I loved hand-coding my site – being able to control every aspect from server to web browser, I could customize things to my liking, and was never stuck with a system that locked things away from being accessed or changed. I don’t like being controlled when it comes to web development because, as it is my profession, I felt I could write my own CMS and be much more satisfied with it.

This is still true for most things – I like writing my own applications still, but as I get older I am finding that I have to choose more wisely where I spend my time (especially with a daughter on the way very soon). Having to constantly revise, improve, and fix bugs with my blogging CMS is not an area I care to spend time on anymore. I would rather spend time actually writing blog posts, than working on the site itself.

Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t spend some time customizing my site, tweaking it to my liking, and stressing out over tiny details (as I always do when it comes to website design) – it just won’t be as frequent, and I can rest easily knowing that the CMS I am using now is much more secure and being improved regularly.

Plus I had a ton of little bugs and fixes I needed to apply, and I never seemed to find the time to get to that. The backlog of CMS issues just kept growing.

Now I can take advantage of a lot of nice features that make publishing easier, so I can focus more on writing posts, than maintaining the system. And WordPress is customizable enough that I can get under the hood if I need to do something.

Here’s to a new era for me.

“In a way, Twitter is forcing bloggers to write better; more succinctly; more clearly. Readers are no longer in it for extreme verbosity and endless dialogue.”

I still think Twitter’s concept (that of succinctness) helps writers in general. It forces you to think about only the words necessary to make your point, which is important in any style of writing. Often times I’ll tweet something before blogging about it as a progression from impulse thought to long-form writing. You first must start with the idea, then build off it.

Twitter definitely killed a lot of blog(ger)s, but I find the blog(ger)s that have remained were the better ones anyway. ;-)

Recent news and headlines

I prefer to stay away from recent headlines unless it directly affects what I do on a daily basis. Rather than blogging out of impulse (as a result of recent news), I always prefer to take some time to let it all settle in before writing a knee-jerk reaction (although I’ve done this plenty of times).

Type of blog

I don’t think of this as a link blog, but sometimes I just have to share a link with my own commentary, because quite often others say it much better than I ever could, so why re-write what someone said perfectly elsewhere?

Revision

I carefully craft my blog posts, meaning I revise multiple times before publishing to check for words that can be removed (saying more with less), as well as grammatical and spelling errors.

Recursiveness

I used to try avoiding blog posts that are about the topic of blogging (“blogging about blogging”) as a sort of unwritten rule. I found that when I blogged about blogging most of the time I was ranting than anything else, and I want to promote a positive voice, not a negative vibe. I’ve recently loosened up my stance on this, and I am starting to post more about blogging itself, as is evident by this very post! If you can do it in an informative and insightful way, it’s definitely a good thing, and shouldn’t be avoided.

Linking to external sites

I try to avoid linking to a site unless absolutely necessary. There is certain criteria for this that I follow:

1. Is the link the reason or inspiration for the post (IE: “hat tip” or “via”)?
2. Is the link something you have never linked to in another (previous) post?
3. Is the link something the reader could not possibly find on their own (via Google)?

If any of the above is true, it is okay to link a particular word or phrase, as it only aids the reader.

In general, links stand out in a body of content, and I prefer to keep the reader absorbed in the content instead of noticing links everywhere which can cause distraction.

If I have repeat posts about a particular topic, I’ll usually link to the source in the first post, then avoid linking to the same source in subsequent posts.

Rather, I try linking to my own posts first (those that already referenced the source once before), so as to form a kind of “trail” back to my original thoughts.

Feedback

I cherish all feedback left on my site, but I don’t let it change my writing or blogging approach. Often times readers feel the need to correct my mistakes (obvious as they often are) or “catch me in my tracks,” as if what I’ve written is the official word on the topic.

I’d elaborate more but this old post says it much better.

Advertisements

I have placed Google ads on my site before, and I am occasionally (meaning about once a year) contacted about a paid link on a particular blog post page, or static page (like my About section). If possible, I try to make the ads as conspicuous as possible, so as to not blend in too much and deceive the reader. I don’t ever intend to trick visitors into clicking links that are ads, so I am careful about how and where I place ads.

