But, that post only dealt with four basic descriptions: age, education, kids at home, and where the blog was most often read. I know it would be helpful if I have a more complete picture. So, this time, I ask you to respond to four more profile questions. Like the previous post, this will help me better target what I write about to match your needs and interests.
- Which social networks do you visit, at least occasionally? By this I mean sites like Facebook, Twitter, Over 50 is Nifty, etc. Which, if any, are part of your experience?
- Do you ever visit YouTube? This site now features full length movies in addition to millions of videos of people, places, and things. Millions visit every day. Are you one of them?
- Do you spend any time with on-line forums? These are like chat rooms where folks of similar interest often ask questions and get answers from other forum members, or become involved in an ongoing discussion on a topic that is important to the reader. If you do spend time with forums, which ones?
- Besides Satisfying Retirement which blogs do you visit regularly? To keep the list manageable, please list the 3 or 4 that are most important to you. They could be on any subject, not just retirement issues.
That's it, four more questions that will help me tremendously as I strive to make this blog as useful, entertaining, and on-target to you as I can.
Related Posts
Facebook daily.
ReplyDeleteTwitter when I remember. Or when I list something new in my shop and tweet it.
Polymer Clay forum.
Many polymer clay/artist blogs.
Polymer Clay Daily by Cynthia Tinapple
Your blog.
Penelope Trunk Blog
Howard Kunstler- Clusterf*ck Nation
That is it. I am 61.
I do not participate in Facebook or Twitter. I guess I am an introvert by nature and don't feel the need for that much togetherness:)
ReplyDeleteI do visit YouTube now and then to hear a song or to play a tutorial on quilting or knitting, etc..
Never go to chat rooms.
I read lots of blogs and my list changes but some of my current favorites besides your blog are:
1. http://www.timegoesby.net/
2. http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/
3. Business of Life at http://www.estatevaults.com/bol/
4.http://drkathleenmccoy.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/
Roberta,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that is so great about the Interent is exemplified by your list: special blogs and web sites for polymer clay artists. I don't even know what that is but enough folks do to have their own place to exchange ideas. I doubt there is any hobby, art form, or interest that doesn't have similar support.
JaneO,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your profile. I am hoping to get enough comments to get a better idea of how and where my favorite people (readers!) spend their on-line time.
I also enjoy visiting blogs that are new to me but are mentioned in comments as worthy of a visit. You have just given me several new ones to check out.
P.S. After reading the comment about forums on all kinds of topics, I decided to look into those. I didn't realize there are so many of them. Thanks for clueing me in! I am off to investigate more.
ReplyDeleteI am part of Facebook, but get little out of it.
ReplyDeleteI visit YouTube, mostly for entertainment purposes.
I never do chat rooms.
Four blogs: The Frugal Girl, The Nonconsumer Advocate, The Simple Dollar, Makes Me Think
NMPatricia,
ReplyDeleteSeveral new blogs for me to check out, plus more info on a reader..thanks!
Beautiful picture of a Jaguar on your blog!
I do Facebook. It is how I keep up with family.
ReplyDeleteOur chat group from the last 15 years moved to Facebook friends about two years ago.
I do not twit or anything else. Heck, I hardly text.
We use you tube for tutorials. Sometimes my sister finds something like dolphins swimming, but that is about it for entertainment. My daughter is teaching me about Pandora.
I use your blog as a toggle to several other blogs. I enjoy your "newspaper" as well.
I also go to:
slowtrav.com
Married with Luggage.com
Morningramble. Blogspot.com
Not2many.blogspot.com
frugal Texas gal.com
I used to go to getrichslowly.com, but he farms his column out too much now for me.
I just reopened my blog at bowen4flag.blogspot.com
Educational journals are also my addiction as well as politics.
Janette,
ReplyDeletePandora is a regular for me, too. The variety of music and the ability to custom-design a radio station is tremendous. Facebook for connecting again with friends and keeping in touch with family are popular reasons for using it.
Another good batch of blogs for me to check on. Thanks, Janette...and glad to see you have restarted Ground Level in Kansas. I've added it back to my blog roll.
I do Facebook. Barely. My kids and grandkids are always posting so I keep up with them on it.
ReplyDeleteI don't twit, tweet or otherwise engage with social media. I've watched, maybe, 5 youtube videos this year.
I don't chat as a rule, but I am on several e-mail listservs, related to Science Fiction, Older Child Adoption, and my profession. I participate regularly on those.
I read a great number of blogs, mostly financial or adoption-related. My top three are Bostongal (though she is posting very irregularly these days), All Doors Considered (sometimes just to argue with Morrison) and Boxcarkids (which combines my interests in adopted kids, finances, and social work).
I am 62.
Grace,
ReplyDeleteAnother reluctant Facebook person! Thanks for the other info.
Yes, All Doors Considered is often good to get your blood boiling when she goes on a rant. Morrison does not filter much of what she writes when something has ticked her off.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteSince you asked ...
I don't go to any social network except Facebook, but only occasionally. I watch videos on YouTube when someone sends me a link.
I read on line forums that are job related (I work in the employee benefits area). And some professionally created blogs from benefits experts.
