Top (10) reasons why Blogs fail…

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

1. It’s all about you…it’s all one-sided… you forget that a relationship takes both parties.  Your readers will know if you care, or if you are just looking for more traffic.

2. Your content is boring, yes BORING… I mean how many people really want to read all about your ingrown toenail and what you ate for dinner last night, day after day after day… come on!

4. Your content is too serious, you don’t keep it light and fun. Or, you take yourself too seriously. Even worse! (I need to work on this one!)

5. You don’t use photographs or any kind of visual images to break up the text. Borrow pics from friends, or use a photo app like Zemanta”. It really helps break up the words!

6. You talk too much… it’s got to be quick facts, not essays. I still struggle with this. Edit, edit, edit! My midweek random rambles are good examples. Many of my other posts are not.

7. You never answer questions or respond to reader comments. (see #1)

8. You are irrelevant. (see#9)

9. You don’t get out much. (see #8)

10. You only have a virtual network, not a real life group of friends, and they are only about networking, not relating.

OK, THAT’S 10, SO YOU CAN STOP READING NOW IF YOU WANT TO!!! (or keep going…)

11. Your motives are questionable. (see #1)

12. You are too busy blogging (networking, facebooking etc) and forget your real friends, which brings you back to #10.

13. You engage in many meaningless conversations rather than a few meaningful ones.

14. You pretend to be someone you are not, use old photos of yourself (or someone else entirely). I mean, someone’s going to want to meet you in real life someday… so be prepared!

15. You steal content from other blogs, and your readers find out (or not, but you still do it!).

16. You try too hard to be cool, trendy, edgy, sophisticated, ___________ (you fill it in) rather than just being yourself. Be yourself!

17. You are stale… don’t read anything, don’t stay on top of what’s going on the world, don’t respond to current events (see #9).  Does this mean I have to start watching the news?

18. You appear to be better than others, preachy in your content, hypocritical, judgmental, like you have it all together. This is never attractive!

19. You put expectations on people you don’t really know… make demands.

20. You mistake online relationships for friends (see #19)

21. You take a stand on something, but don’t back it up with facts.  You have the audacity to hold out things like faith as an answer to real life problems. (I guess I fail here… but I’m not going to stop doing this!)

22. You state moral absolutes (I guess I fail again!)

23. You talk about people in your real life without asking their permission… you embarrass them, frustrate them, confuse them. You have to ask their forgiveness.

Thanks for reading… all the way to the bottom!!!

Lesley-Anne

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Midweek Random Ramble016

1.  Did you notice the snowflakes here at Buddy Breathing? Wait for them… wait… there they are!  Aren’t they cool? I even managed to upload a photo as a backdrop to the snow… real Canadian Rockie Mountains… for your viewing pleasure. Yes, it’s winter here. For my friends down under, I will be thinking of you basking in sunshine while we are shoveling out again and again. It’s supposed to be a very snowy winter… La Nina and all that!

2.  #1 Son and I joined the choir at Trinity, our home church. This was to some degree ‘Carpe Diem’ inspired, plus being with #1 Son inspired (he graduates from High School this year), plus watching the choir and saying, ‘Boy, I’d love to sing in the Choir’ for 17 years inspired. Getting to participate in the Christmas Eve Services… definitely inspiring!

3. What is it about renovating and decorating that’s so on steroids? Back in the day I have no recollection of my parents upgrading our family home, other than to paint it from time to time. In their home now, they’ve done a few things, like new flooring, painting kitchen cabinets, even adding ‘wallpaper’, but the trend or the mindset or whatever you want to call it these days, is complete do-overs. Anytime around the 10 year mark of being in a home it’s ‘time to upgrade’. And that usually means ripping things out and starting over. I wonder why? I could easily be swept up into this mindset, consider how my tired kitchen could be completely replaced. But is that really a good and honourable and needed use of our dollars… I mean in light of all the other needs around us in our world. Just saying…

4. My Christmas (Holy-Day) Top Ten Favourite Things;

1.  Picking up a special coffee drink, and meeting a good friend at the local garden centre. Admiring all the lavish decor.

2.  Baking my Scottish Grandmother’s shortbread cookie recipe, dipping them partly in chocolate for something extra special. Eating them with family and friends. Baking other family recipes. Eating them. Ignoring calories.

3.  Planning our family Caroling Party. Thinking up party games that we haven’t played yet. Walking around in the darkness and cold, trying to read the words off the song sheets by candle light. Being greeted by surprised neighbours who sometimes join in the singing. Coming back home to warm drinks and conversations.

4.  Adding Irish cream to our Christmas morning coffee. Having a second cup! (Bob and I, not the kids!)

5.  Setting the table for dinner each Sunday night in December, lighting the Advent candles one by one… then lighting the Christ Candle in celebration of his arrival, so many years ago, and his presence with us, today.

6.  Opening Christmas cards from far away places, like Northern Ireland. Considering how good it feels to hold snail mail in your hand.

7.   Staying up late on Christmas Eve with Bob, wrapping gifts in the quiet of the house. Looking out the window for snow. Listening to  Messiah. Putting the gifts under the tree. Standing back in relief and gratitude that we pulled it together again. Anticipating the kids happiness in the morning. Falling into flannel sheet coziness for a long short winter’s nap.

8.  The smell of the tree (yes, real).

9.  Taking out all the decorations the kids have made over the years and hanging them on the family style tree (nope, no designer tree for us!) Trying hard not to cry.

10.  Listening to Handel‘s Messiah over and over again, at high volume, and singing along wherever possible!

Well that’s all for today, folks. I must complete some out of town gift wrapping and packaging and get myself to the Post Office before the morning is over.

Have fun with your own Christmas favourite things, and why not share them here with the rest of us.

Really, what are your Christmas Top Ten Favourite Things??

Sol deo gloria,

Lesley-Anne