I recently did a post called "I Stand Up For Bloggers." I received comments on the blog, Face Book and on the street. I began thinking more about bloggers and what makes them tick.
Some blogs have gone on for two to five years or more. Other blogs wither and die. I have started to follow half a dozen interesting blogs only to have them fold up and disappear.
So what makes bloggers continue to make posts on a regular basis? Probably quite a few things motivate bloggers. These characteristics probably vary in levels of priority from blogger to blogger.
First, I think you would have to like writing as a way of expressing yourself. One needs to be able to write with a certain degree of ability. After that your purpose in writing is to communicate with others. There is the odd blog which is not open to the public for what ever reasons the writer may have. Most bloggers want contact with others through their writing. The comments allowed by blogging are what gives a blogger some idea as to whether his/her ideas are being appreciated by readers. Comments give a writer much more to react to as I have said at the start of this blog.
A blogger must have something which they wish to say. It's surprising how interesting people can make a post of their daily activities. Other bloggers have an interest which becomes the theme of their blog. I follow a great blog on weather , another one on birds and a third one on mountain hiking. Many artists have a blog to feature the art they produce. Some bloggers emphasize family activities. Some of my favorite blogs are where photography is well used to tell a good story. There are some extremely talented photographers out there.
Then you get a blog like mine that jumps all over the place. I cover past experiences, current experiences in my life, music and occasionally wander off into the political field.
So writing ability which is a basic talent for a blogger although I have seen some highly successful blogs which use the vernacular. What also makes a successful blog is to have some form of ability to make the page attractive. Pictures are extremely important.
So some bloggers combine a number of their abilities and churn out highly interesting blogs which are followed by many. So there's a wide combination of writing style, topics and photography that produces thousands of very active and successful blogs.
I agree, Red. I myself like blogs like yours that take me into your thought processes for the time you are writing. It's fine that you go hither and thither. It's interesting to follow blogs that are written by people who think like me, and those who don't. I learn from each one, and if I don't like it, I stop following. It's the intellectual stimulation I crave!
ReplyDeleteThanks DJan. We confirm the ideas we have when we see others expressing the same views.
ReplyDeleteOne of the blogs I really liked as his ideas were so close to mine was Pete's. Pete was very adamant in his views and fully supported some of the issues that I support.
Sometimes we have to look at blogs where people differ with us and that's to keep us honest. I tell most right wingers I could argue you point much better than you do.
There are as many blogging attractions are there are interests.. and then some. It's now alway about what I read.. it's often just what I see. The everyday, the extraordinary, the fun and the serious. It's like a series of short stories or photojournaling articles. Only we have the added joy of getting to know the authors.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has not figured out the purpose of blogging...she does Facebook instead...I think blogging is about expressing yourself in other than a sentence or two...or sharing what you can with others...sometimes of like mind and sometimes the opposite...it's good to get other opinions to help us think for ourselves...Plus many times, we need to just rant...
ReplyDeleteJudy, you're last sentence is very true. I had a blog one time that was called Red's Rants.
ReplyDeleteHilary, I like the points you make. I think it's also great that the blogging system allows people to write things and put them out there for people to read and enjoy. There was a time when this opportunity was not there.
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