I’ve been thinking a bit about the nature of blogging. I love blogging, and I love reading blogs. It seems to me that in most of the spheres in which I read blogs there are just five types of blogger.
These spheres – if you’re interested – are (on the basis of the names of categories in my Google Reader subscriptions) – People, Christianity, Coffee, How To, Humour, Gadget, Bargains, Web, and News.
The five types of blogger are “The Creator”, “The Appreciator”, “The Aggregator”, “The Commentator”, “The Helper”, and “The Journaller”*. There are probably more – and some blogs are mixes of both – I think I’m probably a mixture of all three.
The Creator
The Creator is perhaps the most exciting kind of blogger – they put up new material, their own thoughts, pictures, products, designs and concepts. They are read for their brilliance and because they supply ideas that keep the blogosphere afloat through generating spin off discussions and things that people want to link to. An example of a “Creator” in my “People” list is Simone – who often posts song lyrics, or Izaac – who gives insight into his thinking on different issues.
The Appreciator
The Appreciator is a blogger who collects the best bits of thoughts and things from around the blogosphere and collates them – different to “The Aggregator” in that their topics can be wide and varied “The Appreciator” tends to provide a picture of themselves based on what it is they appreciate – for example I have never met Craig Schwarze (as far as I know) – and yet I think he’s probably a good bloke because of the articles he shares in Google Reader and the things he posts links to. Chris(toph(-er)) is setting out to do something a little like this – only he’s very irregular.
The Aggregator
Like the Appreciator but with a much more defined scope – Aggregators focus on a particular topic and go looking around the interwebs for material along a theme – in many cases they’ll be creators/aggregators providing their own content but more often featuring things from elsewhere – Lifehacker is an example, some have particularly narrow scopes like Martin Howard’s Garageband blog.
The Commentator
Commentators are a bit like Journallers but they’re more opinionated – and more likely to make comment on current events than on their own circumstances. Some provide entertaining observations on life around them (rather than their own lives). Ben’s Vanishing Point is probably the best example of the “daring social commentary in the guise of observation”… it’s funny and now seems to come with little home drawn illustrations (and he’s a talented illustrator). Scooter’s blogging resurrection promises to deliver similar wit with more verbosity. I’m Ramblin’ Again, Bathgates.net and dad’s “Graphic Design Tips for Church”…
The Journaller
Journallers use their blogs as a journal – they don’t tend to care if people are reading or not and their content is usually of a reflective, personal or ranty nature and based on day to day life.
Journallers are also the most likely to be guilty of oversharing – generally because they’re not necessarily expecting readers, and if they are they don’t really care about maintaining readership.
Journallers, being the least committed to the cause of attracting readers, tend to blog less. Some entertaining and engaging “journallers” who I know in real life are Joel, Phoebe, Leah, Carly, and Stuss. There are other “journallers” out there who I read who may not, because of the nature of a journal, be as interested in people finding their online homes (I’m looking at you Amy)…
What type of blogger do you think you are? Have I missed any types?
* I’d call them a “Journalist” but that means something different.
** Apparently that’s what all the cool kids are calling him, though I’ve never met him.
Guilty as charged.
I would love to fit under a few of the other categories but I feel if you have a blog such as those you do have a responsibility to provide new and interesting content on a regular basis. Once I have time to justify it I will create one, but until then anonymity all the way.
Curious to see which one I am. Thinking a mixture of 2 maybe… Though us mks rarely fit in a box
My apologies Tim – ’twas rude not to include you the first time around, I did try to classify you and decided you were a “commentator” you’re now included in the post.
Hurrah! I got a mention! And a title!! Feeling very special… :)
Nathan, you might be good with words, but according to this post you are atrocious with numbers. Your title says seven types of bloggers, you’ve listed five types, have said that some people are both types, but you are a mixture of all three…
My original intent for my blog was partly for extended family to read what we’ve been up to, and partly for me to reflect and rant. So I guess that your summation of my blog is correct enough.
Oh, and oversharing is entirely subjective and relative to the situation. Believe me, once you’ve given birth, there is no longer any such thing as oversharing…. or is that too much for me to say here…
I lost track of how many types there were – I started with three. And then added some. And then combined some. And then split some…
Oversharing is oversharing – how much you’re prepared to share is relative. Pregnant people and people post pregnancy are the worst oversharers.
I do not want to hear about kicks during the night, nausea, dilations, or in fact anything associated with the birth process.
Like I’ve said before, you wait until Robyn is pregnant, then you may find yourself suddenly fascinated.
I’m not sure that I’ll inflict that fascination on others though…
Wait and see.
Feeling flattered. So what do you think you are?
Thanks for the mention, though I envy the Creator who sounds the most awesome of all Bloggington. Simone you are totally the teachers’ pet.
Your getting close to “creator” status with your little comicy illustrations. I seriously considered putting you in that category.
And to answer Simone’s question – I think I’m a bit of all of them depending on my mood. I was going to have a sixth category which was the split personality blogger. My Nigerian scam adventures would be in the “creator” category, my “curiosities” column in the aggregator and appreciator categories, my posts about articles I’ve read and things from elsewhere would be “commentary” and my coffee stuff tends to be a mix.
‘I seriously considered putting you in that category.’
Oh, I bet you say that to all the Commentators.
Be thankful you even got a link. The Radiohead bashing you’ve been doing almost earned you your own category…
Golly, such attitude.
You know, I have been thinking a lot about this post, it was a good’n. What I’d like to see is a post about what you saw as the strenghts and weaknesses of each catagory. I know you touched on it a bit, but I reckon more can be said.
Other thoughts- some catagories seem to be more about observing, whereas others are more to be observed. (How poignant am I?)
Another thought- everyone probably wants to defy the catagories and see them selves as a combo of several. But the reader will probably have a less biased take on yr blog as a whole than you do, and will fit you into one catagory comfotably.
Feel free to categorise me – I’d be interested to know what you think I am – and what you think I should be.
I think it really changes on a whim – this could easily have been titled “the five types of blog post” – maybe one day I’ll write one of those little Facebook quizzes that help people find out.
I think your “commentaries” are generally quite creative and insightful – I’d never really thought about the odour of scalp until you brought it up.
I guess the “Creator” category in my mind was about people who use their blogs as an outlet for their creations. I don’t know that Simone primarily does that, but she does it more than most.
I was keen to feature people I knew rather than all the other weird and wonderful “Creators” out there – mostly because I like to share the link love every now and then.
Thanks for the link, Big Guy.
You got me.
Lol. I’m definately the ranty journaller. Although I’d say i’m the commentator too at times.
In my opinion, Joel takes the cake for being the best whing… I mean ranter. Kudos to him for his wonderfully cynical posts dripping with Dr Cox-like sarcasm.
And, as much as I don’t wish to over inflate your head, (I mean that in the nicest possible way) Nathan, you are a creator. I mean, who else posts crazy phone conversations they’ve had with Nigerian scammers they’ve been stringing along with ludicrous email requests? Classic.
Seeing that you have had a not-so-subtle dig at my anonymity, you have forced my hand. So you can publicly link to my new blog here: http://adventuresofamyandtim.wordpress.com/
It’s still going to be journally (read:ranty) though. Therefore, boring.