“If you are thinking about starting a blog for yourself, please do. Do not be intimidated or influenced by rules, or those that brandish them. I encourage you to be yourself in presentation and expression. Write as often, as much, about anything you want. It is your space and your freedom to do so.”

I’m not a regular reader here, but I have to say “well done” Chris. You have done an incredible job of utilizing the medium as a profession. (It’s a nice site.) And you’ve taken a wonderfully open minded tack on this issue when it would have been very easy not to considering your position.

Fabulous!

“If you are thinking about starting a blog for yourself, please do. Do not be intimidated or influenced by rules, or those that brandish them. I encourage you to be yourself in presentation and expression. Write as often, as much, about anything you want. It is your space and your freedom to do so.”

I’m not a regular reader here, but I have to say “well done” Chris. You have done an incredible job of utilizing the medium as a profession. (It’s a nice site.) And you’ve taken a wonderfully open minded tack on this issue when it would have been very easy not to considering your position.

Fabulous!

For someone who may not be a competent writer, wouldn’t it be beneficial to have someone there to make sure the blog is a true reflection of the author?

disclaimer: I’m thinking of bringing on a blogging ‘coach’

For someone who may not be a competent writer, wouldn’t it be beneficial to have someone there to make sure the blog is a true reflection of the author?

disclaimer: I’m thinking of bringing on a blogging ‘coach’

I’ve often felt that one of the greatest strengths of blogging lies in its malleability.

I’ve often felt that one of the greatest strengths of blogging lies in its malleability.

@Linda – I think one of the wonderful things about blogs is as you say, you don’t need any technical or HTML knowledge

@Slade – It makes you wonder if he has read ANY blogs …
@George – As I said in my dimensions of blogging post, I think there is a spectrum of blogs from “barely a blog” to the full experience. I think comments are a massive part of blogs but I don’t think I am in the majority

@Jacqueline – Yes I agree, conversation is a large part of the appeal for me

@Doug – Perhaps

@Gerald – I’m thinking part of the transformation will be dropping the “blog” name, it doesn’t seem to help rather it confuses

@mcrilf – I have difficulty seeing twitter as blogging though I know a lot of people think of it that way. To me it is more like a delayed IRC

@Steve – On my blog the posts tend to be quite lengthy compared to the average post, I agree the content tends to determine the comments more than the length

@Michael – I guess it is ok for him to spout off, we are all entitled to an opinion, regardless of merit. I just wish he had read more blogs before he voiced it

@Adam – Me too

@Amrit – I imagine his clients probably think the same as us

@Stephen – I recommend people post when they have something to say, I don’t subscribe to the “filler” idea

@raj – It’s important to write like you have someone there listening, how would you change things if it was a real world conversation?

@Jermayn – I think he will notice discussions like this and get hit with the clue stick real soon

@Linda – I think one of the wonderful things about blogs is as you say, you don’t need any technical or HTML knowledge

@Slade – It makes you wonder if he has read ANY blogs …
@George – As I said in my dimensions of blogging post, I think there is a spectrum of blogs from “barely a blog” to the full experience. I think comments are a massive part of blogs but I don’t think I am in the majority

@Jacqueline – Yes I agree, conversation is a large part of the appeal for me

@Doug – Perhaps

@Gerald – I’m thinking part of the transformation will be dropping the “blog” name, it doesn’t seem to help rather it confuses

@mcrilf – I have difficulty seeing twitter as blogging though I know a lot of people think of it that way. To me it is more like a delayed IRC

@Steve – On my blog the posts tend to be quite lengthy compared to the average post, I agree the content tends to determine the comments more than the length

@Michael – I guess it is ok for him to spout off, we are all entitled to an opinion, regardless of merit. I just wish he had read more blogs before he voiced it

@Adam – Me too

@Amrit – I imagine his clients probably think the same as us

@Stephen – I recommend people post when they have something to say, I don’t subscribe to the “filler” idea

@raj – It’s important to write like you have someone there listening, how would you change things if it was a real world conversation?

@Jermayn – I think he will notice discussions like this and get hit with the clue stick real soon

@Linda – I think one of the wonderful things about blogs is as you say, you don’t need any technical or HTML knowledge

@Slade – It makes you wonder if he has read ANY blogs …
@George – As I said in my dimensions of blogging post, I think there is a spectrum of blogs from “barely a blog” to the full experience. I think comments are a massive part of blogs but I don’t think I am in the majority

@Jacqueline – Yes I agree, conversation is a large part of the appeal for me

@Doug – Perhaps

@Gerald – I’m thinking part of the transformation will be dropping the “blog” name, it doesn’t seem to help rather it confuses

@mcrilf – I have difficulty seeing twitter as blogging though I know a lot of people think of it that way. To me it is more like a delayed IRC

@Steve – On my blog the posts tend to be quite lengthy compared to the average post, I agree the content tends to determine the comments more than the length

@Michael – I guess it is ok for him to spout off, we are all entitled to an opinion, regardless of merit. I just wish he had read more blogs before he voiced it

@Adam – Me too

@Amrit – I imagine his clients probably think the same as us

@Stephen – I recommend people post when they have something to say, I don’t subscribe to the “filler” idea

@raj – It’s important to write like you have someone there listening, how would you change things if it was a real world conversation?

@Jermayn – I think he will notice discussions like this and get hit with the clue stick real soon

This looks like another rant from an old expert who is still struggling with the fact that Blogs are not just a live journal but a good business way of selling things, both big and small.

This looks like another rant from an old expert who is still struggling with the fact that Blogs are not just a live journal but a good business way of selling things, both big and small.

This looks like another rant from an old expert who is still struggling with the fact that Blogs are not just a live journal but a good business way of selling things, both big and small.

And maybe therein lies the reason many blogs don’t have conversations. They display articles passing themselves off as blog posts but don’t really stir up any questions. They tell, not ask.

And maybe therein lies the reason many blogs don’t have conversations. They display articles passing themselves off as blog posts but don’t really stir up any questions. They tell, not ask.