This morning I’ve been working on / pondering / trying not to panic about my session with Lysa at SheSpeaks this weekend, and I have three questions for you, internets:
1) When you read a blog, are you looking for a super-professional presentation (design, photography, writing, etc.), or are you looking for something that might not look as professional but feels really relational? Or some combination of the two?
2) Do you tend to think of bloggers as friends? I mean, not your closest friends or anything – but do you feel like you have a little bit of a relationship with the bloggers you read?
3) Do you use Twitter or Facebook?
That is all.
Thank you ever so much for your wisdom.
1. I read my blogs through my RSS feed, so I rarely go to the actual site. I check in every now and then to see what I’m missing. So the writing is much more important… something to connect with and challenge me.
2. Yes, I consider bloggers with whom I have communication and connection friends. Kind of like pen pals. They fit in to one of my tiers of friendship.
3. Facebook, yes. Twitter, not yet… but soon.
Hi Boo,
Don’t usually comment …. but since it’s for research!!!…
1. I don’t even look at the blogs! I subscribe to the ones I like and I just see them in black and white on bloglines main page. It shows when there are new entries and I rarely exit their program to look at the actual blog.
2. I do tend to talk about other bloggers to my ‘real’ friends. I am forever asking my local friends to pray for people who I read and follow and some of my real friends think I’m a little bizarre for thinking I’m a part of someone else’s life like that… however.. I comment on a few blogs and have met people that comment back on mine – just a couple… but it’s neat to “know” other people around the world and having more people pray for you is a GREAT thing!
3. Use facebook regularly – have a twitter account but don’t update it regularly.
Have a great time this week-end!
i like blogs that catch my eye (like yours) but aren’t so busy that they are distracting. and – some are getting to look like retail websites & are a tad too cumbersome to navigate, for little old simple minded me. oh – & i do love seeing photos (at least occasionally). content or substance, however, are the most important things. and most importantly, any mention of my Jesus, my Savior & Lord, is an extra blessing!
i would like to have relationships with the bloggers of the blogs i read or i wouldn’t bother to read them. who you are is important to me.
i read what’s happening with family & friends on facebook daily. i comment sometimes. i rarely say what’s happening with me. that’s what my blog is for :)
a question for you – please be honest, is it off putting to you that i only use lowercase? i enjoy the freedom of it, but i do try to use correct grammar & punctuation. i respect your opinion. thanks.
i hope you have a really great time at she speaks. i procrastinated too long & registration was closed by the time i decided to go for it. hopefully, next year!
blessings & peace –
hmmm….I do love a relational blog. I expect it to be well written, otherwise, I just think it’s just an attempt to keep mama’n ’em up to date on the shenanigans. I admire those who can really make their blogs look snazzy and professional…and I wish I knew how. So I guess I value both. I don’t like a fussy background or anything too scrapbooky. But that’s just me.
I do, and it seems weird to me, tend to see bloggers as friends. I find myself talking about what happened to people I don’t know, to the people I do know. Call me crazy…
And I’m a constant facebooker. It’s a problem. I want to use Twitter, but I am holding out because I do believe that we can get to the point of Too Much Information. Plus, I don’t have internet on my phone, and what’s the point of saying what you’re doing to everyone if you have to just do it at home? My tweets would be so lame…laundry, cooking, cleaning, playing Memory, watching Star Wars…
Enjoy the weekend! I know it will be wonderful!
Definitely the writing style and relational… could care less about the whistles and bells
no, not really, real life friends, have those, they thing blogging is weirdo. I don’t even tell them about blog.
NO to twitter, it seems weird right now, but I feel guilty I do not. Yes to FB! Not obsessively like reading your blog though!
1) A nice presentation is great, but if they aren’t very personable then it doesn’t mean much.
2) I do think of them as a friend if the commenting goes both ways.
3) I use FB, but only to keep in touch with people I already know.
Relational with some professional restraint.
People who comment a lot, or whose blog I read as well – yes I consider some of them friends.
Twitter (gretacarter) AND Facebook.
1. I definitely enjoy a professional looking blog. It’s o.k. to read something conversational and relational as long as the post is focused. I prefer reading blogs where you can tell that the blogger has a passion for the creativity of the writing process.
2. I do consider the bloggers I read to be friends-of-sorts. I’d love to have coffee with many of my favorite bloggers!
3. I am on Facebook, but not Twitter.
Have fun this weekend, wish I could go!
1. A well written blog is most important to me. Then relational. Funny and witty are good traits to me. Fancy looking–not important.
2. Yes, I tend to think of the (4) bloggers whose blogs I read as friends. And, no, I would not admit that to my IRL friends. They would think I’ve really lost it.
