20081229

My disappointment with blogs...

Look up in the top left of this screen if your blog is on Blogger. You'll see next to "Search Blog" and "Flag Blog" there's a link that reads: "Next Blog". This link is like my channel changer on the remote. When I first started blogging, and yes, I know I'm a relatively late comer to the phenomenon which is blogging, I used to use that button a lot. Each time I'd be taken to a new blog that I've never read before. For me, it was more entertaining than TV and there was always a unique aspect to every blog. This was my new "television".

But lately, the more I hit "Next Blog" I get more ads than blogs. Actually, I get more blogs that thinly vale that their true identity is owned by a company. Sure it might look like a blog, follow the blog format to a "t" and be written by someone just like you and me but deep down each post is a product review. ZZzzzz. Snore now.

And worst of all, I'm about to sell this as a concept for work. We call it a "creative marketing opportunity".

Go on... hit the "Next blog" link now. See if you don't get a blog selling something.

8 comments:

Stu said...

Just tested it - I got:
http://julieandmikkoontheroad.blogspot.com/
"Julie and Mikko's Magical Mystery Tour
Will they make it to Beijing? Is Mikko going to acquire another pink feather boa? Will Julie drink Russia under the table?"

I might have to try this more often...!

Darth Gateau said...

I got:
The life and dreams of Carole.

Bless.

I've kinda lost my way with blogging. I used to love it, now I just feel guilty that I don't do it. It may be time to hang up my horn-rimmed reading specs, pack away my Oxford pocket dictionary and devote my time to Xbox 360 and wii games...

I too am working on a way to use blogging as part of my work. I feel like a big cheat but it's the way forward. Sadly.

The Mutant said...

I gave up on the "next blog" button a long time ago - I found it more entertaining to follow links from one blog to the next - rarely do you come to a dead end and the content is usually more specific to the stuff I like.

Adaptive Radiation said...

I was brought to a blog written in portuguese with lots of pictures taken from inside empty apartments.

I am more frustruated by comments left by people/companies with links to sites flogging stuff like toothbrushes and cheap jewellery.

wcs said...

I agree with Kezza. The links provided by bloggers you like are much more interesting than the random blogs. And link-hopping tends to weed out the commercial blogs (although not always).

Muzbot said...

Sure following links from other peoples blogs are interesting - most of the time. But frankly, I like a bit of difference, hence why I like the random blog. The world is an amazing place and people out there are sharing their stories. Variety is my spice of life. It can be fun.

mykel said...

i was just lead to a blog site mostly written in arabic/pharsi and powered by an org seeking a secular iran. what i could read (some of the posts are in english) was quite disturbing and the images confronting.
i gave up on next blog awhile ago because of adds but this site just peaked my interest again.

LBA said...

I got some Arabic dude into a Bollywood looker and Audi cars ( but I scratched, it seemed honest )

I used to do this a bit too, and used to HATE how my blog would be followed by bad Russian porn - haven't done it for ages.