'll be off again.

Do you join in with other linkys?

Do you have similar problems/issues?

Do you run a linky? What problems have you encountered? Do you think my comments are fair?

Dear xceltic3 Dan. Am I posting too much stuff online?

Hi Dan

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog posts recently. I'd like to thank you for showing such an interest in my blog and taking time to comment and sticking me with for so long. After all, I've been rabbiting on for almost 9 years now.

But you've got me thinking though about whether I share too much stuff online as I don't know who are you but you seem to have been reading my blog posts for quite a while, especially as you commented about my completing my Open University course and the time we spent in South Africa.

I must say it did cause me a bit of alarm, put me on the back foot. There's photo's of me and family on here and I'm sure it wouldn't take long for anyone to actually find me at any given point in time.

I started a while ago to only post pictures when I was travelling of places after I'd left the area on social media, now I'm wondering if I should stop checking into places also, or saying in advance where I'm planning on travelling to and when.

I get quite a few comments on my blog from strangers, people I've never met and a fair few number of likes on other Social Media accounts, but I can always reply, I can click on their name and even if their google account is new and unused I can usually find theme on twitter or someone else in the blogging community, especially in the linkys, will know who are they are.

But Dan. I've drawn a blank with you. I can't place you anywhere, you don't exist online anywhere with the name you use on google comment. I have a feeling I may actually know you. Often people who comment anonymously, will sign off with their twitter handle.

I'm wondering now should I be posting less personal stuff, less photo's, you've unnerved me, it's probably not your intention, but it would be great if you could/would identify yourself just to put my mind at rest please.

Regards

Chickenruby.