Archives for 2010

A Quick Question on How This Blog Looks

Hey there guys. So I have a favour to ask, if that’s okay?

I’ve been toying with the idea recently of redesigning the old blog. Don’t get me wrong – I like the way it looks now and how it feels.

Yet I’m often antsy, always wanting to change something here or fiddle with something there. To that end, I had been looking at changing the design to one that has more defined typography, and visually-led.

Since you guys are here as often as I am, I like to take your thoughts into consideration too. After all, this is pretty much your home as much as it is mine. So, with that being said, I’d like to know what you think. Should I change or stay the same?

Over to you.

17 WordPress Plug-Ins To Help Improve Your Blog Experience

One of the best features of using a self-hosted WordPress blog are the plug-ins that are available.

Because WordPress is an open source community, anyone can develop themes and tools for it.

Plug-ins are community-built applications that add extra features to any WordPress blog, from back-end resources to enhancing the reader experience.

Lately I’ve been asked about some of the features that are on this blog that aren’t native to the theme I use, so I thought it might be fun and useful to share them with you.

A couple of things. First, plug-ins can add load time to your blog, so only use ones that you really want (says he with 17 active plug-ins at present). Secondly, not all plug-ins and themes are compatible with each other, so make sure you check first. So… on with the list.

Akismet. Probably the best spam filter I’ve ever used, Akismet is an incredibly intelligent plug-in that learns from the behaviour of your commenters to differentiate between spam and genuine comments. So far it’s stopped 13,034 spam comments from this blog. A must-have for any WordPress user.
Align RSS Images. If you subscribe to a blog by RSS feed, you’ll know that images can appear all over the place. Align RSS Images makes sure that the images in a feed are in the same place as they are on the actual post.
Apture. I LOVE Apture! A multi-media makeover for your blog, it lets you insert media, video, online profiles and more into a link, which then opens up a box on your post page. This keeps your readers on your site and doesn’t force them away for more info. Hover your mouse over this link to my Twitter profile or this one for the 12for12k video on YouTube as an example. You also have the option to have a site-specific social search and share bar enabled as well. Simply put, one of my favourite plug-ins.

CommentLuv. Another favourite of mine, CommentLuv is one of the best ways to show your commenters your appreciation. If they have a blog, it will allow them to share one of their recent blog posts with your readers and display the link when they leave a comment for you. A great plug-in.
Digg Digg. With social networks playing such a big part in blog traffic, it’s important to offer your readers a way to share your posts with their networks. Digg Digg is perfect for this, and allows readers to share your post with the most popular networks. That floating share box on the left of this post is an example of how Digg Digg works.
Google XML Sitemaps. Although social search is becoming just as important as traditional search, web surfers still need to find your blog. Knowing how search engine optimization works is key, as is a good sitemap that allows the likes of Google to find pages on your blog easily. Google XML Sitemaps is an oldie, but still one of the best.
Lijit Search. It never fails to amaze me when I land on a blog and it doesn’t have a search bar. How do you expect to grow your blog if it’s not user-friendly? Lijit offers a third-party option to the normal search bar that takes search to the next level. Not only does it search your blog, but that of your networks, online profiles and Google, with the results appearing on your blog. Recommended.
Photo Dropper. A decent blog post can become good with the right image – a good blog post can become great. That’s how important images are. They provide instant attraction to visitors. Photo Dropper lets you choose Creative Commons images from Flickr, which means you get great images and offer the original photographer credit as well.

