Well this post flows on nicely from the last one, as it's about another way to fritter away my time online!
I LOVE reading blogs. It's so brilliant to see what people are up to, and I especially like the fact that I can hear from people all across the world. Visiting a blog is almost like visiting a friend, do you agree?
The trouble is, reading blogs also takes a lot of time, something which I'm very aware of when I'm trying to organise my life. Up until this year I always read blogs via my reading list in my blogger dashboard. This wasn't really working though, as I often missed posts, and I couldn't work out how to follow non-blogger blogs via this feature (is there a way?). I could never get on with the actual 'Google Reader' either, I just found it really hard to look at!
But it's all okay now, because I discovered Bloglovin':
I find it so much easier to follow blogs here! I still sign up to follow blogs via Google Friend Connect, because I know that the follower count means a lot to some people (yes, including me!), but then I try to remember to follow them on Bloglovin' too, as I like using this for my reader. It's so much easier to keep up with manufacturer blogs here, I used to have problems via my google reading list because they were all Typepad rather than Blogger accounts.
I like how easy it is to sort blogs into categories, and to 'mark as read' within the feed. The only problem I have with it, is that when you click through to a post via Bloglovin', you can't 'pin' from the page. It's a bit frustrating sometimes to have to navigate myself to that blog post, so that I can pin something from there to Pinterest. I'll put up with it for now though because I find it so much easier to read blogs in general from here.
Sian at From High in the Sky recently posted a question about how people follow blogs, and what amount they follow. Here was my answer:
On following blogs... I follow lots! Too many. I don't get enough time to visit them all. I have a core list of about 20 that I visit as much as possible, and comment on almost every visit. The others I tend to just visit once in a while, when a post title catches my eye, or when they've commented on my blog a lot. I like to support new blogs by following, but I can't follow every single one I pop to or it would get silly! It still gives me a thrill each time I see I have a new follower though, so I try to follow someone if they have a few posts at least that interest me. I think some people are thrown by the fact that blogger says 'join this site' rather than 'follow'.
We can go back to the Know What You Love mantra posted last night, to remind ourselves to only visit the blogs we love. I follow all kinds of manufacturer blogs, but I only regularly read the blogs of my favourte brands.
It's harder to miss out or not comment on a crafter's blog though, as it feels a bit like you're letting a friend down. I combat this by waiting until I have a more time to spare, and then reading and commenting on a whole batch of one person's blog posts all in a row. It means I'm not wasting time by zipping all around the internet, and I can give them my full attention, just like I would to a friend!
Do you feel overwhelmed by blog reading sometimes?
Remember that commenting on this post, or any post from this weekend, will enter you into the Grand Giveaway {NOW CLOSED}- but only if you've registered your interest in winning it here (it closes Monday 2nd July at 11.59pm).
I'll be back in 60 minutes, start counting! x
26 comments:
hehehe - funny enough, since I commented on your last post an hour ago, I haven't done a stroke of the housework, because I got distracted wandering through Blogland again! There's so much inspiration out there and I love how everyone is so supportive of each other and happy to share. Just not enough hours in the day though :) right, really MUST do at least some token chores before the next post! :)
I use google reader and have my blogs categorized (although it needs some cleaning up) into art friends, photography,commentary, etc. Several categories I read but don't comment upon, so I can read those on my phone. The ones I read and comment upon I save until I have time.
Rinda
What a great site! I can't wait to explore it more...hopefully it will help streamline my blog reading.
Bethany
I read mine in google reader. I have only had a problem with it a few times. But it seems super similar to bloglovin. You can't pin, and I follow so many blogs, that if I miss one day of reading, I find myself lost. I really need to go through and organize the blogs into folders, but you can see non blogger blogs if you subscribe to their rss feed. Google reader shows the entire post so you don't have to go to the blog unless you are commenting. I just wish it would show up in stats that someone visited their page... but I don't think it does unless I physically go to their blog!
i'm using Bloglovin too, it's defnitely what works best for me!
I've been following blogs via google reader but am spending WAY too much time trying to keep up with them, maybe I'll give Bloglovin a try
I use googlereader and see where I can spend too much time looking at blogs! It's where I get my inspiration though so it's part of my process!
