Of Picks and Clicks, and Grots, and Plots

A short tutorial for Blotanical members with questions:
Picks are the oil that runs Blotanical, determining the most popular of easily chosen blog Posts from multiple lists. Clicks determine the most popular blogs of the week, and the past 24 hours, by number of actual visits to the blog. Picks quickly add points for those aspiring to a higher rank.
Picks do not count as visits, because picks are chosen through a RSS feed. Clicks occur when the icon of an actual blog is clicked by a visitor. (Watch closely to see the word 'clicks' in the URL before it quickly changes). The icon may be in one of the lists of blogs: Most Faved, On the Rise, Most Popular or it may be on the plot of the blogger. The Directory page has random and chosen blog icons at any given time that may also be clicked. Another click that counts is to click on the name of the blog rather than the post name, in the lists of posts.



Neither clicks nor picks determine the status of the blogger as determined by Faves. You know if you've been Faved; notice is given. If the person who Faved one has a change of heart, the quiet deletion may or may not be noticed by the displaced Favorite. A low Fave number is to be desired, the most Faved member being number 1. A fairly good Faved blog status has been achieved by some popular bloggers by being Faved by admiring fans without much exertion of picking, clicking and Faving others. What does all this mean? I don't know. It's just a phenomenon of Blotanical. There is a finite number of Faves one can bestow. Picks and clicks are unlimited.

Plots give information about a blogger: When did he join blotanical? Is he participating in the Picks game? Does he visit other members' plots and blogs? Has he revealed a little of himself and his garden? Messages are sent and received here, private between two members, but public for all to read. Different than comments in a blog, messages are a mode of conveying appreciation, information or welcome.

The dynamics of Blotanical are no different from any other aspect of polite society. Surveys show that perhaps 10% of those who join become active. Splinter groups form: some who started out together some years ago; active newcomers; geographical groups; some with narrower interests like crafts or cooking. Among the individuals are some with differing intent: members who joined to increase traffic to their blog as a lucrative endeavor. They directly compete with ads on Blotanical itself. Shall we click and buy from them? Are they visiting others and offering support, or just hoping for a customer to wander in? Check their Plot.

Grot is a distractor here, meant to catch the eye and draw you into my post.
'With one of his keys, he opened a cool grot at the end of the yard, and they all went in.'
--Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

French grotte, Italian grotta: a small cave with attractive features.

If I've drawn you into the Grot and you're not familiar with the terms Click, Pick and Plot, visit Blotanical to learn more about this world-wide group of garden bloggers.

It's Still Fall, Y'all

Despite the recent freeze, the calendar still indicates it is fall for a few more days. Buffy and I took to the woods yesterday. Buffy found the scent of something to give fruitless chase; I found color remaining in the woods, including sumac and sweet gum.

A small grove of ancient magnolias, at right, tall and thin because of crowding.

Back at the house, we found color in the garden, an oakleaf hydrangea and a crape myrtle.

Today it is misty, rainy, damp and the colors look faded, typical late fall weather.