Entries Tagged 'Blogging' ↓

Unique Blog Designs is celebrating a birthday - 1 year. They’ve got some great prizes. They’re working a viral marketing campaign by offering multiple entries to any blogger who pings back to this post. Being the greedy beggar that I am - I’ve just qualified for 5 entries. Long live capitalism - and shameless self-promotion.

Answer: Greed is why this shameless self-promotion works. I, like everybody else, want something for nothing. Shameless self-promotion gets attention - another reason why it works. Visibility is the key. Love ‘em or hate ‘em - we all give braggarts an undue amount of attention. All publicity may not be good, but all publicity drives up visibility. And usually, visibility equals success in becoming or maintaining a top-of-mind presence.

“I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

Here’s what the White House website says about one of America’s most quotable first ladies:

A shy, awkward child, starved for recognition and love, Eleanor Roosevelt grew into a woman with great sensitivity to the underprivileged of all creeds, races, and nations. Her constant work to improve their lot made her one of the most loved–and for some years one of the most revered–women of her generation.

She was born in New York City on October 11, 1884, daughter of lovely Anna Hall and Elliott Roosevelt, younger brother of Theodore. When her mother died in 1892, the children went to live with Grandmother Hall; her adored father died only two years later. Attending a distinguished school in England gave her, at 15, her first chance to develop self-confidence among other girls.

Tall, slender, graceful of figure but apprehensive at the thought of being a wallflower, she returned for a debut that she dreaded. In her circle of friends was a distant cousin, handsome young Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They became engaged in 1903 and were married in 1905, with her uncle the President giving the bride away. Within eleven years Eleanor bore six children; one son died in infancy. “I suppose I was fitting pretty well into the pattern of a fairly conventional, quiet, young society matron,” she wrote later in her autobiography.

In Albany, where Franklin served in the state Senate from 1910 to 1913, Eleanor started her long career as political helpmate. She gained a knowledge of Washington and its ways while he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. When he was stricken with poliomyelitis in 1921, she tended him devotedly. She became active in the women’s division of the State Democratic Committee to keep his interest in politics alive. From his successful campaign for governor in 1928 to the day of his death, she dedicated her life to his purposes. She became eyes and ears for him, a trusted and tireless reporter.

When Mrs. Roosevelt came to the White House in 1933, she understood social conditions better than any of her predecessors and she transformed the role of First Lady accordingly. She never shirked official entertaining; she greeted thousands with charming friendliness. She also broke precedent to hold press conferences, travel to all parts of the country, give lectures and radio broadcasts, and express her opinions candidly in a daily syndicated newspaper column, “My Day.”

This made her a tempting target for political enemies but her integrity, her graciousness, and her sincerity of purpose endeared her personally to many–from heads of state to servicemen she visited abroad during World War II. As she had written wistfully at 14: “…no matter how plain a woman may be if truth & loyalty are stamped upon her face all will be attracted to her….”

After the President’s death in 1945 she returned to a cottage at his Hyde Park estate; she told reporters: “the story is over.” Within a year, however, she began her service as American spokesman in the United Nations. She continued a vigorous career until her strength began to wane in 1962. She died in New York City that November, and was buried at Hyde Park beside her husband.

Among her more notable quotes are these…

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Campaign behavior for wives: Always be on time. Do as little talking as humanly possible. Lean back in the parade car so everybody can see the president.”

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

“Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.”

“I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.”

“I used to tell my husband that, if he could make me ‘understand’ something, it would be clear to all the other people in the country.”

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.”

“In all our contacts it is probably the sense of being really needed and wanted which gives us the greatest satisfaction and creates the most lasting bond.”

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

“It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.”

“Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.”

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

“Probably the happiest period in life most frequently is in middle age, when the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are at morning and evening so large, almost entirely disappear at midday.”

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Homely. Determined. Wise. I love reading about her and would have greatly enjoyed talking with her.

I often wonder how some historical figures - like Eleanor - would have blogged. I suspect her posts would garner many comments and much attention.

Discreet is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech.”

Discretion is defined by the same source as “cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions.”

