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Archives for October 2008

Perfcast Episode 10 – Effortlessly Make Money Blogging

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The first open mic night event for Perfcast went over extremely well. We had a number of people call in to discuss various news stories of the week as well as a caller who asked a question related to displaying a policy page if you use Ad sense. The first half of the show featured a discussion with Tom Leroux of leroux.ca where we discussed the differences between blogging and writing for print, organizing a group event such as a Mac User group, the type of blog software he uses (Answer may surprise you) and much more.

STORIES DISCUSSED –
Backups – Backing up your computer, your blogging, what do we do, and why is it important?
Become an Online Expert overnight?
Blogger And Podcaster Media Network Looks To Turn Long Tail Blogging Into A Full-Time Job
BlogRush Dies

LISTENER FEEDBACK – In this episode, we answered a listener email. You can give us your feedback by shooting us an email at, [email protected] or leave a comment on this blog post.

BLOGGING CHALLENGE – Starting with Perfcast episode 11, the challenge will be kept to those individuals who show up in the chatroom during the live recording. Only the folks who show up for the live recording will have a chance to partake in the challenge and win a free one month membership to the hive.

BLOGGING JOB OF THE WEEK – N/A

LENGTH OF EPISODE – 1 Hour 14 Minutes

NEXT EPISODE – November 6th, 2008 at 7 P.M. EST (Special guest will be Jim Kukral)

ITUNES – Click here to subscribe to the show via iTunes

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW: PerfcastEpisode10.mp3

LISTEN TO EPISODE 10 OF PERFCAST:

How Open Are You To Change?

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You see it all the time. A blog is sold; regular readers comment that they’re unsubscribing from the feed. A site redesigns; people are confused about the new layout. A software developer gives an application new features; people complain that they cannot use the program like before. A blog network changes pay structures; a lot fear that they will earn less (though they could potentially earn more).

Change is everywhere. Change is inevitable. The question is, how open are you to change?

There are slow changes, in which things evolve over time. The web as we know it used to be so different a decade ago. People tried to impose structure, with directories and lists, whereas now we mostly browse by doing searches. Designers built sites with structure and content in one place only, whereas now that is increasingly changing, with structure being stored in one place, while content in another. Blogs used to be the norm for doing short shout-outs about your activities or thoughts for the day. Nowadays, “what are you doing right now?” belongs to microblogging services, or at least that’s how I think it should be.

Then there are quick changes. Or changes that take time to iron out, but only get public at an instant, and everyone talks about it. Company X gets bought by Comapny Y (or perhaps company G for that matter). Company A launches Product I, or perhaps version two: faster, thinner, lighter, more packed with features. It’s so fast you don’t have time to blink. You only have time to take awe at how fast things can change (and perhaps how fast your wallet gets drained).

Whatever happens, change is good. Not that any kind of change is all for the better, but the fact that we do not live in a static world is what’s good about it. There’s always room for improvement; always room to be better. There’s always chance to do things right if at first you don’t succeed.

And so folks, I leave you with a note that we will see some changes here on this space. Some quick. Some evolving. But always exciting. What those would be, you could venture a guess (feel free to comment). But we will all learn about it soon enough.

BlogRush Joins The Deadpool

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BlogRush has announced that they have decided to close their doors. BlogRush was a service that enabled bloggers to share traffic with each other by displaying a widget on their blog that showcased headlines from other blogs writing about the same subjects. Back in 2007 when the service was first launched, it spread amongst the blogging world like wildfire. In fact, I remember seeing a ton of blogs jumping on board to display the widget to cash in on the promises of extra traffic.

I reviewed the service on September 17th 2007 on my personal site (BlogRush What Is This New Buzzword) and then followed up that post describing my actual experience with using the service (Is The BlogRush Over With). Basically, I explained how I didn’t see a rush of traffic as the service promised and thus, I tossed it in the can only after five days of use.

John Reese who is the founder of BlogRush notes a few of the issues which caused the closure:

BlogRush didn’t grow without its fair share of problems — from security issues to abusive users trying to ‘game’ the system to much lower click-rates than expected. We also had some problems with trying to fairly control the quality of the network, and in the process made many mistakes in deciding what blogs should stay or go. All of these issues, ultimately, limited the service’s full potential.

However, it is impressive that BlogRush served 3.4 billion blog post headlines through its widget during the first year.

In my personal opinion, BlogRush was setup in such a way that only the big blogs who had high traffic levels to begin with were the only ones who benefited from displaying the widget on their site. Other services with a similar idea as BlogRush have come and gone, such as CLIQ.

