What's The

Ah, memes. In the book blogging community they are the subject of many a “how-to” post, or perhaps more accurately, a “what never to do” post. But. BUT. Every day of every week, without fail, I see lots and lots of meme posts in my Bloglovin feed. In my email. On Twitter, while commenting back, on… I don’t know, some other social media thing where bloggers post stuff. My point is, the criticism of memes is everywhere, but so too is the participation. So, what gives?

Let’s take a stroll through the reasons that people often give for not liking memes. And then I will put my two cents in, because, well, it’s my blog.

Reason #1: They fill my feed with repetitive posts.

Well, kind of. When it’s Wednesday, I know for damn sure that at least half the posts on my Bloglovin’ feed will be Waiting on Wednesday posts. I, personally, stopped doing them because I was bored and I kind of started to drive myself crazy with trying to find relatively “unknown” books, which don’t exist because, well, internet. However. I don’t mind seeing these posts! First, if I am not the mood, you know what I can do? Scroll right on by. Done and done. I can delete the email, not click the link, whatever. But sometimes I see a title that catches my eye, I’ll check it out, and YAY, new book!43523-Nathan-Fillion-shiny-gif-rNRf

This is basically ditto for any other meme you can think of. Look, I feel you. Sometimes I see like, 800 Waiting on Wednesday posts in a row, and I could not possibly care less. But, scrolling is easy, and I’d never want to miss out on something a great blogger posts just because I don’t care about one little thing!

Reason #2- You’re just posting the same thing as everyone else.

Look, if someone else has written the same Top Ten list as I have, then I either have a super creepy telepathy situation, or a plagiarizer. The thing I enjoy about the memes I do read and/or participate in is that it is a great way to get to know bloggers. Because the personal touches they put on a post mean a lot! For example: Through memes, you have all found out about my Hunger Games addiction. If you have not, you must be new here!ezgif-2335180712

This argument can have some validity when people do just list a few quick words or whatever, but I think that is true for any post, yes? Phoning it in can be a “thing” regardless of whether you’re posting a review, a discussion, advice, or a meme. Putting effort into something is putting effort into something, no matter the situation.

Reason #3- People just do them to get comments and/or followers

Admittedly, some do. It’s kind of easy to tell, too. “Great post, here’s mine!” is basically the slogan of the blogger in it for comments. I’ll also own up to this: The reason I started doing Top Tens was twofold: I liked lists, and I needed to meet people. Yes, I wanted to lure you in. himym-s1e04-step-into-my-web-small

Here’s the difference: I don’t think in my 2+ years of blogging I have ever done the “cool post, bro” thing. When I visit, I freaking visit. I camp out, is what I am saying. You’ve all seen my novella comments- it’s because I want to talk to you! (Which explains why I am painfully behind on commenting, no?) And I have to assume that most people feel the same, because I get tons of awesome and thoughtful comments around here!

My Stance: MODERATION. That’s how I feel about everything basically, and that is how I feel about this. Memes aren’t bad. Memes can be super fun. Memes can also be insanely overdone, or they can be done without time or effort. I think like everything else, it’s what you put into it. But ultimately, if you want to be a meme only zone? You do you. I think everyone will find others who post compatibly. Find your people, and meme your heart out. Or not.

Think you know where you fall, memeishly? Let’s take a quiz to find out!

What did the quiz have to say about you? (My condolences if it is rabies.) How do you feel about memes in general? Do you participate in them, either as a reader or blogger?

Posted November 9, 2015 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Discussion, Discussion Challenge / 112 Comments

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112 responses to “What’s the Deal With Meme Hate?

  1. I think I have an idea about your novella comments hahaha… by the way I wanted to ask you if you have Eight Letters To A Young Writer by Teju Cole? I just downloaded it and I am about to read it, I was wondering if a lot of people have read it as well…

  2. Haha I did the quiz and got Moderately Meming! Which I think is accurate. I usually participate in Top Ten Tuesdays, but I only do it whenever I actually feel I can put some proper thought into the topic, instead of just throwing a list together. I enjoy memes, both as a blogger and a reader; as you said, they are pretty fantastic for meeting people. 😀

  3. First, memeishly is my new favorite word. Seriously.

    Luckily, I don’t have rabies! I’m moderately memeish, which is what I thought I’d be. I LOVE memes. It’s how I found out about the whole book blogging world when I stumbled on TTT. I used to do ALL THE MEMEs and I want to get back into some of them I just don’t have time for it and I don’t want to be that person who just does it to do it and then never comments back on anyone’s posts! I stopped some because of the repetitiveness, but I’ll still read them! Mostly I got tired of update posts where people who only visit your blog on update post day just leave a comment about the new books you got and I don’t normally have new books….

    Basically, I think meme’s are awesome and anyone who doesn’t enjoy reading them (especially TTT’s because LISTS) should just ignore them. LOVE the quiz, Shannon! =)

    • YAY for no rabies! Please tell me that you took the quiz as though you DID have rabies? Because it was funny (or well, weird, but whichever).

      BWHAH I love the comments about enjoying books when you specifically said that you didn’t get new books. Like wow, way to pay attention! Skim, at least!

      I seriously met like, half the people I know from TTT, so it can be SO useful! I am glad you enjoyed your new “word of the day” and the quiz 😀

  4. I actually don’t mind memes, I do like Top Ten Tuesday and Stacking the Shelves is one of my favourites, but I actually don’t post them on my blog because I have so much OTHER content I want to share that is original to myself! But I do agree they are a great way to inspire participation and discover new blogs, but sometimes they can be repetitive as well.

