On Blogging

I've been blogging since October of 2005 (almost three years) which isn't as old as some blogs but is long enough to establish it as more than one of those "on a whim, I'll create a blog that will last for about three posts and then turn into internet waste" blogs. I've learned a lot about the internet since starting blogging, things I don't think other people have noticed. I'd like to share some things with everybody, advice that's not necessarily meant to criticize but to inform and educate. You may realize you do some of these things, either believe my words or not, but know that I spend enough time on the internet to know what generally accepted practice is.

1) People will read what you write on the internet. If you want to hide it from specific people, DON'T PUT IT ON THE INTERNET!

Example: Look what I found: Click

I don't know who these people are, what this website is for, or why there is AN ENTIRE THREAD DEVOTED TO ME! People out there read things you write, never assume otherwise.

2) It's annoying as hell if you switch your blog every 2 weeks. Pick a host, pick a name, and write a blog! Don't rename, move, and "start all over again" every two weeks, it defeats the entire purpose.

3) Simplicity is elegant. Loading the sidebar with 8 million things that you know nobody is ever going to see all of is just a waste of space. Put a couple of things on the sidebar and then leave it.

4) Scheduled posts rarely work out. That's not to say that they're bad, I love knowing when I can expect new blog entries, but it's just very hard to keep to a rigid schedule.

5) If you upload videos to YouTube, don't be surprised if nobody likes the videos you think they will but instead the lamest videos you upload become wildly popular. It doesn't matter how much you promote certain ones on your blog. The internet is weird that way.

Example: Here's a video I made on my camera during a fire alarm at my school. It shows a kid getting led off by a cop in the distance for pulling the fire alarm. All in all, a relatively dumb video. 9,000 hits, 40 comments, and a five star rating. What!?

Here's another, a video of a video encoding issue my iPod touch had when I first got it. Almost 20,000 views, 127 comments, and a 3.5 star rating. WHAT!?

6) You will lose every ounce of internet credibility conceivable if you ever post a link to any kind of "Which ____________ are you? Take this quiz to find out!" Don't do it. Ever.

7) You cannot force your blog to be popular, nor will it immediately be popular. I went MONTHS without a single comment and very few readers. Over time you work your way up in Google's index, people find it more while searching, they'll show friends, and eventually readers just happen. Write because you enjoy writing, not because you expect readers.

8) Commenting on your own blog entries is REALLY REALLY ANNOYING! Seriously, this bugs me almost more than anything else. The only reason I write in the comments of my MIT blog at all is because I have to. If I had it my way I'd answer all questions in entries or via e-mail if people left their e-mail address for me. Those comments are for readers, not for writers.

9) Long gaps in blog entries (weeks or months) are the best way in the world to lose readers. Seriously, nobody will read your blog if you don't update frequently, it just isn't worth their time. Every 2 or 3 days is optimal.

10) Don't let people tell you what to blog. Ever. It's your blog, blog what you want, that's why the internet exists. If they want something out for people to read, let them post it. Your blog got the way it is because you made it, not because you let other people run it.