Lets face it, no one is ever going to get a large amount of traffic simply by displaying a widget tied to a service. It takes good quality content to drive traffic and this rule of thumb will never change.

Did you use BlogRush? If so, tell us about your experience in the comments.

10 Extensions That Make FireFox A Killer App

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Everyone these days seems to have a particular application which they label their killer app. As I depend on FireFox more and more to get things done, I have come to rely upon a set of extensions which really enhance my productivity. Here are the extensions which I consider to be the ones that give FireFox the title as “Killer App“.

Built In FTP Client – By using the FireFTP extension, I have access to the various FTP servers of the sites that I write for at the click of a button. Having an FTP client built into the browser means I can get things done faster as acquiring links to files is a matter of switching tabs rather than application windows. If you would like to learn more about this particular extension, please see this article. (FireFTP – The Best FTP Client I Have Ever Used)

Easy Access To Google Services – Despite the funny name, Gbutts is a FireFox extension which provides easy two-click access to the majority of services that Google Provides. I am only two clicks away from Google Docs, Gmail, Google Earth, etc. The extension can be configured so that only those services that you use, appear in the drop down menu. Since I routinely access Google Docs and Google Maps, this is yet another time saver.

Measuring Pixels – If you do any design work, you’ll know that at times, it can be time consuming to figure out the pixel size of an image. Thankfully, the MeasureIt extension takes the guess work out of the equation. MeasureIt provides an easy interface to measure things within the browser window by pixels. This extension saves time because you no longer have to open an image within an editor to figure out its dimensions.

Keeping Tabs On Forums – I’ve noticed in my own self monitoring that I spend a lot of time checking out the newest posts on the Hive and on various other forums I participate in. Intead of visiting the forums, I’ve since installed a RSS FeedReader for FireFox called SageToo. SageToo is a continuation of Sage with additional functionality. Essentially, it is a feedreader for FireFox. I use this tool to check out the latest forum posts on multiple forums from a sidebar rather than having to view the actual forum. This saves time because I tend to click on other things once I reach the forum and before I know it, I’m a long ways away from where I started.

Multi Blogging – Long time readers of Performancing will recognize this next extension called ScribeFire. Although I’d like to think that I don’t have any time to publish articles on my own blog, ScribeFire changes that by allowing me quick access to a blog editor which if configured correctly to take advantage of the XML-RPC features of WordPress, I can quickly write an article, place it in a category, tag it and then publish it live on my blog, all without thinking about it.

Page Rank And Alex Rank Without Searching – Ever come across a cool site within your niche and wondered what their Alexa rank or Google PageRank values were? Typically, you would have to use a tool and type in their domain name to figure out the values. With the SearchStatus extension, that information is provided to you within your browser. You can even check out the Compete rankings with this extension.

Creating Screen Captures – One thing every blogger has in their toolbox is a service, program, or extension in which they use to capture images. In my personal toolbox, I use a piece of software known as SnagIt by Techsmith. Although I don’t use the specific software by itself, having the software installed gives me access to the SnagIt Extension. This extension has saved me a boat load of time when it comes to creating images since I can create them on a per pixel basis within the browser window, edit them within the SnagIt software, and then save them to the desktop. Although the full version of the software is not free, this is the best screen capturing tool I have used. As an alternative, you can use Jing Project which is a project sponsored by TechSmith.

Creating TinyURLs In Seconds – Long URL’s are a pain in the rear to send someone whether it be in an email or a message that can only contain 140 characters or less. Navigating to the actual TinyURL web page to create the tinyurls can be time consuming. That’s why I’ve included the TinyURL Creator extension. This bad boy makes it as easy as a few mouse clicks to create a tiny url from a page or from a specific url. When created, the url will automatically be saved to your clipboard leaving you the only step of pasting it into the desired location. Definitely another time saver if only convenient.

TwitKit – I don’t care what anyone says, Twitter is a great service for networking and conversation. However, using Twitter through the actual website is a time consuming and mundane process. It’s much better to use a third party application such as Twhirl or in this case, TwitKit. Now, I typically use Twhirl for all things Twitter but when I want to quickly share a link or publish a quick thought, accessing Twitter through a sidebar in FireFox is a time saver.

