Monday, May 01, 2006

Pearls from the Blog

As I gradually become a more experienced blogger, I learn things I think might be useful to others. If you're an old blog-hand, just ignore this post. Or add more suggestions and pointers. The more the better!

One really useful site is bloglines . This site lets you list your favorite blogs all in one place, and you can see at a glance which ones have new posts, and go directly to them by clicking on their link right there on the page.

Another recent discovery of mine (thanks to dribear) is the weekly Grand Rounds, which is a compilation, by a different host each week, of various blog posts from around the world. It's loosely medical, meaning it can have scientific posts, medical news articles, creative writings, personal experiences, whatever. If you click the Grand Rounds link above, you'll get to a page on the blogborygmi site, hosted by a generous ER resident who is willing to coordinate grand rounds, and you can see a schedule of hosts for upcoming Grand Rounds. These are the folks you send your submissions to, and the sites you visit for Grand Rounds. I've also noticed that many blogs I visit will put a post up each week linking to the week's Grand Rounds, as a courtesy to the host. This week will be hosted by polite dissent. It's a good way to link to a bunch of sort-of related posts all at once. Also, if you're a blogger, it's a good way to increase traffic to your site.

Lastly, just so's ya know, those of you who comment here, your comment also gets emailed to me, so I can be alerted when it's happened. I'm usually pretty good about going to the blog and responding to comments, but sometimes I get enthusiastic with my delete key and then forget that I had comments (see my "middle aged memory" post). Also, the email doesn't say which post you have commented on; it just gives me the text of your comment. So if I don't respond, I apologize, but please know I do read every comment, at least once.

Oh no, there is one more thing. I don't know if anyone pays attention to the ad banners down there on the left. If you do, you might have noticed that when my "vaginal discharge" post was up top, the green square ad was all about "vaginal odors". Now, since the post about the gal at Wendy's is up, the ad is for Wendy's. This is because blogger has a feature that allows "bots" to "crawl" over my blog and find key words and create ads. Then, if people click on those ads, I get a percentage. I signed up for this, and for the Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Google Search boxes, in a burst of optimism, in hopes that I'd eventually be able to quit my day job and just blog for a living, supported by my commissions from clicks. FYI, I have to date netted a whopping $2.59 in three months. So much for bursts of optimism. Good thing I like my day job!

'nuff. Apologies if I have bored you. "Drug Whore" post coming soon.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gee, $2.59, huh?

Why, that won't even pay for a burger meal at Wendy's! (Not that I'd know, of course...ah, who am I kidding? I'll admit it.)

Actually, I've heard they have new "healthier" sandwiches, like a Turkey Ranch and Swiss deli-type sandwich instead of the greasy burger. Supposedly lower in fat than their previous fare. Still, costs more than $2.59, though.

Anonymous said...

Nickels and dimes add up, but one bit of advice, stay clear of Starbucks. They get you to think you're going for the coffee, then soak you, but you're really going there so you feel you've arrived! Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts still works for me. Keep host[ess}ing this blogsite, Dr. Peggers and do it out of love, not for the small change!That's what keeps me coming back for seconds and thirds and oh, the sweetness.

Peg Spencer said...

connery - you can click on my Wendy's ad to find out more about their healthy choices. (heh heh)

anafaran - I do try to stay clear of Starbucks, patronizing instead my favorite local coffee shop, which is just as expensive but more delicious. But on a day when I'm dyin' for a mocha and only have time to walk...of course there are two Starbucks in walking distance!

Anonymous said...

It's a real dilemma I know, Dr. Peg.
I discovered that if I head north for 5 minutes on I 25 and take the next exit, wait interminally at two busy death row intersections, I can buy one of those delicious mochas for what, $4.50 plus tax, and I can never resist a shot of a flavoring. But if I head south 2 minutes, west 1 minute and 30 seconds north again, (no lights and no death row intersections), I can buy a plain American coffee with flavoring choices slightly more limited, but only ringing up to $1.99 and still have two or three bucks left over for one lotto ticket, (or three that on a lucky day could fetch me a lot more than a Starbuck's cuppa is worth). So what do you think I should do? Just a rhetorical question, I know.

Anonymous said...

anafaran - I attempted to solve this dilemma by buying an espresso machine. I know I've saved a lot of money but dang it, it just plain tastes better when somebody else makes it!

The Tundra PA said...

Thanks for the suggestions! As a new blogger, I need all the help I can get. My blog is 3 posts old and I still can't figure out how to list a blogroll, how to put a photo in the banner, or how to add a "hit-counter". Any advise on these, Peg?

Peg Spencer said...

thetundraPA - I love your blog! Can't wait for more stories!

As to your questions, I have two suggestions. Use blogger help feature, that's one. The other is to check out Marianne Powers' blog. She's my "blog-spiration" and wrote some great beginners lessons a few months ago.

link to her first blog post

Anonymous said...

Giovanni - thanks for visiting, reading and commenting. You are welcome any time you can make it.

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