17 comments

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  ophelia_chong

  11 months ago

  But aren't the majority of blogs just online diaries? The common blogger has no aspirations of a mass audience, and if they did they should read this column. "Read my blog", is a plaintive plea to be heard and recognized, to have one's opinions and thoughts validated. But is it readable and poignant?
  On my blog I focus on two things, massive self promotion of my artwork and the ramblings of a over caffeinated pixel pusher. Are either readable or poignant? Occasionally. Just like in RL conversation, I can come up with a few witty bits, but the rest is more banal.
  
  My blogs are like muffins, the topping/beginning is what lures you in, while the bottom half is just filler. I have to work on making it tasty the whole way through.
  
  :O) ophelia
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  The only people who should be worried about traffic are those who really, really, really want whatever message they are pushing to be heard. I am with you all the way on the fact that most bloggers don't give three hoots whether or not anyone ever reads them, but for those who do the beast they are courting has a very particular nature.
  
  For them, they need to provide some real, solid value to their readers whether that is just making them think, or giving them the tools to build something.
  
  As for your blogs, don't underestimate yourself Ophelia. You might not be writing novels, but through your art and your text you always leave me thinking.
  
  It might not be Lifehacker, but that's equally important.
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  ophelia_chong

  11 months ago

  I consider myself the WeedWhacker of bloggers. I go after the stuff that pops up in my "perfect lawn".
  An old rule of thumb is to "write for yourself", which means to find your own voice, not emulate another's.
  
  Thank you Steve for the constant boosting of my ego, its already asked for it's own blog. :O))
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  Ha. Ask anyone I know, I pretty much hate everything. The result is that I
  get excited when posts/projects come up that don't make me want to throw
  them under a bus.
  
  Tell your ego we might have some room in fall. :)
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  ophelia_chong

  11 months ago

  Ego: do I get my own trailer? or do I have to share one with her....?
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  We'll see about that. I'm not made of trailers.
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  gregorylent

  11 months ago

  lol ... i like blogs that take me somewhere i wouldn't have got to myself... entertainment is frosting.. and nice design and art on your site too
  
  rumi just wrote truth in a poetic way .. 700 years later we still love him, but he was simply trying to express the highest truth in the most artful way ...
  
  helping people to fly higher in their own personal sky is a great thing, the work of saints, in fact
  
  enjoy
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  gregorylent

  11 months ago

  hi steve, nice blog, i know your writing only from friend feed ... where do you want to go with this, you intelligence is obvious, and you have something to say ... any directions?
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  I think there is a way to use technology, specifically information technologies to help "make the world a better place." That's one of the big messages I want to get across.
  
  Otherwise, I really love to write and give people things to think about. I am sure there are about 5000 more words I could put to this subject, but that would take more thought than a comment box allows.
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  gregorylent

  11 months ago

  thanks for the reply .. nice intentions ... lots of like-minded people around that ... becoming transformed by engaging in transformation ...
  
  put the 5000 words into the first couple of chapters of a book, see if the next 5000 show up
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  Maggy Young

  11 months ago

  To an extent that is quite a different angle. Tech related blogs mostly focus on the fun sites like Facebook because of their huge poularity & the latest widgets. Here you are envisaging a bigger, broader & more meaningful role for the web which is yet to come.
  How about giving special focus to sites which are helping to 'make the world a better place' on a regular basis ?
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  I am working on finding those sites more and more. I have a little project in the works that you will probably like.
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  Joe

  11 months ago

  I think the way you write your blog should be up to you. It is YOUR blog! If you want to use it for personal reasons and voice your opinions you should be able to do that. If your main goal is generating traffic then these strategies you have listed are useful.
  
  The fact is that unless you have a cause or issue you are fighting to get the word out about, getting traffic to your site should not be a concern. Otherwise good post!
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  sbspalding

  11 months ago

  Well stated Joe. Everyone has their own reason for writing, and many of them have nothing to do with being read. This post is directly specifically towards those who want to spread their message for whatever reasons they might have.
  
  Thanks for the comment!
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  Porch Lifts

  11 months ago

  Personally I haven't really ever had the urge to have a personal diary like blog, so all of my blogs are related to a specific niche.
  
  I do #4 a lot. After writing a post, I come back to it, usually several times to make it clearer and more readable.
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  Audrey

  11 months ago

  this is some cold, hard truth... it might take me a while to digest it. thanks, though
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  Torah

  9 months ago

  Number 4 is the most important step, I believe. I have seen so many great "potential" articles with amazing ideas, yet they have no coherence, or are just boring to read. It's very important to go back through what you have written and make it concise, yet to the point and easy to read. It only takes 5 minutes to do, and yet people still are lazy to do it.
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