When others blog

What is the essence of this phenomenon, the very nerve of it? I do not know. Or, I have not thought about it. It had existed for some years, a buzz on the net, more and more people were talking about it, some with excitement, some condescendingly, but for the majority it was an exhibitionistic way of presenting something. Write a diary on-line? Something that per definition was meant to be kept secret and private? Well, all right, one can preserve anonymity to some extent, but come on, if you want to find out who it is, you will find out.
Anyway, it had never seemed important to me. Phew, I had never bothered to read any blogs. But that was then.
No, I will not tell the story of why exactly I joined this crowd. Enough to know, that I did, that I thrive, and that I am going to stay for a while :)

Now, to the main subject. When others blog - what do I look for in other blogs, why do I read some and not the others, which attitudes attract my attention, what kind of information is valuable, what kind of presentation is preferable. This is going to be a tiresome text. Anyway...

A few weeks ago one respected blogger asked for several honest answers about the ideas his readers have about his blog. I do not know how many people answered him, but I did.
This is what I answered to his questions, my today's comments in green (it was 2 months ago):

General/Objective

1. Do you own a blog?

yes (2 of them) - one really, the other one is asleep, serving only as work platform

2. How long have you been reading blogs?

6 months - 8 months, obviously now

3. How many blogs do you read regularly?

about 20 - skim, rss, whatever

4. How often do you read blogs?

every day - that is still right

5. Do you subscribe to blogs (either through RSS/ATOM/XML)?

yes (google reader) - works best for me

6. What browser do you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)?

firefox - although, in all fairness, IE 7 shows sites clearer (I know I sound heretical ;) )


Specific/Subjective

7. What are some things you are looking for in a blog? In a blogger?

personalized writing, something that helps me to differentiate this
particular blogger from others, as well as sound presentation of
his/her thoughts

8. What would you recommend for better blogging in the future?

your blogging is fine, as far as I am concerned... you rock! - that was about this blogger's blog, of course

9. Do you believe blogging has made any impact on culture, church, or Christianity?

definitely; those who blog dig deep into their own thoughts, they also
do more research because they know they are under scrutiny of others;
non-Christians have noticed that we are a community to be treated
seriously, that we know how to use technology, that we are not easily
dismissed, that we discuss and often win arguments;
look at Slice of Laodicea and the impact they make - impressive

10. What do you see are the greatest benefits of blogs?

up-to-dateness, sincerity, everybody may express themselves,
community-making and support

11. What do you see are the greatest dangers regarding blogs?

trustworthiness of the sources used, writer's intentions (although
these will surface sooner or later, given the proper amount of time
and discussion),
the amount of time it takes to read others and to write your own blogs :)

12. What style of blogging do you prefer (e.g. personal/interactive/disclosure or impersonal/reporter-like/no disclosure)?

it is captivating to read personal type, no doubt about it, but a good
mixture of the above is all right, I think

13. What form or genre of blogs do you enjoy the most (news/reporting, personal commentary, culture watchdogs, theological/doctrinal, photography, satire/parody, or content-specific)?

it depends on my mood ;) - impossible to answer

14. Do you believe blogging has a promising future? In other words, do you see blogging as a tool to be used or a trend that is useless? Please explain.

This fly is going to stay for some time. In the times when people
cease to trust in official media, in times when we can reach many
others from our own home, and not only reach, but also get their
feedback directly - this is a tool to be used more and more. We may
observe the slight change in technology - probably so, but the general
idea is too attractive to be tossed in any soon future.

15. Finally, do you regret the time you have spent reading blogs, or do you feel that you have benefited from them?

I personally never regret anything I have done in my life ;)
This blogging adventure is very edifying and developing for me, I have
learned a lot from it, both doctrinally, socially and in the field of
writing and English (English is not my mother tongue).

So: what would you answer to those questions? Let me know if you do it on your blog...