10 Blogging Confessions: The Do’s & Don’ts

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The longer you blog, the more you learn about what kind of space you want your blog to be. We both subconsciously and consciously develop our own rules and take on some already established rules. I’ve been seriously blogging for a year now and I’ve learnt so much on this journey. Here are my 10 blogging confessions:

  1. I will not follow you back if I’ve seen that you haven’t liked any of my posts

Who are you? What are you about? What do you like? You following me doesn’t give away much information about how you interact with other bloggers or what kind of content you’re interested in. Given how varied my posts are, I don’t know whether you’re interested in books, poetry, social justice, feminism or TV! In this case, I will check out your blog, but I definitely cannot promise a follow back if I go on your blog and find that you don’t engage with other bloggers. If you are merely interested in keeping up with my content, fair do’s but otherwise I’m not particularly interested in the follow for follow game.

arya

  1. I will check out your blog if you like my post

I can’t guarantee that I will like one of your posts especially if I discover that you’re running money-making schemes. I will not be liking your latest post either unless I actually like it, otherwise I will like a post that I genuinely enjoyed.

  1. I don’t enjoy doing a lot of book memes

Which is why you’ll see me do one every month or two. I want to put out content that I’ve enjoyed writing up, so I’ve been quite picky with memes or Top Ten Tuesday’s circulating on WordPress.

  1. I don’t press like on posts that go against my religious beliefs or general beliefs

The former is shirk (associating partner’s with God) and the latter, well, if you’re very clearly FOR body-shaming, slut-shaming or engage in behaviours and opinions that I strongly disagree with, I cannot pretend that I am here for it.

  1. I don’t read the content of those who spam like my posts

I mean, you are aware that the notifications appear on my email and I can tell that you’ve liked my last ten posts in under a minute, right? I am fully aware that you haven’t read a single one of them. When I first started blogging, I returned the likes but now I fully ignore those who do this because I’ve worked hard on my content and I have too much self-respect to give you the time of my day. I’m looking for engagement first and foremost. I will admit that I’ve been tempted to play petty and return the favour but there are is only so much time in a day, and I’d rather spend it on bloggers who actually engage in the community. I’m also aware that some bloggers do like several posts with the intention of reading it later, but I use my discretion to discern who are the more genuine bloggers.

  1. I ignore spam likes on comments

This doesn’t tempt me to check out your blog and like your posts either. If I do check it out, it’s to help me remember who to carefully avoid.

  1. You can’t be asking bloggers to check out your posts right away

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I see this happening a lot on Twitter to the point where it looks like a like, comment, view rat race. You are not the centre of everyone’s universe, the world doesn’t revolve around you so stop moving so entitled. Bloggers who do not check out your content right away are not evil. They have other priorities, you cannot ask people to make you a priority. Relax and enjoy the process. I will add that I do check out certain bloggers as soon as I have time to read and browse the internet, but that’s because I’ve formed a bond with them and have organically developed loyalty towards them. I’m not ignoring you either, I’m getting to you in my own time. There are so many blogs and so little time and I try to ensure that I’m caught up on content and that takes time with my ever-drifting attention, but I want to try and make sure that I’m actually reading your content. I’ve followed you because I like your content, I will get to it in time. In alphabetical order. As provided by that lovely WordPress ‘manage followed sites’ tab.

  1. My writing isn’t perfect and that’s okay

Alexa play: “I’m only human after all, after all.” I’m trying my hardest and improving which is the most important thing. Having said that, I want to maintain my authenticity so in my non-formal posts, I try to be just that: informal.

  1. You’ve written a new post, so you like an old post of mine to remind me to go and like your new one

LOL NO. I will go and find your oldest post and like that instead. How about that? Am I dumb? Am I a mug?  I’m not playing this silly passive-aggressive game. I will play the petty game though because, you know, Gemini and all and plus it’s just funny. And, yes, I’m bringing astrology into this with no shame!

kim

  1. I schedule my posts in advance

Scheduling in advance just saves a lot of hassle! FYI, if you see that I have posted new content and I haven’t yet replied to your comment, I’m just letting you know that I haven’t been ignoring you that whole time, this post was scheduled in advance.

What about you? What are your blogging confessions? Do you agree with my confessions? Let me know in the comments!

Sophski out.

Connect with me:

-Let’s talk all things books on Goodreads
-DM me memes and peep how adorable I am on Instagram
-Talk politics, books, TV shows, blogs and life with me on Twitter

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72 Comments

  1. I love scheduling! Whoever came up with it is a genius. I don’t schedule as much because it’s summer and I have more time, but during school, it’s so helpful to schedule them all during the weekend so I can focus on school stuffs during the week.

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    1. *WordPress engineer blushes*
      Yeah, for sure, it’s a lot to balance when you’re still in school but I think once you get to working, scheduling will still remain because it’s just a lot easier. Now, if only Twitter and Instagram would follow suit!

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  2. I love the post honestly I think my favourite is the one where you mentioned that if someone liked your old post that they shouldn’t expect you to like their new one 😂

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    1. I know, right? And to think that we don’t know what they’re doing… we do… we really do. We’re not saying that they need to check out our exact latest post but there should be a recent post that they are actually interested in otherwise it just shows they prefer our older content and if we’re not posting anything new that they’re interested in… just read somebody else’s post who is writing new content that is similar to our old ones. *sigh* there is a certain entitlement to ask to us to go check out their new post right away as well… we are not dogs!

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      1. There are good people and bad people same goes to the smart people and the I think I am smart but im actually not people we just have to know how to tell the difference 😀

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  3. All true…It really freaks me out when I receive 10 likes all at once. I personally do not “like” blindly. I read the post and think about it for a bit before I do.

    My blogging confession: I’m really self-conscious about leaving comments. I feel whatever nice or thoughtful thing I want to say will not do the author/blog post justice. So, I overthink what I want to say to the point I psych myself out. I want to participate in the dialogue but my anxiety tends to get the best of me.

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    1. Omg, I know what you mean. When you get ten likes all at once panic mode enters! And that’s so good, it’s so nice to hear that you’re actually reading content and I’m sure those you follow will appreciate that. ☺️

      Girl, you’re awesome and you’re a feminist so that’s extra awesomeness (you have the sauce, believe!). I’m sure you’re thinking up wonderful comments, but I do know what you mean, the anxiety is present. I think I’m more the opposite, I just say what’s on my mind and I’m sure I could learn a thing or two with your self-reflection. 🙏 And the blogging community is here to support you (always). ☺️

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  4. Yay for scheduling lol. It’s so useful haha. Is it weird that I barely started noticing the comment spamming thing? And the follow for follow? What’s the point of following a blog I have no interest in? You know, this would be an interesting sociological study: Tit for tat in the blogosphere.
    Haha I prioritize certain bloggers! 😉

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    1. That means your ignoring like a boss, boo. 😎 let em know! And I know right? There will be some who follow and then just never check out your blog ever again… that’s such a blogging faux pas. Blogging is a commitment, like it or not, and requires interaction otherwise in the words of the very wise Alexandra on Love Island: you’ve wasted my time, you’ve wasted your own. Shame on you.”
      Yeah, I guess it is tit for tat, but shouldn’t life be a healthy give and take exchange? That’s how good communication works.
      Girl, you know I prioritise your posts. 😉 (and if I haven’t yet checked, I’ve been having an eventful day, just so you know). ❤️

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  5. I one thousand percent agree with you. I think what you have written here it must be a bible to the blogging.
    And I resonate with you completely on each point you have raised. And MashaAllah you are one of the genuinest person that I follow. And I feel really honoured to meet you and cultivated a mutual bond of blogging. Yeah.
    I had been a victim of hate comment recently for apparently no reason, just wanna add here as reminder to my self that some people nurture hatred and jealousy its an online platform it is required to follow some social media guidelines *Its some self cultivated protocols*.
    And to the kids here who jumps and stay sassy, “calm down, dude, they are esp boys”,
    I must be honest here with my more than a year (I started in Aug 2016, got dormant for some months then returned back) tenure I have seen some blogger like really renowned blogger targeting new female bloggers in their love game, there are some fake bloggers aka attention seekers as well .
    Yeah these were my observations over a certain period till I followed them.
    I really love those who genuinely appreciate the hard work and emotions of the writer behind the post.
    There are people who just tour the blogs and drew inspiration without an iota of appreciation for the original writer.
    There are some who directly have used my metaphors and don’t acknowledge me. It’s so hypocritical.
    Thanks for writing this, I truly appreciate it a lot.
    Best wishes. Stay Wowsome. 😀😀👍👍

