Avoid Bad Manners While Blogging

Blogging, the hottest trend in online publishing right now,is currently spreading like wildfire across the Internet.

A cross between an online journal and a bulletin board,everyone from rock starts, politicians, business leadersand your average "Joe" or "Jane" can instantly become acenter of influence online using blogs.

But, as with any social interaction, certain rules apply(my grandma calls them manners) in order to be viewed asbehaving "properly."

One of the things that gives blogging such strong appeal asan online publishing method revolves around "comments."

Blogs that allow "comments" enable readers to respond andelaborate on the information posted by the blog owner.

These comments and the free exchange of information,opinions, links, and new ideas creates the dynamic andgrowing content that makes blogging such a popular onlineactivity for both publishers and readers.

However, rules and unwritten customs about the proper useof "comments" on a specific blog are also where most of theproblems and controversy will arise.

Since a successful blog eventually becomes a community ofpeople (albeit in cyberspace), proper social behavior iscritical to be an effective and accepted member of thecommunity.

Keep these basic rules in mind when approaching a new blogthat allows commenting by readers so you won't findyourself on the wrong end of a scolding by people whooperate with a different set of rules than you.

As with any social circle, violating the group's rules andcustoms will instantly cause a negative backlash.

** Keep It Relevant **

Stay on topic with the post you're commenting about in ablog.

Nothing will earn you the wrath and disdain of yourfellow posters and the blog owner faster than posting anoff-topic comment.

** Watch What Others Do **

Different blogs operate under different rules. What ratesacceptable in one blog would earn you a verbal thrashing inanother.

Before posting (especially if you have not posted to aspecific blog before), look to see the types and quality ofposts others make regularly.

Are they long or short?

Do they contain a link to the person's website?

Is there a "signature" under their name?

** Be Polite **

It's fine to disagree with people when making a comment,whether it's the blog's author or a comment made by anotherreader.

It is not, however, acceptable to launch a personal attackon anyone or make nasty comments in someone else's blog.

If you feel the need to do so, do it in your own blog.

It's the same principle of you can say whatever you want inyour own house, but when you're in someone else's house,you act right (and better than you do at home).

** You Can't Respond To Everyone **

If you operate a blog and someone asks a question, try torespond, but both sides should understand that you can'trespond 100% of the time.

We all get busy and a blog, unless it maintains a paidmembership, is often supported as a labor of love.

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
http://www.IGottaTellYou.com/blog/

About the Author:

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and theco-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how touse fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targetedvisitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors toyour website for weeks, even months... without spending adime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Blogging/RSS Information:

Related Articles

How to Get a Blog on the Internet
Of all people in the world I was easily one of the most pessimistic about computers, the Internet and now that I even know they exist-blogs. I think blogs are pretty cool but I never thought I could have one.
Blogging for Personal Benefits
While there is a lot of debate about blogs replacing emails in the future, I would rather look at blogs in a different perspective. The purpose of all technology is to make life easier for the user.
Blogs Explained
It seems like Blogs are everywhere these days. You can't seem to surf the Internet without seeing the word Blog somewhere.
RSS for Bloggers
While syndication has many applications, we will deal specifically with its use for blog content and some technical information will be included at the end of this article.If you have any interest in blogs or weblogs as a publishing format, then you have undoubtedly come across the term R.
How to Create an RSS Feed
An RSS news feed can be used to communicate with your target audience. It is an ideal means of notifying people of new content on your website without the need for them to keep on visiting your site.
A Blog Isnt Just For Christmas
I was watching the news on TV last night and there was a warning about buying puppies as Christmas presents. There's nothing worse than visiting the kennels in the new year and seeing all those unwanted dogs that were chosen as presents because they were so cute at the time.
RSS - How to Promote and Profit From Your Feed
Let me ask you three questions to get you thinking. Does your website offer an RSS feed? Are you promoting your feed effectively? Are you seeing an increase in profits as a result of offering a feed to your visitors?I'm going to outline several actionable steps you can take to promote your RSS feed both internally on your own website and externally on other websites.
Your RSS Feed Might Look Like Spam
RSS feeds seem to be the breakout technology for the year. With more users turning to them for driving traffic to their site, it's no wonder that a trail of RSS feed spam is following in the wake.
Details of Getting a Blog
Blogs, the abbreviation of Web Logs (online journals), are becoming more and more popular all the time. People are starting new blogs at an astounding rate so it's safe to assume that there are constantly people out there who want to know how to get a blog going.
How Weblogs can Help Realtors
What is a weblog, well simply put a weblog is a journal that is kept online. In it's simplest form a weblog will have an article every day or week that says what the person is doing.
Top 9 Reasons Companies Should Blog
Below are the top 9 reasons why companies should blog.1.
RSS & How to Use It (part 1)
Have you ever read an article, intended to explain RSS in simple terms that, begins well, but soon descends into confusing jargon or information overload? If so, take heart, I was in the same place a few months ago. Often the best way to understand something, is to use it.
Why Your Blog Might Be Sabotaging Your Business
Many marketers were very excited when forum and newsletter discussion focused first on blogs (about two years ago) and then on RSS feeds (mainly within the past year). It was a brand new opportunity for marketers to use, one that promised both search engine success and a way around spam complaints.
To Blog Or Not To Blog
Web logs, commonly referred to as "blogs," represent allthe rage right now in online publishing.Not really a newsletter or traditional html pagepublishing, blogs resemble more of a web-based diary wherethe creator records their thoughts, posts links, orresponds to questions.
24 Tips and Strategies on How Everyone Can Blog Right and Get Everybody to Read
By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a keypart of online culture. "Blog readership shoots up 58% in2004 6 million Americans get news and information fed tothem through RSS aggregators But 62% of online Americans donot know what a blog is.
Article Marketing For Bloggers - 4 Tips To Build Traffic For Your Blog
Bloggers blog. That's what they do.
RSS Round-Up: Whats Happening with Simple Syndication?
Have you been following the explosion of RSS -- Really Simple Syndication -- activity online? Seems this new method of "getting the word out" is picking up steam. Why? Partly because of the Davids, and partly because of the Goliaths.
If an RSS feed is the Yahoo Backdoor, is a Blog Googles?
Though the answer is in a book I wrote this July, the question is still asked of me repeatedly. Why does it work for some sites and not others? And how come some blogs get indexed in a day and then are dropped, and others stay in Google indefinitely?Well, let's take one question at a time.
Get Website Visitors From Blogs
Blogs are becoming more and more popular.The word "blog" is short for web log.
Blogging Advice - Give Your Readers What They Want
Web gives a lot of exposure; weblog stabilizes the exposure with a profound purpose. The purpose of a Weblog is to complement e-newsletters, serving readers in a way that extends a blogger's expertise and leadership in the market.