Isn’t that the title of a song? I’m thinking Beatles but I could be wrong. OMG I’m starting to rhyme! Stop it, stop it now!
Now back to my sites sucking. Please see the previous post for more about site suckage.
I really think they must, ’cause I can’t even win a battle of the BL0Gs battle over at BL0GEXPLOSION anymore. Nope total loses all the way around. I haven’t won a battle for close to a week. I don’t mind losing, well not if it’s only about half the time, and it’s a fair fight, but to lose all the time? No, it’s no fun anymore, and that’s sad because I really do like battling.
I don’t understand why I’ve lost some of the battles either. I mean I don’t think my site is the be all and end all of all sites by any means, but I’m losing to sites that haven’t put up a new post for days, or who’s post is perhaps only two lines long. So I have to ask why am I losing to some of these sites when I try to put up a new post almost daily, well, certainly if I plan to battle. It does get boring to see the same post for more than 24 hours if a site is battling a lot.
How are you guys voting in the BOTB’s anyway?
I see people writing that they vote by a sites design. Why? Isn’t it the content that should count the most?
Do you actually spend any time at all reading what the person has written?
If a friend is battling do you always vote for them? No, I’m not getting into any of the past controversies here about people apparently voting in groups. That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking if you vote for your friend 100% of the time – no matter how good the other site might be?
I’l admit that I will vote for my friends now and then. Sure. But if the site they are battling has a better post, well, the other site will often get my vote. I really try to be fair about things and I hope that others are when my site is battling, but I have to admit that sometimes it just doesn’t feel that way.
When I vote, I vote by content first. If I can’t read the post because the design has problems such as header overlapping part of the post, or text style or colour that is simply too difficult to read, well they’ve likely already lost because I can’t judge the content if I can’t read the post. That’s the only time that a persons choice of template or layout comes into play when i’m voting. Content is king every time.
If the content is old I’m more likely to vote for the person with the newer post unless their content doesn’t interest me. The posts that interest me most are the ones that make me smile, and even better if they make me laugh. I like funny, humorous, and even lightly sarcastic sites.
How do you vote in the BOTB’s?
David says
Tricia,
I always read the blogs. I like you design, although it is a washed for my taste but what do I know I usually lose the BOTB. I believe it has to do with, “Mommy Mafia” and design.
I would not worry about it, you write interesting things and people come to see what you have written. That is the biggest compliment, much more so than the BOTB.
Tricia says – I’m glad to hear that most do read the blogs they are voting on, at least the current post anyway. There is definitely a design factor in how the voting goes though from what I’ve read on other sites who have brought up this topic in one form or another. I’m not too worried about losing … it’s just that it’s no fun anymore. I don’t know why I like BOTB but I’m kind of addicted.
MsDemmie says
I vote on content mainly – however if the content is difficult to read, or doesent load – it wont get my vote.
I like to be engaged, I like to find some commonality.
I am not likely to vote for political rants, christian miracles or sports blogs.
I am likely to vote for good content, a blogger that engages with the readers, and has well presented content.
You have recieved my vote in the past and will probably do so again.
Tricia says – glad to hear you vote for content. I’m not big on the political, spiritual or sports blogs but if they are in a battle against each other I’ll vote for whichever one I think is best.
TheWriteJerry says
I actually almost always vote for you, unless the other blog has somethiing totally fresh and awesome as their lead post for the day. You write well, you’re open and accessible with yourself in your writing and your blog has a dynamite design!
In fact, I chose you as my renter this week over 2 blogs that I’ve been dying to ask to rent from me (Allnight.org and Plumbutt) because they, like you, are great bloggers. It was a tough choice, but you got the nod because 1) you bid first and 2) your blog is my favorite color. I know, silly tie-breakers, but I didn’t have a coin to flip π
Tricia says – for some reason half my comments were caught up in my spam blocker (Akismet). Yours was one of them. Oh well, I rescued them. π
Thank you for the compliments and for choosing me this week as your renter. I’ll do ya proud. π Sounds like you had some great sites to choose from, hopefully the other site will bid on your site again when I move out. π
B says
I had the same problem. It seemed like I was losing every battle and I had no idea why. I had fresh posts about decent topics, atleast I thought they were. I still have no idea why I was losing. I even got my ass kicked by the Google Logo blog.