Yours is the only retirement blog I read. The blogs I read mostly are about creative writing, which is one of my sadly neglected hobbies. I hope to retire early so I can have more time for those hobbies. Your blog gives me hope!
I visit my daughters' Facebook pages occasionally to see pictures of my grandchildren. I rarely use it to communicate.
ReplyDeleteI do seek out videos on YouTube now and then.
I never visit online forums.
My favorite blogs, besides yours, are Always Well Within, The Disconnected Writer, and Han of Harmony. There are probably 20 others that I keep close tabs on.
CB,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your input. Creative writing is one of the reasons I began blogging. It is a hobby that can keep you engaged your whole life. If you have a few good blogs to recommend I'd live to check them out.
I hope I can continue to keep you encouraged about retirement. It is an exciting time of life.
Galen,
ReplyDeleteI keep reading of the importance of Facebook to help build a blog's status, but so far you and others are giving me a different perspective.
You've mentioned two blogs that are new to me. I'll take a look. Thanks!
Let's see---
ReplyDeleteI'm not into social networking, except for a rarely-visited Facebook page.
I look at some YouTube videos, mostly "how-to" and links people send, or that show up in the blogs I read. I don't chat on forums, but I do comment on my favorite blogs.
I read regularly, besides yours
Slacktivist
Accidental Historian
Poor Girl Eats Well
Milltown Quilters
The Non-Consumer Advocate
Stuff Fundies Like
and
William the Coroner
among others.
TOJean,
ReplyDeleteSo far, comments like yours have helped me get a much better picture of my reader:
*Unlike the national statistics readers are not big fans or users of Facebook or Twitter.
* Many readers have a tendency to avoid most of the big name or more well-known blogs preferring to spend time with a very eclectic mix of small blogs that serve a particular need. I have gathered a large list of blogs to visit.
* Most surprising are the number of you who don't read lots of other retirement or financial blogs. I would have assumed I am just one of several you read on a regular basis to help you navigate the retirement waters, but apparently not.
Thanks, Jean.
I'm on facebook. But the problem I have is probably typical -- half a dozen "friends" post all the time, with stuff that's not very interesting, while my other 50 or 60 friends just lurk. Nevertheless, I still find fb useful to keep up with some people.
ReplyDeleteI do not do twitter. I just don't "get" it.
I follow around 30 blogs that focus on retirement and the Baby Boomer set. As far as topics go, I like finance, retirement planning, senior news -- with a little humor and a little nostalgia thrown in. But hey guys, come on over and try out sightingsat60 sometime. Thanks!
Bob, I'm not sure that's true about other retirement or financial blogs. That's not exactly what you asked. I do regularly read, for instance, besides yours,
ReplyDeleteLiving Richly in Retirement (got there through your sidebar--thanks!)
Get Rich Slowly
and
The Simple Dollar
Most of the others I didn't mention are smaller, niche-specific blogs, though.
Thanks for this most interesting survey!
ReplyDeleteI visit Facebook daily to see what's happening with friends and family. I also am responsible for maintaining the FB page for the fitness business where I am an instructor. The owner pays me for my time. I have a Twitter account but I never go on there.
I watch YouTube often, but not for movies. I might watch a TV show that I missed, or get to YouTube via a link that someone has posted or sent to me. When I was a foreign language teacher, I used YouTube extensively for movie clips, interesting stories, news events, etc. to show my students in the target language. It's an amazing learning tool.
I subscribe to DriveWeSaid.com, a free forum. I follow several threads there and have started a couple of my own.
I follow several blogs by people who live in France, such as MentonDailyPhoto. I like the humor of CakeWrecks.com, and, when Mad Men is on TV, I follow BasketofKisses.com, where people discuss the minutiae of the program. I maintain two blogs of my own: one for my family and one for my book group.
I enjoy listening to music on Pandora.com. I play cool brain games on Sporcle.com , and I am in a private forum for Jazzercise instructors that is part of the ProBoards.com website.
I'm 60.
Bob,
ReplyDelete-Heavy FB user (family and friends back in NY in particular)
-Use YouTube a reasonable amount, both for adding to emails and some entertainment purposes (e.g. rock videos from the 70s, many of them live performances by people like Eric Clapton - ah, the golden era of music.)
-I don't spend much time in chat rooms, although I am found on USA Today's articles quite often
-Other blogs besides yours include:
1. RetireEarlyLifestyle (have followed them for years)
2. Bogelhead investing forum
3. Oblivious investor to a lesser extent
58 years old as of yesterday. But who's counting?
Chuck
A follow up to your response. I hear the same thing--I should have my blog on Facebook and Twitter. I'm sure if I did, it would expand my exposure, but I decided awhile back that I was content with my little corner of blogworld. I have probably hit my plateau in terms of readership unless I actively move into new arenas, but that's okay.
ReplyDeleteTO Jean,
ReplyDeleteI should have made my comment a bit clearer. I wasn't referring to you. There are several comments that specifically state they only read this retirement blog so the "you" was the editorial "you."
Thanks for listing some of the retirement blogs you do sample. That helps.
