Content Writing & Copywriting Blog

WordPress 2.7 "Coltrane"

Dec 11, 2008 96 Comments »

As it always happens when I am trying to update my WordPress installation I almost lost a blog while upgrading to WordPress 2.7. I’m generally one of the last people to upgrade my WordPress installations, it’s just that today when I was going through the various twitter notifications I noticed some body mentioning WordPress 2.7 so I thought, well, this time I shouldn’t get so late.

It is always advised that you take full backup of your existing blog before upgrading to a newer version; anything can go wrong and you can lose years of hard work. But I haven’t taken my backups for more than 3-4 months.

The biggest surprise in WordPress 2.7 was the total overhaul of the dashboard interface. It really looks neat with crisp buttons and a spiffy layout. Here is the image of the dashboard of Writing Cave:

It seems there are still many people who use the default editor of WordPress to publish blog posts. I haven’t used it for years. Even when there was no desktop editor available I used to prepare all my posts in my favorite word processor and then simply copy/paste the content into the editor. If you notice in the image I have encircled the part that lets you quickly post without ever having to leave the dashboard area. They have arranged all the important links at left. Another significant change that I have noticed is that they have brought back the comments to the dashboard as people had been missing this information on the dashboard.

There is a turbo link at the top bar and I wonder what it does. When I clicked on it, it asked me to do something, I did that, it processed a few hundred files on my computer and then I lost track.

I’m still to use all the features present in the latest WordPress 2.7 version. In fact, as usual, I will end up using a very few functions because I rarely log into the admit area; I publish all my blog posts using windows live writer.

Here are some WordPress 2.7 upgrade tips from Lorelle.

Another great overview of WordPress 2.7.

Top 20 WordPress 2.7 features from Mashup.

Why I Use a Desktop Blog Editor

Sep 25, 2007 6 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 3 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