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Raj Dash

Are You Blogging Your Travels?

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In the blogosphere there are obviously many different styles of writing. One style that I enjoy is the first person account of an experience – particularly if it’s about visiting a restaurant or most especially about visiting some place. Travel writing has been popular in print for a long time – just think how much advertising newspapers get in their travel section – and my research suggests that it’s popular online as well, and very competitive.

What’s particularly interesting is reading the exploits of a new breed of traveler sometimes known as a digital bedouin (wanderer) or digital nomad. This types travel either for fun or work (conferences, workshops, meetings), carries around the requisite gadgets, and blogs about what’s going on pretty much every day. They either carry a laptop/ UMPC with them, or they go to local Internet cafes when available. The Internet makes this possible, and some people have embraced it.

Now text and a few pictures is great content for the average personal-travel blog post, but what would be even more interesting is audio or video content. These don’t have to be added as frequently, since uploads might be cost-prohibitive while you’re traveling.) Video and audio would heighten the experience and let readers “live vicariously” when they can’t themselves travel. (Just be sure to respect local laws about taking pictures or video. And if necessary, save audio and video for uploading later.)

I’m not saying that you should go out and start a travel blog – there are thousands already. But if you travel more than once a year and have the opportunity, try (near) live-blogging your experiences on your personal website. If you’re talking about, say, a new media expo and your site is about new media, then live-blogging, audio and video content won’t seem out of place. Even if you’re going on vacation to get away for a while, some of your regular readers might enjoy following your experiences.

So do you travel often? Do you blog about your travels on your personal/ professional blog? You don’t have to be planning traveling to 100 countries to tell us something interesting about your experiences.

Peformancing PMetric’s New ‘Daily’ Features

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If you’re new to Performancing’s PMetrics web analytics service – or simply haven’t checked your stats panel lately – you might not know about some of the new “daily” features in the Dashboard section. You can see them in the screen snap below, in the green-highlit area.

Both sections show daily metrics that can be viewed in 30-, 90-, and 180-day windows, and offer numerous options to compare against:

  1. Visitors
  2. Actions
  3. Bounce rate
  4. Links
  5. Domains
  6. Searches
  7. Traffic sources
  8. Countries
  9. Cities
  10. Hostnames
  11. Organizations
  12. Web browsers
  13. Operating systems
  14. Screen resolutions

The “Daily visitors” feature refers to the number of unique visitors. The “Daily actions” feature refers to the number of page views. If you select one of the compare options, you get a chart that shows the Daily values (visitors or actions) visually compared to the selected metric.

These graphs give you a handy way to compare web site traffic trends and to see spikes. You can also see cumulative stats elsewhere in the Dashboard, if you chose a range in the date drop-down list at the top right.

Not signed up for PMetrics web analytics? Try out the demo, then register. The basic package is free and includes a 21-day trial of premium features – including the eye-catching Spy feature. Premium packages allow you to track more sites, at higher traffic levels, and start at only US$2/month.

A Quick Look at Google Charts

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Need chart graphics for your website? Google released their Charts web API not too long ago, making reasonably nice charts available to anyone with an Internet connection and web browser. No expensive diagramming software nor Excel spreadsheets are necessary. Using Google Charts really is as easy as pie (charts).

Types of Charts

Currently, there are nine chart types, with some newly released, giving you a wide range of chart types to work with.

  1. Line charts.
  2. Sparklines.
  3. Bar charts.
  4. Pie charts.
  5. Venn diagrams.
  6. Scatter plots.
  7. Radar charts.
  8. Maps. Oddly, of the seven regions you can select, there’s no North America, only “usa”. (I guess Canada doesn’t matter after all?)
  9. Google-o-meter.

Google Charts Format

To use Google Charts, all you have to do is supply a series of key/value parameter pairs with a specific API URL. From the docs:

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?<parameter 1>&parameter 2>…&<parameter n>

If you are using a chart label with special characters in it, they’ll be auto-replaced with a code of the format “%nn”. For example, a space is replaced with %20.

Cautions

  1. Pie charts will be clipped if the image size is too small. There is a limit to the overall size of any chart. You’ll know because you’ll get a “400 Bad Request” error, but to avoid it, keep the square area under 300,000 pixels. The max in any dimension is 1,000 pixels.
  2. Map size is an exception. They cannot be more than 440×220, according to the docs. So it’s likely your map chart will be clipped.
  3. They don’t use Google Maps, just plain border maps.
  4. The Google Charts docs says that there’s no limit on usage, but if your API calls will exceed 250,000 calls/day, email them an estimate.

