hello world. i am being reincarnated. expect some birth pains…

When creating a blog for the first time, I suggest you sign up for one even if you have not decided on a blog name or concept yet. This allows you to reserve the name you like and add content once you are ready to do so. However, you must prepare yourself for the possibility that the blog name and domain you want may have already been taken.

Do not be disappointed if that happens. For me, not having the name I wanted was an opportunity to explore and expand my creative options. The need to come up with a name may be the impetus that will lead you to a breakthrough. Remember it’s not really about how cool your blog name is, but rather how relevant your blog’s title is to your content. Some bloggers choose to be very explicit with their blog names and descriptions; you know right away to expect. While others prefer some mystery. Click on the links for an example of each.

It is not for me to judge which one is better; both approaches have its advantages and disadvantages. The only thing I am sure of is that you should always leave room to be flexible in your blog names. This way, your give yourself some leeway to post other topics without necessarily going off-tangent. You have to learn to set some parameters for your blog, but take care not to limit yourself too much.

Another issue that may come up is when the blog name is available but the domain is not, and vice-versa. For example, how do you decide if firefly wings as a blog title is available but the domain fireflywings.blogspot.com is not? It would really be nice if your domain matches your blog name (in this case I was lucky), and you should try your best to have it that way. But when it is not possible, then you would have to make a choice between the two.

In my opinion, the blog title is more important than the domain. The title is the essence of the blog, and that is what readers are most likely remember. As long as I have the blog name that I want, then it would be easy for me to adjust the domain to something that comes closest to my title. Another strategy I have seen is to use a domain related to the name of the author, and then use a blog name that best describes the contents.

Blog Buddha: Let your name define you, but never allow it to limit you.

Before you take the plunge and create your blog, you have to familiarize yourself with blogging terms so that you will not get lost in translation, be disheartened, and give up on blogging without having given it a chance.

As with any other industry, bloggers have their own language, and I am posting here the most basic blog terms and concepts that any beginner blogger should know.

Blog - the word is a derivative of weblogs. As a noun it refers to the actual weblog posts or entries, as well as to the actual site that houses them. As a verb, it means to write, post or maintain a constant stream of fresh content.

Blogger - any person who engages in blogs, either as a part-time pursuit or as a serious profession. It also refers to the free blog platform that Google provides.

Problogger - these professional bloggers write content and maintain blogs as a full-time job. Most of these probloggers work at home and may either operate their own sites or write articles for a fee. The free-lancers may write for several companies at a time, and they earn a good living out of it. The biggies in the industry have their own sites and have a loyal base of readers who drive traffic through the sheer weight of content. The latter group earn primarily through advertisement.

Blog Platform - you can either pay a company to host your blog or avail of free online blog platforms such as Blogger and Wordpress.

Publish - when you “publish” your blogs, you commit and make it available for public viewing. Similar to books and other standard publications, your blogs take form and substance only after they have been published.

Templates - these are pre-designed frames that dictate the appearance and layout of your blog. Templates determine attributes such as fonts, colors, and column placement. Understanding how these templates work will allow you to tweak and customize the look and character of your blogs. I have no background in HTML, but my desire to personalize my template led me to some discoveries that I will be sharing in future posts. In time, when I am brave enough, I will attempt to design my own template. In the meantime, I am content with the present design of my blog, but will continue to modify and learn in the process.

Content - the blogging universe is all about content. This is what attracts people to your site and keeps them coming back for more. Do not be afraid if someone else is already blogging about a topic that you like, because no one else can write about it the way you do. Always take a fresh stance and content will not be a problem. I have noticed that bloggers are not territorial; in fact they leverage similar sites to drive traffic to their own. A typical surfer researching on a certain topic would usually hop from site to site, collating ideas. As such, linking from one site to another is one of the most important elements of a successful blog.

These blog terms are not complete, not by a long shot. I chose these blog terms because these I believe are the fundamental concepts that bloggers should begin with.

Indeed I have realized that bloggers have a heightened sense of community. And while it is the creative freedom that attracted me to the blogging world, it is this sense of kinship that makes me want to stay.

Blog Buddha: Always strive to make meaningful connections.

I have been working at home as an online writer for a couple of years now, but I am new to blogging, having just very recently stumbled into this universe because of a writing assignment.

Some years ago I remember signing up for blogs in wordpress and blogger, but I did so just to reserve cool-sounding names; you know, just in case… But my blogs remained empty spaces, without any meaningful content at all. Looking back, I regret all the time I have let pass by, with my blogs (non-blogs) gathering dust when they should have been gathering hits.

For the past two weeks I have set aside my writing to research furiously on blogs and bloggers. To my amazement, I have discovered a complex and tangled, but altogether magical world limited only by words and creativity.

The Blog Buddha will chronicle all the things that I have learned as I try to make sense of blogs and bloggers, and the meaningful connections that keep this universe together.

I invite you to join me in my quest to unravel and understand the secrets of the blog universe, in the hopes that it will lead me to an understanding of life as well.

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