Fine Art of Bloging

Just Thinking

2012-01-28T13:15:00.000+05:00

Ah yes, that would be me now wouldn’t it? Alright, here we go…

There were three reasons that I started blogging. The first is simple enough...I love to write. The second reason had to do with my past career and hobby which was computer technology. From the late 70’s to the late 90’s you might say that I (and others of course) rode the crest of the wave that eventually lead to the birth of the home computer and the operating systems that came with them. I won’t get into detail here but it was a fascinating time and a fascinating field to be in. And like all new technology, things evened out eventually, standards were achieved and to put it bluntly…it ended up becoming fairly boring when the PC and associated equipment thereof became more of a tool to use rather than something to improve upon and evolve.

So what does the above have to do with blogging? You’d have to be me to really understand why but suffice it to say that after several years of being bored with my favorite interest, here finally was something new, fascinating and evolving and it involved great ideas like writing, community and conversation. It grabbed my interest and wouldn’t let go and now at this point in time, neither can I. I couldn’t really envision not having this avenue that satisfies so many of my interests at once.

Oh yeah, and the third reason; DSL! If you don’t have DSL you don’t blog. Well, you can try but it will likely take you half the night. When we finally got DSL up in my neck of the woods, I grabbed it and shortly thereafter, I was blogging.

And, after all this time, this is what having a blog has come to mean to me personally:

A blog is a vehicle that allows a person to place part of who they are out into the virtual world that the Internet has become. And this virtual world is just as real as the physical one where each blog can be likened to a house or business or library to name a few, in a neighborhood where folks can drop by at any time to pass the time of day and/or listen to what you might have to say. To me a blog is a conversation amongst the folks of a community that has no rules or boundaries, no law enforcement of any kind yet is a much more kind, compassionate and self disciplined group of people than what one may find in anywhere in the physical world. And each community that surrounds a group of blogs resembles a small town in more ways than one. Yet the physical and the virtual is all part of the same thing---the same people are involved and that’s something that I find quite tolerable.

I love it.

The above is something I could go on and on about but in the interest of keeping control of my rather wordy self…

I don’t really monetize the blog in any way that involves making any real income off of it. The only possible avenue of making a bit of pocket change now and then is a few minor ads in my sidebar and occasionally the footer but even then I’m not really expecting anything from it. This personal blog of mine is for my own use and satisfaction and not something I feel should be turned into a substantial revenue generating device. Besides…that would mean I would have to post on a regular basis and that takes all the fun out of it. If I ever attempt a “niche” style blog, then is the time when I would have to get serious about monetization but until that happens, it’s just pure enjoyment.

One thing I do get serious about is SEO and it’s something where I will always have to “do my homework”. SEO is not a “set it and forget it” type of thing these days while the search engines are constantly fiddling with their algorithms and what the “powers that be” in the world of search engines consider to be important as far as page ranking goes. Even now I’m having to change the way I’ve handled SEO in the backend of the blog due to those very changes but I don’t really mind all that much. It exercises the few brain cells I have left. It keeps them healthy and all that.

So, for nearly 5 years I’ve attempted to start a conversation with the entire world and I’m happy to say that the entire world hasn’t beat a path to my door since that would mean a whole lot more conversations than I could handle at once. I’ve been very content and pleased with the small circle of friends and acquaintances that have revolved around our respective blogs and the various social communities that I've joined over the years. Unless the world as we know it falls into a black hole or civilization-as-we-know-it goes down the tubes, you’ll find me out there writing and posting away just for the pure enjoyment of it. After all, that's what blogging is all about.

The Fire Within

2012-01-27T08:50:00.000+05:00

Jalal hameed Bhatti

Sometime back, I had a colleague in my office who had taken up evening classes in IT. One day I asked him how he was doing and was he learning. I am happy that I asked this question that day since the answer to my question led me to the world of www. He said that he had just begun to learning the web page designing. This was an interesting topic so I asked him to give me some details. So he took a paper and drew the basic tags of a web page (the thing). And that was the day I joined www.

The same day, I went to the market and bought a book on the basics of learning html and web page designing. Completely self taught, I made the first prototype of my website that I named “Pakistanpaedia”. I included some basic information and looked for free website hosting services. I soon found 0catch.com and hosted my website on it for free. And was glad to see my own website on www. I kept expanding it, when the same friend asked me to buy a domain name (like dot com, dot org or dot info etc). So I bought the www.pakistanpaedia.com and then there was no ending. Today, this site of mine has endless information on Pakistan including text, photos, videos and links to countless external sites. And it grows every day.

As if this was not enough, I bumped into yet another friend of mine, who had been lost for quite sometime ago and taken up to writing and had become a writer. So this friend of mine, who is known as SAJ Shirazi (of Doodh Patti fame) to a lot of people on the blog thing, asked to me to start writing a blog. I told him that I was not a good writer and my blog would not get any traffic at all. But he was instant, so one day I gave in and started a travelogue covering my travel experiences and places that I visited. But Shirazi wanted me to expand the scope and also suggested a new name for my blog: Jaho Jalal. With the new name taken, I entered into he world of blogs and really started enjoying. It is a place where one can write anything, express oneself and listen to the reverberations.

Now I keep adding whatever wanders into my mind, other than my travel experiences and sharing my photos, that I also share on the Flickr as Jalalspages. The forum also allows me to read what others are writing and how good. This would lead me to improving my substance and may be one day I also start writing as close to good as others are.

Pimp My Cube Contest

2012-01-27T06:00:00.002+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Everyone (ok almost everyone) of us have a working place. Some of the offices are equipped with ergonomic furniture where as some have bad, some state of the art technology while others are still having old one, some are neatly laid out where are some are messy, unorganized, noisy, dirty and dark. How is your office?
News is that Contest Factory is holding Pimp My Cube Contest. The grand prize is for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office! Besides the money that can be used to improve your work space it is fun to enter. Upload a video showing the place and tell your office story imaginatively. How you spend most of your time working in such a place? Have fun with this. Ask your family,friends and colleagues to vote and comment and let Contest Factory ‘Pimp’ your office. The contest is ending on Jan 31, 2012 at 12:00 PM so hurry. Visit the site for more details.

With prize money (approximately $1200) is to improve your office. You can have new high end computer system installed, have new desk, chair and decorations added or have a new entertainment package with high end stereo, espresso machine or the likes. A second sweepstakes prize of a $200 gift card will be awarded to the registered user chosen by random drawing at the end of the contest period. So everyone has a chance to win. I am already thinking how I will spend the prize money on my office improvements.

DESiGN YOUR WRiTiNG LiFE

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001+05:00

Lisa Gates

People are inherently curious and social. And what that means to me as a bloggerpreneur is that I'm here to meet the core human needs of information and connection. I keep blogging because beautiful humans keep showing up at Design Your Writing Life for my information and my connection. When it gets really quiet and I can hear my own echo, I know I've gone off the deep end somewhere and not paid attention to my community. I got on my pedestal somewhere and forgot to take off my tiara. People want to know everyday how I'm going to show up for them, and they want to know there's space for them in the conversation. An invitation.

I blog because it is the most direct, authentic forum for me communicate who I am and what I offer in my work as a writer and coach -- or more fun and accurate, a completion catalyst. Even in face-to-face conversation with clients and potential clients, I always refer them to my blog as a way of getting inside the process. They get to see another side, another view and a series of conversations all focused on their interests and my offer as partner in their process. And blogging has built my business far better than any other marketing tool I use.

A straight website has no appeal to me -- just words on the page with no engagement structure. Design Your Writing Life is about building community and relationship (isn't everybody's?) so I wanted to create a compelling collection of thinkers, feelers and do-ers who are passionate about moving great ideas, books, businesses and life projects to completion. And people are showing up!

Blogging well matters. There are a lot of coaches and consultants out there, some with dismal websites that make the profession look bad, honestly. We all need to strive to stand above the flak so we can be of service to each other and the profession. Blogging, writing well, and listening like I have a tuning fork embedded in my ears helps me find a POV that entices people to wonder what I'm writing about today. As a fairly new blogger, I don't always hit the mark, but that's my goal nonetheless. Ever evolving. I am constantly asking myself, "Am I there yet?" Of course, I never am...

Now here's some of the scratchy stuff: I am not into bells and whistles. No AdSense for me. I'm developing some ebooks and teleworkshops, but beyond that I avoid commercialization like the plague. I'm choosing to be patient and let the wildfire of conversation and word of mouth do its job. Of course, MyBlogLog, Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and all of those are incredibly helpful tools. But by far the best tool for blog building is going over and having morning coffee with your favorite bloggers and joining in their conversations and showing up with an offer to be of service, and a unique POV that adds to the conversation.

There is always something to write, to say. If I'm listening, observing, playing, connecting, reading, commenting and participating in a big way, there is always something to write. Writer's block is a convenient box to sit in when we really just want to say, "I don't wanna! I don't feel like it!"

In my work I am always striving to help people hook up core values with actions. So it seems only right that we, as bloggers, should state our core values, our mission, our authentic offer.

My top 5 core values: Fun, inspiration, connection, wild self expression and yep, completion.

Tag: Fine Art of Blogging, Women at Their Best

Save at Prescription Savings Club

2012-01-22T04:00:00.002+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

No one wants to fall sick but unfortunately people of all ages need medication at one time or the other. Problem is that medications and health services are expensive. It is in this milieu that I suggest everyone must join Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens and save money. The Walgreens is a renowned company that sells a wide range of products. Best thing is that currently Walgreens is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club.

Join Prescription Savings Club (for $10 a year) and your immediate family including pets can get a very comprehensive coverage. Individuals may join for $5. Membership at Walgreens’ Prescription Savings Club will help you save on over 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications, discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies plus bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services. Membership of Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens is very reassuring.

I suggest readers to join Walgreens’ Prescription Savings Club, explore their neatly laid out site and also follow Walgreens on Twitter. I am following Walgreens on Facebook to stay updated. I can assure that you will love shopping experience at Walgreens while you enjoy their special discounts and low prices and save money.

My Life in Progress

2012-01-21T09:10:00.000+05:00

Maria Celina Gallo

My very first finished website was released to the digital ether towards the middle of the year 2000, when I was a sophomore in high school. I thought it would be cool to have a website, so I made one. It was a poetry site which exhibited rhyming narratives that I thought was ‘share’-worthy, and it was hosted on Homestead, when it was still unconditionally free. Afterward, I left the website alone to collect dust, and so did my interest in website making, until towards the end of my junior year in high school. I befriended someone when I was involved in a drama production in the first semester of the school year. We exchanged numbers, then interests. Before we knew it, we became very close. I found find out that she had a domain of her own. It looked good. She said something about ‘hard coding’ and the involvement of Notepad and other graphics-making applications. I nodded, seemingly coherent to the jargon. Either way, it piqued my interest again.

With a little pushing, my very first personal website was created and hosted on Envy. It had an endless range of different subpages – most being for anything I could think of that would warrant a page of its own -- whether it would follow up with further updates or sit there forever without much use, quite like a trophy spouse. Then I added a ‘journal’ subpage, thinking that it wouldn’t progress into anything worth mentioning.

I don’t know whether or not the addition of the journal was serendipitous or one of my life’s ironies, but over the course of time, my main focus for the website was on the ‘journal’ section. After finishing my homework, I would make a short update as well as little tweaks on the general website itself. The word 'blog' slowly seeped into the reality of those maintaining sites, and a major shift in the personal website trend happened, causing many to turn their online repositories of boredom into internet diaries. The journal would later relocate and go from free hosting to a host (after quite a number had made offers to host me) and jump hosts a few more times before I landed my own domain. I lost my entire journal when moving from free hosting to hosting, but started a new one. I registered for accounts in Diaryland and Diary-X, but those never lasted for long. Then I rediscovered Blogger. I used Blogger before, but never got the hang of the templates. It took me a while before something clicked in my head about a coding priniciple where I realised the solution was under my nose all along. That's when my 'journal' became a 'blog' or a ‘weblog’. My account in Blogger would last for two years until I changed to Wordpress through the judicious counsel of the one who re-introduced me into webpage making in the first place. Altogether, it held a record of the end of a tumultuous friendship, to my high school senioritis, and even my high school graduation and my first days of university. Four or so years later, it has recorded my life as a design student, yet another graduation, a collection of past memories, outings with friends and family, my journey as a follower of the Roman Catholic Church, and anniversaries with my boyfriend.

During this process, my weblog initially started off as an account of ‘what I did today’ entries sprinkled with references to people who I knew offline who read the site. Later, it became a collective of ideas and thoughts that I wanted to have written down and when I opened comments, shared as a dialogue between me and those who commented. This was particularly helpful when I had been going through some hard times in the initial part of my college years and my weblog became a tool of catharsis and release. After emerging victorious from those hard times, I eventually mixed the two and was able to write each entry in the form of a story. Soon, that became my method of blogging. As a believer in being honest, I also believe in the art of telling a good story, delivering the truth in a way that people can sit to read and enjoy and perhaps share in the experience. I soon became comfortable with this, and even started writing short stories in the place of ‘what I did today’s, to take the extra step in being creative. While there are things that I choose not to reveal on my weblog for either personal or professional reasons, I became a storyteller, a muse, and I had my own space to practice my craft; the space became my platform for me to exercise my personal voice.

Before blogging – or any form of public journaling – I found there was little space for the personal voice. The only options available were columns, and even then, were written by a select few. Integrity was vouched for by hard facts and generally accepted principles that left little room for dialogue and debate. If any, they were given a sentence or two of brief publication but only enough so that it could be forgotten in time. Only later when blogging become a popular and even commercialised through its use in news websites and endorsements by public figures (i.e. political leaders, celebrities), did the value of the personal voice become realised. When I would visit the websites of my favourite music groups, there would a weblog section for the band members to update their fans on the progress of their tours or upcoming songs and albums. Non-government organizations that have assisted in the recent natural and man-made disasters leave updates on what is going on with their relief work, giving readers a picture of the work that is being done in the affected area. News sites have weblogs set up for some reporters and are open to comments that could possibly be mentioned on television (though not necessarily directly to the reporters themselves). With the sudden influx of the ‘web 2.0’ movement and the integration of so many applications, blogging had also taken on many forms. Firstly, it became an optional function for networking sites, which have provided those who do not want to get their own external space for their outlet but still want to write every now and then. Also, video blogging and voice blogging evolved from the pre-existing written blog entries and photography blogging. Blogging had developed so much, and now, there were so many options at people’s disposal on how they wanted to go out projecting their own personal voice. I feel lucky to have entered the blogosphere relatively early because I went from a teenager to an adult in the process, and I became witness to its evolution and got the best of both worlds.

Success in blogging, for me, is personal, because the purpose of weblogs is likely to differ from person to person. My weblog, for most part, is personal, and most of my networking generally consists of those who share the similar purpose of ‘day to day with occasional thoughts’ blogging and a smaller circle consisting of people who know me offline that might know about its existence. The rest is all in the question of chemistry: if they like what they see, they come back, and the same goes for my personal preferences on weblogs: if I like what I see, I keep on returning. After all, I find that good personal weblogs showcase the author’s personality as well.

For a long time, I have viewed my own weblog as a documentation of my own life in progress, a never ending story done in first person in a very raw form. It only ends when the author calls for it, but that’s only the weblog, because a life will continue to be a work in progress. On the practical side, it has helped me maintain my passion for writing and is a helpful in terms of providing me an outlet that balances out my regular obligations. Being a design student, I have done assignments that require a lot of drawing and 3-dimensional modeling, but very little writing. I believe this is one of the reasons that keep me going until today. I just hope that regardless of how long my own weblog shall ‘live’, that it has a good ‘life’ while it lasted.

The D Spot

2012-01-14T09:00:00.000+05:00

Dine Racoma

Blogging, to me, is another form of "literary" medium, a new one, as opposed to the traditional media--books, magazines, journals, etc., in hard copy. Blogging allows one person, as the owner of his/her own blog, to freely post articles in one's own writing voice/tone, without going through an editor. As it is immediately published, and one gets instant gratification. Blogging is a medium to share experiences with, and to reach out to people. This, however, entails responsibility, responsibility to one's readers, and respect for other people in the blogosphere.

I blog almost every day. My readers have to get a clear indication of how regularly I blog, so that they will know when to come back. My blogging is kinda witty, light material, open, sometimes personal, sometimes funny, sometimes poetic. My favorites are my series on "The Joy of Being a Mother".

My main objective in blogging is to put my free flowing thoughts in essays and poetry, and eventually share, educate, entertain, and sometimes inform. Blogging has done a lot of things for me:

Blogging has made retirement easy for me. No transition, no regrets, no post-retirement blues, no sadness, ALL joy. Now, I am doing what I like doing most--writing. It's my passion. Yes, it's true, In the past, I would write everyday: endless templated memos, endless templated letters, endless templated reports. Now, I am free, I can write anything that I would like to write about, with no templates, no rules, no boundaries. Now, I am more aware of my surroundings, creating thoughts out of anything interesting that would catch my eye, taking snapshots, scribbling notes, which I could eventually shape into the art (yes, I call it an ART), known as a BLOG.
Blogging has helped me recreate myself. Slowly, I have made a career out of writing (content, research).
Blogging has unearthed for me new friends--they're my latest finds, my latest gems. Diverse interests, different personalities, all ages (doesn't matter at all) living in different parts of the planet, sharing experiences, expressing thoughts, crazy thoughts, sane thoughts, concocting out whatever is in their minds, new recipes, amazing photographs, anything, accepting me for all my writing worth. Sometimes, I wonder–are they really from this planet? are they for real.
Blogging has made me keep my old friends. In the past, I would have daily lunches with best friends and weekly drinks (those margaritas are unforgettable!), mostly blah blah blah of daily toiling and bickerings. Now with thoughts passionately written, hilariously explained, secrets bared, I am sharing more than what was shared in daily lunches and weekly drinks.
Blogging has helped me find classmates, former colleagues, former neighbors, even the dead.
Blogging has made me understand my children more better. When I was not into blogging yet, I would PEEK into their blogs and other social networking media (friendster, my multiply, tweeter) to catch up with what they and their friends are up to. Now i would DIGEST each sharing and each emotion expressed.