Embedding Google Charts in Your Web Pages
Because the Charts interface produces content of type “image”, you can embed the results in your web page using an HTML “img” tag. The image format is PNG.

Creating Chart Animations With Google Charts

One area in which Google Charts beats charting in spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, OpenOffice) is enabling chart animations. Google Charts doesn’t have animations, but you can generate a sequence of images by changing parameters, then drop them all into a suitable application such as Moviemaker (Windows) or iMovie (Mac). Any “stop motion” software will do the trick as well.

Just be sure to name your saved image files with a keyphrase and a number. For example, image-001, image-002, etc. The only reason for this is that most software will order media files dropped into the panel in canonical order. That makes it easier to grab a bunch and drop them all into the video timeline en masse instead of one at a time. Here’s a basic algorithm:

Manual:

  1. Decide on chart type.
  2. Use Firefox browser and install any screen grab extension/ plugin.
  3. Get your dataset ready.
  4. For each each “tuple” of data (pair, triple, quadruple), which represents the parameter values for one chart:
    1. Render the chart by typing in the appropriate URL.
    2. Save the image by right-clicking on the image.
    3. Use a “numbered” file name. (Don’t lose track of the order.)
  5. Open your video application.
  6. Drop all the images into your workspace.
  7. Change your options to specify how long each snapshot should show for (I use 0.5 seconds below), and the transition time between snaps (I use 0.25 sec). The short the times, of course the faster the animation.
  8. Grab the images either en masse or individually (if necessary) and drop them into the video timeline area of your workspace. See video below.

Automated:
To automate the process, write a bit of code to generate and save the images, appropriately named. Then use your video app to finish up.

The video below first shows step #7 above, then a fragment of a chart animation I created for an article at FreelanceSwitch (not published yet). Note: the SplashCast player will pause momentarily between video segments.

Add perf google charts -2008/5/22 to your page

Performancing Stream of Consciousness – Page Rank and File

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If you own websites/ blogs and plan to maybe sell them someday, here’s something sobering. Google keeps flexing it’s muscle, and engineer Matt Cutts (the closest thing to a Google PR person and public “voice”) is saying that if you sell your site, there’s a consequence to the buyer: Google will cut the ranking down to zero.

Since Google has been registered as a domain registrar for a while now, they have access to your domain’s whois records. So they know when a domain changes hands. Even if you use “privacy” on whois records, they can track you through use of Google Adsense, (Google) Feedburner, Google Analytics, and who knows what else. Unless your sites are Google-free.

Is It a Big Deal?

Now keep in mind that this is apparently only being done if a domain changes hands AND changes topics. Whether they should be doing this or not is a moot question. They can and are. However, there are ways around this, something Gabriel Goldenberg at SEO ROI discusses.

However, as many top bloggers will tell you, good content is really what you want to focus on, not page rank. Even if you buy up a site, don’t worry about the Google’s declaration. Focus on the content. Supplement your text with images, diagrams, podcasts, video. Divide up your longer articles with h2, h3, h4 headings, and bold/strong your keywords. All of these help contribute to your content being deemed “of quality”. Your readers are ultimately going to decide whether or not that’s true. So the actual content has to be of value to someone, but not necessarily everyone. (Tangent: a bit of advice from Cynthia Morris at Copyblogger for finishing work.)

Building Your Site’s Profile

On the promoting side of things, check out the great audio interview that VKI Studios did with Todd Malicoat, aka Stuntdubl. It’s about 45 minutes but it’s worth listening to Todd’s expert linkbuilding and baiting advice.

Top blogger Guy Kawasaki briefly echoes the “good content” angle in a print interview at TopRank. (He also talks briefly, in response to a question, about he’d run Twitter if he owned it.)

Finally, if you’re using social media, take in Elizabeth Able’s guest advice at SEO Scoop, about building a social media profile. Her V.A.S.T. (Visible, Available, Social, Trustworthy) advice is aimed at Stumbleupon users, but is valid for other social sites. In fact, just the section headings alone lit a bulb over my head, making me realize how incorrectly I’ve been using social media. If the latter isn’t working for you, maybe the article will shed some light for you.

Successful Blogging, Promoting WordPress – Performancing Stream of Consciousness

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Chris Garrett is running a global blogger survey, and if you participate, you’re eligible to win one of 10 copies of the ProBlogger Book that he co-wrote with Darren Rowse of Problogger.

