Slashdot Mirror
What Brings Users to Blogs?
Billosaur writes "The Center for Citizen Media Blog has an interesting overview of the Collaborative News Survey 'Hype versus Reality', detailing the results of a study done by Hsing Wei from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government on why users are attracted to collaborative news, commenting and blogging sites. Among the conclusions of the study are that people who use these sites are 'mostly young and male, especially those who visit technology-related sites, looking for 'a fix of unique, informative fun,' and 'filling in the blanks' left by traditional news sources. Or is it just because it beats working?"
Dark and lonely on a summer's night.
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Watchdog barking. Do he bite?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
Slip in his window. Break his neck.
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason. What the heck?
Kill my landlord. Kill my landlord.
C-I-L my land lord!
-Tyrone Green
It could be worse, it could be Monday.
Well - if that doesn't prove the point....
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
sure beats working! Plus I think a lot of people are attracted to sites that allow commenting because they like to argue.
On a "big news site" they give you the information. Period.
If they're wrong (in your opinion) or leave out important facts - too bad, they don't care about you. In a blog/comment arena you can interface directly with the author and flesh out the details, inaccuracies, or corroborate their work.
Community = Good.
noobcake or noobmuffin? It is the same price...
people submitting bloggs on dig...duh :)
See Sig! See Sig Zig! Zig Sig Zig!!!!!
You know, the kind of person that keeps on talking without really even thinking about what they are actually saying. It is my belief that the same kind of logic can apply to a digital format. Friends do not let friends blog.
Amen!
I really don't like Blogs. The word sound childish and lame, and I don't care at all about what others say; especially if it is about themselves.
-SaNo
continued at my blog [insert random blog].. please visit for the remaining (insightful) post
kthnxhttp://www.cruftysite.com/blog
Thank you very much, I'm here all week.
In Soviet Russia, hot grits put YOU down THEIR pants.
After all, who needs reliable news outlets when you can get all your news pre-filtered by people just like you?
burrocrisy
and that would be what? Ruling by jackasses? Never has a slashdot misspelling been more apropos
I would have guessed that more bloggers were female than male. That has been my experience, as a good number of my female friends have blogs, post on other blogs, or generally surf blogs, outnumbering my male friends.
However, it could be that they are classifying blogs differently, ie. tech journals as blogs, or personal blogs, when they do their study.
My suspicion is that most users of sites like Slashdot are attracted to the site not because of original news content but because it offers a competitive forum and an opportunity for basking in the public spotlight. Young males eat that shit up. Give them a chance to post comments to hopefully accumulate good reviews and karma, thus establishing on online reputation, and they'll go for it. Not really that different than MMORPGs, if you think about it.
Moderator hint: a comment is neither "Flamebait" nor "Troll" if it is true.
And for everything else there's Slashdot.
Bloggers & podcasters get seriously up themselves and eachother about this.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
For starters, people don't give a shit about people they know, in fact, if I told anyone I was writing this, they'd tell me to shut up and kick my genitals. However on the internet, where everyone congregates to, to avoid society, people do care since their internet personality is what they really want to be. So these people write down their feelings, and since they usually don't tell their "friends" they have other friends that do care and put their input on whether or not Susan is cute and he should get enough courage to ask him out.
Quite frankly, a blog is a persons personal diary and it allows a lot of people to view it and not have the ramifications there would be if you'd say, read your sisters diary. People are so enchanted by this, and that's what brings people to blogs...
I hate blogs though. There's no fun in reading my sisters diary since it's online now.... Oh well...
google brings me to blogs
Please sign petition to restore sanity to our banking system!!!
http://financialpetition.org/
My milkshake brings all the boys to my blog... and they're like, it's better than yours, damn right it's better than yours!
Young males go to blogs for free beer and free sex, finding neither.
"We are all geniuses when we dream"
- E.M. Cioran
..... I think I'll quote them in my blog.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
It depends on which blog you mean. I know what brings people to Roland Piquepaille's blog.
What else would you go to a blog for?
Slashdot's the only blog I read because without it how would I know incredibly important things like why young males are more likely to read blogs?! or the Netflix paradox of abundance!
Everybody wants to tell others about his success, happyness or important achievements and internet is the best place for that.
Pixel image editor - http://www.kanzelsberger.com
me. I like slashdot mostly because there is always somebody to dig the news for you ;) Ok thats lazy, but think about the hard part as reading the slashdotters comment and we'll see!
Oh, sorry, I thought this was the forum for arguments.
I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room 12A, Just along the corridor.
Stupid git!!
I'll probably be modded down for this...
Wow, with provocative, radical insights like that, you should be writing for Wired! Digital, you say?