Some tips on blogging: Be yourself, think about your readers. If you want to reach an international audience, use English. Mind your grammar, at least subject-verb agreement should be correct. Interact with your readers.Give personal touch in responding to comments. Visit other blogs, too, and make meaningful comments. Do not plagiarize, do not post photos of other people without either asking their permission or acknowledging their source, do not smear other people's reputation.

Here are some personal high blogging points in my blog life. When a reader sends me an email or a comment saying that I have touched his/her life, I am happy. Each time I see my daily statistics come up is a high for me. Each time I receive a comment, I am happy. High point in blog life is when others link me, others discuss about me in their blogs. When the big wigs/pioneers in blogging write about me or acknowledge my work, I am happy.

About earning money? My primary reason in maintaining my blog is to share my thoughts and experiences with my readers. I also keep my blog because it is one way of networking and introducing myself--of telling my readers that hey, here is a writer. It also showcases my writing skills. Through this blog, I was able to earn money--it has caught the attention of some people who wanted help in writing and research. I have adsense, though this is not much. I have learned from a recent local blogging summit that blogs can be monetized. I am trying to learn about how one can get passive income or residual earnings through the blogs.

Social World

2012-01-07T10:33:00.000+05:00

What is the most popular content category on the Web? Social networking of course.

Social networking sites now reach 82 percent of the world’s online population, which represents 1.2 billion users according to a recent study from ComScore.

In fact, social networking accounted for 19 percent of all time spent online in October – which is almost 1 out of every 5 minutes. This is a steady incline from 2007, when social networking only accounted for 6 percent of time spent online.

The most popular social site, Facebook, now reaches more than half of the world's population, and accounts for about 3 in every 4 minutes spent on social networking sites and 1 in every 7 minutes spent online around the world.

However microblogging has also gained momentum in the social space. Twitter grew 59 percent over the past year, and now reaches 1 in 10 Internet users across the world. But other microblogging services are also gaining traction, such as Tumblr and Sina Weibo. Sina Weibo is the leading Chinese microblogging site, and is ranked as the tenth social network globally, while Tumblr ranks twelfth globally and has recently seen a growth rate of 172 percent.

So aside from being everyone’s favorite past time, what is driving the popularity of social media? The answer could be mobile devices, which allow users to update statuses on the go, check-in with location-based services, redeem coupons or deals and more. According to the ComScore report, 32 percent of the total U.S. mobile population reported accessing social networking sites on their phone in the month of October, while 24 percent of the mobile population from the five leading European markets also claimed to have engaged with a social network via their mobile devices.

And although people use social networking for many different reasons, it continues to be an affordable and effective marketing avenue for businesses, especially since it reaches such a large audience.

A noteworthy statistic from the study reveals that social networking leads all content categories in the number of display ads delivered. In October, 28 percent of U.S. display ad impressions came from social media, and 5 percent of all ad impressions viewed in the U.S were socially enabled. Facebook is currently the largest publisher of U.S. display ad impressions in the third quarter of 2011 – which is more than the other four major portals combined - Website Magazine.

Center for Appropriate Technology {CAT} Cameroon

2012-01-07T08:55:00.000+05:00

Center for Appropriate Technology (CAT), is NGO based in Bamenda, Capital of North West Region in the Republic of Cameroon.

Vision of the NGO, founded in 2001, is development, presentation on exhibitions and promoting of appropriate technology. For men, do-it-yourself usage of appropriate technology gives a hope of independence from central technical infrastructure. And for women handmade dolls, dressed in traditional attires from the different provinces is a means of additional income generation in rural areas. CAT also involves children in different initiatives through Youngsters Club.

CAT has develop active cooperation with foreign NGOs like Technology Transfer and Training Centre in Pakistan, Institute for Planning and Consulting, German Society for the Development of Culture (DGFK) and Bamenda University of Science and Technology (B.U.S.T).

This blog, in addition to useful information about Cameroon (one of the most diverse African countries that is called Africa in Miniature) and its culture and people, will covers CAT initiatives and projects.

Mr Njini Victor is Programme Director and Sobe Manasse, Programme Coordinator and Assistant at CAT..

Related: Snail Farming in Cameroon

The Impatient Blogger

2011-12-25T10:00:00.000+05:00

Margot Potter

I write my blog from my art studio (which is a room in my house) each morning after my daughter goes to school. I started blogging a little over a year ago for several reasons. I’m an author and I need to promote my books and I’m a designer who needs to build a name in the craft and jewelry industry, by blogging daily I am hopefully cultivating readers. As my blog progressed I found it was inspirational to others and so my focus has expanded to allow for sharing my creative journey and my triumphs and failures with brutal honesty and a deep sense of irony and humor. My intent all along through my website www.margotpotter.com and my books and freelance work is to build and promote my brand. Brand Margot Potter. The goal is to eventually license product, host a TV show and take over the world. I hope to expand my books into the self help and inspirational mode, because that’s really where my creative work as an artist and a writer is heading. It’s all a step by step process and along the way my blog has continually expanded outward.

I don’t really pick topics as much as they pick me. Meaning, for the most part, I don’t really know what I might blather on about on any given day. I sit down and meditate on the rumblings in my brain until a topic emerges. I’ve yet to run out of things to talk about so this is working for me. My blogs are personal and not topical or regurgitated information from other sources. Everything in my blog with the exception of quotes I find compelling comes from me. I post my blog on blogger and repost it on MySpace

every day. Unless I’m out of town or ill, I try to post every day. This helps maintain my readership and keeps my blog from getting stale. I promote my blog via my website and MySpace and also through my books and freelance work. I’ve joined various blogging platforms and groups like MyBlogLog, Blogger Chicks, Housewife Mafia, Spicy Page etc. This has really helped boost my readership. My blog is also available through a variety of feeds. I try when time permits to visit other blogs of personal or professional interest and leave comments, because this is an excellent way to network and court new readers and it’s also helped me meet some fascinating people. I wish I had more time to devote to promoting the blog, but I have a very, very hectic schedule as it is with things that actually pay me money!

I think the best moments for me as a blogger happen when something I’ve written resonates really strongly for my readers. Sometimes that means wonderful comments or even private emails that tell me that I am empowering others to be creative or to work through some of their issues. That’s really ultimately why I blog, if it was just about me I’d keep a diary offline. My impetus is to show people that it is possible to do what you love and have the money follow. That the richest path is not always the well traveled one. Everything I do comes down to that.

I don’t make money with my blog, yet, maybe never. The blog is a platform for other things that make me money. I am loathe to junk it up with advertising because I’m afraid it would impede the integrity of the content. I would also never want to write a blog that was merely an advertising platform cloaked as entertainment or real content. I think it’s fine for other people, it’s just not who I am. I have considered running ads that I can control and selling them myself, but I’ve not made a definitive decision on that.

Blogging has been an amazing experience for me on so many levels. I’ve met amazing writers and designers, I’ve developed the discipline of writing every day, I’ve discovered things about myself I’d never have explored and I’ve created connections with like minded people from around the world. It’s been amazing.

Pimp My Cube Contest

2011-12-25T02:00:00.001+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The environment at work place where people spend most of their time creating and unleashing new ideas is very important to anyone. Personally speaking it affects my mood and attitude. But not all offices are the same. I was looking online for ideas for an office space when I came upon a Pimp My Cube Contest. I was amazed to see how Pimp My Cube contest is ‘searching for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office that may have bad furniture, old technology, messy, unorganized, noisy, dirty, dark and/or any other attributes that make it a bad space to work in.' And I an curious about what is to come up there. I am following keenly.

All those who are interested to show case their messy work space many upload their own clips and enter to win grand prize (contest has a total grand prize value of approximately $1200). It works very simply. Upload your own office space video and once it is approved you may ask your online friends and family to vote for your video (what else are online friends for?). Not only that you may also vote and comment.

This is going to be very interesting. I suggest you visit the Pimp My Cube. Remember the contest period will end at 12:00PM on 1/31/12. So hurry.

See Me Blog

2011-12-24T19:03:00.000+05:00

Lizza

I’ve always loved reading and writing, and I’ve been doing both a lot since I was a kid. I started keeping a diary when I was a teenager and when the Internet came along it was just natural for me to go from paper to digital – a relief, actually, since my handwriting never won me any awards and even I sometimes have trouble reading it.

My initial attempts at blogging were hiccup-y; I’d write something, post it, and delete it. Last year I started one on MySpace. (I know, what could I have been thinking?) Then through work that I do with my friend and business partner, Victor, on Expat Interviews, I made the online acquaintance of a Canadian lady living in the UAE. It turned out she couldn’t access my MySpace blog (it was one of the sites her ISP bans) so I started one on Blogger. The MySpace account is dead but my Blogger journal lives on.

In the beginning she was my only reader. Then as the months passed one reader became five then a dozen. People have come and gone, but a few have stayed on, bless their suffering souls. Some say they found my site through the Next Blog button, others through sites like Bestest Blogger of the Day, BlogBlast for Peace, and The Rising Blogger; some came via other bloggers.

I’ve found some great blogs via these avenues too – and made some amazing friends online. Mine is a personal site, not a business site. Its primary function was and is to be a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I write about silly stuff, sometimes it’s about an aspect of life here in the Philippines, sometimes I spew when I’m feeling blue and angst-y, sometimes I write about family. I do it simply because I want to write about it, nothing less, nothing more. I won’t deny, though, that I love it when people say they like a certain post, or what I wrote on a certain day resonated with them, or when I find that somebody has linked to me without telling me – that’s always a nice surprise. I should mention that I don’t like it when bloggers exhibit this “I linked to you, so link to me too” attitude. The people in my blogroll are there because I like their blogs, not because they asked to be placed there.

Blogging is not only fun. It can also be cathartic. It’s an outlet for whatever creativity is brewing in me. It’s a personal endeavor that’s a gratifying part of my normal life, just like eating or sleeping or playing. Right now I don’t feel the need to promote my blog through aggregate sites. Getting good traffic is great, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t ever want to reach that point where getting more comments and awards and higher search engine rankings will eclipse the reason why I started blogging publicly in the first place: to write what I want to write about, not what I think others want to read. Having readers come and return is the icing on the cake, and they’re non-fattening!

Reading other blogs, though, has greatly influenced my way of thinking and the topics I write about sometimes. Also, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve learned something new from what someone else wrote. A certain writer will have a post that makes me think, so I’ll blog about that topic too and mention that I got the idea from him or her. All of us probably agree that blogging is a great way to share information, and one of the ways I like to share is to mention every Saturday a handful of blog entries written by others during that particular week.

There is a great number of terrific blogs out there: they’ve made me laugh hilariously, they’ve made me teary-eyed, they’ve left me breathless by the way they’re written, they’ve made me marvel at their visual creativity – these are some of the characteristics of blog posts I share with regular readers and passers-by on weekends. People have said they like my Blogworld Saturdays feature because it leads them to blogs they otherwise wouldn’t have known about, and that’s gratifying to know. What they don’t realize is it’s a way to turn them into blogging addicts like me, haha! I jest – sort of.

The comments section is another enjoyable part of the blogging experience. Sometimes the comments I get are much more interesting than the post itself! Reading comments can be both entertaining and enlightening. (I’ve also found a few blogs through comments left on other blogs – sometimes they intrigue me enough to want to know more about that person’s writings, and before I know it, presto! I’ve become the fan of another blogger.) Reading a post and leaving a comment is a good thing to do, but please, at least scan the post first before you say something! Reading something that’s totally unrelated to the post can make a person feel like he or she is on the receiving end of a wrong number.

The Internet is adding another dimension to how people learn and interact. Like it or not, it’s here to stay as a way for individuals to hear and be heard. Through blogging I’ve come across quite a few terrific people both near and far. It’s probably true that I will never meet these people personally, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cherish “meeting” them online. I do, and I look forward to meeting more and learning from them.

Twenty years of teaching

2011-12-08T09:20:00.000+05:00

Rolly

A blog is a journal where I can keep what my thoughts are on certain issues. I have always thought about doing a journal before and have actually started doing one on several notebooks but always, I abandoned these out of my own laziness to write. My handwriting began to get really messy when I learned to use the computer. When I discovered blogs, I found an avenue to keep a record of my thoughts and never stopped ever since.

I have posted my reason for blogging several times before. This is so that I can impart to my four kids the lessons I learned in life hoping that these would learn from these. I hope that my experiences would touch their lives, understand how and why I react to certain situations and get to know how to deal with other people in a more appropriate manner.

Writing my thoughts would make them know how I felt about something and give them more time to ponder and analyze my course of action. I am not one to give long sermons to my kids for I don't like those either when I was a young boy. They wouldn't listen if they don't want to anyway.

Furthermore, my writing could even extend to my children's children, and theirs, and so on. This way, I am assured that I would have left a legacy somehow or another to those who would have not known me personally. I am not a rich man so I can not leave them with anything material. At least, the lessons in life I teach would/could help them cope up with life that could sometimes be harsh, if one doesn't know how to deal with it.

What I did not expect was that I would have started something serendipitous. Other people began discovering my blog and had left comments of their own thoughts as well and that is neat. I got to be friends with a lot of my readers and commenter.

Unfortunately, I don't blog now as often as I used to. I get my topics from anything and everything that cross my path; a news report; an event that happened in my life; a book I read - anything that sparks an idea.

A blog template creates the identity of the blog. It gives your blog a face just like labels do with products. I have not used any promotion tool as I have not promoted my blog. I guess some people got to go my blog when I left comments with a link with mine in other blogs that I visited and read. From the day I started, I have been a regular at kwentong tambay, the Sassy Lawyer's Journal. Lately, I've added the following to my daily dose of blogs: knowread/knowrite, Under the Canopy and Blogging Bugs. There are a lot others which are linked in my blog and I have learned from them tremendously.

One of my cherished moments in my blogging life would have to be when I met in person the bloggers I have learned to admire. Batjay, Sassy Lawyer, Doc Emer. This meeting would be repeated again and again as they have become personal friends of mine. We have actually started a group of blogger friends called the Blogkadahan and we're still going strong to date.

Lastly, I have several posts that really mean to me a lot. These would be bonding moments I had with my family and friends, or posts that generated more thoughts and comments from readers.

I joined adsense before. I was about to earn my very first cash when I received a note from them that they suspect I have several illegal clicks or whatever the term is. I have been pondering over it and came to the conclusion that since I am a teacher and students in my school are probably reading my blog, they may have clicked the ads using the computers in school. Since all these computers are linked to only two servers, these clicks could have probably sent out the same IP address. So much for generating income eh?

Technorati Tag: Fine Art of Blogging

Just Thinkin'

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000+05:00

Kirk M Blanchard

What is blogging to me? Heh, I’ve been trying to figure that one out since I started and over a year and a half I’m still trying. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I only have a single, personal blog where the subject matter ranges from one thing to another and back again. It never settles down into one groove…just like it’s author.

Ah yes, that would be me now wouldn’t it? Alright, here we go…

There were three reasons that I started blogging. The first is simple enough...I love to write. The second reason had to do with my past career and hobby which was computer technology. From the late 70’s to the middle 90’s you might say that I (and others of course) rode the crest of the wave that eventually become the home computer and the OS’s that came with them. I won’t get into detail here but it was a fascinating time and a fascinating field to be in. And like all new technology, things evened out eventually, standards were achieved and to put it bluntly…it ended up becoming fairly boring when the PC and associated equipment thereof became a tool to use rather than something to improve upon and add to.

So what does the above have to do with blogging? You’d have to be me to really understand why but suffice it to say that after several years of being bored with my favorite interest, here finally, was something new, fascinating and evolving and it involved great ideas like writing, community and conversation. It grabbed my interest and wouldn’t let go and now at this point in time, neither could I. I couldn’t really envision not having this avenue that satisfies so many of my interests at once.

Oh yeah, and the third reason; DSL! If you don’t have DSL you don’t blog. We finally got DSL up in my neck of the woods and shortly thereafter, I was blogging.

And this is what a blog has come to mean to me personally:

A blog is a vehicle that allows a person to place part of who they are out into the virtual world that the Internet has become. And this virtual world is just as real as the physical one where each blog can be likened to a house or business or library to name a few, in a neighborhood where folks can drop by at any time to pass the time of day and/or listen to what you might have to say. To me a blog is a conversation amongst the folks of a community that has no rules or boundaries, no law enforcement of any kind yet is a much more kind, compassionate and self disciplined group of people than what one may find in anywhere in the physical world. And each community that surrounds a group of blogs resembles a small town in more ways than one. Yet the physical and the virtual is all part of the same thing---the same people are involved and that’s something that I find quite tolerable.

