As a blogger, what do comments mean to you
One of the greatest rewards you can give a blogger in appreciation of providing content that suits your needs, is to leave your thoughts in the comments section at the end of a post.
If you’re a blogger, I know you’ll agree with me. There’s no greater reward. Sure, it’s nice to monetize, publicize and so on, but when your readers participate, leaving related comments, suggestions, and even criticism, you really appreciate that. We all do.
Without question, getting comments from interested readers is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of blogging.
~ Chris Pearson
Jai, over at Blog Oh Blog lists a few reasons why we should leave comments below the posts that we read and enjoy.
This blog is relatively new and isn’t getting a great deal of comments just yet, but in due time if I continue to provide valued content, comments will grow. Comments are almost guaranteed when bloggers “regularly” provide top notch content that their readers or subscriber base are tuned into. It’s automatic.
Encourage feedback and build your own small (or large) community around your blog’s niche.
What do you do to encourage comments from your readers? Do you flat out ask them for comments? Nothing wrong with that.
Do you ask them questions, like I’m doing now? It’s one of the best ways to encourage comments from your readers.
Wouldn’t you agree?
One button that gets your content bookmarked everywhere
You may have noticed the “share” button I use at the bottom of each post on WP Project. This button enables the reader (that’s you) to share or bookmark the post at their favorite social bookmarking site. All of the popular social bookmarking sites are accessible via this one button. E.g: Digg, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Magnolia, Twitter, etc.. You decide what to include.
One button, your content everywhere!
To setup this clean and easy social bookmarking tool on your blog, get the plugin, or select your button, then paste the provided code where you want the button displayed.
Signing up for a free account is required.
The button is totally customizable and free to individuals and businesses alike.
The AddThis button is everywhere. It has become the standard button for bookmarking and sharing.
Stats are provided with your account showing what posts were social bookmarked and where. A handy tool indeed.
Do you social bookmark regularly… sometimes… not at all? How about tools for your own site—do you use a similar tool that you prefer over this one?
WordPress resources galore
If you’re running out of WordPress resources head on over to Speckyboy.com for a real treat.
Speckyboy has put together a monster list of over 150 Wordpress Resources, Tutorials, Plugins, Themes, AJAX, Podcasting, etc., and this is just part 1.
I have sifted the net and came up with 155 of the best Wordpress Resources…
Check out this list if you’re looking for:
- Places to get quality, free Wordpress Themes, including magazine style themes.
- Plugins for securing your WordPress installation, adding contact forms, etc.
- Social bookmarking, RSS feeds, podcasting, screencasting, and Ajax scripts.
- Links to quality, popular WordPress sites, advanced tutorials and forums.
- And more…
UPDATE: WP Project is honored to be included in a new resources list over at Hack WordPress. Kyle will be adding to this list on a regular basis as he combines his favorite WordPress sites with his reader’s favorites, to create a one-stop collection of WordPress resources.
Important security fix in WordPress 2.5.1
WordPress 2.5.1 includes over 70 bug fixes, and a security fix encompassing 3 files. You can download only the three files addressing the security fix (includes/pluggable.php), (includes/media.php) and (admin/media.php), or the entire release.
The security fix addresses a vulnerability which isn’t public as of the release date, but is expected to be soon. WordPress recommends you upgrade immediately.
Site Review - Blog Oh! Blog
Of the million and six blogs I subscribe to, there’s a handful I never miss checking on a daily basis. Like most communities, the WordPress community has a few sites that really stand out, delivering helpful, quality content on a regular basis.
One such site is Blog Oh! Blog, run by Jai Nischal Verma, a professional Web developer in New Delhi. As a long-time reader and current subscriber I’ve learned a great deal from Jai.
Whether you’re new to WordPress or you’ve been around since Moses, you’ll find Jai’s articles informative and practical. There’s always something to be found for designers, code hackers, and users alike, not to mention plenty of quality free and premium themes.
In a unique twist, Jai recently introduced a new comic strip which brings a little lightheartedness and humor to the place. Though sometimes I feel sorry for Bob Jr. as it seems his parents are much like mine were, back in the day. Poor kid.
Seems Jai always has something new and interesting up his sleeve too. Just for writing this review for instance, I have a chance to win a Sony PlayStation 3 for my kids—delivered right to my door. So can you. Check out the details.
If you’re looking for consistent, quality content covering all aspects of WordPress, I recommend a free subscription to Blog Oh! Blog
When is it ok to radically change your look?
No, I’m not talking about getting a new “do”, or some new duds and cool shades. I’m talking about the look of your WordPress blog.
When is it ok to make a radical change to your theme? Not subtle layout tweaks or subtle color changes—but a complete overhaul that looks nothing like what your visitor may have seen the last time she stopped by?
Is it…
- Whenever I want, because it’s my frickin’ blog!
- Never, if your blog is fully established.
- Any time before your blog “takes off”.
Photo by Guilherme Kardel
Since this is a WordPress project, we do things out of the norm. That’s what projects are. We test things, monitor actions, reactions and results, then report our findings.
So at only three months old, we’ve taken the leap and made a radical change in look, as of this post.
What do you think? When is it ok to radically change your look?
