What is the purpose of a blog

[craftymarie]

May as well say this too-

Any Links to blogs that host paid advertising will be deleted - but you already know that don't ya

I would hope that links to YouTube blogs with advertising on are treated in just the same way - vlogging and blogging there's only a letter's difference!

I think it's pretty obvious when people come on the forum just to market a blog or YouTube channel because normally they storm in posting loads of "look at this" links and then disappear pretty quickly. I can think of some instances of that over the last year or so.

Although I enjoy several gardening blogs my current big interest is in reading about topics such as natural health, essential oils and vegetarian recipes. I tend to read blogs when I want more in depth info on subjects and watch YouTube when I want an overall idea of how to do something quickly. There are many good Facebook groups also with lots of info.

Basically we are spoiled with all the info we can now get hold of online Although not to believe everything we read online either. Just thinking of all those glossy Instagram photos and how some of those people are showing lifestyles that seem just a little bit too perfect to be true.

[veggiechicken]

Don't worry, Marie, we can usually spot those who are here to sell and have no interest in real gardening - like wot we does!

Maybe, its also time to remind members that, if you think a post is not acceptable, you can report it using the little black triangle at the bottom of the post. It turns red when you "mouse" it
We Mods can't read everything but your reports help us take swift action! Thanks!

[Cadalot]

Mine is my journal, the story of my progress and a record of what the plots looked like when I got them and how long it took me to get where I am at the moment. It now holds my plans for both plots as they are on different allotments.

The links on the side panels act as post it notes, so that I can find stuff again when I need it. I've been doing a monthly review looking back over the past four years to see what I was doing how I was doing and comparing with how I'm doing things now.

If others find it informative, interesting, useful and enjoy reading it, then that's great, but basically it's a resource by me for me. Perhaps when I dead and gone, my kids may like to read it to remember me and how I annoyed them with my constant discussion about the allotment. I know family in Australia and other parts of the globe read it.

[craftymarie]

OK, thanks VC. I always seem to overlook that little triangle. I will try to remember that's what it is there for

Thankfully most of the time this forum seems spam free - I am sure that is because the mods probably clean it up pronto before most of us even spot it.

[sparrow100]

Thanks Greenleaves!
I love reading a good blog. There are some howlers out there (bad advice, showy tone, terrible speling ) but there are lots that are well-written, thoughtful and interesting. I particularly like diaries because they are generally honest accounts of successes and failures, and they tend to have lots of photos. I subscribe to about 30, but there's a huge collection of them on John Kingdon's site Gardening Blogs

Personally, I don't like advertising on blogs or vlogs (though I run an adblocker so don't see many), or sites that seem to be collections of posts touting products, of which there are quite a few out there. I pay extra to keep ads off my site.

While there's a lot of advice on growing out there, if I have a question I usually prefer to come on here and ask it.

[Alison]

I don't really understand the purpose of a lot of them, many seem to be very mundane / dull or at the other end of the scale, boastful and self centred. I can understand why people want to keep a record of what they've done (although I prefer a searchable spreadsheet) but (and please don't take this the wrong way) I don't see why other people want to read that Joe Bloggs in Basingstoke has sown some carrots but obviously people do like them and they're nowhere near as confusing to me as the vlogs where they're just showing somebody playing computer games but apparently that's quite lucrative

[sparrow100]

This is one of my favourites. There isn't always a lot about gardening, but it's beautifully written with great photos and is funny. https://offtheedgegardening.com/

If people want to read mine, that's fabulous. Comments are even better. But I promise I won't be offended if you do neither. I get that blogs don't float everyone's boat. Just to keep you on tenterhooks though, I'll be sowing carrots very soon...

[Cadalot]

Sparrow, I'm also late sowing carrots I did a review of my seed box and blogged the results at Alans Allotment: In My Seed Box - Carrots the photos along the top are the offending carrots. LOL

What got me was the difference in the sowing and harvesting dates for some varieties, next year I intend to sow Nantes 2 - Frubund Sow ~ Feb - Oct Harvest ~ Apr - Nov in Feb and March the rest are from March. It's also made me think about what other carrots can be sown beyond the June July end date that most have?

Umm Just about to add the paragraph above to the blog posting ~ Blogging in Action

[craftymarie]

Cadalot, the category labels you have down the side of your blog are very useful. Makes it easier for someone to look at a topic like carrots lol or something they are currently growing.

I actually read most people's blogs here listed in the signatures - not regularly but when I have some time to browse. I do like looking at photos even though I don't always read everything. I'm pretty good at scanning info and honing in on what is relevant to me.

I'm always learning from things I read online in blogs. Just recently I discovered I've been picking basil all wrong by picking off individual leaves at random. Apparently it will bush out nicely if you snip the stem off just above a second set of leaves. Only taken me 43 years to learn that one!