I love it.

The above is something I could on and on about but in the interest of keeping control of my rather wordy self…

I don’t monetize the blog in any way that involves advertising. The only possible avenue of making a bit of pocket change now and then is a couple affiliate links in my sidebar and even then I’m not really expecting anything from it. This personal blog of mine is for my own use and satisfaction and not something I feel should be turned into a revenue generating device. Besides…that would mean I would have to post on a regular basis and that takes all the fun out of it. If I ever attempt a “niche” style blog, then’s the time when I would have to get serious about monetization but until that happens, it’s just pure enjoyment.

One thing I do get serious about is SEO and it’s something where I will always have to “do my homework”. SEO is not a “set it and forget it” type of thing these days while the search engines are constantly fiddling with their algorithms and what the “powers that be” in the world of search engines consider to be important as far as page ranking goes. Even now I’m having to change the way I’ve handled SEO in the backend of the blog due to those very changes but I don’t really mind all that much. It exercises the few brain cells I have left. It keeps them healthy and all that.

So for one and a half years I’ve attempted to start a conversation with the entire world and I’m happy to say that the entire world hasn’t beat a path to my door since that would mean a whole lot more conversations than I could handle at once. I’ve been very content and pleased with the small circle of friends and acquaintances that have revolved around our respective blogs and lately the MyBlogLog community that I joined several weeks ago. Unless the world as we know it falls into a black hole or civilization goes down the tubes, you’ll find me out there writing and posting away just for the pure enjoyment of it.

Link Love

2011-11-30T22:24:00.002+05:00

Social media for business at Logic is Variable

Bridges at Doodh Patti

Pottry at Dolls Village

Artisans at Thatta Kedona

I ask the Impossible at Light Within
Housing at SPARC

You are Invited at Fine art of Blogging

Socities at Lahore School

Rugby at World Cup Log

You Are Invited

2011-11-04T10:50:00.000+05:00

Internet is a lonely place without Blogging; a fine art, science, also economics. Blogs are different to different people. Fine Art of Blogging asks you to share your views on what is a blog to you?

You are invited to contribute your thoughts in general. In particular, write how you blog? Why? How blogging matters in life and work? Success stories, motivations and inspirations. Answer these questions and more (add what you feel is important dimension) in a post and send in word document.

Poetic Memoir

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000+05:00

Princess Haiku

poetry, prose, photography, classical music, dance and book reviews, written in the tradition of a poetic memoir

I interpret a blog as a textual, auditory, visual or mixed-media communication written by a person(s) and published on the internet, for the purpose of exchanging, ideas, feelings, visuals, information, advice, companionship or friendship with others. Princess Haiku is a literary collage, with original poetry, prose, book, music and dance reviews, written in the tradition of a poetic memoir.

About a year ago, a friend set up my first blog on, My Space. I had no idea at that time, what a blog was and my space was put together with a do it yourself template in less than three minutes. “What is the title of your blog?” my friend asked. The words “Princess Haiku" flashed into my mind, as I enjoy the aesthetic simplicity of poetic forms such as haiku and tanka. Of course I wasn't thinking all this consciously and was just selecting template color, lay-out etc. Before I knew it my first blog was waiting for me. All I had to do was enter it with mind, heart and spirit.

The idea that Princess Haiku was a ghost appealed, because of the unlimited freedom of a spirit to travel and explore culture, history, time, place etc. I aspired for Princess Haiku to reflect the collective unconscious, for I wanted her to belong to everyone. In a world rife with conflict, aggression, ideology, hatred and greed, I wanted her to be everything that was beauty, goodness and grace. Art and music are universal languages and they are a good starting point for world peace. It is the task of the people of the world to do what governments cannot; find common human experience that allows for a dialectic of peace.

As my concept of “Princess Haiku” deepened, it became a journey into the world of fine arts, expressing universal concepts of beauty. The book, dance and music reviews on my space are for the most part original, although I sometimes reference the works of others. Additionally, I post my own haiku and prose musings.

When YouTube took off I was delighted for it allowed me to give readers an enhanced artistic experience. Instead of just reading about young musical geniuses such as Yundi Li, Lang, Lang or Helene Grimaud; they could hear and see them also. When I posted a review of the astonishing Cloud Gate Dance Theater, I was also able to post a YouTube clip from a recent performance.

In the beginning I was excited if I received any responses for any post. Now I am thinking about upgrading my stat counter. I think this a big thing for a small, literary blog whose discourse is dreams, rare flowers, classical music, fine arts, twilight and poetic musings of a ghost.

I never would have guessed that I would be gifted with internet friends from all over the globe. They have introduced me to many excellent poets, writers, dancers, thinkers, established and emerging virtuosi and artists. I see a world culture evolving as a result of informal sharing via the internet. I think that there is a particular value in reading reviews of various fine art forms, written by people who do not benefit financially from a particular opinion. How did a small poetic blog like mine attract an international readership? -Why, networking of course.

Registering in blog catalogs is a great way to get exposure. I registered in: Blog Top Sites, World Blog Connection, Superblog Directory, Blogs by Women, Top Blogs and others. I recently registered with MyBlogLog and am looking forward to becoming involved with this social network. Social networking I am told is the newest thing and a great way to connect with other bloggers.

An important and often overlooked factor in a successful blog is having a good profile. Daniel Thompson the Microtonal Composer, has a great article on writing profiles and can be found via World Blog Connection. I realized after I developed my profile that my blog was about “extreme beauty.” This wasn’t an accident; it evolved with a thorough evaluation of what my interests were and what my experience was. I won’t try to paraphrase Thompson; just read his article and take the time to read several profiles of successful blogs that you like.

Don’t overlook the human element for if you want to make blogger friends, you have to be one. I try to choose one blog a day and I carefully read several posts. Human relationships; even virtual ones are based on reciprocity. Once your own blog is doing well remember to “pay it backwards” and give backlinks and support to other neophytes. After all we are a world community.

“Having written all of these ponderous words, Princess Haiku realized that the moon was full and that it was time for her to collect fallen magnolia blossoms, to make a wreath for her new ghost whippet, Nimble of Thrace. –and disappeared.”

UK wholesale cleaning products

2011-11-03T09:30:00.000+05:00

Enter any living space, home or an office, hotel or airport lounge, and the standard of cleanliness will form your first idea of a place. Cleaner the place, better the image you form. If the things are messed up, given chance, you would not like to deal with the place again in anyway. That is why one people going a long way to clean up. More so in corporate world.

In modern living spaces, such as office blocks, super stores, hotels or a hospital, facades and partitions made of glass are widely used. To maintain the characteristics and transparency of these building elements over the long term, glass windows have to be regularly cleaned, floors continuously mopped. How these requirements can be met cost-efficiently and with the necessary thoroughness: Answer: the wholesale and regular supplies of janitorial supplies that work best.

One needs to have a right cleaning products for a right job. May be your cleaning staff doesn’t know the complete functions of cleaning supplies – what is the difference between Kentucky mop and Liberty mop, cotton cleaning material and microfiber cleaning material (which one absorbs water more and which one lasts longer), or how any specific cleaning tool works. I suggest the mangers at the upper ladder of the pyramid need to decide before bulk purchase at Janito - a total cleaning and janitorial supplies webshop. That is how any concern can save on cleaning supplies and janitorial products. No?

Chip's Tips

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000+05:00

Sterling W. Camden

What is a blog to me? That was the very question I sought to answer by starting one, and maybe I won't have an answer until I finish it. Many times the so-called blogosphere has battled over the question of what constitutes a blog, with the outcome usually favoring a broad definition. Maybe something along the lines of "online periodic publishing". Whether it's personal, group, or corporate; whether it's monthly, daily, or hourly; whether it's presented in reverse chronological sequence or not -- if it's published online with periodic updates and preserved archives you can probably call it a blog.

That kind of loose terminology means that the purpose and content of blogs ranges widely. I personally run two blogs: Chip's Quips and Chip's Tips. I've had Chip's Tips on the web since June 2001. The original version didn't use "blogging software", it used an XML-based CMS of my own design. But by the definition given above, it was a blog. I've always used it to publish programming tips, tricks, and examples for various languages and platforms. Within the last year, I also started publishing self-contained, consumable widgets and other simple applications, but I don't plan to expand the focus of the site beyond that scope. As a result, since converting to WordPress it has become one of Google's darlings when it comes to searching for coding hacks.

Chip's Quips, which I started in January 2006, is where I blog about everything else. It's truly a personal blog, and my primary benefit from writing it has been getting to know myself better. I've often blogged on the subject of getting real, and I think of myself as a sort of geeky Pinocchio trying his best to become a real boy.Naturally, the first step in that direction is to force myself to be brutally honest. Coming clean in front of everyone on the Internet can be a scary experience, but liberating at the same time.

As others of your contributors have noted, blogs build online communities. I enjoy exchanging comments and posts with readers, and my readers so far have been about the best bunch of online people I've ever virtually met. Even when the topic got fairly heated, they've always been polite. I'm a big believer in freedom of expression, so even if a commenter got nasty I would probably leave it up and respond to it instead. I believe that negative comments say more about the commenter than about the person they target.

Blogging helps me to think things through better, by forcing me to write them out in a way that I think will be understood by others.

Blogging gives me a voice and an online identity. It strokes my ego. My blog is my own little piece of Webturf, and I am the main attraction.

How do I blog? If an idea hits me, I start writing. It doesn't have to be well-formed, that will happen as I'm writing or after, upon revision. I'm often amazed at how well things come together as long as you just keep going. It's when you stop to consider what you're doing that the ideas grow stale. Just write. Then go back and revise, drawing connections that you just barely missed on the first draft. Add some humor where you missed the opportunity. Link to people.

Link to people. The only cost of a Google-juice gift is the time and text it takes to create a link. Usually it will come back to you -- with trackback/pingback, that can happen automatically. It's a great way to build good will and promote yourself and others at the same time. That said, I try to only link to sites that I really find interesting, because I also want to build trust in my readers that the effort of following my links will not be wasted.

The high points of my blogging career? When someone that I read and admire tells me that they like what I have to say, or when I get linked from thought-provoking posts.

Masroor Gilani's window on Pakistan

2011-10-30T09:24:00.000+05:00

Masroor Gilani

In early 2008, a friend in Karachi asked me to start my own website or blog. He said that since I was a journalist, I could write more often and make an interesting weblog.

So when I came back, I got a domain and started experimenting through self-learning. It was fun both writing and learning html. Then a friend suggested me to go for Drupal or WordPress and finally I settled with WordPress and fell in love with it.

Putting down my thoughts and experience on the blog gives me immense satisfaction and pleasure when someone comments on my posts.

It is good to see the graph of visitors going up and it always gives a fresh impetus to create more interesting content.

I have written posts on a diverse range of topics. My experiences with electronics, gadgets, photography, travel, work, politics, fashion, food and many many more things are available with mostly original photos.

Recently I have started recording my experiences of house construction. It makes an interesting reading. I have not yet come across any blog post through my Google searches on such a topic. This will serve as a guide to aspirant house builders.

My blog contains unique and rare photos or Pakistani tribal areas and aerial shots from helicopters. It is heartening to see years of work being available to millions of Internet users across the globe. Writing and improving the blog has become part of life now, rather an addiction.

Related: Pakistan slide show

Carol’s view of “It”

2011-10-28T10:30:00.000+05:00

Carol

For me a Blog is a place to write and share my thoughts and feelings on different issues.Personally, I Blog about matters that are important to me. I use my Blog as a place to vent my anger and frustrations about the War in Iraq and the way that our Government uses and misuses power

I write as a way to communicate with others and I also use it as a way to help me keep myself focused on what is important to me and to remind me that I am not alone in my views.

Having a Blog is a responsibility and I am accountable to my readers in keeping the information credible and relevant. I don’t think that having a Blog is a license to just vent.

Blogging is a way to bring people together and a way to share a little time with people I would otherwise never have the opportunity to meet. It is a way to make the world seem a little smaller and a way to have some social connection if you are like me and somewhat isolated.

I enjoy hearing from my reader’s through their comments and many times I have been given new perspectives on certain topics which helps me to look at some issues from different points of view which makes my Blog a constant learning experience for me.

Basically I write for me as a way to keep me sane in a world that sometimes feels like it has gone insane.

Technorati Tag: Fine Art of Blogging

Add Signature to Blogger Blog

2011-10-28T09:38:00.000+05:00

You might want to add a custom automatic signature below each of your blog posts. This would be more useful if you are running a Team Blog with multiple authors. You can use unique signatures for each author. The same can be done on a single author blog also, like my signature in this post.

Create a signature online using My Live Signature

The Untitled Jersey City Project

2011-10-28T08:00:00.004+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Untitled Jersey City Project for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am very selective when it comes to watching any show. But Untitled Jersey City Project - a work-in-progress television drama instantly held my attention. It is a unique experiment in the development of an entertainment concept: it’s a work-in-progress television drama. The Untitled Jersey City Project consists of eight short form episodes which are fragments of larger unresolved stories. Everyone here has something to gain- money, fame, power. Or they can lose big. Or they can end up dead. The story is set amidst the fast-developing Jersey City waterfront, just across the river from Manhattan. A shining new city is being built on the edge of this gritty town. But while the glass office towers and condos are sleek and new, the rules of the game haven’t changed one bit. I will not kill the curiosity here but I sure recommend that you watch the series and then share your thought here. What do you think of them? What does it all mean? Who are these people? It’s all very interesting and I can’t wait to find out more. Please leave a comment with your thoughts. I am keen to know about what you think of the series.

Also have a look at the project website. The Untitled Jersey City Project site at FX Networks is fun. There, you can see profiles of the characters, an episode guide, a map of where scenes were shot, and more. BTW, you can watch online (anytime) via YouTube on FXNetworks.com.

A spammer can potentially make $7,000 to $9,500 a day

2011-10-23T12:29:00.001+05:00

A Berkeley study commandeered part of a botnet that was responsible for a large chunk of the internet's spam and turned it into a research tool. The researchers instructed the infected computers to send out spam that directed people to fake storefronts, which the study then monitored. The researchers netted only 28 "sales" in 26 days -- a 0.00001% conversion rate -- but they'd infiltrated only about 1.5% of the actual botnet. Their final conclusion was that whoever was responsible for the entire botnet could be pulling in $7,000 a day, and $9,500 during active periods, although they stressed that determining actual profit from that figure would be difficult.

Daddy Papersurfer - Old Git

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000+05:00

Daddy Papersurfer

Anyone reading this won’t know me from Adam. I’m the one wearing a small fig leaf. Adam is completely naked.

The fig leaf is my avatar - a lovely word, look it up in a dictionary. It’s like the shy actor who, when he dons his costume, can perform in public.

My son started writing a blog and being a complete pain in the arse, I nagged him into letting me do a guest blog. I had heard of blogging but had never read one and I didn’t want to be left out. That was 28th February 2007.

By the 10th of April he had had enough of the cuckoo in his nest and he very kindly set me up with my own blog.

My first appeared on the 16th of April and I’ve posted something everyday since. A blog can be used to vent, relieve and assess [and loads of other things as well, but I’m trying to finish this before lunch!].

The angst ridden teenager who writes in her padlocked pink diary about her latest crush and would actually like her secret lover to find it, read it and be overwhelmed with a reciprocating passion:

The bereaved who cry themselves to sleep every night and need a ‘screaming tree’: The young mum bored out of her mind by the mundane tasks that are essential: All these are out there and loads more; usually protected by an avatar. You can write about anything.

I hadn’t written for 35 years, other than pleading letters to the bank manager, since my thesis for my post-graduate teaching qualification.

I have re-discovered that writing is fun. Help (A little. Lo, TG Ed.)) is needed from the terrible Goddess: If you want to find out a little bit about who she is, you’ll have to read my blog [see WHO’S WHO in the right hand sidebar] My spelling, punctuation and syntax are sinful. As in all things for the past 40 years, the TG gets me out of trouble and makes sure I’m wearing clean underwear and haven’t dribbled down my T-shirt. . (Crumbs, Peabrain, steady on! Lo, TG Ed.) A problem that is getting worse by the way… that and being easily distracted.

What is fascinating is the number of contacts you make all around the world. As any blogger knows, one of the greatest pleasures is receiving comments. From the ones that have obviously been left in a hurry to the ones that make you crack up with laughter.

It is very re-assuring to see how different people are and at the same time to see the common ground that is shared.

The Blogosphere is a huge world that’s worth dipping your toe in.

And now as Daddy Papersurfer would say “Are there any toasted tea cakes left?
There are? Oh that’s a shame, I don’t really like them”.

The Devil’s in the detail and I believe that I’m handing over all my rights to this blog by responding to this invitation. Normally I would have refused but Diogenes is such a good avatar and Quasi Fictional is such a clever name for a blog that I couldn’t resist.