Real Time Monitoring – Often times, I have no idea if my blog has received a major spike in traffic through the likes of Digg or Stumbleupon until after the fact. Watching these types of traffic spikes in real time is exciting and an amazing boost of confidence, even if the feeling only lasts for ten minutes. Whos.Amung.Us is a service that has been around awhile which is used by many to keep tabs on who is browsing their site in real time. After registering your site with the service, they provide you with a unique 8 character key which you then plug into their FireFox extension. The extension will then display the number of concurrent visitors on your blog in real-time and upon clicking on the number, you’ll not only be able to see the number of people browsing your site, but the URLs in which they are viewing and the number of people per URL. Woopra, and Pmetrics have this LIVE capability but having it built into my browser is convenient and notifies me of when I am in the middle of a traffic storm.

Conclusion:

FireFox is an awesome piece of software but the extensions for it are even better. The motto for FireFox used to be, “Take Back The Web” and that is exactly what the browser enables you to do. I tend to think that FireFox is a cockpit and each extension is like a gage or control that I can use as I navigate the web. With the extensions I have listed within this article, you are sure to save time and become more productive. Just be sure to disable that StumbleUpon toolbar during working hours!

If you have any FireFox extensions that are either alternatives to the ones listed above or, that solve a particular time sync which makes you more productive, please share them in the comments.

Open Mic On Perfcast

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This week on Perfcast, Tom Leroux of Leroux.ca will be joining us to talk about his work as it relates to blogging. All in all, the show will be an open mic discussion where all things related to the subject can be discussed. If you have been waiting for an excuse to call into the show to ask a question or give us your opinion on something, this is it. Be sure to join us live on Talkshoe.com on Thursday, October 30th at 7 P.M. EST.

If you are not sure on how you can participate in the show, please refer to this post. (How To Participate In Perfcast Live)

Revolution Two Launches

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Brian Gardner has recently announced the launch of Revolution Two, the much-anticipated follow-up to the highly acclaimed Revolution Theme. With the release of “Two” Brian and team have effectively revolutionized the premium theme business. While paying for support is not an unheard-of concept, such a business model for a WordPress theme has been brought to the mainstream by Revolution Two.

All of the themes on the new site will be made available under the open source/GPL license. However, we are going to offer a yearly and lifetime membership plan, that will include benefits to all themes. (meaning you won’t have to purchase a plan for each theme.)

Essentially, Revolution has moved from an outright-payment model to a subscription-model. The theme itself is open source, and anyone is free to download and use it at no cost. However, should one wish to get official support from the creators, one can pay for a subscription to enjoy several benefits:

  • Unlimited support answered by our experts
  • Learn customization techniques with our detailed theme tutorials
  • Professional design services available by our list of recommended designers
  • Discounted general consulting rates
  • Increase your search rankings with a link from the Revolution site directory

With regard to Revolution Two’s business model, we’re actually considering applying this business model to one of the themes we manage, which is Cutline. We do get a handful of support inquiries, and while we’ve been able to help out we think we can better provide our time and effort if we were to get something in return. This makes for an innovative twist to theme licensing (and perhaps the use of WordPress itself, and its license thereof).

Will other premium theme designers follow suit?

7 Tips On Building Relationships Through Blogging

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For anyone who has blogged for three months or more should know that as time moves on and you continue to blog, natural relationships are formed. These can be formed from comments/replies, linking to others, email contacts with similar niche blog authors, etc. I was thinking the other day how many people I wouldn’t know anything about and vice versa had I not started publishing content on my own blog. The past year and a half of serious blogging has giving me the opportunity to build relationships with people all across the world. In fact, one of the readers who regularly interacted with me on my blog sent me a Christmas card. All the way from Australia none the less! It is events like these that give me that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Sometimes, the relationships you build during your time of blogging can become more important than the income a blog may make. Here are seven tips based on experience that will help you build relationships with other bloggers.

Stop Being Competitive – Although being competitive can serve as the driving force to make someone a better blogger or to have the better blog, competitiveness can and usually does promote self interests and in turn, breaks relationships. Learn as soon as possible that the realm of blogging is a huge pool of knowledge sharing. Learn to link out to ideas and highlight things you come across rather than keeping yourself and your audience in a silo.

Give More Than Take – Everybody that is alive on this planet today has a specialty whether it be fishing, cooking or blogging. Learn to give as much information as possible to your audience rather than sitting back and taking everything in. A great example of someone who does this on a regular basis is Chris Brogan who is always giving more than he takes.

Link Out On A Regular Basis – In my own experience, each time someone has linked to a specific post on my blog, I always visit that post in return and give them a thank you. Sometimes, that blog author replies to my comment and before you know it, we regularly exchange emails. Through the use of pingbacks/trackbacks, linking out is like sending out a beacon. Not only are you letting that person know that you have linked to them but you also let them know that your blog exists. Sometimes, thats all it takes is to let someone know you’re out there.

