Blogs and Vlogs

A blog is a web log . (<- That is a link to the Wikipedia entry on blogs. It is good information to know. You can protect yourself better after reading it.) A vlog is a video web log.

Blogs can be personal diaries, resources of information, places to find humor, places to find political content. You name it. A blog is a blank page for anyone to express whatever they like to the public. This site is a blog. And if I were to post a video it would be a vlog for that post.

There are things about blogging that you should know before you enter into that world as a presence.

1. It’s public. If you do not feel comfortable having your boss or children or parents reading your blog, you should be very discrete if you choose to have one. Many people go unidentified on their blogs so as to avoid conflicts of many kinds. But the best advice I can give is for you to assume that what you express on your blog is your responsibility.

So kiddos, if you post a pic of yourself smoking weed or drinking underage and your employer, relatives, probation officers, etc find it, you are busted. People have been fired for expressing thing on their blogs that they should not have. Understand your employer’s policies regarding this.

If anyone posts pics of themselves, understanding that those pics can be easily copied and spread is crucial. So getting naughty in public is not super smart. if you are a person in the public eye or a role model you may also find yourself out of work due to such indiscretions.

Discretion is crucial if you are making yourself public. Do not be afraid to express yourself, just be willing to stand by your work. And if you make an error, apologize and learn from it and move on. Don’t let one set back keep you from becoming empowered and informed.

2. Commenters and privacy settings can be controlled to an extent depending on the blog service you use. Be picky. Go to the space that is easiest for you to use and best fits your purposes.

3. Comments from people are what drives many people to blog. People feel a need to be connected in this digital age and fortunately there are myriad ways to do that. However, if nobody comes to your blog, do not be disappointed. Getting and maintaining blog traffic is a skill which will be addressed next. Comments can range from helpful to hurtful to simply inane. It is a good idea no to give too much weight or attention to a comment that has no person willing to represent it.

4. Getting and maintaining blog traffic takes time. If you want people to come visit you, you should go visit them and leave your blog address. Many blog sites are set to build communities of like minded people. Find one in which you feel a high degree of comfort and then explore it while leaving comments on other people’s posts. Also, when someone does comment on your post, if you have time and something to say about it, responding to that comment will keep readers interested.

You need not feel that you are trapped in one blog spot either. Your web address at any blog site can be used in comments at other web pages. You can explore everywhere.

Having original content and something interesting or helpful to say will get people to spread the word about your page. They can link to you and if you are appealling enough, you could have more traffic than you can handle.

5. Trackers can help you. These devices are web analytics (this site comes with one). They can tell you how many people are coming to your page and from where. Many basic services are free. Most services offer a pay option for more information. If you find that four hundred people came to your site via some other blog or web page, you can go there and check out why. Likely, someone has linked to you. Information is power.

6. Stalkers and harassers can make you want to hide. If you have someone plaguing your page, a tracker can help you find you more about who it is if they are anonymous. You might be able to block the person if your blog site allows that. This link can be helpful.

7. Pics, Vids, Codes and scripts (These are terms for things that can change the look of your pages. You’re not to that point yet probably, but you will be very soon.) can make your page unique; however, knowing how to use them will take some learning. Many people are willing to help if you ask. And searching online or at you blog sites FAQ pages can be enormously helpful.

Make sure whatever you want to feature on your site can be easily seen. If you clutter your page or make it so unappealing to the eye, people might not enjoy visiting you.

8. Private messages are wonderful ways to get to know people and discuss ideas further. However, be careful. Do not assume that you know a person right away. Also, understand that anything you write to someone is a logged communication. Building trust is good, and being cautious is too.

9. Organization will help you out in the future. Tags, like the ones in the margins here, are little word links to articles that include that topic.

BLOG SITES

There are advantages to each and you may not choose to stay with the same one once you get a feel for the differences in what each has to offer.

Additionally, many people have their own web pages that are not associated with organized blog sites. If you choose to go that way, you are no noob.

I must be forgetting some hosts! As I come across them or as you let me know I will edit this and add them to the roster.