    • I agree! Like everything else, there are positives and negatives. The only thing I am side-eying is when people don’t put ANY effort into it, and then leave fishing comments. That I could live without, but otherwise, I’m good with whatever!

  5. I LIKE MEMES. Although I have to admit I’m not a fan of WoW posts because they do kinda feel generic? BUT TTT POSTS ARE LIFE. And you can have sooo much creativity within them! 😀 I love that!! And I love lists so, omg, what is not to love here?! I kind of wish someone would start up a meme as popular and awesome as TTT because I’d like to connect with more bloggers….I just don’t know where to go. o.O And I unashamedly admit I join in memes to find new followers/blogs to follow. What’s wrong with that?! Its networkign! 😀

    • I agree! I will say that personally, I am over WoW, but I am not like, annoyed by them- I just don’t read them.

      And YES- we need to find our people somehow! Memes it is! I love TTT too, because everyone’s are so different and it DOES show people’s personalities- as long as they’re putting thought into it!

  6. I am moderately meming it up, according to your quiz, which is completely accurate. I love certain memes, like TTT, because they bring variety to blogs. And not only do they help me meet new bloggers when I join in, they’re, like, a great way to break the ice when I stumble onto a new blog randomly. I might feel weird commenting on a book review if it’s my first visit because what do I say? Commenting on a review seems too chummy for a first visit (maybe it’s just me who feels that, I still have no idea how to interact with people on the internet lol). But meme posts are like the pick-up lines of book blogging 😛

    • I totally agree! They DO bring uniqueness, plus I think they’re an awesome gateway for bloggers who want to break into the community- I know that is how I did it! You are so right- it makes things so much more comfortable, because EVERYONE is randomly commenting on each other’s stuff! That is seriously the way I started commenting too.

      Your comparision to pick-up lines is SO ACCURATE. It should be like, the tagline for this whole thing!

  7. Moderately meming over here 🙂 I don’t do WoW because I never know what books are far out. I liek to read them though and fatten up my TBR. I love Top Ten Tuesday because, well, lists are awesome. Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post are two I do with my weekly wrap up. I know there are others but that is enough for me. I do read some others if they pop on my feed and are interesting. I don’t think they are bad o are fillers. They are fun. I have found a ton of blogs – most of my favorites – to follow through TTT and Sunday Post. Great post!!

    • I agree! I don’t mind WoWs, I just don’t have a use for them since I am always stalking Goodreads 😉 And I LOVE TTT also. I love. And I do the weekly thing too- not quite either StS or SP, but just a “thing”. I think they’re fun too- and sometimes people just need a prompt, you know? Nothing wrong with that!

  8. I don’t mind blogs that get carried away with memes, because like you said, I can skip them. Oddly enough there are blogs that will only visit me when I do memes and I’m not sure what to make of that. (I get paranoid that that somehow means they don’t like my reviews) I haven’t done the Wednesday one, because I can never fill up a post with one upcoming book and usually I don’t read them, because I’ve already heard of the book. I like top ten Tuesdays though. I kinda stopped doing them, and I’m debating on starting again, but I think I’ll pick and choose which weeks sound fun. I agree, some people don’t seem to put any effort into the posts, just listing the books, and just commenting basically nothing, which is annoying. I like commenting back, but those people make it feel like work, because I don’t really get much out of their post. At least put a few words about the book. Nice discussion!

    • Hahha SAME! I have a few “memeish” followers- they comment every time I do one, but then not any other time. I feel like maybe they just forget? Or only have time on those days, like, they set it aside? Either way, I feel happy that they like me enough to come back to my meme, even!

      GAH I could not agree more about the no-work commenters. It isn’t that I care that they didn’t put any effort into their post, it’s just… what the hell am I supposed to say back!? Especially when it’s just a list of books or authors or something with NO explanation, or graphic, or ANYTHING.

  9. I got moderately meming. I think that’s accurate. I like some memes because they help me think about things in new ways. They ask questions that I never would have asked myself. I actually put a lot of thought into my memes.

  10. Moderately memeing here as well! I mostly only do TTTs and try to comment on a few blogs that catch my interest. I also used to do a few but then it just got too much and there’s only 24 hours in a day and, and….

    I actually want to do more discussion memes or something… But coming up with topics to write about is hard….and I try to avoid the question memes… LOL

    • I feel you! It is HARD. I used to do TTT, WoW, and then StS, but now I do TTT when I like the topic, and my own spin on StS. You can do discussions about ANYTHING! OH! We have prompts on each monthly discussion challenge page, if you get stuck! I enjoyed the ones Nicole came up with this month 🙂

  11. I’m ‘moderately meming!’ I agree with you wholeheartedly! I really enjoy the connecting with other bloggers aspect of memes, but they can get tedious, especially if I pressure myself to post the meme every single week. So, I just pick and choose memes I do based on what their topics are. Like, if I’m blanking on a question or feel like my answer will match a bunch of other bloggers’, I’m cool with skipping it until I feel more inspired. Memes can be great ways to be prompted into writing! I may hunt for a random meme when I don’t know what to write about! Love the quiz you made for this post! Happy reading! 🙂

  12. I got Moderately Meming! Well, I don’t feel bad now haha And I feel the same way Shannon, on commenting. I don’t really write novellas haha but I don’t like writing a phrase and that’s it. If that were the case, I’d reply from my phone all the time and not care. It’s why it sometimes takes me a week to comment on other people’s blogs because I like to be in it, have my mind in it, want to comment. Because if I don’t, I’ll write something crappy. I love this post! I love how you can come up with all these discussion posts. I’m still working on mine because it’s turning out to be horrible haha

    • Yes, that is the worst- you don”t want to just be like “great list!” and leave because you have nothing to say, but then you don’t want to have to spend forever just trying to come up with something either. Like you, it takes me time to comment back these days (as you can see hahah) because I DO want to do it, because I love it- but I also want to do it justice!