Start Small – The A-list bloggers are the ones pulling in massive traffic and because their time is taken up between all of the aspects of blogging, it is very hard to get in touch with them, unless you’re a big wig yourself. Start out small and network with blog authors who write about the same subject within your niche that are not breakout hits. Starting small and continuing to build on that foundation will slowly build your list of contacts where eventually, in the right conversation at the right time, someone may bring your name to the attention of someone else that could change your career for the better.

Persistence Pays Off – Just like everything else in life, persistence can play a critical role when it comes to creating a relationship with another blogger. Generally, things are not set in stone with one email or one instant messaging conversation. In fact, many times it takes numerous conversations between both parties before a relationship can be established. It is important that you do not confuse persistence with being annoying. Sending one possibly two emails in one weeks time is good. Instant messaging while sending a private message over a forum and then sending emails on top of that is just down right annoying.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask – Asking questions to your blogging neighbors is an excellent way to build relationships as these questions and answers can sometimes turn into debates or great conversations. Great conversations tend to make an impact on someones mind. Asking and in turn answering questions is a win-win situation as each person gets to know the other in terms of each others agendas. Also, answering questions pertaining to a specific subject may give others the opinion that you are an authority on that subject. This means that because of your knowledge on the subject, people may refer their friends or associates to you.

Look For That Wow Factor – Ever have a conversation with someone that made you go “wow, that was an awesome discussion“? Be on the lookout for these types of synergies where your thoughts and opinions flow well with someone else’s. These types of interactions usually form into strong bonds.

Conclusion:

How many times have you heard the saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know”? Although not directly applicable to blogging since authoritative bloggers are successful anyways, having a big or at least concise network of people around is a good thing to have. These people can help you get a job, land an advertising deal, pass client work your way, make your blog not so lonely, and last but not least, these people can become great friends and a source of inspiration. Just a word of warning though. Try not to burn any bridges you make because at some point down the road, you may need to cross them.

Image courtesy of wallyg under Creative Commons

Have you made any new friends in the blogosphere or in the real-world based on your blogging or social networking activities? How valuable do feel your relationships are? If you have any tips on building relationships, share them with me in the comments.

How Do You Connect, and Do You Have a Backup Plan?

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Earlier today I dropped by a business center of my country’s larger telcos to follow up my application for an unlimited wireless data plan. Just last week, I picked up a prepaid HSDPA kit for about $50, which came with a USB dongle, data SIM card and about 20 hours worth of preloaded credits.

I could never get enough, and so I was gunning for the unlimited account. But for some reason the approving officer kept on asking for financial documents. As if the fortune I earn wasn’t enough to pay the measly thirty bucks a month they charge for an unlimited plan!

My point is that in this line of work we are in, we need redundancies. These days, having backup connectivity is not only for hosting companies. Those of us in internet-related careers and businesses need to be constantly connected, or at least able to connect when the need arises.

I recall the first week the family moved into our new apartment about two years ago, we had a big storm and the power went out for five days. DSL was also down, as the telephone company’s transmission boxes ran out of charge. Back then, I didn’t have a phone I could tether to the computer as a modem. My laptop only lasted two hours on one charge. And so work came to a halt for those few days.

I sure wouldn’t want that to happen again.

Nowadays, aside from the wired DSL connection at my home office, my 3.5G-enabled mobile phone doubles as my modem when I’m away or when DSL is down. And it has WiFi, too, so it also doubles as my email device at places where the laptop or netbook can’t reach (meaning I could email and blog from the bathroom).

The 3G/HSDPA dongle was not an absolute necessity, since I could connect thru my mobile phone anyway. But it’s more convenient, being plug and play (no more fiddling with keys to turn on bluetooth). And with the computer as power source, I don’t have to worry about cellphone batteries running out.

I have more computers than the average person would usually need, and cumulatively I could perhaps run on battery juice for approximately fifteen hours, should the need arise.

I would be interested in knowing what other folks out there have for connectivity and if you are as OC about backup options as I am. And how much do you spend per month on internet access? Does it pay off, in terms of productivity and being able to monetize your efforts? Or does this lifestyle force us to spend more than what is necessary?

My HSDPA dongle’s provider claims they have the widest coverage in my country. So that assures me I can blog and email even when I’m stuck in some far-flung town or in case I get marooned off some deserted island. Assuming I get a decent signal, do you think I would get enough battery power to email for help?