Blogging Embers Forum
For me, the best part of being part of a blogging network was the community. I loved the blogging forum they provided. Being able to talk to other bloggers. Having a place I could go to ask questions, or help out when I had some answers. Now that network is on it’s way out and we’ve lost what made it great.
There is another…
I decided to do something to prevent that loss. I’ve set up a forum on www.BloggingEmbers.com/forum/. (I’m setting up a redirect to Blogging-Embers.com so it doesn’t look so smooshed.) I decided to use /forum so there would be room for additions that the bloggers might want at some later date. Things like a job board, network listings or a section of blogger classified ads.
I hope that my friends from 451 will sign up, though I would understand if they decided against it. I also hope to make some new friends. Blogging Embers is open to all bloggers, not just the refugees from closed blogging networks.
That includes people who are new to blogging. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I learned a lot from talking to people, especially other bloggers. I’ve learned more than I could have possibly learned on my own. A forum like this is priceless. That’s why I can’t let it go without at least trying to hold things together.
If you have a blog, or if you’re just thinking about starting one, please join. If you have a friend with a blog, please let them know about the board.
Thank you.
Technorati Tags: Announcement, Blogging, Forum, Blogging Embers, Blogging-Embers.com, Blogs, Bloggers, Blog Networks
Goodbye 451
I’ve written for 451 Press at AnimeFansOnline.com for about 2 years now. I’m sorry to say it, but that has come to an end. After some recurring technical difficulties, we Bloggers received an e-mail letting us know that 451 Press was closing up shop.
Good Times
I enjoyed my time at 451 Press. Sure there was some stress and things got weird from time to time, but most of it was good. I learned a lot from writing Anime Fans Online. I did some stuff I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, and I’m better for it.
Why I’m going to miss the most is the community. The forum was a good place to go to ask questions of other writers. Technical issues, writing or just shooting the breeze, there was usually someone there to discuss things with.
Sure, there were rough times and disagreements too. The furor when the pay model changed, mostly because of new requirements for getting paid. The sporadic communication from the higher ups. Even the spammy looking site templates were a regular target of derision from inside and out. Getting through all that made me feel like 451 was going to be around for a long time. Even if I parted ways with them, it would still be there.
Shutting Down
The forums are closed and the bloggers are being removed from the sites. I noticed that my name is missing from the by-line on Anime Fans Online now. It’s probably only a matter of time before sites start closing altogether.
Time to move on.
I still have projects of my own to work on. FanaticSpace.com is moving along. I have a few other sites waiting in different states of preparation. I’ll be able to devote more time to them now.
Goodbye 451 Press. No matter what others may think, I’ll miss you.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, 451 Press, Anime Fans Online, AnimeFansOnline.com, FanaticSpace.com
Worth 1,000 Words, But Only One Is Needed
There are some things that you know aren’t really funny, but you can’t help laughing anyway.
Might be NSFW.
Read more
Purple Prose
or
Never Read Penny Arcade Before Blogging
I should take my own advice. It was innocent, I swear. I’d intended to write up a simple post about the work I was putting into the new layout on FanaticSpace. One detour to Penny Arcade later and you have prose so purple that it speeds past the visible spectrum and becomes ultra-violet.
Please don’t misunderstand, it was intentional. I’d decided to try my hand at the sort of ornamental rambling that is done so well on PA. Looking back I suppose that’s like saying “That thar Louis tha XIV furniture sore is purdy, I think I’ll make some. Hey, what’s a xiv?”, after which there is the unfortunate, yet inevitable, incident with a table saw. It takes practice to learn the skills required to craft something of that caliber.
It was fun though. Because of the joy I derived from trying to intentionally write something flowery enough to compare to the Tycho Brahe Botanical Word Garden, I’d like to ask you to try it too. The idea is easy enough. Take a simple post, one that could be done in about a paragraph, and try to stretch it out by using inordinately descriptive language. If you’re unsure of how to go about it, just read a few posts at Penny Arcade.
A lot of the blogs on the art of blogging, the meta-blogs, advise people to keep things simple. Short bits of text and easy to understand word choices. This is the opposite. Stretch your mind and your vocabulary and go crazy.
I’m sure you’ll have as much fun as I did.
If you decide to do this please leave a ping, a trackback or a comment here. I’d love to see the posts.
Personal Blogs Take A Backseat
It’s true, and you know it. I’m sure you can feel it deep in your bones. This is a Truth that can loosen both fillings and bowels with it’s powerful resonance. Only those so deeply entrenched in their blogs backend that they can never see the light of day again could even begin to form an argument against it.
Why do I confront the primitive human intellect with this statement? Could it be an attempt to shake the foundations of the Internet with an idea so jarring that even those poor souls imprisoned by LiveJournal may be forced to acknowledge that this is so? Alas, this is not the case at hand.
I’ve been busy. I’ve been toiling at tweakery.
Obviously I can’t spare even a moment to post in a personal blog when attempting to tame such a hell-beast. The powerful forces channeled and sculpted into multitudes of delicate crenellations which can strike down the unwary with their awe-inspiring beauty cannot be taken lightly. To do so would only hasten the inevitable arrival of oblivion’s sweet embrace.
As much as I have longed for that peaceful touch in the past, I must continue with my labors.
Climbing and Getting Nowhere
Feel like you’re struggling to move upward? Can’t seem to make progress no matter how hard you work? Afraid that if you don’t keep pushing your limits you’ll fall?
Blogging can make you feel that way sometimes. Things are moving along, traffic is growing and things are looking good. Then it happens. Traffic stalls, or worse it drops, and you find yourself working harder just to stay in the same place.
I started feeling this way not too long ago, so I started thinking about what I could do about it. Here are a few of my ideas.
Mix Things Up
Try something new to relieve the tedium. Don’t stress out trying to think of something new, that would defeat the purpose. There are tons of ideas out there for the taking. Just remember to do something fun. Here are a couple to get you started.
Parody. Write a tongue in cheek post about something that bugs you. I did a post like that about money making blogs. Some of them have decent advice, but a lot of them look like this.
Fiction. If you do a lot of writing about news and events, try making something up. Just let your readers know that it’s not real. For instance, if you write about celebrity news, do a post about celebrity news stories ten years from now. Have fun with it. A blog post titled "Britney Spears’ Trailer Destroyed by Tornado" would be a lot of fun to write.
Think About How You Work
Take a little time to take a look at how you work on your blog. A lot of us focus on the readers and forget to think about ourselves. I’m not saying you should ignore the people reading your blog. I’m just saying that sometimes it’s easy to get a little too focused on something. Ask yourself a few questions.
What do you enjoy about blogging?
What’s the hardest part for you?
What do you spend the most time doing?
What do you avoid doing?
Taking the time to answer some questions like this could help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a blogger. Knowing is half the battle.
Look Back to Move Forward
Take a look back at what you’ve done on your blog. You might be surprised by how far you’ve come. It’s easy to miss the big picture when you’re focused on the details. Writing a post about your blog can help you get a better understanding of it.
Not too long ago AnimeFansOnline.com turned 8 months old. I wrote a post that went through, month by month, and highlighted posts that I enjoyed. I was amazed by how much I’d learned about blogging in 8 months. I also spotted a couple of problems that I need to work on. I got 3 great things from that 1 post.
A post to help new readers find some of the older articles.
A good idea about what needs improving.
Encouragement to continue blogging.
Have Fun
If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll burn out long before you reach the summit.
What about you? Have anything that helps you keep going? Leave a comment and let us know. We could all use the help.
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