3. I used to facebook, but I had to quit b/c it was such a timesuck. I do miss it, though. I’ve never Twittered. I read MckMama’s tweets online on her blog, but I don’t subscribe. That would be too stressful to me. Too much to keep up with. I have so many more important things to do with my life, you know, like answering questions about my blogging habits. Ahem.
I like the “polished” look of a blog and the homey content. Both is my official answer.
I haven’t had 2-way commenting, so no on the friend aspect. But familiar character that I enjoy going to each day, yes.
FB-yes. I twitter not.
Love!
Well, let’s see…I do like a polished look of a blog, but relational is big for me, too. If it’s polished and cold then I am a titch turned off!! :p
Secondly, I like pictures….if it doesn’t have a picture but LOTS of words, I tend to be short attention spanned…..:)
And yes, some of my regular readers are the best friends I’ve never met, so yes, I do consider readers friends, or at least potential ones!
And finally I FB, but like Elaine said, I twitter not. I do have an account, but it just doesn’t wanna catch on in my brain.
Suzanne
So are you going to talk aboot Jillian????
I like blogs that are easy to read, meaning spaced well, and well written.
I am a people watcher in real life and love to “watch” through blogs, especially funny ones and ones I connect with. (Like yours Boomama!) Although, it is strange when you are talking to your husband about something or someone and he is like, “Who?, What?”
I do use facebook, no to twitter.
Love and Blessings, Debbie in Tennessee
1) Somewhere in the middle. Too many ads really turn me off, but a junky, unpolished site is also a turn-off. Honestly, since I read most of my blogs in Google Reader, I don’t see any of the design unless I pop over to comment. The writing is what brings me back.
2) I’ll just answer that by saying that you and Melanie are two of my best friends. Nice to meet you. :)
3) Yes and yes.
1. I like neat and organized but also fun. I like relational stuff but also interesting and entertaining.
2. yes.
3. yes and yes.
:)
1. I read blogs in Google Reader, so I have no idea what they look like…unless they don’t give me the full post in the reader (hate that!) and I have to click through to read. I rarely click through to read…I generally just stop following that person.
2. I usually call them my IIFs, which stands for “imaginary internet friends.” However, when I refer to them in real life, I do call them friends. Case in point…”My friend Sophie likes bacon as much as I do!”
3. I use both. I love both, for different reasons.
1. Both. It needs to look well made, but if I can’t relate to the blogger, then I’m not gonna read it, no matter how fancy it is.
2. I think of them as friends, like I know them. Its such a strange thing!
3. I use Facebook (all the time!), but don’t like Twitter.
1. I really appreciate a good design, and if the writing is excellent then I will keep reading even if there is no relationship developed. But what really keeps me reading is if the blogger is responsive to the readers, and if they comment on my blog so much the better. :)
2. I do tend think of the bloggers I read as friends. I have become invested in their lives and I’m putting mine out there for them.
3. I use both Facebook and Twitter.
1) relational, defintely (see #2)
2) yes, it’s creepy and somewhat sad, but yes
3)I need to go to Facebookers Anonymous, but I have managed to avoid twitter altogether
1. I like cute blogs, but well written and relational is more important.
2. I do not consider them friends unless we establish a real relationship & one-on-one communication.
3. I check fb multiple times a day. It has allowed me to catch up with friends & family I would not have any current communication with otherwise.
Wow, this may be my first time to be part of such a formal empirically-based study! ;)
1) I look for more relational, but it helps if the blog is at least neat. If the words are hard to read due to size/color, then I’m likely to click off quickly. And bloggy music? The bane of my internet existence.
2) I would say that authors of the blogs I follow are a type of friend. Some I read and I know they follow me too, and that feels more like a friend than some who are much bigger and I follow b/c I love the stories and the style.
Could I make this any more complicated??
3) I use both. Regularly. As in, multiple times an hour. I mean, day, of course.
First, I don’t even look at the blogsite itself – I read all blogs through Google Reader. The writing is what draws me in. Second, I do feel like I’m friends withe blogger. I just know that we would bff if we lived closer =) Third, I do use facebook – not twitter…..
I’m in it for the writing. I can forgive a boring look, if the content is good. Love funny the most. You, Big Mama, Cake Wrecks, etc.
Since I have a son with CP and he’s severely disabled, I’ve got quite a support group of special needs moms in the bloggy world. But, I don’t like to read it when the Mom is just complaining or lamenting. There is lots of good (and funny) stuff to write about in our “special” world. I don’t like to read downers!
It’s in interesting one sided friendship at best! LOL.
I Facebook like an addict. Only read (mostly) MckMama’s twitters. I don’t tweet myself.
:) Amy
1. A combination. Content is KING, but pretty pictures and nice layout help!
2. Absolutely
3. Yes and Yes
PS 4. Wish I as at She Speaks with you all, but there in spirit :)
Say hi to all from me – that should take a while!!!
