Getting Things Accomplished

Believe it or not, I did a grand total of 38 blog posts today (including this one). On top of that, I watched 2 of my favorite TV shows, did lots of blogging maintenance - stats analysis, tweaking, research, tons of reading, my moderator duties on a busy IM forum, etc. - and it’s still only 9:45pm.

Funny thing is, I don’t even feel like it’s been a rough day!

Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep up at least 2/3 of that pace. Consistency has never been my strong point.

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Blogging Events To Raise Funds

I’ve been thinking of doing a blogging event to raise some badly needed funds, because without cash I simply won’t have the time to blog anymore. I’ll have to get a job.

Any ideas on what type of event I should do?

Or should I just say “To hell with it” and go back to doing drywall.

Got one idea that might fly, but it’s a long shot.

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Why No Network Branded RSS Readers?

Ok, here’s an idea I had a while back, when I had a lot of blogs on the go:

I was considering getting myself an RSS reader, branding it with my logos, loading it up with all my blog’s feeds and offering it as a free download, along with a detailed PDF of what RSS is and how people can use it to ‘listen’ to their favorite blogs and news sites.

To this day, I simply don’t understand why WIN, Gawker, 9rules, b5, etc. haven’t done this. After all, it would allow the network to get a legit desktop app on users computers - a branded desktop app that users would use every day.

I mean, look how many huge companies see the value in this. Google, with their desktop search, Microsoft with their OS and other software, spyware and adware companies, maliscious sites that hijack browsers, all the sites offering branded browser toolbars, the list goes on, and on.

Wake up people! You could have your brand right on a lot of people’s computers, built right into an app that will soon become as important to them as their email apps. Jump on this NOW for heaven sakes.

Anyone can do it for free with Feedreader, or with Tristana for a small fee, or is you chose to, you could have a custom program developed in a few weeks.

Blog Networks, Branded RSS Readers

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RSS Feed Overload Conquored

I’ve dumped about 2/3 of the RSS feeds I used to subscribe to - because they either A) Repeated the same old stuff as a bunch of other feeds/blogs, without adding anything to the conversations, or B) were just a waste of time for me to read.

I’ve also replaced some of the feeds with ones from news searches, sites like Tech.Memeorandum, Digg, Google News, PRWeb and a few others. This is convenient for a few reasons, not the least of which ensures I get my news directly from sources rather than something that’s been filtered through several blogs/personalities.

Now don’t get me wrong - I’m not knocking bloggers here. I’m still tracking the conversations but mainly through sites like Technorati and Memeorandum, and I am still subscribed to what I like to call my ‘core group’ of bloggers and friends.

It’s all about the streamlining and time savings, that’s all.

RSS Feeds, Memeorandum, Technorati

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Never Tell Your Secrets

Just been browsing around the networks and found a new site based on an idea I’ve had for a while. Made the mistake of divulging that idea to someone and, well, you know the rest. Zip it up Paul, zip it up.

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Link Stingy Bloggers Abound

Have you ever suspected (or had reasonable proof) that another blogger is mining your blog for story ideas?

This has been happening a lot more frequently lately to a couple of my sites and the perps are the same every time. In fact, just a few days ago someone mined a story I posted about a month ago on one of my blogs and didn’t give me credit. I know for a fact they got it from me, because they ended up using an entire unedited sentence, including a spelling error (for their part of the world at least) from the post I wrote.

What irks me the most is that I’ve linked out to them as the “source” or “via” numerous times.

Others have the same problems too.

On one hand you have the splogs that aggregate everything you write and post it as if it were their own. On the other you have the bigger, more popular sites whose editors surf around to the smaller blogs looking for material and rarely give credit, or have their “Do Not Link To…” lists.

If these things happen to you, you have a number of different routes to take, all of which may or may not bring you results, but my philosophy from now on is this:

At least let them know you know, but don’t go making false accusations unless you know what you’re doing first.

And for heavens sake, don’t stoop to their level.

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For Dummies In The Real World

So Jason Calacanis seems to have gotten a letter stating his network is in violation of Wiley’s trademark because of a reference to “For Dummies” made in a past blog post.

You know, this is one of those things that makes you shake your head in pity.

Good luck to you Wiley. Now that Jason C. has made that post 10’s of 1000’s (probably more once lots of bloggers start scoffing about it, to THEIR readerships and circles of influence) of people will be making fun of your company and your Dummies trademark.

fordummies, Registered Trademark, Wiley Publishing, Jason Calacanis

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Technorati Improvements

In the past, it was taking Technorati quite a while to update their databases with new posts, link tracking. It was taking anywhere from a few hours to a few days and sometimes links weren’t being tracked at all.

I’ve noticed in recent weeks though, that Technorati is updating within minutes after the ping goes out.

This is not just a major improvement for the company and their service, but a huge plus for the blogosphere as a whole. With the underlying benefit of the blogosphere being all about the conversations and letting others know you have an opinion, instant notification of who’s talking about who (via your watchlists, you do have those don’t you?), you can respond more promptly to what’s being said.

This reminds me: I need to install that tagging plugin.

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The BlogHerald Back On The Market

After the original sale fell through, the Blog Herald is back on the market in an open auction over at Sitepoint.

Anyone interested in getting into the blogging news business? Got $50,000 lying around to match the BIN (Buy It Now) price? I wish I had the cash on hand. I’d buy it in a second.

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Bloglogic NewsDumps Category Added

Last year, this site was used mainly as the home base for the Bloglogic network, with a bit of opinion and blogosphere news thrown in. From now on, what I envision for this site is more along the lines of a blogosphere news reporting site, with a little network stuff thrown in.

I’m not saying I’m trying to compete with sites like the Blog Herald, Scobleizer or Blog Network Watch, not in the least. What I’m saying is I’d like to post about the things I’m interested in and give my opinions on.

These “NewsDumps” will generally be short pieces with links to cool or interesting sites, or conversations going on about issues happening in and around the blogosphere. I guess a more fitting term to use would be “Brain Dumps” but NewsDumps looks and sounds cooler

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