30 replies to this topic

[Scottie]

There is a lot of talk about blog and "blog noise" in the search world, but this post isn't about that.

I find it really interesting the way people are incorporating blogs into their site as a simple publishing tool. The obvious use for a blog is as an online journal. But their ease of use makes them a natural for any page that needs to be updated frequently by people who may be confused by HTML and FTP. They are being used more and more as a simple content management tool.

And how can you beat it? A blog can be set up in under an hour, the content is cleanly formatted to be crawled by the search engines, and anyone can update it from anywhere.

What prompted this post was a visit to a site run by a band I used to go see, Webb Wilder. Unfortunately, the site is in frames but I was interested to see the Tour Dates page was a blog.

Recently, I came across a site that was entirely built with blog pages- there were about 10 of them. To me, that's pretty creative.

Does anyone else have an unusual implementation of a blog on their site?

[DianeV]

No, but I'm thinking more and more of setting up blogs for a client or two; it's just a matter of sorting out a few things. I'd be curious to see other members' implementations.

[Randy]

I don't do the blog thing myself, but I did create a couple of little blog-like apps for a company to use internally. It gave them an easy way for individual departments to use the built-in calendar to view and update a schedule of events. That was built for the President more than anyone else, because he wanted to have a quick and easy way to get a feeling for what was happening in the various departments, and memo's simply didn't work effectively. The department heads have been making good use of it I hear.

While I was at it I also threw in a little side application so that they could easily view and update departmental phone extensions. Nothing too fancy, but they tell me it's ended up helping them a lot. No more internal mini-phone books to print an distribute.

Come to think of it, there is one affiliate site of mine which has a blog on it. In that case the blog is used more as a "fun" type of thing. But we do announce specials there when they become available.

[webstream]

Another feature of most weblogs that adds more visibility to them is the RSS News Feeds. This is where a simple XML formated file is also attached to the blog that allows RSS readers to view the daily topic headings and a brief description for any newly published blog messages.

There are several free RSS news readers available. I use FeedDemon, which is still in beta from Bradbury Software. Bradbury Software always creates a great UI in his products. I also highly recommend Bradbury Software's TopStyle for creating CSS. He also has a weblog.

I setup and tried ASP.NET .Text blog and it works fine and is free. It also can be used with wblogger a free desktop software application to publish and post directly to your blog from your desktop. You still need the time to blog, which I don't have.

A lot of companies are getting concerned about employees with blogs. They are worried they will give away competitive secrets. Time will tell how these blogs play out.

What interests me the most is the RSS feeds (XML format) and how to use this sort of concept in the business world to move information quicker and easier through out a supply channel.

Webstream

[dragonlady7]

I've had an online journal for several years now (ok, 2.5 i think, which is forever in web time) and I just never really thought about it. Yes, it's publicly accessible, but I always treated it as though it were semi-private. I've thought about that a lot-- on the one hand, it IS semi-private, simply because it's robots.txt excluded, and so I don't dominate the SERPs for "i hate my life" and other whiny phrases. But, on the other hand, anyone can read it if they know where to find it. So any privacy and anonymity I have is because I don't state my real name on the front page, and I'm one of something like 20,000 users of that particular blog site. That said, I found out at one point that a person I didn't like had been regularly reading my blog throughout our interpersonal problems. Obviously she expected I'd be horrified to discover that she knew all the things I'd been complaining about, but I was glad-- saved me having to say them to her.
I wouldn't say anything on there that I wouldn't want people to know-- I might say things I wouldn't say TO them, but not something I didn't want them to know. I'm not so stupid as that. (There are also privacy-screening features that make it so only logged-in "friends" of yours can read the entries, etc. so I'm cannier than I look, I guess. Non-logged-in readers don't even know those entries are there.)
Anyhow.
My point is that on the one hand, blogs can be a great way to easily and effectively communicate to anyone who's interested, and you can update from anywhere (mostly) and it takes less time than you'd think. But on the other hand, it's difficult to be disciplined and professional in your writing. Having 2.5 years of my essays online is not very useful when they're evenly interspersed with whinings about my personal life and health and sex life and so on and so forth. But I can't write a well-considered essay every day, and sometimes you just have to complain to the world about your stuffy nose.
I'm starting a professional blog, but it's going to be a challenge to me to figure out what to do with all the personal stuff I want to write! Not enough material or time for two distinct blogs, don't want to simply cease chronicling the personal stuff (which is quite interesting to me to read years later, as it profoundly illuminates my changing worldview), and I know that if I make it complicated, it's the kiss of death. I only update reasonably frequently because it's very, very easy to do so. If I make it hard, I just won't do it.
So... that's blogs.

