OK Guys, question for you, what qualities make a good blog? I've been doing a schoolblog for two years now, but just lately i'm beginning to wonder if I've gone a bit stale. I know personally that the first thing I do in the morning is read the new schoolblog posts and read the comments other read, but when I post I vary rarely get comments, gradually my posts move down the list surrounded by others who have comments.
I'm not having a moan, as I know it may not be the most exciting blog in the world, and I'll keep posting as long as I deem possible. It may seem strange but I enjoy getting like criticism, i find it something I can use to improve myself. But what can I do to improve people's interest!!!
You will just have to live with the fact that people will not even read your blog because you are not from sciarc, UCLA, Cranbrook or any of the ivies. So you are starting with a limited audience.
Personally I would not let it bother me (if I were you). I would make it my goal to kick all of their asses after graduation so that they all had to suck up to me in thier professional lives. And then I would laugh at the amount of debt they had to incur in order to get that job below mine.
i'm no expert on blogs, but i do keep a couple [ for about a year or so anyway ] and i'd have to say i rarely get comments from anyone who is not affiliated with my school or that i don't know personally. maybe that's because my blog is boring or my work is irrelevant or i'm not linked to the right search engine... doubt that last one, but it could really be anything... but generally i think the vast majority of people lurk. they read, but don't post for a number of reasons not necessarily any fault of yours. don't know if you can put a sitemeter on your blog or not, but that will show you how many people show up and how long they stay and where they came from... could help you cater to an audience if that is what you like.
personally i like to blog as a journal and for friends and the occasional random reader... don't be discouraged by no response, but if that's what you want, think about what prompts you to comment and try to do likewise. show pictures. link. mention other blogs or sites. comment on blogs that talk about similar work and make sure your comment links back to your blog... read this 'classic' post from 2004 link and try to apply the spirit of it to what you are writing about...
my guess is that most people read 'school blogs' when they are thinking about applying just to get a feel for the school and the work... not necessarily because they are specifically interested in your work and not because they are bloggers themselves who really feel a need to comment. and for god's sake don't blog if you don't like it. it will be bad, people will know and you will be frustrated. be positive, don't moan about no comments [ i know you said you weren't, but still... ] you have to post often... make people want to check back every day... i know if my best friend or girlfriend don't update their blogs for a week then checking to see if something new is posted seems more and more like a waste of time... or i forget...
also, post a link to you blog so we can check it out. and try emailing it to people you know once in awhile when you have posted something really interesting; maybe word will spread to the right people.
Tyvek, i'm not even trying to compete with the ivies, especially since I'm not from the US, I'm from the UK, OK the University of Lincoln is no Bartlett, but I just want to get out that we Brits can design as well and that you don't have to go to the Bartlett or the link to be able to design.
[url=http://partiv.blogspot.com]I've been writing this architectural blog for about 6 months, which I'm only telling you (and everyone else reading) because it's a chance to shamelessly plug it. Hopefully this might end up as the most words between an opening and closing link that's been posted here, unless I end up wanting to link elsewhere.
Anyway, the blog started bad and has gone steadily downhill ever since.
I started it because I was so darned bored at work and needed to exercise my brain away from those eternal drainage details. Then it slowly got under my skin. I started getting up in the middle of the night to spend time with it, behind my Norma's back. It became an obsession. I spent all my money on getting my blog-fix, slowly getting behind on the rent, not eating properly, not seeing my old friends. I didn't even realise it was happening, until I lost my job for spending too much time online, lost my Norma (same reason, although I did notice she was spending rather a lot of time with Bradley Pitt), lost my flat, lost my life. I've been in rehab now for a couple of weeks and still feel that pull when passing an internet cafe.
The blogs I eat from and return to for dessert are either entertaining (make me laugh), or interesting (go ahead, punk, teach me something), or I feel I'm getting to know somebody who I might like to have a pint with one day.
So what I'm saying is, I've got absolutely no idea how to write a good blog, but just take a look at this one for how NOT to do it!
[/url]
Sometimes a cool blog entry title, even if it's completely unrelated, is eye-catching, a la David Cross's comedy albums. If you have a chance to listen to them you'll notice that the titles to all of his tracks are really vile and offensive but the actual material on the tracks has nothing to do with the titles. Which makes hilarious material even funnier.
Blogging it...
OK Guys, question for you, what qualities make a good blog? I've been doing a schoolblog for two years now, but just lately i'm beginning to wonder if I've gone a bit stale. I know personally that the first thing I do in the morning is read the new schoolblog posts and read the comments other read, but when I post I vary rarely get comments, gradually my posts move down the list surrounded by others who have comments.
