The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit

The Numion Stopwatch

A good friend told me about a tool recently that is a very simple way to measure just how fast your blog loads. Sure, there are many of these utilities available on the Internet, but this one is free and easy to use, so it qualifies for a mention.  It is The Numion Stopwatch.

Numion’s suite of tools includes “Yourspeed” and “Sitespeed” in addition to “Stopwatch.” In their “Bandwidth Calculators” they provide any type of visibility needed to help you tweek as much performance out of your blog or web site as possible.

In A Slightly New Look, I pontificated about the value in keeping a blog lean enough to load quickly and talked about the updates I had made to the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit.  While I have added some things since then, you’ll see my measurements still aren’t bad.

Every day,  I visit sites where there is so much animation, feed gathering, and widget population going on, it seems to take an eternity for the page to load.  The Numion Stopwatch provides a look at the page loading and clocks it in a frame.  Different types of sites of course have differing kinds of content, but it would seem obvious that keeping the page load fast would be pleasing to visitors.

CNN on the Clock

Let’s look at CNN.com.  CNN is known for its big pipes out to the Internet, so it makes sense that in spite of considerable content on their home page, their load time is an impressive 3.56 seconds.  That was achieved with a not insignificant amount of pictures and ads.

Google on the Clock

Now, let’s look at the Lean-Master, Google.  Google’s pattern is that of stark necessity only, with an occasional updated logo commemorating a special day.

Even more rarely will they bring awareness to a serious topic.  Again, their page loads almost as fast as the Enter Key or the mouse click retorts.  Here, clocked at a blazing 0.23 seconds.  Amazing, yes, but also expected.

The Kit on the Clock

In the spirit of full disclosure, let’s look at The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit.  I have to admit, I did a few tests to see what what “typical.”  The reason? Adgitize has been having no end of server problems in recent weeks and I had to try enough times to not let their problems skew the results. This appears to be a fair measurement at 3.401 seconds.

These are valid and positive examples, but I will hold short of throwing anyone under the bus with bad times.  You know how you are – and if you don’t, I would recommend using the Numion Stopwatch to find out.

Thanks,

Dave

When I began offering Free Blog Reviews, I have been very pleased with the response and have grown quite a backlog of requests.  Thank you for your interest and I assure all of you, I will get to all of them.  However, this time I would like you for a review.

Recently, I added a PayPal Donate Button to the right panel of The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit.  My thinking is that if the information contained in “the kit” is of value to you, you may throw a bone this way.  Pleasantly, even after the test I had a friend perform, I’ve actually received a few “tips.”  (No, not “stay out of the stock market!”)

What do you think?  Back in February of last year, I weighed in with Donate Buttons: Classy or Trashy.  At that time, I had only advertising on the site and posed a number of questions relating to monetization in general, appropriateness and if “donate” can or should coexist with “ads.”

I want your opinion.  Over this past year, I have become more confident in my blogging skills and decided to test the water.  Your opinions are important to me.

Thanks,

Dave

Custom News Section Created

Wikipedia calls Writer’s Block “a condition, associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task in hand. At the other extreme, some ‘blocked’ writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers.”

One could argue that the blogging equivalent could be called Blogger’s Block.

We’ve all encountered it at one point or another.  Fatigue (mental or physical), focus directed elsewhere (family or work), or just not in the mood.  Sometimes we can fight through it; sometimes not.  In the past, I’ve written about Google Reader as a convenient tool for keeping track of all the blogs you wish to follow on a regular basis. Setting it to show just the new posts is an excellent way to spoon-feed yourself with the new content posted by your favorite bloggers.  More to the point of this post, it also provides for a “sampler” of topics. This sampler could be the tool to jog your memory and inspire you to break through “Blogger’s Block.”

But there is another Google tool (go figure) that can act as another Blogger’s Blog Jogger: Google News. If you’ve ever clicked there from Google’s main page, you know the collection of news stories in a number of categories that is updated constantly. In one way, this information overload does nothing for inspiring me for a topic.

Unless I use some of its features.

Custom News Section Displayed

Google News allows you to create a Custom News Section for any search term so that you can display a custom view with news stories on your topic of choice. For example, another blog of mine called Energication, I blog about renewable energy and its implications for K-12 education. As part of that, I have a specific interest in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. So, I have created a Custom News Section for PHEV. Now, I simply click on my PHEV collection and have the current and most relevant news stories served up on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

You can set up any number of Custom News Sections based on the subjects in which you are most interested. What I like about this approach to creativity is that while reading other blogs is enjoyable, reading other’s work applies their “lenses” to the topic.  My viewing more “neutral” news stories, I get to see the topic through the eyes of the reporter.  A very different perspective.  Sometimes, just a certain collection of topic titles gets my attention, allowing me to get on a horse about some issue.