Darren wrote an inspiring article, 12 Traits of Successful Bloggers. It’s inspiring, at least to me, because I think I have many of the traits (either at present, or have had in the past and thus can recover). The short list:

  1. Creative and playful.
  2. Innovative.
  3. Connectors.
  4. Community Enablers.
  5. Information Mavens.
  6. Communicators.
  7. Interest.
  8. Entrepreneurs.
  9. Originality.
  10. Perserverance.
  11. Focus.
  12. Curiousity.

Now to work on my weak areas, the biggest of which is “Focus” What about you? Which traits do you have? Which do you think is the most important? (I vote for “Perserverance”, because if that’s all you have right now, it’ll carry you through while you build the other traits.)

Every successful blog is built on a capable platform. My favorite is WordPress, and even though I don’t like the latest version, 2.5x, because Custom Fields (an advanced feature) do not work properly anymore, I still evangelize about WP at every opportunity. If you like WordPress as much as I do, you can contribute directly or indirectly to its continued existence. For ideas how, read Jeff Chandler’s 24 Ways to Contribute to WordPress [via Xfep] – strangely unnumbered. Many of these ways are non-coding efforts. If you do decide on #20, Create a WordPress Centric Podcast, check out past Perf articles on podcasting/ vodcasting:

  1. Can a Podcast Help Your Blog Succeed.
  2. 9 Podcasting Tips.
  3. A Beginner’s Podcasting Guide.
  4. How to Podcast Using SplashCast or YouTube.

If anyone wants to work on a long-term weekly podcast/ screencast about WordPress for Performancing with me, drop a comment here or PM me. I don’t want to compete with what’s already out there, merely supplement it. My preference is to do a screencast that gives all kinds of tips about WP – including advanced features – shows new themes or plugins, and gives general news.

Even if you just co-produce with me (planning, scripting, editing, feedback) and don’t want to/ can’t screencast, I’m game. You’ll get credit and a link to your blog from here, in each edition. My preference would be for someone who is willing to occasionally co-host in audio, via Skype – but it’s not a necessity. I’m opening two spots for partnering. (This is a non-paying opportunity that could lead to future opportunities and would build your profile.)

If you are going to do voice work, record a snippet of you talking about WordPress and post it somewhere so that I can listen to it. (Read article #4 above.) Accents are fine, but your voice must be clear and understandable.

Oh by the way, you do not have to be a WordPress guru. In all honesty, I’m open to anyone that can help me come up with ideas about what to cover in each episode, and sometimes a non-guru is better for that.

Performancing Stream of Consciousness – All the World’s a-Twitter?

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Do you love Twitter enough to write mini-stories with it? If you can produce a story (not poetry) in EXACTLY 140 characters, Twitter it, then post the link to it at Copyblogger’s Twitter Writing Contest page. You’ll be eligible to win a 4Gb iPod Nano. If you want to donate prizes to this contest, you can post info there too.

Twitter is becoming so popular that it’s gaining converts in droves, creating buzz in the blogosphere, and spawning popular Twitter apps/clients such as Twhirl (and serving up 500 errors at times – presumably when it can’t handle the load). One of my Hive colleagues, Brian from Candy Addict, is being interviewed by Donny Deutsch for The Big Idea TV talk show this morning. So he set up Twitter on his mobile phone so that he could Twitter the experience before and after the interview. You can go one step further and livecast. And then there’s Twitpitching to propose an idea to someone.

Or if you’re into infosumption via Twitter, you could use microblogging to build presence – especially if you’re an entertainer – hunt for jobs, or track who is promoting your articles or otherwise  linking to you, track poltical events, of get the news before big media gets it. If you’re addicted to data, you might simply want to visualize the Twitter universe.

If you’re not sure who to follow, visit Favrd, Who Should I Follow,  Twitterholic for starters. Twitterholic lists the top 100 Twitterers (based on number of followers). Who Should I Follow makes suggestions after you supply your Twitter name. It also has a location slider, so that you can supposedly filter the member list down to people near to you (based on your IP address and where that maps to geographically). Favrd lists “interesting things” based on Twitter members/ threads that have been favorited.

So how are you using Twitter to be more productive or build your presence online? If you aren’t using it yet, choose a Twitter client and give it a go.

Performancing Stream of Consciousness – Banishing Your Introverted Self

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If you’re not going out this weekend to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, maybe you’ll want some reading material. (Or you could go see a recent release like Iron Man – but skip Speed Racer, in case you’re expecting it to be as good as the Wachowski Brothers’ earlier effort, The Matrix.)

It’s still arguable whether or not bloggers are generally opinionated, but some are definitely introverts. Chris Garrett gives some advice on breaking out of your solitude – something that’s necessary for online success.

