I don’t post five days a week either. If I don’t have something valuable to share or time to do it… I’ll skip it. Not going to waste your time with blah blah blah.

I think aiming for two posts a week is fine… even one is fine. We get burned out, you know? So burned out that we can’t prepare posts ahead either.

But haven’t gotten the community / conversation thing down… not even after all these years. Sad, eh?

Meryl K. Evanss last blog post..Blog 8th Birthday Bash Update

Nicks last blog post..DTMF Tone Workaround

Jamie Grove – How Not To Writes last blog post..Using Twitter as a Writing Warmup

@Jamie, not being anonymous makes us feel closer to you, as I know you know judging by the incredibly warm response you got.

I do think being easy to contact is important. People often won’t dig to find you and you could miss out on opportunities.

Karen Swims last blog post..A Post About Nothing

Jamie Grove – How Not To Writes last blog post..Using Twitter as a Writing Warmup

@Jamie, hate to tell your bro but um you are an expert! Own it and keep doing what you’re doing.

Karen Swims last blog post..A Post About Nothing

Admittedly, I may not be the best person to take advice from on this subject… though perhaps I have missed my calling and should become an expert at being foolish and wrong?

Press forward! Into them britches! (clearly, something has gone terribly wrong here)

@Ann I think you are approaching your blog in the best possible way. Telling your story from your own perspective. The trials and errors. The good times and bad. This is what real life is and sharing that insight is what blogging is about.

Having said that, Yaro makes a convincing argument for becoming an expert, rather than a reporter.

There’s something to be said for your term “cheerleader,” though. Perhaps that ought to be a third category of blogger.

@ Karen – In many cases, authenticity leads to authority. By coming boldly, you demonstrate a confidence that the things you write are true, even if they aren’t comprehensive.

Karen Swims last blog post..A Post About Nothing

I’m not comfortable in that role, and since my blog is about my quest to get my act together, I don’t offer “5 Tips”-type posts. Paradoxically, this is why I started the blog, so folks like me who struggle with organization and chaos could find a voice that doesn’t belong to an organizing “expert”.

Maybe I’m more of a cheerleader than an expert . . .

Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..The Basement Report: an Update

Oh, and I recall reading Harry’s post… but I can’t find it now. Do you have it, by chance?

@ James – Not by much, I’ll wager.

@ Lisa – Thank you! I get what you’re saying about an occasional rambling post, sure. There’s even some usefulness there (in that it is entertaining), if it’s done right.

And Brett… he doesn’t have a pack. He has a small country

@ Dave – ROFL!

@ Dorian – We’re looking forward to the migrations, too. You both have wonderful blogs. It’s a different kind of usefulness, to be sure

@ Magnolia – Thankya. When it comes to the navigation and design thing, I credit John at Poewar.com for putting that on my radar during his March Blogging Madness. Prior to those posts, I hadn’t thought much about functionality, only aesthetics.

You think reading black background with white type is hard at 30? Try it at 50 my friend…..it’s brutal.

I find myself operating on a purely pragmatic level with my blog and navigation is high on the list.

How many times have I cursed websites for their lousy navigation? Far too many. And I just can’t imagine how someone with even half a brain can’t figure these simple things out. I can only conclude they are close to the age of my teen son…..enuff said.

Usefulness is also key. Who cares what you ate for lunch with Aunt Sue? Who cares what your kids are doing (though everyone knows they are the cutest, most brilliant kids around…..but so are theirs, so back to the original question: who cares?)

I think by the time you start raising a family and taking on responsibilities, your perceptions and priorities change exponentially and consequently so do the reasons for blogging.

Great post. Very useful Bob.

Navigation is the biggest problem just now which is why Rhodester (@ http://rhodester.net) & I have been anxious to switch to WordPress all along but had to wait on hosting. *sigh; migrating SOON*

While Rhodester offers up smiles & I’m serving food[coffee?]-for-tho’t, we do try to reward (if you will) the reader for stopping by. One thing we find key is to answer [nearly] every comment. Both comments & links are content, thus my ample linkage, as sharing articles & sites helpful to me shares the love AND the help. <3

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” ~ Flora Edwards

@Kameron Speaking of navigation, when are you going to get an email link up on that sweet site of yours!

@Karen As usual, a perfect comment… Speaking of Harry’s link post, does anyone else have good examples of this? I did some “round-up” posts awhile back but they always had the feel @Joanna was rightly smacking about.

Jamie Grove – How Not To Writes last blog post..Using Twitter as a Writing Warmup

I love to link to other bloggers simply because I LOVE a good blog. I get almost as excited about finding a great new (to me) blog, as I do about a really good book, and I just can’t resist the desire to share it.

While only posting useful content is good advice generally speaking, if the blogger is truly a good writer I enjoy even the occasional random or rambling post.

Fostering a true conversation with your readers is priceless and something I’m still working on myself. Getting folks to do more than lurk can be challenging, but is well worth the effort. My favorite blogs are those where there is a pack and some great discussion in the comments. In fact…that’s how I found your blog…through your comment on Brett’s post over at 6 Weeks.

Toward that end, I’d add that having a comments feed (as you do) helps to keep the conversation going, and having CommentLuv can certainly provide a bit more incentive to those that might otherwise lurk.

Thanks, Bob, for a very thoughtful and useful post.