Friday 1 May 2009

Day 25: 31DBBB Challenge

Today's challenge is to ask my readers a question. I have read ProBlogger's excellent article and have been reflecting on the reasons for asking a question and tips suggested.



Analysis of why I got no answers to 2 questions
I have looked through my recent blog postings and have found a couple of questions that I have asked but no answers via readers' comments as yet. What am I doing wrong? Maybe the questions aren't relevant to the topic or they are simply not interesting enough? Something is definitely lacking and what is obviously missing is a reply or comment. Anyway, like the captain trying to steer his/her ship round in the choppy waters above in the Youtube video, I will try to sail deeper and incorporate some of the tips from today's challenge. Maybe second time lucky?

Is there more to life than Twitter? (26th April 2009)
New format: "Do you think that Twitter is a valuable tool? If so, how has it changed your life? Or do you think Twitter is over-rated, over-exposed and over-hyped? If so, what are your reasons?"

In my view, Twitter has certainly opened up exciting avenues for me such as being a guest blogger on Free Technology for Teachers and connecting with people I would not otherwise have the chance to meet in person. On the other hand, how can one possibly "connect" with hundreds of followers at a time? Surely it is better to connect with "real" people in real time??

Do you think it is a good idea for the summer G8 Summit to be held in Aquila? (25th April 2009)
Maybe the phrasing of the question is a bit bland and vague? Will the following generate a response?
Should the summer G8 Summit be held in Aquila, a city recently ravaged by a devastating earthquake? How do you think holding a summit in Aquila will help the victims of the earthquake?

I thought this task was going to be an easy one but have discovered in fact that it is the very opposite. Writing a question involves a lot of thought and needs to be relevant to the issue.
Also it needs to be in the right place at the right time.

Self analysis is an essential feature in life. Without it, one can go astray....

6 comments:

Lee said...

I don't actually think there is much wrong with the post titles you chose.

Could it be that you weren't receiving comments simply because not enough people have visited those posts yet?

I've heard it said that only 1% of visitors leave comments but my experience is less than that - say around 1 in 300 visitors.

Janet Bianchini said...

Thank you Lee for your kind comment regarding my post titles. I guess in this world of "IE" (Instant Everything", one tends to feel ignored if there is no feedback at all.

I admit my following is pretty small compared to most blogs I read, but I really do appreciate every single viewer to my blog and I am grateful to them for persevering with my humble efforts.

Lee said...

I know what you mean about "IE" but wait a few months until your blog grows. Then you'll be frustrated when your new posts are only getting 10 comments on the first day!!

Janet Bianchini said...

My goodness. That'll be the day!!
Thank you for your confidence in me.

popps said...

Hi, Just a thought but there area lot of questions there, maybe one would be enough?

And as someone with about zero readers i think the number of people visiting the blog - like Lee says - is an important element of the equation.

And if it is 1% that leave comments (problogger said the same) then you need at least 100 readers.

Twitter - personally i think it is pointless but then there are people who have done things with and through it.
I'm probably not typical as i still listen to the radio as a preference.

Janet Bianchini said...

Hi popps

Thank you for your comment. On reflection, there does seem to be too many questions in this posting. Also, for some reason, my font changed of its own accord in the last paragraph, so I think it looks a bit uneven.

As for listening to the news, I listen to it every night to improve my Italian comprehension. Like you, I've always liked this medium of communication.