I'm a researcher in Communication and Lnanguages at the Robert Gordon University
in Aberdeen, Scotland. The project involves looking at gender differences
amongst British bloggers. This is based mostly on a questionnaire sent out to
bloggers, but I also want to have a good understanding of what tools like
Technorati, Blogshares, and so on, can tell me about a given blog. One of the
things that I don't understand - and where I would very much appreciate guidance
- is this: what determines the fact that feeds return different time depths of
postings? For instance, the feed from one blog might go back six months, another
only four (although the blog was in existence for much longer). Is it simply a
matter of the carrying capacity of feeds? Or are there other factors at work?

Thank you

Dr Caroline Macafee