Previous Posts: Liz Strauss, Aliza Sherman Risdahl, Mihaela Lica, Sterling W. Camden, Peg Haustetter, Steli Efti, Vicky Stringer, EXSENO, Axinia, Daniel S, Turo Jantunen, Alina Popescu, Dine Racoma, Chris Garrett, annamanila, Wifely Steps, Rolly, MrsPartyGirl, Ghee, Gitr Kargath, Richard Miles, Robyn McMaster, Elizabeth, Zep Hopper, Ellen Weber, Anita Bruzzese, Auntie Hattie, Bob Glaza, Isabella Mori, Paula Neal Mooney, Albert Pascual, Margot Potter, Ian Smith, Jean Yates, Christina Cedeno, Ayelet Noff (Blonde), Kristine, Kirsten Harrell, Lisa Gates, Evi Christodoulou, Peincess Haiku, Kent Newsome, David Johnson, Danica Radovanovic, Ev Nucci, David Johnson, Danica Radovanovic, Feng Brum, Janette Toral, Silviana Prioteasa, Pallab De, Jeanne Dininni, Laura Spencer, Maria Celina Gallo, Melanie, Damria Senne, Tammy Lenski, Enigma, Lizza, Pisces Iscariot, Maria Palma, Carol, Gayla McCord, Starr, Marc Faletti, Callie, CAPaige aka CapCity, Claire Carroll, Sylvia Hubbard, Allison Dickson, Bill C, Maryanne Moll, Papi Monkey, Lillie Ammann, Chad Perrin, Polliwog, Joseph Bernard, Roberta Ferguson, Julie R. Custodio-Fuertes, Lynda Winsor, Ilker Yoldas and Fracas

Wild fabrications and outright lies

2011-10-20T09:50:00.000+05:00

Renal Failure

Dr. Julian Bashir: Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?
Elim Garak: My dear Doctor, they're all true...
Dr. Julian Bashir: Even the lies?

Elim Garak: Especially the lies.

--- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "The Wire."

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed, Renal Failure is not your typical blog. Whereas most bloggers will write about what has happened in their lives or will straightforwardly give their views and opinions on whatever subject they feel like it, Renal Failure brings you wild fabrications and outright lies obscuring small hidden pieces of truth. If Renal Failure was an animal, it would be a cerebus, and its heads would be named satire, irony, and comedy. But it would say “Sandra” on its collar.

"So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view."

--- Obi-Wan Kenobi, Return of the Jedi

Renal Failure is a writing experiment that I started to get back to actually writing something. Now I use it to keep my mind sharp and frosty. Sort of going to a creative gym, where instead of weight machines and treadmills it’s formulating a blog post everyday about something I read or playing around with a half-baked idea in my head. So I guess that explains why I blog and how I blog in one swoop.

I’m not sure Renal Failure lends itself to creating a community. Tech bloggers tend to draw in the tech crowd. Blogs about living with abuse tend to draw in others going through the same thing. I write about drinking with a half-cyborg cat and a ninja. The only community I guess I could cultivate would be people who really like to laugh at absurdly funny things on a daily basis. And the best way to do that is I guess is just to keep writing absurdly funny stuff. I don’t get many comments, mainly because Renal Failure is a hard blog to comment on, or so I’ve been told. But I’m very thankful for the ones I get, because feedback is my heroin. And when I don’t get comments in a while, I see that dead baby crawling on the ceiling…

“The bullshitter is faking things. But this does not mean that he necessarily gets them wrong.”

--- Harry G. Frankfurt, from his book “On Bullshit.”

With so many blogs out there it’s my opinion that you really need to offer something really different to be truly interesting. Can you bring a unique viewpoint to something, or are you just typing stuff that can be found in thirty other places? Can you bring something new to the table? Is there another angle you can use to look at something? And I think a blog featuring stories about a paraplegic superhero and a lonely NSA agent tapping my phone does just that. Not all of us can be profound on a regular basis. Not all of us have interesting life experiences that can translate well into a written story suitable for sharing with the world. That doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to contribute, it’s just that you have to find something different to contribute or a different way of contributing.

Who I am isn’t important. If you look closely, you’ll see I’m never referred to by a name in any of my posts, or even in the About section. That’s on purpose because Renal Failure isn’t about me as a person; it’s about what I write. It is a writing experiment after all. That’s what I want the focus to be on (well, that and everything I write is a lie anyway, so would you even believe that’s my real name up there anyway? Probably not). Too often blogs become more personality-driven than content-driven, and it becomes more about the person writing the blog than what they’re actually writing. It doesn’t happen on purpose, it just develops over time. So this is my fail-safe against that.

If that last paragraph sounded very humble, it was only to lull you into this next point: Renal Failure can be very vicious at times. I did a three-part posting about Forensic Vagina Specialists in El Salvador. One of the earliest posts was about Bernie the half-cyborg cat getting his human wife a coupon for a hymenoplasty. Renal Failure varies from light-hearted silly stuff to cringe-inducing “that’s-so-horrible-that’s why-I’m-laughing-at-it” humor and everything in between. Sometimes going into unsafe territory can be very revealing and educational, other times it’s just plain fun. There is something undeniably fun about just not caring and going full-bore with something maybe offensive or potentially gross or that possibly will piss people off on purpose. Not that I do it all the time, but it’s fun every now and again and more people should try it.

I think there would be something wrong with the world if I got paid to do Renal Failure. Not that I would complain if I did get paid, but I would first say to the guy wanting to pay me “Really?” and then takes his money.

Now the question is… is everything you just read a lie?

Your Style

2011-10-18T10:44:00.000+05:00

Callie

It is easy for me to blog majority of the time because I discuss things that happen day to day or at least some of the week. I find that for me blogging is a natural thing just as breathing air. I do not concentrate on material or genre, that pans out as you continue to write and before you know it you will have readers that will fall into the things you write about. Find out and write about what your passion is!

I blog for release of life’s issues. In my life and I am sure others I tease and say for me it is therapy. Free Therapy. I can write about every detail of my life if I so choose, and feel relieved and get advice from other readers. Sometimes that can be a beneficial thing because it helps me to see what others see. It also helps me to relate to other people on many different levels. Among many other things I enjoy about blogging is meeting so many people in different lands of different cultures and establishing a connection with them. It is a great honor for me to be able to have that gift. My readers- and those that visit, they are gifts to me.

Blogging is not important in the aspect of work for me. It is something that I love to do and share with the world. It matters to me a great deal in the aspect of my life, because I am able to share my highs and lows. It also enables me to grow as a person in expression of my deepest thoughts in many areas that concern me that I may not be able to speak of otherwise. I am truly blessed to be able to use such a tool that can be used to change the world per se’. Therefore when you blog what is it that you want the world to know, but more importantly what are you wanting to say!

I do not consider my blog a success per se’. If anything I see it as a blessing. I am fortunate to be able to do something that allows me to be creative and yet honor the freedom of speech movement. There are so many in the world that do not have this opportunity.

As for my Inspirations, that would be my readers. I have had people tell me that know of me personally: “You have so many fans!” I do not get paid for what I do. I don’t wish too. I mean, I am flattered that people think my site is cool, which means a lot to me. All of the visits that show up on my stat counter that is a real treat for me. But throughout my period of blogging if you start at the beginning of my archives and read forward, you will see that my readers- especially those that have been with me from the beginning are more than fans. They are my family. There have been times we have cried with each other through the downs, and we have kept each other going through the Up’s. They have seen me at low points of bad relationships with men, high points with my ever growing faith in God, and just everything. I have seen my share of rough neck comments also. Believe me. *laughs* but because of my blog family I have weathered storms and come out. God placed them in my path. I am delighted in being in theirs. I guess that is my success.

You also can determine that in your blogging. Are you writing for monetary reasons, are you blogging for mankind, or just for kicks? Your blogging development and success is decided by the type of writing style you present, and the type of readers it gathers.

In other words, Blog because you want to- not because you have to. Blog to Blog!

love passionately and often and laugh...

2011-10-11T07:30:00.000+05:00

EXSENO

Where do we go for the kind of freedom we long for, the unrestricted right to feel, do and say what ever we want. We go right here in Blogger Heaven.

Where else but in the world of blog, could a person express their self so freely. Where else but in the world of blog could a person live out their hopes their dreams, share their happiness and sadness and even live out their fantasies.

No where, but in the blogosphere, and a sphere it is, of our own little society. A society of people who have the total freedom to be anything they want to be. To say anything they want to say. It's your blog to do what ever you want.

I've seen a lot of things since I've been coming here, the good, bad, happy and sad. You've made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time.

Oh excuse me did I say seen, instead of read, was that incorrect? I think not, for I have seen your wonderful personalities shine through your words many times. Wonderful words that seem to have wings and take flight so that others can find them and enjoy.

A while back I came upon a site where two of my blogger friends were having a heated debate it made me stop and think.

In the past if I was asked why I liked to blog, I would have to really give it some thought. I would answer everything from I like to write, to I like to meet people, to I like to read other peoples views, and yet it always felt like something was missing. Why was it such a hard question to answer? None of those really totally was what I was feeling, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. It took running into this heated debate to make me realize why I blog.

Suddenly it all became so clear, if someone should ask me why today, it wouldn't be a problem. The answer for me would have to be Freedom.

I blog for the freedom (he most beautiful word in the world next to love) speech. For the freedom of being able to say what I feel, what I like, and what I want, without fear of reprimand. I blog because I love to blog. I blog because I can. I blog for the love of freedom!

To those of you who were here before me, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your world and to those of you who are thinking about being a blogger I'd like to say --jump in with both feet -- you will love it!

Beyond the PC

2011-10-09T15:59:00.000+05:00

Personal technology at The Economist online

WE ARE entering what some in the technology industry refer to as a post-PC era. This does not mean that the personal computer is about to disappear. But according to estimates from Gartner, a research firm, combined shipments of web-connected smartphones and tablet computers are likely to exceed those of desktop and laptop computers for the first time this year, putting PCs in the shade. According to Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, there could be 10 billion mobile devices in circulation by 2020. Many of these will use bite-size chunks of software known as “apps”, some 18 billion of which are likely to be downloaded this year. As mobile, web-connected devices become ubiquitous, the volume of data they produce will soar. Cisco, a technology company, reckons that by 2015 some 6.3 exabytes of mobile data will be flowing each month, or the equivalent of 63 billion copies of The Economist. Much of that will be in the form of videos like the one below.

1. Industrial sleek design. Brushed aluminum-glass. Cheap plastic is repulsive.

2. Smooth tactile surfaces.

3. Maximizing screen size for the device face. Smaller frames.

4. Gorilla Glass: Tough smooth surface. Customers ask for it by name.

5. Touch screen glass. No keyboards.

6. Any color you want as long as it is black...or white. Fruity or pastel colors are discouraged.

7. Cloud based storage.

8. Flash memory instead of disk drive, hard drive.

9. Critical Wi-Fi connection. This is a network device not a stand alone device. 3G is less necessary.

10. The Prime functions are Web Surfing, Social Networking and eMail. These are obligatory.

11. Keyboards and mouse become obsolete. Only a handful of necessary external buttons, preferrably 3 or less. Everything else is handled through software and screen.

12. One necessary data output that remains is the headphone jack.

13. USB are becoming less necessary.

14. Lithium Ion batteries with at least a 1day preferably 2day function.

15. Preferably be handy, fit in your palm, and fit in your pocket.

16. Cost $99. Or $199. Or $299. Never $100.00 etc.

17. Made in China...this is by necessity. But the fact can be downplayed by saying "Designed in Cupertino".

18. Be intuitive.

19. Have a simple and flawless 'Out-Of-the-box Experience'. Usable and charged ready to go for the impatient consumer.

20. Be Tactile. Important to have a store with sample devices that consumers can fondle and hold.

21. Color Screen...black and white is obsolete.

22. Even though humans are getting fatter and fatter, everyone wants slimmer and slimmer devices.

23. Built in GPS and location based services.

24. USER FRIENDLY SOFTWARE. Critical but after 30 years, not even Microsoft gets this.

25. Manuals are disappearing, which is permissible with intuitive software.

26. Design use and around the literacy of a 12 year old. Not a Phd in computer science.

27. Have enough supply to match market demand on opening day.

28. Pay attention to Apple products. Reverse engineer them when you lack internal innovation. That is the policy of Microsoft, Hewlett- Packard, Dell, Amazon, Samsung, HTC, RIM Blackberry, Nokia and multiple Chinese and Taiwanese firms.

29. Pay attention to blogosphere. Bad reviews can sink a product just as quick as bad movie gossip. Negative reviews carry more weight than positive reviews.

30. Put in a 10 MB Digital Camera. People want it.

32. Do not give the customer too many choices--it confuses them. At most 3 choices.

33. Ideal release point is 3 months before Christmas. Superbowl ads are too late.

34. Smart Covers: Instant on with uncovering are better than an on/off switch and several commands.

35. Software embedded and integrated with hardware is far more efficient and smooth.

36. Clunky accessories and peripherals like a/c adapter should also be addressed in detail.

37. Less is More.

38. Good Design is about good editing. Leave out the Crap. And Keep the Essential.

39. Pay attention to the hand. The Ergo-dynamics of the device. How it is carried. Read. Interacted with. We would not have an epidemic of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome otherwise.

40. Make it Delightful. Customers want Magic and will pay for it.

Heavenly Thoughts

2011-10-08T08:17:00.000+05:00

Peg Haustetter

What is blog to me? A blog is an organic, interactive, communication tool that lives on the Internet. A blog is the extension of our thoughts, hopes and dreams. A blog helps us get our work done. A blog is: diverse, interactive, relationship-based, addicting, organic, fun!!!!, educational, entertaining, a destination, self-serving, technical, pictorial, communication, creative, informational, an event, public forum, helpful, and much, much more....

I started blogging several years ago with a few of my friends. We blogged about the cool hot spots to hang out in the city, the fashions people were wearing, great restaurants we visited, and our non-existent love-life. We blogged about our careers - interactive marketing project managers, experts in SEO, online advertising, demographic analysis, marketing do's and don't's and website usability. We even blogged about blogging!!

About a year and half ago, I moved from my lifelong home in the Midwest to the west coast to be with the love of my life. My blogging became more of a personal journal of my life's journey. It evolved into a place to share pictures, adventures and experiences with my friends back home. Plus, blogging has satisfied my secret dream of being a writer. I have always wanted to write a novel. I always say "one of these days". So, blogging satisfies that part of my soul. Maybe I will be able to take my blog entries and use them as the basis of a book, who knows.

IF blogs really are all of the things that I listed above, first and foremost they are communication tools. And the key ingredient in blogging "it is powered by PEOPLE"!! We can read each others opinions, expertise, heartaches, accomplishments and we can learn, laugh and experience from each other. It's great!! It's a bridge to each other in a world where we would have NEVER met in person. I love it!! Everyone can be a blogger, everyone can reach out and influence someone else. It's a wonderful world!!
Keep on blogging!

Peg Haustetter, blogging since 2004, currently lives in San Diego, CA. She loves life!! She has 12 years technical project management experience, and have managed 100's of successful projects. She is working as a Program Manager for an ASP in the Security/DRM space.

It's a Women' World

2011-10-07T16:04:00.000+05:00

Lynda Winsor

When I first came to the world of blogging, the blogosphere, I had no idea what I was doing, what it was all about, or even what I would blog about. That changed real fast! I fell in love with the blogosphere, and, with blogging itself. I am addicted to turning out posts, day by day.

I was taught by the instructors of blogging (we have all read their stuff), that a blog should be a personal journal. I simply do not agree with that. A blog to me is an information center on whatever you, the blogger, feel is worth sharing with the world as a whole. For instance, I have seven blogs (lynda's loft, Writing for the Hell of It~, Heavenly Inclinations, It's a Woman's World, Life Line 101, Remarkable Bloggers and The G (Gentleman's) Spot), each on a different subject. And I have some more in storage, so to speak. Perhaps the facets of my personality need an outlet, or perhaps my intellect is so diverse that it needs release. Who knows? All I know is that I can sit and tap the keyboard, almost daily, about 7 different subjects, and, still have more to say on any given topic.

Blogging is an interesting communal effort. There are times when you feel that no one is out there reading your stuff; however, you find out that many are. They are simply silent in their passing through your pages to the next, sort of like butterflies. I said communal effort as, you are providing information, entertainment, news, or what have you, to the World Wide Web. These readers in turn are boosting your ranking, and, you are in turn reading and boosting their ranking.

The communal part of blogging is that many like minded individuals are assisting one another in gaining readers, and, popularity. Such as if you are into gardening, many gardening writers will visit your blog to see what is going on there; in turn you will visit their blogs, and, so forth. The end result is a network, a network that expands even beyond your area of expertise and interest. It is a social collaboration which works very well within the blogosphere.

I do not know if everyone or if anyone will agree with me, but, I believe that blogging is a source of diverse and profound intellect, which if done properly, can build a business, a reputation, a social network, and, lifelong friendships.

A blog to me, personally, is a source of emptying my brain of all the thoughts which I carry. I am a writer, and, it is The Best outlet I have ever experienced for getting these thoughts in order, in succession, and, in print. I find it extremely stimulating. I find it furthers my need to write, and, it grants me numerous ideas and avenues with which I can disperse of my thoughts. I love it~~~

There are many styles of blogs out in the blogosphere. Some are judged by content, some are hailed for their thought inducing facets, some are popularized for their technical attributes, and some are visited daily for their music, and, so forth. This is what makes blogging interesting. This is what makes it an awesome undertaking.

People from the old blogging school scoff at the newer bloggers. They feel that blogging has gone too far; that it has detoured from its original intent, which was web logging. Web logging is fine, for those who are corporate. For the rest of us, blogging is whatever we wish it to be. It is an open space of great minds, curious ideals, personalities, and individual intellect. Given the amount of people who are blogging these days, I would say that it is here to stay, and, that its general direction will keep changing. Change is good.

