Many things, but what catches my attention most at the moment is Doug Green‘s pithy “Find out what people want – give it to them.”
I don’t have concrete plans with things like my blogs- I do wish I were more focused and astute about how I construct them and construct my writing for that matter. I change the templates to meet a need or to be more aesthetic.. I join, and neglect in turn, many different internet “communities”. But I think more than ever I am trying to step into your shoes, as a reader. Always doing that to some extent, but now trying to be more objective about finding out what makes you tick and what best meets your needs.
Since I resurrected my garden website two years ago, that one returns to the more “information” oriented writing. A blog is more for opinion and conversation nowadays, so my intent is to create more essays here and less of the nuts and bolts posts that will be on the website, Ilona’s Garden. A division of labor, so to speak.
Also, the hope is still burning for some guest blogging for the same reason I like fusion cuisine: there is excitement in the mix of different flavors of view and the essential persona.
I keep trying to improve with the photos, and so admire a stylist and photographer like Tyra. I wish I could find my own expression of that, but until then I love seeing whatever she highlights next.
What do you like? what makes a blogs good for you?
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That’s an interesting question…I don’t know that I have a strong preference for any particular type of blog. I like an engaging style of writing, but the topic matter can range as I’m interested in many things.
Friendship is one thing that brings me back to a blog…once I develop a certain online friendship with a blogger, I become quite loyal and will continue to visit until the blog is defunct. :)
Hi Ilona, I enjoy your blog. I rather like the idea of a blog being about different thoughts and ideas that strike the author whenever. I guess I like that because that’s what my blog is like.
If I’m doing something that I want to share with friends, I blog about it. I do try to limit myself mostly to green growy things (starting seedlings) or household activities (adding insulation to attics). There must be a connection there somewhere. :-)
It’s entirely possible that I’m doing my blog terribly wrong because I don’t get much traffic. Sigh….
Anyway, I certainly enjoy your blog.
ConeFlower- please don’t feel you are doing something wrong, getting a blog growing can be very hard at first. I feel that there are some quite excellent blogs that just aren’t noticed enough. I’m glad you two enjoy it here… for me, I am very sporadic in the time allotted to blog reading.
I try to keep tabs on my favs- I use the blogroll features for that, and have been severely limited since Blogrolling was down for so long. That bookmarked sites for me- I haven’t used del.i.cious nearly as much.
Hi Ilona: I do follow your blog because it has some post that are interesting to me. You mentioned Doug Green if you follow all his blogs and stuff it’s a full time job.
However you do learn a lot and get some good information from him.
You seem to be on the right track trying to get interest in your blogs, you just have to get it to click with what people are interested in.
My main interest is in Gardening information and Gardening Know how.
My blog has been down for over a mounth now had a lot of problems with WordPress.com and have now moved the blog and become self hosted at Blue Host. Will be posting again shortly.
John
wow John, sorry to hear about those blog troubles- I went through that with my TrueGrit blog a couple years ago- I can commiserate. I am so glad you are continuing to write… I will look forward to your continued posting and I just loved your bird photos.
John I meant to ask you what you look for in particular in the the general “Gardening information and Gardening Know how”. What topics and questions interest you the most at this time?
Ilona: I just found you comment while reviewing some of your posts.
You asked.
John I meant to ask you what you look for in particular in the the general “Gardening information and Gardening Know how”. What topics and questions interest you the most at this time?
I am interested in most anything about gardening, have been gardening for many years without any formal training just the school of hard knocks and reading some books and magazines. By reading and now blogging and seeing and reading how others do it I am finding out that I have a lot of gardening knowledge that is now becoming organized in my mind.
I do Organic Gardening big time and that is of great interest to me.
As I listen to information about gardening I find myself thinking I knew that but never knew why or what made it happen. Now I do.
So I guess to sum it up, any gardening info you post is of interest to me. Some may be more interesting than others but all will be getting process in my knowledge bank.
Hope I have helped you, let me know if any thing I can do to help more.
Thanks for your friendship greatly appreciated.
John