BootsnAll Travel Community

For a blog (travel or otherwise) to hold my interest, it has to have the following:

1. PARAGRAPHS
I read about 100 blogs a week, and every time I go to a page where there is just a long column of unbroken text, I groan. I won't read the whole thing. Uh-uh. No way.

2. Photos
It doesn't have to be a photo blog--but having a picture or two here and there is going to make people come back.

3. Humor
People usually read blogs for entertainment, not for research. Make it fun, or they'll find their fun elsewhere.

4. Stories about the people the blogger has interacted with.
I can read an encyclopedia to find out facts about the actual location--from travelers I want to read about stuff you can't find in books.

5. Descriptions of food
WITH photos, if possible.


ADQ

we have to make a difference between pages/blogs written for work and personal blogs. obviously my personal page is full of irony and "witty" comments i would never put in a blog i am paid to write LOL that's b/c i prefer to still have the job

I'm about to go to Budapest... and this all really makes me want to post some interesting stories on my blog. Boring is the kiss of death!


Dont Forget To Write

I went to a dinner party last week with people who, theoretically, are well traveled. They alternate their vacations in Mykonos and Cairo. Fabulous, right?

But the same things that make for a boring blog also make for a boring dinner conversation. I heard all about that funny time that B__ crashed her moped, and all about how many frequent flyer miles it takes to get to Athens, and all about the funny drive they had in Mykonos, and all about the awful room service at the 5-star hotel in Cairo.

I would have had more fun with Kristin Jennifer (who, btw, is tagging turtles and, just maybe, is starting to grow up a bit).

A blog is like a dinner conversation. But a blog gives you the chance to be that witty, articulate person you wish you were. Because you can edit a blog, something I'd love to be able to do in my speech at times. (Oops, I didn't mean to say that, stutter like that, offend you as much as I obviously have etc) With that privilege comes the responsibility to use it, and not transfer everything in your head onto the screen in front of you. Treat that screen as if it's a date you're trying to impress. Be charming, be funny, be intelligent, but maybe consider holding a little something back.

quote:

I can understand the fact that people use blogs as a 'postcard' home to friends. But then why make it public?

A blog can be easier to keep track of and writing one entry takes less time than writing 20 e-mails. Besides, the vast majority of blogs don't get that many hits. I use a blog just to practice writing simply because it's convenient. If someone wanted to read it, fine...but I doubt that anyone would find it very interesting. Like I said, it's just practice.

But do we get to read your fine blog? We do not. How about posting the URL?

A good blog should be both funny and informative. I used them a lot when researching my trip but tended to become a regular reader only on the ones that provided lots of detail about their experiences.