People are watching. And listening. More now than ever before. Hiding is almost impossible. But I’m not speaking of hiding. Nor am I addressing people like the former governor of New York who slink around committing acts of immorality (or illegality). I’m referring to everyday people like you and me. People who just live our lives. People who are not public figures. People who think their lives are relatively closed except to closest friends and family. People who sometimes lack the ability to properly discern just now little discretion exists in their lives thanks to the world wide web.

Most of us don’t live our lives with this view - paparazzi staring us in the face everywhere we go. As a result, we think we may be living in quiet anonymity. We’re wrong. Quiet anonymity is hard to accomplish. It’s especially hard when people don’t even try.

Heather Armstrong began one of the web’s most popular blogs, dooce. On her about page she writes this, “I started this website in February 2001. A year later I was fired from my job for this website because I had written stories that included people in my workplace. My advice to you is BE YE NOT SO STUPID. Never write about work on the internet unless your boss knows and sanctions the fact that YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT WORK ON THE INTERNET. If you are the boss, however, you should be aware that when you order Prada online and then talk about it out loud that you are making it very hard for those around you to take you seriously.”

Ms. Armstrong never thought her first writings would come back to haunt her. She was wrong. Now, she writes with an unabashed lack of restraint. She lets fly about every aspect of her life. It works for her. She’s a professional blogger. She’s funny, profane and unreserved. She makes a living blogging. Most web users don’t make their living doing what Heather does.

Facebook. MySpace. Xanga. Spoke. Linkin. Blogger. YouTube. Veoh. eBay. Cell phones. Cell phone cameras. Digital cameras. Digital pocket recorders. The list is long.

Digital footprints.

As early as 2000 I read an article in the New York Times about a college professor who was using digital forensics to help local law enforcement catch criminals. The FBI regarded Dr. John Leeson, an associate professor at the School of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, as one of the pioneers of the trade. I suspect that industry - digital forensics - has seen quantum leap growth. I also suspect the task has grown easier as people roam the digital landscape unaware of the footprints they leave behind.

Young people post their photographs, cell phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses, where they attend school, where they work, where they congregate after school, and most other details without considering that people other than their friends see what they post.

Couples drone on and on about their love and lust for one another. Some readily write of their encounters - some graphically so. I’ve been married a long time. I once wrote love letters to my wife. In a pre-Internet world, I never once photocopied them and posted them at school or elsewhere. They were my private letters to her. Private. Not public. Discreet. Not indiscreet.

Much of the worldwide web is a digital version of a junior high school year book. Full of personal, teeny-bopper commentary. And too much personal information.
The public domain is now a domain for everybody. Resumes are found online. Complete and detailed biographies, too. Discussion of jobs once held. Firings. It’s all there - for some people. They know not the meaning of the two words that began this post.

Perhaps I’m just more private than most. But I rather think that some, especially the younger and less mature, speak their minds on the web about anything and everything without regard to the digital footprint they leave. Maybe they don’t care.

Celebrity would likely kill most of us. The scrutiny. The constant attention. At least celebrities earn millions of dollars. Why put yourself out there for nothing?

Who cares who I love, or how much I love them? Who cares who you love, or how much? Who cares where you live (besides people of poor character who may use such information for evil purposes)? Who cares what your cell phone number is (except advertisers who can spam you with text messages, etc.)?

My advice: learn to limit your digital footprint. They will likely cause you more harm than the carbon footprint you read so much about these days (yes, I’m prepared for all the Al Gore fans to chastise me soundly).

What could I learn about you if I simply Googled your name and determined to find out as much as possible? Do you care? Adopt an attitude of discretion and behave accordingly. Not every detail of your life is worthy for public consumption.

Web 2.0 is a term that was created by O’Reilly Media back in 2003. Many people falsely think it’s some new technology. We’re so accustomed to seeing versions of our software escalate numerically - we may naturally think Web 2.0 must be the latest version of the world wide web. A version that supersedes Web 1.0. Nope. Not true.

Web 2.0 refers to the interactivity of today’s web. Blogs, YouTube and other sites and software incorporate the ability for dialog on the net. People can do much more than surf the net. They can contribute, download, interact with others, join groups, have many points of contact and conversation. In short, Web 2.0 is the social connectivity of the web - in all of its variations. From RSS to posting pictures on Flickr. From Xanga to Facebook. From Blogger to WordPress. From dooce.com to tompeters.com. It’s the ongoing conversation between people that best defines Web 2.0.

