10 Tips for Starting a Weblog
I’m going to try to write this simply, Khmer readers might take interest in this one.
1. Get a title for your blog
Just like a rock and roll band, a good blog needs a name. Sometimes it’s self-evident, sometimes you need to puzzle it out. Friends and beer can be a big help in this regard.
2. Think of your subject
Are you blogging about life in general or something very specific? Label it appropriately. You can always change it later.
I’ve noticed that 'niche blogs' covering very specific topics (i.e. food, medical issues) are growing in number. Thanks to RSS feeds, we now have huge sites like Metafilter , Technorati and Slashdot that scan and sort content and topics.
3. What’s in a name?
Most webloggers choose some sort of nickname, some are quite public. I go by ‘Jinja’ but it’s not that hard to find my real name. Kalabird recognized me when we first met via my picture!
Blogs covering politics like Details Are Sketchy and Khmer Intelligence have chosen a very careful anonymous approach.
If you are doing a blog for work like archaeological radiocarbon dating, or a trip/project, then you’ll want your name on it so you can get credit for it. If you want to vent frustration about family, life and school - probably a pseudonym is best. But with all the search engines out there, your anonymity may not last forever. Click below to see what could happen.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30007
4. What’s in a Blog service?
The service you use should be anything you're comfortable with.
I’ve used Blogger for ages since I started there. A lot of people are using Wordpress, Blogsome, Moveable Type, Typepad, Thingamablog; KhmerOS has Khmer language blogs. Don’t worry too much about the service, there’s many out there. Just hang on to your password.
(Many networking services like offer a free blog as a way to keep you in their network. I think their blogs are inferior; they offer less features. If you want to have a profile and share lots of media, try OurMedia.org. If you’re looking for a girlfriend or boyfriend, sign up on MySpace, Friendster, Hi5 etc.)
5. Just write what’s on your mind.
You could write about your day in school, take a picture of your breakfast, write your road trip stories... Your life may seem ordinary but to another reader it may be quite unusual and exotic.
6. Comments?
Your blog is like your house; you get to decide who you invite in.
Your friends will probably be the first ones to comment. A good comment can make your day, a bad comment can ruin it. Do you have comments open, moderated or closed? Do you want to have them at all? Comments can lead to new discussions and discoveries, but flames make you look childish in the long run.
7. Copyright?
Keen eyes will notice I'm sporting a Creative Commons license on the left sidebar. When I started this weblog back in 2002, I had no idea RSS feeds would eventually be streaming whatever I wrote halfway around the planet. It's good to lay claim to your words. There's no Khmer version of the license, but the English version should stand up in most courts.
And if you want to carry things a step further, you can prepare to sell text, pictures, and video content via 'Scoopt'. (Thanks to Phil for the tipoff!)
8. 'Bells and Whistles'
I find it's more fun if I include a picture with my post.
(Here we are.) You may want to register with Flickr or Photobucket to host these.
And a range of options to customize your blog exist , including Khmer language text, audioblogs, videoblogs and many more. Lots of people use site meters to see what kind of traffic they get. Shoutboxes are getting popular. But if you add more features, it takes longer for your blog to load. Working from low-bandwidth Cambodia, I try to keep it simple.
New toys are fun but don't let them distract you from good writing; content is king.
9. Linking up
You'll soon find there are other friends out there in the world of blogs, it's up to you to decide how many to connect to on your 'blogroll'.
And how do you keep up with the latest news? Firefox allows you to bookmark a blog's content (via RSS feed) and services like Bloglines customize this.
10. Reasons to change or stop
You are your own boss, write what you want to when you want to.
When I found that I was blogging a lot about art, I started a second weblog simply for arts announcements. Maybe you've got things you want to say in a different way, or in a different medium. Maybe a change in school or work means less time/access to the internet.
If you're getting married, have a family funeral or are having some kind of major life crisis (good or bad), you may want to put things on hold. Then again, some people thrive on crises, and I've seen wedding blogs and baby blogs. Ultimately, it's your voice and your choice.
Further notes:
http://jinja.apsara.org/blog/2006/02/feb-14-blog-frenzy_14.htm
Tags: Cambodia,weblog
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