Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category
by Jennifer Brown Banks on March 31st, 2010
Truth be told, there’s a bit of an exhibitionist in every writer.
(Wouldn’t you agree?)
No matter how private or reclusive we may be in our own personal lives,
I believe we go “public†because it’s inherent in our “wiring†to want to change the world, inspire, and “win friends and influence people.â€
And for us it’s through our creative ability.
As such, many of us set our sites on becoming bloggers as a way to expand our platforms, our influence base, and our bottom lines.
We in fact are told through an array of sources that we must!
Blogging has become the “new blackâ€.
SIDEBAR…
This kind of reminds me of how when a new, “popular†fashion or fad is introduced in the women’s clothing arena, many females will embrace it regardless as to whether or not it’s appropriate to their lifestyle, size, figure or age.
And some really shouldn’t.
Case in point?
(Spandex is not every woman’s friend!)
The point of this piece?
Not all writers should necessarily become bloggers just because it’s the “in†thing to do.
In other words, blogging should not be considered a natural “write of passageâ€.
This revelation came to me some time ago when I put out a call for bloggers for a creative project I was working on.
I got submissions from folks from all walks of life, with all sorts of degrees, awards and credentials.
And some, to be quite honest, with more impressive backgrounds than my own!
Unfortunately what I ended up with were blog posts that were too technical, or too cerebral, or too long, or too “vanilla†and bland in nature.
I hate to say it, but I was over worked and
underwhelmed.
These very talented authors were skilled in “communicating†but not “connectingâ€.
(Are you with me?)
Here are a few reasons that “all†writers do not necessarily make good (pro) bloggers.
They lack one or more of the abilities that fall under the categories I like to refer to as the 3C’s.
• Conversational tone-–Blog writing calls for an informal style, smooth flow, and brevity. Some writers, in their desire to impress, use hundred dollar words, uncommon acronyms, or technical jargon that is not easily grasped by the average reader. Don’t be one of them.
• Consistency—Bloggers with paid gigs, or those hoping to cultivate a solid following for their own personal blogs, must blog well and blog often. One has to produce with or without a “museâ€.
• Creativity-–Gifted bloggers know how to take an old topic, theme, or event and give it new life in the way that they spin it. Like good chefs they take the same everyday ingredients and blend them together differently to yield “food for thought†for readers’ enjoyment.
Should blogging have standards?
Do you think that blogging calls for different writing skills than more formal forms of writing?
Are all writers “blogging material”?
What are your thoughts on this?
Categories: General, Interesting, Opinion
by Jennifer Brown Banks on March 29th, 2010
Frankly I don’t get it.
Folks requesting organ donations have had greater success than today’s blogger seeking comments on their blog posts.
And I say this with affection: I’m amused but confused.
In my mind, reading an enjoyable (or minimally interesting) blog and not leaving a comment is like dining at a restaurant and not leaving a tip. And isn’t “food for thought†just as gratifying?
Ask any blogger and they’ll tell you that comments left on a blog by visiting readers are the equivalent of finding a 20 dollar bill in a back pocket of some old jeans, or receiving extra chicken nuggets in your value meal package that you didn’t have to pay for.
Or getting a date with Keanu Reeves.
Okay, well maybe that’s just me. 
But anyhow…
Consider this a public service message: We wanna hear from you. Read More
Categories: General, Interesting, Opinion
Tags: Comments, Community, Participation
by Darnell Clayton on March 5th, 2010
Ever since Google introduced PubSubHubbub (aka PuSH) to the world, blog platforms (both large and small) could finally provide “real time RSS” to feed services like Google Reader, Bloglines and of course the ghost town known as Friendfeed.
Blogger was (not surprisingly)Â one of the first to adopt this technology, followed quickly by Typepad, Tumblr, MovableType, Posterous and last but not least WordPress.com (who finally joined the PuSH club a few days ago and was kind enough to create an official plugin for WP.org fans too).
With PuSH quickly becoming a standard feature for blog platforms and services, one has to wonder whether or not Twitter’s days of fame are numbered. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: rss, twitter
by Darnell Clayton on March 2nd, 2010
Often on the forefront of mobile blogging, WordPress has been able to spread the “WP love” upon multiple devices (specifically for the Blackberry, iPhone and Android smartphones), with plans  to create a Nokia app as well.
