WordCamp

Robert Hoekman, Jr. is about to take the stage…okay he’s actually been on stage prepping for a few minutes, but you know what I mean.

Rather than being about designing websites, per se, rather it’s about web-based apps.  Now here is a great thing about Robert…he had a whole presentation set up and he scrapped it!  Why?  Because he realized that his slides didn’t match well with us, his audience.  Kudos to him!  So while he disclaims that this is untested and off the cuff…he got huge applause because I’m guessing that we’re going to get something really awesome and tailored to us as bloggers. 

“Without this coat I’m just a random guy, with this coat I’m a professional speaker”

Yeah not related to the content…but funny.  Yeah you had to be here.

Okay design…get rid of the extras.  Remove the unneeded.  Look at your blog, what are the essential elements. What is essential..

Search…comment count…the post…colour contrast between text and background (so you can read it…white on white or black on black don’t work)….About page… (pausing to look at my blog for a moment…eek)…post title…author name (yes for multi-author blogs…maybe for single author)…permalinks…RSS…

Just think about it.  Tag cloud widgets?  Maybe not.

The About Page and the ability to set context is very important.  Interestingly enough the theme I settled on for my blog has these features built in.  W00t!

Servicing the important elements on a page…

What will help your readers do what you want them to do?  That’s what servicing means.  If you want comments…make the comment form more obvious…make the comment for more inviting.

RSS…gotta make it easy, make it simple.  Remember, we’re still on the edge of users.  Even if you don’t think you do, if you’re reading this, you probably do.  If you’re here at WordCamp you do.  Speaking of which I need to write a page “just what is this RSS thing anyway…” for folks.

You know those sessions where you don’t think you’re learning stuff?  Where the act of listening is just giving you more ideas?  Yeah this is one of those.  I’m trying to focus on what Robert, but man too many ideas I have in my head!

Crap.

Whew…most popular posts and related posts are getting thumbs up!  Got both on my blog!  In fact just like the widget that I added recently and see this post how I did it…for top posts.  Related posts…well that’s the core of my WP installs.

etre.com–colour contrast checker.  Good tip!  You gotta make sure people can read your stuff.

Speed (actually the lack thereof) kills!  Gotta load fast.  Guess what all those goofy widgets we add cause we think they look cool?  Yeah they slow down the page load.

And why does MySpace stay popular when the design sucks?  Because it replaced Friendster and was faster…and it exploded onto the scene it almost can’t be stopped.  Until Facebook gets bigger.

Matt Cutts of Google is up next…typing might be sparse…you’ve been warned!

Getting Involved with WordPress Lloyd Budd and Mark Jaquith … on being a part of this phenomenon…

Lloyd, who squashes the bugs (or tracks them), and Mark who has contributes to the code (like post preview…thank Mark…who also works at b5!).

Lloyd made an impassioned speech that we all contribute to WordPress by using, blogging, and talking about it.  I would agree.  I can’t code,  but I can use, help extend, comment, and become a person who is passionate about WP.  Works for me.

Mark, who is met in person for the first time last night, gave a funny presentation about how to help.

I’ve been listening more than writing, clearly, and what strikes me is that WordPress is ours, let’s all help to make it better.

Help with the codex (I think I’m going to do this)…sounds like this is something that those of us who can’t program (there are legions of us) can make a big difference.  Figured out how to fix something?  Make sure it’s in the codex.

Sounds like WP 2.3 is going to be a really sweet upgrade.  Okay, I’m getting a little geeky here, but come on I support a ton of WP blogs and anything that makes WP better and easier to use makes me smile.

Up next is something that is going to take a lot of my focus…design.  Yes. I know this blog is still busted.  Hush, I’m still workin’ here.

As a note of disclosure, not only have I known Jeremy for years, I am a b5media blogger so Jeremy is my boss, of sorts.  Jeremy also gave me my start in pro-blogging (I was the first employee at Inside Blogging, oh years ago).

So we’re able to make money from blogging.  This is true.  It is also true it is work. Real work.  Hard work at that.

