One of my favorite blogs, The Beautiful World, launched a Blog Carnival so it’s really an invitation that cannot be refused.
Why not reflect on what we like to read and for what reasons?
I only read reviews of shows I have seen because I despise spoilers. Editorials are the best when it makes connections to the world at large. Listless Ink does this very well. I especially like the references to fashion.
What do we do when we stumble across a new blog?
I tend to search for an about page. It gives me an idea of the voice I can expect and what motives/agendas said voice may try to advance in addition to the type of content I can expect. Beneath the Tangles is a good example here. Not that it tries to promote anything but I am immediately informed of a specific angle it takes which I find very helpful.
I can also determine if the writer has a sense of humor and how similar it may be to mine as well as hints into other personality traits. Finally, it gives me a taste of the caliber of writing I can expect.
What must a good animanga blog have and do?
Obviously, a good blog should have content. Content that provokes thought and discussion. It offers a different perspective or even a new paradigm of thinking. Untold Story is a good demonstration. Content should be consistent in frequency. It annoys me to visit a blog only to find the same post from a week ago. Life happens but I know a few blogs who could take it more seriously. That said, don’t update too often. It feels overwhelming sometimes in wanting to catch up.
To compliment discussion, it should let people comment easily. There’s a blog that I absolutely love but each time I want to comment, I have to log into openID and that’s annoying. Captcha is understandable. In the same vein, provide contact info to the writer because not everything is fit for a public comment.
A link or two navigating elsewhere to elaborate on something the reader may not know or may want to explore more is good but try not to go overboard like certain Wikipedia articles or an Aesop Rock song. It’s a good indication that the post may be too dense.
I am a big believer in satisfying niche markets. There are millions of review blogs. Do something differently and do it well. Okazu comes to mind.
What blogging behaviors annoy you?
Having too many scripts. The blog you’re reading this on is guilty of this *cough* My Firefox NoScript addon tells me that there are seventeen, yes SEVENTEEN, scripts it’s trying to run. It adds to loading time and most of the time it’s bloat. Likewise, keep the number of posts on the home page to a handful to limit load time especially if content tends to be picture heavy.
And this is strictly personal preference but I hate white backgrounds. If I want to go blind, I will venture outside my basement =P
Hey, nothing inherently wrong with JavaScript as long as it’s implemented cleanly. I agree though that the site loading time is a problem here. This should be addressed in the site redesign soon, which is going to use more native features rather than plugins as much as possible. Google’s PageSpeed tool shows the problem.
Usability studies have shown that white backgrounds with dark text color is the most readable combo. LCD monitors can strain eyes though, so give em a break if it’s bothering you!
I heart you Mike.
My distaste for white has more to do with me being a vampire or some such.