More of a question than a blog

Blogs are something more interesting to do than housework on a wet day.
Steragram, do you know how to see a member's blogs eg Whitehorse if they are not on your favourite's list.

I just look at latest blogs, especially if short of time ?

Hi Sue, I look at blogs from people other than my favourites occasionally, usually more in winter than summer, when we get less questions, I seem to have a system whereby when I get onto GoY, I look at photo's, plants, and blogs from my favourites, then onto questions, then if things are slow, other blogs, Derek.

I miss photos often as I don't so far have favourites - I try to look through all the questions and blogs. I feel sorry for the people who aren't on many peoples favourites list as often really interesting blogs only have a few likes.

Siris, I just click on Gardening Blogs on the top bar and try to look at all of them regardless. It doesn't take very long. I always try to leave a comment on the ones that don't have many because it can be so discouraging to have a small response. When there are so many groups of people who are so obviously old friends newcomers must feel really left out if nobody much looks at their contributions.

Thank you for your replies, hadn't explored the top line, garden blogs, since I joined, when I got in a bit of a pickle at times!
Something to do over the cold winter months.

I go to the blogs first and always look at all of them, then to my newsfeed and then questions pages, is it any wonder I am always behind on the photo's pages, I often have to look at 16 at a time and do apologize folks, I will get there eventually, lol....

Ha ha Sue, I do exactly the same as you! I'm always playing 'catch-up' on the photos .....

I must be honest, I forget to look at what my favourites have been up to ....I tend to look at the new blogs each time I log on and read them all.but, I have not seen the one you refer to....I must've missed that one.will go look now!!

i like to press the members tab and see latest comments..find lots of members I hadn't seen before. more time now the winter is here..

Thank you Sandra _ don't think I've ever pressed Members. Something else to do now - keep up with the photos!
Did you find Whitehorse's Paul? I thought it was fantastic.

As I dont have a garden now and bad health I do most of my gardening on this wonderfull site, so I read and enjoy all the blogs and questions, so many thanks to you all.

Sorry to hear that Aquilegia - you must miss your garden. One of the great things about this site is there's something for everybody!

GoY is a huge site, and I agree that I often miss all sorts of wonderful things. I have occasionally looked at "non favourites" blogs etc. It's such a dilemma though, isn't it? Missing a response to a comment one has made on a favourite's thread seems rude, and there's only so much time to spend. It's a good wake-up call, though, Stera!

True, I do spend more time on here than I should really. One of the joys of retirement! And now I have the Members tab to investigate as well...

One of many, Stera ?!

Thanks for this "heads up" Sue, you've made a good point. Usually
I only look at blogs of faves, but will try to look further afield when I have time!
White Horse here I come . . .

Hi Sue, I tend to go fist to the news feed to see what my favourites have been up to, but then I go to look at the latest blogs.

I don't often comment (as you've no doubt noticed) mind. With work, the house, the garden and dog I rarely have much time to do anything else lol.

I work my way through most but it depends on how busy I am.

hi Sue I tend to click latest blogs read the flower ones first then go back to others as and when time permits. I regularly miss photos and I feel bad about that as many members comment on mine. Not done much adding to site lately as work is in the words of my daughter 'mental'. roll on retirement is all I can say.

Thank you everyone for your comments. Seems time is the problem for most of us! anyway i hope I've encouraged some of you to branch out a bit - shame to miss good stuff from those who don't post often.

Sheila, did you look at the blog?

I usually pick the blogs I want to read. I don't always see every one, but I don't confine myself to my the members on my 'favourites' list.
And sometimes I'm a few days late seeing them ... like this one :)

Yes Sue I did look at the blog, and it was terrific.

Hello. I always look at all gardening blogs after looking at my favourites, a bit annoying how you have to click on the tiny 'latest' tab to get them in date order. Questions appear with latest first but blogs don't for some reason. I enjoy reading all blogs too ?

That's odd Dawn. I get the latest half dozen in a side panel on the right - don't you get that?

I read favourites, and then pop over to see what else is going on, so many people join and then leave within the year, for one reason or another, despite people taking an interest in their blogging....tend to read more during the winter months though!!

That reminds me - where's Fran i wonder? You've probably missed Spritzhenry too - she's having a tough time at present and Henry is suffering from old age - very sad.

Oh dear Stera I did wonder what had happened to Spritz, was thinking of emailing her? what do you think?

I sent her a PM. When you are feeling down its always cheering to have friends remember you - so yes I would.

Hi Stera, no I don't get any in a side panel.

