Bloggy Life Question 29 — Will You Sell the URL to the Porn King?

November 12, 2006 by Liz

On Second Thought . . .

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

You’ve been blogging a children’s book for three years. It’s part fairy tale, part science fiction meant for kids who are 10-12 years old. Hallelujah and happiness! You’ve not only finished it, but you’ve got agent who’s sold it to a publisher — one of big ones. We’re talking major advance. You’re not J.K. Rowling yet, but you’ve made the minor leagues. Your book will be on library and classroom shelves.

The story is about a boy named Jack who is genetically altered. He can become a giant when the world needs saving. Jack is a superhero with all of the qualities that kids need to read about. The publisher loves Jack but wants to call him Slate to make the book appealing to a wider audience.

You don’t mind. You kind of like the name. Besides, they’re going to build you a fabulous website, and they are already talking a movie deal.

One condition of your contract is that you take down your old URL. You plan to remove the content, and so you put the blog up for sale.

As soon as you put the URL — www.jackthegiant.com — on Site Point the bidding goes crazy. Suddenly you realize what that means. . . . It would make a perfect porn URL.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

I Want to Call You a B.A.D. Blogger! Wanna Be One?

November 12, 2006 by Liz

It all started when I went to Blogher and met up with Sabine Kirstein, and we met up with Janice Myint. I found out what it’s like to converse in real time with bloggers. It was an invigorating experience.

After that, I went to Seth’s seminar in NYC with Ann Michael. I talked to Joe Hauckes when my plane was delayed. I met Phil Gerbyshak for his speaking gig in Chicago. All in all, I’ve talked to some 50 other bloggers. To a person, the bloggers I’ve met are cool, vibrant people. I learned something from every one of them.

So I’ve decided to form a B.A.D. habit.

I Want to Call You a B.A.D. Blogger

i’m calling a Blogger A Day every day. I’d like to do a voice chat with you. Would you like a call? I’d like to get to know who you are, what you do, and tell you a little about me too.

It’s one more way to link up the blogosphere. It’s one more way that we can get smarter. It’s a way we can take blogging to the next level. It’s a way you and I can meet to say a real “hello.”

After we talk, I’ll call you a B.A.D. Blogger and I’ll post a word and link on Successful-Blog. It’ll be fun. It’ll also be great promotion for you and your blog.

Here’s what to do.

Write an e-mail to me at lizsun2@gmail.com.
Put Call Me a B.A.D. Blogger in the subject line.
Include the following information in your message:
a number or Skype contact to call (Int’l has to be VoIP)
your location on the planet and good times to call.

I’ll email you before I call to make sure you’ll be around. Of course, the only one who reads my email is me.

I’m calling a blogger a day from now on. With some 57 million blogs indexed at Technorati. I figure I should be able to find at least one blogger a day who’s willing to talk.

What do you say? Do you wanna be a B.A.D. Blogger?

Send me an e-mail now. So I can arrange the call. I’d sure like to meet you for a conversation.

Liz's Signature

PS. THERE WILL BE THE COOLEST BUTTONS YOU’VE EVER SEEN!

Great Find: Flixn

November 12, 2006 by Liz

Webcam and Go!

It works with everything from ebay to Blogger. Click the screen shot to check out Flixn.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Net Neutrality 11-12-2006

November 12, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Shift Happened: How Might a Democrat-Controlled Congress Affect Media, Internet, Communications and Entertainment?

The shifting of the balance of power from Republicans to Democrats on Capitol Hill will likely have dramatic consequences on US foreign military/diplomatic policy and on domestic social policy. . . .

My first relatively obvious observation is that the shift in power tips the balance to the Net Neutrality forces and puts the Bells on the defensive for the first time since passage of the “96 Telecom Act” as they continue their efforts to obtain video franchising relief. Perhaps this means there is a potential compromise in the works – video franchising relief for a more meaningful iteration of Net Neutrality?

But is it all good news for the Internet voice/video/media/entertainment disruptors? I know, given the vast resources devoted on all sides of the debate to Net Neutrality, one might conclude that Net Neutrality is the only issue that matters, but it is not. While the Internet application providers and users might win on the Net Neutrality front, I harbor no great expectations that the Democrats will be any less paternalistic than their Republican corollaries on the social issues affecting the Internet and communications, particularly the inertia pushing traditional emergency response, lawful intercept, and now indecency statutes and regulations on Internet applications, without any serious regard for the deleterious effects on innovation and progress.

Bottom line, however, is that I no longer expect Congress to pass any significant, Internet-affecting, legislation this year. I, however, do expect that the FCC might try to fill the breach and try, itself, to move on video franchising reform, universal service contribution methodology and access charge reform, and continuing down the path of imposing traditional telecom- and broadcast-like regulation on Internet applications, while further deregulating the transmission media. I also expect that many of the battles might move back to the states as Congress becomes less fertile turf for the traditional carriers.

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet Ã¢â¬â Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Blogs Arenât Books â Not Everyone Starts Reading on Page 1

November 11, 2006 by Liz

Entry Pages Count

Do you think about your blog as if it’s a book?

Do you have a hidden assumption that everyone reads the front page first, because that’s what you do?

Every page of a blog offers an open door and a place for readers land. Search engines send traffic to pages deep into the archives. Old bookmarks do too.

Next time you check your stats, note the entry pages — where visitors land when they arrive. Then visit the popular entry pages yourself. Take a long look. Do they look up-to-date? Is the information still correct? Was your writing as good then as it is now? It doesn’t hurt to check to be make sure that the place is still spruced up and talking nice. Every entry page is a first impression of your blog, your business, and your brand.

Investing in your landing pages to make them inviting and informative can have as much impact for those incoming readers as any front page does.

How do you use your stats to make your blog more friendly to your readers?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Need a clone or a manager to help clean up your blog? Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Adding a WIDEbar â a 2-column widebar â to a Blogger Beta Blog

November 11, 2006 by Liz

Blogger Beta Gets Cool

Blogger Beta is finally tying up its loose ends, presenting templates with style, and offering bloggers new functions. Hackers are having fun with making changes too.

Great Find:
Adding a wider-sidebar to your blog
Permalink: http://stubborn-fanatic.blogspot.com/2006/11/wider-sidebar-widebar-sidebar.html

Target Audience: Google Blogger and Blogspot blogggers
Content: Documenting Fanaticism is a real find for Blogspot bloggers. From the moment that you land on the home page, you’ll notice that the familiarity of the template only serves to show you the skills of the blogger who has made it into something more in so many ways that haven’t been seen before. Tabs across the top announce and organize the blog into well-defined site locations:

Home
beta hacks/talk
Book Reviews
contents
projects
quotes
software
Disclaimer

The blog itself welcomes readers with the following statement:

Welcome to the new layout of my blog. I am very happy to announce that with this new layout, my blog is now fully compatible with internet explorer as well. If you like this layout, learn how to implement it here.

The “here” it speaks of is the Great Find I’m sending you to. Click the title below to get there.

Blogger Beta has taken hold.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Blogspot Help
Blog Design Checklist