Jeremy got three people from the audience to be on an impromptu panel.  The pro-blogger is from the LOL cats site (gotta find that link…), the semi pro writes on SEC fillings, the third is a fellow Canadian who is starting a blog about cottaging …

The first question was picking a topic for ads.  The thing is that if you pick a topic solely to make money…your blog will suck.  Period.  End of story.

Is there an evil (bad) ad system.  Adsense is generally reviled, why?  Because the ads aren’t well targeted and the payouts are less than stellar.  Gotta say Adbrite was pretty bad too.

Control.  Control can be hard with Adsense, but easier with selling your ads yourself.

Blogging and advertising can, and should, support other activities (consulting, speaking, selling something you make).

Having been a pro-blogger for a while so while I’m not learning anything new, it is good to know that everyone who pro blogs has the same challenges.

Oh yes, I’ve noticed that the this blog’s homepage is busted.  No I don’t know why…yet.  But I’ll get to it in a few.  Come on, I’m tryin’ to live blog here!

The power here, in this new paradigm, is that bloggers are starting to hold a lot of cards.

Gotta have to get Jeremy’s tips offline instead of trying to type like a banshee.

Jeremy did this session right.  Instead of trying to fill the hour himself, he got us to contribute and made a panel of volunteers.  I like it and would like to see more of it.  I was primed to get on stage if needed, but I’m glad I didn’t because it’s great to get new voices out there.

Of course…the best thing about being here is meeting new people and finding more feeds to read.  Yeah, I live on the RSS drug and I like it.

Oh I love this tip…make one thing on your blog 1% better each week…and your blog will just grow and so will you.

Jeremy, great session man!  And I’m not just sayin’ that ’cause your da boss!

More discussion: Jeremy (from the horse’s mouth), Stephanie, Daniel, and James

Lorelle started off her talk a few minutes early by wandering through the audience and asking people about their blogs and such … and connected up several folks who were doing related things…building on the idea of content and community.

Most blog posts look like they were written in 10 minutes by:

1. Can’t type
2. Can’t think
3. Released for the day or the institution got computers

This is from Lorelle’s friend in Israel. So Lorelle’s advice on content…say something in a new way, with more information, and in a better way. Look for what’s missing in the existing content. Is it the problem or the symptom. What’s missing, what’s the blank?

Ask why, there is always another way, another answer.

When was the last time you looked at your content? Really looked. Where are the bits you haven’t written about?

Lorelle is chiding us feed addicts (guilty) for trying to post first, etc. Unless you cover the news, sleep on it. Giving it time gives you perspective. Distance. Time to think. This is a truism about blogging. Blogging in the moment, you lose the sage wisdom, the thinking. I did this about Parakey and Facebook, somewhat unintentionally, but because I let my thoughts perk a bit, I think it came out better than if I posted right away.

Liz Strauss’ Successful Blog is an example of this new relationship paradigm. Liz, and Lorelle, say blog for one person…you. I tend to blog thinking of a friend. I’m tying to write to you. Now, live blogging is a bit of a brain dump. Lorelle’s point is that you need to make readers comfortable.

How do you know when a blogger is faking it:

• factual errors
• too many ads (all about greed)
• no real content … just not adding to the whole
• reposting their Twitter stream

“Too many of you are still blogging for their eighth grade teacher…”

Leave gaps in your post, on purpose, in complete thoughts, let your readers complete them.

This might be the best advice no how to generate more comments. If you give readers an opening, they will step up to the plate.

Stop using “So what do you think…” Make your readers finish each your sentences.

BTW…Lorelle is funnier and more interesting in person than she is on her blog. If you miss the chance to hear her speak…more fool you!

Methinks I shall be listening to her more (as in reading her more closely).

Comments are content so say something intelligent/interesting because people will follow your link to your blog. I do this all the time. You leave a comment, I’ll go read you. Link to me, I’ll go read you. Chances are, I’ll even subscribe to you.

Interesting point…comment like you should blog…leave an opening for others to comment.

Timeless content…is what’s latest bestest?

If you divorce your content from time, then the content can live beyond the day-to-day ups and downs of the “news”.

Lorelle’s inspiration is really that she is so, so passionate about writing. So passionate about helping others and sharing.

Dern my ADD, I zoned out for a moment. Crap. Okay the discussion about what you write and staying on topic.