      And thank you! I bet yours isn’t awful- most of the time, I am convinced that mine are absolute rubbish, but maybe I am just being hard on myself? I bet yours is MUCH better than you are giving yourself credit for!

  13. I think you brought up some excellent points. I did not think about myself as being a meme person, but I currently do TTT, BTB, The Sunday Post, and Read This. That’s FOUR a week! Probably too much meme. I am revamping Read This as a result of THIS POST. (i was planing to do it anyways, but this post motivated me) Thank you for shining a spotlight on memes.
    According to your survey, I am Moderately Meme. I read other people’s memes. Except WoW, which I almost never read. I love TTT, and BTB, and The Sunday is the ultimate get to know other bloggers meme. I will not stop participating in any of those.

    • Oh my goodness! WOW I feel kind of honored that my post was so influential! I think you are moderate for sure- PLUS you very obviously put a TON of effort and thought into your posts. I have never once been on your blog and didn’t have something to say, because you always write quality posts!

      I agree with you- I love all 3 of those! I LOVE reading your BTB posts, and if I had more time in the day, I’d do them myself. One of these days, I swear I will- the topics are amazing, and I really love getting to know bloggers. It’s the best part!

  14. I love this post!! I have nothing against meme but I do get annoyed when I see people complain about others doing memes. I get why they don’t like them, but it’s not difficult to ignore them!
    Anyways, people should just let others do what they want and stop trying to tell people what they should or shouldn’t post on their blogs. It’s really annoying.
    Without memes, I doubt my blog would be where it is now and nor would I have met some of the amazing blogging friends I have made in the 4 years I’ve been blogging. They have been valuable to me and to other people.

    • Aw thanks! That is exactly my point- why does it have to be a BAD thing? Can’t it just be… a thing? I am the same way, I’d say at LEAST 80% of the connections I have made were found through memes. And yeah, it takes more to KEEP the connections, but without memes, I’d probably still be writing to an audience of zero 😉

  15. Great post! I am not a rabid memer, but I probably was when I first started, mainly because it was a great way to find new blogs and to let other blogs know that I existed. Now, the only meme I do on a regular basis is Top Ten Tuesday. I love how creative it is. 90% of my feed every Tuesday is filled with Top Ten Posts, but every one is different. I love that. And I don’t just say “cool post. here’s my list” kind of thing. Sometimes I will post my link on other blogs, but it is only after I make a comment of substance. If I visit a Top Ten post and have nothing to say, then I just don’t comment. I don’t like commenting unless I actually make a connection with the post. Okay, this was a bit of a rambling comment, but you get it. One thing I don’t like is when EVERY SINGLE post by someone I follow is a meme. At that point, it feels like they are just trying to get followers and are not making any effort for original content. I kind of hate that.

    • Thanks 😀 I was too- I didn’t really know how else to build readership in the beginning, it’s so hard! I found so many blogs through TTT especially- and the best part is, after a few posts, you know that you either have stuff in common, or you don’t! I always try to make comments of substance. And you do too! I think linking to your post is FINE! I link to my blog on all blogs without CommentLuv, because when I used Blogger, I knew how hard it was sometimes to find the blog of whoever left the comment otherwise. BUT like you said, only after leaving a legit comment!

  16. I haven’t joined any memes in a long time but not because I’m anti-meme. They just became something I felt obligated to do and the best memes are the ones where people are happily sharing their book-ish(or whatever it is) love. If I find something to contribute in the future I’ll be all over it! lol

    I like reading them. I don’t find them repetitive since most people choose different things to feature and they give me new ideas or books to read.

    My motto is just move along …nothing to see here if it’s not your thing. Don’t knock the people who ARE having fun participating.

    Karen @For What It’s Worth

  17. Theme. Scheme. Blaspheme. Deem. Teem. Seem. SO MANY THINGS RHYME WITH MEME. I totally laughed at the rabies thing, though. How wonderfully random.

    I’m afraid I’m part of the group that doesn’t like green eggs with my memes. Or memes with my green eggs. Or green eggs and memes? I mean, I won’t go, “GASP. THIS BLOG HAS DONE A MEME. I MUST UNFOLLOW THEM AT ONCE.” I’ll just scroll over them. I’ll read a few TTTs every once in a while, depending on the topic. But mostly I’ve become indifferent to them.

    • I ummm always thought it was pronounced like “them” so… I fail and clearly don’t have a grasp on the English language, because you’re totally right. Sad face at myself.

      But yes, I think indifference is fine! I mean, it’s the hate that gets me- if you don’t like them, that is so completely fine! But I feel bad when others are made to feel bad, you know? (I am indifferent toward some of them too for sure, though I still enjoy a few!)