1) Not super professional. More relational. However, if there are lots of mispeled werds, tupos, wrong used words, etc. I will stop reading.
2) I tend to think of bloggers as acquaintances. I like to think I know something about the person that’s writing the blog. Some are actual personal friends; some are not.
3) I use Twitter and Facebook. However, there seem to be a lot of time wasting things on Facebook. I’m finding myself using Twitter more than Facebook.
Leni
Hi! I would say that I like a blog that is relational, but it can’t be too “messy” or overwhelming with lots of extra stuff. Too distracting!
I do feel like I have a ‘relationship’ with the bloggers I follow!
I only have Facebook…
I love reading your blog, BooMama!
I look for a blog to be relational, not professional, though poor writing does bother me. So I should say I like correct writing, but in a humorous relational way.
And, I also use Facebook and Twitter. :)
1. I care far more about the content of the blog than the look. If the writing is engaging and is on topics that are interesting to me, I like the blog. Otherwise, I don’t return no matter how awesome the design is.
2. Yes. As you follow a blog, you get to know the blogger to some degree and they very much feel like a “friend” at some level. A one-sided friendship, usually, but a friend nonetheless. :o)
3. I use both. Love Facebook. Hate Twitter.
I think that my main thing is that the blogger is authentic. Good and bad- they’re real. Now I’m not going to lie- bad grammar and spelling is a bit of a turn off if it’s constant. If it’s every once in a while it just makes me feel better because I know that I probably fall into the constant category it’s nice to see that the “big bloggers” make mistakes too.
I do feel like the blogs I read are my “friends.” I’ve told my husband several times about posts that I’ve read that I think are funny. When I’m discussing it with him I feel like I’m talking about an old friend which is bizarre since I’ve never met any of the bloggers whose blog I read.
I use FB, but not Twitter.
1. I read the blogs on Google reader, which shows them all in plain black and white text with the photos, so half the time I have no idea what the blog looks like!
2. Yes, but often I just wish I could be friends with my bloggers that I read.
3. FB
I look for ease of read. The blogs that I have to hunt for the topic or lastest post really bug me. Yours in very simple to follow and very easy to read. It feels like we are old southern friends. I use facebook mainly to keep up with old high school friends and friends from church. I like a blog that feels comfortable.
Relational over professional, but both are nice. Yes, I think of my regular blog reads as friends. And I use facebook.
I like a combination of both. It doesn’t have to be all professional, I like to just feel “homey”. Pictures and stories do that for me.
I do think of my small group of readers as friends. I pray for them when it seems they need or ask for prayer. I get concerned about them if they haven’t posted in a long while. I really do feel I have kindred spirits within the Internet.
I am the facebook/twitter queen.
1) I read in bloglines so it really doesn’t matter what sort of prettiness you have on the blog – I’m just reading for content. Unless I want to comment, in which case I’m like, “Oooo, the prettiness!!!!” What matters most to me is grammar, humor, interest. Does it matter? Can I learn from you?
2) I feel the same sort of affection for those I read as I would for friends. I really care about their lives. It feels like friendship, but it’s not quite. It’s a new sort of relational thing…
3) I tweet. I FB. Therefore, I am.
1) I like a mix of both, but I prefer blogs with strong writing free of distracting errors. And I am a sucker for good design.
2) Yes, I do feel a connection to the bloggers I read – some more than others, of course.
3) I feel like one of the last people on the planet who uses neither Facebook nor Twitter.
A really super-professional type of anything intimidates me!
And yes, bloggers are certainly friends….and no, I do not use Twitter or Facebook, because I am comfortable middle-aged, and blogs are as new-fangled and trendy as I can manage, however I do see why the young folk enjoy them. Sort of.
I mean, I do sometimes wonder why they feel compelled to share every single aspect of their life, every single minute of the day, on several different outlets, including the You-Tube. But I am definitely middle-aged, and I recognize that, so God bless ’em, and their Tweets, too.
I also don’t like Hip-Hop, which is another sure sign of Middle Age-edness, and completely Off Topic.
1) I like a good design, but if the relational aspect is there that’s what I want the most.
2) Absolutely, I feel a friendship for my blogging friends.
3) I use Facebooks daily and Twitter never.
Oh mercy, I typed Facebooks. I know the difference, I promise. ;)
I read blogs because I enjoy the content. I have them in my reader so the presentation doesn’t matter as much.
I have made some excellent friends through blogging. And I do certainly consider the bloggers I read to be friendish. :)
I facebook. No twitter. Just because if there’s one thing I don’t need, it’s another internet addiction.
1. I like a professional, crisp look to a blog…..easy to navigate…..but will ditch it quick if it is impersonal, or “all business!”
