Les Jones: What do you Think About Group Blogs?

August 24, 2006

Blogging > What do you Think About Group Blogs?

Michael Silence at No Silence Here received this email from a reader.

Just one opinion, so take it for what it’s worth, but I hate a bunch of people having access to posting on your blog. I read it for you…not for them. They can have their own blogs. Or set up a guest blogger blog on KnoxNews.com. But I don’t like them on yours and find myself reading it less because I have to sort through posts.

Michael asked for people's thoughts. What follows is the response I posted in comments.

Even though I'm on one of those folks with posting privileges at No Silence Here, in all honesty I generally don't much care for group blogs. I prefer a blog with a single voice. For instance, I think Volokh.com would be a better blog if Eugene Volokh was the only person posting there. As it is, there are too many voices and too many topics represented.

I do, however, like community blogs such as KnoxViews.com where anyone can set up an account and start posting. That's more of a hybrid of blogs and message boards, and at KnoxViews it's working.

I do think guestblogging is a good practice when the blog's author is out of town or unavailable.

Posted by lesjones | TrackBack

Comments

To me, there are good group blogs and there are bad ones. I tend to prefer blogs that are unified in some way. The unifying factor can be a certain style of writing, a consistant sense of humor, or a narrow content focus. Generally, I get more of that from single author blogs, but there are some groups that are well-disciplined and talented at keeping a somewhat uniform style and focus, and I enjoy those. I put up with other group blogs if I have some sort of connection to what they're generally talking about. For example, Pith in the Wind. I read it because it is generally about the community in which I live, being an outgrowth of my city's alternative weekly. But as blogs go,it's not really that great and I probably wouldn't enjoy if I didn't have that connection.

Posted by: Loonytick at August 24, 2006