  18. I’ve only been blogging for a week (first post went live on Halloween). I’ll admit that I’ve been using meme’s as a way to draw readers to my blog and as a filler until I am able to write a review I’m pleased with. I thought I had enough reviews done on Goodreads. But after I started looking for reviews to post on the blog I felt that every review I had done for Goodreads was too short or didn’t tell enough of my feelings about the book. So I was torn between not posting anything, putting up a shorter review that I wasn’t satisfied with, or putting in a meme’ to fill the space and time.

    But I also think meme’s are a good, quick alternative to a review at a look inside a book. Sometimes I don’t feel like reading a full review on a book. But if there’s a meme’ featuring that book, it may contain a quote or something else that will catch my eye and make me check out the book. Plus there are also those meme’s that give you insight into a blogger.

    The reason I started blogging was to find a way to talk and share with these bloggers I’ve been reading for a while and would like to become internet friends with. I also wanted a way to support the authors I love.

    On the short comments, I admit I’m guilty of that sometimes (obviously not this time ). I’ll use the meme’s as a way to find new bloggers and I want to let them know that I’ve clicked through on their post. So if what they’ve posted about doesn’t cause a great comment to come to mind, I’ll leave something like “Great haul” so that they know I’ve been there. I’ll have to try to do better with my comments. 

    • I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using them to find readers and other bloggers! That is how I found most of the people I am friends with, really! I think as long as your comment is appropriate, and shows that you’ve really read their post, it doesn’t have to be long. I posted one week that I hadn’t gotten any books- in big, bold letter with a sad face haha- and I still got a few “enjoy the books” bwahahah. So really, as long as you’re not doing that, you’re good 😉

      And congrats on starting the new blog, that is fabulous!! I like memes, especially when starting out. Good luck 😀

  19. I’m a Moderate Memer… which I already knew. 🙂 Silly me, I didn’t realize that was such meme hate. I do a couple a week that I enjoy (otherwise I wouldn’t do them). In fact, my very favorite post every week (well, every week that I have time) is That’s What He Said Thursday. I love coming up with the post each week and I love seeing what others share. Sometimes I do Top Ten Tuesday – sometimes not. Same with Top 5 Wednesday. Depends on the topic, if I feel I have something valid to post, if I have time. Even I (small-time blogger that I am LOL) get the “great post here’s my link” comments and it’s obvious what they are. But I also get great comments from those who have something to share/contribute and often start a discussion. Love that! And I comment similarly with others. And, like you mentioned at the top, if there’s one I don’t like or it doesn’t interest me… I just move right on. No big deal.

    • I don’t think that *everyone* hates memes, but there are definitely people who don’t like them- like anything else, I guess. I have always liked them in moderation myself. It’s like the whole blogosphere getting together, which I love. And the great comments totally make it worth it, no? 😀

  20. I got Moderate for the quiz. Fun idea! I do do a few a month (mainly Stacking the Shelves and Top Ten Tuesday). When I first started blogging I did more and insisted on every week. So I would have 2-5 all the time. Now it is maybe less than 2 a week average (depending on the aspect of certain meme’s I may/may not do it for that week).
    I try really hard to not be the comment gimmick person with meme stops. I do love it when they stop back but I try not to leave generic comments only. If I have nothing to say on the post I don’t. Sometimes, though it is just something simple like “That cover gives me the creeps. Must add to my tbr for a future horror night” for the substance. Other times I can have a paragraph or two.

    • Jamie @ Vailia's Page Turner

      Although I will admit my “signature” for meme stops is usually generic when I do comment. Still, the comment has to relate to the post I am on specifically.

    • Aw thanks 😀 I usually do two also, but if I am not feeling it, I don’t bother either. I totally agree- the comment gimmick person is rough- especially because I feel way too bad to NOT visit them back. The struggle is real 😉

      I think that kind of comment is FINE! Simple works, as long as it shows that you’ve actually read the post, you know? Or hell, at least part of it 😉

  21. I like memes as a way of getting to know other bloggers or finding new blogs. I used to do The Sunday Post and Feature & Follow when I first started blogging, but they got old fast. Once I found my voice, I dropped both of them because they became a pain to do and I don’t feel the need to have something go up every day.

    Right now I just participate in That’s What He Said, but I time it with a book review. So if I found a really romantic quote in a book, I’ll put that review on a Wednesday and put the quote on Thursday. Then I link the posts together. I’m doing it this week if that doesn’t make sense.

    While I don’t participate in The Sunday Post, I do visit Kimba’s site every Sunday. I use The Sunday Post to find and connect with other bloggers. It’s a good overview of their content and easily accessible without to much trouble.

    • I totally agree! It’s such a great way to find new blogs, especially when you’re new yourself! I personally love TTT, but I have (finally!) stopped forcing myself to do it if a topic doesn’t interest me. I have also given up WoW, because I am pretty sure I know all the books, because I have an obsession 😉 I still do a weekly recap- I thought of giving it up for awhile, but then majority spoke and said to keep it, so it stays for now 😀

  22. I do about half of the Top Ten Tuesdays, and the Monthly Wrap Up Round Up. I really enjoy reading what other bloggers come up with for those. Usually if a TTT topic doesn’t appeal to me, I am not that interested in reading others’ lists that week either. I have no interest in some of the other memes, but it doesn’t bother me in the least to just skip them and carry on. I’ve definitely found most, if not all, of the blogs I follow through the two memes I participate in.

    I think your quizzes are adorable, btw.

