Authority and respect

What grabs my attention, and more importantly keeps my attention, is a combination of things. The first consideration is finding “the most for my money.” I want to quickly find a lot of information on a particular subject. A site with great visuals and an appealing image is great, but if it doesnt meet my needs, I have accomlished nothing. Unfortunately, in the rush to get my information, accuracy is sometimes sacrificed, this is where relying on certain sources is essential. Research and sometimes trial and error with a particular source can lead to great rewards and is worth the time. End the end, having a small pool of information that is reliable and meets my needs, is greater than a wealth of information that is neither.

It all depends on what type of information I am searching for. If I wish to see information in certain areas I would much rather hear it from “niche” practitioners. I would believe these people to have the authority in that particular part of the market. I would be more willing to accept their thoughts and views, though still with hesitation, because they have been handing there particular specialty market for some time. But I too find myself wandering towards random websites while I am searching for something. Sometimes I am just bombarded by too much information and look for the one I see as more appealing instead of accurate. Stuart’s “must read” section makes some good general points to judge a blog, but it is that just general points, and then you will have to apply your own criteria to go the rest of the way.

First of all, I believe that an attention-grabbing element is essential. For instance, I was attracted to your post by the interface pickup line. Humor is something I always look for in a post. It is not only a great way to catch a readers eye, but it also keeps someone reading.
Next, I certainly try to learn about subjects that interest me from those who display knowledge or expertise about that subject. However, I think we should be careful not to limit ourselves to learning from “experts.” Should we only learn from “people who demonstrate knowledge, expertise, experience or insight” as Stuart said? I’m not trying to decrease the importance of credibility by any means, but if we limit ourselves to only learning from experts, how would we grow? How would we ever allow new experts (for that matter)? We need to learn from everything. That is what is so great about the opportunities of the internet and social media. The web provides us with so many avenues from which to learn and also to share our own amateur experiences with others so that they may learn from us. Yes, these thoughts and experiences may not make Technorati’s top 100, but I appreciate the opportunity to contribute and perhaps help someone else. While authority is important to some, I do not think that is should be the final determinant of a post’s worthiness. As long as a post is well-written and coherently constructed, I am very supportive of novel ideas.

While it can be true that rank numbers can be misleading, can it not also be true that possibly some of the great blogs are included in the Top 100 as well? I ask this because maybe some of those popular blogs actually have the potential of being great blogs. Yes, many of them probably aren’t and never will be, but we have to consider that chance as well.

With that said, I do have to agree with Stuart’s ‘must read’ criteria. I will not stay glued to a web page or a blog that is not visually appealing. If I begin reading something that I find interesting and then come across bad grammar and misspelled words I quickly become turned off and move on without ever finishing the piece. A truly good blog or web page must also give me a sense that the person is in some way qualified to be writing about a particular subject. No one wants to read a blog post about new PR research tactics that was written by some guy who actually works as a telemarketer for your local phone company.

While I agree that the attention-grabbing factor is essential for a successful blog, I find myself leaning more towards the “what catches my eye” sort of thing. Usually it is a subject matter that I find interesting that will capture and keep my attention on a blog. But in recent moments I have actually found myself clicking on a colorful link or a scrolling banner. I think that it really isn’t up to the blog host to catch the “blogger’s” eye. All they need to do is write what they find intriguing and most likely, others will too.

The first thing I notice is the title, I look for catchy titles about interesting subjects. If the title catches my attention then I read the first paragraph and that usually decides whether I will finish reading the article. If I am looking for different authors to read, or wanting authority, I want to read from someone who I know is knowledgeable about the subject, which can be someone I know. Lastly, because I am attracted to the visual appeal of the article, I notice what graphics they have, and a lot of times will read the bold print to decide if I want to read the whole article.

Absolutely the fist thing I always look for is the title of the post. When trying to decide on what post to comment on for Robert French’s class, if the post title doesn’t appeal to me, I probably won’t read it. I always look for clever titles sometimes ending with a question mark. I know when the question mark is there, I’ll be reading some sort of rant or have the opportunity to answer a question in the comment.

Also, I do have personal enjoyment in reading Kami Huyse’s site. She always has recent information and a story to tell with very well-written intentions.

It isn’t the first time the blogging community has been likened to a high school. Popularity is a kind of justification for so many bloggers. Most track their traffic for egotistic reasons, but traffic doesn’t mean legitimacy.

Typically, ligitimacy on the Web isn’t something that you can decipher easily. Trust in your source must be earned over time. It can’t be won over by graphics. Content makes a good site.

Graphics get your attention, but that won’t keep people. Phil Gomes’ Blogservations is an example of a site without flashy graphics that has captured the interest of people. Readers return because of the reasons you have listed above. He publishes to a niche audience who trusts him and wants to hear what he has to say.

In short, he has authority. His authority is created through experience in the subject matter about which he writes. His credibility is created through his ability to engage in open conversation about communications and his life observations.

I know this is an old post, but it is one that is still valid. I had never blogged before this semester, and now I feel that is almost all I ever do seeing as I have Robert for two classes this semester. Being new to the blogging game, I found this post interesting.

Of course what first grabbed my attention when reading blogs were the contributors to this blog. I read theirs first to know what to look for in others who blogged. I find myself reading blogs that are aesthetically pleasing. A blog site that it is not too cluttered, uses white space appropriately and has some graphics to pull me in.

The next thing I look for is content. I find myself reading any articles that have to do with PR and what is up and coming in the profession. I do this in order to take to future potential employers things that they do not know or have not heard of.

When I am not reading blogs for class I read anything that I relate to. Such as people who blog about animals. I have a black lab and I love to hear what other people who own pets similiar to mine are saying.

For my attention to be captured by something on the web, it is all about the design and the layout. Things must be neat, organized, and very clear. I have visited web pages before that had awful layouts and were extremely distracting to the user. Even if they included the information I was looking for, I might not use it because of the difficulty in navigating through the site.
When it comes to blogs, I pay attention to the same design and layout aspects. If a blog is not laid out in a clear and cohesive manner, I am not as likely to give the information any of my time. I find that the blogs that capture the most of my attention are written in a clear and plain language, they fully explain all terms and references, and they are very user friendly.

When determining which blogs to read, I have found credibility to be an important factor. I am not referring to credibility according to Technorati, or any other blog ranking site, but rather to personal credibility.

People are attracted to blog sites that their trusted colleagues, mentors and friends comment on and frequently ‘check out.’ Simply by word-of-mouth, a site can become credible among a group of people.

For example, if one of your mentors suggests reading a particular blog, the chances are you will go to the site and take a look at the blog. That mentor is someone with whom you admire and trust and you will be more than likely to listen to their advice.

Therefore, through word-of-mouth, the blog has become credible in your eyes and you will now be attracted to this site.

The sites I blog on are a direct result of my professors’ teachings. My professor, Robert French, who was the first individual to introduce me to the blogosphere, has suggested multiple blogs for me to explore. Simply by spreading the word about a good site, Robert has used his authority to help his students ‘dig’ through the blogosphere.

Overall, a blog will be considered popular if individuals frequently talk about the site. Through word-of-mouth the site will gain credibility and become accepted in the blogosphere.