washwords

I had the thrill of guest blogging over at Blogging Basics 101, where I have learned so much . This was my way of beginning to return the favor. I recommend checking out the site if you have ANY interest in blogging, writing, or reading anything on the Interweb. Meanwhile, read some of what I posted there, here (then go there for more links, tips, and to join the conversation.)

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In journalism (and other forms of storytelling), the rule is simple: content is king.

Crazily enough, in this social media Web 2.0 world, what I’m learning is that everything old is new again. Tips and teachings from editors past and a journalistic life past keep coming back around, finding their way into my blog writing, much to my surprise. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed.

Because despite all the widgets, and chicklets, in the blogosphere, content is (still) king.

But there’s content and there’s CONTENT. So how do you make your blog content sing? Consider these five tips on Web 2.0 blog content from a hard-copy world gone by and yet, still very much alive in this blogger’s heart.

1.) Be content-centered. Remember, content is king. Yes getting hits and Google Page Ranks are important. So is making a design that sells and branding yourself. That will come. Focus on producing Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments on all sides of the to anon or not to anon issue. I agree with… well… all of you on the reasons to and not to come out of the bloggycloset. I’m still mulling it, but one of the things I’ve had in the back of my mind is that for those who WANT to find me, it’s not that tough. In fact a little less tough then I realized when a certain (old media) blog directory listed Washwords in its newfangled blog directory, much to my delight, and then… MUCH TO MY HORROR!!!!!, my full name alongside it. No worries, thought I, I’ll just use this handy-dandy “click here to email” mistakes thingy – but Read the rest of this entry »

In The Declining Value Of Redundant News Content On The Web – Publishing 2.0 Scott Karp examines the media Oversatura-plosion-ama that is the Interweb.

Microsoft withdrawing its offer to buy Yahoo is a sufficiently large story to demonstrate the problem of redundant news content on the web. Google News is currently tracking about 2,000 versions of this story. To get a better sense of why it’s a problem to have 2,000 stories about the SAME THING, I’ve reproduced about ten percent of them below — just the headlines and ledes. If you have the stomach to scroll through them all to see what else I have to say about it, check out the sources as you scroll:

This scroll (go check it out; we’ll wait) went on and on … and … It didn’t even count the blogs that repeated the same story or the multiple versions of each one, or editions or…

Conserve paper? Conserve time! and brain cells!

I find I’m facing a similar conundrum with “social media tools.” For someone (me) who once considered going to library school, and has been a lifelong researcher/journalist and social scientist (especially the Read the rest of this entry »