Fighting comment spam by working together. So true.

And … thus ends the wisdom of Lorelle. Go in peace to love and blog the world…

I had some trouble posting here…the John C. Dvorak and Om Malik talk is on my blog.  Sorry for the jump.

Dan Kuykendall, the author of podPress, is talking about podcasting. He has a skookum mic and external mAudio box for pulling the audio in. Me, I’ve almost always used the basic audio in and a basic mic. Dan spent about $200 on gear … if you have a line in/microphone port … $15 should get you a basic headset-microphone combo and Audacity (which is one of the app I use) is free…so you’re’ there.

Dan started podcasting … well because he liked to do it. The origin of podPress came from ipodcatter … the original WP plugin for podcasting.

One of the things I really like about podPress is its support for video now, which a friend of mine is using for his new blog FuneralGurus.

If you have a WP blog and want to use media…just use podPress. Regardless of my comment above, which relates only to tweaking it, it is so bloody easy to use. Upload content, point to media file and bingo bango you’re done. Gotta like it. In fact, most of the time when I’ve been using it, it’s so easy that I don’t think it actually worked.

Little interruption in the Net connection (to be expected), but Dan answered a few of my questions already!

BTW…Josh Hallett already has pictures up.

Dan’s most interesting part of his talk is the props he’s giving to the WP community. He’s right. While WP might be getting flack for not developing fast enough, Dan gives us insight that as he’s developed the plugin, the WP folks have added the features he needs into the core. He puts features into the plugin that he needs, but then those features get put into the core. Nice.

Category casting and premium feeds, these are two new parts to podPress that I haven’t tried, but I appreciate because I know I will in the future.

Why is podPress free? Well because Dan loves podcasting and he wants to keep his programming skills sharp (between trying to break into websites for a living–eek, scary).

Dan’s complaints about FeedBurner…interesting. I haven’t had a lot of trouble with it, but …who knows.

Aaron comments on the number of releases in a given time. Yeah! Seems like every time I visit my blogs (especially the one’s I manage)…

Breaking news: Matt has just told us that in WP 2.3 there will be a feature/function for a plugin to check WordPress.org for update and update automatically (if possible)…notify the user at the least.

Media files showing up in the feeds…playing inline…there is the enclosure property in RSS2, but the support in aggregators is slow (FeedDemon has it).

Podcast hosting…this is a big one. Solutions? Lots out there, but I’ll save that for a later post. Up next … John Dvorak and Om Malik!

Update: More on Stephanie Booth’s blog…good pictures too!

Back from getting coffee.  Bumped into Lloyd Budd and his wife.  Yeah, Lloyd and I live two blocks from each other in Victoria but we meet in San Fran…go figure.

Peet’s coffee.  Chris Pirillo raves about it and now I know why.  Might have to bring some back with me.  Dark and strong.  Blogger fuel, that’s what I call it.

Power plugs are always a premium commodity at a conference.  I stake them out early when I sit down for a talk.  Pays to get here early.  I sat right by the plug.  Now, I also have a surge suppressor (travel sized) for my laptop and my conference friend maker…a three-plug power strip I got from Ikea.  I think I’m now the keeper of the plug (plugging it back in when someone kicks it watching for smoke…no I’m not kidding…lot’s of folks plugged into this wee little outlet).

The first session of the day is on podcasting and what is podcasting on WordPress without podPress!

Back from getting coffee.  Bumped into Lloyd Budd and his wife.  Yeah, Lloyd and I live two blocks from each other in Victoria but we meet in San Fran…go figure.

Peet’s coffee.  Chris Pirillo raves about it and now I know why.  Might have to bring some back with me.  Dark and strong.  Blogger fuel, that’s what I call it.

Power plugs are always a premium commodity at a conference.  I stake them out early when I sit down for a talk.  Pays to get here early.  I sat right by the plug.  Now, I also have a surge suppressor (travel sized) for my laptop and my conference friend maker…a three-plug power strip I got from Ikea.  I think I’m now the keeper of the plug (plugging it back in when someone kicks it watching for smoke…no I’m not kidding…lot’s of folks plugged into this wee little outlet).

The first session of the day is on podcasting and what is podcasting on WordPress without podPress!