Tag: wordpress

The Art Of Blogging–Style

My Sunday begins with the weather being high 90’s and muggy….there is so much moisture in the air I feel like I am suffering from “black gill disease”….enough bitching…..let’s see a few observations on this late Summer’s day.

From time to time I offer my humbling reflections on my blogging experience…..I am not the most popular blogger but I have learn a wee bit from my years of writing and posting…..

There are many things that go into a successful blog….but I feel the most important is style….giving your readers something that they may not have access to in their blogging circle.

By style I am not talking about the look of your blog but rather your writing style and/or subject material.  Most of my post are between 350-500 words….I try to keep it short and to the point….my grandfather once told me….”why write a novel when a paragraph will do”…..that was good advice…..at least for me.

Too many bloggers spend all their energy trying to find that magical theme that will force readers to show up….there is no magic theme….instead of paying attention to the people that visit their blog they cannot be bothered…….searching for that magic combo of theme and font…..

Comments…I try to answer each and every comment because I feel if a person took the time to read my post and comment then they deserve an answer.  I try not to ignore anyone that visits my blog….they took the time so at least I can do is return the favor.

You could just regurgitate the ramblings of others that have the same political outlook as yourself or you could look for another hook.  I mean there are millions of blogs (so I am told) and yours needs to be something that people would like to read and consider what you have written.

A one dimensional blog is just flat boring……but for some I guess that is all they have….they cannot go beyond a single issue or situation.  Personally I think that a blog should offer more than one idea…..I try to keep IST up-to-date and I even offer differing opinions and thoughts….I believe that is what a serious blog should do.  A one dimensional blog is too damn predictable.  It may work for a photo blog or one dedicated to poetry…..but is not a blog builder when addressing current events….

I am not saying that a one dimensional blog is wrong….just that I find them tedious and boring……but that is just me.

That does not mean that you will be a complete success for that depends on what you want success to be.  If you are blogging just to see your name up in lights then you are doing it for the wrong reasons.

A blog should be fun and entertaining and educational…..if it becomes a chore then go to Facebook with the rest of the dullards.

Like I said…I am NO expert….these are just my observations from the last 11 years of blogging….it has been a joy and I have met (electronically) some real great people.

That’s it for me today……I need to back away and smile a bit….you guys have a wonderful Sunday and we will be back hard tomorrow…..

Why I Hate Blogger

I have been blogging for damn near 10 years and most of it has been here on WordPress….I originally started my blog on the popular site Blogger but then it was titled “Studies And Observations”….I was never happy over there…..something felt hinky with the site….I got lots of hits a day but seldom any comments….I found out later that a lot of those hits were from some “bot”….not real people at all…..

After about a year I switched to WP and have never looked back……so when I read some news the other day I told myself that my gut reaction was spot on……let others know that may be bouncing between the two…..

Artist Dennis Cooper made a horrifying discovery June 27: His 14-year-old blog—the sole home of his writing, research, photographs, and more—was gone, Art Forum reports. According to Fusion, Cooper’s blog was hosted by Google-owned Blogger. In addition to his blog, Google also deactivated his gmail account, which held his contacts and gig offers, the Guardian reports. The only explanation Google gave Cooper, who considers his blog a “serious work of mine,” was a stock message that he was in “violation of the terms of service agreement.” “I can’t even get a response from them or anything,” Cooper says. “I have no idea why they did it or what’s going on.” Google tells Fusion it’s “aware of this matter” but wouldn’t comment any further.

Cooper, the author of a number of acclaimed novels, isn’t even sure if his work is still out there somewhere. He’s considering suing Google to get the answer. “This will not be easy for me for the obvious reasons, but I’m not going to just give up 10 years of my and others’ work without doing everything possible,” he tells Art Forum. The incident is raising concerns among the art community about the power Google and other corporations now have to control artistic voices. “I think this is definitely censorship. The problem is nobody knows what the specific issue is and certainly Dennis has posted images that one might find troubling,” Stuart Comer, curator at MoMA, tells the Guardian. All Cooper knows is that other artists need to learn from him and “back everything up.” “Obviously I’m a living example of not to be blind like that and think that everything is hunky dory.”