I typically determine it by a few factors:

1. How old is the post where the ad is desired?
2. Is the page part of my main blog section (or a static, external page in another section)?

If the post is really old, I don’t mind placing minimal ads on it. It is only up there as an archive – I probably don’t even believe or adhere to what I wrote in the post anymore, anyway.

But in general, it is important to me that this site remains genuine and real – just like the person behind it is. Therefore the lure of easy money is less important than writing and designing a completely personal blog that is essentially an extension of myself.

On droughts

Blogging “droughts” (a lack of frequent, new posts) happen to me all the time. Over the years I’ve used different tactics for combating such occurrences, but the most important one I’ve learned is that new blog posts don’t write themselves. Sometimes you (meaning I) have to work at it – being consistent and dedicating the time to write. It’s easy to come up with new blog post ideas in your head, but much harder to actually sit down and think it through, in order to put into words.

Much like a friendship requires attention and cultivating, so does blogging.

Also, don’t be afraid to try something new. Don’t limit your topics to any particular style or format. Have fun with it. All that matters is that you never stop writing.

I’ve toyed with the idea of ditching my complicated server and software setup and moving to a “jump right in and start blogging” service like Tumblr. In fact, the idea of switching is so compelling at times, I’ve created numerous accounts at times when I really feel the urge. Those accounts always end up sitting static as I either run out of time to play around with it, or find a valid reason to keep using the approach I am using.

If I were to ever switch, I would need ability to:

1. Import all blog posts and feedback.
2. Have the same URL’s for blog posts and RSS feeds.

(#1) would be especially tricky with feedback, as there would need to be some way to relate feedback posts to blog posts.

(#2) would require a CNAME (most services offer this) and a custom URI structure of my choosing (YYYY/MM/DD/post-slug). RSS feeds would be tricky too because I don’t want existing subscribers (all four of you) to have to subscribe to another URL.

I would need some control on a hosting level to handle htaccess stuff and truly configure the crap out of things (if I felt inclined).

I’m doubting any service could offer all this in an easy-to-setup fashion. Most blogging services treat potential customers as new bloggers, which I think is a mistake because a lot of older bloggers (like myself) may want to be relieved of hosting and coding to use a service that lets them easily migrate from that scenario, but still give them some power if they want it.

So this is where I stand: intrigued by SAAS, but not wanting to give up the control I have over every aspect of my site.

When I go through these droughts, I notice I’m less inspired, less influenced, and less happy.

Blogging

There’s something therapeutic about making a blog post. It’s like you’ve solidified your thoughts and preserved them for all of time. You can finally clear your head from that thought and move onto other ones. You’ve released it to the world. When I go a long while without a blog post, or some form of internal reflection on a certain topic, I start to feel my head is less clear and focused. Because… the ideas keep coming, but since I don’t release them, they remain floating around in my head – running into other ideas and causing a traffic-jam of thoughts.

And Twitter doesn’t count as blogging, in my opinion. Twitter is just water cooler chatter. It requires no internal reflection, therefore is less therapeutic.

So, even if I can’t seem to escape the pressures from life and work, I still force myself to take some time (even during work hours!) to blog. You just have to force yourself to stop doing whatever you’re doing. Sure, the deadlines are coming, and there’s pressure from all sides. But continuing to try to juggle all that pressure does no good. It simply won’t stop coming, so there’s no point in thinking you can get ahead by staying focused on the pressure.

Sure, it could be considered as wasting company time, but in the long run, it will pay off for the company if you are more clear-headed and able to handle additional pressure. If blogging helps you do that, then I don’t see any problem in taking a brief detour from the workload, even if it puts you behind temporarily.

Music

Music is also therapeutic. It takes me out of my current state-of-mind, and let’s my thoughts flow freely. This can be a double-edged sword while at work – IE: you become so relaxed, you can’t focus on work.

