So you want to be a pro blogger?
Techcrunch made an interesting post about the state of blogging. It’s got lots of stats and pretty pie charts. Bottom line is if you want to be a pro blogger you gotta spend a lot of time at it. If the numbers are accurate the number of times you post a day is a good way to start. Over 40% of the top bloggers are posting 10 times a day! 10 times! For me finding 10 interesting articles to read a day is an achievement in itself. There’s so much clog in the Internet today most of the time you’re sorting through the crap.
Another interesting number is the time spent blogging. Hours per week. Male to female ratio of bloggers. Is it possible to make $75,000 a year blogging? I guess if you can get 100,000 visitors a month.
Blogger jailed in Malaysia
Blogging on the Internet is not safe in some countries. Whether you’re reporting on the unrest in Tibet, criticizing the government can get you in trouble. In Malaysia offending Islam can get you jailed without trial. When the government is controlled by religion very few liberties can be taken when expressing opinion on a blog. Despite being a thorny issue criticizing a government can force change but often ends up sacrificing the ones on the leading edge. However change is never easy in developing countries. Just remember to weigh the risk versus the reward and be prepared for the consequences.
Negative blog reviews force Microsoft to pull Seinfeld ads
Did you see the Bill Gates Jerry Seinfeld ads? Confused? You’re not the only one. Looks like the mostly negative reviews forced Microsoft to pull the plug. While they were bad ads, the second episode was definitely better than the first. The quirkiness of the odd couple came out a little bit but still it seemed to appeal to a limited type of geek. Although you have to admit getting the plug after 2 shows seems a bit extreme. I’m sure the Mac and PC ads didn’t catch on immediately however Microsoft wasn’t willing to give it time. Perhaps the paying Seinfeld to do the ads was too expensive but then what were they expecting? Despite the kerfuffle, nobody still understands the reasoning behind the ads nor what Microsoft was trying to pitch. I would have liked to have seen a bigger pitch for the new Zune and features. I don’t know if the iPod consumer even knows that the Zune exists. So is Microsoft coming out with something big or is this just a poor attempt to drum up business?
Ads: when good sites go bad
I’ve been surfing for a long time. There are a few good websites left which have been uncorrupted by advertising revenue. Not many though. I’ve seen it happen (I know you have too). Great sites turn into good sites when a bit of advertising pops up. Then it goes from good to ok, then they go bad. When Facebook ads start targeting your fat ass when you’re reading your wall or when GMail starts pitching you viagra while you delete spam, you start to rethink your web surfing routine. Sometimes you learn to live with it, other times it’s beyond annoying, it’s invasive (violating also comes to mind), and then its removed from your bookmark list. You hate it, I hate it but you have to do it. Sometimes they just need a bit of extra money to pay the web hosting bills other times it’s just a cash grab. Either way it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. When ads start interfering with my web experience or ability to use or read content, I stop going to the site. Plain and simple.
Blogging can get you arrested
Should you be worried about what you write? Depends on where you live. According to the BBC blogger arrests have hit a high. In countries such as China, Burma, Iran, speaking out against the government whether on the streets or on the Internet have resulted in many arrests. In countries with limited freedoms blogging is a dangerous form of journalism. However even in democracies freedom of speech has it’s limitations. Take for example this British man who let off some steam and was fined. So blogging freedoms can only go so far. In the end we all need to watch what we say and cannot hide behind the Internet.
