Blog-related things (I’m so meta it hurts, part 2) May 18, 2005
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Uncategorized.trackback
Hola, people.
I’m soliciting opinions from my blogger buddies about some tools I’ve been playing around with. I’d e-mail you all … but, you know, I have a LOT of things go on right now. I mean, with The Apprentice finale coming up and a very demanding schedule of resting to help heal the lungs and dreaming about what I’m going to spend my coming-any-day-now tax refund on, I’ve just been swamped. Swamped, I tell you.
So, we likey Sitemeter (the free version) for stats? Yay or nay? I just added it to the site to give it a whirl. Any other free counters? (I’ve been using Branica, which is okay, but I’d like to have something that tracked more than just my last 10 search terms and referrers. For free. I’m cheap like that.)
From a commenting standpoint, I was considering switching to Haloscan, but I’m a touch concerned I’d lose my current comments. That would just break my heart. I’m around 300. (Y’all rock. We’ll have a party or something when we get to around 500.) Anyone know if there’s a way to not lose your comments and transfer to Haloscan? Is it even worth changing? I’m not sure that the Blogger commenting system discourages commenting … I don’t know. Thoughts?
Also, I was reading a little bit about the Google AdSense program. I’m not getting a TON of hits. (Between 50 and 100 a day, I would estimate.) I didn’t start this to make money … I started it to have a canvas, so to speak. I know that at this point in time, I am not ready to place ads on the site. I’ve been thinking about the direction I want to take the blog. This is part of a lot of thinking about the general direction of my life and dating and all that boring jazz.
It’s odd for me to think about putting ads on my journal. Of course, I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around the fact that I actually publish this — anonymous or not — for anyone else to see. I’m waiting for the day when I wake up and think, “Holy crap, why the hell did I think it would be a good idea to blog about my lacking love life? I just need to go back to therapy and delete the damn thing!”
On one hand, I think, if people want to read this and click on ads and I get money off of it, that’s kind of a sweet deal. Is that any different from publishing your work in a magazine? (This is a much much much smaller scale, obviously.) But there’s probably a can of worms waiting to be opened when you switch from “fun side project of fed-up singleton” to “ad-supported, money-making site.” For one, there’s the need to fill the site up all of the time, regardless of what’s going on in my personal life. (I like having the option that if nothing is going on in life, nothing is going on on the blog, you know?) Also, by taking ads, do you run the risk of having to water down your content? I’m sure Google AdSense has some sort of language filter in place and if you get into BlogAds and stuff, you end up having to think about how your advertisers are going to feel about your content, which is common in the publishing world, but more of an afterthought in the writing-in-your-journal world.
I’m not passing judgment on blogs that take ads. I haven’t seen a TON of single-type blogs that do, but I’m sure they’re out there. It’s an interesting proposition, but ultimately something that I don’t think fits for me right now.
All of this ad talk is probably a touch presumptive, as I doubt I’d make much (if any) money from ads. This was just rumbling around in my head and I wanted to get it out and get some perspectives.
So, darlings who have bothered to read this far, opine on ad-supported blogs versus blogs with an ad or two versus just-for-the-hell-of-it blogs. I’m just curious.
Also, I’ve been getting crazy Google referrers lately. A lot of searches related to the words “panties” and “peeing.” Crazy crazy, I tell ya …
You can switch to HaloScan and keep your old comments. That’s what I did. Waiter Rant does the same thing. I’d be happy to show you how.
As for free counters, I really really really love Statcounter. It’s what I use. I put it in invisibility mode, but that’s not a requirement.
I’ve been thinking about switching to Haloscan too and I know that you can keep the comments. I’ve been making a mental note for a while to check it out so I will now! I use Statcounter too and put it in invisible mode and I love it. Re Google Adsense or whatever it’s called, I’ve been using it for a few months and have made a little change. I don’t think there are any restrictions and if there are, well I obviously didn’t read it right! The ads don’t put you under any pressure. I signed up to Amazon but I haven’t the energy for referring books all the time but I probably just need to spend some time familiarising myself properly with the programme. I am working on some ideas myself at the moment as I’m thinking of expanding this whole singleton thing and strikin out, but everything requires energy and time so I’m doing it slowly. Any advice you want, drop me a line or nag me on my comments box. x
As a regular reader, I would find the ads annoying at best. I’m here to wander around inside your head and ponder your point of view, not to shop. Unless you’d make big bucks (which I doubt), I think the ad thing is a waste of time and effort and would degrade the natural charm of your site. KnowhutImean?
I like the Haloscan idea, but the drawback is that if you want to keep ALL the comments, you need to subscribe at their $12/year rate. Not free = not that great. But there’s some amazing flexibility that you’re granted in exchange - even with the free version - like having it work when Blogger doesn’t! And a host of other little plusses that I’m sure you’ve noticed with other users: comment editing, deleting, banning, etc.
As for the ads, I believe you have a choice in where you can put it. So as long as it’s done discreetly, then *maybe*. You do have some fancy girly things you put on your blog, and someone might just have that urge to buy it once they see how fabulous it looks. Can’t hurt. Well, only if not done discreetly.
Sitemeter’s all right. I have the free version, and it just tells you the average # of users, and keeps a running tally. Apparently, the subscription version gives you the ability to track who comes when and where from, etc.
Lots to think about!
PS. Haloscan comments vanish after 4 months under the freebie version. Maximum comment length is 3000 characters - at least that’s better than the puny 1000 char max they had last time. You just can’t write a book like you can on Blogger. Under the subscription format, upward max goes to 10,000 characters.
I say get statcounter. I have one and I love it.
As for the comments, it’s really just your call. I didn’t like my blogger ones so I switched to haloscan but then I went to blogdrive instead of blogger so I have great comments now.
I think someone already suggested it, but I also use Stat Counter (in invisible mode). It’s great!
I don’t have an opinion yet (I am still so new to all of this), but I am interested in seeing what you do. I still thinks “ads” and “journal” don’t click (excuse the pun) but that might just be me.
I’m with Ecamrig. I kept my comments when I switched to Haloscan and use Statcounter as well. No huge opinion on the ads but I prefer the ones on side bars versus on the top. The ones on top just shout “ignore me!”
I’m done with blogger. Solo hosting only costs $23.40/yr at http://www.geekhosting.com and your own domain is $8.95 at http://www.godaddy.com. Once you get that out of the way, WordPress is free and absolutely brilliant. I simply love it. If you need help, lemme know.
Before WordPress, I was really diggin http://www.seo-blogs.org and their stat counter.
As for ads, I wouldn’t mind. I’d actually click a few every day just to support you. It’s one thing when it’s on a conglomerate site…totally different and understandable when it’s on a personal one. But that’s me.
You rock! Just finished reading the blog (the whole thing) - VERY slow at work. Ads are cheesy. Very distracting too.
I like the current format - just your blog w/o any other crap.
hallo! i think i’d click if you put some ads on, if i was interested, anyway. i am not certainly not against bloggers making a little extra cash - so long as they are nice plain little ads (no annoying pop-ups or things).