A blog is a personal venture. It has so many paths which can be taken. Even with a single post, you can then spin that into many different areas of thought. I call this thought weaving. I can write a single sentence, and, from that one sentence, I can expand upon words within that sentence into many areas of topic. A blog is an individual expression of what you might think worthy today. Tomorrow it could follow the same flow, or, go forth as something totally changed. Whatever comes of it, a blog is about the writer, creator, and, person who creates them. It is about sharing; it is about getting out into the world and letting your voice be heard. It is about making a statement. It is about being who you are, as, when you are blogging, the real you will show through no matter if you did not intend for it to do so, because, day after day, you are revealing what is coming forth of the internal you...

Blogging rocks and, I will blog until my fingers cease to allow me to...

My own universe

2011-10-05T08:21:00.000+05:00

Zoia Tariq

Being a woman, especially in a conservative society, is often a complex, frustrating and wearisome experience. Blogs are a great way to express my thoughts, share my ideas and discuss my views.

Though I am not a passionate blogger, I do write when there is an incident that provokes me to. It is my platform to analyze, appreciate, criticize, observe, discuss and evaluate an issue that makes me think. My voice on the blog is not always a sane one, but it is definitely honest and mine only. Here I don’t have to be politically correct or restrained, as blogging is akin to talking to yourself, not to the audience. So I talk and the world listens and offers its point of view. Hence I get to learn different perspectives on various subjects.

Blogging for me is not a public service and I don’t do it to educate or enlighten, only to make people think about the stuff that often goes unnoticed.

Keeping a daily journal is considered one of the most effective stress busters. My blog is that and a lot more, for me.

I blog when something worries me or causes anxiety. When little gestures annoy or excite me. When I meet someone interesting or horrible. When I witness apathy or interest. When I get angry or joyful. How I see tomorrow? What are my regrets and dreams? What inspires me?

I know I don’t want to be associated with any clan, being a strong individual with a firm voice and active grey cells. Sometimes, even hyperactive! Hence not all my entries make sense.

I add photos, links, quotes, articles, travel experiences and anything and everything that I find interesting.

Blogging for me is means of self-expression.

My blog is my world. A small universe of my own.

No Longer Ambivalent

2011-10-03T08:55:00.000+05:00

Damaria Senne

A number of developments affected my aims and objectives as a blogger since I last posted on Fine Art of Blogging. The big difference is that I’m no longer ambivalent about blogging. I’m not addicted yet, but I enjoy it now.

Part of the reason is that blogging is now taking flight in South Africa, with local media houses setting up blog networks. My employer ITWeb was among the companies that launched blog networks where anyone could join. Employees are not under pressure to blog, but some of my colleagues joined up.

The increased awareness about blogging among my acquaintances made it easier for me to introduce people to my first blog, Storypot, where I post children’s stories and talk about parenting and writing.

I still feel naked when I talk about my creative writing or people comment about my children’s stories. But that is something that happens whether people who know me as a journalist learn that I write children’s stories from the blog or other means.

The second development was more internal - I have come to realize that as I grow as a human being, my blogging also evolves.

When I first launched Storypot in 2005, I was creating a place were readers can access samples of my work, and editors can see the variety of children’s stories I’m capable of creating.
I also created a combination parent/ writer’s journal, sharing how these two roles feed and influence each other.

The collection of children’s stories is slowly growing. Some need strong editing and rewriting, but they are out there, mostly reassuring me that I am doing something to make the dream of writing children’s books a reality. But the scope of my commentary is also growing as new elements come into my life, influencing my writing processes.

So Storypot is not what I started out with, and it’s not what it was when I first posted on Quasifictionalviews. But it reflects the evolution of my creative writing and the things that inspire me.

Through the blog, I also made connections with local children’s writers/editors. I also gained a measure of recognition for the blog. South African media analyst and ICT commentator Arthur Goldstuck also named me “Player of the Week” on the Mail and Guardian’s Thought Leader. A production company also approached me with a view of including me in its profiles of South African writers for a documentary.

I was content with the way things were going until, over lunch one day, a friend suggested I launch a blog on my employer’s network. This one would earn me enough for a regulator cup of tea, she said. I tried to explain that my schedule was hectic enough as it is; I didn’t have time to start another blog.

“All you have to do is write the posts, and I’ll put them up for you. And when I have time, I’ll help you promote the blog,” she said.

How could I say no when someone believed in my unborn blog enough to invest their own time on it? That’s how Mobile Life, where I look at the impact of mobile phones on the way South Africans work, play, learn and communicate, came into being.

I have strong views about the subject, but I also recognize that Mobile Life allows me to use my area of expertise as a journalist to develop a product that’s mine, helping me develop an independent revenue stream.

Promoting Mobile Life is also easier, in part because I now know how to promote a blog and have implemented a strategy that is slowly but surely growing my audience.

1000petals

2011-10-01T09:36:00.000+05:00

Axinia

I started in October 2006 with a missionary idea to tell the world more about the true beauty in a 3-language blog . As it grew I had to split it in 3 separate ones.

Then I realised that I still want to share more than this topic and started 1000petals - my sweetest and the most joyful baby that let me treat it as often as possible without much effort. Then my best friend invited me to join the administration of our exclusive club`s blog, and here I am with 5 blogs!

As my art of blogging was unfolding, it turned out to be a tender and yet powerful 6 petal flower:

Beauty. Most of the Internet users are visualy-oriented. Surprisingly not all bloggers use pictures as a powerful tool. The world is bubbling with colors: majestic landscapes, breath-taking close ups of flowers, people expressing emotions - why not mirror it?! It is almost a physical pleasure for me to fish for elevating pictures on Flickr and then put them on my blogs.
SEO - as far as I understand, Wordpress promotes you automatically to Google, and that is the best engine anyway. I was thinking of further SEO but then realized two things: 1) I am unlikely to go to any other search engines If I am looking for something particular, so how many people actually do that? Probably not many. 2) If my blog is good, it will attract readers anyway (which actually happens). So I refused from any further SEO activities.
Being authentic. Being authentic is one of my strongest personal feature, and same case with my blogs. No false roles, borrowed concepts, snatched ideas and tricks. Whatever I post is gone through my experiences and represents my core qualities and values.
Highest achievement. The most surprising fact in my short blogging history was the first personal email of a reader which I got. And then it grew like a snowball! People (and what caliber of people!) seek my friendship outside blogging and find it: a bunch of unfolding relationships is on my email list and in my heart. The funny thing is that I was never interested in Internet-provided relationships for the simple reason of my rich social life. Not that I am lacking some more dosens of friends :) But people get attracted, what can I do?
Attraction. A popular word with a desirable content. Due to the weired value system of today one can easily attract people with the universal values of tomorrow, for they appear fresh and truly elevating. Practicing Sahaja Yoga for 11 years gave me such a unique world perception that readers find it fascinating to learn something entirely new. Right now I am preparing a spate of posts about "Divine Geography" for 1000petals. Uniqueness is only a tool of attraction though. Guess what is the driving force of it?
LOVE is the almighty key to the heart of everyone. Same works for blogging. People get attracted by the love pouring from your blog like bees to the blossoming flower...I suggest regarding Love as the best SEO! Love which is just about putting much heart into it.Unconditionally.

You are invited to contribute.

Imposing Headlines

2011-09-30T12:43:00.000+05:00

There are lot of imposing and important news around the world that surrounds us - but it is difficult to read them all and follow what is happening on one place. But not anymore. Here at Imposing Headlines we agregate every thning of interest in diffirednt catagories. We will make an endeavour to update the blog as frequently as possible.

We will only flash the headlines and a link to the detailed news so that one can hurriedly make a selection and read the related news of one's choice and concern at the source.

This is what Imposing Headlines is about. have a look (and your suggestions and leads are welcome).

Random and Odd

2011-09-30T11:11:00.000+05:00

Kristine

I started out using Blogger. It was a free program, but during the sale of Blogger to Google, there were months of ‘glitches’ and it became extremely frustrating. I finally decided to buy my own domain at randomandodd.com/. I use wordpress now. The program transferred all my writing and comments without a flaw. It was an easy switch to make.

I started ‘blogging’ before it had a name. It started out with ‘what I was reading’ and pictures of the kids. It wasn’t long before I found that my written diary was missing and I began writing my journey as a parent, married in suburbia.

During my divorce I shut down my personal blog that had only one reader. Myself. I kept all my writing, but used it mostly as a personal reference of how I was doing.

After the divorce, I opened up another ‘about me’ page. It was http://www.justkeeton.com/. I enjoyed sharing my stories about how I was doing in my fantasy football league. I spoke of the funny stories my kids would play out in front of me. I picked up two more readers, my mom and sister.

Due to my lack of income, I lost my domain and started writing in my personal diary again. I even began writing poetry.

After college I opened up my ‘Random and Odd’ page and started pouring out the pain of a relationship I didn’t think would last. I began to share the pain I had gone through with my divorce. After awhile I finally began to talk about the anxiety and panic I was living with. I didn’t realize that I had people reading and relating to the way I write and the stories I would tell would offer them hope. I began getting emails from genuine people thanking me for my words.

It was then my blog somehow got bigger and bigger.

The word ‘blog’ has always been a mystery to me. It wasn’t until I started reading a book called, “A Feminine Mystique” that I started to understand how much ‘blogging’ had opened doors that were always whispered about. When someone else can write something personal about themselves and have someone say, “I understand. I battle that too.” is powerful. It gives people a link to the outside world of the world they are in. The normal day to day grind of a housewife, a working woman, a cancer patient, a single father…is now shared with many people that can give someone the strength to keep it together when they don’t think they can handle another day of the ‘grind’ they call their life.

My blog to me is the written; “Note To Self” I want to remember what I did last year. Two years ago. I want to know that I had a bad day. I want to remember that my kids glued me to a plastic chair. I want to go back through the pictures I thought were my best.

I don’t pick my topic. My topics pick themselves. I sit down and start writing, much like I did when I picked up my pen and fought to keep the binding down to get all my writing in it before it slammed shut.

My home is full. We have 5 kids. My ex-husband is one of my best friends. My husband’s ex-wife was attacked at her home by 4 men with guns and has been sharing our home for 6 months with her one year old child. Topics are easy to come by.

I’m not a big fan of blog templates. I have finally found a simple blog template. Not too overwhelming. I would like to be able to find ones that I like, but being picky about the layouts and how my words look on them and the response I get from my readers…I have only changed it twice.

Blogging matters to me because I NEED to get it out. I need to talk to my friends, my family. I need to let them know that I am okay. I’m not okay. It’s also important for me to share my life, because I feel no matter how much anxiety and panic I suffer from that it doesn’t take away from trying to be an open and honest person who is willing to open her heart and home for people no matter what title they have in front of their names: ex, new, step, friend…we are human and we need to treat people like that.

Everyday is a high point. I get emails from people that make me realize that the life that I am leading is helping them. They see how people can treat other people and they realize they can be better. They also realize that I am so far from perfect and that is SO totally okay. Last week I asked my readers to send me ‘mixed cds’ so I can open up to new music and get to know that reader on a new level. I have received over 30 cd’s and I am thrilled to death with how they really listened to what I needed and without a question, sent me music. I am planning to making Cds for my readers that sent me some.

I use to have advertising on my site, but realized after awhile that I almost felt like I was writing for advertising reasons and one night I pulled all of it off my site and got back to writing for me again. I probably won’t go back to the advertising.

PS: This strong, beautiful woman writes more on what 'blog' really means to her after she sent off this post.

Pen and Prosper

2011-09-28T09:21:00.000+05:00

Jennifer Brown Banks

Blogs are defined in their most basic form as online journals. Since their evolution in the 1990's, they have emerged as a popular mode of expression to do everything from rant, to raise the consciousness level on certain social issues, to self-promotion.

They are indeed many things to many people. I've started several over the years for various purposes. A few were recreational in nature, while others were devoted to sharing knowledge in my niche area of writing.

My most recent one, Pen and Prosper, has been the most successful and rewarding thus far. I've found, like many aspects of life, you learn from your mistakes.

Here are a few valuable lessons that my blogging experience has provided thus far that I'd like to share with you today.

There is great truth to the adage, “Rome wasn't built over night.” In other words, you're unlikely to be an overnight success with blogging or a writing career. It takes time to develop your style and voice, and to cultivate and maintain an audience. Don't rush it. With my current blog, I can't even count how many times in the beginning that I started to call it quits because I wasn't getting a lot of feedback in the way of readers' comments, or in the number of followers. I'm now proud to say that I recently celebrated my one year anniversary with my blog, and even though the numbers are still not “record breaking” they improve more and more each month. And yours will likely too. Hang in there!
For best results, choose a topic for which you have a great deal of passion and experience. One of the reasons that I make frequent posts to my blog, and am able to maintain momentum, is that I love writing about writing! When you love what you do, it's easier to engage other people and to cultivate a loyal following.
Be the star that you are! There's a lot to be said about being authentic and real. Strive to be the best version of you, as opposed to being a mediocre carbon copy of someone else.
Post to your blog on a regular, consistent basis. Even if your posts are short; just make sure they're quality. Sometimes it can be as simple as a beautiful image and your favorite poem or quote. By doing so, readers know what to expect and you build trust and credibility.

Now that I've shared how to blog better, I'll share with you the role blogging has played for me professionally and personally.

For me, my blog has gone from being a way to gain exposure for my creative ideas, to a means by which to teach and reach others from all ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, and regions. It has allowed me to connect with others, network, and form lasting bonds that have been beyond my expectations. And hopefully yours will too.

Jennifer Brown Banks is a professional, veteran freelance writer and Blogger with over 500 publishing credits both online and in print publications. She has authored several relationship columns and produced feature pieces on an array of topics. Other hats that Jennifer Brown Banks wears include creative writing instructor and prolific poet. Jennifer Brown Banks also serve on several advisory boards. She is a former Senior Editor of Mahogany Magazine.

Related Posts: Criteria for inviting bloggers to join Fine Art of Blogging, Invitation

newsome

2011-09-27T21:47:00.000+05:00

Kent Newsome

My blog is a creative outlet for the energy and need for expression that I used to direct towards writing songs, and a medium to initiate conversations with people who share interests of mine that are not generally shared by my real world friends. I write because I like to build things and to see if I can become meaningful in an area other than the one in which I make my living. Fundamentally, I write for the people who will allow me to become part of their conversations, either because they like what I have to say or because they are willing to try to change my mind. And, to be honest, I write to show some of the people who believe they are blog stars that a middle aged ex-farmer from Texas can compete with them on their field, and on their terms.

I think blogging is a wonderful method of self-expression and, indirectly, life and data archival. Because we blog, our children and grandchildren will have a vast repository of our opinions, thoughts and actions. Imagine how amazing it would be to see years’ worth of posts, pictures and conversations by your parents or grandparents. The tragedy is that so much of the baby boomer generation is oblivious to blogging. Part of the reason blogging has not reached further into the consciousness of the general public is that people blog for different reasons. Like almost everything else, there is a percentage of the blogging population whose first question is not “how can this enrich my life,” but “how can I use this to get rich.” The biggest buzz kill in the blogosphere are the people who view blogging, in and of itself, purely as a way to make money- as opposed to a platform to share and store information. Like the friend who is constantly trying to sell you something, these folks keep others from coming to the party.

The best way to promote your blog is to write hard, link a lot, respond to links from others, comment often and develop a core group of blogging friends to help nurture cross-blog conversation. And when that pays off and you get a lot of readers, to remember where you started and be grateful.

I pick my topics by scanning my reading list, reading the news, looking at collaborative resources like Delicious, Techmeme and Digg, and by trying to know when I have something to add and when I don’t.

My blogging high points are when I check my Bloglines alert feeds and see comments on and links to my blog from other bloggers. When someone takes the time to talk back to us, it is the highest and best form of validation for the effort we spend writing. It’s what makes blogging worthwhile.

Blogs to Yaqoob

2011-09-27T08:12:00.000+05:00

Muhammad Yaqoob

I have had a standing invitation from Diogenes - one of my blogger friends to write about what is blog to me and how I blog and why for his ongoing project at Fine Art of Blogging. Here I go.

Blogs are a lot more to me that you see at this and some my other blogs (here and here). Let me recall how it all started. I've been "blogging" in one form or another since as long as I care to remember. The word "blog" didn't exist then. Nor did Google - it was Yahoo! and Alta Vista then! ;)

People had "personal websites" where they would "showcase" themselves, their interests, their hobbies, their photos, their art, their poetry and lyrics, their favourite websites, what they do, their likes and dislikes, whatever. Now it is called personal branding. Almost as an "aside", personal websites would include a journal that was very much like an online diary. Or the forerunner of the blog. But it was only a part of a personal website, and was by no means the central focus. I very rarely wrote consistently about a specific topic. I only used the word "niche" when talking about exclusive boutiques, may be!

Blogging has matured over time. Similarly my reasons for blogging too have evolved. My theory is blogging is on a spectrum from less blog to more blog. [Yes] I still do everything I have mentioned above but I love to write, express ideas, and reach out and meet other people. I am meeting a lot of cool and interesting people, and blogging and documenting those meetings for the most part is fun. But what I really value is my every growing community that is forming in the process.

Apart from networking (also personal branding and showcasing what I do and love), I firmly believe is that blogging has emerged as leading marketing tool in this attention age. We need to learn and teach blogging as we learn and teach marketing.

