The beginning of 2008 seemed like a good time for me to spell out some personal goals for my writing and blogging endeavors. I won't bore you with the specifics. In an endeavor to grow in some areas, I've discovered a couple of new tools that I am really pleased with and would recommend to you. I've also re-evaluated a couple things that will be changed here on my Interactive Sermon blog, and other places. I feel it would be a good thing for me to share some of the particulars with you here, for your thought provocation.
Google Reader - One of the downfalls of being a blogger is the time that it takes - not to write and post, but to read other blogs. If you're serious about it, and I am, then you need to spend time in the blogosphere. Google Reader is a great tool to help with the time constraints. There are many readers, some free (like Google) and some that cost. What they do, for those who don't know, is allow you to grab the RSS feeds of the blogs that you regularly view, and organizes them in a reader so you can see who has recently posted and who has not. Think of it like screening calls on an answering machine... you can ask yourself, "Do I have the time to enter that conversation now?" RSS feeds and readers - in the words of the prophet Martha Stewart, "It's a good thing!"
Blog Rush - One of the big crazes of the last six months or so to hit blogging was the advent of Blog Rush, a 'tool' that advertised upping your traffic. I waded in. I tried it not once, not twice, but three times. I watched as friends of mine like BigDadGib tried it (I see he's back in the laboratory with it right now, actually). I have seen no benefit. Truth be told, I think their little widget on my blog is ugly, takes up space and distracts people like YOU who I care about. So, as soon as this post is done, Blog Rush is flushed. It's little widget is gone by end of business today. What of the huge upturn in visits they promised? Well, I'm not sure I ever saw that in the first place, but even if people arrived here from there... oh well.
Technorati - I added technorati tags a year ago and have seen a benefit there in people coming to my blog through technorati searches. However, shortly after I jumped on board with that 'tool', they restructured their service where ratings and authority are concerned, had serious issues with mapping (as my friend TallSkinnyKiwi discovered), and made it all very confusing for a technology-challenged-preacher like me. But, I have decided that the problem here is that I need to grow in my techno-acumen. Resolved! Become more of a nerdy-geek! Check!
On traffic in general - I would like more people to come by Interactive Sermon and join the conversations. I am truly thankful for each of the roughly 100 page views I average a day, and the additional 30 or so folks who have my RSS in their readers - did I already say I love you guys. If it's going to increase, I'll expect it will be because I put up better content, and we - you and me - bring people into the conversation. (Maybe google will help, too!)
Because you love me, you're asking 'How can I help, Darin?' Thanks for asking. Here are a few ways:
1) Help Interactive Sermon grow. Tell folks about our conversation. Link to this blog. Drop it in your feed reader. Have 'interactivesermon.com' tattooed on your... well, actually, someplace people would see it.
2) If you're a Blog Rush believer, don't tell me about it. I'm over that craze. Passed thru that fad.
3) If you're the kind of geeky-nerd who thoroughly understands Technorati, then let's talk. We might need a long weekend locked in a basement somewhere for you to crack through my techno-blinders. You need to be a patient nerd, is what I'm getting at.
4) I have two more requests, relative to the name of this blog and the logo (hip looking little guy in the upper right hand corner). I'll save these two requests for an upcoming post. But be looking for it!
Once more, in case you missed it earlier: I love you guys! Thanks for making Interactive Sermon part of your web-world!
Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Google Reader, RSS, Blog-Rush, Technorati, Nerds
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