DESIGNING BLOGS FOR READERS
Interesting piece by the venerable Matt Gemmel:
I don’t think there’s any reasonable way, or any need, to separate vanity and ego from a personal blog. Writing is inherently about its author, and is a product of their personality and opinions – that’s not something to be shy about, and we shouldn’t try to change it either. So, write for yourself – and hold yourself to an appropriate standard, because you’d better believe that others are judging the person as well as the piece – but as soon as you publish your views, you’re inviting readers to take a look. I think that the needs of the reader and the author are more aligned than many blogging systems seem to believe.
I haven’t really thrown myself 100% into the art of blogging, but I’m pretty sure that if I do, it has to be real. Not that it isn’t now, but I don’t spend much time on it, resulting in a few bursts of posts every now and then. Which means I also have very low expectations on readership. But quality still matters the most.
And I know, from the blogs I follow, that I need a nerve that shines through, giving me a sense of who the person behind the blog is, for it to be really interesting. Otherwise, I will probably know sooner or later from someone in my RSS feed.
There’s plenty of sites out there, just bouncing the echo of the few and talented, as it is. So be real (even if that’s boring), for the sake of integrity and the readers you might have accumulated. And if that mens no readers, so be it. You don’t want Trent Reznor calling you ‘a copy of a copy’ (because he’s badass).