It’s very easy to use.  Simply enter a search term in your Google News view. When your custom page is displayed, click on the link at the bottom of the page to “Add a custom section for [search term] to Google News.”

Creativity, perspectives, insights – and the tools to foster all of them – is the combination that makes for effective blogging.

I hope you find this useful.

Dave

Internet Archive

Just as I made the point recently about blogging being an international pastime, it is also one whose participants are generally curious in nature.  They read thoughts from people all over the world, apply their own lenses to the perspectives published and weigh in with comments.  Others do the same thing, an so on.

My curiosity not only extends globally, but back in time as well.  As I was conducting research for my next Free Blog Review, I wanted to get a glimpse of what that site looked like in the past.  I remember it generally, but the new look is outstanding and I wanted to make a point about it.  During that search, I ran across InternetArchive.org.  They are a non-profit organization, committed to developing an Internet Library, providing free access to information that exists digitally.  From their About IA page:

The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. Founded in 1996 and located in the Presidio of San Francisco, the Archive has been receiving data donations from Alexa Internet and others. In late 1999, the organization started to grow to include more well-rounded collections. Now the Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages in our collections, and is working to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities.

The Wayback Machine

They have a specific service in which I was interested, which is called The Wayback Machine. They have over 150 billion web pages archived back to 1996.  Of course, not all web sites in the world are cataloged.  I did not find a previous version of the blog under review, but many large, commercial sites are there.  Here’s a look through the years at the results of a CNN search, and next, what CNN had to say on January 23, 2003.

What CNN had to say on January 23, 2003

The day I prepared this review the site’s response time was not great.  Since I’m new to the service, I don’t know if that is normal.  However, if you need an historical perspective of the world wide web through the eyes of a commercial site, this is your place.

It’s unfortunate that I did not find a previous look of the site I am reviewing currently.  But check back soon for that review and a great new look of that site – this time, its a look “for the future.”

Dave

Blogging is truly an international pastime. My analytics consistently show visitors to the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit from a large number of countries and continents. Many of those blogs center around topics from crafts to dogs and cats to family to actual serious topics.  This review is about a blog from the U.K. that takes a look at those serious topics facing Britain (and the rest of the world for that matter) and attacks them with an irreverent tone that is intoxicating, thought provoking and down right entertaining.

Caledonian Comment.

As I often do, I’ll begin with a definition. Wikipedia defines Caledonian as “a geographical term used to refer to places, species, or items in or from Scotland, or particularly the Scottish Highlands.” With my wife born in Cambridge and her mother in Liverpool, I have a certain connection and deep fondness for the British.  That makes this review even more enjoyable for me.  A visit to the Lake District (nearly as far north as you can go in England before you get to Scotland) a number of years ago seared into my soul the intense beauty of that region.  Wikipedia’s definition brings back fond memories.

Why do I share that personal perspective?  It is because of the irony between that beautiful definition and the seriousness of the issues explored in the Calendonian Comment.  One such serious issue is the recent attempted bombing of an airliner destined for Detroit from Amsterdam.  It is unfortunate that the picture of the accused bomber is currently the top post.  It is common in my Free Blog Reviews to show an image of the front page of the blog under review.  Instead, I would like to also share a more appropriate image, taken from the Background page. Truly a better  representation of the fine work contained there rather than that of a terrorist’s picture.

The author cited on the Background Page is only referred to as Caledonian Jim.

To give you a sense of what you’ll get when you visit, let me share a few excerpts from the Background page:  “with cutting satire and withering abuse aimed at as many deserving victims as possible… to enrich your internet experience with cynical world-weary observations designed to prick the balloons of the pompous…” You get the picture.

One final quote: “As far as the author of this blog is concerned, all politicians are deserving of equal contempt.”  I’m beginning to really like Jim.

Caldonian Jim serves up a consistent and thoughtful message.  With the published archives going back to May 2008, the numbers show that he has shared his perspectives at least every other day.  Some months, it is virtually daily.  His topics range from the terrorist mentioned earlier, to the growing number of British citizens having trouble paying their fuel bills, to the irresponsible growth in wheel clamping licensees (some areas of the U.S. call this a “boot”) to climate change to his perspectives on couples being happier when sharing household duties.  Jim’s quote is priceless: “Marvelous – I’ve tried to avoid doing the dishes for bloody years and now this!”