2. I am totally all about relationships, and YES! I totally do feel like I am friends with the bloggers that I visit regularly!! It’s that amazing dynamic that comes from connecting over the commonalities of life. And even when I am not reading the blogs, I find myself thinking of you and Melanie, Shannon and Ree, Beth, Amanda, and Melissa, and Tina (Antique Mommy) and Kelly (Kelly’s Korner) through out the day, with love and often with prayers specific to the need of the moment! I love y’all and am living a richer fuller life because of the incredible medium of the internet!!!!!
3. Yes, to both Facebook and Twitter. Love ’em both, for entirely different reasons!!
Have fun at SheSpeaks!!! You’re gonna do great!!!!
1) I like blogs that are easy to follow and really showcase the blogger, but it doesn’t have to be professional. I find I read blogs that have more of a relational aspect to them. If a blogger makes it more relational, then I feel more invested in their lives.
2) Which does make me feel like we are “friends” in a way. I would love to chat about how great bacon is while we’re watching a Bravo marathon.
3) I don’t use Twitter, but I’m a huge Facebook user.
1.something I can relate to….food, family, vacations, just typical everyday topics
2.yes, bloggers are my friends, most definitely
3. no facebook or twitter
I like the professional look, but really I end up reading in a blog feeder, so I end up not seeing the blog itself that often.
Yes, I feel as if I know the people I read.
I am on facebook – no use for twitter….yet.
Thanks.
Dear Boo,
I read you every day because I connect so easily with your thoughts, dreams and humor.
I don’t think I demand a “professional looking” website but it’s like sitting in a living room. An order and some color can make it a nice place to hang out for a while. If the company isn’t too good, you don’t return. If the company is good, you like to go back over and over.
I don’t twitter but do facebook.
As always, love you and your thoughts!
I’m not really looking for anything professional looking, I just love to read the blogs and know that there are people like me out there. Even though most of the blogs I read I don’t personally know the blogger but I feel like I do.
I am on Facebook but do not use Twitter.
I like a great picture but totally love the girlfriend talk that has run on sentences and bad grammer interruptions or disasterous sentence structure just because that is the way we think and I would much rather be in on the whole thoughts & words world than just getting to the point! I would much rather hear the whole processing conversation that goes on in your head, than the facts or hightlights! Maybe it’s because my style is similiar but since I do think of other bloggers as friends, I’d much rather have real conversations even if they are one way…than magazine articles! I mean not that you have time, but see if we are not related! http://jodiplum.blogspot.com/2009/07/wrong-little-boy-leaves-for-colorado.html
Hi there!
I look for a genuine “relational” feel to a blog. Not to “tech-y” and not too “perfect”, but someone I could hang out with.
I do FaceBook and Twitter, but the Facebook is really used to keep in touch with my friends, mostly.
Loves!
1.) While I certainly appreciate a professional style to a blog and most definitely appreciate good use of grammar–the relational aspect of blogging is what I find most important.
2.) I absolutely think of bloggers as friends. I’ve formed close bonds with many of my favorite bloggers.
3.) I use both Twitter and facebook.
1) I like a professional look. But above all, relational writing is what keeps me coming back.
2) I think of some bloggers like friends, usually these are the ones that I’ve had email contact with. Ones that have commented on my blog (and me back to them) I tend to think of more as casual acquaintances.
3)I do twitter. I don’t facebook. And honestly, I don’t think I’ve got a good network going on twitter.
1) I definitely think a blog should be relational, but if it looks sloppy or “not pretty” I am turned off right away and may not get to see that it is relational. Does that make sense?
2) I do think of bloggers as friends even if some may not know who I am. :)
3) I facebook and twitter. Love them both for different reasons. :)
I look for relational aspects, and good writing. Pretty pictures are nice, but not a necessity in a blog for me.
I do consider bloggers to be my friends, although I wouldn’t expect that if I showed up at their doorsteps that they would know me. ;)
I do use both Twitter and Facebook, although I’m tiring of Twitter and getting ever more addicted to Facebook.
1) I like a blog that is clean and easy to follow (unlike my junk-room-look one). More than just the plain Blogger templates (LOVE me a good header), and tabs are really nice, too.
2) Well, Sophie(you see, I feel like I can call you Sophie, because you’re my blog friend, at least in my disillusioned mind) .. basically, I link to blogs written by women (and a few men) that I think I could be friends with. Writers that make me laugh, both at them and myself. And a heart for God without all of the “preachy” stuff.
3) I have a Twitter account but don’t use text on my phone, so it’s sort of like the wings on a penguin; absolutely useless. Facebook, on the other hand, has reconnected me to a TON of old high school and college friends. I’m not addicted (not since the intervention, anyway), but I do love it.
Anything in the name of bloggy research!!
1. I am all about the relational. What draws me into a blog is feeling like I could be friends with that person in real life!
2. I do think of a lot of my little blogging peeps as friends. I care about them like friends, pray for them like I do my real life friends, and am genuinely interested in their lives.
