About blogs - once again, I need your feedback

I don't believe you should get the blog feature. You probably already spend enough on the site as is, and there are other ways members can acquire a blog if desired (LiveJournal, Blogger, et cetera).

Though you should use my idea to make the forum monochromatic blues.

 

I don't it would be best to invest in it. There are only about a dozen or so members that have stayed here for a long time and are really active. Also, I believe that anything we really want to say can be said in either threads, private messaging, or some form of contact outside of the forums. When valuable information is posted on the forum, I feel that there is also a better chance of more people seeing it as well. As previously mentioned, there are plenty of blogging sites. If you really wanted to start a blogging community, how about adopting a site for the forum and creating a group?

 

Adamant is right. If there was no cost involved and you did it, only a small percentage would use it. It's honestly better to not waste the money, and perhaps provide a spot on the profile where members can link to an external blog. Well, that's my opinion at least.

 

what is a blog like?

 

Heather, I use a blog site as a sort of open diary. You can put in any information you like for others to read. It's like having your own web site. It can be a good way of making friends but can also lead to tears. It's a bit of fun really, for me that is.

As for linking one to here, I'd say no. There are so many blog sites out there and you already have enough on your plate with all you have here. If people want to read blog then I think that they'll go looking for it. Also, a lot of folks don't like it so may not want it thrust in their faces.

I do have this site linked to my blog though if that helps.

 

oww cool. on another writing site i use they have a blog section, which a couple of the members use. i cannot really say just how effective it is as the site is little anyways. it is a good idea i think, but if it costs and that then i'd say just leave it for now.
Heather

 

There are plenty of blogs on the net. I don't see the point of adding one to this site.

We already have a fine way of communicating our thoughts as writers.

 

I would personally love having a blog! This is a writing site, right? I understand we have many blogging sites out there, but then again: we have many writing forums and critique groups on web. Having your own blog here would have three main advantages: 1) When we'll write knowing we're writing here, we're write in a way which can be connective to the members here. 2)People might visit wf.org because of these blogs and our member percentage might increase. 3) The need of having your writer personality here and writing as much as possible is achievable through blogging.

Then again, majority is the authority.

 

I am not too sure myself if it would be a good idea or not. But when you think hard about it, to create a forum and have it successfully gain interest from members all the time, you need to offer something that no other forum offers.
I have seen forums offer comments that appear on your user profile, friend lists that everyone can view and also a list that shows you who has viewed your profile.
This is a rather large forum though. But it offers little things that no other forum I have joined offers and that is what members look for. Something other forum do not have.
Maybe the blogs would be good, maybe they would be bad. I don’t know, I have never used a blog before so I wouldn’t really know.
But I think that the forum does need something new and fresh for the members personally. I know it isn’t easy to think of new features to add to a forum to interest all members, but saying it is a bad idea because there are blog sites out there already is just silly. It is a bit like saying to Lpspider delete your forum cause there are other forums out there. (I don’t mean any offence by that)
But yeah that is my view on this topic anyways.
We need to offer something different to potential and existing members.

 

Why don't you try and get people to join a group on another blogging site, and see how successful that is? If people like that element, then maybe you can get one of your own.

I realize that some feel as though if you don't want blogs because of the myriad of other others, why is it any different with the forum. The thing is, we came here because of the forum and its atmosphere -- a unique trait -- and a including a blog doesn't do much for us (and if we came looking for a blog, it would be the opposite). We can say just about anything we want to each other with what we currently have. Also, those of you that would want to venture into others' lives on this forum more-than-likely already talk to those specific persons through other means.

 

An offsite blog group would be best if you ask me

I can think of a few good reasons for having site run blogs, but I can also think of reasons they'd just be redundant (the oft mentioned "they're everywhere" mainly) I think the best solution (especially for your wallet) would be to have an external blog site set up into a user group or whateverthey'recalled.

I think the best way to use blogs (beyond the usual crying about life and pouring out secret thoughts or whatever people do with diaries) is to use them like in a Middle School marble composition book, where the mods give out a writing prompt every day. Without the horrible grades you'd get if you didn't do it.

 

i would quite like to see a blog put on here, but i would hate to see it not being used and a waste of money. but yea, think i would use it if it was put on.
Heather

 

I don't really have much of an opinion on the whole issue, I wouldn't use the blogs to make my own but i'd read other peoples'.

The off-site blogs are probably a bad idea because we couldn't moderate them...

 

Thought I would give you my opinion. Blogs exist. Whether it's here, on blogger, or livejournal, or myspace or a personal website. If money is no expense then I see no problem offering it. People on this forum, either take you up on the offer or they don't.

How many of you who read this thread and answered it actually have a blog? I know I do.

 

I don't have a blog myself, but I do read a lot of blogs. So if people on here used the feature to write a blog, i'd use the feature to read them.

That makes sense in my mind...

 

Why not. If you have the hardware, the bandwidth, and the inclination to do it. I think it's a good idea.

Not withstanding the cost involved, it would be an added feature to attract writers to this site. An all-in-one package if you will. A journal of sorts to track or thoughts . I know a lot of times I get ideas or learn something just by browing the forums. The blog would be cool just to have a place to jot em down as I'm browing.

Plus, the forums are great but the blog gives you a little more personal flexibility with your posts. You could post your stuff on your blog if you wanted and just start a thread with a link asking for reviews.

From a technology standpoint it might be a pain to manage or implement, but it might be cool to tinker with.

Have you played with Moveable type? That is another option. Don't know what you are running this site on, as I have not dug around to find out server info or any of that, but movable type is a great piece of software to manage multiple blogs and really easy to set up on a unix-linux platform. Or even windows if you are running apache. Not sure how you would integrate it here though. so the plug-in might be a better option.

I know you are paying for this but have you looked into open source stuff like phpbb?

Anyhow, I think the blog would be a great idea. The only concern you may want to look at is future traffic. Look at what your hardware is now and decide if it can handle the traffic load of this site and a blogging utility or if you will need to upgrade the hardware.

Just a thought from an IT guy's perspective.

 

I would use it. Blogs are about the only thing I write anymore that I finish. Haha, maybe I should start writing stories in diary format. Then maybe I wouldn't get sick of them three pages in.

But yeah, I like the idea. I know I would use it, and I would like to read other members' blogs as well.

 

personally, i don't really get the point of blogs... the only time i've ever bothered to read one, was when my friend was in singapore serving army time.

otherwise... i wouldn't use it as i don't think people will be interesting in what happens in my life..

what else do you blog about??