I think it is the adding your own thoughts and having (semi)intelligent discussions on the news at hand. It is to the point now that I get a little angry when I read an inflamatory news article on CNN or the likes and can't add my two cents. I like the interactivity to sites like Slashdot, Digg, etc. Even though 99% of the time it ends in a flame fest or some lame latin ipso facto logic argument crap with some pseudo-intellectual in his mom's basement.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
One way that some unscrupulous people bring users to their blogs is through shameless self-promotion.
BTW, my blog is at http://www.u4ya.ca/blog/.
1 voice in a sea of voices
i'm 'systems support engineer' for a huge call center at one of the largest online travel booking companies... and i swear, i spend 6 out of 9 hours every day refreshing slashdot and drudge report. oh and irc'ing. sure beats working, not that i have any work to do in the first place. not til they send me for training for the phone switches and all that jazz.
speaking of beating working... it's time to go home. an hour early, since there's nothing to do and i'm hungry. i love taking a 90 hour paycheck for 10-15 hours of work.
I've never been a fan of blogs. Too many are just pointless blurbs about someone's life or regurgitated quotes from Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert. So many blogs go unread and the authors genuinely don't realize it. Some bloggers are also stuck-up self-proclaimed professionals who author pieces on "why so-and-so is doomed" or "why so-and-so is right," though most such posts lack any sort of evidence or logic.
If I want intelligent commentary, I'll read the 5 score posts on Slashdot. (And I seriously enjoy reading them everyday.)
It forces you to come up with something insightful, witty or at least remotely funny to some arbitrary subject, not something you can pick. That's too easy.
And it serves exactly the same purpose: The need to SAY something and have people read it, write lengthy diatribes about something nobody really cares about but still, people will read it.
And unlike conventional blogs, I know people read that junk I write. They mod me down.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Blogs are an easy place to find people who agree with you.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
for the writer there may be good intentions or just self-importance.
Normally I think anyone who reads them without being directly related to the subject matter is just people who want an opinion but can't form their own. Maybe it's like the Discovery Channel Syndrom: you think that watching a half hour program (or reading some random blog) makes you qaulified to give your opinion on any random subject.
But they don't! Not really.
I remember when folks got online to share information about challenging technological problems... they exchanged code... and shared configuration tips... wanted to hear what other folks were doing... back in the daze of Usenet, you could find all sorts of folks from experts to beginners, and there was no deep psychological basis for those who stuck around to help... we were just glad to have them online... a bunch of nerds... Nowadays, we'd probably call these guys sickos needed to substitute their lack of self-esteem... blah blah blah... Could it be that some folks still do that? --Ray
http://www.beanleafpress.com
1: because it covers a topic that interests me.
2: Because it's run/written by someone I know personally or respect.
Those reasons are, although (2) is evolved a bit, the exact same reasons why I would read a newspaper, a book, or a leaflet.
The medium has changed, and analysts feel they need to redefine the same old impulses using new terminology. People don't change that fast. They barely change at all. All that changes is the world they live in.
People like a constant supply of new 'content'. Not everyone requires that it be high quality, the key is 'interesting'.
When I was a teenager this was supplied by hunting through second hand bookshops for old sci-fi books. Now teenagers search the web for interesting stuff to view. It's *exactly* the same thing, with less dust.
I don't recall the exact details, but Daily Kos has been fighting that "young and male [and uninformed]" meme for some time. In the last survey the age profile was fairly flat, with a modest peak in the 40s (iirc), but with strong response well into the 60s and 70s. Young males, ironically, were underrepresented given their relative abundance and their prime candidacy for bearing the weight of current GOP misadventures on their draft-age shoulders.
The other political blogs I'm on seem to have the same skew, if they report it at all. Technical blogs skew younger, but IIRC even slashdot has a sizeable over-30 and over-40 crowd.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
Say what you want about blogging, but I've found it very useful to keep friends and family in touch with what I am doing. The fact that some people have found my blog content applicable to their interests says that others may find the content to be interesting. It has resulted invitations for me to speak at seminars, or ask me to consult or even to purchase pictures presented on my blog. Most times I've turned these offers down because of time constraints, but on some occasions I have accepted or granted permissions to reproduce articles/images.
All in all I would say that the benefits of keeping a blog have exceeded the costs and if you maintain that friends do not let friends blog, then perhaps you are hanging out with the wrong crowd. I for one would not want to keep company with folks that prevent one from succeeding, but would rather have friends that encourage success.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Of course Im talking about 'political' blogs on the whole here..
Sure I read mainstream newsites, but not for the real news anymore.
Blogs provide a great dynamic way for alternative opinions whereby other readers & the authors can interact & leave comments/links which allows for the creation of human like search engine for linking information.
Slashdot brings people to blogs! :)
-Tom Caudron
http://tom.digitalelite.com/
-Tom
The only people who respond to my blog want to sell me drugs or porn.
-mrxak
Onions Will Kill You
Indeed, I use my blog to keep family and friends apprised of the latest events in my life, so they can make sure I'm all right. Sure beats email or telephones. Friends encourage friends to blog.