3. Twitter and Facebook for this girl. It goes as follows in order of importance: God, Family, Friends, Diet Coke, Facebook, Twitter. :-)
Hope you are doing well, Sophie!!
1) i’d like to be able to say that what matters most is content. but, reality is that if your blog doesn’t look clean, is not easy to navigate and isn’t eye-catching, i won’t read it. and, since this is my chance to say it, i HATE music on blogs. if i want to see an embedded video, i first have to pause the music. and, if i don’t like your music, i have to pause your music. basically, i just don’t like music on blogs.
2) I don’t really think of other bloggers as friends. maybe i haven’t been around long enough or consistently enough. but, i think i could be friends with everyone whose blog i read…if that changes for some reason, i stop reading their blog.
3) i have a fb account, but not twitter. i update status on fb, but soon i will quit my job (having a baby) and have to give up my iphone. at that point, i doubt i’ll do much with fb. but, i don’t know.
You’ll do great! I should have done a poll myself. :-)
1) I’d say I look for something that isn’t necessarily professional in presentation but focuses more on relationships. I tend to stay away from blogs that have a lot of cussing and crudeness; but a little is okay – I’m not that big of a prude… :))). But I love reading personal stories of people and getting to know them through their blog. I think it’s such a cool way to ‘meet’ people that otherwise I would have never known.
2) I would say yes I tend to feel like the blogs I read on a daily basis I’ve built a ‘friendship’ with, albeit it’s only one sided as they know nothing about me.(There are a few bloggers I’d love to meet though and develop true friendships with.) But I find the blogs I read tend to share daily/weekly stories of their life. It’s people who tend to open up and be real about life which I appreciate and can relate to.
3) I use facebook more but will get on twitter to get updates from people about something that is happening but they won’t blog about. Just looking for quick funny updates from my peeps around the world….even though sadly they don’t know me. haha.
Good luck with your research!
1. I don’t really care how the blog looks design wise, but I do care how FAST/Slow it loads. i don’t have a lot of spare time to read blogs and I don’t want to sit here for 10 minutes just waiting for it to load!
2. I want to feel like part of the family with the blogs I read…that’s why I read them, actually to have relationships with other women and moms.
3. Yes, I have Facebook. No I don’t Twitter. I don’t have enough to say to twitter…no one cares that I am sitting here on my couch watching my son play video games while I should be folding laundry, but I am reading and commenting on blogs!!
1. Definitely relational. I appreciate a nice layout but would read a blog I could relate to regardless of appearance.
2. I wish I could be friends with the people whose blogs I read. But, since they do not know I exist, it makes thinking they are my friends kind of creepy and stalker-like!
3. Facebook a little. No Twitter.
1. Relational; not professional.
2. Yes, I consider the bloggers I read regularly as friends. I consider those who read my blog regularly as friends.
3. Facebook: yes. Twitter: no way.
1. Both.
2. Usually, yes. With an eensy-weensy handful of exceptions.
3. Both and OH, PLEASE LORD, I WISH I COULD STOP. If you’re thinking of using this info to start a support group or stage an intervention please put me at the top of the list. Srsly.
(Although Twittering has introduced me to the concept of brevity, which some may argue will be good for me. And them.)
1. Relational!
2. Yes! I laugh and cry with, pray for, learn from, and love so many of the ladies I’ve met blogging! Yes, definitely friends.
3. Do I what?? ;o) (And there’s your answer…haha!)
I just said to my husband, “I get to meet Boo Mama this weekend!!!” Woot! I’m so excited! Now, to answer your questions . . .
1) I do like a more professional look (you wouldn’t know it by looking at mine though). And I like it when the words are on white, not color (again, don’t use mine as a reference–I break all my own rules.)
2) It depends on the blogger. People who write with a more familiar voice seem to be people I could hang with. Also, if a blogger makes the effort to send me a note occasionally, or visit my blog, that helps too. I read blogs to learn something new or to peek into someone else’s life, but not necessarily to make friends. (That sounds terrible!)
3) I use FB for my personal life–not my bloggy life. I use Twitter, sometimes, but I don’t really like it.
1) I like a blog that does not have a distracting design. Meaning, it doesn’t have to be super fancy with professional graphics and fabulous photos. It just needs to be clean, simple, and easy to read. A san-serif font and lots of whitespace make online reading easier. A bunch of cutesy stuff that’s badly done gobs up the works and distracts from the ideas. I go to a blog to read ideas, so if there IS cutesy stuff there, it should be well done.
2) Totally consider them my friends. I’m not a big blog commenter, but on the few that I comment on, I feel we’ve connected. And even the ones I don’t I’ll sometimes refer to them as “my blog friend”.
3) Both. Twitter for my blog and Facebook for my real-life friends/family. I see them as different applications with different purposes.