If you like your hard work then……DO NOT TRUST BLOGGER!

An 8 Year Atta Boy!

I have been doing this gig for almost 10 years now……..about 2 years on Blogger…I left because I like the format and the extras I got with WordPress……and 8 years here…….

I got this message from WP today……

 

8 Year Anniversary Achievement
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 8 years ago!
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging!
I can say that the best thing I had done for my blog was switching to WP……over at the other site I was getting plenty of hits but it was hollow I seldom got any comments…..I appreciate the comments and the exchanges through them….I much prefer quality over quantity…
I would like to thank everyone who visits IST for a great 8 years and hopefully we will have many more together…..

 

 

Art Of Blogging–Style

Just another in the continuing series that I write to pass on to my readers what little I have learned while writing a blog.  Please do not misunderstand….I am by no means an expert….if I were I would be getting more attention and popularity…….but I have learned a bit in 9 years of blogging.

After many years of rigorous study and application I found my calling…..analysis.  It was a shame that I refused to work for think tanks for they are nothing more than extensions of of one industry or another……

I have always been a writer…..that causes a few problems with a blog nowadays…..people want instant gratification with videos, steaming this or that, etc…..but I am an old fart and I like words so I will continue to write.  My grandfather gave me some advice in my younger days…..he said..”Why write a novel when a paragraph will do?”

I have found he was right….most people lose interest after about 500 words…so my style is to try and keep my post between 350-500 words….I am not always successful and gone over my prescribed limit.

If I would buckle down and learn to do more with vids and such I could probably get more people especially younger people to come and stick with my blog…..but I cannot let a vid do my work for me….I will post links for people to check out what I am writing about but I refuse to let that be the total extent to my posts.

I use to flit around writing about everything and anything that struck my fancy……but I found that if I stick with one field of interest there is a better chance of readers coming and deciding to stay…..it is not written in stone….just something that I have found with my blog.

I feel like my regular visitors like my style that is why they continue to come and most important comment….it also helps if you can have a field of “expertise”, if lack of a better word, that way readers know pretty much what will be written on any given day.

Blogging for me is an amazingly rewarding endeavor…..and I thank all my readers and regulars for their good taste in choosing my blog….(sorry had to throw a little ego in there)…..

Onward and upward…..always vocal.

Thank You!

Somewhere between yesterday afternoon and early this morning Info ink got its 1000,000th hit……I would like to thank all my readers for help my site reach this milestone.

Thank you!

An Anniversary Post

In August 2005 I lived through the longest day of my life….Hurricane Katrina, all 14 hours and 37 minutes of it….I say long because most hurricanes last about 6 to 8 hours….I am sure everyone remembers the photos and the tape of the devastation ….I was working for the state of Mississippi at the time and was a first responder….myself and 4 other men worked endlessly to sure up houses that could be saved so people could live there…..I continued to work in houses to make them ready for habitation and on 26 December 2005 while working from a ladder it shifted and threw me onto a concrete slab….my leg was broken in so many places I had to have surgery to repair…….

I tell this tale because of the bitch Katrina I had a long rehab and on 27 December 2006 I started my blog….in those days it was called “Studies And Observations”……I had been on many discussion forums and found that people are idiots….NO one wanted to debate issues and such but rather spent most of their time belittling anyone who did not agree with them……I used my name, Chuq and because I would write stuff about the Middle East I was immediately an Arab infiltrator…..I thought people would be interested with a perspective from an American that had worked in the Middle East…I was WRONG!  After many months of trying to be reasonable I decided to give it up and write a blog with the hopes that people would respond to the posts and we could start a substantial conversation…..

I still read Arab newspapers and their point of view is very different from that of Americans….so I began cutting and pasting articles that showed an opposing opinion to what the mainstream media was giving the American people……I feel people need to hear opposing points of view so that understanding can be had and in doing so make the world a little better….that was my hope.

After awhile of cut and paste I decided that since I had given up on political analysis years before I would try it again by posting my personal point of view……that was FIVE years ago today.

