{"id":302,"date":"2012-09-20T00:00:07","date_gmt":"2012-09-20T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/astudentguidetoelection2012.wordpress.com\/?p=20"},"modified":"2012-09-20T00:00:07","modified_gmt":"2012-09-20T05:00:07","slug":"becoming-informed-by-blogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/2012\/09\/becoming-informed-by-blogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Becoming informed by blogs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blogging can be an incredibly valuable way of receiving information \u2013 and it can also involve of wading through things you aren\u2019t interested in, that aren\u2019t particularly informative, or are just annoyingly opinionated. So how do you filter out the good from the bad? What differentiates an exceptional blog from a rant-filled, overly complicated, uninformative mess? Here\u2019s my guide to recognizing a blog at its best:<\/p>\n

They\u2019re credible. They cite sources other than themselves. They do their research and SHOW that they\u2019ve done their research. The use of opinion from like-minded individuals does not diminish the writer\u2019s voice, but enhances it. Andrew Sullivan\u2019s blog on The Daily Beast is stock full of quotes, quotes, and more quotes. While this might not be your style of choice, the approach never disappoints a want for supporting opinions.<\/p>\n

They introduce you to the subject of a long piece before they show you the whole post. Howard Fineman\u2019s HuffPost blog provides a title, and a few sentences of text to get you interested. This allows you to browse topics before you decide on your story of choice. Consider this lead-in from September 18th<\/sup>: \u201cRemember when Mitt Romney said that Palestinians don\u2019t want peace and aren\u2019t as culturally prepared for modernity as Israelis are? If you were surprised, you shouldn\u2019t have been. His well-traveled and savvy chief campaign adviser, Stuart Stevens, did media on Ariel Sharon\u2019s campaigns for prime minister\u2026\u201d Or even this statement from a post on September 19: \u201cMitt Romney has become the PSY of presidential politics. And that\u2019s bad news for the Republican candidate on the 48th<\/sup> day before Election day. PSY (Park Jae-sang) is, of course, the South Korean rapper whose \u201cGangnam Style\u201d dance video has generated an astounding 220 million YouTube views…\u201d<\/p>\n

They get to the point. (And stay there.) If it\u2019s off topic, distracted from the subject at hand, or wordy for no particular purpose, why are you reading it? In the time it took to read the wordy, unorganized, messy blog, you could have read maybe 2 or 3 that were direct, informational, and generally more enjoyable. David Roberts, environmental blogger for Grist.org, does this well. He starts off one post: \u201cPollution is not the only thing wrong with the U.S. power system. It is also governed by inconsistent rules and opaque, unaccountable organizations. The average citizen has little understanding of how it works, who is in charge, or how it might change for the better.\u201d Looks clear and succinct? It is.<\/p>\n

They inspire in their readers a desire for conversation. It\u2019s what causes readers to utilize comment sections, share an article by email, Facebook, Twitter, or even share in a more traditional way \u2013 through conversation. Gizmodo, a blog devoted to all things tech-y, has mastered their easy to use comment section. Not only are the comments readable and the format aesthetically pleasing, but also the opinionated content of the posts often sparks passionate responses from visitors. It\u2019s inspiring even for a technology novice like myself.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no reason to suffer through an uninteresting, uninformed, and unworthy blog when there are so many out there! The blessing of blogging is the ability to make your own guide to a good blog, and to search the masses for the one that fits your interests and preferences. And maybe to dabble a little bit yourself!<\/p>\n

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Blogging can be an incredibly valuable way of receiving information \u2013 and it can also involve of wading through things …
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