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10 Comments

  1. Alan
    14 June 2007 @ 10:07 am

    Yaowzas! Did anyone catch the pic of that dapper, young “Blog Watcher” Jim? He looks so sophisticated! 🙂

    That’s a great service, Jim. It would be really awesome to see it catch on fire (in a good way) and fill with blogs.

    It’s pretty heavy into text, eh? The only thing that disaudes me from looking deeper into it is that it’s only organized into paragraphs. I guess I was expecting something a bit more tabular. Like, click on a country, and here’s a list of the blogs with a short description of each and a picture. Something very index-like, I guess. Sorta like the way the Africa page is done. I like that. Seem very clean-cut. 🙂

    I think what would have topped it off for me would be something like Feevy, on the front page. (I love that thing!) Being able to see the most recent posts from all the sites (with a little picture) would be a great way to hook people into a blog they might not have ordinarily read. I might not naturally read a blog about Taiwan, but if I saw a cleverly titled recent post on the front page, I might be tempted to read the entry and fall in love with his style and content.

    Anywho, that’s the kinda of thing I expected to see when I clicked on the link. It’s still a great site and would like to dig in a bit deeper. (And no, I’m not just being polite 😉
    thanks Jim!

    (AND I love this post-preview-as-you-type feautre you got going here. It’s also GREAT!)
    Alan

  2. Jim
    14 June 2007 @ 5:56 pm

    This may not help, but there are reasons why the site is the way it is (isn’t there always?). 🙂

    There are a number of problems with going with more of a “list” format, or perhaps a more database driven format. For one thing, people really enjoy the little facts about countries and the blogs themselves. That text is actually what draws most people into the site.

    There are, of course, lists on the site. If you wanted to find a missionary by country, a site search would do that. I may in the future add a sturdy site search so that people can search those pages more easily.

    I’m not sure what you mean by most recent posts from all the sites – the front page technically does that already. There are no sites of the over 385 blogs that are left out. The actual feed shows more (quantity) recent posts than what you actually see on the page, if you’d like to try it out.

    So that’s kinda like Feevy – except without the picture. And the way Feevy is set up right now, it would be a HUGE job to maintain hundreds of blogs with it. However, the technology is constantly improving, so I’m sure the aggregator will too.

    There are also some aggregators on other pages – for example, check out the Christian missionaries in Indonesia.

  3. Alan
    15 June 2007 @ 12:08 am

    You’re right, there are those posts on the front page, but I have no idea where they’re from or what culture they pertain to. There isn’t any thing to catch me unless I’m naturally interested in Southern Baptists, roses, summer tunes, or Wai Khruu Day. Just lots of text. (Although the borders do help.)

    Don’t get me wrong, I love little trivial facts as much as the next guy. I love culture and being exposed to the “other ways” of living. I guess from a lay-out perpective, I feel kinda lost on those pages. It seems… unfocussed. Well, not really. The more time I spend there, the more I realize that the site reads like an article or a guide, rather than a heavily structured listing. I guess it’s just about expectations. (I’ve been really getting in touch with my “C-side” when organizing things in the office. I find that I’m getting a little anal about structure and form and lay-out.)

    On the whole though, you’ve been blogging about a million times more/longer than I have, and I don’t doubt that you’ll choose the best form for conveying your ideas! 🙂
    Alan

  4. Jim
    15 June 2007 @ 6:40 am

    Ah, well, actually I agree with you 100% on that point – regarding having countries, etc listed with the posts. Unfortunately, there’s just no easy way to make that work properly yet. I’ve had that feed set up a few different ways, and I’ve had some problems with it. For now, this way seems to work best.

    HOWEVER, as I said, I agree with you, and I’m hoping the technology will progress to the point where I can make the feed more – informative. Colourful.

    One reason why it may seem “unfocused” is because it’s highly supply-demand driven. The things/countries I write about are things that people are already looking for. I’m interested in drawing that new person in, where they will first find what they’re looking for (like a missionary from Africa), and then maybe look around and find something unexpected.

    As a result of the supply/demand thing, hundreds of new people visit the site.

    So it’s not just that “I know best” – I’m also limited by time, and technology, and other factors (including my own lack of intelligence, of course!).

  5. Alan
    15 June 2007 @ 4:56 pm

    The picture of the lizard on the mouse. It’s about the best picture. Ever. Other than The Last Supper.

  6. Bill Lurwick
    15 June 2007 @ 5:21 pm

    Love it just the way it is. have been visiting since the beginning and it really helps me keep in touch. I am here in the states, but my heart and soul longs to be training nationals radio somewhere. in Gods time not mine.

    Blessings

    Bill

  7. Jim
    15 June 2007 @ 6:53 pm

    Thanks Alan – that’s quite a compliment. Not sure how Da Vinci would feel about it. Too bad I didn’t take the picture! 😉

    And Bill, thanks too! I actually have a friend in the media industry who is planning Lord willing to check out some radio in Latin America. I’ll let you know how it went (remind me if I forget!) when she gets back. She may have some constructive info for you. 🙂

    And really, everyone, feel free to criticize. I do agree with a lot of what you’re saying, Alan. There are limitations for me right now, but I do try to improve things as people like you point out things that could be better.

  8. Michelle in MX
    16 June 2007 @ 5:55 pm

    WOW, how exciting it is to hear how missionary blog watch has grown! I know I for one love it, and link to it . . . for contact –

    I appreciate what your doing!

    PS:love the new look here

  9. Jim
    16 June 2007 @ 6:50 pm

    Thanks, and thanks Michelle! I was just reading one of your posts earlier today. 🙂

  10. Somia
    13 August 2024 @ 8:40 am

    Jim and Shari, I’m really inspired by your commitment to keeping the “big picture” in mind with Missionary-Blogs.com. It’s incredible to see how you’ve created a platform that not only connects people to missionaries worldwide but also fosters a sense of community among the missionaries themselves. The site’s ability to draw people in, encourage them to pray, and even consider serving in another culture is truly impactful. I appreciate the effort you’ve put into making this resource so accessible and informative. Thank you for your dedication to supporting and amplifying the work of missionaries globally!

    Is this conversation helpful so far?

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