Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

Reader Survey

Published by

Matt Stone

2007-10-13

Hey everyone. I was wondering if you could indulge me with answering a few questions. Won’t hurt, I promise. The situation is, I have been mulling over how I can make this blog a more engaging experience for you over the last few weeks, trying a few things out and seeing some positive results, but I’d really appreciate some direct reader feedback so I can refine things even further.

You see, the thing is, even those of you who comment here regularly generally do so in response to specific posts, so I rarely get to hear what you think about the blog overall. And another thing is, those of you who don’t comment regularly are by far the majority. So I don’t get to hear what you think about the blog ever, I just get to infer it by what you click through to and spend time on, and what you don’t.

So I would like to ask you just a few questions in an effort to keep improving this blog, to make it more engaging and more useful to you. Even if you’re a first time visitor, just have a go. Comment anonymously if you like. Just comment on a few if you’d like. Here are some of the areas I am interested in:

Topics – are there topics (specific or general) youâd like covered in the coming months? What are the main issues that youâre facing in your spiritual journey at the moment? What would you like to learn about or grow most in for the remainder of the year?

Types of Posts – theology, personal stories, boundary pushing posts, reader questions, short tips, poems, art commentary, guest posts â¦. have your say about what youâd like most/least

Posting Frequency – too many posts, not enough, just right?

Design – too cluttered, very useful, visually engaging or not?

Blog Features – what would make your reader experience better?

My online bookstore and Amazon book links – a helpful resource, a turn off?

Community – do you feel you connect with any other readers? Can you see how I could to help you to connect more?

Services and tools – what could I offer you to help you in your spiritual journey, exploration of missional Christianity, etc?

What frustrates You about Journeys In Between? What is best about it?

What drew you to this blog in the first place? The art, links from other sites, Googling for specific information, stumbled upon it randomly, saw me post on another blog, recommendations from others?

Are the “categories” useful? What would make them more useful?

If there was one thing you would recommend above all else, what would it be?

Other ideas and feedback – anything goes.

While I can’t promise to put every suggestion into place I do make a commitment to you to take notice of anything you have to say. All that I ask in return is that you be honest, courteous and constructive with your feedback. So, over to you. Feel free to either leave your feedback in comments below or to share them privately with me via email.

Tags Survey

14 responses to “Reader Survey”

kay

2007-10-13

Topics & Types of posts – My favorites are theological, boundary pushing and missional related (living the Kingdom now).
Posting frequency – Just right.
Design & Blog Features – Perfect! Your layout is simple and clean. Your font size is readable and is sans-sarif. (Take the hint other bloggers!) 😉
Amazon – Very helpful. I’ve added a lot of your books to my wish list. What I need to remember to do is to come here and click through when I buy them.
Community – I’m loving that I’m getting to know more and more of my fellow bloggers. I like to click through to their blogs when they comment and often end up adding them to my blogroll. I don’t know what to suggest for you to do to foster more community.
Services, Tools, Categories, Frustrations – None. No recommendations. No complaints. I don’t have a tendency to use the category lists on blogs, but that is probably just me.
What is best about Journeys? – Why, you of course.
What drew me here? – I clicked through originally from A Pagan Sojourn.
What might I recommend above all else? – The same thing that I recommend to any blogger: Reply to your commenters. Even just a “:)” goes a long way in letting your readers know that you realize they are there. It’s hard and it can’t always be done. I have even slacked off on this lately.
You have a great blog Matt. Yours is one that is consistently on my blogroll. I look forward to checking what you’ve posted everyday.

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Matt Stone

2007-10-13

🙂
Thanks Kay. I should add, if there is one think I’d like to do more with this blog for myself it is fostering community.

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cindy

2007-10-13

Matt I’ve enjoyed your blog. I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ll say I like the look of it- nice and balanced, not too many widgets. I don’t like a lot of widgets.
I like the variety of topics you cover. I don’t always know what to expect when i check in here, and that’s more than i can say for most blogs i read.
I never look at blog book stores, or book lists. that’s just me.
if i think of anything else, i’ll come back and drop it in. thanks for asking!

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Matt Stone

2007-10-13

Thanks Cindy. You know, one of the things I have often wondered is whether I range too widely with my topics or not, whether I lose people in the process. But I can’t help myself, the truth I feel I just have to blog with whatever’s been rattling round my mind. Have to get it out there. I am trying to make it more reader centre so people can understand easier and follow how it all ultimately fits together better but it is good to know the variety is valued.
On the widgets, yes I have a reluctance to use them and have dropped most of the ones I did have. There’s a new one out at the moment that I tried (you may have seen that) because it brings extra traffic to your blogs, but it looked so ugly I just couldn’t stand it and cancelled a few days later. I suppose there is a trade off there somewhere, balancing the traffic they bring in against the traffic they turn off. Being a reasonably art focussed blog I felt I just couldn’t live with the poor aesthetics. To hear that some of my readers don’t like them is a nice confirmation.

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Matt Stone

2007-10-13

Actually, reflecting on Cindy’s comments another question comes back to me. What would you say is the mark of distinction about this blog? What differentiates it most from other blogs you’ve read? Particular themes? style? attitude? I suppose what I am wondering is how it best contributes to wider conversations such as the emerging church conversation and the interfaith conversation. Because if that point of distinction is something of value to others I’d like to enhance it more.

