Thursday 5 April 2012

24

International Day of Delurking - 2012 edition

The absolute worst thing about being bed-ridden over the weekend was missing the anniversary of International Day of Delurking, my favourite event from last year. It is the day that we celebrate the army of readers-but-not-commenters, and invite them to say hello. Now, enticing a lurker out of their lurkiness (or even their Reader of choice) is never easy but I have recently disabled word verification to ease commenting, and I've prepared a whole new litmus test of my blog visitors' relative sneakiness. Horses, pandas and alligators are so 2011.


Google Image Search declares this cat the most sneaky animal in the world. Google, adjust your algorithms as this cat is not at all sneaky, but forlorn. Ironically, if he was allowed to poop outside, he'd probably be heaps more sneaky as he'd have to find places to do his business without the neighbours getting angry. On International Day of Delurking, the role of Obviously-Not-Sneaky-Cat is played by the regular commenters. Substitute a desire to poop outside with 'comment regularly and be celebrated for it' and we have a direct match.


Now we are into the grey area: the creatures that are allegedly sneaky but Google Image results do not prove beyond a doubt. Occasional commenters who would really prefer to lurk (but might have a question for me), today you play the role of Possibly-Sneaky-Raccoon. For photo-ops and meal-sharing you put on a brave face to hide your sneakiness but your true nature is the raccoon at the back.


At last, we have Legitimately-Sneaky-Squirrel who waits for you to be so preoccupied with capturing the perfect shot with your camera that you won't notice when he sneaks up onto your backpack. With the preponderance of photo-taking angst from me this year, all we need to do is substitute backpack for 'blog' and Sneaky Squirrel becomes the perfect metaphor for Kitschy Coo lurkers. Don't fret, lurkers, I've noticed you on my backpack and love you just the same.

Well, I hope I've done enough anthropomorphising to land me some comments. Regular commenters, do you relate to Not-So-Sneaky-Cat? Occasional commenters, which of the five raccoons best encompasses your nature (or are you best suited to 'raccoon not pictured)? Uber-lurkers, I am giving you one more bonus conversation starter:


The almiqui: super sneaky or super scary? Discuss.

24 comments:

  1. I guess I fall into the Racoon category. I tend to lurk, but I am trying to overcome my natural hide in the corner tendancies by actually talking to people/computers.
    That said, my natural position in all photos is to be caught stuffing my face so I have a certain affinity with Racoon-on-the-left.

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  2. What the heck is that thing? I'm going to google it and hope it's a perfectly harmless critter...otherwise, I'm sure to have nightmares about it!

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  3. Okay...it's saliva is venomous??? Glad I don't live in Cuba!

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  4. Eeek!! Scary! Super scary ... *shudder* (still going to google it to find out more tho!)

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  5. squirl. love that squirl. i also love your posts and am delurking just for this highly celebrated holiday. :) hope youre feeling better, and no longer the side show in your house.

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  6. I do lurk, I don't really comment, but tend to scan read a lot. That squirrel made me laugh out loud. I'd like to be the squirrel! I don't know where to begin with the almiqui though.

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  7. Lurking squirrel here!I read your blog every day because it's funny. You make nice clothes too, but I don't have any kids, so I'm really here for the gags ...

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  8. I am still here, lurking and commenting on and off

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  9. I may have de-lurked this time last year. So am I a serial squirrel? I don't comment much because I fear I am not cool enough, but I hugely love your blog and your sewing-with-knit-skillz. You make me laugh a lot!

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  10. once upon a time i would have described myself as a squirrel, then i started my own blog so i felt less squirrelly about reading everyone elses blogs. then i stopped again, but i still like to look in, especially at your blog, which makes me laugh often... but i somehow can't seem to get going on my blog again so feel doubly squirrelly and am a bit concerned that puts me in with the almiqui

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  11. Now I have diversified my pet collection to include both a dog and a cat, I find the dog far more sneaky than the cat. And quite lurky too. This weekend I shall be making a birthday cake in the shape of a raccoon face (yes, really) so perhaps I am more edging towards a raccoon right now.

    BTW still enjoying the image of you stuck in bed with a bad throat and local urchins coming in to point and stare at you :)

    ps and yay to the end of text verification on comments, I always get them wrong, maybe I am a robot spammer

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  12. Wow is it that time of year again already! Well seeing as I didn't delurk last year I guess I better had now! Your blog is so funny and I've been reading for a couple of years I guess that makes me serious sneaky squirrel but I'm trying to change my ways! Charlie (formygirltheblog.blogspot.co.uk)

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  13. Somehow I didn't delurk last year either, though I'm pretty sure I was reading you then, too. I must be the super sneaky squirrel, then.

    I laugh the hardest at your blog of all the blogs I read, and have even read a few posts out loud to my husband (internet woes, anyone?). Your swimsuit and the dress you made for yourself a whole bunch of times are what brought me here, but I stay because I basically love everything you make. Thanks!

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  14. yeah, I'm a big old wishing to poop outside cat. interestingly, I have actually pooped outside before. Maybe not so much "interestingly" as "disgustingly". hey, sometimes nature calls when you're out in nature...

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  15. Wtf is that last creature? Is that thing even real?!? Scary!!!

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  16. I'm a lurker. Read regularly and almost never post. Hi all!!

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  17. I am also a lurker who reads but hasn't commented before, so I thought I'd delurk and say hello :)

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  18. Holy crap, what is that thing?!?!
    I've been making a concerted effort to comment on more (sewing) blogs recently. I enjoy reading them so much but I often feel lame when all I have to say is, "So cute! Great job!" over and over. So, hi! Love reading your stuff!

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  19. Ha. Raccoon here! Bit late to the party though....

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  20. Also late to the party & catching up on Google Reader. Delurking as requested!

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  21. Hello there lovie.... I always read your blog but have not commented in ages. Life and laundry keep taking over as I wait for a house.. I have been doing less sewing of late so have not felt I have much to say.. I love your blog though and will be sure to no longer lurk soo much!! x

    Ps that thing is just S-C-A-R-Y!!!! lol

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  22. almiqui (sp?!) is just terrifying! And I'm also catching up on my google reader, ha. Renovations! Painting! Children that refuse to feed, dress, and bathe themselves! You're like 16 months old now, Olivia, get over yourself and learn to change your own diaper.

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  23. What the heck is that last thing? Did they spray-paint some sort of ant-eater/badger animal? I'm 60% sure we do not have that creature in this country!

    Also I cannot wait for Delurker day this year :D

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