As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have put together an end-of-the-year blog survey for blog readers. I know you probably have a million more important things to do this week than answer these questions, but should you choose to fill out this survey, it would be a HUGE help.
Here’s how you can send in your survey:
1. The easiest way I can think to do this is to copy and paste the questions in a Word document, supply your answers to the questions, and email the document back to me whenever it is completed. If you cannot attach the survey in a Word document, simply include it in the body of your email.
2. If you have a Blogger account, you can answer the questions in the comments section of this blogpost (if you care to have your answers read by the public).
Here’s the questions. They are divided into two sections: General/Objective (basic info) and Specific/Subjective (your personal feedback).
General/Objective
- Do you own a blog?
- How long have you been reading blogs?
- How many blogs do you read regularly?
- How often do you read blogs?
- Do you subscribe to blogs (either through RSS/ATOM/XML)?
- What browser do you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)?
Specific/Subjective
- What are some things you are looking for in a blog? In a blogger?
- What would you recommend for better blogging in the future?
- Do you believe blogging has made any impact on culture, church, or Christianity?
- What do you see are the greatest benefits of blogs?
- What do you see are the greatest dangers regarding blogs?
- What style of blogging do you prefer (e.g. personal/interactive/disclosure or impersonal/reporter-like/no disclosure)?
- What form or genre of blogs do you enjoy the most (news/reporting, personal commentary, culture watchdogs, theological/doctrinal, photography, satire/parody, or content-specific)?
- Do you believe blogging has a promising future? In other words, do you see blogging as a tool to be used or a trend that is useless? Please explain.
- Finally, do you regret the time you have spent reading blogs, or do you feel that you have benefited from them?
Thank you very much for helping me better understand the phenomena of blogging and how it relates to me as a blogger, you as a reader, and all of us as we aim to glorify God. From the feedback I hope to receive from this survey, I believe that I will learn a great deal from you guys!
General/Objective
1. Do you own a blog? YES.
2. How long have you been reading blogs? FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
3. How many blogs do you read regularly? ABOUT FIFTEEN.
4. How often do you read blogs? DAILY.
5. Do you subscribe to blogs (either through RSS/ATOM/XML)? YES, INCLUDING THIS ONE.
6. What browser do you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)? FIREFOX/MAC VERSION.
Specific/Subjective
7. What are some things you are looking for in a blog? In a blogger?
THOUGHT. SOME SORT OF DEPTH AND BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN FAITH.
8. What would you recommend for better blogging in the future? YOU DO A GOOD JOB ALREADY. KEEP IT UP.
9. Do you believe blogging has made any impact on culture, church, or Christianity? YES. UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF DISINFORMATION IS ALSO SPREAD, SO WE MUST BE AWARE AND DO OUR HOMEWORK BEFORE ACCEPTING A BLOGGER’S INFORMATION.
10. What do you see are the greatest benefits of blogs? A WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AROUDN THE WORLD. ALSO ABILITY TO MEET PEOPLE AND MAKE FRIENDS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE IMPOSSIBLE (LIKE WHEN I MET RAND FROM AFORMOFSOUNDWORDS.BLOGSPOT.COM AND TWINKLEMOOSE, HIS WIFE, FROM TEACHMETOPRAY.BLOGSPOT.COM).
11. What do you see are the greatest dangers regarding blogs? ONCE AGAIN, DISINFORMATION AND LIES.
12. What style of blogging do you prefer (e.g. personal/interactive/disclosure or impersonal/reporter-like/no disclosure)? A MIX. DEPENDS ON THE BLOGGER’S STRENGTHS.
13. What form or genre of blogs do you enjoy the most (news/reporting, personal commentary, culture watchdogs, theological/doctrinal, photography, satire/parody, or content-specific)? CHRISTIAN.
14. Do you believe blogging has a promising future? In other words, do you see blogging as a tool to be used or a trend that is useless? Please explain. I FEEL BLOGGING IS VALUABLE FOR NETWORKING, BEING EXPOSED TO DIFFERING OPINIONS AND IDEAS. ALSO, GIVES OPPORTUNITY TO GET INFORMATION THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IGNORES.
15. Finally, do you regret the time you have spent reading blogs, or do you feel that you have benefited from them? NOT MOST OF THE TIME. I OFTEN LEARN THINGS FROM BLOGS LIKE THIS ONE, AND AM ENCOURAGED BY OTHERS.
Just wanted to take a moment to say “thanks” to all of you who have emailed me your survey.
If you haven’t taken the survey and have about 10-15 minutes to spare, please consider taking the survey and emailing it to me at gospelcentral[at]yahoo[dot]com. Thanks and have a blessed week!
General/Objective
1. Do you own a blog? – YUP
2. How long have you been reading blogs? – 14 MONTHS OR SO
3. How many blogs do you read regularly? – 10 OR SO
4. How often do you read blogs? – DAILY
5. Do you subscribe to blogs (either through RSS/ATOM/XML)? NOPE
6. What browser do you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)? IE (USUALLY)
Specific/Subjective
7. What are some things you are looking for in a blog? In a blogger? EDIFYING & CHRIST EXALTING POSTS THAT DEAL WITH CURRENT ISSUES AND BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, BUT ALSO RANDOM ENCOURAGING ON VARIOUS PASSAGES (…IT’S KIND OF WHAT I DO, ACTUALLY)
8. What would you recommend for better blogging in the future? – PASSION. BLOGGERS FOR THE LORD NEED TO KEEP PASSION FOR CHRIST AS THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION.
9. Do you believe blogging has made any impact on culture, church, or Christianity? – YES. PERSONALLY, IT HAS BEEN AN OUTREACH FOR ME TO GIVE TO PEOPLE I MEET ONLINE OR WHEREVER FOR EXPOSURE TO THE GOSPEL.
