Discussion: How to Follow

A discussion between P.E. and Mari.

With the almost death of Google Friend Connect, I've started to wonder how is it that people stay connected to their favourite blogs. Let's start with you, Mari. 

One word, Bloglovin! I started using it when we started this blog as that was when GFC had been taken off a lot of blogs and Google + was being introduced. Personally, I like to have a feed and GFC worked great as it was on the blogger dashboard, quick and easy. Google + doesn't offer this feature but Bloglovin does. Also, I like the fact that Bloglovin is very easy on the eyes, it's bright, neat and easy to navigate. Many great blogs are already on it and it's a great way to finding new blogs to follow. It's also not restricted to just books, you can browse blogs in other categories etc. I'm all smiles, how about you?

Bloglovin is amazingly awesome, but I still prefer to use GFC. I feel like it's easier to share posts that way since it directly gets you to the site while Bloglovin shows everything through their reader. I also am incredibly lazy and GFC wins when it comes to convenience. Do you use stuff like feedburner to get emails?

No, I hate excess emails. I'm always the one who is looking for the unsubscribe button from junk mail, so for me feedburners don't work. I rather have a separate place where I can go if I want to read blog posts rather than having them all mixed up with my personal emails etc. I find Bloglovin to be much simpler in this way. I don't have to go though a million emails to find the one I want just to browse the latest posts. there is also the issue of visual appeal. Feedburners are not pretty and I'm not inclined to stay on a plain sight when I can be on a more visually appealing one like Bloglovin. 

I don't use email either. Something I find extremely useful is Twitter. I always love RTs and Fav's because I always end up checking them out. It's honestly through Twitter that I stay connected to the blogging pulse. I know it's not too cool to only post blog links on your Twitter, but I could feasibly see someone using Twitter as a reader. Do you use any social media sites?

I'm not as active on Twitter but I do check in every now and then and I click on the links provided. May it be a RT, Fav or just a blogger sharing their newest post, if I find the subject interesting I will click on it. I think social media is a great way to find posts to read as it is meant for us to share out opinions. I like to read posts and then favourite them, or thumbs them up on FB/ Google +. I love when that happens to one of our posts because it means someone enjoyed it and took the time to like it etc. Although, I'm open to it and practice it once in a while, I'm still more into Bloglovin than I am any social network.

I feel so warm and fuzzy anytime someone retweets us! I try to do the same for other people (but obviously, I need to work on that). How about Goodreads? I know I've discovered some awesome blogs through Goodreads, but I wonder whether if you're a blogger, how much time does anyone really spend on Goodreads?

A lot of time. But I don't spend that time finding new blogs, more keeping up with GR friends etc. What I tend to do is, if I find a cool new blog I click on the bloggers GR link and look 'em up, maybe even friend them. Goodreads is just a great way of finding people who have the same tastes or even different tastes and sharing your reading experiences with them, as well as finding awesome new books. How about you, do you use GR as a means to find new blogs?

Well um, I did, and now there's this whole Goodreads controversy and I'm not sure what to do anymore. 
(Ed Note: Goodreads released their new policy in the middle of the weeks we spent writing this post.) In the past, I have found some awesome reviewers like Wendy Darling whom I followed to her blog The Midnight Garden. However like you, I mostly consider(ed?) Goodreads a book finding site. 

What about you? How do you follow your favourite blogs?