I find that a nice balance of music during the workday can help relieve work pressures and stress. I often listen to music in the early afternoon, right after lunch, as a way to ease back into the workload.

Don’t stop being you

Overall, it’s important to remember this mantra:

Don’t stop talking. Don’t stop writing. Don’t stop being you.

Although Twitter is not for everyone, the concept has become the new way to follow people – friends, business associates, or just anyone you’d like to meet.

Forget MySpace, personal blogs, and Facebook. Twitter has revolutionized staying in touch.

The old approach involved manually logging into specific social networks, in order to see what others were up to, and provide your own updates. Or maybe you have a personal blog where people leave comments, and their own domains. Following links to their domain, you then subscribed to their RSS feeds, if you found them interesting.

That whole cycle of blogs/RSS has been replaced by Twitter.

I now avoid the process of visiting someone’s personal blog, copying the URL, going to my feed reader, pasting the URL – in order to subscribe to their feed. Too many steps. Rather, I’ll just hit “Follow” on Twitter, and be done with it.

Content on personal blogs and MySpace/Facebook “walls” is lessening with each passing day. Rather, content is being redirected to Twitter, where it’s much easier to post updates from mobile phones or instant-message.

Content is so “few and far between” on personal blogs, I’ve even started noticing blog updates that only reference Twitter updates from that person, ie: “Twitter updates from this past week.”

If your blog only serves to reference your Twitter updates, why keep the blog? Nobody is reading it anyway – they’re just reading your Twitter stream.

Personal blogs are losing their value in the light of Twitter.

There is still great value in referential or instructional sites, but for the personal blogs that only talked about the mundane details of life – those have all been migrated to Twitter.

Twordy takes the concept of Twitter to the next level.

Consider how a typical blog site works: The blogger creates posts, and people follow the posts via RSS. The followers can then reply to posts directly.

Isn’t this the same concept as Twitter? With Twitter, you can create posts, and your “followers” see your updates. And since Twitter is such a booming service, your followers are more fresh, more frequent, and more in-tune to who you are.

If I had to guess, you’ve probably received more Twitter “follows” in the past month, than you have new RSS subscribers to your blog.

The entire blog/RSS tandem is old and disjointed. Subscribing to an RSS feed is too much work, when I can just click “Follow” to grab your Twitter updates.

Why not remove the middle-man (the separate blogging platform), and blog solely on Twitter/Twordy? You have same ability to publish content freely, but with Twitter, you’re focusing on a more active and involved audience. And using Twordy, you have the ability to post more detailed and descriptive content, free of the 140 character barrier.

Twordy is your blog post, and Twitter is your audience.

A podcast is simply an RSS feed for audio or video enclosures.

And what’s so special about a podcast RSS feed?

A podcast RSS feed is almost identical to a regular RSS feed, except that it contains the element.

Shifting gears slightly, Utterz is a social network for all types of blogging: audio, video, pictures, and text. Each user stream has an RSS feed for content updates.

Since “content” on Utterz can consist of audio or video enclosures, your Utterz RSS feed can also be used as a podcast feed! Plug it into iTunes and users can follow your Utterz audio or video updates on their portable devices, much like a traditional podcast.

This is a great way to “follow” someone using Utterz, if you prefer your podcasts to be digestible in one sitting, such as while driving in a car.

Next, there was blogging. Blogging fine-tuned the “gathering” of people who had similar interests, because blog posts allowed comments, as well as links back to the commenters’ own blog or site. This connected like-minded people. “She read my blog. I started reading her blog. We became friends/contacts.”

Now, there’s Twitter. Twitter combines instant-messaging and blogging, and removes the barriers that once existed between strangers. Now, all you need to talk to someone is a shared interest or proximity. Twitter also introduced the concept of micro-blogging, that is, condensing your thoughts under 140 characters. What would seem somewhat restricting is actually a powerful new way to promote ideas. It’s almost become an art or a skill – figuring out how to get your idea across with only a few words.

