Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #5

Reason #5: People can read your writings in the years to come, even if you get bored with blogging.

I don’t think that I will ever get bored with blogging because I don’t think that you can ever run out of things to say. But as blogs come and go and bloggers get tired of updating them, there is an outlet for them in re-runs. The Internet Archive even has begun to archive some of the flagship blogs that users like to read such as Command Post, which was very popular during the 2004 election, but was shut down after 2 years of quality blogging.

From the site: (http://www.commandpost.org)

This Site Is A Weblog Landmark

When we created The Command Post on 20 March, 2003,
it quickly generated a lot of attention, soon becoming the first massive-scale
group citizen journalism weblog. Over the next two years hundreds of people
contributed, we were credentialed to both 2004 presidential conventions, and
several of our pages were added to the Library of Congress MINERVA on-line
collection.Now, with the explosion of weblogs and Web 2.0 services such as
search, tagging, and Technorati, the Web itself has become a single,
massive-scale outlet for citizen journalism. One simply doesn't need Command
Post much anymore, but we're keeping the site up as an archive ... a small
historical landmark along the hyperlink highway. "Oh, look, honey," Web
travelers might say, "here's where average people around the world first
collaboratively reported and documented history for themselves on a global
scale." Something may happen one day that warrants reactivation of the network,
but until then, please read and enjoy. Journalism for the people, by the people.
It's a beautiful thing. Thanks for all your support ~ Alan & Michele

I don’t know if my popularity will get to that level, but it is nice to know that there is a retirement home for old bloggers to go to.

Sources:

Problogger.net: Blogging Goals Group Writing Project

Lashawn Barber.com: I Am; Therefore, I Blog

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Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

Reason #9: You can start and stop anytime you like.

Reason #8: You can use the technical and writing skills that you already possess

Reason #7 : Blogging is an activity that has minimal upfront costs associated with it. You can start with your mind and a free subscription to Blogger.com .

Reason #6: It forces me to remember things that I would normally forget.

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #6

Reason #6: It forces me to remember things that I would normally forget.

As my wife could probably attest to, I am quite forgetful at times. Yesterday, she sent me to the store to get two ice cream sandwiches; I came back with only one. Writing things down helps me stay on track and helps me to concentrate and stay focused on what I am supposed to say. Blogging at least once a daily can leave a trail of ideas that you can refer to over again, if run out of ideas for fresh posts.

Sources:

Problogger.net: Blogging Goals Group Writing Project
Lashawn Barber.com: I Am; Therefore, I Blog

Related Posts:
Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea
Reason #9: You can start and stop anytime you like.
Reason #8: You can use the technical and writing skills that you already possess
Reason #7 : Blogging is an activity that has minimal upfront costs associated with it. You can start with your mind and a free subscription to Blogger.com .

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Memories of the Way It Was

Darren Rowse has another group writing project going on at Problogger.net. He asks about what things would you change/or not change if you had a chance to start your blog all over again.

Things I Would Change

· I would have chosen Word Press over Blogger for more flexibility in using plug-ins, etc.
· I would have developed a publication schedule to organize my time better.
· I would have found Problogger a lot sooner than I did. It is the best, along with Copyblogger the best how-to blog tutorial on the net. I have learned so much from his posts, and I try to incorporate some of his ideas into my blog.
· I would have chosen a three-column format that gives more flexibility in adding categories, plug-ins and advertising revenue streams.

Things I Would Not Change

· The decision to blog. It helped me resurrect my long dormant writing skills.
· The name of my blog.
· My writing style that hopefully gives you an insight into what kind of a writer and blogger that I am.

Related Posts:

Blogging Goals for the Rest of 2006

If I Had It To Over Again Group Writing Project

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The Memory Keepers Daughter

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Professor Kim Edwardsis rising on all of the best seller lists - fifth on the New York Times Best seller list, first on the Barners and Noble bestselling list, first on Publisher's Weekly, and third on the USA Today.

From the University of Kentucky news:

The novel, released at the end of June 2005, is a testament to the way life can take unexpected turns, and how two families’ lives are intertwined in mystery, loss and grief. It is a tale of redemptive love. Published as a hardcover last year, it sold 30,000 copies. Paperback publisher Penguin has gone back to press 10 times since May, and 824,000 copies are now in print.

Maybe my wife will like this book.

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #7

Reason #7 : Blogging is an activity that has minimal upfront costs associated with it. You can start with your mind and a free subscription to Blogger.com .

When I first started out blogging (being the cheapskate that I am) , I wanted to practice and learn blogging without wasting money on monthly charges such as Typepad. I wanted to have control of my blog template and the ability to experiement with different designs until I was happy with what I saw. Right now, I am happy with my Blogger template. There is no monthly charge and you can create as many blogs as you like. I can add features to it and experiment with HTML until I feel comfortable with the style of the blog. One issue that I have with Blogger is that there are not a lot of plug-ins that allow for customization like Word Press. But I am not worried out that right at this point. I am concentrating on polishing my writing skills, and encouraging other bloggers around the world to read my stuff (which I hope doesn’t put people to sleep).