While all of us experience Web 2.0, not all of us contribute to it. Everybody who logs onto the Internet experiences Web 2.0. When they go to a blog, look at somebody’s Flickr pictures or read the comments made to a story in the New York Times - they’re experiencing Web 2.0. They may never download a thing. They may never post a comment. They may never create a website of their own. Their web experience may be 100% one-way. The life of a spectator - not a player. The world is full of them.

But there is another group, often characterized by the young (sometimes the very young), who post often, upload pictures of everything, write of every sacred detail of their life, and basically view the world wide web as their circle of “friends.” MySpace and other social networks use that moniker casually. Friends. Often people you’ll never meet. Strangers with something in common is more like it. “Oh, you like Maroon 5? Me, too!” Friends.

Web 2.0 isn’t restricted by age. I’m many years removed from being a teeny bopper, but I have a MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, Blogger and this site. I’m not a mere spectator. Others can judge the level of my contribution, but this much is sure - I manage to take up more than my share of web space. That’s Web 2.0.

But I’m mostly intrigued not by the interactivity of Web 2.0, but the content of that interactivity. I’m fascinated by the behavior of younger people who assume the world wide web is where their voice is heard - where it must be heard. It’s an obvious place where we all go for information or to reach people. We can contact large groups of people with broad interests, or minute groups with esoteric interests.

It does baffle me at times the private and seemingly discrete information that many of us - those who are older, or more reserved by nature - would never upload onto the web — versus those among us who openly discuss and reveal every detail of their life. Heather over at dooce has made a nice blogging career out of such things. And I confess that I’m as hooked as any on her entries. Why do I care? I don’t know. But I do. Do I understand? Of course not, but at least she’s earning a living as a professional blogger. Money makes it all good.

Boys talk about girls. Girls talk about boys. Couples discuss their arguments. And love. It’s all in the open. No discretion. No secrets. Who needs rumors? We’ve got true public confessions happening every nanosecond of every day by millions of Web 2.0 participants.

Like a car wreck, we rubber neck because we can’t look away. We fail to keep our eyes on the road because we might miss something. Is our life made better by seeing a car crash? Does it do something valuable for us? No, but still we stare - and crank our neck like a contortionist to see whatever we can see.

Web 2.0 might best be summed up this way. For some, they enjoy being the crash that everybody looks at. Like a speeder standing on the side of the road being written a ticket by the cop - they don’t mind that everybody is looking at them. For others, we don’t want that level of attention. It’s just how things are — and it’s the way we’re wired. 1.0 instead of full blown 2.0.

It dawns on me after listening to years of talk radio and listening to callers - most people have absolutely nothing interesting to say, or nothing new to offer. Sometimes the hosts don’t either.

This is not unique to radio or other commercial media. It can also be true of bloggers and commenters.

I have little interest in writing these days. I have continued to read some blogs. I’m still partial to Dumb Little Man and Ririan Project. They’re among two of my favorites. Lately, I’ve not been reading many blogs though - and I’ve sure not written anything worthwhile (in the blog) for as long as I can remember. I just have no interest in it.

Some bloggers report spending no less than 4 hours a day on their blog. Many spend more than that. Sorry, but I can’t figure out how or why a person would do that. Well, one instance makes a little bit of sense - compensation. If a person is a paid blogger I get it. But, web space is full of amateurs (non-professionals who earn nothing) who spend hours and hours on their blog daily.

When you check the subscriber count on some sites (Dumb Little Man currently displays 73,557 subscribers) it certainly makes sense that a person, or group of people, will spend some quality time on the content. Thus begins the debate - must you devote those hours to the content in order to get subscriber rates into 5 digits, or must you devote those hours to please all those subscribers? I suspect Dumb Little Man has always given substantial resources (including time) to the creation of their blog. I’m glad somebody did because the content is worthwhile.

Then, there are the millions of blogs that nobody reads because nobody cares what you had for lunch, or what movie you saw last, or who you’re dating, or what your vacation plans are. And there are innumerable blogs like this one - blogs about nothing! We’re the Seinfeld of blogs.