Jim provides excellent photos to accompany his posts and uses many of the same blog promotion and community tools as I do.  He has a considerable number of widgets along the right side, but being contained in one panel, they are not imposing nor distracting.  Regular readers know my frustration with too many distractions on a page. His work just fine there.  His template layout is simple and very straightforward.

In most reviews, I have a number of suggestions for the budding blogger.  In this case, I honestly have to say that I am stretching to provide some constructive feedback. In his template he seems to nearly have it all:

• Welcome message with a quote from one of The Lads: check
• Last 10 Posts: check
• Monthly Archives (quite impressive post counts!): check
• Last visitors comments: check
• Blogroll: check
• A very interesting countdown to the next post (well done): check

The only suggestions I might make relates to a thought about email protocol – single topic messages.  Caledonian Jim is quite prolific in his posts, including photos liberally.  The two frustrations I have is that posts contain multiple topics and there isn’t any sort tag cloud to look for certain topics.  Jim takes the time and care to assign quite a number of appropriate tags to his posts, so there is already a significant categorization infrastructure in place.  Personally, I would like to see a single post per day, each one on a specific topic.

The Caledonian Comment is a wonderful read.  I would be the first to admit that in spite of my British connection, his content will connect best with Brits.  However, his topics are frequently global in nature and exceedingly well written (#1 axiom for an excellent blog.)  It would be worth anyone’s time to use his blog as a taste of Britain and the world.  Forget about the BBC.

I will continue to drop by to get my British “fix” and will look for perspectives involving the Lake District.  Who knows, I might even join in the fray.

Dave

Updated "Above the Fold" Lists

Bloggers who pay attention to widgets from Adgitize and Entrecard have many reasons for doing so.  One, of course is convenient “dropping.”  We can debate the impacts on bounce rates vs. the exposure to new blogs.  However, in this regard, the best blog real estate for any sort of advertising is “Above the Fold” on the opening screen without the need for scrolling.

With a new monitor used to maintain the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit comes the need to refresh the Above the Fold lists – and add a new one.  To appear on the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit’s Above the Fold lists, the widget must be identifiable and clickable in the first 984 pixels on the screen.  In the spirit of sharing the tools I’ve developed, this is what works for me.  I hope it is beneficial to you.

The lists are now:

• Adgitize and Entrecard
• Adgitize
• Entrecard

This is the sequence in which I use my lists and what appears to have the best value for me.  I would appreciate your comments on your experience with Above the Fold drop lists (or new sites to add to the various lists!)

Hint:  When using Google Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer, hold down the CTRL key when clicking the links on the list.  Each click will open a new tab but will keep you right on this page and allow you rapid clicking through the list.  As the list gets longer, it will of course take time to load them all.  However, this is a very efficient way to get many easy-to-drop blogs served up in tabs.

If you find these “Above the Fold” lists beneficial, feel free to link directly to this or any of the pages.

Enjoy!

Dave

Captcha Catches Crap

Akismet does a fine job.  In Amazing Akismet SPAM Fighting, I explained that with a simple WordPress plugin, I was saved from significant comment moderation from our fiends friends, the spammers.  Since that post, I’ve avoided thousands of SPAM hits, thanks to Akismet.

But that still requires an occasional review of the SPAM folder to 1) make sure there aren’t any false positives (and there really aren’t many!), and 2) to just clean it out.

Spammers (and their ‘bots) are relentless, so I decided to add another line of defense: CAPTCHA.

Wikipedia defines CAPTCHA as “a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer.” Man, that is what we need to fight SPAM!

With CAPTCHA displays random characters in an odd, graphical manner, that prevents Internet ‘bots from reading them.  Humans can easily discern the characters, enter them into the box and continue.  In this case, allow a blog comment to be entered.

The term CAPTCHA means ”Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.” Follow the wiki link above for more about the science behind the magic.

There are many CAPTCHA plugins available for WordPress.  The I chose is SI CAPTCHA for WordPress.  I like the colors.  :-)

With this new defensive maneuver against SPAM, it comes with a thank you to all of The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit readers.  It does force you to enter a few extra characters to enter a comment, but it saves me considerable non-value added time.  I appreciate your indulgence.

Dave

A Badge... Finally!

OK, I admit this post’s name is a bit cute, but the topic is a result of taking some time off.  Getting back into the blogging saddle has reminded me of some long overdue details.  One is the lack of a real blog badge.

