Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category
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
by Regnard Raquedan on December 31st, 2009
One of the books I’ve read in 2009 that I think is very helpful to bloggers is “Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click” by Susan M. Weinschenk. Although the title suggests a focus on web design, there’s a chapter there that talks about three triggers that enables web folks to”speak” to the unconscious mind. It may sound like psychobabble, but the the thing is, it is grounded on psychological research.
The three triggers are danger, food, and sex. If you notice, these are the basic elements that fire-off red flags in our collective instincts. This is because the way our brains are configured due to millions of years of evolution. All three items relate or our self-preservation instincts.
The premise is that the brain is hard-wired to get immediately attracted to words, images, and videos that pertain to danger, food, and sex. And if people are aware of these content, there is a higher likelihood that interest will be developed and the desired action, which is clicking (if it’s a hyperlink), will follow.
Here’s a few suggestions in incorporating the triggers:
- Danger - Make the wordings of your links to be more active and, if appropriate, place “threatening” images or images that convey cautionary measures.
- Food – The author of the book says that people pay attention to food (and that’s why there are plenty of food bloggers out there). If possible, place food items or benefits people can derive from your blog and blog posts.
- Sex – I’ve mentioned this is in the past and that sex is always a powerful attention getter.
2010 is just around the corner and it may be a good new year’s resolution to make your content more interesting. Just rememebr the three key triggers: danger, food, and sex.
Happy New Year!
Categories: Blogging Tips, Opinion
Tags: blogging, clicking, content, Interesting, tips
by Regnard Raquedan on December 24th, 2009
In the spirit of the holidays, it’s a good time to focus on the warm, fuzzy feeling of giving.
But as a blogger, how do you get into the whole “spreading the wealth” business?
But let’s get some things straight first: for a lot of professional bloggers, the content being written is focused on a particular niche. So try putting yourself on your readers’ shoes and ask the question “What’s in it for me?”
This may sound too mercenary-like (and the last thing about the holidays), but think about it– why should your readers care about your blog? If your blog is one thing that leads to benefits, such as wealth, a better life, or more informed way of doing things, then there are reasons people will come back.
So, as a blogger, be generous in pointing the benefits and making sure your readers know that there is a benefit to reading your posts. Here are three ways to highlight the benefits:
- State the Obvious – If there’s a benefit your readers should find worth getting, say it! This may entail having an approach that’s more direct to the point and being clear with the benefits. Apple is very good in this because they are able to put the key benefits of their products very concisely.
- Reinforce with Images – Blog posts will always look a little shinier and spiffier with images (provided the image will provide the proper context.) The images can also reinforce the tangible benefit your readers can derive.
- Make the Benefit Scarce – Create a sense of scarcity with what you are offering because people respond to loss and scarcity in a more natural way than abundance. If you think the information contained in your blog post is only good for a season, then make it clear.
Remember, make the benefits clear, obvious, and worth getting. The benefit for you may be a better performing blog.
Happy Holidays!
Categories: Blogging Tips, Opinion
Tags: blogging, content, Interesting, tips, writing
by Regnard Raquedan on December 22nd, 2009
I won’t be surprised if 9 out of 10 people who came to this blog post spent around 10 seconds looking at the picture above. It’s just human nature to be attracted to content that convey sexual messages.
As a blogger, it would be good to consider that nature of people when writing blog posts. From the age old “Sex sells” mantra to sensational headlines, there is wisdom in putting a little spice to make thinks interesting in blogs. Sex is just one of this things that raise a flag in people’s brains.
But the picture above is really an extreme example of audience titillation– the image really has no place in a blog about blogging (or maybe not). But my point is that find the right amount of sexiness in the proper context. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Provocative images – Haven’t you ever wondered why a company like GoDaddy, a domain and web hosting seller, uses models like Danica Partick in its advertising and marketing campaigns? If you ask me, it’s really for audience titillation. Placing a provocative image in your blog post that related to your topic may provide that spark.
- Sensational Headlines – Following the “Man Bites Dog” adage, a crafty and clever headline with the proper innuendos may pique the interest of the most indifferent of readers. Instead of saying “Blogger Wins Award,” a sexy version could be “Female Teen Blogger Grabs Top Spot”.
Of course, sexifying your blog posts doesn’t mean that all ounces of decency are thrown out of the window. Just the right amount and right context, coupled with the ethical considerations will make your blog spicy and sexy.
Categories: Blogging Tips, Opinion
Tags: blogging, tips, writing
by Franky Branckaute on December 8th, 2009
The WordPress Core Commit Team ended their meeting after WordCamp Orlando and has announced on the development blog that there will be canonical plugins in the future.
What are ‘canonical plugins’?
The first question which comes to mind is ‘What are canonical plugins?‘. The team has provided the following definition:
Canonical plugins would be plugins that are community developed (multiple developers, not just one person) and address the most popular functionality requests with superlative execution. These plugins would be GPL and live in the WordPress.org repo, and would be developed in close connection with WordPress core. There would be a very strong relationship between core and these plugins that ensured that a) the plugin code would be secure and the best possible example of coding standards, and b) that new versions of WordPress would be tested against these plugins prior to release to ensure compatibility.
Canonical plugins will not be developed by one plugin developer anymore but by the community. They will also have their official web presence on the wordpress.org plugin repository instead of on website of the (original) developer.
What does this mean for several plugin developers? If you have a popular plugin and your plugin contains a ‘Donate’ button, be prepared to ditch this button if you want your plugin to be taken in consideration. This would be the case for example for. Arne Brachold’s Google (XML) Sitemap Generator and Donncha’s WP Super Cache plugin.
How to name ‘canonical plugins’?
The team clearly identified that the term canonical rather niche is and asks the community to vote on how these ‘super plugins’ should be categorised/labelled. The entry on the develop blog offers some names for canonical plugins:
Read More
Categories: Opinion, WordPress News, WordPress Plugins
Tags: Canonical Plugins, News, wordpress, WordPress Plugins
by Franky Branckaute on September 9th, 2009
Last weekend was filled with controversy and the reason for this was a worm hitting many self-hosted WordPress blogs. We warned and urged everyone to upgrade, although the most recent version of WordPress, 2.8.4, was released almost 3 weeks earlier. WordPress 2.8.4 was the second security update for the 2.8 branch in less than 2 weeks. This update was released only 2 days after the vulnerability was discovered, proving how hard the WordPress community has worked to improve and secure the platform.
Ever since WordPress 2.3, which was released almost exactly 2 years ago, every WordPress blogger receives an update notification whenever a new version available is. The majority of new releases are bug fixes and security updates.
Personally, whenever I see that yellow new release notification I can not hit update now fast enough. If it weren’t for the security aspect then it is for the ugliness of the notification.
Nevertheless, in these days some people are given a megaphone online and can not resist the need to be vocal, even though they were the only ones who were to blame. One of these people last weekend was Robert Scoble. His post I don’t feel safe with WordPress, Hackers broke in and took things quickly went viral Robert received support but also bashing. Gruber even went as far to say that Movable Type safer is. Read More
Categories: Opinion, WordPress News
Tags: Editorial, John Gruber, robert scoble, Security, wordpress
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