Why do we keep them going? I have no idea. I did have a purpose when I began - and much of that continues to this day. It began as an exercise to learn a bit about website creation, design, FTP, SEO and all the other nuances of websites. In the course of a few years I’ve learned a lot.

I don’t earn my living in web design or any other Internet-type industry. When I began blogging it seemed the space was primarily filled with web designers, IT guys, and other technical people, or so it seemed. Some of the best designed blogs are about blogging, blogging technologies, CSS and other elements of design. Go figure.

My desire to unclutter my life plays a major role in my current state of dissatisfaction. My physical space is full of too much clutter. So is my cyberspace. My bookmarks alone testify to the fact that I’ve got too many websites stuffed in folders that I never visit. At the time I bookmarked them, they surely seemed valuable. But not really. My mind, like so many others, often thinks, “Interesting. I may want to come visit this again.” But I rarely do. Because most sites aren’t worth visiting once, much less again.

I may disconnect this blog. I’ve not yet decided. I surely have much to learn about CSS, and other website design technologies. But I’m bored. And tired of the clutter. And Moleskin notebooks are still one of my favorite ways to write - or should I say, one of my favorite mediums on which to record my writing?

Funny thing is…nobody is reading anyway. So if a blog dies on the Net and nobody is reading, does it really make a sound? Likely not. Silence. The sound of death. The sound of apathy. The sound of indifference. No sound whatsoever!

I’ve grown to hate blogs and blogging. So I haven’t been writing. I have, however, been reading - books. It’s a much better investment. Maybe one day I’ll care about all this web stuff - but not today!

Even TV is more interesting these days - and we’re in the land of nothing but repeats. No good sports are on - baseball is NOT a good sport. The NBA sucks wind. Hockey - my beloved sport - is dying at the hands of a plastic lawyer. We’re hard pressed to find any TV worth watching. If I see one more commercial for a new reality show (whether it’s about pirates or bingo or anything else) - I may surrender to my urges for serial killing.

Blogging in all its variations (Facebook, Xanga, MySpace, WordPress, Blogger) is wearing me out! Books never wear me out. My loyalty to books shall remain even though bad books can exist along side good books. The cost of entry with a published book is still much more difficult than the creation of a blog. That alone ensures the quality is likely to be worth a cursory look. If not, toss it aside and reach for another. Besides, you’ll often come across an author who knows more than you do - something rare in the world of blogging where every man is a king of dunces. Including me.

Today (well, actually - yesterday) I hit the “PAUSE” button.

I’m going to be doing some behind the scenes work on this blog as I begin preparing to fail faster. The excitement of the experiment is the thing. As with all experiments, you don’t often get it right the first time. This blog didn’t get it right the first time, but there was no intention of right or wrong.

This blog began with underlying intentions that I’ve outlined already - to learn how websites work and to educate myself a bit on search engine optimization. First, I had to just learn the language of all this stuff. The world loves terminology. Every industry has its own talk. CSS, HTML, XHTML, SEO, CMS and all the rest were foreign to me when I began some years ago. So, my failure served to help me learn.

Writing and communication have always been of greater interest, but I knew this medium needed a basic understanding if I was going to progress. First things first, I dove into talking with designers, reading blogs, reading books, listening to podcasts and doing whatever I could to learn the lingo and more. Web design changes as quickly as anything else. It’s been estimated that one year is equivalent to seven years worth of new knowledge. I guess the world of web design is best measured in dog years.

Preparing to fail - faster - is now my goal. Leaning toward wisdom demands it. Wisdom isn’t found easily. It requires, I think, a willingness to fail and fearlessness of success. Experimentation doesn’t have to be soley my own. Frequently I can learn from the failure or experimentation of others. Only a fool would demand that wisdom be gained by his own failure or experimentation. Preparing to fail faster means that success is found more quickly.

Yet, we all seem compelled to find our own way. To carve out our own path. To figure things out for ourself.

I am smack dab in middle age and that gives a prospective I’ve not always had. It’s a pretty good view. I now have enough past history to provide me valuable lessons that no money can buy. I hopefully have enough future before me to put those lessons to wise use. When time is no longer on your side, speed grows more important. My need to fail fast is now urgent.

