What makes an excellent blog?
Throughout the past two weeks, we have talked a lot about digital writing and how a lot of blogs have their own flare and taste. Prior to the knowledge that I have gained over the past two weeks about blogs and blog posting, I thought that this was exactly what made a good blog. I still do think that every blog should differ from one another in their own way and style, but I have learned that when it comes down to the fundamentals, there are a number of features that formulate a good blog.
In our most recent reading, Writing for Digital Media by Brian Carroll, he writes, “blogging is an exercise of expression, making one’s view public. Increasingly, though, blogging is also an expression of community, allowing individuals to communicate and congregate.” I agree with this, I think that not only on a blog, but on the internet in general, whether it be blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., people have the ability to express themselves and write freely. Writing freely and expressing your personal opinion on things can compile a certain audience. For example, I am a fan of Barstool Sports because I enjoy how the authors strongly voice their opinion, even if it’s not always what the people reading it want to hear. Not only can an individual write freely, but the audience can comment and reply freely. Computers and other electronic devices create communities online, and a blog is one of them.
Another point that I enjoyed talking about in class and reading about in Pete Rorabaugh’s article “Organic Writting and Digital Media: Seeds and Organs” was how when starting a blog, you may have a certain way you want to approach the process, but that process can change and expand in ways that you didn’t intend it to, the idea of product vs. process. Rorabaugh wrote, “organic writing begins with a seed–an idea–and grows in unexpected ways.” Later in the article he talks about having a “creative mind” will result in a better thought process. This can relate to “Writting Analytically” method number one, Suspend Judgement. Being non biased, open minded and not generalizing can help you as a writer get more information on paper. I think that this is something that has helped me as a writer, especially in college. You can be assigned assignments that are lengthy, and sometimes a topic that you, personally, may not exactly agree with. Having an open mind and understanding that your opinion isn’t the only opinion that matters can play a huge role in how your paper is written.
There are many factors tied into writing a good blog. There are many different websites that can be visited and each website is designed, constructed and written in their own manner. Although, when it comes down to the basics, all blogs contain certain characteristics that make it a ‘good blog’.