You will rock the conference!
1) I think the most important thing for me is that the writer makes me feel like I’m right there in their living room. I couldn’t care less about the appearance of the blog itself.
2) I do think of some of the writers of the blogs I read as friends…definitely. Some closer than others, but all have affected my life in some way.
3) I use both facebook and Twitter.
1. I love a pretty blog but the “writing” is what keeps me coming back :)
2. Yes, I think of the bloggers I read as “friends” of sorts, people I check in on everyday and feel like I know a little.
3. Facebook!
1) I enjoy a professional blog, but what I look for most is intelligent people who are dialoguing with about things I care about. Mommy blogs are a little tough for me since I don’t have kids – I love stories about life but I also love it when people really dig deep and have meaningful discussions.
2) Do you tend to think of bloggers as friends? Yes, I do think of bloggers as friends. I had a blog on xanga for years and because of the more intimate blog host, I definitely found a group of “friends” there. Since switching to the more sophisticated blogspot, I have struggled to build those friendships in a new forum.
3) Do you use Twitter or Facebook?
si! Both. By far love facebook most.
1) Relational is most important, but I do love a beautiful design!
2) My regular reads are bloggers who I feel are my friends. They are mostly Southern women… even though I myself am not. I think there’s something to be said for the graciousness of Southerners in the blogosphere.
3) I use Facebook. Far, FAR too much.
1. I like a blog to be organized not so much professional. I really like one that I can relate to better. I like to read about regular people!
2) Yes, I think of bloggers as friends. Not the closest though.
3)I use facebook. Not on Twitter.
If i love what they write, I don’t care what their blog looks like, honestly.
I do think of the bloggers who I read & we chat on twitter & they comment on my blog as my personal friends. :)
I do use Twitter & Facebook.
1. Professionalism, nope. I work at work, this is down time. This is for encouragement, support, entertainment, friendship, I don’t judge!
2. I call them my bloggy friends and my family makes fun of me. They say I don’t really know these people, but I don’t care! :)
3. Yes, I use twitter and facebook
I’m delurking to answer since I am like a professional blog reader. :)
1) I am totally looking for a relational blog. I don’t care about professionalism at all. I confess, I use Google Reader, so the way a blog looks really doesn’t matter to me at all. And I go to the internet for support and entertainment, not to be sold on professional looking sites.
2) I am a big dork about this and definitely feel like I am friends with the bloggers I read regularly. Which has to be annoying for my husband because I talk about my blogs like I do about our friends. At least he remembers who a lot of them are now.
3) I am a big time Facebook user. Twitter, not as much. I have tweeted maybe 5 times, but I love reading other people’s tweets.
1. Combo of professional/relational. Like Pioneer Womans…she looks like she has people working for her … how else do you have cooking, homeschooling, regular stuff, etc without being superwoman? And I love it. But I also love big and boo and kelly which still seem like “the big time” but a little more homespun than PW.
Did that make any sense?
2. Yes, I think of them as friends. Although I know they aren’t. It’s very one sided, you get to know someone really well so if we saw each other in real life I’d want to hug any of my “blog friends”.
3. I use Twitter and Facebook.
1) I like great blog designs, just cause, but am reading because of the relational part. I will say that blogs that are too busy are a turnoff. Flashing/moving things are distracting.
2) I do feel like I’m friends with the bloggers I read! I even see things occasionally and think that so and so would like that, and it’s a blogger I don’t even know.
3) Facebook lots! No Twitting!!!
1) Fairly professional
2)I do feel like we are friends a little bit. Obviously a very one-sided friendship. Me knowing the blogger waaaay better than they know me.
3)Facebook.
I like things that are more relational… sometimes the more “professional” it looks with all the ads and everything… the less likely I am to read it.
Bloggers are totally my friends. SERIOUSLY. We are close. We pray for each other. That’s a friend in my book.
Facebooker for life!!!
1) I’m drawn to a blog that is colorful, intrigues me, is relational. If it looks just like the basic blogger layouts, it’s kinda boring and I sometimes just pass on by…if it’s different, has pictures…I get pulled in.
2) I feel like a “friend” to the bloggers I read on some occassions…I understand that I may never meet them in person, however if they are in the same “season” of life as I am or are a mentor type person or just plain funny and an easy read: well, I just consider them “fam” :)It also makes it feel more “real” when they comment back or “interact” with the comments that are given…
3)I use facebook:) I usually use it to direct back to my blog:)
I read blogs for several different reasons. For work I look at professional photog blogs to keep up with the latest trends (I’m a photographer) Those blogs for me to read them, look at them need to be very professional looking. The written content is less important, it’s all about the pictures and how to’s.
For my personal reading I am more drawn to relational, in fact I don’t like for those blogs to be too slick or professional looking, they seem colder and more business like.