I agree, I'm one amongst many who read slashdot for the comments. Slashdot is no ordinary blog especially because of its comment moderation engine.
/. ensures I don't miss anything important in the tech world. This system is imperfect, but it's the best we have so far.
I launched slashgeo.org 9 months ago. Since we don't have enough participating users yet (even after over 1 million hits), geospatial professionals don't come to see us for the comments, but also for the story selection done by the "editors". Of course you can browse RSS feeds, but it's less time consuming when a bunch of folks decides for you what's worthed to be shared. Reading
Animoog.org
First of all, kudos to the author. I haven't checked the numbers or the references, but it looks like a very well researched masters thesis. Certainly a lot better than the normal *expert* analysis.
One minor gripe, though: Why can't anyone--not even Harvard--teach social scientists that if you rank averages from responses that range from 1 (agree strongly) to 7 (disagree strongly) by "best", 1 should be on the freaking top of the charts?
Or even better, teach them to put the x-axes on the neutral answer and have the bars go above and below.
Because you can find people who are passionate about the same things you are passionate about.
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
If I wanted your opinion, I'd beat it out of you!
2) Some think they are good writers (and aren't) and enjoy writing.
3) Some like to read and can differentiate between 1 and 2.
4) Some who like to read can't differentiate between 1 and 2.
5) Some enjoy the interraction.
6) Some like to get obnoxious and argue with everyone. See 2.
7) Some can learn something.
8) Some think they know everything. See 6.
I come to /. for the dupes.
All blogs should be like the Dilbert Blog, aka the personal blog of Scott Adams. It has everything that a blog needs, as outlined by a poster above. But I mostly like it because its damn funny, and offers a somewhat detached and alternative outlook on life.
orangeacid
"You must be new here..."
I fucking hate blogs! :D
a link
Six score characters.
Brevity being wit's soul
I have enough space.
50.50% of my readers came to read the blog
49.19% came for History of the Word Fuck
(source)
Nuff said?
Defining Statistics and Social Research
Credit where it's due-- It's Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live. "Prose and Cons." I think it was his debut.
[
Read the original: "Crime and Punishment" by F. Dostoyevsky
I use mine to keep a constant reminder to myself on what's important to me and to practice writing. Like playing guitar or another performance, writing needs to be honed. That's all. If someone reads it (and I don't think they do), then good, if not, then that's good too.
Not that it's any good, but still . . . got to practise.
Dan
Considering that the article is talking about collaborative "blogs" such as slashdot and not personal blogs, your comment is somewhat ironic.
Oh no, Syd Barrett died!
Speaking personally, this is why I read slashdot everday. And why I always pay careful attention to sigs.
Hey, quick joke: what's the difference between slashdot comments and your blog?
People read slashdot comments.
Thank you, thank you- I'll be here all night (like always).
barack to the future?
> Hey, quick joke: what's the difference between slashdot comments and your blog?
:)
I even mentioned this in a talk I gave
http://www.jrock.us/yapc/slides/img69.html
My other car is first.
is actually just another blog, albeit with soem beefed up commenting system and such, no?
geek page at KY speaks
Oh wait. Never mind.
SPAM like this www.sysadminco.com
1) Some who blog are very good writers and enjoy writing.
2) Some think they are good writers (and aren't) and enjoy writing.
3) Some like to read and can differentiate between 1 and 2.
4) Some who like to read can't differentiate between 1 and 2.
5) Some enjoy the interraction.
6) Some like to get obnoxious and argue with everyone. See 2.
7) Some can learn something.
8) Some think they know everything. See 6.
I'm going to have to give you a "C" on your post: you used "See" in place of GOTO
I am a white male who is largely unconcerned with politics and I certainly know that I visit slashdot for the comments, not the news.
It's not to bask in the public spotlight, not to build an online reputation (I would hate that), it's not even that I think the true insights are in the comments.
I like the comments because I like to know what people think. I think it's far more interesting than most of the news. Opinions tend to cover a far greater field than media do. People's thoughts and opinions ultimately determine the future, not the obscenely powerful as some might think. The obscenely powerful only are obscenely powerful because enough people don't feel strongly enough about bringing their power down.
The news tells me where the puck is, the comments tell me where the puck is going.
You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
During the 90's the world got lost in the web and its, then virtually static existence. Young males who found it easier to read star wars character bios for hours than try and get a girl grew up missing something in their lives. A LIFE!!! So, they created Web 2.0 (doh! I said it). Now they've brought that LIFE to the Web (instead of going out and getting one), where they can, not only read Star Wars bios, but they can discuss the finer points of the character's psyche with other losers rather than contemplate the same by themselves while stripped to their boxers in front of thier computer in the corner of their mother's basement.
One day the toilets of the world will rise up... And I'm going to nuke them.
The only thing that ever brings me to a blog is when they leech off of a news site by trying to sit between the real article and the user.