    • I am the same way- if I don’t care about a topic, I am probably just not interested in general. Though last week, with the quotes, I simply couldn’t come up with enough, so I was curious about others 😉 But I agree- I’d say a solid majority (at LEAST 90%) of the blogs I follow do at least one meme!

      And thank you so much!! 😀

  23. I feel your pain on the meme’s. Tuesday’s and Weds. are the worst! The meme’s I don’t mind and participate in our the Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves (I combine into one post). I think this is an efficient way to summarize what is going on at your blog while connecting with other bloggers. There are useful meme’s then there are ones that I personally skip over. Your conclusion is spot on in my opinion. Moderation! They have their purpose but too much can pull at the professional feel of your blog. Being professional is important if you want to work with publishers and such.

    • I do love a weekly wrap up! I do kind of a combination of both, with some of my own randomness thrown in! I think a few memes are fine, I mean, publishers want you to be connected to other bloggers, after all. But if it is ALL meme and no review, then yeah, that would definitely not look good!

  24. I’ll admit that I’m not much of a fan of memes, but I don’t really hate them either. I think they’re okay, provided that they’re done in moderation. It’s definitely a lot of personal preference in terms of whether or not you like them. Thanks for sharing Shannon and, as always, fabulous discussion post! ♥

    • Aw thanks! And I agree that moderation is key- especially in some of the shorter memes where it just may be one shared quote, or one question to answer. Those tend to get repetitive for me. But I don’t really MIND them, I just choose not to read them if I am not interested.

  25. I’m a total meme fan and I just can’t help it!! I totally love TTT posts. They are always so fun to do! And since I’m terrible with coming up with discussion ideas, it kind of takes the pressure off of me that way too. Waiting on Wednesday I can take it or leave it. I honestly do it every week because I’m such a creature of habit. And I do definitely enjoying seeing others’ picks. But I could honestly do without it.

    What I hate as well is when others complain about them. Seriously, who gave them the power to decide what others post?! if you don’t want to see them, ignore them! Whatever! I would never judge someone for posting something I didn’t enjoy. I’d either skip the post… or if it was too many posts, I guess I’d probably eventually unfollow them. But complaining about it? So not cool….

    • I LOVE TTT. I mean, it’s lists. And someone else giving me a topic to cheat on 😉

      And YESSS! That is exactly my feelings! You nailed it- what makes one person think that they know “better” than someone else? I mean, yeah, maybe the hater has been around longer or whatever, but does that mean they know what this other blogger wants to do with his or her blog? NOPE.

      I doubt I’d even unfollow, unless it got REALLY ridiculous. Once I follow, it takes a lot for me to unfollow. Basically it would have to be either non-stop promo, OR the person’s an asshole 😉

  26. Great post! I totally agree. There are a couple memes I like to do, Waiting on Wednesday, partly because it is fun to see what other people put up! I also like to do the Stacking the Shelves or Sunday Post, it actually helps me kind of keep track of how many books I’m actually collecting. Which hasn’t been a good thing actually, I’m getting too many. (Is that possible though? Too many books? Nah!) And then I’ve really enjoyed doing one called Cover Characteristic by Sugar and Snark, because it is fun to go look at the different covers of all the books I’ve read. Like you, if I don’t want to read it, I just scroll by, or delete the email, whatever. I feel everyone should be able to do their own blog how they want to do it, and it’s not my right to complain about someone else because they do it differently. As for commenting on meme posts, I try really hard to comment about what is in the post if I’m going to link to mine. If I have nothing to say about their post, then I don’t usually leave a comment.

    • I am with you- I need some accountability for my insane book obtainment 😉 I have recently started seeing the Cover Characteristic one- and I must say, I LOVE reading them! I don’t have time to do it personally, but I adore looking at what other people come up with!

      And YES to the commenting! That is exactly how I am- if I am going to comment, it is damn sure going to be thoughtful! And seriously, no one can tell anyone else how to run their blog. We all like different stuff- that’s what makes it so fun!

  27. Great post and I couldn’t agree more! I don’t like the focus on not doinf tours and memes as I believe they do have a place. Yes they sometimes feel like they are all the same or just for followers and soemtiems there are too nay of the same types of posts in my feed, but pveral I am okay with memes. And like you said I think moderation is key and it’s mroe how you do it than what you do it.

    I like the waiting on wednesday posts that make me curious about the book and explain why they want to read it or the top tens that entice me to leanr more about those books. And yes sometimes I see too many of the same posts in my feed and then I just scroll past them when i’ve read one or two, but I still think that everyone does bring soemthing unique and so far I never have read two top ten lists that were xactly the same, although I never will read all of them either. I do think memes in moderation can be great. I have participated in the sunday post meme since I started my blog and I’ve foudn soem of my best blogging friends through that meme and I find new bloggers to follow regulary because of it. So they do help you with finding new followers, comments and most importantly new friends and I think that’s a good thing and part of the reason why I like memes.

    • Aw thank you so much!! I agree with you- especially because like, if you don’t like them, you just don’t have to do them! It isn’t like some kind of book blogger prerequisite “must complete 100 weekly memes and tours to qualify”.

      And I absolutely agree about finding fellow bloggers through memes- it’s how I got connected to people for sure! It’s fun and effective, sounds like a win! It’s funny too because while I was thinking about this more, it’s almost like scrolling through your feed and seeing the same ARC review over and over (which absolutely happens some days!) and no one hates on that!

