Blog-Hosting Sites

Posted on July 30th, 2009 by Jean

I’d like to thank Bruce for inspiring this blog.

MySpace
I signed up for MySpace in December of 2006, not sure what all the hype was about. I browsed forums, viewed profiles, sent friend requests, and wondered, “What am I missing?” Then I stumbled upon THE BLOGS. That was it! Entertainment, photos, opinions, it was all here for my enjoyment! I lurked, I commented, and I cared about my new friends. Before long, I posted my first blog.

Nearly 3 years later, with 279 blogs under my belt, I have a couple hundred readers, and subscribe to over 100 blogs. There is such a feeling of community! We read each other’s blogs, comment and pimp.

Pros:

1) Sense of community.
2) The Manage Blog feature allows you to view your blog hits and your readers.
3) Your subscriptions [can] appear in the left column of your blog.

Cons:
1) 2,000,000 kudos can be given, launching blogs into the top categories.

Thanks, Amanda! You’re so right! MySpace allows for so much creativity. Facebook’s 1 photo per note maximum is so minimal, and WordPress charges an annual fee for Video hosting.

Facebook

As with anything new, I jumped in and said, “Now what?” When you create your Facebook account, it will ask permission to access your email address book. Once it has processed the information, it will suggest you add the friends it has found. You can also manually search for friends, family, co-workers, former classmates, etc. Most likely, their profiles will be set to private. You will be allowed to view their thumbnail avatar and possibly thumbnails of their friends. You must be friends with them to view their profile, otherwise known as their Wall.
Those looking to blog may be disappointed. In lieu of blogs, Facebook has Notes. Type your note, insert up to 1 photo, tag your friends, and post your note.

Thanks, Sherri! You’ll have to show me how to do that.

Pros/Cons:

1) There is a limit to how many friends you can tag. I’m thinking it’s 20 (correct me if I’m wrong). Those friends will be notified of your post.
Update: It’s 30. Thanks Laurie aka BrownSugar!
2) Your note may appear in a live feed which is constantly updated on your friends’ home page. So, even if you have not tagged them, they may eventually discover your note.
3) There is no Note community.
4) Notes are not ranked.
5) Your note may receive a comment or a thumbs up from your friends.

Blogger
I created a Blogger profile in May of 2009. I have averaged 10 profile views per month.

Pros:
1) You can sign up for AdSense to get paid for clicks of ads that appear on your page.
2) There is a link at the top of the blogs labeled Next Blog. Clicking on it will lead you to the most recent content posted on Blogger.
3) You can add other Blogger-hosted sites to your Blogroll (list of subscriptions.)

Cons:
1) There can be explicit content on Blogger. You can report or flag a blog, but I do not know what steps are taken by Blogger about the content.
2) There is no Blogger-wide search feature.
3) There is no way to know who has read or subscribed unless they comment or inform you of their subscription.

WordPress.com
I also established my WordPress blog in May. The Dashboard displays Page Hits (my avg = 250/mo), your Top Posts, Search Engine Terms (words used to find your blog), Referrers (links people clicked to get to your page), and more. Here is a screenshot of my Dashboard Stats.

Dashboard Stats

Pros:
1) The Dashboard! (See above.)
2) There is a site-wide search feature.
3) There is also a link at the top of the blogs labeled Next Blog. Clicking on it leads you to the most recent content posted on WordPress.
4) There’s a nifty option called Tag Surfer. Specify key words, and when new blogs are posted with these tags, they appear in your Tag Surfer tab.
5) If a site has been flagged “Mature” (adult content), you will be given the choice to enter.
6) There is lots of help through the Forums and Support.
7) There is a list of Hot 100 Blogs for VIPs (such as CNN and People) and the WordPress Community.
8) You can add WordPress-hosted blogs to your Blogroll (list of subscriptions).
9) Through Widgets (add ons), non-Wordpress links can appear on your profile.

Cons:
1) While using the Next Blog feature, you may find adult content that has not been flagged. (You can report it.)
2) You will not be made aware of subscribers to your site.

LOL! Lee, how could I have forgotten to mention blogging’s addictive side! They should come with a warning.

• What is your take on blog-hosting sites?
• Which is your favorite, and why?
• Which is your least favorite, and why?

Thanks for reading!