Tricia says- Yes, that’s exactly what’s been happening to me too, particularly in the last two weeks. Seems there are more sites battling in the last few days. Hopefully we won’t stand out as much when we battle if the others continue to use the BOTB’s. Maybe we’ve been experiencing voter burn out?
Peter Porcupine says
Well, I just voted for you!
Why thank you! I hope it was because the content caught your eye. π
fidget says
I thought getting a new blog template would help me win a few more battles and it temporarily did.. I think maybe people thought it wasnt me? Then i started losing again. What drives me nuts it I tend to have good traffic numbers without battling or surfing, a fair amount of comments but I cant seem to win most of my battles! Do people hate me simply because i talk about my kids?
I love good content unless a site doesnt load properly for me. You can have awesome content but If i can’t read it without struggling you wont get my vote. There is one blog (cant think of teh name of it) sushi something or other. I really like that blog but it gives me a massive headache reading it. The background is white with a very florescent green print but it’s like mor yellow than green and I just cant read it!
Tricia says- Yes when I changed my design (which I didnt’ think was all that bad to begin with, but it was plain) my site suddenly started winning battles and even getting more comments. That quickly died down .. well the winning battles part did anyway. My site gets good traffic and a fair amount of comments too. I know I don’t need to battle. I just do because it’s fun and it’s another way for people to see the site.
I don’t think people hate blogs where people talk about their kids. Well some people seem to, but I don’t think it’s the majority. I like your site, I do!
And yes there are some sites that don’t load properly for me either, and they must be half decent because they are winning battles. Wish I could see them.
Dee says
Heh, I’m currently down something like 4-14 in BotB; I think I had 11 straight losses before I got my first win, and that was only after I changed my layout for non-IE users. Personally I reckon it’s 80-90% a layout thing; people load up the page, go browse some other site for twenty seconds, confirm their visit, rinse-repeast, vote randomly on first impressions. I’m interested to see, when I ink and colour the pic I drew the other day for my new IE layout, if my luck improves any.
I can’t really bitch, though since I have to admit 70% of my own voting comes from layout. Well, that’s not exactly true; 70% of my voting on blogs I don’t know comes from the layout. Other than that, I usually vote for ‘familiar’ blogs (like this one, heh). Sometimes I find myself voting not so much for certain blogs as against them; there are a few blogs (think anything that prominently features pictures of half-naked pornstars) that I will choose anything over. I’m also quite vindictive; I generally don’t vote for blogs that have beaten me previously in BotB, epsecially if I didn’t think they ‘deserved’ the win (I’m a narcissist, what can I say π ). If none of those criteria fit, I generally select personal or photo weblogs over ‘advertising’/promotional weblogs. And, if all else fails, occasionally I just vote randomly. o_O
I have to admit I rarely spend much time reading the BotB blogs. I usually skim the first couple of lines on the first page, but unless the content really grabs me, I don’t usually investigate further. The majority of blogs there are ‘serial battlers’ anyway, whose content I have a pretty good idea of either because they’re on my blogroll or because I’ve just seen them so often. I pretty much have a kind of ‘pecking order’ in my head of who I’ll vote for over who, and it doesn’t usually change much.