In this life, there is nothing more "hardcore" than love

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000+05:00

David Johnson

Fourteen months ago, I had never read a blog, much less posted to one. While I was an avid reader of message boards and forums, there was something lacking. It felt like there was too much anonymity on the internet, and no one was willing to be held accountable for their views. One of my first blog posts dealt with this feeling. Prior to this, I had written an essay for a composition class entitled E-rosion of Accountability, and that was ultimately what encouraged me to explore this phenomenon we call blogging. I wanted to own my opinions in a world full of people that often times seem too afraid to raise their hand, raise their voice, and say “Hey, this is who I am, and this is what I believe in!”

Blogging for me has had its share of ups and downs. When I first began writing Wandering the Ether, I had no readers. This was somewhat frustrating because it was my belief that I had so much to share, so much I wanted to give. Eventually, through communities like MyBlogLog, and various traffic exchange sites, I was able to begin my journey down the winding road of social networking. This allowed me to not only increase my readership, but also to discover the wonderful variety of characters out there on the web. When I consider the difference it makes in one’s blogging, to actually have people you know care enough to come back and read what you have to say, it really does make it all worthwhile.

I had a literature professor who inadvertently said it best, while giving a lecture on the value of collections of letters written by dead authors: “Snail mail is dead. Everything is emails now. Should you people become famous authors, there will be no letters to remember you by after you are gone.” And it dawned on me that, actually there would be; blogging. This was an epiphany of sorts for me. It reinvigorated my desire to blog, and inspired new purpose and meaning to the act of blogging for me. I want for my daughter to be able to look back on my blog, and understand who I was. I want others to read my blog, and realize that they are not alone in this crazy, beautiful, human experience.

For me, blogging is an explorative, growth based process. Many times I start out intending to write about a specific issue, taking a certain stance, and by the time I am through writing, I realize that I have arrived at a point which is sometimes completely different than where I began. I believe that as writers, we need to allow ourselves to be open to this evolution of perception. Nothing is ever written in stone, and ideas are meant to be challenged. There are truths about our existence that are still waiting to be revealed, and the only way for us to find them is to communicate and share with one another, and blogging is a fantastic way to accomplish this exchange.

I have never blogged to make money, and I have never used advertising on my blog, and as far as Wandering the Ether is concerned, I never will. This is strictly a labor of love. My greatest desire is that when people visit my blog, they will take the time to actually read what I have written, feel it in their hearts, and decrypt it in their minds. If, through the act of writing I can gain new awareness, and alter my own impressions… then who is to say that the same effect cannot be achieved through others reading? Blogging is a truly magnificent reciprocal exchange. It’s giving and taking, affirming and challenging. We all have a message and blogging enables us to deliver it.

To those of you who are leery about diving in, or consider blogging to perhaps be too revealing, I will say this. You only live once, and that time is now. Be proud of who you are, embrace your beliefs, and let the world know that your voice counts. I know that it is tempting to hold back, and sometimes necessary, (we live under an ever-present umbrella of conformity and self-censorship), but the only way that true change can ever be enacted, is if we gather up our courage and speak our peace. Think of ideas as dominos all lined up in a row, all you need to do is gently nudge that first one, and the rest is herstory.

Stay connected with NET10

2011-09-26T19:05:00.004+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living in the age of communication, the explosion of applications and services is upon us. It is some time overwhelming sometime to choose the best. Given my heavy use, I was looking online for some phone plan that can give me an unlimited talk, text, and data when I came upon Net10 Unlimited deal when I came upon this Cute NET10 commercial. I also heard what Real NET10 customer had to say.

Getting nationwide coverage and unlimited talk, text, and data, for $50 a month is a good deal. Not only that. Best thing is that there are no hassles like contracts and there are no surprise bills or credit checks and phone are from top of the line manufacturers.

It is really simple to See the Light and to stay connected; buy, activate, add airtime, chose the plan that works best for you and enroll and you are connected. You can switch between plans each month to suit your budget and airtime needs, without penalties or fees. Airtime can be purchased online, at a nearby store, or directly from your phone.

And for international callers, long distance service is available to over 75 countries, for as low as about 15 cents per minute on calls originated in the US. In addition there is an International Neighbors program to Canada and Mexico.

I suggest you explore NET10 neatly laid out site and also check them on Facebook and Twitter or watch What Rob has to say. This will help you make informed buying decision and staying connected.

Your invitation

2011-09-26T12:21:00.002+05:00

Internet is a lonely place without Blogging; a fine art, science, also economics. Blogs are different to different people. Fine Art of Blogging asks you to share your views on what is a blog to you?

You are invited to contribute your thoughts in general. In particular, write how you blog? Why? How blogging matters in life and work? Success stories, motivations and inspirations. Answer these questions and more (add what you feel is important dimension) in a post and send in word document.

Annamanila; Ode2Old, not too simple, not too complicated ole me

2011-09-23T08:03:00.000+05:00

annamanila

Whenever I am asked what I like to read, I am hard pressed to put across the diversity -- call it mishmash -- of my reading fare. So I say simply: "From comics to classics."

A like predicament confronts me now that I have been asked what blogging is to me. I feel a similar sense of being stumped, a familiar sense of boundlessness. Unfortunately, unlike the first question, I haven't worked out a cute-smug answer to the second.

Let me see ...

Three months into blogging, I find it to be the freest, most generous, and most flexible form of self expression there is on line.

There is no limit to blog content, subject, language, tenor. I think it can only be bound by one's imagination.

The art of blogging can be as fine as Picasso's art or Shelley's poetry or as crass as a bedtime story or a slumbook of toilet humor. But by and large, it is somewhere in between. Mine is.

In the short spell I have been a blogger, I have published two short stories, a poem, and a daughter's award-winning piece. I have found myself sharing a piece of my mind, writing my heart out, reminiscing about my lost youth, paying tribute to someone I love or admire from one day to the next. Soon, I just might blog my bile out -- hoping to expectorate some overstaying toxins.

What I have not done (yet) is to blog a daily journal of events. Much less an hourly one which seems to be the fad among bloggers these days -- I think they call it twittering?

By and large, I prefer to blog about action that takes place within (my mind) rather than without (my external world of people and events).

What I love most about the blogworld is it has become an open marketplace of ideas through posts and counter-posts. Fortunately or unfortunately, Philippine bloggers are way too courteous to argue openly and fierily on issues, no matter how controversial. I haven't seen too much disagreements and the little I find rarely ignite into full-scale conflagrations or debates.

When I strayed into this cool, kewl blog-a-day world, I thought I'd do it peripherally, given my superwoman roles of mother, wife, worker -- not to mention less reputable roles of mediocre online scrabbler and badminton pulot girl..

I couldn't have known I would be hook-line-sinkered.

Nowadays, it's the first thing to do when I wake and the last thing I do before bed.

It has infused a get-up-and-go into my morning, given "rise and shine" a new meaning. Beats cafe cappuccino.

At work it has led me to the wonders of multi-tasking. I key in one paragraph of open-faced manual or book writing, then two paragraphs of stealthy blogging. Between the legitimate and the illegitimate, my days fly like a song.

Nighttime is quiet, guilt-free time to indulge it. I begin 10-ish and before I know it, its -- omg -- past 1:00 of the unwelcome new morning.

Blogging crunches time better than a Spielberg movie or a Steinbeck book. Doesn't it sometimes make you wonder why people hafta sleep?

It has (re)connected me with friends, old and new. An old office colleague -- who turned out to be in the local blogging "who's who" welcomed me with band music and ticker tape parade (Exag!) A high school friend popped up like a sweet meteor from the blue (No exag!).

I got to meet middling mom bloggers who like me felt out-of-place at first. Together, we agreed to try to crack the youth-dominated blogsphere as denizens every bit as entitled (I think we're getting there). Later, I was recruited into Philippine Moms Network where I got to meet more mothers -- hot babes and cool bloggers all.

A blogging berks -- 20-ish, 30-ish -- made me forget I had joints about to get unhinged. How musical their posts sound, with the ma'am, auntie, po and opo deleted. Those who insisted on paying respect were asked to use nanamanila instead. Some of them swear I write so coolly and so hiply they couldn't tell my demographics from theirs and admirably hid their shock when they met ole Mrs. Grundy in four dimensions.

I have all these problems with techie stuff, given that my personal "hard disk" have a built-in firewall against them. And you know what, I got to meet IT-savvy bloggers who'd listen to my "Help!" yelps and has designed headers, helped me link and put up blogrolls, taught me to cut and paste, and otherwise offered to spoon-feed and hand-hold by remote control.

Isn't this better than it gets?

Woohoo!

Translations for the non-Filipino reader:

Po and opo are words of respect to one's elders.
Berks is slang for barkada which means a closely-knit group of friends.
Pulot girl - a female player who always have to pick up the ball/shuttlecock
Exag - short for "exaggerated."
Nana - a title for an elderly woman

Reflective Thinking

2011-09-14T12:59:00.000+05:00

Janette Toral

I was already writing for computer publications before I went online. As a result, the natural inclination that came to me was towards organizing communities and informing readers. This reached a high point when I was lobbying for the passage of the Philippines Y2K Law and E-Commerce Law.

When I created my first websites back in 1997 with Infotech and in 1999 with DigitalFilipino, blogging technology was too limited then. I had to rely on hard code html and content management systems.

In the year 2000, I started blogging through LiveJournal and Blogger, putting in content that I can't put in my other sites. I saw its income potential as well after trying out paid blogging communities too.

I blog with the goal of disseminating information, that I find useful, and worth recording. I support the concept of market and content segmentation. Having worn so many hats such as being an e-commerce evangelist, software process improvement trainer, Internet historian, SEO consultant, legislation oversight, researcher, among others, requires me to deal with various groups of interest. Having a separate blog for each allows me to focus whenever I communicate through it.

I see blogging as an extension of everything that I do in my profession, including hobbies. Being able to create blogs quickly, makes it easy for me to start an initiative and finetune it along that way.

I use my network to spread the word on what I do. My primary community is the DigitalFilipino Yahoo Groups that has nearly 3000 members to date. It started in 1999 with the launch of DigitalFilipino.

Those who are serious in e-commerce have joined my club where I organize training and briefing sessions, disseminate research reports, e-books, help new bloggers and those interested in blog marketing, and do further advocacy (too many to mention).

I was involved in the creation of the Philippine Blogging Summit or iBlog that started in 2005 (up to the present). This event was a catalyst of bringing bloggers together and it helped a lot of them be known in the fields they are in. I’m open in helping like-minded individuals who may be interested in organizing one in their respective countries.

I have an ongoing writing project “The Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007” that aims to recognize new blogs that are making a difference out there. I hope your readers will also join in this endeavor. It is gaining success, little by little each week, and will be doing such annually to get new blogs recognized.

Know your locksmith

2011-09-14T12:28:00.000+05:00

Locking installations and related services are essential in residential districts as well as commercial areas. Imagine what can happen when your safe is locked and you have documents locked inside to be signed with a party waiting in your office. Or you arrive home from a journey and find that you have lost keys of the entire home. That is where you need a locksmith in a hurry.

Businesses as well as individuals need efficient locksmith at call. I recommend you have a look at locksmith houston and see what they are offering and how can he serve you when you need.

Houston locksmith is one the best locksmiths in town. His prices are also unbeatable. Locksmith Houston TX is full service and is available 24/7. Their claim to fame is expertise with safes. .

Locksmith Houston specialize in changing locks - both commercial as well residential, opening safes, opening home locks, opening car locks, electronic locks and lock repairs.Approach Locksmith Houston TX and improve the security for your company and your home.

you get what you give

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000+05:00

Chris Garrett

What is a blog to you? Blogs are for me all about conversation. This is why I get so annoyed at fantastic bloggers who turn off comments. You put your thoughts out there, people respond and your initial ideas are shaped and polished. I have gone on record enough with my usual answer that I fear repeating myself. My theory is blogging is on a spectrum from less blog to more blog, there are three dimensions of blogging, aspects that make a website more or less of a blog. These include regularly updated content, syndication and conversation.

How you blog, why? On occasion I plan posts ahead of time, most of the time I have a thought, wip out firefox and pump words into PFF ScribeFire (I still can’t get used to that name). That’s with this blog where there isn’t usually any research, just brain to blog, on others I will read my feeds and such for inspiration or search and visit the library for research. On longer posts I lay the whole thing out in bullet form then fill in the gaps.

Why I blog has changed over the years. My first blog around 10 years ago was a journal, my personal blog serves as an aide memoire. Now it is both my business, my job and my hobby.

Some personal high blogging points in blog life. Hmm. I have gotten so much from blogging, where to start? Blogging gave me my opportunity to leave the 9-5 (heh, I would be so lucky) rat-race JOB that I hated so much. Through blogging I have met some brilliant people (I would list them but I fear missing someone out). My knowledge has grown and been enhanced far more than if I had ignored blogs. Really the question in my mind is “why would someone not :-) ?”

How do you make money by blogging (if you do)? Indirectly. Blogging your opinion and expertise is a wonderful way to network and build credibility.

My blogging philosphy can be summed up in this phrase; “you get what you give”.

Refreshing Business through Arts and Mind

2011-09-08T10:22:00.000+05:00

Robyn McMaster

My first inspiration came when Dr. Ellen Weber, with whom I work, began to blog. She was so enthused with blogging she couldn’t stop talking about joy she found. That stirred me so much that I thought I’d like to blog, too. She invited me to post two guest blogs. Quite an honor for a newbie!

To share latest research on the brain and the arts in everyday language so that people can take away strategies for purposeful flow, intellectual challenge, problem solving and fulfillment at work keeps me going. I’d like to inspire others to tap into more of the rich resources of their brain. All that I share stems from the work I do at the MITA International Brain Based Center.

I like to use everyday language, link to great ideas from other bloggers and provide links to reputable research. One strategy I use is to “converse” with my readers as if they were sitting with me at a coffee house and having a discussion. I hone in on ways to interact with others in the blogosphere and learn much from tips bloggers’ share. This helps me connect more to other bloggers. Peoples’ ideas are important and as I blog, I make sure that comes across. Blogging’s not so much about me, but about others.

I like to play around with ideas in different ways. Sometimes that means using videos, pictures, math and logic, joining in a meme, sharing from life experiences, musical expressions, acrostics, and short poems or quotes. I tap into the multiple intelligences to express ideas to others. Believe it or not, when I go to an art gallery, concert or dance, ideas for new blog topics stir in my mind. Sometimes when I’m with friends or family at gatherings, ideas shared in conversations stir my thought in new ways.

Many ideas come to me when I’m golfing. I discovered ways to get out of anger or frustration that makes the hormone cortisol flood my brain. That shuts down good thinking and problem solving. Therefore, I had to find ways to increase levels of serotonin during activities that may not go well. As I’ve discovered new strategies, I share them with readers.

At first I posted my blog regularly on DIGG, reddit, Netscape and BizzBites. However, I found that as I linked to other people, they came to see what my blog was about. I like more personal ways of networking. I’ve also really enjoyed using MyBlogLog to discover new people and interesting blogs.

Blogging matters because it gives voice to new ideas. Bureaucracies control many fields today. Controllers want their ideas and ways of doing things promoted. Blogs give power to people who may not be rich in money, but are rich in ideas.

One personal high blogging points was when Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand interviewed me on her weekly Podcast. Anna posted two Podcast sessions on negativity. Liz Strauss asked me to lead an SOB Cafe in March. My topic, “Tap More Brain Power by Asking Two-Footed Questions.” What a challenge to keep answering so many comments from interested people in such a short span of time! Many others lifted up the work at Brain Based Biz and I feel honored each time I’m tagged or others link to my work.

Thatta Kedona

2011-09-08T09:08:00.002+05:00

Thatta Kedona Dolls

Thatta Kedona Radio

What Blogging Means to Me

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000+05:00

Lillie Ammann - A Writer's Words, an Editor's Eye

Family and friends have always come to me for answers and advice. Maybe I'm just a "know-it-all," but I prefer to attribute it to my interests in helping others and in continual learning.

Several years ago, I was an "expert" on a question-and-answer site called AskMe. I don't remember how I got started there, but I loved answering questions. I was in the top 100 experts out of thousands on the site based on the number of questions I answered and the ratings my answers earned. There was no financial reward — though I think I won a couple of T-shirts — but helping people solve problems gave me great satisfaction and joy. I was really disappointed when the site owners shut it down — they had simply been using it as a test site for their software, and when it proved to be effective, they started selling the knowledge-sharing software to business and quit supporting the free service.

When I first started blogging a little over a year ago, I expected to be providing information like I did at AskMe — but the topics would come from my own ideas rather than questions asked by visitors. I quickly learned, however, that my blog is not a platform for teaching or preaching but an arena for learning and sharing. I have learned more from my readers and other bloggers than I have taught, and I have made wonderful blogging friends.

In my post on a blogging metaphor, I described blogging as a large city with hundreds of small neighborhoods. Just as when I moved to the big city from a small town, entering the blogosphere seemed overwhelming and intimidating. However, I started to meet people and make friends in various communities and niches, and soon I was part of several little neighborhoods.

My blog is about my life as a Christian freelance writer and editor who a patriotic supporter of our troops. All of those interests and activities find their way into my writing. Many posts are about writing and publishing — I wrote a 14-part Self-Publishing Primer since much of my editing work is with authors who self-publish. Some writing advice is for professional writers; some is more general for anyone who writes for business or personal reasons.

