A Badge... Finally!

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