write lists, write lists, that’s what every blogger is told.
what is it that we find so fascinating about lists? i tried to find some research on that but can’t come up with anything so far. hm. let’s ask some academics who might know: john suler, famous for his psychology of cyberspace studies; chris from mixing memory, a cognitive psychology blog; and web strategist jeremiah.
in the meantime, here is … uh … a list of what i think attracts people to these bulleted and numbered items:
- lists impose a feeling of order on the jumble of demands, feelings, thoughts, information and other input that we’re faced with every day.
- lists are easy on the eyes; we can quickly skim them.
- lists are less threatening than long paragraphs. they’re less likely to contain complicated ideas and turns of phrases.
- numbered lists, especially when they’re a response to a problem, can give us a feeling of relief. only 5 things i need to do to get my energy back? sign me up!
what do you think? do you like lists? no? why or why not?
oh, and the reason why i’m writing about lists today is because i just took part in a little list writing project. well, maybe not so little. there were 67 of us, each offering a “list” post. i’ll, errr, list them all in a minute. by december 3, i’m supposed to tell which ones i like best.
why don’t you look them over and tell me which one i should vote for?
a tester’s dream – 5 steps to revive a rejected bug! by debasis pradhan
escape the rut by catherine kunst
form a running habit with seven easy steps by shane magee
how to prepare for christmas by ajay
list of classes by priscilla palmer
list of why blogs are a female gender by domtan
lovecraft & cthulhu christmas list by cullen bunn
my five wish-list classes i would enroll in by al
six savvy reasons why you should travel light by sheila beal
six simple steps to remembering and living the abundant life you are meant to live by anita pathik law
ten things i didn’t know until last week by blaiq
the quitter’s checklist by em dy
the top ten internet business ideas by john
thirteen reasons why wordpress is superior to blogger by jhs
to do to make tomorrow better by bob
twelve days of classic country christmas by scott
my top-10 personal development blogs by marco
100list – 100 things i can do to make more money. by dj wright
3 things i wish i knew then what i know now by stephen hopson
3 ways to bring back the joy to the holidays by karen lynch
what you think is what you see: 4 ways to stop negativity by holli jo
5 crash course tips in viral marketing by john murch
5 reasons (not) to drink coffee by lodewijkvdb
5 reasons why i bought a domain by wishbone
5 surefire ways to increase comments on your blog by vijay
5 things that i believe to be lies by krizza
5 ways to become the perfect idiot by lori
5 ways to crack or reset a forgotten windows xp administrator password by aseem kishore
5 ways to win a blog contest by erz
6 steps to take writing ideas from wordpress themes by karen zara
7 powerful tips to overcome failure by donald latumahina
7 seven tips for students to success by xoel cardigan
7 tricks you need to fight procrastination by samir bharadwaj
get out of debt quick: 7 tips by tejvan
top 7 paid review writing mistakes you can avoid by prince john
8 habits of highly successful salespeople by daniel sitter
9 ways to achieve success in life by adebola oni
10 life lessons learned while camping by ad tracker
10 productive ways for moms to “relax” by neena
10 things to consider before acting as your own contractor by shawn van dyke
10 tips on how to watch a horror movie when you are a scaredy cat by migraine chick
10 ways to improve your personality by z hereford
10 ways to survive the writers’ strike by cynthia boris
10 ways to work through your workout by gal josefsberg
your top 10 inspirational quotes by sparky
12 wordpress editors you can choose by karthik
13 encouraging questions by isabella mori
15 tips to prevent repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome by css
17 power tips for stumbleupon beginners by dr. mani
18 tips to become a productive blogger by monika mundell
5 blogging ups, 5 blogging downs, and 10 blogging tips by albert foong
21 punching tips on social media marketing and social media optimization by etienne teo
top 23 motivation tips, tricks and tactics from the blogosphere by mike ambrose
26 ways to change the world by chris
35 guaranteed ways to increase your rss subscribers by fred
no cost business tools: 37 free applications that make your life easier, free of charge by levi
40 ways to make your mind your playground by fier
50 ways to start a conversation by dee
100 motivators for informal learning by marcel ackermann
100 resources to improve your career, relationships and money by lawrence cheok
100 sites i seek inspiration from by iain hamp
100 things to do before i die by joseph gibbs
100 ways to personally conquer chaos at work by judy martin
100 ways to promote a startup by jason drohn
best 101 lists by pearl
150 funniest resume mistakes, bloopers and blunders ever by jacob share
100 things to write a list of 100 about by kotsengkuba