Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Finding blogs

Yesterday when I was going through some blogs and doing my own blog entry I read Blackhuff's entry where she was asking the question how people go about finding new blogs.

Ever since I started blogging in 2007 I have found hundreds of blogs.  It doesn't mean that right at this moment in time I'm following hundreds.

Right when Bianca was diagnosed and I entered the world of blogging, I remember thinking that each time I did a Google search I would come across some or the other medical paper.  It wasn't what I wanted or needed.  I wanted real stories of real people with real feelings.

I can't remember how I came across the very first blog (or even what the first blog was that I found), but when I found that first blog I started going through the comments and so started a journey of finding more blogs.  After a while I had so many blogs that they were simply too many for the side of my blog and so I created a new blog called Bravefighters.  It was a blog entirely consisting of blog links.  And I sorted it by type.  So if you were looking for blogs where people were fighting leukemia or brain cancer or neuroblastoma or whatever, you'd be able to find the relevant category.  I was very proud of this blog and it became a little bit popular where I actually started getting some requests from people to add extra links.  I did delete the blog after a while because it became too much work for me, but for a while that was a resource where others found blogs.

I still do it.  If I am looking for new blogs, I tend to look at their blog list on the side of the blogs I follow.  See if anything interests me.  I might visit some of the blogs, have a bit of a look around and if it is the kind of blog I think I would enjoy following then I'll add it to my bloglist (although in saying that sometimes I'm lazy to update my bloglist and I simply bookmark some of the blogs I like reading).  A number of the blogs I'm currently following have been found this way like Blackhuff and 123Blog.  Sometimes I stumble upon a blog because I was doing some or the other Google search like with Sharon.  Or I manipulate make innocent suggestions to people to start their own blogs like with Paul ;-).  Other times people find me because I left a comment on somebody's blog.  I think this is how Maria found me.


The main thing I think for me was to find a blog, go through the comments, visit some of the people who left comments, leave some comments there and slowly but surely I built my "family" of bloggers.

The other aspect that Blackhuff discusses is comments.  I have to admit there are a few blogs I follow where I don't ever comment because they literally have hundreds or thousands of comments already and there is no way they'll probably pay attention to what I have to say.  But I read them because maybe they are quite uplifting to read or funny or positive.

I do try and comment regularly on most of the blogs I follow.

It is nice getting comments, although with me I have a few loyal followers who leave regular comments and most of my readers don't.  Certainly I can see that I have way more readers than people who comment.  So if you are reading here today "Hi! Lovely to have you visit me and don't be shy!".


So how do you go about finding new blogs?  
How did you find me?

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Good morning Lea. If you click on the picture of one of the others followers, it will take you to their page and if they have a blog, you will find their blog link there. So happy hunting. Hugs Maa

Lea White said...

Thanks Maa, oh yes, that's the other way I have also found blogs before. Forgot that I've done that before :-).

Julia said...

I usually click on the links if they leave comments on the blogs that I read. Or I check out the side bar of a blogger. Must say I hardly ever google. Must try this.

The Webbers living a life at the beach said...

I'm pretty sure I've been following your blog since I read a post on LSB :D

Unknown said...

Lea, you have been nominated for an award. Pop in to my blog sometime and pick it up. Congratulations. Maa

Buttons Thoughts said...

Good post Lea I find blogs just as you mentioned but now they seem to find me and I am so busy on the farm I am sure people think I am ignoring them but I am not. I don't comment all the time but I try to read some everyday. I wish I could comment on every blog I read, and answer every comment I get but I never seem to find enough time. Keep blogging you have a nice way with words. Congrats on the award from Maa/Susan. B

Maria said...

Yes it is how I found you Lea :-)And what an inspiration you are! I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and really appreciate the comments that you leave on mine!

Paul Forster said...

I haven't updated my blogs for a while and tend to stick with those who bother to comment on mine. Must see if there are bloggers out there regularly leaving comments on blogs I follow and add them to my blog list to hopefully increase slightly my members.

Marcia (123 blog) said...

I think you found me, and I'm very glad you did - you are such an encouragement to me in the comments and the emails afterwards. I do LOVE it.

I find lots of blogs by clicking mindlessly on links that look interesting. I often spend a happy 20 minutes or so reading and then decide to add or not add to GR. Sometimes, I read a comment on a blog that is REALLY cool, go over to meet the blogger and then decide to add or not.

Remember I also read lots of crafty/ creative blogs. TONS! And they all feature things every week so I pick up tons of new ones this way. I may comment but I only keep commenting if the popular blogger comments back or replies to my comment. Some never bother and then I'll still read but I won't bother to comment again.

:)

Kevin Read said...

That's a pretty good explaination for finding and following blogs. It sure can be time consumming but fun too. I enjoy reading your blog but as we are on the road we don't always have time to read each and every post or even time to always leave a comment. Keep up the great work and thank you for following ours.

Kevin and Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

The Blessed Barrenness said...

I've been following your blog for years, can't even remember how I found you but your story has always inspired me!

blackhuff said...

Thanks for referring to my blog :)
Nice to read how you started in 2007 and how you find blogs.