  28. I’m a Moderate Memer — Christy and I only do TTT and then STS, sometimes we will connect to the Sunday Post at well, but it’ll be included with STS so it’s technically one post in all, so two all together. I love meme’s. I think you get to know a lot out of a blogger out of them, if done right. I’m not a huge fan of WOW posts because they are mostly books I already know about but sometimes I’ll see some hidden gems among the posts. Like you said though, Shannon, if we don’t like them then scroll on past.

    • That is what I do as well- they’re my favorites. I actually stopped linking to The Sunday Post, only because I couldn’t keep up with the comments and it didn’t seem fair, but if I ever get myself under control, I will again 😉 Totally agree with you about all of this!

  29. I started participating in memes because I needed regular content…and traffic. I slowly started with one and then added a new one over the course of two months, and now I’ve been doing them all for over a year. I will say that TTT posts always take me the longest! (I also love lists.) I never did get into WOW, but instead do WWW which helps me stay on track weekly with my reading. If I’m not interested, I delete the email or keep scrolling, but if there’s something shiny…well, we all know what happens to the shiny things.

    • I did the same! I was writing reviews into an abyss- I had ZERO followers, and I wanted to meet people, even if just to discuss things with! TTT posts take me FOREVER, so no one can say that there isn’t any thought in them since for just about everyone I know who does them, they DO take a long time!

  30. I got “moderately meming”. I sometimes feel like I over do it though. I’m about 50/50 when it comes to reviews and memes. I find memes to be good discussion starters, especially the ones that ask questions. I admit I am not very good about coming up with original ideas, and so I like the prompting I get from memes. Not to mention they motivate me to post on a more regular schedule. I have met some great people through memes. I have discovered new blogs I wouldn’t have otherwise. Yes, it does help drive up traffic, but for me that’s not the point–at least not ultimately. I like the see the discussions that can come out of memes and I enjoy the interaction with the community.

    • I love when they ask questions and it gives people a good topic to discuss! Makes things fun and interactive! I agree with the schedule too- because it makes me kind of plan my week, grudgingly 😉 I love the community aspect as well, it is so great to have everyone coming together to talk about stuff!

  31. The honest truth? Memes bore me. I may read one of two of them eventually, but only if I know the author already and am interested in what they have to say. The very few I tried, I ended up feeling forced to do, and it was enough to steer me away from them. Not to mention, in my experience, most people don’t even use the meme thing as a way to connect with you, but more often than not post one of those generic comments which reek of “I’m waiting for you to comment back now”. The only meme I liked was the Book Blogger Confessions by Karen (For What It’s Worth) and Pam (Midnyte Reader) back in 2012. It sparked interesting conversations instead of (sorry, just my 2 cents) useless lists…I very much prefer events, like the Book Blogger Promo Tour I did this summer. At least you get to know a small number of people better, and sometimes to make friends with them…

    • Well, they certainly aren’t for everyone, that is for sure! It’s nice that you did get a chance to join some different events that you enjoyed though! I understand the bit about commenting- sometimes it DOES feel that way, but I guess I have been lucky in that I feel like more often than not, the people are really interested (though absolutely not always- I definitely have the “okay visit me now” comments from time to time, you are completely correct).

  32. I do not like green eggs and memes… Nine times out of ten, if I see a generic meme image and title, I’m going to mark it as read and/or scroll right past it, because there are so many of them. But if you use a unique image and a captivating title, I’ll probably read your post and like it and then realize, oh hey, this is a meme post, and it wasn’t half bad!

    I don’t mean to sound shallow, it’s just that I scroll through my feed looking for posts that I might enjoy reading, because honestly, I don’t have time to read allllll of them. And I probably followed you in the first place because I liked what you have to say, and I want to read your unique content!

    • Oh, I don’t blame you at all, because I do that too a lot of times! But that’s okay too! I think it is fine to not like them AND to not read them. I totally agree about the time thing too, I have NONE of it, and it is a problem. My issue isn’t with not liking memes even, it’s more when people like, say that a blogger is doing something “wrong” by doing memes, you know? Because I feel like everyone should just do whatever makes them happy! 😀

  33. YES, excellent post! The only issue I have with memes is if that is ALL the blogger posts. I do want to see a variety of content. But memes are great, they can help spark ideas for really fun posts and get creativity flowing. We run a meme, though we’re slowing it down a bit, but people enjoy it. Like you said, you can tell when someone phoned it in or really enjoyed writing the post, and same goes for the comments.

  34. I’m not surprised to see that I’m Moderately Meming. I only participate in Top Ten Tuesday because I LOVE lists. The main point of creating my blog (before I even knew there were other book blogs) was to provide some recommendations for people… basically exactly like TTT. I can see myself doing this meme for a loooong time because it offers a lot of variety. Everyone’s lists are different but under the same fun topic. I will say that I skip right over Waiting on Wednesday in my feed because….I don’t care too much :/ I’m not huge on being like GIMME ALL THE UNRELEASED BOOKS or even ARCs, so I feel pretty meh about that one.

  35. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of memes for the same reasons you’ve stated. But I can’t blame someone for doing them because I used to be the same when I first started blogging. I think it’s a great way to get a blog exposed when it’s in it’s first stages. But I think it would turn me away from a blog if that’s all I kept seeing because I love seeing original posts too, you know. I love doing STS but I only do it on the last Saturday. I rarely do WoW anymore because I just lost interest unless there’s a book I really want to talk about. I’ve been wanting to do TTT because they seem like fun 😀 But yeah, I’d never tell anyone to stop doing memes if they genially love it because it’s their blog.