At first, I blogged two or three times a week, but now I post every weekday. Often I write several posts at one time and date them in the future, especially when I write a series. BlogDesk makes it easy to write and edit offline.

Posts on other blogs, items in the news, events (such as national holidays and Christian holy days), comments and questions from readers, memes and group writing projects ... anything can spark ideas to write about. I jot down ideas as they come up, so when I sit down to write a post, I have several topics to choose from.

I plan to continue to learn and share through blogging for many years to come. Maybe I'll even change my theme, try a little SEO, think about monetizing ... but content will always be most important to me.

Disclosure

2011-09-01T21:59:00.001+05:00

This blog is a collaborative blog written by a group of individuals. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

I am Pashmina fan

2011-09-01T07:52:00.000+05:00

I am big Pashmina fan. Even the name (that comes from pashm in Persian) sound musical to me and I love that gauzy weave. Just touching soft and warm Pashmina tells you what it is! Pashmina products are all time trendy and stylish. People of class from all over the world use these products - shawl, scarf and many more.

Given my interest, one of the best places I have found to shop for Pashmina is Bridesmaid Pashmina. Neatly laid out and user’s friendly site has a great collection of Pashmina products. Explore and find what they are offering and how. They have something for everyone. Imagery of the products is good and it gives a feeler of how one will look wrapped in one of those shawls.

What is more, their custom dye option makes them stand out from the rest. Ask for color you want and Brides Maid Pashmina will deliver exactly the same.

Some of their shawls are already on my wish list.

A storm in the form of a girl

2011-08-30T12:01:00.002+05:00

Starr

Then I took a deep breath and quit waving my hands around like 'lil girl and got on with it. I have read some of the other folks response and I gotta warn you all now. I am not that deep. Or business-like. Or grown up.

I blog simply because I want to be heard.

Ever feel like you are a walking contradiction? One person in your head and another with people? Yes, I know, shades of Sybil, but bear with me. I think, to a certain degree, everyone is someone else at least part of the time. Social Networking has exploded in popularity recently and I think I know why. You get to be yourself! Or someone like you ;)

I first discovered this phenomenon while playing Everquest. I started out playing with my ex husband and felt totally out of place. Within a short time, I had branched out and began to make friends outside of his circle.

The one thing that struck me instantly was how refreshing it was to have the anonymity of text. I didn't have to be June Cleaver, I could just be me. I formed some very strong friendships and one relationship that lasted years via that game. And I think it had to do with the ability to remain anonymous via the internet. Granted I stopped being anonymous but by that time I had also gained a far greater comfort level in just being me.

I no longer play EQ but the bug for internet self expression stuck with me. Call it the siren song of text on a glowing screen. I blog to feel like I am heard. I blog to feel like someone, anyone out there, actually knows me. The really real me, not the one we all have to be to please bosses, spouses, parents and children. And if I can make someone else laugh it is icing on the cake.

Look How a Woman Blogs

2011-08-29T11:18:00.001+05:00

Lizza

How to love a black woman

2011-08-29T10:56:00.000+05:00

Sylvia Hubbard

After a separation and divorce, I was feeling that I must do something to heal. My fear of becoming one of those angry black women scared me because I was one before and I didn't like myself.

Writing had always been a passion and addiction of mine and it brought me great relief when I wrote fiction because I was a suspense-romance/sensual noir author already. So I decided to use my gift to relieve the stress in my heart over leaving my marriage in order to be happy.

I wasn't regretful for leaving my marriage. I was upset at myself for failing and I wanted marriage again, but the next time i wanted it to last.

So I decided to start my blog, more for a guide book for myself than anything and when friends and family began to come and comment, it was enjoyable to hear that I wasn't as crazy as I thought I was.

Soon men started emailing me offline and asking me my thoughts on different things and how I felt about different things women did. Instead of answering them privately, I answered them on the blog.

Through my healing process, I found great relationship books and did reviews on those.

Now this blog has become what I wanted it to become. A guidebook on what it takes to love me and then I have friends join in or post their comments as well and contribute to the discussion they provide.

I wanted to create a way for people to talk about what we don't talk about - communication and intimacy. These are important to me and it should be important to many people especially in the African American Community that refuses to acknowledge this is an important part of a relationship.

Whether who finds me to marry, I know that in order to love me and love who I am they are going to have to read my blog and I hope that a deeper understanding of the complex woman comes to them and they can love me even more.

Reasons to use NET10 wireless service

2011-08-29T04:00:00.002+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thanks to the developments in tele communication that the wireless services and related technologies are a shorter route to many things: obtaining information, conducting business, making decisions, socializing or staying in touch with family and friend. You don’t have to be a researcher to find out cell phones’ impacts on life and work. It is very hard to perceive life without cell phone, if not impossible.

Given my work and nature of job, I know that the essence of existence in this age lies in the ability to stay connected. And it is easy to find services that suite your requirements. Searching online, I came upon a Cute NET10 commercial and also what What Rob has to say about NET10. I explore neatly laid out NET10 and found more about what they offering and how trusted and efficient their service is. It is so easy: Just buy phone and the airtime and activate and you are connected nationwide.

I suggest you also view the video and also see the 10 Good Reasons to use NET10 wireless service and you will See the Light like any Real NET10 customer who is already using their service and is happy for the enriching experience. Try NET10.

a little of ASP.NET, a little of AJAX, a little of GIS, well ... an all Atlas, can I still call it that?

2011-08-28T13:51:00.000+05:00

Albert Pascual

I wouldn’t say I blog, I would say I post links, news and code that I may need in future. As a software engineer, I need a searchable place where my notes and thought, but most important, my code can be found. I started in 2005 and after losing my database with all the post, I learn two important lessons: the fine art of backing up and second that I actually was using those notes and “articles” pretty often.

I won’t call them articles when they were barely a paste from my clipboard. In 2006, I started cleaning my blog a bit and posting more towards other people to read than just myself; I share some of my code with coworkers.

In 2007, I started reading more blogs from “well-known” bloggers and enjoying their style and learning the new and fast way of sharing information. A blog to me is a faster and more interactive way of sharing information and knowledge than a newspaper or a magazine, I, for once, canceled all my subscriptions to the LA Times and geek magazines, that I used to enjoy. Searching blogs or using RSS to read them gives me immediate access to that information without waiting for a person to deliver the magazine or paper. On the same token I like to share with other people the problems, solutions or the little tricks and tips. This is why I post!

Needless to say that (picking topics day after day) is one of the most difficult things to do lately. It was simple when I just posted code and tips about code. Whatever technology or code I was playing at the time, was pasted on my blog, no such thing as cleaning the code and writing an article about it.

Now that I started writing a little bit more instead of just posting code, I find myself searching for a topic that might be interesting to the readers of my blog. I am lucky if I have some research project, a new product or technology coming up to write about. Some weeks I’m so busy at work that when I get home I find that I have nothing to say, and prefer not to post anything.

I must come clean to let you know that I have, more than once, posted something, just for posting something. If you read my blog on a regular basis or you are subscribed, you know what I’m talking about. Please let me take this chance to apologize about those minutes of your life that I cannot give you back.

This year, I received more emails from people reading my blog and asking questions; if the question was already asked by another email, I would reply that on blog instead of an email back. Something very important to me is to see the timeline of my blog, see where I was a year ago and what kind of technology was I working.

I do see an evolution at my blog, maybe the learning curve is longer than other blogs, but is a path I’m enjoying. So please, do keep the emails coming as from them I build the content.

Templates? Promotion tools? Are we still talking about blogging? I haven’t promoted my blog, because I don’t know or I did not search ways to promote my blog. Right now my blog is on the Microsoft ASP.NET blog roll and readers come from there or from Goggle searches.

Mainly I talk about AJAX, ASP.NET and C#, so my audients are geeks and nerds like me. I don’t think a bumper sticker can help my blog to be read by more people. I do not know how to promote a blog, blogs should be promoted by peers. That’s how I find out about other bloggers.

Blogging is a way of communication that allows anybody to voice their opinion with a simple mouse click. I do believe blogging is going to develop to a more professional and structured “art.”

Phone plan choices by Straight Talk

2011-08-28T10:20:00.002+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hook, line and sinker, mobile phones are getting very popular these days (thanks to advances in communication technologies). Many users now prefer no contract phones with affordable phone bill plan since they offer obvious advantages related to lifestyle and cost control. It is safe, convenient, and flexible way to manage spending on phone calls to as much as half of what you may be paying. That is where Straight Talk comes in. They offer told exactly the same. My mom told me that and yes, my mom knows best.

How do you decide which phone plan to use? Start at Straight Talk – Cut your cell phone bill to half and fell richer. The Straight Talk is a portal that offers everything you need from calling a friend anywhere local or international to texting and much more. What I liked best was their phone plan that can reduce the calling costs to half. I was pleasently surprised to see the choices they offer. I suggest you have a look and learn about their plans and take what suites you the most. What is more, there is not contract, no surprise bills and no credit checks and you have nationwide coverage and excellent reception and connectivity at your hand.

Living in the age of communication that is everything you need. Try them and call a friend anytime.

Writing Thoughts

2011-08-27T09:23:00.000+05:00

Laura Spencer

What is blog to me? I can tell you how I’ve progressed and what I’ve discovered along the way.

Blogging was a grand experiment for me. First, I wanted to see if anyone would read my blog. Secondly, I wanted to see if it would help my freelance writing business. Now, I am wondering if I can make money from it. Finally, I want to see if it can make a difference, however small.

Initially I thought, and perhaps others might think, that blogging is mainly about writing. What I’ve discovered is that, while it helps to have good writing skills, there is so much more to blogging. Successful bloggers must be: lifelong learners, social individuals, relevant, readers, and disciplined. (Of course, everyone has their own definition of success and yours may be different.) I’ll address each area individually.

Lifelong learning is an important blogging skill, not only to start a blog, but also to keep it going. There are so many areas to learn about. First, I needed to learn the best platform for my blog. There are a lot of questions a new blogger faces. Would I use a free platform like Blogger, or will I go with my own domain name and a hosting company? (I use my own domain name with BlueHost.) When that decision was made, I needed to learn how to manage my content, comments, and blogroll. I needed to learn how to download files to my site. I needed to learn how to use widgets. In fact, with a blog, the learning never stops. I probably learn at least one new thing every day.

Successful bloggers are social individuals. Unlike the diaries and journals that I was familiar with as a child, blogs are public. I decided very early on that I was not going to blog in a vacuum. I enabled my comments (with a spam filter turned on, of course) and I make an effort to interact with my readers. I answer their comments. I visit their blogs. I correspond through e-mail with several of my readers on a regular basis. I know people today that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t blog, and my life is richer for it. I also use some of the networking tools that the Internet provides. (It seems like there is a new tool out there every day.) Currently I am on: Blogg-buzz, MyBlogLog, SpicyPage, StumbleUpon, and Technorati.com. Last, but not least, I joined a blog network, GackInk, where I can mentor and be mentored.

Successful blogs must be relevant. When someone reads my blog they need to find something to hold their interest or they won’t return. Finding something relevant can be a stretching process for the blogger. I know that the questions “how would somebody use this information?” and “would anybody find this interesting?” stretch me. I’ve found that, if I have a question about something, usually others have the same question. That question is an opportunity for me to research the question and blog about it. I also find relevant topics for posts on forums, other blogs, and in everyday life.

I’m a big believer in the value of reading. I believe that the best writers were readers first. Reading definitely prepares me to blog. I read just about everything I can get my hands on: the newspaper, books, magazines, advertisements, other blogs, and the list goes on. Reading helps me recognize the difference between good writing and bad writing. Reading broadens my horizons and introduces me to new ideas and concepts. Reading also entertains me and gives me a reason to laugh. In short, reading has made me a writer and writing has made me a blogger.

Finally, bloggers have to be disciplined. One factor that many blog experts recommend for blogging success is consistency. It’s important to post new material on your blog on a regular basis. You’ve probably been frustrated, as I have, by finding an enjoyable blog, only to discover that there are no new entries. I try to have between three and five new posts on my blog each week. Most of them time I really enjoy blogging. It’s fun. It stimulates my creativity. I can post things that help others. I get to “meet” new people. However, to be totally honest, there are those days that I just don’t feel like posting. Maybe I’m sick. Maybe I’m buried with work. Maybe there are other issues bothering me. It helps to have a backlog of posts for those times. But sometimes, it just takes discipline to get that new post out there.

So, with WritingThoughts, my grand experiment goes on. I continue learning, making friends, finding what’s relevant, reading whatever I can, and discovering how to be disciplined in my approach to blogging.

Exseno on blogging

2011-08-24T11:00:00.000+05:00

Exseno

I don't even presume that my blog is a 'Fine Art', that would be a fantasy, but it is something that I love to do and it has given me a great deal of enjoyment over the years.

I started blogging simply because it was something new to me that I wanted to try. It was like discovering a new fad.

I try to keep it interesting so, my blog is varied. Sometimes it is personal stories, sometimes politics, sometimes informative. Sometimes it simply depends on what's going on at that particular time.

As time went on, I soon learned that blogging is a wonderful way to meet and get to know people , their customs, their thoughts and their opinions from all around the world, something that I would have never been able to do otherwise.

The people that I have known for so long are like old friends and I would never want to lose them.

I have learned more from blogging then I would ever have learn without it and I hope to keep the friends that I have met along the way and to make new ones in the future.

Red Shoe Diaries

2011-08-23T20:48:00.000+05:00

Fracas

Unlike the opinion of some people online, I don’t believe a blog needs to be defined. For some, blogging is a way to keep track of thoughts and personal growth. For others. it’s a way to catalog favorite quotes, poems, recipes, or any other tidbit of information that used to be collected and retained as intellectual treasure to the person who clipped it out and saved it in an old chocolate box. For others yet, blogs provide the means to share stories as opposite as a life or death struggle with cancer or a passion for gardening. Blogs can help people locate long lost family or friends, or even find a lifemate. Blogs take the place for many, of the newspaper columnist, providing a daily dose of humour and laughter to those who have stepped into this new world of internet communication and foregone the daily newspaper; blogs provide information for the knowledge seeker, on the technical ins and outs of communicating on the web.

A blog can be a business, a blog can be a hobby. A blog can be entertaining or a blog can make you cry. A blog can sell you something, or a blog can out a bad business.

A blog, is as unique then, as you or I.

So why do I blog?

I blog because I write, I blog because I enjoy learning. I blog because I see the internet as an opportunity to create for myself, that which only a few years ago, would’ve seemed imposssible. I blog for fun and I blog for finance. While I develop a blog that is unique with my own personality, I am learning and what I learn will eventually become what I do for a living.

I chose WordPress because I honestly believe there is no better platform for a free blog.

There are countless bloggers who’ve been an inspiration to me. Some are financially succesful, some impress by the sheer volume of traffic they receive. Some are little known, but yet… it’s the blogger behind it that has somehow inspired me and just knowing they’re there is what makes me smile. What there is no question about though, is that all have in some way, provided the inspiration to carve for myself, a new path… a path not unlike Dorothy’s yellow brick road.

And what could be more fitting than a yellow brick road, for the woman behind the Red Shoe Diaries?

The Fine Art of Blogging

2011-08-17T12:47:00.000+05:00

Jalal Hameed Bhatti

Before the world of internet, expression of one’s inner voice and persuasion of literary stride was an unthinkable for most of the people. Only those who could afford to publish their literary work were listened to by the world. The cheapest forum was the newspapers, magazines and tabloids, but access to these was very limited since the editors had a choice to accept and reject.

Then came the internet as we know it today. It was easily accessible and provided a limited platform to the writers to use it to express their work. It was not till the beginning of the 90s, when the blogging thing appeared and it came with such a bang that today more than anything it is the most favourite of all ages. Even children have a flare for blogging and are adding their young inquisitive thoughts to the World Wide Web.

Most of the bloggers start blog as a hobby, but the concept of making money now seems to be overtaking blogging for mere pleasure sake or sharing one’s thoughts with others. Today more and more bloggers are interested in how to make money rather than using it for their literary pursuits. Perhaps one of the most favourite question being asked from the SEOs and the “successful” bloggers is how to make money. Although there are many companies that assist the bloggers in doing so, it remains still a million dollar question as everyone has one’s own strategy in this regard.

As per different surveys taken to know why people blog, one of the analysis I found worth quoting. As per the survey, a majority (about 49-50%) blog for personal pleasure and pass time, while the remaining 50% is spread over making money and to promote business, either own or that of the employer.

Blogging in general remains explorative, as more and more bloggers join in the blogging community each day to explore their writing skills and polish their literary techniques. The platform provided by many free service providers, like the Blogger of the Google, can be used to one’s convenience from the comfort of one’s home or work place. Blogging is also challenging as it provides a contesting place as people read blogs and leave imprints, both negative and positive. I once read a blog by Peggy Payne, the Peggy Payne’s Boldness Blog, in which she describes her blog as “a conversation designed to encourage creativity, spunkiness, and audacity of the most profound, delightful and deeply fulfilling sort.” And how aptly has she described the fine art of blogging which served as inspiration for me and I am sure for countless novices vying to express their voice through blogging forum.

