Favorite Blog Post Types (Poll)

[Michael]

I'm curious which types of articles are most preferred from the Trained Parrot Blog. Please vote and let me know why you like those kinds of articles. Do yo like the balance or would you prefer to see more of one type of thing?

Also do you prefer shorter articles more frequently or some more extensive in depth articles?

[arnoldus]

I generally like it all, but I'm especially interested in the basic human-parrot relation: how do you train a parrot.
I would also prefer posts more often, even if they were shorter.

[marie83]

I enjoy all your articles. I think its going to be hard to please everyone as obviously you only have a certain amount of time in your life to be able to write them.

You have alot of knowledge and it would be a shame to exclude a group of people by writing shorter more basic articles for the more experienced but also a shame for newcomers to take 1 look and think "omg theres loads here, i cant be bothered to read the rest and what the hecks he talking about here?" obviously thats opposite ends of the scale.

Maybe if you were looking for a goal on timeframes to be releasing new articles you could be looking at 2/3 articles which are less in depth in a quicker succession and then every 3rd or 4th article write a longer more in depth one. Another possibility which could be used in conjunction is some sort of updates on roughly when the next article is coming and the topic. Bear in mind with these suggestions that I don't know how you currently work, whether an idea comes to you and you work on it the next day/week or if you have some sort of plan to write some sort of article within the next month or a plan on what topics you want to cover well in advance etc.

[friend2parrots]

All of your articles are fantastic to read, from the fun ones to the really insightful training guides. There's really nothing else like them anywhere else on the web, and believe me, I have really looked around! I appreciate your clear and well-organized writing style, and the fact that you really try hard to cover all the various facets of the issue that you are focusing on in an article. Thats why they are not just fun to read, but a great reference for parrot enthusiasts to return to time and time again when bird-rearing becomes challenging.

Like marie said, the length and type of article would really depend on your own writing schedule. Personally, I find your in-depth training guides extremely valuable, and would be interested in more of those especially. I also like the stories about bird-activities, like goig to the high school auditorium for free-flight, going to the park, going to the street fair, etc, because in those narrative essays you discuss a lot of the issues that one runs into in such a situation. i also like the fun stuff because it is heartwarming to see Kili, Truman, and you all having fun, and it really brightens my day to learn about their adventures.

[Michael]

Would you still read a shorter blog post that doesn't come with pictures/videos? That's what really eats up most of my time and not so much the writing. But I'm under the impressions that most people don't actually read, they just look at the pictures and video.

[friend2parrots]

i actually do read the text thoroughly and often return to it if i need help with what I'm doing with my birds. i find the detailed step by step instructions in the text extremely helpful. also, i appreciate it when you present your point of view, or a particular issue of importance, and then discuss it in depth.

for example: i need to work on towel training both my birds. they are deathly scared of towels. so i read your towel training guide, and found it incredibly essential. its really detailed, and i know i'll keep going back to read it, to make sure i'm doing it right, not rushing things, etc. i like how you present the "theory" behind your actions. that really helps me understand the "why" behind taking a particular step in training, and helps me remember it better, and make sense of it.

all of these things can't really be captured completely in a video. of course the videos are great -i've learned a lot from them too. but i just wanted to affirm that i do find the written matter valuable and do read it - so i would appreciate the shorter blog posts even without videos if time constraints are an issue.

[marie83]

I read, then watch the videos. Whilst I get most, if not all, of what your saying the videos confirm that. I also think they would help people learn who don't speak english as their first language, if they can watch and copy.
Is the issue with the videos the getting it right aspect? I personally dont feel they have to be perfect if it comes with an explanation as to why something occured/didn't occur etc.
That said unless something is difficult to explain or more complex I think the videos arent necessary but they are enjoyed.

[cml]

I always read your posts, and if I think it beneficial I watch the videos, rather than the other way around .
I find that the articles covers the topic more in-depth than the videos, but that the videos are great for a re-cap once you've read through it all. Its also a great help to see how things are done rather than just reading about them. But that doesnt necessarily mean they are essential to each and every post, even if its always good to add a pic or two !