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One Mom's Perfect Imperfection: Follow That Blogger!

One Mom's Perfect Imperfection

One mom's journey through life and her hodgepodge of hobbies.

01 June 2010

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

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20 Comments:

  • At June 1, 2010 at 1:29 PM , Anonymous Lauren said...

    I was thinking the same thing the other day. The only comment I have for a dislike, is people who have truncated posts in Readers. I use Google Reader to manage all of the blogs I read and if the full post doesn't show up, I probably won't be reading for too much longer. I like the convenience of reading everything in the reader and not visiting each site individually (after I've determined it was a blog I wanted to read)

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 1:38 PM , Anonymous Mandy Pfeiffer said...

    Aren't you all fired up again!? =) I typically stick with a blog for the same reasons you do (i.e. little ones, same interests, etc.). I don't follow blogs typically that have music (I like my own...) or that maybe change direction and consistently post things that I don't agree with or have major objections to. I love some personal info along with crafty things and have a hard time sticking with anyone who only promotes their shop or whatever.

    Oh, and I hate it too when people comment with obvious disregard for the post and only want you to check out their giveaway or whatever. I always delete those and make a mental note NOT to follow them.

    Have a great day, girly! Deep breath... ;)

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 2:05 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    i just wish people would be nice. is it too much to ask people to just be nice to one another? feeling better now that i've purged...

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 2:05 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    i agree, lauren. i use google reader upon occasion and it is frustrating when you can't read the entire post from there. thanks for stopping by!

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 2:07 PM , Anonymous carissa said...

    okay, i must confess... i have been known to follow people back if they follow me because i feel bad for not doing so. but i'm working on it. ; ) the result is a reader full of blogs that i never read. i should sort it all out... but i haven't set aside the time for that yet.

    i really don't love blogs that constantly talk about "things" - you know like fashion, home decor, etsy stuff, etc. i mean, a bit of that here and there is great, but not all the time. i also don't love posts that are a million miles long telling me every single detail of one's every day. i prefer meaningful posts along with great ideas, pictures, recipes, crafties, and of course HUMOR! it's the best!

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 2:13 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    carissa, i agree. I find myself shying away from blogs that have long posts and no pictures (or something) to break it up a bit for me. i think a variety is also good to change it up and keep me interested.

    No baby yet???

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 3:15 PM , Anonymous Jes said...

    Preach it girl! I'm right there with you, and I usually follow blogs for the same reason your do.

    I wish people would learn to treat people with respect whether it is in person or whether it is on the blogging world. Sometimes I don't think people think about who reads their tweets, and maybe that is something they should take into consideration before tweeting them. You know I hate unrelated comments.. I wish others wouldn't waste their time sending them.

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 3:22 PM , Anonymous Kelley said...

    Im kinda horrible at joining blogs unless the person has followed me and I then find their blog. I don't do a lot of blog hopping but when I do and find one I like I'm shyed off from joining If the person only has a few follows, I'm afraid their blog is just for family so I don't join but if it's too big I feel like I'm just a creepy person following them because everyone else is...if that makes sense :)
    But when I do decide to follow a blog its for alot of the same reasons you mentioned but the biggest thing that gets me "hooked" on a blog is what they write about and if it is interesting. I love when people post pictures and then share a little glimpse of themselves through it. Or like you mentioned, that we have some kind of connection and like the same type of things.
    I've never unfollowed a blog... it hasn't even crossed my mind to do that. BTW glad you posted this and I'm excited to read the comments as I have been wondering about this whole following blogs thang ;)

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 3:45 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    i think you're right about the tweets. or maybe they do and just don't care. If the latter is true, maybe i should start being more careful about who i'm following on twitter as well.

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 3:47 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    Kelley, I find myself drawn to the smaller blogs because they usually aren't reviewing products constantly and have more relatable content. I think that if a blogger didn't want followers, they would usually make it a private blog. Don't let their numbers stop you from following. Glad you enjoyed the post and hope you get some insight!

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 3:53 PM , Anonymous Liz said...

    aesthetics-wise, font that is too small or a very light color against a white background. topic wise - it needs to be something of interest to me.

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 5:14 PM , Anonymous Natalie@mommyofamonster said...

    I like "clean" looking blogs...I don't like really busy blogs with a thousand ads and buttons everywhere.

    I also like to feel like I know the author - that if we met in person we'd be friends.

    My biggest pet peeve is someone that doesn't use spell check. Drives me crazy and I would NOT follow a blog because of it!

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 8:16 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    Yeah, I can't do anything I have to strain to see.

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 8:19 PM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    I like "clean" blogs as well. I find myself overwhelmed if there is too much going on. And yeah, spell check should be automatic. I know we all make the occasional mistake every now and then and don't catch it, but when every other word is misspelled it's hard to get through a post.

     
  • At June 1, 2010 at 11:35 PM , Anonymous jljarbo said...

    hey....happened upon your blog, and so far i think i like it! ;)
    i want to get something from a blog. entertainment....funny stories.....good recipes....fun ideas....whatever! and i agree, if it's too busy....bye bye! hope people aren't particular about using capital letters though....if so, don't come to my blog. (i'm to tired and lazy to capitalize!)
    you have a cute blog! i will be back!

     
  • At June 2, 2010 at 8:20 AM , Anonymous Beth said...

    I have to relate to SOMETHING before I follow. This differs by blog, but when something speaks to me, I follow. I will unfollow for many of the same reasons you listed above.

     
  • At June 2, 2010 at 10:27 AM , Anonymous Sonia said...

    It was great to read all the comments, I'm glad I found your blog. My blog started out as a creative outlet and to let people around me know what I do. Lately it's been invaded by my day job. (I'm on the hunt for some blogger focus).

    After finding Blog Frog I started to realize that there is a real art to blogs. I've come across some extremely well written and photographed, and the layouts Wow never had a clue.

    The blogs I've joined have all those things in common good writing, good photograph's and good layouts. Most are craft related but I have found myself drawn in by some family blogs. I do have to say - I'm not really liking the blogs with advertising on both sides of the posts. I have joined some that do but I joined because the content made up for it.

     
  • At June 2, 2010 at 10:33 AM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    Hi, Sonia and WELCOME! I understand what you mean. Blogging can be completely overwhelming. I don't think I realized how much could actually go into it when I first started either. All the advertising throws me off, too. I find myself shying away from blogs that seem to be one big blinking advertisement. Thanks for your comment!

     
  • At June 2, 2010 at 10:35 AM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    I apologize if you are getting this twice. I replied by email but the comment wasn't showing up on my blog so I'm responding again for fear you aren't getting my responses. Disqus is messing with me lately.

    Anyhow, I agree. There has to be some sort of connection there or I don't really see the point in following.

     
  • At June 2, 2010 at 10:37 AM , Anonymous Courtney said...

    Thanks so much! So glad you stopped by. Capital letters don't bother me and I haven't heard it being an issue for other bloggers. Never thought about that though. Interesting point....

    Definitely hope you come back! I apologize if you're getting 2 responses from me. Disqus is messing with me. I replied by email but my response didn't show up on my blog so I was afraid you didn't get my first response.

     

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