keptwoman Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I'm curious, I just looked through a lovely long list of blogs in the K-8 section, and added a few to my follow list. Having done that I still can't put my finger on what makes a blog appealling to me, I think it's probably a mix of looking appealling and having content which catches my eye and/or things in common be that beliefs or curricula and some photos but not too many. What makes you want to follow a blog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I have enjoyed reading some blogs on occasion, but the ones I return to repeatedly are those written by those with whom I have a personal relationship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrsjamiesouth Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I like blogs that post lots of pictures and that are crafty. Here is an example: http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/ I also follow a blog if it is a real interest of mine : http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 (edited) I like to follow blogs that... 1. Are clean and crisp (not too visually cluttered). 2. Are radically different from my own life. It is fun to learn about other people's lives. 3. Have something to offer me (content that will positively impact my life whether that be homeschooling, crafts, simple living, or encouragement). 4. Are smart (I want to learn something & feel mentally challenged). 5. Elicit an emotion from me. (That even includes the blogger who occasionally ticks me off. LOL). 6. Are close friends. (Sometimes I follow a blog that fits in no other category just because I LIKE them). Edited October 5, 2010 by Daisy Wrong illicit/elicit. Haa haa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 A personal relationship with the blogger! The only person I have on my follower list is Amber, and that's because we are email buddies. I have looked at other people's blogs on here, but the only one I have a mental note to check back to now and then is Amira's, because she reads too many interesting books. I wonder why I'm not officially following hers. Maybe because I've only just started using the newsfeed list function thingi. See? I don't even know what it is called. I'm not a big blog reader anyway, but I think I don't follow any except Amber's closely because blogs tend to cover a great variety of topics, most of which wouldn't be interesting to me unless I knew them personally. I think I will follow more when my kids are older. The preschooler blogs aren't much use to me yet, because Zia is, well, Zia. Later when we are doing actual school work, I can see myself subscribing to blogs detailing lessons in SOTW, or other things we'll be doing too. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 I can't figure out the whole RSS thing either Rosie, I'm sure it must put me in the "monumentally IT illiterate category. So I mostly follow Blogger blogs because Blogger makes it so durn easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick_Mom Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I seem to be drawn to blogs that are: Amusing (intentionally) at times Written in a style that appeals to me (not sure how to describe it, but I know it when I read it :D) Likely to make me think about some issue important to me And while I'd like to say that I will read any blog from any person of any persuasion on any topic, that's not the truth. I like to read the writing of someone whose core beliefs are similar to mine. I think it's good to read the words of someone who doesn't agree with you, if only to understand how best to respond to their arguments! -- but I'm more likely to read the blog of someone who's a "kindred spirit" than someone who is my polar opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I can't figure out the whole RSS thing either Rosie, I'm sure it must put me in the "monumentally IT illiterate category. So I mostly follow Blogger blogs because Blogger makes it so durn easy. Hee hee. I knew about the RSS thing, but don't know how to use it. It's the Blogger list thingi I meant. I can handle that because my blog is hosted there too. There are a couple of SCA related blogs I'd follow if they were hosted on Blogger. I should work out the RSS thing. Or not, because their marvels might just depress me because these ladies (most of whom I know, the other only by repute) are so much more accomplished than I. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Blogs with lots of photography appeal to me. I need visuals..:tongue_smilie: A great way to follow blogs, btw is to use Google Reader. I put the subscribe button up on the toolbar, and whenever I find a blog I like I just have to hit a button. Then when I'm in the mood for blog reading, I go to my Google Reader link and they are all sitting there nice and pretty for me, and it only lists unread posts. I can easily skip through things I don't feel like reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 When I go look at a blog for the first time, my first question is whether it's regularly updated. That can be daily, weekly, monthly... but if posts are very sporadic or uneven, there's a good chance I won't add it to my feed. It's more interesting to get to know a blog. After that, my other big criteria is that a blog has to be more than just a summary of a person's life. I don't mind reading a blog with a weekly update - a lot of homeschoolers do that. However, it has to go beyond that to offer ideas, insights, reflections, or something greater than just "I made this..." or "I cooked this..." or "We read this..." While not every blog has to do this, I find that I most look forward to blogs that challenge my thinking or have a very strong perspective on a topic. One homeschooling blog that I read that really does that is the blog Kelly Green and Gold - anyone know that blog? She writes about British homeschool issues - which totally doesn't apply to me. I don't always agree with her, but I appreciate how she picks things apart and really gets at an issue she's thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 My three requirements..... It must be interesting....with good writing. I don't like blogs that just say "well, we did this today, then we did that, and it was a good day." I like pictures. If I scroll down a blog page and don't see a single photo, I won't even read the blog. There can be posts that don't have photos, but majority of them need to have photos. Uncluttered. I'm reading for pleasure, I don't want to work to read a blog by trying to decipher it. I need to have something in common with the writer. Whether it be children, homeschooling, a hobby, whatever. My blog meets all of the above requirements LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 My requirements for "following" a homeschooling blog: ---the kid(s) should be at or above my dd's age ---pictures! ---creativity in schoolwork or in expression ---proper spelling, word usage and punctuation (I understand the every-once-in-a-while error since I make them too ;) but I've come across some blogs that I just can't read because of the number of errors.) ---little politics or ps/teacher bashing (I can read elsewhere for that.) I do read blogs that don't fit those qualifications, though I don't follow them because I want to keep my email and blog reader thingy as streamlined as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Good question because I still don't know what makes a blog appealing to me. Sometimes one grabs me and another one won't. Seems to be no rhyme nor reason to it. As for my blog, I've decided that I will just write for myself and if people read, that's great and if they don't, well darn. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Interesting question. Most of the blogs I follow are friends of mine. The few that are total strangers are blogs with children around my age or they make me laugh like this one http://mompetition.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Good question because I still don't know what makes a blog appealing to me. Sometimes one grabs me and another one won't. Seems to be no rhyme nor reason to it. As for my blog, I've decided that I will just write for myself and if people read, that's great and if they don't, well darn. LOL :rofl: Well I'm glad I'm not the only one still in the dark. The only people that annoy me that they don't follow me are my family since I started the blog for them. My lovely, almost blind Nana who has to peer at a massive computer screen through bottle-bottom glasses, and gets a headache for the priviledge, is the only one of them who comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I don't follow many blogs, but I do read and look at a number of blogs. Why I read some blogs more than others: Aside from the placement of photos and an uncluttered site, I return to some blogs because of the writing. If the writing is excellent I will continue to read a lengthy post. I just stumble on this blog Single Dad Laughing. This dad writes well enough to keep me reading. I just discovered photo blogs. These are impressive with just a few words and many incredible images. Soul2Shade I am finding on the photo blog site that there are younger people, as young as my own children, posting images. It is interesting to look at what they post. BUT no matter how well written, if the page layout and presentation are too hard to read, I will click away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I like to follow blogs that are funny and/or include lots of pictures. I also follow if there is a shared interest. I mostly follow homeschooling and weight loss blogs, but I do follow one celebrity blog just because I like the guy (Hugo from LOST). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 I like to follow blogs that are funny and/or include lots of pictures. I also follow if there is a shared interest. I mostly follow homeschooling and weight loss blogs, but I do follow one celebrity blog just because I like the guy (Hugo from LOST). I follow Jorge's blog too, and I've never watched Lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.