Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I hope I have clearly expressed this thought about blogging. It took me a little while to realize this, but I am truly NOT impressed with blogs. I’m not really happy with my own blog (created for Elusive Treasures) and often think about killing it… It is said, a blog should be used to voice your opinions, professional experience, or topic of interest. Do you believe everything you read?

Blogs are like “armchair worriers.” Ok, maybe not all blogs. My point is this…

People write blogs on various subjects in order to continue providing readers with ‘quality’ information. Some resources even say, ‘when writing a blog, study or bone up on the subject you are writing about. Then, write your blog.’

Do you think it is wise to read a blog, then take action, based on the blog you have read? Are there really any blogs with true knowledge (besides those of the experts in the field)? After all, you can’t be sure of the true knowledge about the subject from the person writing.

Many of us have attended college and learned the skills of proper research and writing. Yet many college students fail or achieve low grades in this area. Yet they pass the class. And later write blogs (maybe while still attending classes).

In today’s world of technical operations and deep subjects, I doubt the average blog writer truly has the experience in the subject being blogged, that a professional in the field would hold. There are subtle nuances missed or completely unexplored by bloggers who have ‘researched’ a topic.

If I wanted to know about how a fuel injection system works, should I read a blog from a car enthusiast or should I find a mechanic’s site that has real life experience. Maybe it would be even better if I read from a fuel injection system maker’s site. Why would you spend time reading a ‘research paper’ when you could be reading the person’s blog who lives it on an everyday basis.

So is the average blog really that useful?



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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

IMO, you`re right, Vincent. It`s kind of rehashed, and it`s hard to find info you really want in a blog. I`d more likely Google it and go to the source.

I like blogs where people talk about their personal lives more - especially if they are funny. I think that`s where blogs really shine.

You make great points.  A blog can give someone false professionalism in their field.  Like most things I read, I tend to judge whether I find it quality information or not, and if it is even applicable to my needs.

I`ve browsed many a business and marketing blog for example.  Some of it is good, some of it isn`t.  Much of it is just rehashed content coming from different people.  I think it is important to keep in mind the old question, "Do you believe everything you read?"  Although blogs are a new (and much buzzed about) form of written media, there is no reason to think they are any more credible than anything else.  Even expert opinions are just that, opinions, whether they come from a newspaper, magazine, book or a blog.

That being said, there are a lot of highly-knowledgeable people who are using blogs to reach an audience whereas before it was more difficult.  The problem I believe is how to tell which sources are more credible.  Who is to say some hick motorhead`s blog about fuel injection is less credible than an automaker`s website?  I don`t know but these things are hard to figure out within the blogosphere.

I can see both sides ... some are useful, some are crap with bad formating and spelling errors galore.

The value is not in Googling something and finding a single answer, however.
The value is in finding one you like, subscribing, and then reading over time. I never add a blog to my roll just because of a single post ... I often sift through their entire feed to judge the value of their information over time. In this way, the information is not like Googling for a manual, research paper or article - the value in the information is the ongoing conversation and participation that takes place.

If you are just googling for an answer, the blog is not the tool for you.

If you are looking for ongoing information from someone you trust, then it`s a good format.

CampSteve... "The problem I believe is how to tell which sources are more credible."

Exactly!

nhgnikole... "some are useful, some are crap with bad formating and spelling errors galore."

I don`t really care if there are spelling errors if the content is King. Of course it is nice to read writings with good style, layout and correct use of grammar and spelling. Side Note... `formating` has two T`s. (I know it`s less important here, but I found it funny that you misspelled that word in the sentence about spelling errors. Then again, I can`t spell either and maybe you do spell it with one T.)

Have a great day all!



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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Apparently you missed the part about my laptop breaking and me being on the old one.  (No spell check!)

Just teasin` ya nhgnikole I know you know that, but other might not... so thought I would add this post...

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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Y`know, when I first started thinking of philosophy as a "product line," it was truly a bizarre experience. I`m sure my days of little pills wrapped in aluminum foil had something to do with it, but that`s a different story.

Very quickly I began to see the countless "country stores," with old men sitting around a stove gabbing about politics. That expanded into fishing stories, armchair generals, Monday-morning quarterbacks, and all the thousands of editorial talking heads on the cable news networks.

I wondered how some people manage to get someplace with their opinion, where millions just sit around voicing forgettable opinions. That`s when I saw it has little to do with opinions, diaries, blogs, Web sites, or any other damn thing.

As it always has been, so too it`s the same today: If you have something unusual to say, different to say, or interesting to say, that`s just the easy part. The hard part is to say it so other people can actually identify with whatever you`re saying. Get what I`m saying? ;-)

Blogs are just diaries. But Mark Twain`s diary would be really interesting reading, I`m guessing. Joe Schmedlopp`s diary would be utterly forgettable.

So it comes down to another ongoing question: Just because you CAN do something, does that mean you SHOULD do it? :-) Blogs are readily available. Anyone can make one. Should they? Probably not.

Blogging was new to me.  I started to blog for my business.  I was really excited about it and did new movie reviews, food ideas, recipes, wine reviews, other fun Web sites and threw in a few of my products.  I put hours into my posts.  I wasn`t getting much action at all and got discouraged.  So then I did what everyone tells you not to do, blatent advertising.  Suddenly, I got much more traffic and subscribers.  So now I just pick out one of my products and write about it.  My Google page rank also increased. 

You can use it for whatever your focus is - if the focus is your site, go ahead and blatantly advertise!