  36. This post is too funny. I got Moderate Memer, which is accurate because I just love to read lists, but I only sometimes participate. I hardly ever feel the need to do a meme. It’s probably because they are a lot of work with thinking about choices, finding the right set-up for the post, and I have to really enjoy the topic to want to put my effort into it.

  37. I’m not terribly fond of memes, but I won’t unfollow a blog for posting memes, unless that’s all they post. There’s a lot of really nice ones – I’ve found a lot of great books through Waiting on Wednesday and Top Ten Tuesday, for example – but I think the key’s moderation. So, yes, basically what you said xD

  38. I’m a moderate memer! I actually like memes, especially ones that you can have an individual unique take on and I actually find books to add to my TBR pile this way. Also great when you have bloggers block to have someone else come up with the idea. 🙂

  39. I’m moderately meming, which does quite sound like me. I mean, I join Beautiful People by Cait almost every month and co-host Snazzy Snippets but that’s it. I do tend to skip Top Ten Tuesday posts a lot because unless you title your posts something crazy like Cait I probably won’t be interested enough to click through. But that’s just me — there’s really nothing wrong with posting memes unless that’s literally all you do and for the sake of comments only. I used to do a couple rounds of TTT to get to know people, too!

    • Totally agree! I do them because I find them fun, but if I didn’t, I’d stop like I did with Waiting on Wednesday at this point. And I don’t really seek memes out, but if I pop over and someone has one, I may comment. I may not. Depends on the meme (and the person, probably haha)

  40. The only memes I read and participate in are TTT and Stacking the Shelves. People have so much fun with TTT and I think you can get to know a blogger through those posts and I love Stacking the Shelves because LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTIES. I’ve tried most of the memes but those are the only two I’ve stuck with. I don’t really read Waiting on Wednesday posts and if I see them in my feed, I generally don’t read them because I’ve already heard of the book/it doesn’t look like something that will interest me! Also, I LOVE your long comments – they always make my day!

  41. I AM FINALLY COMMENTING.

    I used to be someone who really liked memes because I could discover new books from them, but then I got tired, and I just had less time to go through them all (especially the TTT one, which is the one I really do every week, mostly to have content…) I LOVE It when peeps twist the meme around and do something original with it. Those are my favorite.

    I do try to comment on all the TTT memes that appear on my Bloglovin feed, but if I can’t get to it, then I don’t.

    I have never participated in WOW, just because….oh I don’t know. I’m lazy. I do go to a blog and comment on it IF it is a book I have heard of maybe once, and want to see what it’s about 🙂

  42. I completely agree that moderation is the key with memes. If memes are the ONLY thing a blogger posts, then I probably won’t be all that excited to visit them, but I certainly don’t mind seeing them. I actually for the most part really enjoy TTT – it’s the only meme I really participate in anymore. I skip over all the WoW posts too, but like you say – it’s not hard to do. What’s the big deal?

  43. I don’t really mind memes … some memes, but I don’t do them much anymore because I got burned out on them. I actually like to read them when people put a sort of unique spin on it … but if you’re writing Top 10 Tuesday on your post title, and it’s Wednesday … I’m going to think you’re a little lazy and not bother with you.

  44. I got ‘moderately meming’ which is very accurate. Top Ten Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday are the only meme’s I participate in. I think Top Ten Tuesday post can be very creative and so much fun, especially when people take the topic and put a unique spin on it and I’ve found some great hidden gems on Waiting on Wednesday. I think there should be a balancing act between the memes, discussions and reviews but at the end of the day if I’m not in the mood to read through them, I’ll just scroll on pass.

  45. I do two memes per week. Top Ten Tuesday and WWW Wednesday. The former because I meet so many people, the latter because I like it and it also gives a lot of traffic on my blog heheh. I have nothing against them and I like to seem them pop into my feed.

  46. I am in the middle of this one. I am like you, if I don’t want to read I just scroll. I don’t consistently post memes because for me, they are a freaking chore to draft. But I have noticed i get more comments on certain memes vs others and I do think this could be because some want return comments. :/

  47. I like some memes, and it definitely is a great way to meet new-to-me bloggers! I don’t have the patiente to actually write up the Top Ten Tuesday posts anymore, I used to do them, but to make those really ME took me forever! I love reading those posts, though 🙂 And it’s also a great way to find books I haven’t added to my shelves yet 😉
    I think we should all just do what we want to do on our blogs! And if some people don’t want to follow me because I enjoy some memes, that’s OK. As you said, it’s really easy to scroll past the feed of posts I don’t really feel like reading!
    Have a fantastic week ahead, Shannon, and happy reading!

  48. There’s one meme I do pretty much every week, and that’s the Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. I enjoy going around and seeing what my blogging friends have been up to, and what posts I may have missed that I want to read. Other posts I do when the theme appeals to me — Top Ten Tuesday and Tough Traveling are two I do only when I can come up with a good list. I do enjoy reading other people’s posts on those even when I don’t participate. For instance, this week the TTT is quotes from books you read this year, and I. . . didn’t collect any. And I don’t have time to go hunt a bunch down. So I’m skipping it, but I’ll have fun seeing which quotes other people picked. WWW is another I only do when there’s a book I’m really looking forward to, but I didn’t get an ARC. I don’t see the point of posting a WWW about a book that I got to read before it even came out! And I don’t tend to go around looking for WWW posts, though if someone I read regularly posts one, I’ll take a look. Those are pretty much it for my meme participation. It is nice to get some extra traffic with a meme, or to meet a new blogger that way, but I do them more for the fun of it than for the traffic. I love getting comments, though, as long as they’re reasonably thoughtful!

