Top 5 blog turn offs (for me)
I usually stay FAR away from blogging about blogging. Not that I don’t find this kind of introspection, fun or revealing/engaging. Far from it. I just don’t feel comfortable doing it and if there is one BIG rule when it comes to blogging, it is, blog about what you are comfortable with.
There you go, I’ve started blogging about blogging. LOL.
I decided to share my own “hates” and what I find distasteful on some blogs because I’ve noticed there seems to be a lot of interest in these kind of blogging about blogging posts. Also, a little bit of venting will do any man or woman some good. So in that vein, here it goes. The top 5 turn offs for me when first arriving on a blog. (and I’ve found my share through the Random ELT Blog Generator ). Oh yeah, my apologizes in advance to the examples I’ve noted for each. Not that you aren’t probably good blokes and teachers – and I also might be wrong. But this is how I feel.
1. Selling. Big, bold, buy this pitches that confront your sensibility and make you think you’d best start browsing Amazon. (and this goes too for those blogs selling Amazon stuff). HERE”S AN EXAMPLE.
2. Selling the reader short. You know, those blog posts that just have a photo and say, “I just got back from the mall and wanted to let you know.” or they just have a link…. In case one, use twitter. In case two, use twitter. HERE”S AN EXAMPLE.
3. Youtube videos galore. Like, I want to know what YOU think, not what Youtube thinks. It’s a blog, not the cinema. Great, you know how to embed stuff, but again, what do YOU think? HERE”S AN EXAMPLE.
4. Tiny print, black and white and no pictures! Especially with 3 columns. Yes, I’m getting old and yes, I need (deserve) a little color. If I wanted to read the newspaper, I’d of bought one. HERE’S AN EXAMPLE.
5. Lists. The Top “this” and The Best “that”. Why do we need lists? Can’t we just follow your train of thought? What ever happened to WRITING, it’s a blog isn’t it, not the David Letterman show! HERE”S AN EXAMPLE.
Ha, ha… you linked to yourself – good to see you do this: be not a person who would criticize without being able to ‘fess up to doing some of the crimes…
But seriously, the best thing used to get on my nerves until I got it – when I go to google what do I type in the search bar:
what is the best site to find information about…
or
how do you do x z?
That’s why the bloggers do this.
Karenne
Yes Karenne, I hate that I do it but I do it. I guess that is life – got to accept our own weaknesses/failures.
Good point about the search and I think that is something in general that concerns anyone who blogs more than just very casually. It is a dense jungle out there and how do people find your outpost? I’m sure you are more an expert than I at that and you might make a post about that for us clueless types 🙂 I have a few inklings but I’m sure I’m far off base.
I’m with you on most of them, but sometimes the occasional YouTube video can be fun and enlightening. Ta-Nehisi Coates, who blogs on “The Atlantic”‘s website (and confesses not to have as much time to contribute as he’d like) will put up the occasional YouTube link to whatever band he’s listening to at the time, or some funky bit out of a film, just to get people talking…
Dawn,
No, I’m not against the occassional youtube video actually. Or even all youtube videos, as long as they are given thought and context. But I’d rather people just NOT post and accept that they aren’t blogging – rather than put something up just to make an appearance and /or keep their face out there or SEO ratings up. Don’t you think? — but that might be my impartiality towards dry, winded stuff as opposed to the short sound bite, flighty stuff.
Hey thanks for the link.
I could be disappointed that my blog was first on your list but I’m not. Any publicity is ok.
You are right, though. My earlier versions of the blog needed refining. So you are bang on with your criticism.
cheers
rob
http://www.eslwriting.org
Hi Rob,
I knew someone I used as an example would reply! Fortunately you took it in “good light”. Thank you for that. I guess in this day and age of google alerts, we all know what is happening about us online (which is good and helps us control things).
I could be wrong and it is just my opinion. However, I really don’t like the hard sell approach of “sign up” or “buy this”. It may work and I may indeed be wrong with my more soft approach. I do know that WP has a nice plug in for signing up members/followers that you can place discretely within the posts.
Also, yes, any publicity is good publicity and your blog is great. Very practical and that’s what is needed for teachers – food on the table! Just that one aspect I didn’t agree with so much.
cheers,
David
Aaaaargh, one thing I hate is a nasty anti-spam program that makes you go back, only to find that you have to totally rewrite your comment. Now you’ll just have to guess what my comment was…
Fix this!!!!!!!
David,
sorry about the bad experience – I’ve had it happen on a number of counts while replying to other blogs – I sympathize.
I’ll check into the user flow and see what I can do. I guess we can add this one to the list!
Cheers,
David