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. A blogging bible… I love it. And thank you so much for the wonderful compliments, it’s really made my day extra special! 🤗
      I had no idea that you were receiving hate, that’s so strange considering how lovely and righteous you are. I salute you for your active approach to tackling those horrid men who were attempting to lure women with their “nice guy” personas, it really just made me believe that there are genuinely good men out there (and now I know that they are, I will not accept anything less in my life! ☺️). It takes a lot of courage for a man to stand up to them for women, now if only there were more men like you! I hope you aren’t taking the hate to heart because oftentimes some people just don’t like it when you are such a well-loved blogger and valued in the community, it amps their jealousy. And for you to stand up against these terrible men, that probably stoked their fire. It takes a lot of courage to do good. And to remain so humble about it and not even notice what a good, decent and upright human being you are, Masha’Allah. Aquib, you should be pleased with how well you’ve conducted yourself, may Allah (SWT) reward you.
      I hope that you’ve sent them a polite email to address stealing content, to steal metaphors considering it takes effort and talent to compose metaphors, it’s not acceptable at all. If they still haven’t changed their ways.. well, you might have to call them out because not only will they do it to you, they will do it to others. They won’t change their ways until they’re called out and such ways should not be allowed to continue. I sincerely hope it was an honest mistake on their part and should they find themselves having intentionally performed wrong, that they either remove their post (first action) or give credit. You’ve worked hard on your content, don’t let them get away with it.
      And thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and right back at you, PLEASE stay awesome, good, brave and righteous.
      Wishing you the best, always. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

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      1. It was just for one time , But as a common norm I have learnt to be cautious on internet.
        I am really in awe with your kind remarks.
        In reality you have made my day.
        For those who steal ideas for them this quote of the movie iron man is enough, “you can steal all my trick and toys but one thing you can steal away is that I am iron man “, got overboard, I am not like iron man.
        Thank you for the wishes, JazakAllah khair. You are really the gem of the blogging world MashaAllah , may Allah bless with success here and in hereafter.

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        1. Aw, Aquib, I’m so glad and I hope it’s put a smile on your face. ☺️
          YUP, you can steal content, you can imitate but they can never be you and deep down… that hurts for them. But do report it if it gets serious because the community need to know. People work hard on their content and it’s just not right.
          Thank you, Aquib, much love and if I’m the gem then you are the diamond. Keep shining and may Allah bless you too, both in this world and the hereafter. 🤗

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  6. Reblogged this on !ns¡ght and commented:
    Omg, the thoughts resonated with me completely.
    And surely MashaAllah it’s the magic of the pen that speak so profoundly, so prolific at the same time.
    I can say it’s a bible of the blogging.
    All the points are I am sure if you are like me blogging for more than a year you can discern with it like the cheese melting in the mouth.

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  8. When I first started blogging, I returned the likes but now I fully ignore those who do this because I’ve worked hard on my content and I have too much self-respect to give you the time of my day. <– I AM SO IN LOVE WITH YOU.

    Erm, more seriously, I used to worry about likes and the likes (haha), but now I've gone self-hosted, people can't like my posts anymore and they actually have to click on the link and leave a comment if they want to engage. Kind of helps you see where real love is.

    Muaaaah!!! <33

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  10. Girl, you are amazing. You are right about the bloggers who end up liking tens of your posts in a minute. As bloggers we work hard on our content and we want them to enjoy reading it. Your principles and respect for your work makes you a great writer.
    I am really inspired by your discipline and dedication.

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    1. We’ve spent an hour or two on a post and to like without reading is very rude and it would probably be better not to press like on them at all, tbf. Blog with dignity and sincerity.
      Thank you so much, it always means a lot to hear lovely comments from people like you whom I admire and respect, my feminist queen. ❤️

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      2. This automatic liking thing is annoying and, as you have written, rude. However, if I detect a post I like, one I want to take time to respond to, I will like it immediately and put it in an Evernote temporary notebook that I cull on weekends. I could spend a lot of time on your site commenting on several of your older posts.

