As a newbie to the blogosphere I’ve been venturing into blogs out of my usual interests and across a spectrum from politics to wellness and just about everything else in between. Here are my top three points of five very different blogs. And, for the record, I’m happy to say that I enjoyed them all.
Andrew Sullivan Dishes out The Dish
- Live blogging the DNC. Sullivan live blogs his entire time at the DNC. He dedicates entire posts to time stamped updates of his days. Throughout the convention, his blog overflows with new information, updates, and insights. Live blogging gives his audience exactly what they’re searching for – a window into what is happening at that very moment at the DNC.
- Live tweeting. Just as Sullivan live blogs the convention, he also uses twitter as a source to give and receive information. In fact, his post “Clinton’s Big Speech: Tweet Reax,” is an entire post dedicated to tweets in response to Clinton’s speech at the convention. This creative post is easy-to-read while giving a peak into the views of a variety of politicians.
- Easy. The tweet post is a perfect example of how accessible and easy to read Sullivan’s blog proved to be. I will admit that some of his posts went a little over my head. Sullivan assumes his audience is enthralled in politics as well…and he’s probably right. He writes for his educated audience and they respond.
David Roberts: Energy, politics, & more.
- Makes energy interesting. Not to say that this topic is not interesting, but Robert’s enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject is clear. His eloquence of his posts tied with his casual and often humorous tone grabs the reader into becoming enthralled with what he or she is reading.
- Headlines. On a similar note, Robert’s proves to be expert at headlines. His article, “Behind the scenes at a big mountaintop- mining protest: The good, the bad, & the ugly,” is just one headline that forced me to want to read more. He takes very serious topics and makes his headlines accessible previews of, in short, what the post will be about.
- You’re keepin’ us hanging! In comparison to the mainstream blogging of some of the other blogs, Roberts fails to post as frequently. Yes, he posts often. However, if I were an avid fan of his blog I really think I’d be craving more than a post every few days.
All is Well: NYTimes Wellness Blog
- “Think like a doctor.” This is a feature on the blog that posts medical mysteries and offers their readers to try and crack the case. This week’s focused on a girl who had a mysterious blue tinted color to her skin tone.
- In our terms. As the Well blog challenges us to think like doctors, the writers make this possible through the use of simple terms to decode medical myths and issues. I not only understood the issues presented but fully grasped the symptoms or debates surrounding each particular disease or illness that the blog described.
- And in our lives. While shedding light on the medical world, Well also acts as a window into the lives of those affected by illness. In a column entitled, “Life, interrupted,” a young cancer patient writes of her day-to-day life during chemo treatments. Though these articles are compelling, Well should really try to hone in more on the steps we could take in our lives to better our health.
Say this one 5 times fast: Gizmodo (the Gadget Guide)
- Casually humorous. Without an in-your-face funny edge to their posts, Gizmodo’s blog has left me giggling. The “Shit Apple Users Say” as well as “The Stoner Channel” are two video channels updated on their site that were unexpectedly and very casually…hilarious.
- Wait, I own one of those! Gizmodo’s constant updates on the newest products and on features of our own products. Maybe it’s just the techy nerd inside of me coming out to play, but this blog leaves me craving new technology.
- The display. Blame it on my slight OCD, but I found this to be the easiest blog to navigate through. The clean and simple display along with the side column lining up major one-word headlines made my visits to the site easy and fast.
The HuffPost’s Howard Fineman
- Twitter Lovin’. Having Fineman’s Twitter feed under his heading of the page found to be extremely effective. New to his blog, I immediately found myself reading through his tweets and getting a new preview into his thoughts as well as his sense of character.
- Speaking of previews… Fineman does a fantastic job at creating attention grabbing headlines and brief previews into his articles. This technique allows a lot of articles to appear on his blog at once. “The Man Who Is Obama’s Problem” is one of my faves.
- These articles are written in English. I admit I know little to nothing about the election. The fact that I dove right into Fineman’s blogs and was able to digest all of the policies under question says a lot… I give much credit to the humorous aids. “Barack Obama’s Greatest Hits” served as a parody on the policies Obama enforced illustrated through the use of popular Billboard hits.
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Fineman oh so fine! Fineman earned a special place in my heart (and on this list with a top 4!) with “What the Republicans Didn’t Say in Tampa.” Written as a top ten list he proves that these lists are fun and an effective way to engage audiences.
