I've been writing online since 2002, and if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that there's no "best" way to blog. There may be approximately 15 kajillion articles out there that say otherwise, but really, the Internet is a great big place -- there's plenty of room for every blogger's interest, design choice, writing style, and publication schedule.

However, this is not to say I don't have opinions about what can take a potentially fantastic blog and turn it into a giant pile of digital suck. Oh, do I have opinions! Let me share with you my top 5 reasons your blog is a pain in the ass:

You have audio/video content on your site -- and it automatically plays. Ugh, terrible. Just terrible. There's no excuse for this cardinal web sin, even if you're getting paid in actual gold ingots by your advertising network. Think of the readers who might be taking a peek at your blog from their work computer, and didn't realize their speakers were turned up before your embedded video with the dancing "Party Rock" hamsters blared to life.

Your RSS feed link is MIA. If I like your blog, I want to subscribe to it so I don't miss any posts. Finding your RSS button should not be a festive Where's Waldo? hunt.

You're partial to partial feeds. Speaking of reading blogs via RSS, what's up with your truncated feed? I can't tell if you're trying to drive me to your site for extra pageviews or if you're just a cruel task-master who enjoys making your readers dance like link-clicking monkeys, but either way, I'm probably going to stop reading. The problem with a partial feed is 1) it's annoying as hell, 2) the excerpt rarely gives enough of the post to pique anyone's interest, 3) it makes reading on a mobile device extra difficult, and 4) dude, it's annoying as hell.

You have a terrible commenting system. The process of engaging in a discussion on a personal blog should be super simple. Please don't make me enter a 590-character CAPTCHA, sign in via some byzantine commenting system that may or may not require me to create a whole new web account, or force me to enter both a website and email address. Yes, spam and anonymous comments can be a challenge, but a lively discussion area depends on ease of use. Don't kill your own community with irritating technical barriers!

You're not up front about sponsorships. Everyone's trying to make a buck from blogging these days, and who can blame them -- sponsored posts are often a great way to earn a little spending cash. However, please, PLEASE disclose this info at the start of the post. Nothing makes me feel more like a chump and calls your authenticity into question like reading an entire post before encountering the fine print -- this heartfelt blog about my undying adoration for dogs sponsored by Alpo! -- at the bottom.

Okay, your turn: what are your biggest blog pet peeves?



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