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Blogging for Dummies by Jeff Goins on 12/2/2008
Good blogging isn't just about writing great content; in fact, the two aren't necessarily related at all. You could be the most fantastic copywriter and really suck at blogging. Why? Because your blog isn't just about you. It's about a community, a
network of people coming together around the issues that matter to them.
A good blogger also reads blogs. I'm not the best practitioner of this, but I try to keep up with the blogosphere by checking in on a few of my favorite bloggers. I scan a lot of blogs, but for some reason, there are a few that I usually default to - these are the ones that I keep coming back to, because they often post something that sticks with me for the whole day.
Since blogrolls are becoming obsolete (but still a nice way to boost each other's blog rankings), here are some of the "stickiest" Christians blogs that I enjoy (all with clever names) and why I like them:
I first heard about Scott from
Tom Davis. He is one of the most frequent Christian bloggers out there. Unlike a lot of the Christian blogosphere, he has no problem engaging in tough, theological dilemmas. He does so, however, in a practical, gracious, and challenging way. I recommend checking out his blog if you've ever wondered how a Christian can have
orthodox faith in the 21st century.
Pete, a pastor here in Nashville, usually ends most of his light-hearted posts with a provocative question. Ranging from political issues to "Who's your favorite superhero?", these questions usually make for some pretty interesting responses. On average, he gets over 50 comments per post. It's a great way to build
Christian community in a blog and not just post a lot of monologues.
Anne, while a published writer, is a pretty informal blogger. She breaks a lot of conventions, but still posts a lot of compelling content. She's conversational, usually pretty brief, and often humbly challenges her audience to think differently about
faith issues or social justice causes.
Seth, one of my mentors, blogs about the stuff that most Christians want to blog about, but are too scared. Then, he goes out and lives it. I've been sharing my life with Seth Barnes for the past two years, and every radical word he writes he backs up with action. That's why I love reading his blog on
radical Christian living.
Mike doesn't blog that much, but when he does, it's usually about
emerging themes in the church that I've never heard of. As a mad networker and publishing consultant, Mike's got a lot of friends. So, you never know who's going to shop up as the topic of a blog or in the comments section.
Most of the ones I keep up with don't have that bent. They are of friends struggling with cancer who use it as a way of passing on information without having to have the same conversation over and over. They are of young students newly gone to university, diarying their triumphs and disasters with every area of their lives except their faith. Most of the people who read mine that I know about are friends who aren't yet Christians, so sometimes I write very overtly about my faith and the deeper struggles and issues, other times not. And being English, most of us don't post any comments on anyone else's sites! I'm an exception there - I like to join the debate.
I think there are so many different kinds of blog out there, all working in different ways for different reasons. It's an interesting world! And a rich one.
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