Monday, January 07, 2008

I just say no

I know that there are probably hundreds of blogs out there that I would find interesting, accessible, even addictive. But finding them by using Blogger's Next Blog button might not be the most efficient way of finding them.

There are some features of blogs that will put me right off reading them (or reading them again):

-In a language other than English - unless it's chockful of beautiful photographs

-If it's chockful of pornographic photographs

-Or chockful of references to God. It's nothing personal, but I'm agnostic and will only read about Christianity in a comparative religion context, or if it's really funny

-If no attention has been paid to reasonably correct grammer and punctuation; it's just too much hard work trying to make sense out of it

-If the posts are really long, it's too much strain on my attention span. But if it's really long and I enjoyed reading the whole thing anyway, then it's definitely worth bookmarking

-But I have little patience with poetry, even though I know that, if I did have the patience, I might really like some of it

-If it reads like it was written by a teenager; we'd have nothing in common

-If it's covered in big pink frilly things, love-hearts and pictures of cute cartoon girls, then no


On the other hand:

-If it has the same template as mine, I will - quite illogically - want to like the blog

-If it's by a Chinese New Zealander, I will read it in the hope of finding a like-minded soul

-If it makes me laugh, I'll bookmark it

-If the writer seems to be living a soap opera, then I can't help but want to know how it ends

-And if the writer leaves a comment on my blog, then I will visit it at least once

6 comments:

Angela said...

Finding new blogs isn't very easy.
I don't really care about pictures. probably because I can't tell what they are of. I really like it when people say what their pictures are of instead of just putting up pictures. So most picture blogs are out for me.

Kerryn Angell said...

When I first started my blog I would trawl through others using the 'Next Blog' button. I know that within a few seconds I either liked a blog or didn't. It's an interesting thing to identify why. I think I might have to do so. :)

Watson Woodworth said...

Maybe after I become a home based blogger again I can do some more fishing.
With the time limitations of public computers there's little time to sift through the duds.

Violet said...

angela: that's entirely understandable.

kerryn angell: fyi, I'm dahlesque, on the kiwiwriter's forum. Only just joined at the end of last year and haven't managed to start any challenges yet.

nigel: browsing is much more comfy from your own home.

No Milk Please said...

i have this problem about length which i always think puts people off. but i suppose if that's how long it is, that's it. but finding new great blogs are difficult because of the things you've already mentioned. i've almost given up on this and just rely on the recommendations of people and just because they are my blogfriends and that's enough. because finding out about my friends life makes everything more interesting and makes me more apt to forgive the bad grammar and punctuation.

Violet said...

no milk: you're quite right about forgiving friends' grammar/punctuation violations. And there's always an exception to any rule of thumb, anyway.