Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s an election this year in America and opinions and emotions are running passionate and heavy. As a result, I’ve noticed a few blogs I read toss in the occasional political slant, and sometimes a full-on political post.
As a reader, I generally don’t appreciate when a blog I read, that claims a subject of expertise, suddenly shift to a completely unrelated topic. I do read some political blogs and that’s where I’d like that subject to remain.
I do make some exceptions: when the blog falls under the banner of “personal” as in, it’s more of a diary than a source of niche information, or where politics intersects the blog’s subject matter.
Some may feel that this country will never move forward unless there is more political discussion, or the stakes are simply too high for people to remain passive and avoid politics in any venue. While both are true, it’s also important to find the appropriate place for discussion if it’s even to be taken seriously. And if a blogger really wants to get into political discussion, how about just starting a political blog, separate from their current one?
I would be annoyed to open up the latest issue of Cat Fancy magazine to find an article laying out the moral hazard of the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac bailout. Surprise aside, I wouldn’t trust the writers of a pet magazine to discuss economic policy with any level of competency. I feel the same way about blogs that stray from their stated subject.
Going “off-topic” is rarely a good idea for any niche blog, whether that topic is politics or something else entirely.
