Robert Scoble, owner of the Scobleizer and FastCompany.TV, has had an interesting opinion about comments on blogs—Simply put, he believes comments are dying. It really is a coin-flip, but comments on blogs are really becoming the subject of discussion lately. But why would they be dying, and does this mean that blogs are dying as well?
I wake up, power-on the laptop, and wait, nothing unusual. Mac OS X will be loaded soon. Soon after, an alert from NetNewsWire informs me that there are new stories and blog posts which need attention. You know what, it is right after this moment when I realize that today I am in blogging paradise. The great thing about this day, it happens everyday, and you should know that I wouldn’t have it any other way.
After writing an article about the mistakes I have made since becoming a professional blogger, I wanted to expand upon the points I made about not being social enough to become a successful blogger. It is actually an important issue, and I believe that new bloggers should make a significant effort to network themselves. Still, why bother?
Dawning Valley is a new blog start-up that will be featuring the best content on the web about all things technology. I will be a contributing writer to DV. I will publish a column about future technology ideas, designs, products, and events every Wednesday. I might be editing articles as well, but that will come later.
So, I have just realized that I’ve been “in the zone” with my blogging lately. It is a feeling where I just can’t stop writing about stuff. The ideas are never ending, and the fingers are typing non-stop. It is truly a great feeling to have. I only wish I could trigger this euphoric moment of blogging goodness more often, but alas, I have no idea how.
Following the release of the official WordPress v2.5 standalone version recently, WordPress.com has followed suit by upgrading their users to the new version as well. The interface has been completely redesigned, and the back-end has received a myriad of improvements. This release of WordPress is said to be the largest release in quite awhile.
So, the past few weeks while looking up information on some mobile devices, laptops, and other technology products on YouTube, I saw many people on the site giving reviews on things. I saw 12 year olds declaring themselves a “technology master” and “computer genius.” I just wonder how bad it is really getting with other bloggers.
Anyone can create a website and claim they are an “expert” on any subject. People—I must make a reference to my general theory of almost everyone being a stupid consumer—will accept anyone as an expert as long as they act as such. If I went on my technology blog and started asking people what a URL was, I would instantly lose credibility (by the way, the answer is universal resource locator).
Why I consider myself a technology guru in particular, is because I spend many hours of the day researching topics on technology. The technology sections on Wikipedia read like the Bible to me. It just fills my thirst to know more about everything. I love doing this stuff. I dedicate myself to it.
It all raises a question of what an “expert” or “guru” is. It just seems odd how people will give anyone authority on any subject without doing the proper research on them. Whenever I read an article from someone I like, I want to know if they really have the experience and dedication to have their opinion be worthwhile.
After all, when I could write an article about how I think the moon is going to collide with the earth one day, and it makes it on the front page of Digg or Reddit, I think those people should understand that I have almost no knowledge on the subject. Yet, many people might respect my opinion as if I am a rocket scientist. It would be stupid of those people to accept my theory!
What is the point of this post? Well, it is to inform you that all these “experts” and “gurus” are just people. Anyone can claim to be an expert, but how do you actually qualify someone as one? You should get to know authors you read constantly, and while every opinion matters, if someone represents himself or herself as an authority, it should be up to the readers to scrutinize them heavily as such.
Bloggers are starting to get messy, and if you are a blogger, I must urge you to check your facts. Voice your opinion, but back them up with facts as well. Learn what a journalist is, and try to make strides in telling the truth. I hate nothing more than seeing someone straight up lie on a blog post. It makes me feel like my credibility is being shot as a fellow blogger.
I love the topics I talk about. I love writing. I love technology. However, it is not up to me to decide if I am an authority, but it is up to you. Keep bloggers honest, and keep the industry alive.
The Art of Professional Blogging Series:
First, let me get the credentials out of the way so you understand where I am coming from.
I am James Mowery, and I was formally a contributing writer and social media analyst for Mashable.com—it is currently the #1 ranked social media blog on the internet today. I left Mashable last year to pursue my own technology blog appropriately named Tech In Demand. It covers topics including technology, gadgets, web 2.0, and games. It is where I often express my insights and provide analysis about tech industry.
Before getting into blogging I worked as a proprietary financial trader. I primarily traded stocks and futures. It is during this time when I really got a sense for managing risk, as having millions of dollars under my control (without even having that much money to lose) could shake even the most mentally stable men and women on this planet.
After that, I took some time to join a gamer site called Total Gamer Zone. It was there where I finally understood what I wanted to do with my life. My ability to write amazing articles that people appreciated motivated me to write, and write I did.
I wrote articles that probably would have taken the average person days to write, and I did it in a matter of a few hours. The words simply came to me, and having fast fingers helped as well.
All that was my into Mashable, which solidified my status as an authority on the topics I am so determined to write about. I hope this article proves useful and inspirational to all aspiring professional bloggers everywhere.
Let’s Get Busy
Tech In Demand still has a long way to go before it makes the big time, but I have noticed that the more consistent I am with writing, the better. I used to just blog when I felt like it, but I feel more productive when I set a reasonable goal. Posting a daily goal is one way, but I feel better posting a weekly goal.
Right now, I want to write 20 – 25 articles per week. I want at least three featured articles, and the rest can be analysis, reviews, previews, news, and whatever else I come up with. I will try my best to pull that off.
I am still waiting on purchasing my new domain name for my actual name, James Mowery. Some kid from Texas already took http://www.jmowery.com/, so I have to go with something else. I already have it in mind.
That site will serve as my personal blog and general self whoring all around type thingamabob. The entries here might be moved to that.
I have also been considering creating a few new blogs that covers web 2.0 products and services, blogging, and the game industry. I would obviously do some research to find which blog could earn the most amount of advertising revenue.
Before all that though, I still want to finish the new site design for Tech In Demand. It relies on Drupal 6 being released, but I would prefer them to have a stable release–instead of being rushed out. It will be released soon though as development on Drupal 7 is already being discussed as I speak.
In the past, I had signed up for a WordPress.com account, but never took advantage of it. I don’t understand why I did not, but I felt the need to sign up again. So here I am. I decided that I would quickly write some of my thoughts on WordPress 2.3 and WordPress.com.
WordPress 2.3
WordPress 2.3 is quite a step forward. On my technology blog, Tech In Demand, I just upgraded this past week. The upgrade went smoothly. I have no complaints really.
I do enjoy the integrated tagging support, the improvements to the editor, and all the other improvements. So in the end, I am glad that I upgraded.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a great site. This is one of the best and easiest ways to get a professional looking blog of your own for free. There are still some improvements that are needed to be made, but for right now, the service is doing well. I would be interested in trying out TypePad to see how that service compares to WordPress.com.
There are some caveats: space is limited, customization options are lacking (unless your willing to pay), and generating money from your blog can be difficult. These are only minor issues though. WordPress.com also has another great benefit: if in the future you decide to get your own site you can easily export all your posts to your new blog.
I am a technology and social media journalist currently residing in Windsor, VA. I previously wrote for Mashable, and I am currently a writer for CMSWire. This blog will be focusing on technology, social media, marketing, and more. I hope you will subscribe and communicate with me on FriendFeed or Twitter.