You know, to be honest, it’s never actually occurred to me that people might vote in BotB based on the content of the most recent post(s). o_O
(Incidentally, I think you’re thinking of “Loser” by Beck. There’s no Beatles song by that name that immediatley comes to mind…)
Tricia says- I lost the majority of my battles when I first started out- with a different layout. So I stayed away for a while. When I changed my design I eventually tried battling again and to my surprise I won more than I lost. The content hadn’t changed but the design had changed quite a bit so that’s my only explaination for my past success. Layout and design obviously do count quite a bit in the BOTB. Thank you for your very honest answer.
krista says
Wow- I didn’t realize they had “battle of the blogs” at blog explosion.
krista says
oh yeah, and Beck sings a song “loser”
Tricia says – No that’s not the song I’m thinking of … it’s an older song and loser isn’t the title, it’s part of the chorus I think. I still can’t remember. Oh well! π
Tabz says
I vote by content and design. If you have an unreadable blog then I’m not going to vote for you. I do vote for friends… I do read, unless it’s really nothing that grabs me right away.
Tricia says- yes, if a blog is unreadable it’s hard to justify voting for them. Sometimes I’ll leave a comment on a site and let them know what problems I had viewing it and what browser I’m using. I think that helps sometimes- but not in all cases. Sometimes it really is just the design that makes it totally unreadable isn’t it?
Mr. Fabulous says
Beck did “I’m a Loser” π
I have a tendency to vote for those on my blogroll most of the time. It is not often that one of my blogroll links is up against a blog I think is better, but if it is, then I’ll vote for it. Usually though, if the other blog is better, THAT one would be on my blogroll as well.
I seem to win and lose in streaks, and when I’m hot I can beat anyone, and when I’m cold I lose to blogs that have horrible records.
It’s a mystery.
Oh, and we’re out of pork rinds. Isn’t an unlimited supply part of our rental agreement?
Tricia says – Ahhh he votes for “his” choosen ones! I see. You use the BOTB’s to add to your blogroll huh? LOL
I’m starting to wonder if we win and lose in streaks because of voter burnout after all? You and I both battle a lot and perhaps when we are on losing streaks it’s just because people have seen too much of us?
Chris is out getting the pork rinds, I think he’s getting the extra 20 lb’s as per our rental agreement. Don’t tell me you ate the first 5 lbs already? My my! Are you feeding your lemurs pork rinds again? π Oh yeah, and speaking of the lemurs- you need to change their litter box again. It’s getting a little funky in here.
ABlondeBlogger says
I usually will vote for my friends over others, but most of my friend’s blogs are pretty cool (like yours!), so I think that’s fair!
I hardly battle anymore, though…just not enough time to do it.
Va Va Voom says
I think time of day also makes a big diff. There are times when all the mommy type blogs vote for each other, or those who are in the BE chat room – they’re all friends and in each other’s blog rolls, so fair enough. I just know not to battle during those times now, simply because they don’t really bother reading the blogs, so it’s a waste. I don’t mind losing as long as the votes were well thought out, if you know what I mean.
When it comes to voting, I tend to go for ones that I like and visit often. If I don’t know either blogs, I look at lay-out and their first entry and just quickly check out what else they blog about.
As I’ve said before, you have a very fine blog! Hopefully, you’ll get out of the losing streak soon! π
apos says
I have to admit if it takes a while for a blog to download I nix it for that. Depends how much time I have to cast my vote…if itΓ’β¬β’s on the last Γ’β¬Ε creditΓ’β¬Β etc.
Your blog took me a while to realise where your post sits. Which is way down the bottom of your page for me. I see the two side columns and then I have to scroll for your actual writing/thoughts.
Noi says
Hey dont worry about it. I vote for you almost all the time as I think you have good content and nice template. I always go for content on the blog in voting unless some blogs have really ugly template. Haha.
Dave says
site looks nice… don’t feel bad about being a BOTB loser… we are all losers.. my record is teh sux0r and I am always beaten by mommy blogs or god blogs or political blogs…
larry says
Yeah. “I’m a Loser” is a 1964 Beatles’ classic. I like your blog.
eric031 says
Yea I get smoked at every battle of the blog battle I enter. Especially by people whose blogs consist of only two sentences. There is definitely something off about botb.