Server Buddy. The main issue with WordPress and plug-ins is future compatibility. New updates to WordPress or plug-ins can conflict and mess up your theme. Server Buddy lets you check compatibility as well as highlights any issues with your web host too. A great plug-in.
Smart Archives Reloaded. While many bloggers don’t have an Archives page, personally I feel it’s a key part of any blog. How will you let your new readers find older posts if you don’t have an Archives option? And they don’t hurt in search engines, either. Smart Archives Reloaded offers some cool multi-view functions instead of just normal posts. Check out my Archives Page for an example.
Subscribe to Comments. A big part of any blog is the conversation happening on it. Inviting your readers to continue the discussion long after you’ve posted. Subscribe to Comments helps by letting you sign up for email alerts that a new comment has been posted on a discussion you like – great for keeping old posts alive.
Twitterlink Comments. Built by the same Andy Bailey that also developed CommentLuv, Twitterlink Comments is a nice little plug-in that allows visitors to leave their Twitter username alongside their comment. Great for finding new connections on the micro-blogging site.
Wapple Architect. As mobile browsing becomes more commonplace, making your blog mobile-friendly is paramount to its visibility. While there are a ton of options around, Wapple Architect is one of the best. Fully customizable to reflect your blog’s look and feel, and SEO-friendly to boot, it’s a great way to optimize your blog for the new mobile-intensive audience.
What Would Seth Godin Do. What indeed. A nifty little plug-in that allows you to tailor a welcome message and a call-to-action for readers when they finish your post. The “Enjoy this post…” box at the end of the post you’re currently reading is What Would Seth Godin Do in action.
Woopra. If you want to take your blogging to the next level, one of the key things you need to be doing is analyzing your traffic. Who’s visiting, where from, what links, how long for, click-through destinations and more. Woopra is a fantastic resource for this, and offers dashboard analytics on your blog as well as a desktop and web version too. Perfect for optimizing your site and understanding your readers and how you can help them.

WordPress Database Back-Up. Like any web platform, WordPress can be prone to hacks. These attacks by spammers can leave your blog looking like a pig’s breakfast, so regular backing up is incredibly important. WordPress Database Back-Up is pretty straightforward but still in-depth enough for your needs.
WP-SpamFree. Although I use Akismet for blocking comment spam, WP-SpamFree is another great option, yet also offers a pretty decent contact form for your blog as well, which it also protects from spam. Since spam is the bane of any blogger’s life, keeping spam off your blog can become a full-time job – something like WP-SpamFree is the perfect antidote.

These are the 17 WordPress plug-ins that I use to complete my blogging experience.

There are some hugely popular ones I don’t use, like All-in-One-SEO for example, because the Headway theme (affiliate link) already has its own incredibly robust search engine-friendly options built-in. And I’m a fan of the simple WordPress comment system as opposed to the widely-used Disqus Comments, so that’s why that’s not on here.

How about you? If you’re a WordPress user, what are your favourite plug-ins and why?

photo credit: Eric M Martin

Note: This blog no longer runs on the Headway framework. Instead, it’s a custom WordPress design by Lisa Kalandjian of SceneStealer Graphics.

It’s a Communications Business – Why Aren’t You Communicating?

Port-42 I received a message from a friend today.

She told me that the company she works for were removing Instant Messaging (IM) access for all employees as of June 1st, ?due to employee abuse (they currently use IM as their internal communications platform).

What made it funny was that she used MSN Messenger to tell me ? you have to admire the irony.

Yet it then got me thinking. The company she works for is one of Canada?s largest business communication solution providers. They have approximately 6,000 employees and revenue of over $2 billion.

They service some of the most forward-thinking companies in North America today by providing some truly leading edge communication tools. So why so poor at internal communication?

I can see why they?d remove an external instant messaging service. Productivity could be impacted as well as there being security issues. But to not have any kind of internal messaging system apart from email? This doesn?t seem like effective business practice, particularly for one whose core business is in the business communications field.

It?s not as if there aren?t a host of options available.?Yammer is an excellent Twitter-like option that?s ideal for business use. There’s also?Jabber , which I used during my time at FedEx and again this was a great way of instant communication. These are just two ? there are many others offering even more solutions, like?Socialtext for example.

Email is a great tool, but in today?s business place it?s fast being superseded by instant messaging services. Faster response time, multiple users, less compatibility issues with networks ? these are just some of the key benefits of using IM.

For anyone not using some kind of IM service for their business, perhaps it’s about time you start, and look at the benefits. And for my friend?s company?

Perhaps you should communicate with each other as well as you do with your customers.

photo credit:?Victor Bezrukov

Why I Love Bloggers with Balls

There’s a great post over at Blog for Profit today called Blog Comments Are Not Roadkill, about blog comments and some of the discussions around them.