You see them in nearly every blog you visit.  That 125 X 125 pixel calling card that lets readers know about your blog.  Some blogs share their own with a “Grab my Badge” offer along with some HTML that allows you to load it into your own blog or web site.

In blog sharing and network advertising services like Entrecard, Adgitize, CMF Ads, and many others, it is the badge that provides the visibility into what you have to offer.  I’d be the first to admit that while mine is pretty basic with its pleasing colors and basic white text, there is an art to the creation of badges. The result is what calls out for attention on all these networks.  A call that says, “click on me!”  Mine is basic, but it also has a great story about its very unique identity.

I recently found a site called Random Art.  Its author, Andrej Bauer, is a mathematician from Slovenia.  On his site, he uses  programming languages called OCAML and CDuce from which he wrote a 2000 line program.  This program allows a visitor to enter names, terms, initials, etc. to create a totally unique image. (Are you seeing where this is going?)

The program first chooses a random name from which a mathematical formula is generated that describes the color of each pixel in the picture. What you enter is input to the program when it creates the image. The same name always determines the same picture.  However, it is nearly mathematically impossible for two different terms which are entered to create the same image.  Bauer indicates on his web site that, “It is hard to determine their precise number, but we may safely claim that there are more random pictures than there are atoms in the universe.”  I’m thinking that’s a pretty strong endorsement for “unique.”

You can read more about Andrej Bauer on his personal site.

So why am I sharing this?  A couple of reasons, actually.

In Yes, It’s Been a While, I stated that some of the time away had been used to identify some new blogging ideas and projects.  This is just one of them.  I used Random Art to create my new badge!  What you see is the letters UBT entered into Random Art, rotated 180 degrees for aesthetics, then Photoshopped with some sizing and text.  (Yes, my first real Photoshop project.  Another result of my time away!)  I have updated my profiles in Entrecard, Adgitize, CMF Ads as a first step.  My hope is that this small step toward visible “legitimacy” may help my cause.  Time will tell.

But there is another reason for the Badge discussion.  I have been very focused on getting my badge displayed.  It has been important to get the right look, make it unique, and tell my story in 125 by 125 pixels.  Consistent with the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit’s mission to provide blogging resources to the average blogger, I thought it would be fun to extend that to the creativity invested in the millions of blog badges across the Internet.

In a few days, I’ll post a much shorter entry and create its own page about adding the Blog Badge Bonanza to the Free Blog Review.  Yes, I still have many reviews to conduct, but there’s no reason why I can’t fill the pipeline even further.  UPDATE: HERE’S THE NEW PAGE!

My offer: send me your badge along with how and why you created it the way you did. Include what you’ve learned and if it is a revision from an earlier design. Did you create it, or did you have it done professionally? Are you happy with it, or just tolerating it and why?  I’ll use it to tell your story in a blog post and link back to your blog.

Similar to the Free Blog Review, all I ask is that in your blog, write a post that refers to the Blog Badge Bonanza and that you were featured.  Include a link to your specific post on The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit, or to my home page.

Who’s in?

Thanks,

Dave

Jody Burdette Birdtracks

My first mission in this Ultimate Blogging Toolkit Free Blog Review post is to offer Jody Burdette at jodyburdette.blogspot.com a sincere thank you for her patience. In Yes, It’s Been a While, I claimed mea culpa for being gone for a number of months planning new projects. Now, I’m carving out time to fulfill my Blog Review obligations.

First of all, I’m not going to cast stones about a blog that hasn’t posted anything since October 5, since I just came clean about not engaging for much longer than that.  Enough said, since I have posted in the past about Frequency.

Let’s start with the blog’s general outward appearance.  In this Minima Series, the sea of green doesn’t provide any “lines of demarcation.”  As a result, I’m not sure this selection in Blogger (actually it seems to be custom) is the best.  If a simple look is desired, I would try Denim or Rounders.  It provides for more structure and boundaries, which leads into my next topic: content.

Blogger Examples

With these template examples, it is easy to see how clearly various types of content can be organized when a simple template is used.  If the intent is to have readers return again and again to engage in discourse, it makes sense to create a consistent and familiar environment.  Templates such as these “trains” the eye into knowing where to find specific information.  For example, the main post is front and center, the profile is upper right, archives are right center, etc.  The easier a blogger can make it for readers, the more likely they will return.

More about content (but I’m saving my favorite topic of opportunity for last!)