MY first post was an Introduction……

Hello and welcome–I will be posting my political studies and observations as often as I can. Hopefully people will find it thought provoking and interesting. I look forward to any and all comments.

So far it has been an amazing time for me…many good people stop by and offer their points of view and we have exchanged ideas on many topics…Info Ink has many excellent participants and I look forward to more and more….

Thank you, my friends!

A Special Thank You

A personal note to my readers…….

Holy Moly!  We did it!

I am so proud of Info Ink!  Just yesterday my blog got its 5000th comment….I never thought that I would see that on my blog and I owe it all to my regulars…Quin of Quintessential Havoc, who is my most prolific commenter and Terrant of My Corner To Vent, Chris and Clint of Why We Worry, LOUDelf of LOUDelf (blogroll will get you to these great sights listed….visit them and open a dialog) and to my newest regular commenter, Natassia….and of course all my other commenters who visit from time to time….even though we may not agree on everything…it has been a pleasure……to all THANK YOU so much!

I started my blog about four years ago while recovering from a crushed leg caused by Katrina…..it was just a way to cope with my immobility….but as the days rolled on I decided to get back into more and more politic stuff, which I had given up about 15 years before…..I tried then to educate people in the political process and its consequences….and I realized something that my grandfather had told me years before….he said that my efforts were admirable but it was like teaching pigs to sing….you waste your time and you piss off the pig……after that I spent many years trying to ignore the silliness that was occurring in Washington and the world…….Katrina forced me to return to reality and sanity……

The truth is that in a way I was glad that I had been hurt….why?….it made me face the fact that I needed to use my education and political training to help in anyway that I could…..and thus Info Ink was born!

I owe the success, at least I think it is a success, of Info Ink to my readers……THANK YOU so much for a great 4 years and I hope it continues because I enjoy the exchanges we have had in the past…..ONWARD!  If there are any ideas that my readers have and would like to share….. please do so…..

A Special Thanks To My Readers

I like to commemorate special events that happen on this blog with a post of thanks or whatever needs to be said…….

For the first time since I began Info Ink I have had more comments than posts….I would like to thank my loyal readers and especially those who take the time to comment on a post.

A special thanks goes out to Terrant of My Corner To Vent and the followers on Why We Worry and all others that have participated….and a super thanks to Quin of Quintessential Havoc for keeping me on my toes……Please go to blogroll and participate on these blogs…they are thoughtful and insightful….

Thanx again guys…..you help make the experience worthwhile………

Announcement

I have changed the theme of my blog…I wanted to make it more user friendly….I do a lot of writing and it is difficult to keep up with me normally….this new theme will let my reader click on a specific category and find all the posts there….I am hoping this will increase the number of people commenting because I would like to hear all points of view on any given subject…..Please if you disagree with me or just want to add to the discussion, please do so…..I always respect someone’s opinion and I do demand civility from all comments…..we can disagree with being disagreeable…..I hope you enjoy the change….if not let me know and we can readjust the blog…..look forward to the comments and the debate……

Info Ink’s Top Posts Of 2008

All in all it has been a particularly great year for Info Ink.  Readership has steadily gone up until mid-December when the reads went down, but that was expected because of the holiday season.  I wish to thank all my readers and commenters for help make Info Ink a success.  Hope to see you guys in the coming year.

These were the top hits on Info Ink

1–Post on the American Axel strike got a total of over 2000 hits.

2–Next was “What the Bailout Means” with a total of  566 hits

3–The next one was a post about the fighting for the delegates from Michigan entitled, “Is The Michigan Question Settled?” with 558 hits.

4–This one surprised the hell outta me, “Watermelon makes You Horny” with a total of 522 hits.

5–And lastly, the post about “Palin’s Alaskan Rape Kit Policy” received 460 hits.

That is my five most popular destinations for my readers.  I am looking forward to the posts for 2009 and hope they are as popular as those of 2008.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my visitors a very Happy New Years–enjoy the fun, family and football and I will see all on the 2nd.  Peace.  Out.