..than blog about blogging?
“I believe the term ‘blog’ means more than an online journal. I believe a blog is a conversation. People go to blogs to read AND write, not just consume.” – Michael Arrington
Upon browsing Technorati’s Top 100 blogs, I honestly didn’t find all that many that piqued my interest. However, I did find some common qualities that seem to have interested a great deal of other people.
- Regularly update: I think it’s safe to say that all of the blogs on this list are updated with a rather high degree of consistency. This allows readers to stay interested and have something to read every time they go back and visit the blog. My problem with most of the blogs on that list is that they seem to be over updated. I might be alone in my preference to read everything that a blog puts up, but when blogs like The Huffington Post put up so many stories in a day, it becomes a bit overwhelming.
- Hey there! Yeah, you!: Each of these blogs encourages reader involvement. Whether it’s a result of the here-and-now controversial issues, or a direct plea of feedback, somehow, each of these blogs beckons the readers desire to share his/her thoughts. In other words somehow the reader is made to feel important.
- Live in the here and now: Disregarding the myriad of topics covered by these blogs, most of them are extremely current. As of now, a significant number of the blogs are plastered with information and details of President Obama’s Inauguration. (On a side note, it is mind-blowing to think of how long it would’ve taken to get the low-down when Washington was the Pres.) This seems to cater to the reader’s need to stay on top of the latest and greatest.
- Readability, yo!: It might sound obvious, but in order for a reader to enjoy a blog enough to become a returning customer, it has to be readable. The posts, if lengthy, are broken up into smaller bites, the font is clear and an attempt (at the least) has been made to adhere to the rules of the English language. Informality seems to be acceptable as long as there isn’t an overwhelming amount of slang. I mean, c’mon, bro! You don’t need to stick in loads of the latest lingo to make your blog the bomb-diggity and then some.
On a few of the blogs I follow…
The Daily Post: This blog is adequately summed up by it’s name (perhaps another quality of the lucky few that rose to fame). It caters to the average narcissistic joe (or joette) blogger, prompting readers to profess their own opinion and tag it in reply to the post. If anything, the prompts are good to stimulate thought and a resource for discovering other blogs.
Anderson Cooper 360: Though this blog is one of the worst offenders in the way-too-many-posts category, I like to keep up on some of the happenings in the world outside my bubble. This newscaster is one of the few I can actually enjoy perusing without feeling offended every other story. Goodness knows I can’t sit through an episode of Fox News without feeling compelled to break the TV.
Other: I followed a few random low-key blogs I felt I might be able to learn from. They don’t have as many readers as the top 100, but might still be beneficial to gain perspective. I haven’t usually been in the mainstream, so I’m not surprised that not a lot of the top 100 appealed to me. I prefer a writer that is more accessible – the blog from organizations, though sensational, seems to a have a bit of a disconnect with me.
Overall, websurfing for the last few days has helped me figure out what is appealing in other blogs… the hard part is applying the concepts to my blog.
Confront Your Reflection 
Yeah, I agree a blog is supposed to be a relaxed conversation between people with similar interest; however, the writer must use language and grammar well enough to seem creditable to his or her reader. Depending on the target audience and the subject the writer can use more or less slang. By no means am I saying that your blog post seemed sloppy. No on the contraire it was fun and easy to read. Keep up the good work.