I do like for them to not have a million things flashing at me or running up and down the side bars, and don’t care for music at all, but that is easy enough to just turn off.
I do think of many bloggers as friends, an extension of friends.
I use both twitter and facebook often.
1) Relational. Over-professional is over-done in my book, and I don’t like it when a blog’s design detracts from its content.
2) Depends on the blogger, but not really. I consider them “people whose blogs I read.”
3) Yes and yes, but I only Twitter for professional stuff (There’s a whole world of people following news about international development and African politics on there.).
I am looking for somewhat of a combination. The presentation isn’t as important as content. I liked the peek into someone else’s life and circumstances and tend to stick with Christian Womens’ blogs, especially with young children (mine are 15, 8, and 6). I do feel as if they are a part of my life and at least a friend in the “technical” sense. I find myself sharing stories to fit situations from things I read on blogs and use them as illustrations (for Sunday School lessons, etc). I use Facebook.
Tammy
Mechanicsville, VA
1) a combination–relational is MUCH more important than blog design, to a point.
2)yes and I refer to them as such in conversation, and then feel stupid if I have to explain
3) facebook. twitter is of the devil, I am certain.
You probably already have enough answers to your questions, but I wanted to respond anyway. :)
1) I read all my blogs on Google Reader so I don’t worry much about blog presentation. Yours is super pretty though! :) I love the colors. When picking blogs to “follow” I look for ladies who are relatable and don’t spend all their time reviewing products (I find that just plain annoying).
2) Yes, you are one of my “bloggy friends.” I constantly talk about y’all in conversation with my husband and then have to explain for 15 minutes about how I “found” you. It gets complicated. :) For instance, I think I found you through Marla Taviano.
3)Facebook and Twitter for me! I love micro-blogging! :)
Great question, Boo! Definitely the person (blogger) is what draws you in in the arena of blogs like yours & Melanie’s. We are all looking for someone who relates to our experience & validates our ideas. A professional presentation is also key in that it gives credence (gravitas, I think) to the submissions.
But all that is a sidenote to someone who captures the attention & touches the humanity of the reader, which is your particular gift. Kudos.
Relational. But typos and bad grammar drive me bonkers, and I’ve been known to drop a blog for serious grammatical infarctions (i.e. plural is not possessive, peeps!)
Maybe “wished-for” friends, depending on the writer and subject matter.
Refuse to Twitter, rarely check FB. Who has time?
1) Relational. I read everything on Google Reader, so I don’t see the actual website unless I want to comment on a post. The only thing that comes across in the reader is the text, so the writing is the most important part for me.
2) Yes! I know them through their writing and I do consider them friends even if I’ve never said one word to them.
3) Both Twitter and Facebook. It’s what I do since I don’t watch TV.
1. relational all the way. If I can relate, then I enjoy reading and commenting.
2. more acquaintance-like instead of friendship, maybe. but yes, closer than a stranger. friendship is more of a two way street, in my opinion.
3. facebook. barely time for that, no time to tweet.
1) A combination of the two, but definitely mostly relational.
2) It feels almost pathetic actually putting it in writing, but yes, it feels like they are my friends:)
3) Facebook…addicted
1) Professional appearance is nice, but relational trumps it every time.
2) Absolutely. That’s sort of the point, isn’t it? There are lots of blogs where I wish I could know the blogger better, but in reality I know their lives are just as full as mine, so they’re my imaginary BFFs. Yes, you’re high on my list of imaginary BFFs. =)
3) Definitely on both FB and twitter and love them both. Life is about relationships, and I have some great ones in both places.
1) I like less professional looking blogs. I am less interested if they have more than 50 followers. I want “life” blogs – not prayer request “catastrophic event” blogs. I check my Reader every morning, but I tell my husband I am reading “the paper”
2) Yes, I consider them friends if I comment frequently.
3) Both.
1 – Definitely relational over professional, though a nicely designed/organized blog is really helpful. Especially if it’s a food blog and you want to go back and find a recipe at some point.
2 – I do think of blogs I read as friends. Ha! I’ve even caught myself relating stories that I read on a blog by using “I know someone that…”
3 – I have a facebook account but use it about once a month. I don’t twitter and I only read one persons tweets.
1. I like things to be aesthetically pleasing, but if the content is not there it’s not gonna happen. I generally gravitate more to content that I can relate to. I don’t need an article drafted by a journalist. If it’s fun and draws my attention I will more than likely come back.
2. Yes, I do tend to feel like the people that I follow and read about on a regular basis are part of my ‘internet friends’ group. It’s this invisible group that is existent only within the realm of my home office.
3. Yes and yes.
1) I don’t need a super-professional presentation. In fact, if it’s too formal then it feels stuffy. It’s like I’ve entered your formal living room after just coming in from the garden.
