Blog all you can be

Posted by The Technocrat | Filed under Web

Salute PosterHey all, I was trying to dissect what, if anything, makes the ‘perfect blogger’. I try to do as many of these as possible, but it’s pretty hard sometimes. What guidelines do you all set for yourself? What seem to be some trends out there that really set some blogs apart? Got any other links for blogging self-improvement?

(in semi-random order)

  1. at least 3 posts per week
  2. at least a paragraph per post on a topic
  3. only one link dump post per week
  4. no posts that will get the site kicked (illegal)
  5. if you’re describing something screen-shottable, post the screenshot
  6. posts should be somewhat technical-related
  7. no mirroring posts elsewhere, or being a mirror of somewhere else
  8. if you’re talking about something link-able, link it
  9. don’t get in flame wars with trolls, that’s what devoweler and akismet are for…
  10. hook your reader in the first paragraph, b/c the rest will be truncated on the front page
  11. images in posts should be left- or right-justified so they’re surrounded with text. white space is ugly.
  12. only one adsense ad per page. if you want more ads per post, split the posts up into multiple pages and put one on each page.
  13. split long posts (over 1200px tall) into multiple pages
  14. spell check!

Here’s some general writing tips

…and some good reasons why some web apps don’t do too well

edit: some additional ways people guarantee their failure

Comments (9) | May 25th, 2006

9 Responses to “Blog all you can be”

  1. Napfisk Says:
    May 26, 2006 at 2:15 am

    Agree (especially the spell check, 14)

    Not sure about the white space (11). Depends on your type of blog I think. Lots of breathing room can be appealing.

    Writing tech stuff (6) only applies if that’s what you and your readers care about. Of course, this IS the web and a minimum of ‘modern’ thinking never goes amiss.

    Best tip for me: if it’s linkable, link! (8) I tend to get lazy with that. On the other hand, I hate it when people still link to, say, Google. That’s just daft.

    Personal tip: if you can’t get the idea across right away, bury it. Don’t post meandering nonsense because you can’t come up with anything else. If the subject is worth it, it will pop up in your mind again and you’ll be able to better translate your thoughts into copy the next time.

  2. E@zyVG Says:
    May 26, 2006 at 2:18 am

    –> “no mirroring posts elsewhere, or being a mirror of somewhere else”
    Well, I don’t agree with that – if I have same story on more than one site, that dosn’t make me a “bad” blogger (c’mon). I have several blogs after all, and if it’s in theme with other sites I am on, then why not. Plus my posts are CC licenced 2.5 (non-commercial), so anyone can take it and use the text.

    Example: I had a call from Chief-Editor of famous IT mag, an IDG publication house, and was asked if I am willing to cooperate, meaning if my certain Linux and Open Source related articles can be re-posted on their website, whch is not there as they are working on this new project (not up, yet, will let you know once it’s up).

    It would be a different case if I was writing something exclusive for some site.

    –> “at least 3 posts per week”
    Hmmm …
    –> “only one adsense ad per page.”
    Is that already possible with our site. Maybe I should give it a try. Help me earn few cents :)

    –> “spell check!”
    Now, I agree with that 100%, as I know I allow myself quite a few, and only later notice them, once the post is up, and edit them.
    Hmm … hmm … maybe we can integrate an English spell-checker in plain version of wordpress toolbar, as I have probs with TinyMCE toolbar with my browser. Another plug-in perhaps.

    –> “split long posts”
    Sorry, don’t know how to do that!

    I have never read any blogging self-improvement articles, as I prefer to learn “as I do it” and learn from my mistakes.

    Cool one :)

  3. The Technocrat Says:
    May 26, 2006 at 5:02 am

    hmm, I think what I was going for there with the mirroring was more like “no mirroring posts…all the time…” there are blogs out there that exist only to mirror the top 100 on digg.com…lame.

    yeah, the default wordpress editor doesnt seem to have spell check enabled…might be good for a future version? Maybe the latest beta has it…

  4. E@zyVG Says:
    May 26, 2006 at 8:51 am

    I am not sure which wordpress version the wordpress.com are running, but they have spell-checker with english only dictionary ingrated.

  5. Jeremiah Says:
    May 26, 2006 at 11:33 pm

    Thanks for the tips, always looking for a way to improve my blogging skills.

  6. AtariBoy Says:
    May 27, 2006 at 5:50 am

    I’m still here!

    Sorry for the lack of posts recently, what with exams and revision I have not really had the chance to post much.

    And since I finished my exams Its been a bit of a drunken blur!

    I have not forgotten tho and I will be back very soon

  7. chole Says:
    July 20, 2010 at 7:32 pm

    i will love to live in gorga

  8. chole Says:
    July 20, 2010 at 7:32 pm

    lipop i .k is crazy i wil cut u sic

  9. chole Says:
    July 20, 2010 at 7:34 pm

    lilpop . 67n you tube bonquiqui is so ffunny mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

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