What makes a great blog?

One of my favourite blogs has to be Derek Miller's Penmachine. I really enjoy this blog because Derek writes well and he writes often. Derek usually writes about technology, gadgets, software, and other geektastic topics. After getting cancer a year ago, however, his posts have been a lot more personal. He has unceasingly blogged about his harrowing experiences and shared every tear and every joy with his readers, writing in a straightforward, honest style. He recently redesigned his blog and made it a lot cleaner, using a lot of white space and an elegant simplicity (which I like).

Another blog I enjoy reading is Tom Johnson's I'd Rather Be Writing. Tom is a tech writer who feeds his need to write by blogging on technical communication. He also runs a popular tech writing podcast. I like his blog because he writes clearly and is passionate about what he does. His website is also clean, with lots of white space and minimal clutter.