Make Google Listings Work Harder
So you have a blog or a website and you do have your pages listed in Google. Do you have several hundred visitors a day come to your site because they found you in Google? In nearly every site I have seen over the past two weeks, I have identified at least three or four things in most every site that, when minor changes are made, can get more free referrals from Google than at present. Why pay for AdWords referrals when you are not yet making the most of Google free-referrals? You always will want to use AdWords to add to the traffic you get free from Google, but right now, let us focus on getting more from what is already free. [Microdoc News] 
12:29:22 PM      comment []   trackback []  



Aren't Links and Titles part of the Bill of Rights?
AOL Journals and iBlog

"OK, I was never serious about AOL Journals - but I was curious. Now I've discovered a flaw that makes it almost worthless as a blogging tool. In AOL Journals you must choose between making an entry with a title (which is essential), or making an entry which contains links (which is also essential). You can't have both - and this is an anathema to any self-respecting blogger. This is because you can make an entry with a link by using AOL instant messenger - but when you use AOL instant messenger, you can't designate a title for your entry. Now there is a way of editing an entry, when you could theoretically add a title, but if you try this, you will lose your link! Because the stupid editor only handles plain-text - it doesn't even support any HTML tags! So until this is fixed, it's quite useless as a blogging tool." [explodedlibrary.info]

Do you suppose Microsoft is paying attention? Morgan goes on to note the following:

"The trouble with iBlog is that I'm yet to find a iBlog blog which seems to offer a good RSS feed. This is crucial for a blog - your blog may as well be invisible if it doesn't have a reliable RSS feed (this was something which AOL at least, could get working)."

Extra emphasis on the word "crucial," except apply it all types of web sites.
[The Shifted Librarian] 
12:22:04 PM      comment []   trackback []  



Baghdad Blogger
As you go into Baghdad from the west there is graffiti on the walls that says "Welcome to the Republic of Darkness and Unemployment".
Salam Pax [The Guardian] 
11:46:34 AM      comment []   trackback []  



Can Johnny Blog?
This may be the year that school blogs come into their own. A school blog is simply a Weblog - an online blend of diary, links and commentary - that is used by teachers and students.
By PAMELA LiCALZI O'CONNELL [NYT] 
11:43:05 AM      comment []   trackback []  



Microsoft's Blogging Future revealed through employment ads ?!?
Hmm. It's only logical that MS would get involved in this. No conspiracy. Just good business sense.
"Chuq Von Rospach sends along the following employment links at Microsoft. All use the word "blog" or "blogging" in the description of the position:

# Software Development Engineer

# Software Development Engineer

# Site Manager (MSDN)

# Software Development Engineer (MSN Messenger)

Read them carefully and you get a flavor of what Microsoft is up to in this space. There's a clear intention to bake it into MSN and Messenger, and to go against AOL Journals.

Interesting, to say the least" [Roland Tanglao's Weblog] 
1:37:09 AM      comment []   trackback []  



Online Communication Planning: How I Would Implement Weblogs in Business
We are in the process of doing this at E-xact.
"I see two possibilities for businesses to use Weblogs: Internally and Externally

1. Intranet-based Internal Weblogs:

...

2. External Weblogs: While the tool and concept is the same, I think external Weblogs are a different animal for businesses. The basic reason is how they represent a divergence from traditional Marketing. Traditionally, I think Marketing wants to "control the message" and build loyalty and awareness via branding- which does work.

However, Weblogs offer an opportunity to break away from controlling the message and allow businesses to build relationships via people with real voices on a web site- voices that represent the brand and the message in new ways.

...

How?

Well, we're seeing new examples all the time. If I were running a company- here is how I'd do it... This example might not be as appropriate for something like GE, but I hope it serves as a good example.

1. I would find someone (or mutiple people) in the company who has a great record of connecting with customers. Maybe it's not a VP or Marketing person- but someone with a personality that customers seem to like. It would need to be someone who knows the organization and embodies the culture and attitude of the organization and is comfortable communicating electronically.

2. I would set up some basic guidelines for posting in the Weblog. No trade secrets, competitive information, no secret future plans- Marketing Communications should know what not to talk about...

3. I would set up what is good to talk about- and this will be hard to grasp. I'd encourage personal anecdotes, random stories and pictures from the office, observations about the industry, references to the company in the news, references to upcoming events, random highlights, employee profiles, clean jokes etc.

4. Create a rule: No editing of Weblog posts by Executives. The company has to trust the person enough to let them be themselves and write in their own style. If you edit- you're missing the point. This will be hard.

5. In the beginning, I'd make the Weblog a less obvious part of the site. Let visitors find it, but don't promote it on the front page for a while. Let it develop and let the person find their voice. Once the Weblog develops, there may be an opportunity to make it more obvious and perhaps think of it as a part of the front page.

6. Once (if) it become valuable, make it more accessible, offer email subscriptions, promote it actively, link to other related Weblogs, have fun.

These are just my speculations on how it might work. Below I've provided some examples and links to others..."
[Roland Tanglao's Weblog] 
1:34:49 AM      comment []   trackback []