Re: practicalities of blogging

Subject: Re: practicalities of blogging
From: "Claire Conant" <claireconant -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: "McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:31:21 -0800

I have three blogs. All serve a different purpose. I use Wordpress. I also
have a website in progress that has a blog on it. I use Wordpress software
for that. I find Wordpress easy to customize and there are a million
different templates you can apply. You can even purchase custom templates,
if you are so inclined.

Also, I have recently found Windows Live Writer, and I use that for writing
the content and publishing it to my blogs. I can switch between blogs easily
using Live Writer, and the UI displays the different themes I have
associated with each blog. If one prefers a different blog service, Windows
Live Writer seems to be able to accommodate that as well.

As stated already, I have three blogs - each with a different purpose. One
is a family/hobby blog and I post regularly (almost daily) and allow
comments. Another blog is a fun blog with random content and I blog daily
(as part of a challenge) and also allow comments. With the third, it's more
about my journey with a chronic illness and it also allows comments, but not
pingbacks.

Overall, I keep my identity fairly hidden - I don't use my real name and
never my last name - but people could easily figure it out if they really
wanted to stalk me.

I will be building a site for business in the near future, and I plan to use
Wordpress software on my own domain, once I determine the domain name. In
this instance, I will use my real name, and content will be clean and
professional - not littered with personal pictures and family stories.

I've studied blogging quite a bit, informally, and have been blogging for
over a year now. I've found that the most important aspect of blogging is
the conversation aspect. It is important to allow people to comment back
(with respect and civility, of course) and for me, opposing opinions are
always welcome.

I also make sure to have a copyright notice placed on my blog.

Does that help? You had a lot of questions, not sure I answered them all.

Claire Conant
Writer and Editor - soon to be freelancing permanently.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:12 AM
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: practicalities of blogging

> Hey all.
>
> Time marches on, and it's been a while since this subject was discussed
> to death...things might have evolved... besides, this time I'm taking an
> interest :-)
>
>
>
> Let's say that I wanted to finally start a blog (it seems de rigeur for
> techwriters (and many others) to have a website and at least one blog
> indicated on their business cards, resumes, etc.)... yes, let's say.
> Never mind the content (we can start a separate thread if you must), I
> want to know about the practical exigencies of getting it done and out
> there. Some people use major blogging sites, and are just another number
> among tens of thousands. Some people use basic blog service provided by
> their local ISPs. Some people are almost their own ISPs and use their
> own blog server software on their own (or ISP co-located) servers.
>
> What's the "usual" approach (as of this year), if you want to have more
> than a handful of posts per month about your vacation trips, or a
> memorial to your favorite pet?. Let's further say that it's not intended
> as a professional tool, but still semi-seriously as an adjunct to a
> hobby or a cause, or a passionate interest.
>
> Who is using what, among all ye pros, and:
>
> - what do you especially like about the method or service that
> you use?
>
> - what would you change next time (or would have done
> differently if you'd known before you started)?
>
>
>
> If you have a work/professional blog and a fun blog, how do you
> differentiate them? Do you hide your real identity on the fun one, so as
> not to poison any Googling by future prospective employers/customers?
> Do you go so far as to have your work and play blogs hosted on
> completely separate sites and services?
>
> How do you like to handle audience participation? Don't allow it? Have
> the responses on the same "physical"/visual page as your posts? Have
> off-page links to responses to your blog posts? Forums? Do you
> moderate? Of course, I'd like your reasons for each of the choices you
> express. Do you just use the method that your host service provides?
> Did you choose your host service because of the way they facilitate
> responses and discussions?
>
> As a reader of other people's blogs, do you even care what anybody
> (other than the blog author) has to say? Is a response function a
> necessary component? Why? Why not?
>
>
>
> Do you compose via the service's web interface, or do you compose
> off-line and upload? Any problems with that? Any difference between
> blogging from your own desktop versus blogging from the veranda of your
> Costa Rican beach house? (I mean, as far as the mechanics go - I know
> it's much nicer from the beach.)
>
> Is there a good reason to have your own branded website, as opposed to
> just a blog somewhere, if you aren't using it as a professional
> marketing tool?
>
> What about visibility? Are the techniques similar to those for
> websites, when it comes to getting noticed by search engines and
> serendipity? Does that concern weigh heavily on the hosting method that
> you chose? How-so?
>
> What happens when you want to move? Do you own your content (and any
> responses you've received)? Is there an easy, practical way to port
> them to a new provider and keep going? Do you rely on the provider for
> backups, or do you keep your own?
>
> Any other gotchas and tips?
>
>
>
> Is there a newer approach than blogs, that I should be considering
> instead of this old, over-flogged workhorse? Don't say vlogs - ain't
> gonna happen.
>
>
>
> Kevin (who as you know, hasn't got much to say, but doesn't usually let
> that stop him)
>
>
>
>
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References:
practicalities of blogging: From: McLauchlan, Kevin

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