Content Writing & Copywriting Blog

Why I Use a Desktop Blog Editor

Sep 25, 2007 4 Comments »

Simonne, a commenter on my blog, had recently asked:

Why do people need to use a blog editor? I usually write directly in the Wordpress editor, and I never felt the need to use something else. As I encountered a lot of bloggers who use editors, I’m sure I miss something here, and I’m curious to find out what.

I had told her that I’d share my thoughts on this topic in a blog post. OK, the desktop blog editor.

I think I’ve used almost all the blog editors available on the Internet, right from the editing windows of WordPress and MovableType to w.blogger to Qumana to ScribeFire some other vague editors to my current favorite, Windows Live Writer. I don’t even remember now when the last time I used the WordPress dashboard editor to create blog post.

There two reasons I shun using the default blogging editors:

• I feel claustrophobic
• I need to go online whenever I want to post

No matter how fast the Google apps are catching up, given the unpredictable surfing speed I have where I live, I prefer using things on my desktop. In Windows Live Writer it’s so easy to create a new post: launch it and start writing. You don’t need to be connected; you can maximize the window like any other word processor and you have the option to modify the source code as and when you feel like. Even if you want to edit the posts you’ve already created, Windows Live Writer keeps everything synchronized.

Another advantage is that I have all the posts with myself, on my laptop, so even if something goes wrong with my WordPress installation and the database gets spoiled, at any day I can re-post and the posts will appear in the chronological manner with the same dates.

Let me know why you prefer or hate to use desk top blog editors.

Technorati Tags: destop blog editors, windows live writer

Do Technorati tags solve any purpose?

Jul 13, 2007 5 Comments »

Are Tags Working? asks Lorelle at The Blog Herald. I started using Technorati tags to increase traffic and I’ve been using them for many months now. Although I don’t have the right data to know how they have impacted my traffic (I hardly get any), I implemented them after reading numerous recommendations and I try to use the tags as appropriately as possible.

Tagging means assigning keywords to your posts so that when people search for those keywords on Technorati (if you ever use Technorati to search — I do) you blog gets found. The problem with these tags is, as Lorelle rightly points out, that anybody can use them with any sort of post, whether the tags are relevant for the post or not. This is a problem, but I don’t think it is a deterrent because now that I’m writing this, I do remember my stats often showing incoming traffic from Technorati. But then, if Technorati is pinged no matter whether you use the tags or not, what’s the use of using them and wasting precious space on your blog posts?

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: technorati tags

Automattic and Six Apart Compared

Jul 13, 2007 No Comments »

At Read/Write Web. Automattic is a company that developed and now promotes the popular blogging software WordPress. Six Apart developed MovableType. I used MovableType a few years ago but then started using WordPress because I found it a better, lighter alternative.

Technorati Tags: wordpress, movabletype, six apart, automattic

Read Books To Be a Better Blogger

Jul 08, 2007 2 Comments »

The North x East blog has published a list of 10 books that can help you be a better blogger. You don’t need all the books, but some of them are really good.

Personally, I feel the best book you can ever find is your own experience. Nothing can teach you better than your own experience, and you get experience by doing things that you need to learn. To learn blogging, start blogging. Books save you lots of time because all the “necessary” information you need is compiled in such books in a linear arrangement, properly indexed. Get the books, but don’t wait for them, or don’t think that you don’t blog yet because you don’t have the right books with you, or only those people succeed in blogging who read good books on blogging. Books help you save your time and organize your thoughts. The real learning happens when you do things your own way.

I’m adding this after publishing the blog post, I think there is one book that should be worth reading: No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog. What you write and how you write can really make or break your blog. The basic idea behind writing a successful blog is, give something valuable to your readers. Give them a reason to come to your blog. Now, if you are Angelina Jolie then surely I’m interested in knowing what you had for breakfast, and even how you chewed every morsel, but if you are a regular blogger then I must have an overwhelming reason to visit your blog again and again.

Technorati Tags: books on blogging, blogging books

Using Co.mments to track comments

Jul 05, 2007 No Comments »

Participating in comment conversations on various blogs is a major activity among bloggers. Your comments on other blogs are not only a good source of relevant traffic, they also help you set up a network of friends and business associates. Some blog comments are more informative than the actual blog posts.

With hundreds of blogs and comments to follow, it naturally becomes near to impossible to track your comment conversations on various blogs, especially if you have your professional assignments to follow. Since commenting is an integral part of blogging, there needs to be a way to track and manage your comments and how people respond to your comments. Jonathan at the Snook.ca blog has reviewed Co.mments, a comment tracking online service. It uses cookies to track and ping your comments and you can view all your comments and the respective responses on the Co.comment website itself.

A few months ago I started using a comment tracking service but I cannot remember what its name was because I lost the track when I re-installed my system. Whenever I wanted to leave a comment, a checkbox used to appear there, asking me if I wanted to track that conversation. If I checked the checkbox, I could track the comments on the comment-tracking website. I think I should give Co.mments a try. Oh, I remember now, that comment traffic service was CoComment.

Mashable tracks various comment traffic tools available on the Net.

Technorati Tags: cocomments, co.mments, comments, track blog comments, blog conversations