to think that noone could care less about the self important 'Guest Blogs'?

[moondog]

They sit there for days on end at the top of the lsit with about five comments (probably made b the name changing author in any case.)
I don't get it. Why do we need 'blogs' when the place is jam packed full of people expressing interesting opinions in any case?

Must admit I've never looked at them.

Me neither, but I do love to read the toe curling ones so please don't stop.

I took a look at some of the recent guest blogs

Holly Dustin of EVAW (End Violence Against Women) and Lia Latchford of Imkaan (a UK-based, black feminist organisation dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls) talking about sexism and racism in music videos

Jessica Datta - Lecturer, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, on changes to women's sexual behaviour

Glosswitch (feminist blogger) on Sports Personality of the Year not featuring enough women

Helena Morrisey (CEO of Newton Investment Management) on women in the workplace

I know not everyone likes blogs, and that is fine, but can we not dismiss these women - experts in their field - as self-obsessed wannabe writers, who didn't make the cut.

I think that the format should perhaps be looked at though, if that is how these blogs are being seen.

I only like the toe curling ones.

I don't read them. Occasionally the very presence of a blog - Louise Mensch for eg. - gives me the actual rage.

I read them if I'm interested in the topic, but there are very few I find worth reading once I get into them. I do read blogs, but they are nearly always food ones and there a couple of family ones which are great for keeping in touch.

I write a blog on the Mumsnet Bloggers Network and I am not a 'failed writer'. I used to write for a magazine until I had to move up North, became pregnant and found it hard to get another job doing similar.

Thus rather than just post on Mumsnet and be a mum, I continued to write despite not actually being paid any more, because I found writing an outlet from the daily boring monotony of housework, working at my other job etc and because I enjoy it and other people who write comments on my blog appear to enjoy it too.

I don't enjoy all blogs in the same way I don't enjoy all TV programmes, books or Mumsnet threads. I pick and choose and don't slag off what I don't like.

Mmelindor said pretty much all I was going to.

Of course yabu. You don't like them, you judge both the content and the author before reading, that makes you worse than any blog I've ever read.

If you don't want to read, don't read. It's a really simple concept. They are not "self important". They actually cover really important and sensitive issues that some people care about.

I just don't "get" it though - is it some sort of online diary?

I like "just being a mum"

Well, I doubt the ones MmeL mentioned are like diaries, no - how could they be?

(Not meaning that snarkily, btw, just I think you're assuming all blogs are sort of lifetstyle/personal ones, is that right?)

LEM
Have you ever read any of the Guest Blogs? Or any of the MN Blogger Network Blogs?

Yes, there are a few 'mummyblogs' which are similar to an online diary, but there are hundreds of blogs on a huge variety of topics.

You wrote 'They are invariably really hard to read because they are so badly written, sod that for a game of soldiers'.

How can you dismiss something so rudely without even reading any blogs?

The mummyblogs are the most irritating I think.

I don't read the serious ones because I'm here for some escapism tbh.

I do think the mumsnet homepage is very cluttered at this stage and slow to load and navigate too. If you were a newbie you might find it hard enough to find the forums.

The ones I have read have been impossible to get through but yes, that was a bit rude of me, i apologise, i just genuinely don't get it. Maybe its the whole stream of conciousness ness of it all, if that makes sense, so the message is lost on me - too much waffle? I wouldn't go to a blog for instance to learn about something i knew nothing about but maybe i would if i were already knowledgable about the subject area I suppose. I didn't mean my "i dont get it post" to be rude though, i just genuinely don't feel it :)

LRD - yes i suppose i am, and my assumption stretches to those within a specific subject area (but that is probably due to my own ignorance).

I just realized this thread felt awfully familiar - moondog, I'm stunned that someone who finds it scintillating to start two threads having a go at the MN blog network in less than a month can find anything else boring. Do you really think people will suddenly have new answers, or is it that the idea of putting this in Site Stuff scares you?

LEM - I don't read stream of consciousness ones either. But then I think Mrs Dalloway isn't terribly exciting so it's probably that style not doing it for me. I think it's fair enough.

Blimey, LRD are you stalking me?
Do you have a blog?
MN asked me to ne a blogger but I declined.
If I have something to say, I will do it through the normal MN channels.
My point is that what people have to say in this way is far more interesting than a 'blog'.
How did your viva go by the way?
Was the dress choice a good one?

Yes, yes moondog, that's it, I am devotedly stalking you, how original. I have never had such a thing as a memory, and your thread was aeons of time ago, so it's the only possible option really.

Come on.

It does feel a bit tedious and it is upsetting to people.

Yes, the viva was fine and the dress choice no doubt fine though I forget when I was choosing.

If they look interesting, I might have a look.

If they don't look interesting, I don't.

No biggie.

LEM
I guess that I have moved from reading magazines to reading blogs. I don't have many that I follow religiously, but I follow the writers on Twitter, and read when I spot a post of theirs.

eg This is one of my current favourites. It is written by an online friend, and it has introduced me to etymology. I wouldn't have gone out and bought a magazine or book on this subject, but I am finding it totally fascinating.

And this one, also by an online friend. I have discussed history with her on FB but a discussion forum or Social Media website doesn't lend itself to indepth study of a topic such as the ones that she looks at on her blog.

I would not have looked for a book on this topic, but love reading her blog.

I don't read many 'mummybloggers' either. Lots of people like them, but they are just not my cup of tea.

Glad to hear it.
It is the deception of it that irritates . If I wanted to read a blo I would go on some blogging site. I come here to read stuff people think of in an Off the cuff sense.
It's like meeting up with a friend who then tries to flog you something.
Anyway, if they were interesting, people would read them and it looks like most people don't.

I read them if I find the subject interesting

I also write a blog but not about my life. I started it as an outlet when I was bored of day to day life. Writing is about as far from my 'day job' as I could get

Since I started writing I have also read a lot of blogs, many of which are incredibly interesting and put different perspectives forward, a good post is thought provoking and I like that.

I think its rude to slag them off and you might be missing out by dismissing them out of hand. For many bloggers its a hobby, some are better than others and not all will float your boat but its no big deal

I don't read them

How is it deceptive?

You can see they're blogs, can't you?

I admit, it never occurred to me it might come across as deceptive, and obviously, I couldn't have a blog for everyone else I want to get in touch with then C&P the posts onto MN as OPs, because MN would then own the copyright.

Not many comment on the guest blogs but that doesn't mean they are aren't being read.