There are blogs that you read that make you nod your head … you agree with the sentiments, with the content and the approach. You lurk, read and maybe even comment from time to time. You will warm to the author, maybe even try to find out more about them (read their About page, check their Technorati profile or their LinkedIn page). You may even go so far as to stalk them on Facebook where you will vascillate between "friending" the blogger or just look at their friend list. But the conversation between you and the blog author really plays out in your own mind — the mind of the reader. These blogs are Nodders.
Another type of blog is like the Nodder, but with more sex appeal. This blog also has good content, makes you smile, teases you a little. Perhaps you find the writing voice just a little bit attractive … the ideas, oh so gently seductive. Maybe this blog is pretty. Friendly. Accessible. For you. But this blog is also smart. Pretty and smart — what a combination! When you read you agree, really agree … or discuss, argue. It is a relationship after all. These blogs are the Penny Droppers. They bring the ideas together for you in a way that lets you own them. I love a penny dropper. We all do.
There are other blogs that we love, but we know they are bad for us. They draw us in … expose us to ideas, concepts, content … dirty content that we can’t resist. When we comment or participate on these blogs we do so with a surreptitious excitement. It is a risk. A challenge. It could also be a fight. We can’t help being attracted to these blogs … we add them to our feed list, we follow their authors on Twitter and we check their photos on Flickr. We get close, oh so close, to stalking the authors … digitally. But our strange, digital attraction can also end quite quickly. Over. These are the Tinderbox blogs and you know you can’t resist them.
Then there is the Winker. The Winker has great style and panache. There is some great writing and concepting … there is personality to play with and an open style. You would like to have a drink with the Winker because the Winker is a great host, a fun storyteller and could, but probably won’t, get you into trouble. Depends on the day of the week.
NOW … I am interested in these characterisations (and there may be more), because they tell us something about the way that we, as readers, relate to the blogs that we read. From a CERTAIN reader’s point of view, one blog could be considered a Winker, but ANOTHER will find that blog more dangerous — a Tinderbox — and take the content in a very different way. This is the joy and challenge of reading. And writing.
So, which are your Tinderbox blogs? Which are your Nodders? And which do you prefer?
Hi Gavin, I drop by because you entice me with so many novel stories and ideas. Guess I’d term that a combo of a Nodder with sex appeal and a Winker who tells great stories with panache and style. No doubt about it, you’re a winner without being a Tinderbox!
Gavin — Great characterizations! You are a Winker, BTW (as if there was any question….).
haha. I have a feeling my content may be dirty.
hahahaha.
Gav – Interesting way to put this all together. I like your descriptions. 🙂
Gavin, I just LOVE this!
I think I cycle between all of these in the blogs I follow, and I seek out blogs characterised by these terms depending on my mood.
I’ll have to think about that list..
Thanks Ann and Cam 😉 … nice of you to say so!
Marcus … too funny! I think it depends who reads it!
Katie … what I like about these categories is that I can read the same thing at different points and have different reactions. I like the idea of what this means for content and brand associations (even personal branding).
When I go out to my garden it doesn’t care whether I am nodder or a winker, as long as I am a waterer.