10. What do you see are the greatest benefits of blogs? – AVAILABILITY.
11. What do you see are the greatest dangers regarding blogs? – NO CHECKS/BALANCES. THERE IS NOT A SBC OR GARBC (ME) GROUP THAT HELPS TO MONITOR THINGS SAID BY CHRISTIANS WHO ESPOUSE THE SAME ALLEGIANCES. LIKE THE REST OF THE NET, THERE’S A LOT OF GARBAGE OUT THERE.
12. What style of blogging do you prefer (e.g. personal/interactive/disclosure or impersonal/reporter-like/no disclosure)? BOTH. LIKE ANY PASTOR, TEACHER, OR STORYTELLER – ANY PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OR OPENNESS MAKES THE MESSAGE EASIER TO LISTEN TO.
13. What form or genre of blogs do you enjoy the most (news/reporting, personal commentary, culture watchdogs, theological/doctrinal, photography, satire/parody, or content-specific)? THEOLOGICAL/DOCTRINAL
14. Do you believe blogging has a promising future? In other words, do you see blogging as a tool to be used or a trend that is useless? Please explain. – USEFUL. PERSONALLY HERE’S WHY IT’S USEFUL. MY BLOG IS NOT SUPER POPULAR (TONS OF READERS) AND SO THE COMMUNITY WIDE EFFECT IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO COME FROM OTHERS READING THE STUFF THAT I WRITE. HOWEVER, THE BENEFIT OF IT (AT LEAST THE WAY THAT I DO IT) IS THAT I AM FORCED TO STATE WHAT I THINK IN SUCH A CLEAR WAY THAT I COME TO UNDERSTAND AND ARTICULATE THE IDEA BETTER IN OTHER VENUES. PLUS, I TRY TO DO A GOOD JOB OF RESEARCHING MY COMMENTS BECAUSE – ONCE IT’S IN PRINT, IT’S OUT THERE AND YOU’VE GOT TO EITHER DEFEND IT, EXPLAIN IT, OR RETRACT IT. BASICALLY, IT MAKES ME BE A BETTER STUDENT OF THE WORD, AND MY MINISTRY (SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER) AND MY WALK HAS BENEFITED FROM IT.
15. Finally, do you regret the time you have spent reading blogs, or do you feel that you have benefited from them? ONLY A FEW TIMES HAVE I REGRETTED IT. ONLY WHEN A DEBATE HAS GONE ON OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME WHEN IT BECOMES SO APPARENT THAT THE OTHER PARTY NEVER REALLY WANTED TO DISCUSS AND DEBATE FAIRLY, ONLY TO BASH & TRASH.
General/Objective
1. Do you own a blog? Yes.
2. How long have you been reading blogs? 2 years
3. How many blogs do you read regularly? about 30
4. How often do you read blogs? almost daily
5. Do you subscribe to blogs (either through RSS/ATOM/XML)? I use Bloglines.
6. What browser do you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.)? IE at work, Firefox at home.
Specific/Subjective
1. What are some things you are looking for in a blog? In a blogger? I see bloggers as scouts. Justin Taylor, for example, is a great scout who serves me by pointing me to all kinds of edifying material.
2. What would you recommend for better blogging in the future?
3. Do you believe blogging has made any impact on culture, church, or Christianity? Blogging can be compared to the Together for the Gospel conference. Blogs can be places where we find like-minded, Christ-centered brothers & sisters to commune with. It is also interesting how godly men & women are drawn to similar blogs and teachers. Show me your blogroll, and I may know as much as about you as if you let me peruse your bookshelf.
4. What do you see are the greatest benefits of blogs? I asked a question, Timmy, at the get together you arranged at Together for the Gospel, which was summarily dismissed by Russell Moore. But, I still think my inquiry was good in that blogs have an increasing influence to further bring men of different denominations together. We can retain our distinctives, but blogs have great benefit to build bridges between denominations. THis is more significant than we might realize now, as this divided army must unite in our triumph of the Gospel.
5. What do you see are the greatest dangers regarding blogs? Blogs can be dangerously flippant, irresponsible, and sadly places for debate about petty issues. Guarding the content of the conversation is important. They can also be places that can accelerate rumors, if one allows the old man an upper hand.
6. What style of blogging do you prefer (e.g. personal/interactive/disclosure or impersonal/reporter-like/no disclosure)? I like reporter-like, pointing to edifying content and interactive encouragement.
7. What form or genre of blogs do you enjoy the most (news/reporting, personal commentary, culture watchdogs, theological/doctrinal, photography, satire/parody, or content-specific)? Content-specific and theological/doctrinal.
8. Do you believe blogging has a promising future? In other words, do you see blogging as a tool to be used or a trend that is useless? Please explain. see #4 above, but also i think blogs have a great future for two main reasons: 1. It brings us into contact with others who are zealous in our love for Christ and creates a community that transcends geography, and 2. I think more & more, blogs will be like a MY SPACE for adults where they post items for a small group of friends & family and they then comment and keep in touch via each other blogs…like I do with my dear Sister-in-law and niece.
9. Finally, do you regret the time you have spent reading blogs, or do you feel that you have benefited from them? I have been greatly edified by the 30 or so blogs on my Bloglines space.
By the way, Timmy, I have updated my blog’s link so it points here now.
Ed,
Thank you for completing the survey and for checking in! It’s been a while brother. I will not forget you calling me President Ahmedinejad when we first met at the T4G Conference. I knew it had to have been one of those evil bloggers to say something like that! I hope all is well and pray that you have a very blessed new year.