One way to ease into being less introverted is to speak in front of people. (I was incredibly shy before becoming a teaching assistant in college.) If you don’t want to do that, try talking to a video camera set up on a tripod. (Or just start with podcasting. Both are less intimidating than public speaking.) Start with product or movie reviews, or a simple vodcast about something you know. (Write a rough script, to keep yourself focused.) Review the recordings and if something’s good, pop it up on YouTube. (Then use Google’s new YouTube Insight tool, to study the breakdown of viewers.)

You could also combine web cam video of yourself with screencasting, to educate your readers about blogging, how you produce content, how they can comment constructively, or even request information from you. Or do an excercise where you answer 20 questions about whether to stop blogging. As before, set up a video camera on a tripod, then review the recording sessions. Other things to talk about: whether the recession has hit the Internet [via Xfep], whether you should self-brand yourself as a freelancer,  getting naked as a blogger, or how great Twitter is as a broadcasting tool.

Another outlet for being outgoing is to drop video comments on the sites that allow it. Thanks to Disqus and Seesmic, there’s a WordPress plugin that allows WP blogs to enable video commenting (or use Magnify to create a video community). Personally, I’m not big on the idea of video comments, but if you are, don’t forget to brush your teeth first – in case you have some chive stuck in your gums.

Why Performers and Entertainers Should Twitter

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Peter D. Marshall, a veteran filmmaker, asked on Twitter whether anyone had links for social media tips for a talk he’s preparing. The talk is aimed at theater people and how to promote themselves using social media.

Now, I see a lot of musicians on MySpace, but I’ve so far only come across one on Twitter: Henry Rollins. (Not that I’ve actively searched, mind you.) He’s not very active, and only follows 21 other Twitter accounts. Still, he establishes a presence and indicates when he’ll be play somewhere next. He also divulges little tidbits that give a glimpse into his life. This has garnered him over 6,500 followers on Twitter.

Yeah, So?

Well it’s like having a sort of subscription list if you are a performer, because then you can equate “follower” with ‘fan” (most of the time). Now had you started to build these followers from scratch by asking the same 6,500 people to sign up for an official newsletter, you might not have the same response. But now that you have these followers, you can offer something, and because they feel they know you, it’s possible that you’ll get a much better response. (Just speculating.)

Another person in the entertainment field that I follow is Diablo Cody, aka Brooke Busey, the scriptwriter who won an Oscar this year for the movie Juno. Her experience before Juno includes being a stripper, phone sex operator and ad agency work. Oh, and she has a university degree in media studies.

It’s fascinating and entertaining to follow her. Like watching the genesis of a caterpillar to a butterfly, simply because she’s documenting her progress from relative unknown (in a wider scope) to acclimating to the entertainment life. More specifically, she talks about when she’s going out for the night, parties, what she’s thinking of wearing, and that she’s taking acting classes, etc. (I originally liked Twitter simply for this ability to peer into the mindstream of a Twitterer – but Twitter is useful for so much more.)

Diablo Cody only follows 14 accounts and has 3,243 followers. What she isn’t doing is including a link to either her official website or her MySpace page in her Twitter profile. But she is Twittering – something that I think all performers or others in the entertainment biz should do to supplement their Facebook/ MySpace profile pages and their official websites. Just remember to link in your Twitter profile to one of those profile pages or your official site.

A Simple Plan

Treat it all as part of building your personal brand:

  1. Your website can be very professional and maintained by someone (webmaster, PR person, business manager, etc.) The website should provide links to your Twitter account and to your MySpace (and/orFacebook) page.
  2. Your MySpace (and/or Facebook) page is like another view of your website, with pictures and audio or video of your performances. Aside from managing “add” requests and comments, you don’t have to spend a lot of time running this page. (You could have a friend or hired hand managing add requests.) Link to both your Twitter account and your website.
  3. Twitter is more immediate. Fans will love to peer into your head. You can use Twitter when you’re on tour or have some project coming up and want to let little bits of info out about it. You only have one link out, so take your pick: MySpace/Facebook or website.
  4. Make sure that your YouTube (or whatever) videos have a watermarked of you Twitter URL. (For that matter, go upload your own videos to YouTube, before someone else beats you to it.) That way, you’re visually emblazoning your Twitter presence into viewers minds.

So, are there any performers who read this site and who use social media for self-promotion? What do you use and how and why? Feel free to drop your Twitter link. (Get one if you don’t have one. You don’t have to follow everyone that follows you.)