simple photography: blogging tips

Several events this week have prompted me to write this entry. So here it is -- this one goes out to you bloggers :-

Being a blogger can sometimes mean putting a lot of self-inflicted pressure, as there are countless of other sites out there to make our blog feel just that much less special.However, remind yourself that your blog is special, simply because you have in you the courage to share your life with others. Also because being public and committing yourself to writing on a daily basis isn't as easy as most people make it out to be! I should know.

So today, I have decided to share a few things I have learned over the past few years from blogging:

nothing shared over the internet is unique I don't mean to be disheartening, but almost any link you put up on your site would have been posted up at a better site (this excludes links that lead back to your accounts and profiles of course). What makes your link any different from others will be the content that accompanies it.
remember to always give credits where due You'd think no one would notice, but any site worth grabbing a link or image from has probably has gotten all their statistics covered right down to your I.P. Besides, I believe in karma (you know the saying). On another note, it also won't hurt to mention where you get your ideas from. No one is that original these days and everyone loves a bit of attention -- no matter how small the reason.
great bloggers aren't churned up in a factory overnight So don't beat yourself up if your site doesn't seem to stand out like the superbly inspiring Color Me Katie or the internationally acclaimed John Chow dot com. These people are professionals at what they do, and have been at it for some time. Realise that your site isn't about them -- its about you. Also, FYI your site will never be like theirs because you don't lead the lives they lead (you would have to be a stalker for that to happen), so give up on that idea and you will start to feel much better. I promise :)
with that said, Be yourself I can't emphasize enough how important your individuality can be in this shared realm. An almost whopping 6.8 billion people on Earth -- how many are 100% like you? None. Always keep in mind that blogging is a process of sub-conscious discovery -- both for yourself and for your blog, so be patient. Keeping your blog as honest as possible to yourself will do wonders.
stand up for what you believe in Do not be afraid to speak you mind in your entries and comments because chances are, there are others that feel the same way as you do. You will also gain respect that way. Just remember to be nice and thoughtful and considerate of other readers in the process.
forgive others if you have inspired Easier said than done. I have to admit, I first found it very frustrating to have people take bits of my site away with them, only to find it on their site several days later. Several readers have reproduced my site layouts while others have copied my widgets and scripts (yes, I visit your sites too). Others mimicked my writing style or the way I communicate with my readers. At first I thought I was being paranoid, but when readers do a drastic site-makeover of what seemed like a glittery, ad-filled, musical MySpace site, to one that has a striking resemblance to mine -- its a dead-giveaway. And yes, I pick up on the little things too. Eventually, I decided that there was nothing I could do about it. So you're forgiven, you little worms! Sigh. I have come to realise that the internet is not a such a private place after all. Like, duh.
ads drive readers away The only readers that put up with ads are ones themselves that have ads on their own sites. So if you plan to blog for a living, you'd better be prepared to be a DAMN GOOD WRITER because no one is going to take the trouble of returning to a blog that is full of ads with low quality content.
please, please write in good English This is especially true for Malaysian and Singaporean sites. I hate to diss my own kind because I understand how 'Manglish' and 'Singlish' are arguably considered as local language of the two countries, but that is not the case for the international arena (which is what the internet is). I personally find these sites amusing to read because they exhibit a lot of culture, however these sites won't make it too far outside the country. So, if you want a bigger audience -- write in proper English.
finally, site genres that I have come to despise :

whiny journals. Occasional whining is acceptable, however creating a site for the full-blown purpose of whining (and on top of that, expecting sympathy from the internet world), on the other hand -- is not. If you want to whine, save us all from your despair and have the decency to privatise your site. Really, no one cares except your friends and family. And oh, on top of that, I would suggest you seek professional help.
sites composed entirely of articles from other sites. Stop wasting space on the internet. There is Stumbleupon and Twitter for that these days.

Those who know why I have this site know I love to write. I love to express myself because Science is not a field that gives you the liberty to do so.