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cindy

2007-10-13

I’m back. My husband was watching high school football scores. what can i say.
Matt, I’d have to reiterate my previous comment– with more emphasis. Your variety of topics is probably why you stay on my blog roll. don’t tell anybody, but i’m becoming intensely bored with about 70% of the- wait, make that 80%- of the blogs i read. too much of the same thing day after day after day. too much of what somebody else is writing day after day.. i guess i’ve made my point. 0:-)
thanks for not keeping it on the same track as everybody else. you may well lose some people this way, though. i’ve noticed that folks tend to move in flocks in the blogosphere. they seek out blogs they know they’ll either agree with or disagree with- depending on temperment. but you know, there’s a lot to be said for flying above the common flock, don’t you think?

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Matt Stone

2007-10-13

I think I’m trying to find some balance between herd blandness and utter ideosyncracy 🙂

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John W. Morehead

2007-10-16

Matt, as I thought about how to respond to this survey, this is a tough one. For me and my blogging, I blog to express what I think are important ideas for reflection, at times to persuade others as to my views, and of course to present information for consideration through my interviews. But my blogging content and frequency does not conform to typical blogging etiquette or even the desires of my readers. Perhaps you should continue to do what you feel is best and when it is best and you will attract readers who find it valuable and those who don’t will pass it by. All this to say, perhaps a survey assessing readers desires is not necessary.

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Matt Stone

2007-10-18

I find it helpful because, well, there are essential and non-essential elements to what I do here. Some things (such as my focus on interfaith conversation) are non-negotiable, hence the comment that I’m not making any promises. But some things (such as the bookshop) are just experiments and other things (such as the del.icio.us link) are entirely arbitary, and it would be nice to take some gueswork out of what to do with such things. For me it comes down to wanting to communicate, I’m willing to adapt in some areas if it facilitates the overall purpose of engaging readers and getting the message across.

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Andrew Taig

2007-11-30

Topics: I tend to like to read a variety of things. Learn more. Understand more. So that when i do get into a conversation, i’m not hypocritical.
Types of posts: Personal stories interest me much more than anything else as it’s a more personal view (who’d have thought?) and i could probably relate to it more.
Posting freq.: I don’t believe anyone should have a set post frequency as it’s what comes from them. If the readers think there is too much, then that’s their problem, but in saying that, i guess you want to please your readers. Not that you can please everyone all at once.
Design: I like the design a lot. Very good readability. The menu’s easy to navigate. Possibly more pictures but that’s matter of opinion.
Online Bookstore: A little bit of a turnoff for me, but i never have any money, so that might come into play. Hehe.
Community: Not sure about this one.
What frustrates You about Journeys In Between?: What frustrates me? Hmm… I’d say the lack of background. I’m not saying you need something that stands out, but something nice and simple, so that it’s not just white space. What do i like the most? The overall design of the website. The easiness to use. And of course reading yours and other peoples opinions.
Categories: I think the categories is a very good idea. Helps people go straight to what they want to read or what they want to learn a bit more about.
What would i recommend? Probably a little more colour in some places. Like the background, but as i said, don’t go overboard. If possible, maybe even have the “Search this blog:” button up the top, or atleast not at the bottom. But in saying that, i think the categories works just the same as the search button and people can stumble across other posts. So there is a good and bad side to that. And everything else, in some kind of way.
Hope this helped. Thanks for asking my opinion.
Andrew

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Matt Stone

2007-12-01

Thanks for responding Andrew. I have been meaning to incorporate more stories now that you mention it, but it’s sometimes difficult to protect other’s privacy. You encourage me to make the effort to find a way though.
I am not a big far of backgrounds but I take on board your comments about more colour and pictures. I have been thinking of maybe introducing some grunge art in places. And one of the ways I want to reposition the blog moving forward into next year is to incorpoate more art.
Thanks again

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Peggy

2007-12-01

Hey, Matt…I think that the eclectic nature of your blog posts is what forms the community that you have here. A blog, to me, is not about pleasing the readers…it is about processing life in a way that engages and encourages others to think. It gives us a little window into who you are. It is a form of discipleship in that you are initiating contemplation.
I do appreciate, however, the sensitivity to the sensibilities of others that I believe motivated your survey. Feedback, as the old saying goes, is the breakfast of champions!
Luvyerwurk, bro. ;^)

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Matt Stone

2007-12-02

Peg, this testing of the waters is not about changing my ‘message’ so much as honing how I communicate my ‘message’ through this medium.
And as a big part of that message is incarnational approaches to Christianity, I don’t want to just be talking about it, I want to be practicing it right here! Leading by example so to speak. So don’t worry, I have no intention of backing off from challenging conventions, this is more about wanting to challenge more effectively and communicate what incarnational ministry is more effectively 🙂
I find Andrew’s comments helpful as I have already done substantial work behind the scenes optimizing this blog for “Christian Art” searches on Google Images. I have leaped to page 4 on that search term since then and am still moving upwards. His comments validate my decision to explore the art angle more as a way of communicating. I love the stuff and hearing others find it helpful too is a blessing.

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Peggy

2007-12-02

Understood…shades of “the medium is the message”, eh? So, the questions for you become: “Where am I leading this community?” and “What are we going to do and become as we journey together?” and “How are we going to do and experience this?”
I ponder these very questions as I look at my own blog. I am only a pup, of course…six weeks old…but I have an intentionality that could easily get lost if I don’t get a grip on it.
As we prepare to synchroblog Advent with Bro. Maynard, et al (glad to see you’ve joined us!), there will be a unique focus each of us will bring to our blog as it intersects the Christ Event. I am interested to see what happens as a result.
You are fortunate to have so many readers who are appreciative of your unique perspectives and “in between” gifts ;^)
So…how do we become “virtual” incarnational missionaries? That’s a good one, eh?
The Abbess is with you on processing this one, bro!

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