While bloggers will probably swallow the iPill and buy the iPad, it may not be in WordPress’s best interest (or even its rivals like Typepad and Squarespace) to create an iPad app due it its present limitations. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: iPad, wordpress
by Darnell Clayton on February 26th, 2010
As you are probably aware of by now, Twitter is finally going to unleash ads upon the masses in order to help keep the lights on.
While rumors are still speculating on whether those ads will be within the tweet stream, it looks like All Things D suspects that Twitter will instead place ads within search results, similar to how the mighty Google profits off of search (hat tip: Mashable).
If Twitter chooses to go the tweet search route, it may be wiser for bloggers to spend their marketing dollars within Tweet search than Google Adwords for three simple reasons. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: google, twitter
by Darnell Clayton on February 25th, 2010
Despite the popularity of WordPress (at least among the top bloggers on Techmeme and Technorati), Automattic’s blog platform is a distant second compared to Google’s Blogger (aka BlogSpot).
Whether this is due towards Blogger’s powerful free features or “keep it simple” user interface is subject to debate, but regardless of the reason the fact remains that Blogger is King.
While WordPress’s odds of over taking Blogger on the PC may be as great as Frosty the snowman’s chances of conquering hades by himself, WordPress may be able to surpass Blogger globally thanks in part to the popularity of cell phones worldwide. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Blogger, wordpress
by Darnell Clayton on February 19th, 2010
Considered by some to be a distant cousin to WordPress (as they have  ”same blood“), b2evolution has continued to evolve at a seemingly faster pace than its younger cousin (as b2evolution is on version 3.3.3 while WordPress is on 2.9.2).
Although boasting numerous plugins, template skins and a small but passionate community, b2evolution has nearly faded from the public spot light as most people outside of the “realm known as geek” have never heard of b2evolution (as it brings up blanks stares, unlike WordPress or Blogger). Read More
Categories: Blog Software, Opinion
Tags: b2evolution
by Darnell Clayton on February 16th, 2010
Despite the power and popularity of WordPress amongst the blogging elite (at least upon the Techmeme Leaderboard), Blogger still remains the dominant blogging platform in the world, with the glorious WP coming in at a distant second.
Some in the WordPress faith may wonder why anyone would consider using Blogger, especially since WordPress boasts thousands (or is it tens of thousands?) of plugins, themes and developers–not to mention awesome smartphone apps upon the iPhone, Blackberry and Google’s very own Android OS.
However upon closer examination, BlogSpot fans may not be as “delusional” as some geeks may think for choosing Google over Automattic, as there are at least 5 major advantages of using Blogger instead of WordPress–both WP.com and WP.org. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Blogger, wordpress
by Darnell Clayton on February 12th, 2010
If you have been following the drama over in the Blackberry App World, you probably know by now that the company is planning on developing a corporate app for Twitter and releasing it for free (hat tip: Mashable)
(Inside Blackberry)Â The Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones application has been designed to take advantage of the BlackBerry platform to create a user experience that will be familiar to both Twitter and BlackBerry smartphone users. Some of the areas that we have focused on are:
- Push technology and Message List integration to notify you of your direct messages as soon as they arrive.
- Send/Share BlackBerry menu integration along with bit.ly URL shortening so that you can share your favorite BlackBerry App World™ applications, interesting websites or a random picture from your camera with your Twitter followers.
From the initial screenshots the Blackberry Twitter app (thus far) looks impressive, although its entrance within the BB App World could signal the death of excellent mobile apps in the not so distant future. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Blackberry, Mobile Software, twitter
by Franky Branckaute on January 26th, 2010
Finally the news has hit the scene, while being as overdue as this post probably is: there finally is a WordPress Foundation. But this entry is not about the WordPress Foundation but about the weakness of communities and their need for strong leaders, using the WordPress community as a perfect example.
More than two years ago, during the heated sponsored themes FUD debate, I wrote that it was time to return the WordPress trademark to the Community and was also called out, by Matt himself, for it being an attack post. I have been a critic of Matt for a long time already but there is one thing ‘the community’ must understand: Matt has the guts most people would not have. Every community needs their Matt Mullenweg.
Period. Read More
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Community, matt mullenweg, wordpress
13 Comments