There are many ways to fine tune one’s blog and we will talk of these in our coming posts. A friend of mine has a blog with a beautiful caption, which is now the caption of my post. Yes the Fine Art of Blogging by my friend Shirazi is a wonderful platform to fine tune one’s blog. I will post excerpts from this blog in future, but for the time being, if you have time, have hop over to his blog and enjoy a professional’s input to better your blogging skills.

Universal aprons at Product Impex

2011-08-17T12:12:00.000+05:00

Aprons are a necessary and one of the most useful items. From their beginnings when aprons were first introduced to save dress, aprons, now used for have come a long way. Now aprons are the most universal uniform out there in the market. In fact, all most all types of workers and hose wives use aprons. Aprons have a wide variety in terms of their usage. Aprons are used by nurses, medical practitioners, restaurant staff, mechanics, housewives and by many other for both domestic and professional purposes. Hence we can find aprons made specially by keeping the industry in which they will be used in mind. Aprons are also treated as decorative garments, especially for women.

Depending up on the purpose of aprons, patterns greatly vary. Product Impex offers aprons patterns based on the traditional designs as well as a fashion statement. At product Impex, you can get what you including bib aprons, bistro aprons and bar aprons that are very popular among the restaurant staff and the housewives. However the purpose of these aprons is unique in their own way. Each of these aprons has got their own advantages and equally good. Approach Product Impex and we will provide what you want.

Enigma Uncovered

2011-08-14T13:53:00.000+05:00

Enigma

Ever since I was old enough to tie my shoelaces, I’ve been a compulsive dairiser. The need to jot down the minutiae of my then uneventful life was so overwhelming that everything - from a watched episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to what I had for dinner - was highlighted on rambling pages. I found comfort and a sense of wellbeing with my addiction, to me, it was a gateway to make sense of everything and everyone around me.

However, I realized I was spending less and less time recording the happenings of my life with every passing birthday, and more time living the undocumented. Something had to give.

Moments were passing by without much recognition. I only had fading memories of events to rely on. I was failing terribly in my duty to capture, freeze and store moments, however insignificant. I knew I had to find a different approach if I wanted to have something to look back on, to have a slight remembrance of how things felt when I saw or experienced them through blurry glasses of retrospection.

That’s when I discovered the fine art of blogging.It was like a message from above (or from the internet, if you prefer). I had googled a college mate I was trying to reconnect with when I came across her blog. It was a pivotal moment in my life and a reaffirmation on the path I had to travel. I decided to open an account, and decided on Enigma: Girl Uncovered because I felt that, not only was my general thinking a mystery to many, but that my future in the blogesphere was just that… an enigma. Would it last? Would I make a difference in the world? Will people be interested to read what I had to say?

I quickly discovered that blogging was better than a hand written diary. Up until the point where I started blogging, my diary was receiving the “nothing much happened today” cold shoulder approach. I think the idea of an audience encouraged me to write on a regular basis. It must be the exhibitionist in me. The same one that is outspoken, drinks far too many Bloody Marys and sings karaoke at random bars. Even when I had experienced a dull day, I could reflect back on extraneous conversation and think how I can write them up and make them funny and interesting. Going through life trying to find something interesting to write about has been my saving grace in many ways. I’m now more aware, curious and informed. It has also helped me become a better writer [Not really, but it doesn’t hurt to push things a bit].

Another reason I enjoy blogging is the fact that it offers me a platform to interact with people around the world. I love that people can leave comments after a post, controversial or otherwise. Why people read my trifling ramblings is still a mystery to me, but I like it. The nobility of some comments are an everyday affirmation that I’m doing something right, and the tasteless ones, well, they create a balance and make life that much more interesting – I try and put a positive spin on it anyway. Conversely, blogging has been therapeutic for me. On many occasions it has resulted in tears, snot and a bloated face. I like to think this is a healthy and normal thing.

All in all, I’ve gotten to know interesting, funny, thought provoking and talented bloggers out there. And I’m very grateful for this opportunity….

*Places a tiara on head and waves arm in the air like Miss Universe*

And I wouldn’t trade this experience in for all the hand written diaries in the world. Offer my shoes and I might change my mind.

World peace!

Phew! I’m glad I got that out of the way. Now, for my ‘I want Angelina Jolie to Adopt Me’ post…

Net10 Unlimited Plan

2011-08-12T19:01:00.000+05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living in the age of fast communication, everyone can take advantages of economical facilities and stay in touch within business as well as social circles. One of the best ways is to use is a prepaid wireless service offering all local, long distance and roaming calls. Prepaid wireless service is the best particularly for those who frequently need to call.

Given the demand, there are number one choices for all of prepaid calling requirements. Personal research reveals that NET10 by TracFone Wireless - America's #1 prepaid wireless company – is the best. There are no contracts, credit checks, monthly fees, security deposits, activation or deactivation charges, or age restrictions to use their service and be a real NET10 customer.

Have a look at cute NET10 commercial and find out about the great deal they offer and how. Also hear what what Rob has to say about being a real NET10 customer. Where else you can have nationwide coverage, best connectivity and unlimited talk, text, and data in only $50 a month. Not only that, you can switch between plans each month to suit your budget and airtime needs, without penalties or any additional fees.

I suggest you see the Light and be a real NET10 customer to take advantages of Net10 Unlimited plan.

The Far Queue

2011-08-12T12:10:00.000+05:00

Pisces Iscariot

I began blogging despite myself. I’d listened to an acquaintance waxing lyrical on about his blog (the blog of an ordinary man), and after reading his posts I wondered at the arrogance and ignorance of this individual who could go so far as to believed that his ‘dear diary’ cataloguing the minutiae of his everyday life in all its paint-stripping banality could possibly be of interest (let alone importance) to that audience that lurks out there in the electronic ether. Suffice to say that the blog was more interesting than the man… but only just.

Of course, the seed now planted, germinated in my own ego and I found myself believing that I could create something more, something interesting; something different.

And from the ego, the alter-ego Pisces Iscariot was born and The Far Queue was spawned.

The name Pisces Iscariot is the title of a Smashing Pumpkins album; a name which I felt would accurately portray the character of my inner self:

Pisces - my star sign and all the creative and melancholy lunacy that comes with it
Iscariot – perfect surname for one who has betrayed all of the religious beliefs he was brought up to propagate.

Of course, the ‘The Far Queue’ is nothing more than a bad pun – a perfect vehicle for the acerbic nature of Pisces’ thoughts.

Ultimately, the act of having to come up with regular posts to keep the Queue moving has been a huge benefit to both my writing skills and my state of mind; often helping to clarify my own world view or simply purging my pent up frustration at the insane nature of the post Post-Modern world...

To me the basic premise of blogging is a lie – the individual presenting the self to the world is compelled to lie (even if only slightly) – for the perception of self can only be from behind the curtain of the face, and the human desire to be liked (if not loved) will almost certainly present that self in the best possible light (as perceived by that self).

When blogging incognito (under a pseudo-self), we are presented with a zen-like contradiction – the self presented, although a lie, is true to the pseudo-self and need fear no reprisals from, or offense to, friends and colleague of the self for opinions given.

Thus, the idealised Pisces Iscariot, although the essence of my self, and while a more honest being than my self, is not in fact a true representation of my self as seen by those who know me as a living breathing human being.

Blogging, for me then, is an exercise in freedom, but as with all freedom, care must be taken not to allow that freedom to corrupt.

The The Far Queue welcomes careful diverse.

SubSet

2011-08-11T10:41:00.000+05:00

John Lampard

I've been "blogging" in one form or another since 1997. The word "blog" didn't exist then. Nor did Google - it was Yahoo! and Alta Vista then! ;)

People had "personal websites" where they would "showcase" themselves, their interests, their hobbies, their photos, their art, their poetry and lyrics, their favourite websites, whatever.

Almost as an "aside", personal websites would include a journal, that was very much like an online diary. Or the forerunner of the blog. But it was only a part of a personal website, and was by no means the central focus.

We very rarely wrote consistently about a specific topic. We only used the word "niche" when talking about exclusive boutiques!

My reasons for blogging today are exactly the same as my reasons for "journaling" back in the day.

I love to write, express ideas, and reach out and meet other people. I started to met a lot of web designers in Sydney back then, through their personal sites and journals, and together a number of us went on to form the first inception of the Australian INfront, a community of Australian web designers, with the aim of raising the international perception of Australian web creatives.

I am still meeting a lot of cool and interesting people, and blogging for the most part is fun, although it is no longer quite the same "past time" activity it used to be. A lot of people taking blogging too seriously, yet it is those who don't that seem to, that have the most "success" (wish I was one of them...! ;)

Sometimes writing, or blogging, can feel like a chore, or feel downright boring. That's until I look back on a finished piece of writing, or a blog post, and think "I'm glad I wrote that, I feel good now!"

Table for Five

2011-08-08T22:00:00.000+05:00

Elizabeth

I started my first blog Table for Five when I was on bed rest while pregnant with my daughter. I have never been good at keeping baby books, and I wanted to remember those little moments that come and went so quickly each day. I knew if I could just jot them down on my blog, the memories would be there forever. I have since added two other blogs - MomReviews which is for product and personal reviews, and MomCooks for recipes.

I never have a problem coming up with blog topics. My kids and husband provide me with plenty to write about, and I can always post a few photos and tell the story behind them. I find that I get the best response from readers when I open up to them and write about something deeply personal. Readers like knowing that they aren’t the only ones who feel a certain way about something. No matter what you are dealing with, someone else out there has dealt with it too.

Buying my own domain and hosting it at Wordpress really changed the way I blog now. Even though I still struggle with PHP code, the tools that Wordpress offers are invaluable for not only creating a good blog but keeping it fresh. I’m a big fan of Wordpress plugins and am very grateful to all of the people who work so hard to come up with new ones. I also am very supportive of social networking sites like MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, and BumpZee. Forming communities and neighborhoods with other bloggers brings me traffic to my site, and introduces me to a wide variety of blogs and blogging styles.

I have had a couple of personal high blogging points since starting my blog. I have been given the “Thinking Blogger Award” by a fellow blogger, and I was nominated by readers for two Blogger’s Choice Awards.

I started making money by blogging on March 1st of this year. I first signed up with PayPerPost, and then through friends I met there, I signed up with six other paid blogging sites. Because not all of them have jobs available every day, it gives me a constant stream of work. I consider blogging to now be my job. I work more than full-time hours on my blogs each day. If you want to make money blogging, you have to take it seriously. Advertisers are looking for quality blogs, and that means good sentence structure, excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation, a commitment to keeping the blog updated even if you don’t have a paid blogging topic to write about, and, of course, traffic. If you aren’t getting traffic to your sites, get yourself out there! Join every networking site you can find, ask your readers if they know about any new ones. List your blog in directories, use your URL in your message board signature. You have to be your own BIGGEST fan! You have to be proud of your blog and what you write on it. That is what will make you stand out as a blogger.

Girl Who Knows Your Boss

2011-08-08T21:03:00.000+05:00

nita Bruzzese

I began blogging within the last couple of months because I really wanted a way to bring together the readers of my nationally syndicated workplace column for Gannett News Service and USA Today. I have received hundreds of letters over the last 15 years of doing the column, and thought it might be helpful to let readers connect directly with one another about workplace issues.

I’ve always believed that information is power, and I think that the personal experiences and opinions from people in the work trenches can be helpful. I know that I learn something each time I interview an expert or read a workplace/career book, and I thought that I could share even more of that information through the blog, in addition to getting the input from others who visit it.

To me, a blog is a way to continue the conversation I have with readers every week through the column. It’s a chance to say, “Oh, yeah, and one more thing…”

For my blog, I focus strictly on issues that affect people at work. Usually, I include information that I wasn’t able to fit in the column, or something interesting that I saw in another publication or that I discovered in research of a workplace topic.

I’m relatively new to the blogging experience, but I think it’s just like any other life experience. You have to reach out to others, you have to put aside your fears and just go for it in order to really experience what’s out there. I promote my blog mostly through my column and my Web site (www.anitabruzzese.com). And, of course, I like talking to other bloggers and learning about them.

I became a journalist more than 20 years ago, post-Watergate. I have always felt that being a journalist is a calling, that it is a service to others. I didn’t get into it for the money or the fame or the chance to be on some talk show where I try to out-yell another “journalist.” To me, being a journalist is a chance to help others understand issues, to help them function better and get more out of life. I think blogging is like that in a lot of ways. Many bloggers out there do feel they have a higher calling that they’re trying to shed light on subjects that need to be discussed and revealed. They, like me, want to serve their community.

I get a real kick out of it when someone writes something on my blog. I love interviewing people, and getting to know what makes someone tick. I think when someone writes on the blog, I’m getting another chance to see what a person is thinking. That’s always interesting. As for making money? The only benefit to me is if someone becomes more familiar with my name and then goes out and buys a book….

I’ve learned you’ve got to keep your posts short. I overdid it in the beginning and my blogging friends told me I was too long-winded. Now, I think of myself more as a facilitator… I just try and get people interested in a subject and then get out of the way and let them have at it. It’s much more meaningful when you give them pertinent facts and then let them apply it to their own lives. I don’t think anyone likes to be preached at for very long…they’ll quickly lose interest if they don’t get a chance to have their say.

To The Point

2011-07-29T10:46:00.000+05:00

Penfold

Recently I presented a question relating to the point of blogging.

To many the point was the pointlessness. Or an open plan diary for you and the world to share. Or a stream of conciousness (or unconciousness in the case of the Old Git) to satiate a desire to communicate something to somebody somewhere…

I first started mine for a completely different reason - I wanted to learn how to build a website and get a podcast together - at the time I was starting to mix music again (unfortunately work has taken that desire from me for the moment) and I wanted to be able to share it with others. Rather than take the easy route I built a site from the ground up learning html and xml and all those fun ‘ml’ things tripping over each obstacle as I went and struggling through (the remnants of those pages are still in my archives). Then to facilitate the graphical side I started to get my head around Photoshop and Illustrator so I could make my own banners, buttons and widgets…

So all the while I was blogging almost as a side line. Then I finally added comments to the site and the whole thing sprang to life. I discovered that the stats I’d been getting were actually real people with real lives from the furthest reaches of the planet and they actually enjoyed what I was writing and in turn I was loving reading about their worlds and lives. My tiny isolated bubble that I’d been trapped in was growing and changing shape and I was starting to make friends such as Lucy, Lizza, Surftwin, Nursie, Kevin and Sylvie, Paula, Rachie, Jen and many more...

So months later I switched to wordpress so I could concentrate on the content and the communication. Now blogging has become a huge part of my life - I feel so disconnected where I live sometimes and it’s like a small vibrant web spreading out through the internet keeping me in contact with the rest of the world.

For some reason it’s also given me a boost to get back into things that I’d long discarded such as my photography and some artwork and then of course I get to rattle on endlessly about my greatest passion surfing. So all in all it has to be a good thing…

Cheers everybody for spending time here and thanks to all the other bloggers that put so much effort into their own sites for everybody else.

I didn’t surf today.

Words of a Broken Mirror

2011-07-21T19:39:00.000+05:00

Alina Popescu

I will not go around the “what is a blog” question. There are dozens of definitions on the Internet and in some printed books. Yes, there have been a few books written on this topic. I will try to focus on what blogging means to me, on what it can bring and on why some blogs simply stand out.

Besides being a means of expressing every possible thought and feeling, a blog is mainly a means to meeting interesting people who always come with extraordinary stories, photos, advice and comments. Bloggin is sometimes like having guests. You invite plenty of people. You prepare everything for them: food, music, conversation, other ways to entertain them. Some respond to your efforts, some keep quiet and smile in approval, some come back, some never show up.

After the age of “asl pls” we all needed a different way to meet people. A way beyond useless data exchange and dating purposes. For most of us it is quite impossible to see all the countries in the world, to hear every tale of grand heroes, legends or historical truth. But reading travel posts, seeing photos or simply reading about the day to day life on the other side of the world might compensate.

I started this experience in January 2005. It started as a “why not” kind of project and I then decided to write my license paper on it. It’s been over two years and I can honestly say I am addicted to blogging. By blogging I mean of course writing my own posts, reading comments and reading other blogs. I have experimented with different approaches and I could say my blogs are now a mix of everything: news, articles, personal posts, travel posts, photos, songs, movie reviews, book reviews, jokes and funny posts and many more.

I see my readers as an extended circle of friends. We visit each others’ blogs and have common interests. With some of them I keep in touch through emails and we collaborate on common projects. Blogging has indeed brought me some very valuable friends.

What keeps me coming back to a certain blog is not only the quality of the material published. It is also the publisher. I see blog owners as hosts receiving guests, as I said before. So replying comments is something we all should pay attention to. Also, being able to moderate conversations and to take a stand when certain lines are crossed is part of their tasks.

Having a constant audience is the true test for all bloggers. But new readers are as important as we should never stop trying to learn more and find different views and perspectives. The most important tool one has to attract new readers is frequently updating their content.

Another easy means is to always keep up with new interesting blogs. Yes, it is hard, as they seem to spread like mushrooms in rainy seasons, that is why I always try to see what others recommend, not only search on my own. If you like a blogger’s work, you will surely be interested in what those in his/her blogroll have to say.

However, all those thinking about starting to blog should simply forget most of what other people have to say and give it a try. Most of what you should do depends on your personality and interests. The rest, well, you start paying attention to it and learning all you can along the way!

Bloggy fusion

2011-07-08T08:28:00.000+05:00