Follow That Blogger!

Good afternoon! So we are all still recuperating from a long holiday weekend of doing nothing. When I tried to submit my post this morning, I realized quickly that my internet is working when it wants to so I gave up on posting and started on laundry, dishes, etc. So I will apologize once again in case I am unable to get by your blogs thanks to shotty Internet service. Someone's coming to take a look at it tomorrow morning.  Now, onto what I'm really here for...

This post is a little out of the ordinary for me but it's something that has been on my mind as of late. My main question is this:

What factors play into your decision to follow a blog or to stop following a blog?

And before we delve into this subject, I'm not necessarily asking to find ways to gain followers (though new followers are always nice and very much welcome). I've been thinking of this question for a while now but decided to post it after seeing a lot of "I love blogs that...." or "I hate it when a blog...". So I'm curious to know what determines whether or not you'll follow a blog you run across or stop following blogs.

For me, I'm usually first drawn to the aesthetics of the blog. Is it pleasing to the eye? Easy to navigate through? Does the blog header give me an idea of what the blog is about overall? Is there a blog description? Then I'm usually looking for something the blogger and I might have in common. Do we both like photography, scrapbooking, cooking? Do we both have small children? Next, I like to check out a few posts and see what the blogger's writing style is. Is he/she witty or entertaining? How's the grammar?

I will usually stop following a blog if the blogger rarely posts, begins to consistently post content with which I have nothing in common or no interest in, or begins posting things that become offensive or rude. I also think the quality of posts is important, not necessarily quantity. I would rather post less often but have good posts than post everyday and the posts not be worth reading.

I would love to hear from you. What are some of your likes/dislikes? Is there anything that immediately turns you on or off about a blog? For instance, I don't like it when someone leaves a random comment on a post that they've obviously not read - commenting for their own sake. I'd rather that person just not comment.

But here's the thing... It's someone else's personal blog and we should be respectful of that. While I open the floor for discussion, please don't call a specific person or blog out. The reasons for liking or not liking a blog or something specific to the blog is a personal preference. If a blog you happen upon is not your bag, move on and don't follow. Let's not leave rude, opinionated comments or splash it all over Twitter that you hate it when a blog/blogger ______. That's just not cool. JUST. MOVE. ON. Again, let's get back to basics: treat others the way you would want to be treated.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad