Questions, questions

 Manda was asking about blog preferences today. How we all love wading in on this topic -  unsurprising, given that blogging (or at least blog reading) is the common element we all share. Anyway, I'm feeling particularly opinionated today, so here's my tuppence worth. I would love to hear your take on this stuff too.

What makes you enjoy a particular blog (not just this one, any one that you read)?
Honesty, reality, humour and the opportunity to raise my game. I want to have a garden as gorgeous as yours, a wonderful relationship with my children when they are as grown up as yours, to cook the same foodstuffs as you do - simply and beautifully and to have a magazine spread worthy house. Oh and knit all my own socks, sew clothes and have a quilt on every bed, handstitched by moi. Just don't be too bloody smug about it or I might stop sighing wistfully and want to throttle you instead. Remind me occasionally that you too are human.

What type of post is your favourite?
Something that really makes me think. The very very best of posts stay with me all day. Posts which generate discussion around our community. Posts which make me determined to try something new or do something differently.

How important are the photographs?
They help. Because I suppose we're all a bit lazy and pushed for time. Bad photos are a bit of a turn off. Sarah+h gave me some great advice on blog photos ages ago and it really helped me. I unearthed her e-mail so I could pass it on to you in her own words:

The beauty of the digital age is that you can take a lot of pictures without wasting a single frame of film.  You should see the number of pictures that I delete.  Occassionally even when I've taken dozens of pictures I don't end up with anything that I consider useable.  I'd like to think the same is true for the bloggers whose photographs I admire.
Second, get up close and personal.  I almost always like the way a closely cropped photo looks better than one taken from a wider angle.  Framing a picture as your taking it takes practice (another way that taking billions of pictures comes in handy) but if all else fails you can always manipulate the image with your photo editing software.

If photos are not your strongest point, try to find a blog whose photographic style you enjoy and work out what it is they are doing. Is it their lighting, their use of macro, their colours? Then have a go yourself. In my opinion, photographic style is an area you can copy completely without guilt.

Does the design of the blog attract you or even stop you from reading it?
Not really - probably because I tend to read in bloglines and just pop over quickly to comment. I have never stopped reading a blog on the basis of design. I have, however a big issue with blogs whose whole feed doesn't show up in bloglines. It drives me mad!

Do you like blogs to be colloquial/regional or fairly generic?
I like to be able to place a blog. Feel comfortable enough to use your native vernacular. We don't all have to call it a Thrift Store. I'm sure readers are intelligent enough to figure out what a Charity Shop or Op-Shop is. When I first started blogging, most of the people who stopped by were from North America or Australia. I think because craft-blogging wasn't terribly established in the UK then. But these days, I notice that more and more of my comments come from fellow Brits. Are we more insular than we like to think? Or is it just that when someone talks about buying shoes, we like to know we can get our hands on a pair without International Shipping. I would never want to read only my own nationality blog - diversity is king! But local has charm too.

An equal amount of craft and family, or does too much of talking about the kids put you off?
If I only wanted to read about crafts, I'd buy a craft encyclopedia. I love love love the backstory. Why you made it, what your Dad said about it, how you fed the children cereal 3 meals running, just so you could finish it. And while we're on the subject of children, don't brag too much about yours. Because then I just think you're a big hairy fibber - they are never perfect all the time. At least, mine aren't.

What else? What are the best words of advice you can give a blogger?
Enjoy the process of connecting with like minded people. A 'successful' blog doesn't need a certain number of hits or comments - it just needs to make the owner happy. Do it your way.

Did you get this far? Even with no photo? Bravo! What's the most memorable post you've read of late? Pop a link to it in the comments. Blogging - it's good to share.