Twitter has changed my life. 2007 was the year when that happened. Here’s an example of how my contacts/networking has grown since my initial use of the internet:

• Before the internet (1980 – 1994): Contacts limited by proximity to people I’ve met face-to-face. Local telephone calls are the only way to communicate remotely.
• AOL days (1994 – 1999): A few more contacts enter my life as the ability to communicate without being restricted to proximity is introduced.
• Blogging days (2001 – Present): Dozens more contacts enter my life, and the value of those contacts increases, due to the shared interests of blog posts.
• Twitter days (2007 – Present): Hundreds more contacts enter my life, and the value of each contact remains high, since we congregrate due to shared interests/proximity.

As you can see, as the internet evolves, the value of your contacts become stronger and more fine-tuned. At the same time, your rate of meeting new contacts increases. This is the perfect formula: constantly meet new people who are interested in what you do and who you are.

To many, the concept of Twitter is still yet to be understood or adopted. Since Twitter is primarily a technology, some people are slow to adapt. But rest assured – ideas like Twitter are not going anywhere. They’re here to stay, and only become stronger and more fine-tuned. If you’re not using services like Twitter now, I can guarantee in two to three years time, you will be.

And if AOL, blogging, and now Twitter continue to change the world – I absolutely can’t wait to see what’s next. I’m guessing it will be out of this world.

If you cave in during the first sign of boredom or lack of inspiration, you’ll only extend your period of inactivity. It’s important to remember that it is only temporary. Blogging is more about momentum, than having an endless supply of ideas to blog about. One good post can usually get you rolling, and back on track.

Here are some tips to keep the blog posts fresh and your inspiration levels high:

• Don’t set schedules on when you’ll blog.
• Don’t limit your blog posts to only a few topics.
• Keep a “sandbox” of ideas somewhere that’s always accessible.
• Meet new people!
• Stay healthy.
• Be a good person.

Don’t set schedules on when you’ll blog

Blogging is more effective on impulse than it is structure. Don’t set schedules that you won’t live up to. You’ll only let yourself down for no reason.

If you are completely unable to blog while at work or during some other activity, try to at least record your ideas somewhere, and begin blogging about them as soon as possible, so the ideas remain fresh in your head.

Don’t limit your blog posts to only a few topics

Don’t attempt to “categorize” your blog, ie: “This blog is about all tech things that interest me.” By labeling your blog as only a “technical” site, you block out other inspirational ideas that could become blog posts, but do not, simply because they are not “tech” things. By limiting your posts to only “tech” things, you reduce the amount of content posted.

Keep your blog open-ended. If you must narrow down the subject matter for the sake of the audience you wish to attract, do so in a manner that doesn’t get too specific. For example, rather than saying, “This blog is about Netflix.” – choose to say, “This blog is about media rental services.”

By keeping things open-ended, you leave room for growth, effectively creating more content and building of ideas.

Keep a sandbox of ideas

It’s wise to keep a notepad of some sort, where you can jot down ideas as they strike you. For me, I use Google Docs. Choose something light-weight and accessible. You don’t want to limit your notepad to only one computer. You should be able to access it from anywhere.

Meet new people!

This is very important. Without people, our ideas never become a reality. You should always be meeting new people, either by networking in person, or simply being involved in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace – whatever floats your boat. The main source of your ideas will come from other’s suggestions.

So never stop meeting people. It is your source of life.

Stay healthy

It goes without saying that any activity, even blogging, performs better when you’re healthy. This means doing the little things that keep you healthy year-round, including getting plenty of rest, eating right, and exercise.

When your body is rested and in good shape, your brain will keep the ideas and inspiration flowing.

Be a good person

By being a genuinely good person, you enable more effective and lasting relationships, which translate into consistent ideas and growth. Give unto others before yourself. Always consider another person’s point of view before proclaiming to the world that you are, in fact, right. Chances are you’re wrong. It’s good to be wrong, because it teaches you something. What could you possibly learn from always being right?