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        1. Yes, it’s very rude. But it has come to my attention that before the ‘save post to read for later’ icon (the bookmark) was introduced, some people liked posts and read them later because it allowed them to keep track of posts they’re interested in. I guess it boils down to using your discretion and the key, perhaps, is knowing whether engagement between the liker and blogger is present. And I’m not sure I’ve heard of an Evernote notebook but I will have to check later! 🙂

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  11. Oh my God ! I don’t care if i come on too strong now, I genuinely am in loveeee with this post. And you, of course ! I am floored by the honesty. And those are some pretty shrewd observations, that anyone on WP can relate to 1000%. I hate the spam likers too…only fill up my notifs tab and empty my energy (catch what I did there?) 😂
    One point though; how…just how did you say you’re english isn’t good enough. I mean, if any one of those faux-shakespearean-wannabes ever implied that, turn on your heel and walk away.
    Your writing is fun, genuine and full of honesty. It doesn’t require extra long time spans to read, which makes it a huge bonus for me 😊
    P.S- I never reply to comments on time either. Not for lack of appreciation, it’s just always been that way somehow.
    💗’ed this soph

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    1. Thank you, so glad you loved it, and found it relatable! And don’t worry about coming on too strong, express your emotions. ☺️ There’s only so much space our notifications tab can take and spam likes prevent us from seeing comments from other bloggers. Bloggers have taken the time to comment on our posts and for us to not be able to see it is inconsiderate on the part of a spam liker. Empty my energy is empty my cache, right? Right? 🤣
      Paha, I had one person comment once or twice on my English and the first time I said: “nah, I’m happy with it. That was a conscious decision.” (It was a terrible suggestion by the way because I was transitioning from the specific to the general and his suggestion didn’t make sense). The second time I outright ignored the comment lol. And, also, wow. To be complimented by the masterful storyteller that is you is so amazing. 😳
      Hey, there’s only so much time in a day, and a life to be lived so take your time and if and when you feel like it. It’s definitely not for a lack of appreciation but sometimes there’s so much else we have to do.
      And thank you once again. 💖

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  12. Very true list 🙂 When I first started blogging it was so exciting to get any kind of response that I would follow back so easily and then… crickets. I try to at least visit every blog but you got to have some boundaries otherwise it gets to overwhelming and you can’t keep up! I also schedule but its usually like the day of I just try to stockpile posts!

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    1. YEP. OMG, YES. You follow back and then it’s just crickets. You really have to check and see if they interact with others because otherwise you’re engaging with a wall sadly. You definitely need to have boundaries and set realistic tasks otherwise it’s information overload. Even right now I’m taking breaks in between replying to comments to rest my mind.
      The day of? Wow, you put out good content so it’s clearly working for you. 👏

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  14. Lol number 9, 😂 there are people who actually do that?! What seriously?
    I personally never check out those who only leave a like either, and I’m not even busy.
    How long have you been blogging, Sophia? One thing I admire about you is that you’re very engaging. You reply to every comment! That’s why we love you. ❤️ How about a post to share blogging tips next time? 😉

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    2. Yep, girl, give it time, you might just be on the receiving end of this one day. 😳 But let’s hope in the meantime they are actually reading this post instead of just liking it so they can see that bloggers do not appreciate this!
      Ah, no I think some people who actually like your post do read it and sometimes maybe they’re nervous about leaving comments. You just have to use your discretion and learn more to see because trust me otherwise you’ll miss out on some amazing connections and bloggers!
      Girl, you do not how blessed I feel when I see engagement on my posts and it’s not even down to me, I think I hit the jackpot when it comes to my followers because I have made some amazing friends here. Including you! 💖
      Paha, maybe I’ll do blogging tips one day but I’m going to keep it generic: talk, engage, discuss and be you! That’s all I’ll have to say. I love your posts as well, I always feel like I’m learning something new and isn’t learning beautiful?

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      1. Aww, thank you. 😊 And thanks for the advice, ofcourse I wouldn’t want to miss out those amazing connections, would I? I’m definitely on it now.

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  15. Haha. I read this post on Aquib’s blog as a reblogg. i loved it damn so much. No. 9 was way funny. And I seriously hate the ones who just like every post without even giving it a read. Once it happened that there were 4 views on my post and 6 likes. Now I don’t know who two did like that way. It happened when I just started blogging. Haha.

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    1. Thank you! 🤗
      No. 9 had me in shock myself, I mean are you really going to try and pull that on bloggers?
      Oh dear, I think when you post, straight away you can see who’s liked it and not read it because within a minute or even 30 seconds they’ll have liked it and you know that your post isn’t a 30 second read. That way you keep a track of who to ignore lol. 😂 (hope that helps a little)
      Those who like every post within a minute can keep their fake likes, we’re fine without it really lol.

