What kind of blogger are you?

Posted by Soccer Dad
The way I figure it, there are five primary kinds of bloggers.

1) The linker. Instapundit, of course, is the best example of this. Sure he writes commentary. But a lot of his commentary stands because of what he links to (and thus deems important).

2) The essayist. Bloggers like the Gates of Vienna who generally write longish essays anaylzing issues of the day.

3) The storyteller. Treppenwitz is a good example of this. While he may have commentary its usually couched in the form of a story.

4) The quick hit artist. Meryl Yourish (and her co-bloggers) and Mere Rhetoric are very good at this. They take an article (usually no more than a paragraph or two) and add a relevant critique in just a few sentences.

5) The editor. This blogger doesn't write much of his or her own but quotes extensively from articles. Crossing the Rubicon2 is my idea of an editor.


Of course there are hybrids. Ezzie seems to be a cross (mostly) between a storyteller and a linker. I tend towards linking and essaying. (Though I really envy the quick hit artists.)

So for those of you bloggers out there, what kind of blogger are you? Did I miss any types? And for those who read blogs, what kind of blogs do you enjoy reading the most?

UPDATE: I see from the comments that I should have been clearer. My question was meant more as "What skills do you employ for blogging?"

I believe the "ranters" and "venters" are indications of style, not skills.

But Sarah is correct. I left out "photo-bloggers." Look at hers or Not Quite Perfect (coincidentally also from down-under) and you see that they're primary skill used in blogging is art. So maybe "art-blogging" would be better, but point taken. I guess that's six then.

My point in asking the question wasn't simply idle. It's something I've been grappling with. Though my readership has been growing, it hasn't grown as much or quickly as I'd like. So the question is am I blogging to my strengths. What I enjoy doing is writing, but am I perhaps a better linker or editor instead of essayist? If I did more linking would more people read me?

Irina, I view you as story teller and Shoshanna I'd agree that you're an essayist. (Though your skydiving story was great.) And of course Jack is a Jack of all trades. He's the ultimate hybrid, when it comes to blogging.

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