I wanted to resurface some blog posts I did previously about blog advice. I've been getting a lot of emails lately asking for advice when starting a blog, which I almost always refer these posts! So I thought I'd do a re-post and re-introduce these to the readers that perhaps didn't read my blog when I posted them the first time around.
Blog Tips (1) first posted on Feb. 17, 2009
This post discusses "getting started"
- where to host your blog
- design
This post discusses the "guts" of a blog
- content
- visitors
- networking
This post discussing the books
- where to get books
- ARC programs (which may need updated?)
- links to other great "blog advice posts"
- Part One
- Part Two
I also have a post that answers some random blogger questions:
- where to get a counter
- making a rating
- handling negative reviews
- Gravitars and Favicons
- blog grades
- meta tags
- anchor texts
- contact forms
- bookmark buttons
Etiquette is something that you can't hear enough about, obviously, from the sudden flux of mean comments and hateful emails that have been blasted around the blogoshpere. Not to mention the inane use of Twitter in these instances. Like the recent episode with Amy from My Friend Amy.
You can read my post: Book Blog Etiquette.
And while we are on the topic of etiquette. Let me just say something. I received a little slack a while back when I posted "the email" in my Dark Side of Blogging Post, saying it was improper, immature and so on and so forth. But here is the situation. "Lena" was not a real person. It/she/he was a cover for someone. Who knows if that person was even a blogger, they could have just been a random person that felt like giving me a piece of their mind that day. Had Lena, been a blogger whose repuation would have possibly been tarnished, I NEVER would have posted the email. I've gotten similiar emails from actual real live breathing bloggers, but would I ever post those? NO, I would not. There is a big difference.
On that note. Bloggers are people, we are human, we are going to make mistakes, we are going to make people mad, people are going to disagree with us. It's perfectly acceptable to send a civilized email to another person when you have a disagreement with them or their actions. You might say "but my blog is my own, I can do whatever..." Yes, that's true. But when you start commenting on other blogs, linking other blogs, interacting with your fellow bloggers you become part of a community. So, your blog is your own, but now you are also representing a group of people. And I think those people have a rights too.
If or when you are contacted. And let me tell you, I've been emailed many times! And it doesn't ever get easier. DO NOT go on Twitter and start bashing that person, and spreading lies about them. It just makes you look bad. If you think it was easy on the person to send that email, you're very wrong. Because yes I've been on the sending end too. It's fine to be mad! Heck, I was mad! But take a step back, assess the situation, email the person back. If they took the time to email you their concerns, they obviously want to resolve the situation. It's like a game of telephone out there in cyberspace. You email someone asking for a blog exchange and the next thing you know, you apparently hate the person.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox know. Can you tell I've had a bad week!
But hopefully this has helped answer some questions. If you'd like a questions answered or a topic discussed, let me know. I'm planning on working on a Blogger Questions post with some updated questions and answers.