Sources:

Problogger.net: Blogging Goals Group Writing Project

Lashawn Barber.com: I Am; Therefore, I Blog


Related Posts:

Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

Reason #9: You can start and stop anytime you like.

Reason #8: You can use the technical and writing skills that you already possess

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #8

Reason #8: You can use the technical and writing skills that you already possess.

Blogging really only requires a rudimentary amount of HTML and writing skills. The basic HTML skills that I already know how to use is the ability to post a link on the HTML editor of Blogger like this:

http://kingoinfo.blogspot.com/2006/07/ten-reasons-why-blogging-is-my-new-cup.html

When I decide to post something to my blogs, the approach that I take is based on the type of post that I decide to create. If it is a quick post, I use the “Blog This” option off of my Google Toolbar. If I have something long and lengthy to add, I simply open up open up a Microsoft Word document and type my thoughts there. I also edit it before I copy and paste it into Blogger. Posting in a blog is similar in some ways to working with e-mail. Someone can send you an e-mail about a subject that prompts a response. Since quick responses are normally required, you have to think quickly about how you are going to respond to the e-mail. Your writing needs to be succinct enough (between 200-500 words) so that the responder will get the gist of your message. A long essay “War and Peace” style is not required. The object is to gain the reader’s attention in your post, while building a dialogue with them. You can’t build a dialogue with them if you put them to sleep.

Sources:

Problogger.net: Blogging Goals Group Writing Project

Lashawn Barber.com: I Am; Therefore, I Blog

Related Posts:

Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

Reason #9: You can start and stop anytime you like.

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #9

Reason #9: You can start and stop anytime you like.

Unlike a daily newspaper, a blogger can control the time of the day that they post and the amount of posts that they choose to create. I have read stories about other bloggers who work from sun up to sundown creating content. Sometimes they post an average of about 10 times per day. I have a full-time job and other responsibilities, so right now I can only spend at most an hour or two per day updating my blog. The good thing about this is that in a tight time frame, you can concentrate more on delivering quality content that people will read, instead of being a posting machine, exhausted at the end of the day.

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Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

Reason #10: You can set your own blogging goals as high as you like

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea – Reason #10

At the risk of sounding like one of the old H&R Block television commercials, I wanted to elaborate on why I like blogging so much in descending order.

Reason #10: You can set your own blogging goals as high as you like.

Just recently, Darren Rowse over at Problogger held a group writing project in which he invited bloggers to share their goals collectively as a group. The idea was a good one, because for the 130 or so submissions, you learned a lot from everyone of them. Some folks want to be an A-List blogger with lots of traffic. Others want to be an “expert” in their niche areas. And still others have the ambition to turn attention to the political and current events of the day and point out the inevitable ironies in them.

When I started the Information Junkie, I had just three goals for starting the blog:

To finally concentrate on writing, which I have been told that I have great potential, but never fully exploited to the fullest [Translation: I was being lazy].

To share information about current events, technology, or sports that people may not be aware of.

To teach people about the potential of the internet, this is helped by explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.

How have I done? Not too badly I think so far. I have had over 1000 unique visitors to my blog since December 2005, an average of at least 5 per day. They stay on the site an average of one minute and 45 seconds, and they read at least 1 page per day. I have had visitors from as far away as India and the United Kingdom. So at the very least, people do read what I write. I don’t know if they like what I write or not. But this does give me the incentive to keep at it. You will never know who your writing actually benefits or helps if you don’t continue to put forth the effort.

My main goal is to garner enough readership that I can interact with and can give me feedback to keep me going. I am adding this goal to my original list that I developed.

Sources:

Problogger.net: Blogging Goals Group Writing Project

Lashawn Barber.com: I Am; Therefore, I Blog


Related Posts:

Original Post: Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

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Ten Reasons Why Blogging is My New Cup of Tea

LaShawn Barber posted today about why she enjoys blogging so much. She cites the rush that she gets from being able to see her name in her own byline as the main stimulus that keeps her motivated. It is obviously a good motivational tool for her, because she has become one of the world’s pre-eminent bloggers. In reading her post, I began to think why I have taken to blogging as well:

1. I can write about anything that I like, whether people agree or disagree with my opinions or not.
2. I can share information with total strangers, friends, and family that may help them solve a problem or gain a new perspective on something that they have read.
3. I can blog anytime of the day or night (except at work of course).
4. You can reach a wider audience that you wouldn’t ordinarily reach with other traditional means of communication.
5. People can read your writings in the years to come, even if you get bored with blogging.
6. It forces me to remember things that I would normally forget.
7. Blogging is an activity that has minimal upfront costs associated with it. You can start with your mind and a free subscription to Blogger.com.
8. You can use the technical and writing skills that you already possess.
9. You can start and stop anytime you like.
10. You can set your own blogging goals as high as you like.

I am going to put more detail around these reasons in the next series of posts. Can you think of why you like to blog as well?

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