Blog Roll Has All Been Updated! (May 2nd, 2008)

In interest of full disclosure, now that I have finally done a complete update on the blog roll (which I try to do periodically, with spot checks in between), here is an update of the blogs that were removed and reasoning for that:

*Please note -- nobody is notified when their blog is removed. It is just removed. Also, during this update, I contacted many people to ask them to contact me for updated coding. If you currently have a picture that shows up for your blog roll, you are using the current coding. If you do not have a picture (and a box with a red X instead), you are still using the old coding.

Blogs Removed Because the Blog Roll No Longer Appears on Their Blog: 20

Blogs Removed Because It Has Been Too Long Since They Were Last Updated (the guidelines state one month, but I have been considerably more lenient than that): 10 (these are all about 6 months or more since last written on)

Blogs Removed Because The Blog Just Simply Doesn't Exist Anymore: 5

Blogs Removed Because They Have Changed Their Status from Public Blogs to Private/By Invitation Only Blogs: 7

Blogs that I Edited Titles For Because They are Currently Using a Title that Does Not Match What Shows Up on Their Actual Blog (obviously, these blogs were not removed, but I just wanted to add this to the data): 8

Current Number of Blogs on the Blog Roll After All of the Above Mentioned Blogs Were Removed: 296

Please note: If you feel your blog was removed in error, or you think remedy whatever issue had you removed and you would like to be a member again, please fill out a request to join form and I will review it.

Thanks!

If you appear on the blog roll, but the blog roll isn't on your blog

Pretty soon, I will again be doing the task of verifying that the blog roll appears on all of the blogs that are on the roll.

If I go to your blog and cannot find the blog roll, your blog will be removed from the roll. I apologize, but I will not be contacting people to let them know that they have been removed. I will also, of course, be removing blogs that are no longer in existance, as well as blogs that have not been updated in quite a while. (The membership guidelines state at least one post per month. However, I am considerably more lenient when deciding which blogs to purge from the roll.)

I just wanted to give a fair warning. If your blog is purged from the roll and you think it was by error, please contact me. If your blog was purged and you know why it was purged but still wish to be a member, you will need to fill out a new membership request.

I anticipate doing my checking within this week.

Thanks!

Please check your spam folder

I have been meaning to post this before, but always forget until I have someone from whom I have received sign ups from numerous times, and then I remember again that I want to post this.

Please, if you don't hear back from me about your sign up within about seven days, check your email spam folder for an email from "Angie @ Catholic Mothers Online."

Please do this (and then email me, if need be) before you assume that you have just not been allowed to join. Even when someone is not eligible to join (because of not meeting the minimum requirements that are all posted above the sign up form), I *still* email them (unless it is quite obviously spam).

So...unless you are a obviously a spammer, you WILL hear from me within seven days (or, unless I'm really behind, and then give me a day or two beyond that). If you haven't, please be sure to check any spam folders you have before you try to join again.

Thanks!!!

How I came to start the Catholic Mothers Online blog roll

This posting also appears on my regular blog Many Little Blessings, but I thought it was appropriate to post it here as well.
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It was last year around this time when I was getting farther into blogging (having started in December 2006), and I was on the look out for a blog roll for Catholic women (I was, of course, just about to become a Catholic woman last year at this time). Unfortunately, no matter what search words I was putting in or where I looked, I just didn't seem to be coming across anything.

I then found a Christian blog roll that looked interesting, and I decided to sign up. However, as I read through the belief requirements, I realized that this list did not include Catholics. I read through it again, and remembered the very specific wording used on one requirement (I can't, unfortunately, recall it now) that reminded me of hearing of the Protestant Reformation in history classes. So, I was sad, but I didn't try to join, obviously. It was just shortly after that that I found out another blogger I knew (who is Catholic) was specifically denied membership because she was Catholic.

I became not only sad, but angry. I remember thinking, still a Protestant at that point for another week or so, "How can you abandon me? I have been one of you my whole life. How can you deny me being on a Christian blog roll just because I now want to be a Catholic Christian?"

This made my search become more furious for a blog roll for Catholics. And, I felt like I was coming up empty handed.

Late one night with this heavy on my mind and heart, I sat in one of the recliners in my living room with my computer on my lap. I puttered around the Internet, and then I heard a voice that spoke to me through my heart. "If there is no blog roll that's right, start one yourself."

"I don't know how," I answered. "Besides, what if nobody joins and then we look stupid? It will look like proof that there shouldn't be a Catholic women's blog roll."

The voice in my heart urged me forward, "Trust Me. I am with you, and you need to trust Me. I want you to do this."

"I don't know how," I answered again. Because, well...I didn't. Not even a little bit.

"You'll figure it out," I was told. "Now...go get busy. Figure it out."

And, that's what I did. For hours on end after the kids all went to sleep, I worked on it. I looked at other blog rolls, I studied coding that I might be able to tweak, and I experienced a whole lot of trial and error.

I was blessed to not only have the voice that spoke through my heart each night to push me along, but also very sweet and encouraging postings in my comments from Rosemary at A Catholic Mother's Thoughts. Surely the Holy Spirit was working through her to help me along.

I will admit, I felt guilty at this point. I was working on all the details like a maniac throughout Holy Week. I thought to myself, "I should be in prayer. I shouldn't be sitting here working on JavaScript coding." I thought this many times until then the voice in my heart said, "I asked you to do this. You are doing this for Me. Stop feeling guilty!" And, so I did.

