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?





16 comments:

  1. We're all about the RSS readers as the easiest way to keep our fave blogs organized and updated. We do use Bloglovin' but we also like Digg Reader. And yes, Twitter can help make sure we don't miss anything that's really resonating with the YA community, esp if it's on a blog we don't personally follow.

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    1. You guys are a huge help for Twitter- I can't count how many times I check out cool articles that you tweet. :) I'm getting very curious about Digg now. I'm already set up on Bloglovin' but in the future I'll try giving Digg a look.

      -P.E.

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  2. I stumbled onto Goodreads on accident and through the site discovered everything I follow (people, blogs, authors, you name it, if it's YA I didn't know about most of it before GR) which is part of the reason the current controversy makes me so sad. Goodreads was one of the best things the internet ever gave me and it hurts to see what's going on with it.

    As far as blog following goes, it has never occurred to me to use any kind of aggregate. I follow everything on twitter and just sort of link hop my way through things.

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    1. It's definitely sad. The other day, a friend was telling me about how hard it was to discover cool, new books and I told her all about Goodreads. I'm sad because they screwed with this wonderful community they had and I'm not sure if they will make it up.

      I love link hopping! It's one of my favourite ways to discover new blogs. :)

      -P.E.

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  3. GR has basically turned into something that I don't appreciate that much, but I still love the people there and it's the easiest way to find books to read etc so I'm not moving from there until a decent alternative is found (BookLikes is really not my thing). As for how I follow blogs, I do follow people via Bloglovin and GFC, but I read only via Feedly which I have come to love love love!!! Best thing ever! I just adore it :)

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    1. Interesting. I hadn't heard of Feedly before.

      Also, I know what you mean. BookLikes isn't cutting it for me either. One essential thing I think they're missing is an app. Everyone I know is on Goodreads and BookLikes isn't established enough for me to leave GR.

      -P.E.

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  4. I agree with both of you on many points. I don't use Goodreads to find bloggers as much as I use it to find books. But I LOVE Bloglovin'. I prefer it over GFC as a way to follow other blogs. It's just more appealing to me. Maybe it's all the color ;) And I usually don't subscribe since I have 4 emails I have to deal with already. It's not a good way for me to follow blogs at all.

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    1. Bloglovin' definitely has a gorgeous clean layout. And yes, I know what you mean about emails! I can barely deal with the ones I get right now. :p

      -P.E.

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  5. I never used GFC but I'm still sad to see it go. I use Feedly now which I absolutely love. I subscribed through email before but it got to be too much so I switched over to readers.

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    1. There are still ways to get GFC (it's hidden though) so I'm hoping it never completely leaves. And cool, another Feedly supporter!

      -P.E.

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  6. I don't like Bloglovin. I understand many do, but I prefer Feedly because of its interface. It is much easier to click through and read blog posts. I am so glad I switched. I found Bloglovin frustrating, especially when you follow a lot of blogs!

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    1. Now I'm getting very curious about Feedly. Bloglovin' works for me, just because it's not that different from Blogger and I like the feature where it recommends similar blogs. Interesting to hear that though.

      -P.E.

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  7. I used to adore Google Reader but now am using Feedly-I like the interface a lot and have the blogs I follow all set up there. I tried Bloglovin' but just preferred Feedly that bit more.

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    1. Another vote for Feedly! Very interesting ;)

      -P.E.

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  8. Bloglovin' is by far my favorite way to follow blogs! I love how easy it is and how I'm able to save posts I want to read later/need to remember.

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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    1. Really? I didn't know it could do that! Seems useful. It would clean up my bookmarks :p

      -P.E.

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What do you think?