  49. I am anti-meme, apparently. I like them occasionally, and I think they are good once in a while to find new bloggers, but I’d far rather read original content.

    I do not like green eggs and memes, you wouldn’t find them in my dreams.

    🙂

  50. I used to meme a lot, but I’ve really cut down. I like TTT and WoW occasionally and I don’t HATE on memes, I just personally don’t do them often. I enjoy reading TTT, not so much for WoW…. Sometimes I find new books, but for the most part I know about the books already and besides fangirling with the person about how excited I am for the book, the post just doesn’t do much for me, ya know? I still enjoy commenting and reading on memes though!

  51. I’m moderately meming, which doesn’t surprise me! I love Top Ten Tuesday, which is the only meme I do, but I don’t do it every week. Only when the topic interests me. And I’m pretty, very bad at blog hopping through that anymore WHICH I WILL BE SURE TO DO BETTER IN THE NEXT YEAR. But yeah, I don’t get the meme hate. They can be fun, bring you new blogs to follow AND FRIENDS DON’T FORGET WE BECAME FRIENDS THROUGH TTT, and you’re right on the #1 point. You don’t have to read them, or even LOOK at them. Just ignore them in your feed, god.

  52. I’m moderately meming, but I’m about to reduce my load by phasing out WoW, and STS. Currently, I only do TTT when I like the topic. I want to focus more on original articles. I have the ideas, but haven’t made the time, because of reviews, and… memes. Plus, I want to read more of other stuff people put up then memes. However, they don’t bother me unless that’s all the person does. As in write memes, but no reviews, or articles. Then I get bored.

    • I phased out WoW myself. I actually was planning on skipping StS in favor of a monthly recap, but when I polled people, they all wanted it to stay sooo… guess it stays for now 😉

      And I agree- I am fine with them sometimes, but not if it is the ONLY thing. That gets kind of boring!

  53. I personally do not see anything wrong with a meme or two. They are a great way to meet new blogger and start discussions, in my opinion. But, I do agree that you have to be careful with them. On my blog, I try to have at least one non-meme post in between every meme. I think that appeals to both kinds of people: those who like memes and those who cannot stand them. I also try to make mine a little bit more than listing books with book covers. I like to explain my choices, which gives them a little bit more content.
    I think memes are an important part of the book blogging community and should not be looked down upon. They bring a lot of us together, ignite comment sprees, and give book bloggers something to post in between reviews.
    (I am moderately meming by the way. I absolutely adore all of your quizzes!)

    • I agree with you completely- that is how I like to do things too, never two in a row! And I am the same way, I love to make them more fun that just listing a few things. And I think they ARE important- especially for connecting to people, because it’s easy to see that someone has the same taste as you, if you click with them, etc. And thank you SO much!! 😀

  54. I got Moderate Memer. Which is kind of weird because I don’t usually participate in memes (I suck at deadlines, k?), but I don’t hate reading them. Sure, you can always tell when someone was desperate for filler content. But, there are people who put a lot of thought and effort in to a post regardless if it’s super original content or if it’s a meme.

  55. I despise memes, hah.

    I’m totally fine if people like memes because different people, different interests, different blogs, all that jazz. Go wild. I just won’t be at the party.

    But my main problems are #1 and #2 in your list.

    For #1, yes I can scroll, but when 90% of my feed is full of WoW posts, it makes me want to “mark all as read” instead of scrolling… because it doesn’t sound like much fun to scroll through 270 “not interested” posts just to get to the 30 that I might like. And that makes me sad, because I really would like to check out the 30 non-meme posts on that day.

    I just don’t like seeing so much of the same thing all at once. It makes me want to ignore it all. And that brings me to #2…

    Even if the CONTENT of the posts are different, the TOPICS are all still identical, and that puts me off. I may read one or two, but by that point, I feel like I’m done with the topic.

    It’s like reading anything. Let’s take a Blogger vs WordPress post. People can tackle this same topic in different ways and with different opinions.. but that doesn’t mean I want to read 270 posts on the matter. I might read one, two, or three to get a sense of what people are saying, but then I’m done. I’m over it. I don’t need more. But there are still 267 sitting in my feed. X_X

    I just don’t like all the SAMENESS. I like different things on different days rather than TOPICVOMIT all on one day.

    • I DO agree with your “mark as read” thing- it takes me so long to scroll through them all. I don’t even post on Wednesdays in general anymore most of the time, because I kind of assume anything I posted would be lost in a sea of WoWs. Plus, it’s a good excuse to take a day off 😉

      You are absolutely right about the topic being the same. I think that’s actually part of the appeal for me, I guess. Like, how different people tackle the same thing? Don’t get me wrong, a generic list is still boring as hell, and I am not interested either. And I certainly would not want it every day, that’s for sure.

      I love your Blogger versus WP example. True story, when I was first thinking of switching, I probably did read about 270 of them 😉 But you’re right- the content was basically the same after awhile. (I am just indecisive haha.)

      I guess it just boils down to different people enjoying different things. And I don’t mind if people love them, hate them, or fall in the middle (which is where I am, pretty much), just as long as no one feels bad about doing their thing.

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