Are you accessing them from the Members tab? They don't come in date order there. To the right of the members tab on the green bar at the top of the page you'll see Garden Questions and then Garden Blogs. Click on that and you'll find the current ones listed with the option of clicking below the bottom ones for older ones.
Hope this helps.

There seem to be a lot of members missing and I do wonder if they are alright, especially the ones who have been here a long while, I was wondering about Spritz myself, it seems such a long time since we heard from her, she was very ill a few years back, I can remember her having major surgery, I think Henry is about the same age as our Morgan also a very loving Labrador but yes they are both old codgers now...

Bornagain hasn't been on for ages.........

True Pam.

Spritz said she is not sleeping and is very tired.

I've just checked and found Ba's last blog, I had missed it as I think it was when I was not good, she said hubby was becoming more reliant on her so thats possibly why, we can only wait and hope she is ok...

Ohhh.....poor girl, its hard isn't it , thsnks Lincs xxx

Hi Stera. I access blogs from the top bar - Gardening Blogs, I will have a play around. Yes lots of good members not seen these days, sadly.

Don't understand then Dawn - they are in date order on mine.

Hi Stera. I found the panel on the right lol, never really looked at that before. So what Ive been doing is - on the green bar where it says, Members - Garden Picture - Garden Questions - Gardening Blogs - I click on Gardening Blogs and they are listed below but they are not in date order so I click the tiny box that says latest (at the top of the list) and they fall into chronological order. I never really noticed I was in the Popular Blogs section rather than the latest. I will use the panel on the right in future, so thank you

Glad you've sorted that one then Dawn - should save you some irritation!

Yes Stera, thank you.

Still working my way through TP Stera.....really enjoyed Witches abroad but struggling a bit with Small Gods with Om a tortoise.....maybe it gets less confusing?...

Oh boy don't we get in a kerfufffle with these things sometimes, do you know after all these years I still cannot copy and paste, I have been shown many a time but it just won't stay in the old grey matter, I have mastered it on occasion but simply don't know how I got it to work, lol....

Passwords!.....a word to strike doom into the heart!
ok when they work ?

Om a tortoise? Don't worry about it,just accept it! TP loves to have a go at religion, but the Good triumphs in the end.... I like the way the lowly sweeper despised by all the high ups turns out to be more powerful than any of them. Don't let me spoil the ending...
Passwords - oh yes, I have a list of 27 sites that need them - and then we are told not to write them down

Oh Sue, I wrote out how to do it at some length and then forgot to press Comment grrrr.
Highlight what you want to copy. Press Ctrl and C at the same time (or Ctrl and X if you want to remove the text from the original) . Then put the cursor where you want the copied bit to appear and press Ctrl and V at the same time. The copied bit should appear in the new document. If this doesn't help send me a PM.

Pam - Oh yes, I have a list of 27 things that need passwords, and they tell you not to write them down and to keep changing them....

Thanks Stera I will copy that down and have another try. Passwords, well what does one say, the worst thing is when you know you have it correct but it won't accept it, in the end you convince yourself you've got it wrong, try a reset and it still won't work, after all that you find out one of the keys is not working so probably the password was correct in the first place, one thing I learnt is DO NOT eat biscuits or crisps whilst using ones lap, lol.....

Or jammy cakes with a touch screen ?

ok Stera will do!.....Brupha seems to be thinking for himelf a bit now.....
religeons eh.....

TP has a go at most things, one way and another...

Fascinating.....the Sweeper is 6,000 years old.....and Brutha depressed, getting more into it now ?

Terry Pratchett was right wasn't he.....just got to the part where he says
you can die for your country, your people, your family, dying for a god is plain stupid....you should live busily and fully every day of your long life.....
then Om says Walk with me......

in todays mad world its grains of sense...

Certainly seems stupid on the face of it but can have far reaching consequences, and for a committed believer its also a matter of integrity. Have you read the one where Granny Weatherwax got depressed and walked away? A priest of OM found her cold and weary, ready to give up, and he tore up his precious Book of OM to make a fire to warm her? That's when he found out what walking with Om meant...

Not yet Stera, clever man wasn't he......
I like Granny Weatherwax , have you heard anything from Fran?....Hope she's ok

No - I've been wondering about her myself this week.

Should we send a pm do you think.....

Been wondering about that. I have her phone no. somewhere , can't remember why, but probably a PM would be better.

Start with that maybe Stera.....thereagain could be computer trouble

PM option missing from her profile so I rang. It is a computer problem and I promised to put a message on here for her.

Oh poor girl, thanks Stera......say we miss her please xxx

As I seldom seem to have as much time to be on GoY as I used to I tend to read only the blogs in my news. I do try to comment on most but at times I just don't have time enough to do it. I seldom have time to look at the photos, other than the thumbnails that come up on my news page, again I like to leave a comment rather than just press the "like" button & move on!