In the title, Jody indicates this blog is about “Handmade Gifts and Cards.” For any of you who have read the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit for any length of time, you know I’m a big fan of Molly Lee’s Popup Cards, so I was happy to see a handmade cards site.  Unfortunately, the first topics I see involves her middle daughter being married September 12, her husband Lane, their fondness for martial arts, and their love of travel.  Oh, there it is: Jody has a “passion for making things.”

Please excuse what may appear to be sarcasm.  I’m not intending to be mean.   My only purpose is to make a point about focusing on a specific topic.  Family is important – please don’t misread my sentiment.  Many people maintain incredible blogs about family, keeping far away members up to date on what’s going on.  It’s rewarding, it’s heart-warming, and it’s down right efficient.

But for getting the most out of her blogging experience, my opinion is for Jody to separate the topics and focus on them separately. For example, create a family-oriented blog that keeps family and friends posted on what’s going on. Sort of an ongoing, living, breathing, Christmas Card Letter all year long.  Then create a separate site devoted to cards, creative handmade items, new products, fun craft stores, etc.

Halfway down the front page, the photos in the post, “Cards for a Lifetime,” imply there is an Etsy site based on their links, but I can’t seem to find where there may be a link to Jody’s Etsy story (if she has one.)

In her Christmas Cards in July post, I see wonderful creations – cards that anyone would be proud to give and emotionally affected if received.  It’s just a shame I can’t figure out how to order them.  Etsy?

I’m coming back to add this paragraph after my original post.  A frustration for me was when I commented on Birdtracks was the inability to provide my URL back to the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit.  She had her Blogger settings configured in such a way that I was forced to use a Google Account, which does not accurately reflect my Toolkit activity.  A courtesy to people who may comment is to allow them to enter their web address of their blog.

Now, for my favorite topic.  This is what I consider Jody’s best opportunity to capitalize on the unique nature of her name and the name she has given to her blog: Burdette and Birdtracks.  Burd… Bird… Get it?

Burd... er... ah... Bird Tracks

Doing a quick Google Images search for “Bird Tracks” I get this image. Now, I’m a big believer in giving credit where credit is due, so if you click on this image, you will be taken to someone named “MRUPP” and the gallery of that person’s Australia pictures.  Any use of photography gathered over the Internet would of course need to be done appropriately, but my point is this: Burdette and Bird Tracks is a great “hook” combination.

Judy’s last name cries out for a bird reference.  Tracks, feathers, nests – anything with which she feels comfortable.  That visual connection to her content provides her with an identity tool that no one else has.  Exploit it!

From what I’ve seen, Jody has beautiful cards, pillows made from T-shirts (how clever) and a wonderful family.  With just a bit of work on her blogs, every component of this paragraph will benefit.  Go get ‘em, Jody!

Dave

Ultimate Blogging Toolkit "Above the Fold" Lists

In my effort to get re-engaged in the blogging process, one of the tasks I’ve been focused on is updating the “Above the Fold” lists for Adgitize and Entrecard enabled sites.  As a blogger, it is good to adjust your site, testing new monetizaton strategies, better usability and overall evolution.  But through this lense, sometimes these changes eliminate sites from the lists.

(And for Jody Burdette, your Blog Review has begun and will be published soon!)

I recognize Entrecard has gone through significant changes with ownership and strategy adjustments, but it still provides benefits on two very important fronts:

1. Entrecard still provides an excellent environment to experience new blogs and to be experienced by others.
2. For those just interested in “clicking for credits,” the widget shows whether you’ve clicked to day or not (a significant benefit for those combining Adgitize, since Adgitize doesn’t indicate today’s click.)

Nothing significantly new with Adgitize.  They keep serving up blogs, offering advertising at attractive rates and fostering interaction in their own way.

Here’s a few changes just made to the Entrecard and Adgitize Above the Fold List:

• Business Sphere Consulting removed: Adgitize scrolling required
• Doug’s Missoula Blog removed: Adgitize scrolling required
• Healthy Herbal Products removed: Entrecard scrolling required; Adgitize gone
• Kamila The Camel removed: Adgitize scrolling required
• Jhtongson removed: Adgitize scrolling required
• The Ad Master removed: Adgitize and Entrecard scrolling required
• 113 Dir removed: Entrecard gone
• 2 Witches removed: Adgitize and Entrecard scrolling required

What this has uncovered for me is the need to address the Entrecard Above the Fold List as well.  In fact, I see an Adgitize Only List coming soon.

As always, drop a note if you have others to add.

Thanks,

Dave