I'm not having a moan, as I know it may not be the most exciting blog in the world, and I'll keep posting as long as I deem possible. It may seem strange but I enjoy getting like criticism, i find it something I can use to improve myself. But what can I do to improve people's interest!!!
Help me guys...
D
try spot prizes
You will just have to live with the fact that people will not even read your blog because you are not from sciarc, UCLA, Cranbrook or any of the ivies. So you are starting with a limited audience.
Personally I would not let it bother me (if I were you). I would make it my goal to kick all of their asses after graduation so that they all had to suck up to me in thier professional lives. And then I would laugh at the amount of debt they had to incur in order to get that job below mine.
But that is just me.
your brain is probably smaller than your balls, tyvek.
made sense to me
hey darren,
i'm no expert on blogs, but i do keep a couple [ for about a year or so anyway ] and i'd have to say i rarely get comments from anyone who is not affiliated with my school or that i don't know personally. maybe that's because my blog is boring or my work is irrelevant or i'm not linked to the right search engine... doubt that last one, but it could really be anything... but generally i think the vast majority of people lurk. they read, but don't post for a number of reasons not necessarily any fault of yours. don't know if you can put a sitemeter on your blog or not, but that will show you how many people show up and how long they stay and where they came from... could help you cater to an audience if that is what you like.
personally i like to blog as a journal and for friends and the occasional random reader... don't be discouraged by no response, but if that's what you want, think about what prompts you to comment and try to do likewise. show pictures. link. mention other blogs or sites. comment on blogs that talk about similar work and make sure your comment links back to your blog... read this 'classic' post from 2004 link and try to apply the spirit of it to what you are writing about...
my guess is that most people read 'school blogs' when they are thinking about applying just to get a feel for the school and the work... not necessarily because they are specifically interested in your work and not because they are bloggers themselves who really feel a need to comment. and for god's sake don't blog if you don't like it. it will be bad, people will know and you will be frustrated. be positive, don't moan about no comments [ i know you said you weren't, but still... ] you have to post often... make people want to check back every day... i know if my best friend or girlfriend don't update their blogs for a week then checking to see if something new is posted seems more and more like a waste of time... or i forget...
also, post a link to you blog so we can check it out. and try emailing it to people you know once in awhile when you have posted something really interesting; maybe word will spread to the right people.
good luck.
Thanks estimmel, thats some good advice. Here the link to my blog...
Schoolblog
Tyvek, i'm not even trying to compete with the ivies, especially since I'm not from the US, I'm from the UK, OK the University of Lincoln is no Bartlett, but I just want to get out that we Brits can design as well and that you don't have to go to the Bartlett or the link to be able to design.
D
man ... i'd love to start a blog ...
but , i dont have the dicipline or the dedication
[url=http://partiv.blogspot.com]I've been writing this architectural blog for about 6 months, which I'm only telling you (and everyone else reading) because it's a chance to shamelessly plug it. Hopefully this might end up as the most words between an opening and closing link that's been posted here, unless I end up wanting to link elsewhere.
Anyway, the blog started bad and has gone steadily downhill ever since.
I started it because I was so darned bored at work and needed to exercise my brain away from those eternal drainage details. Then it slowly got under my skin. I started getting up in the middle of the night to spend time with it, behind my Norma's back. It became an obsession. I spent all my money on getting my blog-fix, slowly getting behind on the rent, not eating properly, not seeing my old friends. I didn't even realise it was happening, until I lost my job for spending too much time online, lost my Norma (same reason, although I did notice she was spending rather a lot of time with Bradley Pitt), lost my flat, lost my life. I've been in rehab now for a couple of weeks and still feel that pull when passing an internet cafe.
The blogs I eat from and return to for dessert are either entertaining (make me laugh), or interesting (go ahead, punk, teach me something), or I feel I'm getting to know somebody who I might like to have a pint with one day.
So what I'm saying is, I've got absolutely no idea how to write a good blog, but just take a look at this one for how NOT to do it!
[/url]
Anyway, to paraphrase that great cartoon artist, David Shrigley, the blog's for you and you shouldn't really care what others say/write cos it's not for them. That's kind of the point. You're the master in your blog-dom. Your readers are your guests.
I'm Brit too, for what it's worth. And not even close to the epicentre of where-it's-at architecturally. But I'm at the cutting edge of luke warmth.
Damn.
Long link didn't work - is there a limit on number of characters between opening & closing?
:(
Sometimes a cool blog entry title, even if it's completely unrelated, is eye-catching, a la David Cross's comedy albums. If you have a chance to listen to them you'll notice that the titles to all of his tracks are really vile and offensive but the actual material on the tracks has nothing to do with the titles. Which makes hilarious material even funnier.
Darren.
My response was just my guess as to why you are not getting the comments you desire.
doZer.
My wife says the exact same thing.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.