As for passwords I used to have the same problems as the others on here till I installed a password manager! Now I use "LastPass" it logs me in automatically on GoY when I click on the "Login" button! I use very long passwords containing capitals, special characters, the works! I could never remember them otherwise! The programme will generate complicated passwords of any length! I've started changing some from 8 or 10 to fifteen characters after reading a blog on a security site that recommended that ALL passwords should be at LEAST 15 characters in length! I can also have different passwords for all the dozens of sites that request them!

I read a really good tip : if you have a favourite quote, or line of poetry (or list of anything) use the initial letters, plus a number. So, for example, if your quote is " To be, or not to be, that is the question", then you might use " tbontbtitq" plus a significant number. Just a suggestion, but I have found it useful.

Presumably, you need a password for this site, Balcony? Though I have to admit, it sounds very useful.

Melchi that's a good idea, I have so many passwords, used up all our pets names, grandchildrens etc so I need some new ideas, because I do change them quite often to be on the safe side....

The best thing about it is that there is no way anyone else could guess it, as there's nothing personal about it.

PASSPHRASES are the next "in thing" after passwords. Melchisedec your method is becoming quite common now but it is still difficult to remember a phrase like you suggest with added numbers. Imagine logging into GoY everyday using it! After a few times it wouldn't be too bad but try doing it for all the dozens of sites you need passwords for!

Yes, I do need a password to log in GoY, & many, many other sites, which is where my password manager has become so useful!

The most important thing to remember is NEVER to use the SAME password on several sites especially if there is sensitive information on them - something like bank accounts, which you wouldn't like anyone to get hold of!

The only downside to using a password manager is if you use more than one device to connect to the Internet. Then you need to download it & install it on each device. I only use my computer & smart phone to access the Internet but I haven't installed the programme on my phone as I'm afraid if I were to lose my phone somebody might be able to access its contents & even get into my accounts using the password manager. That means when I go to Spain to see family I need to write the passwords down & carry them around with me! Not really a good idea either! Though for security I have the sites they give me access to "disguised" so that the passwords only make sense to me!

It's just one of those problems that grows the more that we use the internet. With every shopping experience requiring a password, it is impossible to remember them all. The trick is to record them in a way others can't read them. We'll all have to become expert code users! Disguising the site sounds a good idea. As years go by, though, I think I would find decoding them rather like doing a cryptic crossword!

What an interesting subject you started Steragram. Now I know why Fran has disappeared and feel sorry she cannot take pleasure in a new computer. I am one of those infrequent posters since 2009 when hubby first became really unwell. Now he needs lots more support. The garden is so messy. I have hardly been out there in November at all. I miss Spritz too, she is so wise about gardening. I recall her needing urgent surgery some time ago. All to do with us getting that much older. Must try not to be too sad about things. Lots of folk having problems and getting on with it.....Have a happy Christmas all of you!

If you look Dorjac Spritz posted recently ?

its been so windy and wet here, I get tired of all the layers you have to wear to go out, then I get too hot?

I find it hard to get in a christmas mood......especially when it starts so early
hope you have a happy christmas too ?

I'm pleased to see that Spritz is posting. I don't have so much time to look on Goy as I used to have, as hubby has needed a lot more care after a fall, hospital admission and discharge on strong painkillers. I am upset too that our sweet little Kitty, just over a year old, and friend to so many mature ladies around here, was run over and killed on Monday at 11am soon after she asked to go out. So cute and full of life and a keen huntress. Co owned by myself and Elise. We found out she was making a home with both of us!

Dorjac, I'm so sorry you lost your little cat in such a horrible way. Having lost two in road accidents its easy to empathise. It seems she will be missed by the whole neighbourhood too... I guess one of the penalties for giving our heart to our pets is the pain of losing them, but you can at least be glad she had an active and happy life and cheered lots of people, which is saying quite lot really.

Best wishes to your husband - I hope he'll soon be ready to decrease the painkillers and that you'll both manage to have a happy Christmas. Don 't work too hard!

Thanks Steragram. I can't garden in the winter when it rains and blows, so I drop off to sleep in the afternoon really easily. I never did that before this winter ever. I started watching the varsity rugby and awoke about 2 hours later. I looked over my camera and I must catch up on the monthly blogs as well. Rain is pelting down now even but other parts have had terrible floods. They showed a garden yesterday where all the loose stuff was a big jumble at one end. A horrible experience for anyone.

You're not alone in dropping asleep in the afternoons...