Been using Bloglovin for awhile now. I like it but it is real slow loading compared to going straight to their sites (remember, I have slow dialup). I was unaware tho of it not counting visiting the page. Anyway, it is a good organizer for blog reading.
Never try using Bloglovin. I prefer Google Reader so far.
I don't think I've every really felt overwhelmed by blog reading. I really should do a post about this on my own blog, come to think of it. I don't use any kind of reader because I like to see the posts in their "natural environment", haha! That helps keep the number of blogs I'm reading down, because I know I can't look at 100+ individual blogs each day. Right now, I have 11 blogs bookmarked that I read daily, plus several others that I check every week or so. I rotate them out when I stop feeling inspired by the content. I do follow blogs through Google, but that's usually just to enter giveaways that require being a follower.
I will difinitely have to go and have a look at Blog lovin as it sounds good! I really struggle to keep up with blogs too, I love reading them though so I do have some that I visit on a regular basis and then others only sometimes. I use my blogreader and then any that I can't 'follow' like the typepad ones I add down my sidebar with a blog list app but I do forget to check those quite often.
I spend far too much time blog hopping....but my favourite blogs are in Reader.
I can sometimes find reading blogs overwhelming, especially if I have worked a few long days in a row as I don't always put the computer on during this period then find I have loads to catch up on so don't click through to comment.
I could do with reorganising my reader though which will hopefully make it easier for me to control how I read and it should help me to comment more...something I don't feel I do enough!
I like some of the tips everyone else has said :)
Blog reading is my social media - I try to follow blogs that interest me, and I do follow the blogs of my "real" followers, and I enjoy supporting bloggers initial efforts when they are new to blogging - because I remember those times. But as both their interests and mine have changed over the three years I have been blogging - I've gotten down to about a dozen that I never want to miss.
I use Google Reader and try to limit my subscriptions to 100 blogs. Whenever it goes over, I go clean it up a bit :) and yes, if I don't keep up with the Reader, I quickly feel overwhelmed...
I too use Google reader-but find it hard to keep up with the favorites-so this bloglovin may be the answer for me too! thanks for the tip!
I find Google Reader works great for me. I probably read the majority of the blogs on Reader from my Android phone, then I star the posts that interest me most (or that have giveaways) so I can revisit them easily later. If things get busy during the week (which often happens) then I'll have a big catchup at the weekend. Sometimes it does get overwhelming, and can take a big chunk of time too, but I still love it. :)
Google reader for me too. I also have and app on my phone for it. I could spend hours a day reading blogs....and today I have already been here an hour just reading yours!!!!
Lol-yes there are definitely times I feel overwhelmed by blog reading!
There's an adiction here for me: 'read blogs' I like a lot find blogs with crafts or anything interesting... I don't follow many blogs, maybe I can follow more with bloglovin, gonna try, thanks a lot
sra_de_romero(at)yahoo.com.mx
I'm exactly like you, I feel as though I have been neglecting friends when I don't pop by on a regular basis, but I do like to give people my full attention rather than stopping by quickly.
It's definitely hard to keep up with everyone - and I've been struggling with it for a while now. Going to check out Bloglovin' and see if it works for me x
I use Google Reader and it seems to work for me. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like you're letting a friend down.
I was using my dashboard to read blogs I'd followed but like you was frustrated that it wasn't all that! Shimelle's "Blogging For Scrapbookers" showed me Google Reader and I'm now happy that I can keep track of and categorise and star various blogs (& posts). I can read quickly - star a few to go back to and comment on if time is short - and choose which ones to visit properly every couple of days. It's daunting to see how quickly the unread posts build up after a few days away from the internet though!
I am a total novice when it comes to how I read my blogs. I have a list and follow them according to my Favourites list. This is awkward and time consuming, and I would like to learn about a way to be able to distinguish between a blog that has a new post, or that doesnt. I spend too much time clicking on each blog and then being disappointed because there hasnt been anything new for weeks sometimes. I know there's a better way, but I don't know how. Maybe a post on this very thing?
I'm a google reader girl too - sounds similar - I follow lots - but comment on less.
I'm having a cull of blogs at the moment. If there is no craft, or its all digi or just not to my taste, then I am unsubscribing. I'm spending far too long at the computer and not enough time at my craft table.
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