Sightings,
ReplyDeleteAfter The Other Jean's qualifier your comment helps make her point: some readers do spend a fair amount of time with other retirement blogs. Frankly, I would have thought nearly everyone does, but that isn't true.
I didn't get Twitter either until I started using it for blog promotion and to promote my "brand." I can tweet about a post from months ago and within a few hours see half a dozen or so visits to that article. But, as a way of communicating what I am doing during the day...not so much!
And, yes, visits to your site are worth the trip!
Colette,
ReplyDeleteWow! You are plugged into Web 2.0 (the cute nickname for social media). Next time, if you would like to I encourage you to leave a link to your blogs so others can visit.
I find the incredible variety of information on YouTube fascinating, but I have a problem: once there I follow links and ideas all over the place and suddenly find 60 minutes gone. So, I spend almost no time on it until I figure out how to control my addiction!
I want to check out the brain game site. Thanks!
Chuck,
ReplyDeleteHappy late birthday wish!
I will use YouTube if a ham radio forum I participate in mentions a particular song from the 1960's and I'd like to see and/or hear it again. I don't think there is any song, no matter how obscure, I can't find there.
You use Facebook the way I have understand many seniors (or at 58 a near senior)do: to stay in touch with distant family. A few friends of mine use Skype video for the same purpose.
I'll wander over to RetireEarlyLifestyle and check it out.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of finance related sites, but less than I use to. I finally joined Facebook about 3 weeks ago and find it keeps me informed on what my family is doing. I live more than 500 miles from family and it is great to connect. I have also found many friends from as much as 40 years ago. However, my newest addiction is Words with Friends and Scrabble through Facebook. I am an avid Scrabble player, but only got to play with my family while visiting. I can now play with them whenever I want, and also with several of my long lost friends. This keeps my mind very active and I appreciate the stimulation.
I do all kinds of research on the Web and visit where ever that leads me to. As far as blogs go, I enjoy yours and the Casey Daily Dispatch the most.
I don't visit any social networks yet. I use youtube regularly-I found wonderful yoga classes there. I read other retirement blogs like Living Richly in Retirement. Other blogs include The Frugal Graduate and News from Italy.
ReplyDeleteThere are ma interesting blogs-but I try to limit my time on the compute
Donnine,
ReplyDeleteOn-Line scrabble...what a great idea. I have heard of people playing Chess long distance, but not Scrabble.
Another blog to look at; The Casey Daily Dispatch. Thanks!
Hi Donna,
ReplyDeleteYouTube is a video library with unending variety. I may have to figure out how to keep my time there under control since I gather I'm missing lots of great content.
The Frugal Graduate sounds right up my alley. I'll check it out.
Hi Bob.
ReplyDeleteI read you and Syd.
I go to YouTube occasionally for some music or to watch a funny movie clip.
I check my facebook about once a month.
I don't visit forums regularly, but have found them helpful as I google for information on various issues.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteRetired Syd is a nice lady who seems to have figured out how to blend retirement and part time work. Good for her.
Thanks for adding to my growing profile picture.
I read FB daily to keep up with my kids and my friends and family. Post something on my own wall a few times each week. Tried Twitter, but found it too frenetic.
ReplyDeleteYouTube only when I'm looking for something specific (a song or video clip) or if someone sends me a link to view.
The home forums on GardenWeb hooked me a while back, starting with our kitchen remodel five years ago and this year the bathroom. I also chat on John Bridge's Tile Forum off and on (project dependent).
Blogs I read regularly: This one, The Daily Dish, Brazen Careerist, Rod Dreher, In Jennie's Kitchen. I read Morrison off and on...sometimes I just need a break and other times she writes something I really like.
I'm 58. Cheers!
Hope,
ReplyDeleteMore blogs for me to check out...thanks!
I don't think Twitter makes much sense except as a promotional tool. Then, it works. But, trying to keep up with individual tweets is pretty much an impossible task.
I spend about 15 minutes a day on Facebook keeping up with family and friends, making an effort to respond to as many status updates as possible in a "Way to go!" manner. I see the potential for Facebook to be used as a vehicle of negativity, so I try to turn keep all of my interactions on it very, very positive.
ReplyDeleteI don't Twitter and don't see myself ever doing so. If anyone sees a purpose to it other than "Here's where I am, aren't I lucky!" let me know, please!
I engage in forums almost daily that are tied to my particular passions of the moment - my RV camping club, cruising, hiking and running. Oh, and I just joined one focused on diet management - I am trying to lose those last 5 stubborn pounds!
I follow blogs on early retirement and frugal living. Still searching for one on tools to live a life centered on serenity.
Blogs I follow:
RetiredSyd@Typepad.com
SavingAdvice.com (a community of bloggers)
This one!
Tamara,
ReplyDeleteTwitter works well for me to promote this blog and my book, but serves no purpose for interacting with people. I do maintain another Twitter account for the religious side of my life which has better personal interaction.
I haven't found retirement living forums that are very active or interesting. If anyone knows of one let me know!
Try Always Well Within for serenity and meditation material. It is listed under my favorite blogs on the right sidebar.