[webstream]

Here is an an example of what worries companies with blogs, even I would guess MSN...

MSNBot

Webstream

[BrianR]

I could be wrong, (and if I am, I'm sure one of my colleagues will have the pleasure of putting me right!), but I don't think blogs have taken off in a big way over here in the UK. And I'm not sure about other countries.

So are they just a US phenomena that will eventually fade away??

BrianR

[Think Web]

How many people blog at Google?

...How many people blog at Google?
Not sure what the count is, but I know there's a couple hundred or more. It's really interesting to see the network grow from scratch.

Do you use that to get to know one another or to keep up-to-date on projects?
A lot of people use it to keep up-to-date on projects and to share pointers or expertise. I've heard people comment on how it's way easier to know what's going on internally now. You can find out what's going on when you go there or when you're curious about it, but you don't have to be deluged or distracted from your normal day...

[rankforsales]

I have implemented my blog and my reader feedback is positive and my traffic grows pretty much everyday.

I find it is a great addition to my weekly newsletter.

The best comments I get from my clients is that they hear from me everyday, as I update my blog daily with new content.

For me, I think the blogging phenomenum will continue to grow, both in business and in other areas. The real trigger that really got me thinking was earlier this year when Google paid top dollar when it acquired Blogger.com from Pyra Labs.

In fact, you can read what C-Net News has written today about blogs and Pyra Labs... where else but on my blog!

[URL deleted. Please see the guidelines. - Jill]

Edited by Jill, 22 October 2003 - 11:48 PM.

[Scottie]

Welcome to the forum, Serge!

[csg]

I have found blogging to be an excellent way to establish rapport with my potential customers and to build content on my website.

Instead of just reading my static web copy to make a buying decision, visitors receive new value each day that can help them, over time, make a decision to use my services.

So far so good!

[Scottie]

Welcome to the forum, csg!

[smc_online]

My husband I are active bloggers.

I use it as a journal of my daily business activities, much like doctors record a patient's progress for it to be transcribed into the patient's files. This way, I will be able to look back at the challenges of starting my own business. Besides, its a great way to vent!

My husband, on the other hand, is blogging because he is writing a book. He is using it as a journal to collect his thoughts, research and material for the book.

As dragonlady7 pointed out, blogs can be accessed from anywhere at any time providing you have internet connectivity. This beats carrying around a notepad and pencil! Its very practical for my husband since he travels quite a bit and works off his wired laptop!

IMHO, I think that blogs are here to stay. Its simple and more user-friendly then collaboration software with no hardware or downloads required and can be easily personalized and shared with as many people as needed.

That's why its popularity is growing like wild fires!

[Think Web]

Hot off the press:

Electronic Surveys to Internet Weblogs

...enable users of its online survey technology to publish results automatically to Internet Weblogs...


Photo/Video Blogging Services

...along comes mLogs...a free audio/video/photo blogging service just launched...

[Craig B]

The clever people at 37signals and Coudal Partners have partnered up to set up business blog seminars in Chicago here --> bloggingworks.com

I think it is a great idea for businesses to set up internal/external blogs where employees and customers can get a new and unique perspective.

cheers,
Craig.