Quietly now - I’ll begin to finalize my plan to launch forth on a quest more focused on the title, Leaning Toward Wisdom. It’s time for the communication, writing and content to be exciting, experimental and fun. A mechanic can only spend so much time working on the race car. Eventually, you have to get behind the wheel and drive fast. I’ve put the tools away and I’m now climbing in to drive.

Wisdump is now for sale. I must admit that since Whitespace became Wisdump - I bailed out. I do still visit 9 Rules with great regularity though. It will be interesting to see what offers are made to purchase Wisdump.

Some are asking the obvious question, “What’s a blog worth?” The answer is, “It depends on the blog.”

Some blogs have tremendous advertising revenue because they have large numbers of unique visitors every day. In every case, the content determines how many people visit any site. That content determines if visitors go the site daily, hourly, weekly, monthly or sporadically.

If the originator of a blog sells the blog - will it remain as good as it was? If it gained popularity - enough to warrant a legitimate buy/sell - then will it advance in the future at the hands of some new owner? Again, the answer is, “It depends.”

The web is an ever changing landscape. Things don’t remain the same. Sites alter their design. They may alter their purpose. They may alter their content. Some sites are abandoned. I’ve still got a number of sites in my bookmarks that haven’t been updated for months and months. How many dead sites do you still have bookmarked?

Something caused me to bookmark it. Perhaps it was a great design. Perhaps it was one entry that caught my eye. Now, it’s just taking up space. Wisdump certainly doesn’t want to end up like that. I hope a successful sale can happen, but I honestly don’t care. I’m sorry for that, but compelling content is tough to come by these days.

My blogging serves only two purposes, neither of them very high brow:

a) To learn more about websites, blogging and CMS - not to mention SEO, web standards, CSS and the like

b) To write a bit about things I find of interest - and mostly things that spur on my own quest for wisdom (I’m not foolish enough to think anybody else cares about what I write; I do it only for myself)

Wisdump and others have a business angle that I don’t have. So, if they tire of it - they should sell it. Any business owner who grows tired will attempt to sell the enterprise. If there are no takers, then he’ll likely liquidate. I wonder what the blogger without a buyer will do. What’s there to liquidate? Sell the content to somebody else? Sell the domain name? Sell the site’s design?

I’ll be watching Wisdump’s efforts to sell more than I ever watched the site before. And that’s not a slap against Wisdump. It’s just that in the hectic surfing world I now find myself - Wisdump doesn’t grab me as Whitespace once did. I’m sure Wisdump’s traffic is on the increase. Everybody leers at traffic accidents, bloodshed and blogs for sale.

Writing is the key. At least for me. It’s all about words, with a smattering of pictures, drawings and illustrations. For the past few years I’ve resided at Blogger. I had a brief stint with TextPattern, but wasn’t happy so I went back to Blogger.

Like most, I’ve got a fondness for design. I’m not a designer though. I do know what I like and I’m able to articulate why I like what I do. I’ve thrown a little bit of money at template designers to give me something unique, but the experiences have always left me feeling stupid. Stupid for spending the money, given how little I got in return. But I’ve learned a few things about CSS, and other technical things, in the process so it’s not a complete waste.

The template world is full of good, bad and mediocre designs. I decided to dive in and just go for it. I rather like this design by Brian Gardner. He does good work. This works for me. For now. Perhaps forever. It’s time to focus on the work - the words.

Here I am, at the end of a month deciding it’s time to move forward. Time to move on. Time for a fresh start. Sadly, or perhaps not so sadly, the content from Blogger isn’t migrateable (is that a word?) to WordPress. That’s probably as it should be though for a new start. Leave the past behind. Don’t look back. Press forward.

So today. I have pressed PLAY here and STOP at the old site.

It’ll take me some time to get situated in these new digs, but I’m looking forward to a renewed focus of sharing my quest for wisdom. Business. Family. Relationships. Money. Health. Spiritual responsibility. The pursuit of these passions is worthy of any wisdom-seeker.

Update April 6, 2007

After finding the Blogger Import Plugin I migrated all my old content over to these new digs. The formating isn’t excellent, but the content is there. Not that it’s worthwhile, but at least everything is in one place now. Pretty slick.