Tags: Blog, Blogger, Cons, facebook, MySpace, Pros, Wordpress

Insomnia Notes + Pimp Zone

Posted on May 2nd, 2009 by Jean

3:00 o’clock in the morning, I’m jolted awake by large viking wielding an axe in my dining room. I hop out of bed, heading to the kitchen to make sure it was all just a dream. There’s no sign of him. Maybe I woke too soon. Who’s to say a viking dream is bad?

I wonder how my virtual crops are doing? I’m a farmer on Facebook. Do real farmers lie awake at night, wondering how their crops are doing? I was (virtually) devastated when my (virtual) grapes died on the vine.

If sharting is shit + farting, what’s peeing when you sneeze? Peez? Sneed?

Speaking of Facebook applications, my daughters love to sprinkle fairy dust on my friends. I always type a little note to accompany the sprinkling. “I love you. I love to sprinkle you.” — signed Pearl (4) and Natalie (6). Jean (43) doesn’t do too much sprinkling or writing of the mushy notes.

Have you been to VideoJug.com? Here’s just a sampling of the videos they offer.


Life Explained ~ On Film

I wouldn’t be surprised if they explained how to boil water. I’d like to submit a video. Maybe a photoshop tip or a makeup tip for women over 40. I was mesmerized one evening while a woman showed me how to apply eyeshadow like Britney Spears. At least she wasn’t teaching me how to cut my hair like Britney.

The Britney Eye (clickable link).

Pimp Zone

If you have not already had the pleasure of reading Amylicious, run, don’t walk, to her blog. Here’s one I found particularly hilarious: Buzz Kill.

Amy just recently launched a blog outside of MySpace. You can find it here: Amy’s Musings.

Have a fantastic weekend, and thanks for reading!

Tags: amylicious, britney, facebook, funny, Humor, insomnia, notes, pimp, Video

Blogging Notes 11

Posted on January 31st, 2009 by Jean

CANDLES
 
Today at the Dollar Tree store, I saw a book titled, 101 Ways to Decorate with Candles. Really? You’d think there’d just be one way.
 
1. Place candle on counter. Light.
 
I was curious about the other 100 ways, so I glanced though it.

 
2. Place candles around bathtub. Light.
3. Put candle on wall sconce. Light.
 
I’m sensing a pattern. Even at a dollar, I don’t think its a bargain.

 
ELVIS PRESLEY REPLACEMENT
 
Who is going to rise to the celebrity status of Elvis Presley? Who will be impersonated to marry couples in Las Vegas? Whose house will be opened to the public as a museum? I’m guessing Michael Jackson or Obama. What’s your guess?
 

I now pronounce you husband and wife!
 
FACEBOOK
 
Facebook is an interesting sight. In the beginning, when you have no friends, it’s up to you and your memory to seek them out. High school friends, former co-workers, past loves. Type in their name, and your prize is a miniature photo. You have no access to their profile, but you can view their friends. Using this strategy, I found a friend from 20 years ago. In his group of friends, I found my first husband. Clicking on his friends, I found his sister and his now-grown niece. A circle of friends from my past had been reduced to thumbnails. I was glad for the chance to view them again.
 
On a whim, I sent a friend request to the first friend. Even after all of these years, he remembered me. His image in my mind had been frozen as that of a young, 20-something man with black hair, beard and mustache. To see his current photo was intoxicating, viewing the mature, clean-shaven man he had become.
 
He encouraged me to send a friend request to my former husband. I was nervous, to put it mildly. When last we spoke, although I cannot remember the exact moment or the exact words, I’m sure we were arguing over furniture, debts, our cat, our divorce, our decisions. It was a bleak period. What good could come from saying hello, I’m here? But I took a deep breath, and did just that.
 
Almost immediately he replied. A veil was lifted. The gloom of my memories was scattered by positivity and love. He was thrilled to hear from me, and confided that he still spoke fondly of me with his father who had always enjoyed my company. His instant enthusiasm calmed my fears, and made me question what my perception was of our *ending*. Had a friendship been pushed aside all of these years? I don’t know. I don’t have the answers.
 
So that, more or less, is where I have been lately. Delving into the past to see what I can see.

Tags: candles, elvis, facebook, funny, Humor, Las Vegas, Vegas