2) I think of bloggers as modern pen pals really good tips and ideas…or a really funny writing style. Maybe we are friends, but definitely acquaintances.
3) I don’t Twitter because China doesn’t currently like Twitter so that’s been shut down over here. But I do get on Facebook occasionally. I’m not there everyday. Once a month would be a good goal.
1) I like seeing a little of the bloggers personality in their blog design but it really doesn’t matter. I am more relational I guess.
2) I do consider them bloggy friends if they read my blog and I read theirs and we sort of get to know each other thru our comments. So I feel like I have several bloggy friends as we’re commenting or emailing, and I read about them on their blog.
I read some blogs that no, I don’t think of them as friends, because it’s more like reading a magazine article. You don’t get to “know” them.
3) I do use twitter and facebook. I try to do at least one tweet a day and try to update my fb status once a day. However, I don’t think I did either one today.
1. I like “pretty” blogs but I do not like those that have music or videos playing in the back ground. I almost hate those. Design isn’t everything, I must be able to relate to the writing.
2. I DO know you… as well as possible being I’ve never MET you. I’ve been reading your blog for years… as well as a few select others… but I don’t refer to you as my “friends”… although I’d love to be able to.
3. FACEBOOK ROCKS. TWITTER SUCKS.
Good luck at She Speaks! I would love to hear you there!
1. What I am reading is FAR more important than how the blog looks. Relational all the way. And those blogs that take forever to load because of all the junk attached? HATE THAT!The content has to be REALLY good to make me endure all that!
2. You know, I guess I sort of do consider you all as a sort of friend. A very one sided friendship though! I may mention things that I have read on blogs throughout the day, and if someone asks me where I got that, I would say “from BooMama’s blog, who I do not actually know”.
3. I don’t FaceBook. It seems like too much work. I also really don’t want to talk with people I went to middle school with. It could get ugly. I don’t understand the whole Twittering phenomenon at all.
1. both
2. feel like I know those people whose blogs I read often.
3. Facebook. Twitter is too much.
1. I need the blog to look professional and at least occaisionally contain a few pictures or interesting links to lure me in. The blogs I enjoy most are relational. Even blogs that are mini sermons or devotionals are more enjoyable if I feel I know the persona little.
2. definately feel like the blogger is a friend of sorts
3. facebook–I’m checking a few times a day if I’m able. Twitter just doesn’t do it for me
1. I think good design is important (if it’s confusing to get around on the site, I won’t return), but certainly I only return to those blogs I enjoy reading because I identify with the writer.
2. I guess I kind of think of the bloggers I read (Dooce, Pioneer Woman, BigMama, you and a few others that are my “real-life” friends) as friends, though I would probably feel a little stalker-ish to walk up to you on the street. I went to one of Heather Armstrong’s book signings once, and I must say that it was a little odd. I felt like I knew so much about her, but I am a stranger to her. It’s a weird relationship.
3. I am on Facebook, but I do not do Twitter.
1. It doesn’t matter if the blog looks professional or not. I am a reader and it the words grab me then the rest is icing. I don’t like blogs that are too busy – too many patterns on the background or MUSIC that you have to find to turn off. I love relational. Love it!
2. If I read a blog consistently I definitely feel like we are acquaintances if not friends. I often refer to things I have read on this site saying “my blog friend said…”
3. I am on Facebook and have a Twitter account but rarely use it.
1) I have a pretty small list of blogs that I read regularly and I consider them to be very professional. If there’s music, I usually turn it off because I find it hard to read and listen to the music at the same time. Whether or not the blog is professional looking, if the writing is poor, it won’t keep my attention for long.
2) Because I only read a few blogs every day, I do feel like I could be friends with the writer. Like the commenter before me, I often talk about what I’ve read on blogs with real-life friends. (Most of my friends do not blog/read blogs, so they don’t really ‘get’ how I would possibly be interested in what a stranger has to say. That goes back to the need for good writing!
3) Love Facebook (not to the point of ignoring my family!) and don’t have a Twitter account.
1. I look for some semblance of professionalism when I read a blog. If it’s not well written and easy to navigate, then I don’t spend much time reading it.
2. You and I are the best of friends, didn’t you know? We have tea together every morning, we share laughs – total BFFs.
3. I have a Facebook and Twitter account. I use both, though I’m more partial to Facebook.
1) I look for content. Design plays only a small part in my feelings about the person’s technical skills, but most of my blog reading is done via RSS where only text formatting matters (and it matters quite a bit).
2) I have several friends on the blogosphere, and I’m always happy to have more. So, yes: I think of the blogosphere as fully of my friends. But, for whatever the reasons, some people I “click” with, and others are more just acquaintances.
3) Yes, but Twitter has yet to prove itself really useful to me. Facebook has a few more immediate uses, but is still mostly for fun.
~Luke