Written by Grant Griffiths, it’s a great counter to the numerous posts on why blogs don’t need comments.

The reason I love this post is because, reading it, it’s clear Grant has balls. Big balls.

He doesn’t care about reputations, or whether a viewpoint is by a blogger usually revered by the masses and who can (in many eyes) do no wrong.

Instead, he goes after people like Michael Gray and Seth Godin – not in a link-bait way, but with countered reasons why their views may not be the right ones (or even contradict themselves).

And it’s something that too many bloggers don’t do for one simple reason.

Social Media Has Made Us Soft

While social media is a fantastic medium for working smarter for businesses, it’s also softened us a little. There’s almost a kumbaya feeling of not being able to speak your mind, because when you call a “name” out in social media, or disagree with them, you’re labeled a hater. Never mind the fact you have a valid opinion – you must be a hater because your opinion isn’t the same as The Chosen One(s).

This leads to blog posts being praised to the rooftops, despite being rehashed content from two months previously (sometimes even less – I’m looking at you, certain A-lister). Comments rain in – “Great post!”, “So true and only you could say that!” and so on.

Now, I’m the first to really praise a blog and share it on my networks when there’s great content, as well as comment and show my appreciation. Yet more and more I’m feeling less inclined to comment, because I land on a post with the same safe viewpoint, or circle jerk comments. And this is a shame, because blogs (and their community of commenters) can really offer fresh takes on tired subjects. Instead, we see the warm fuzziness of adoration – and there’s no real need for that.

Grow Balls – Grow You

We’re all individuals. We all have opinions – sometimes right, sometimes wrong. We all have unique personalities and thought processes. This is what makes us such an interesting animal. So why are we softening this up?

If something isn’t right and you feel it isn’t, say so. If you land on a post of the biggest blogger on the planet and it’s dire, tell him or her. Show why it’s crap, and challenge them to live up to their reputation.

And if you’re the blogger yourself, don’t go with the flow just because it’s easier than swimming against it. Instead, be like Grant, or Mark W. Schaefer or Bill Sledzik and have the balls to speak out. Show your readers respect and why they put their faith in you in the first place.

After all, it’s the very least they deserve, no?

photo credit: Robert in Toronto

Shadows and Beacons Redux

In a recent post, I asked whether you were a shadow or a beacon. I wanted to explore the area of those who look and learn compared to those who learn and lead.

There was no real right or wrong to either stance; simply a different approach. Sometimes being in the shadow works better than being a beacon; other times vice versa.

The post generated a great discussion and outlook in the comments section, and it reinforced why I always feel incredibly lucky to have such an amazing community around this blog. That you share such amazing insights with me and everyone else here – I’m always grateful.

One of the comments was from Sally G., who blogs over at SallyG.me. I thought the comment was perfect as a standalone blog post – so here it is. Enjoy.

I am sometimes a Shadow. I observe from a place where I?m not in the way, I maximize the light that is beamed by others and I determine the compatibility of what I see to what I believe will work for me.

I am sometimes a Beacon. I have shone bright for those who are where I once was, I illuminate my best practices, my valued resources, my key connectors and connections ? rendering them visible and accessible to all who may determine them an appropriate match too.

I am also all the nuances in-between ? flickering between shadow and light, much like the sky in the image you?ve chosen. Sometimes I?m a dark cloud that gets completely in the way of my own success ? blocking any light from shining. Until the point where I?ve built capacity, or confidence, or experience ? igniting my embers to the point where I?m blazing trails once again.

I am relatively new to Social Media. If not for the sanctity of the Shadows, I would not have been so quick to assess what seems to work, what seems more smoke and mirrors than real value, and what must be avoided at all costs. If not for the Beacons, well ? same assessment.

I feel that knowing your position in your Readiness and Values Spectrum will ultimately determine the role you take on in affecting the vision of others. When you have something of true value and significance to offer ? no Shadow can contain you. If your fuel is void of Integrity, Passion, Purpose and Value ? in time, your light will burn, or fizzle, out.

photo credit: BUR?BLUE