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  16. Oh my goodness this is so true! Sometimes I feel bad about not following people or liking any of their posts when they follow me, but I’m not going to follow someone who’s work I don’t enjoy. Thanks for this post!

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    1. Paha, you’re like my friend Susie over @ Of All the Books in All the Libraries. She doesn’t give a crap, lol she follows who she wants. I think once you’ve settled in, you realise who you are, what you like and you finally do what you actually want to do.

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  17. I love this post!!! Especially the likes in under 10 minutes 😂. Someone friended me the other day, liked a dozen of my posts and when I finally got a moment later in the day to go check out this person, they had unfollowed me 🤷‍♀️. The nature of the beast I guess

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    1. Girl, that’s how you know they themselves are only prioritising follower count and likes. And the entitlement to unfollow you after liking your posts because you didn’t like theirs back immediately. Ew. But good riddance.

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  18. I don’t schedule my posts (because I change my mind all the time), but whenever I’m busy with work I tag everyone’s posts within a folder on my bookmarks and read them all when I have the time (which means reading them while I eat or crochet lol). So I guess I’ll have to post on my blog at some point and let them know me reading all of their posts for the week on Sunday doesn’t mean I don’t love them or something. 😀

    You never know who’s secretly thinking you’re evil, right? (Also, I loved the pettiness. I can be extremely petty as well sometimes)

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    1. Thank God for the new ‘save’ feature then, how are you eating and reading at the same time though lol, food deserves complete attention. I save them in my email so I know what I need to read. I’m sure everyone knows that we’re busy and we’re doing what we can, we all get to them in our own time, no one should feel entitled, you know. Don’t worry, bloggers know you’re busy! ☺️

      Paha, being petty at the start is fun and then you’re just not bothered to deal with them anymore lol. Petty unite though. 🙌🏼

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      1. What, where, what is this feature? I had no idea it was a thing. Will have to check it out! And I do everything while I’m reading, because I’m basically always reading something. 😀

        Petty unite indeed. I’m petty as heck about the dumbest things possible. But hey, that’s life, I guess. People know I’m a petty jerk, they hang out with me at their own risk 😉

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        1. There’s a bookmark icon underneath the header and excerpt of a blog post (as you would see on the reader tab). It’s not there when you actually click on the header. Hope that helps, not sure if I worded it right.

          I don’t know how you can read books and read blogs at the same time! I’ll have to put a timescale so I can balance them properly.

          Paha, I guess we’re all petty sometimes. I’m reining it in these days, honestly, sometimes it just causes unnecessary drama.

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          1. That’s crazy, it doesn’t show up here at all. I’m pretty sure there’s some sorcery involved. I’ll have to look again when my brain’s less mushy, it’ll probably be right before my eyes. 😉

            Not gonna lie, most of my non-blog reading is done in the bus. It’s just easier to pass the time this way, as long as I keep an eye out for my stop. I do some reviews for one of my blogs, so I have to keep up with books when possible, but it’s a balancing act indeed.

            And I agree. I’m often silently petty, it’s better than to go around causing drama with people. What they don’t know can’t hurt them, right? 😀

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            1. I have no idea then, maybe it’s only available on the app?

              Yeah, I used to do that before, reading on the way to work lol. Weirdly, it just made you want to just read the book more than you ordinarily would. I guess it’s something to do with having limited time.

              Yeah, I agree. But on issues that matter, we must raise our voice. 🙂

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              1. Ooooh, that’s probably it. I do all of my WordPressing (yes, that’s a word now lol) from my laptop XD

                And I agree with you. It’s the reason why I stopped reading ‘just a chapter’ before bed. You know, because a minute later it’s 4 am and you read the whole book 😉

                And couldn’t agree more. It’s sweating the small stuff that often makes me go ‘meh, not worth it’.

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                1. Paha, how on earth do you that? I’ll stay up just focusing on trying to finish that one chapter because my attention span has decided to remember so many other things instead.

                  Yeah, for sure. In other words: “it’s not that deep” lol. I think we’re all starting to learn that there’s a way we can say it that would work better as well. So if we can do that, then that’s one minor thing reduced from the 99 problems.

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