Finally, my coding was done, the blog was up, buttons were made, and the blog roll was launched. I watched my email inbox for sign ups, and though I got a couple, it was very slow going.

I doubted myself and the blog roll. "This was foolish," I said one night at the computer. Of course, my attitude was quickly met by the voice, "BE PATIENT! You NEED to trust in what you were called to do."

I will admit that I still wasn't patient. But, then, emails started flooding in. I was shocked. People I didn't know saw the blog roll on someone's blog that I also didn't know, and wanted to sign up.

I got so many emails of people who were excited about the blog roll. Women who thanked me for starting it. Women who said that finding out about the blog roll was an answer to their prayers. And, every time, I was humbled. I had been so untrusting about this, and something so wonderful was created that has spoken to so many people and helped to form new friendships and a new community.

And, so less than a year later and numbering over 300 blogs on the blog roll, I thank God that I was asked to be part of this. What a beautiful experience it has been so far!

State of the Blog Roll Address

Just a couple of notes about the Catholic Mothers Online blog roll, since it has been more than two months since I last posted here:

*I'm typically updating/emailing about once a week right now. I know that means a little longer wait to get added to the blog roll/receive your informationa about joining. However, it has helped me greatly.

*Wow -- lots of new members! Who knew that our little blog roll would catch on so well! It has been wonderful encouragement to me, and I have had so many people comment to me via email about how much it means to them to have this long list full of great blogs by Catholic women.

*If you have a red "x" on your blog where the picture should be above the blog roll, please email me (through my profile page). This means that you need the newer coding. When you email, please send me a link to your blog and also let me know which picture you used to have (or which one you would like now, if that's different).

Have a blessed January!

Okay...the old pictures are really coming down soon!

Remember back when I sent out the new coding to everyone (or tried to, at least)? Well...it's official -- if you didn't change to the new coding, then very soon your picture will disappear and be replaced with the dreaded red X.

Don't remember if you have changed your coding? Just right click on the picture that appears above the blog roll on your blog. If it comes up with "intheheartland.net" as part of the picture properties, then you have the old coding. If it comes up with some coding from Photobucket.com, then you have the newer coding.

If you find that you lose your picture, please email me at catholicmothers_spam {at} insightbb {dot} com. Just change the {at} to @ and the {dot} to a . and then also remove the _spam. When you email me, please let me know that you need the new coding. Please tell me what blog server you are on (Blogger, WordPress, etc), what your blog URL is, and what picture you had before. (This is also your opportunity to get a different picture though too!)

Please do not sign up for the blog roll again, just because you need the new coding -- please email me, and I'll get back to you within 3 - 6 days.

Thanks!

The Official Stand on MySpace Blogs

I have personally contacted just a couple of people who have requested to join the blog roll who use a MySpace blog, but wanted to record it here on the CMO blog as well. I had to make the decision that I would not include blogs that are on MySpace on the CMO blogroll at this time.

I had two main reasons for that --

1. It appears to me (a non-MySpace person, mind you) to be a little confusing about adding the coding to MySpace. At least I know that I have been asked about how to do it by people with MySpace, and I don't know how. So, that has made me assume that it would be difficult to add it in the same way that you can add it to blog servers such as TypePad, Blogger, etc.

2. Because the comments feature is featured so prominently on MySpace pages, and it can often (not always -- but I have seen it plenty) lead to things that might not be family friendly, it makes me concerned.

Now...mind you, I do want to note that I have generally not censored the blog roll. There are, indeed, blogs on the roll that may not be as family friendly as others.

I apologize to anyone who wants to join and is not able to because of this previously unposted guideline. Much of my feelings about it may be because of my lack of familiarity with MySpace. But, as the person who has to put so much time and effort into the CMO Blogroll, then that means I'm also the one who gets to make that call.

Again -- sorry to anyone who it may effect. Really though...of all the applications I have received, I have only had two or three requested from MySpace, so this does represent a very small percentage.

Thanks for all your support & for making this blog roll so successful!

Well...I'm kind of cross-eyed now...

But I just sent out emails to everyone on the blog roll! Whew!

Because of some changes to the server that I was using for hosting the images for the blog roll, I have moved the pictures elsewhere. The pictures will continue to work in your current coding through the end of September, but at that point, if you don't change the coding (I sent it out to everyone), you will end up with a red X of a picture. Just a heads up!

If you didn't get an email from me (I did get a few returned), please feel free to email me directly for the code (and please include your blog link in the email): catholicmothers {at} insightbb {dot} com.

Thanks everyone!

Did some blog roll maintenance tonight...

Just a heads up -- I ended up deleting approximately 10 blogs from the list. I apologize that I can't take the time to find the email addresses for each of those people and let them know, but even just checking up on the whole blog roll took about two hours. Whew! (Of the blogs deleted, over half were because there were not blogs at those links anymore.)

Oh...and I also fixed links for two blogs on the roll that were incorrect.

And...sorry, but I did delete two or three blogs that just didn't have the blog roll shown anywhere on their blog. Trust me -- if I couldn't find it, I searched and searched. (And then one that only now had one post and hadn't been updated since before summer started.)

If you were deleted and want to join back up, you will need to fill out the enrollment form again.

And one last update -- I had never put this in the guidelines, but will be adding it. Blogs on the blog roll need to be able to be read by the public. Sorry...but this is the only way I can keep updated on blogs and check on them.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the blog roll! It has been great to watch it grow and flourish!