• Bloggers come and bloggers go

    It seems to me that the blogging world is changing at the moment. It seems as though there has been a slow down in the number of people starting new blogs and those who are keeping them may be keeping them slightly less often.

    Twitter and Facebook updates (which are a form of micro-blogging) have superseded the one-line, one-thought blog post of yore and now people seem more likely to crank up their blog when they’ve got something significant to say rather than making posts morning, noon and night.

    I think we are seeing some folk give up the habit too. That’s not really surprising. Bloggers come and bloggers go. The ones most likely to last seem often to be those who were early adopters – those who came to the blogging banquet early and have been sharing their wares for the longest time.

    A lot of commenting has gone on to Facebook and twitter too. I’m so lucky to have people congregating around this blog who sometimes want to have a conversation. That’s often what keeps me going. I know that a blog works best when it stimulates a community though that does not stop it being a performance event.

    I regret the move towards commenting on Facebook in some ways – often I post something here and post a link to in on Facebook to drive people to read it and then the conversation happens over there in semi-private rather than over here in public. I kind of understand why that happens but it is a sadness sometimes that people are not prepared to stand up and say good things out loud.

    Trends I expect in blogging in the future –

    • more blogs moving to longer blog posts
    • more blogs moving to slightly less frequency
    • better ways of linking the community element of blogging to Facebook and Twitter
    • those who do make the effort to blog through this time will become even more influential in their sphere
    • increasing attention being paid to quality of writing

    I can’t quite make my mind up where we are going with video. I don’t think the videoblogging phenomena has much energy in it but suspect that being able to make and post video easily is increasingly a part of the story.

    What do you think?

11 responses to “Changing the mobile”

  1. Tim Avatar

    Variously:

    Google Sky;
    Either Catch(.com) or Springpad (see springpadit.com – currently preferred);
    Handcent (SMS);
    FBReader or Aldiko (eBook readers);
    Wikitude / Layar (augmented reality);
    Connectbot (ssh client);
    MyTracks (GPS tracking on steroids), Foursquare;
    AppBak (save/restore lists of things installed);
    Advanced Task Killer (kill processes).

    Welcome aboard 🙂

  2. kelvin Avatar

    Thanks Tim. I found google sky already. Indeed, it was one of the things that persuaded me.

    Now I can see the constellations in the city! Indeed, now I can see the constellations in my bedroom.

  3. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    SlideIT – easier way to enter text. Good fun, the predictive side of it can be a bit of a pest so do re-read what you’ve written, although there is the facility to go back to simple ABC input.
    Enjoy the ‘phone!

  4. Kennedy Avatar
    Kennedy

    Lifehacker is always a good source of info for these things.

    http://lifehacker.com/5717356/set-up-and-get-to-know-your-new-android-phone

    Kennedy

  5. agatha Avatar
    agatha

    Nothing to do with phones but I do like the “Want a girlfriend” advertising in the sidebar!

    1. kelvin Avatar

      I’m glad you like whatever you are seeing, Agatha. The ads are served up by a remote server which focusses the ads on the viewer, including whatever you are looking at, where you are and I think also your browsing history.

      Whatever you are looking it is what google thinks should be aimed at you. I see no ads offering girlfriends myself.

  6. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    I do hope I’m not the only one getting “Spy on your boyfriend” ads! 😉

  7. office manager Avatar
    office manager

    Android? Data (trekkie pun intended) could be lost. See story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12138790 Good luck.

  8. Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed Avatar
    Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed

    I see no ads, which beats the Scientology ads that I used to see!

    I have nothing to ad because Padre has forbidden it.

  9. Hedge Avatar

    Snap! I got mine just before Christmas.

    Seesmic (for Twitter)
    Guardian Anywhere (downloads while you sleep and can be read while offline)
    Kindle
    Dropbox
    Pocket Common Worship

    I’m also addicted to Wordfeud, or Scrabble by any other name…

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