Blogging

[David]

I hope this is the right place for this thread,a while ago now well last year sometime I wrote a blog no big thing really except I did not really know what the heck bloggng was .I was told it was just like a diary but online,so I went ahead and posted the thing and wrote another one but for some reason I am getting a fair amount of visitors I know its not a lot in the scheme of things but last night alone there was 87 and 70 odd the night before and I have no idea why or how this would be picked up ? has anyone got experience in this typ of thing.

I also find that for once I am the moderator and find it all a bit overwelming I am wondering why it even interests some people..... I did not think my few words would be of interest to anyone 

I did panic a little the other night as the notifications seem to be coming thick and fast ( a bit like me )

Any pointers would be appreciated TIA

[zappaDPJ]

It's hard to say with any authority without knowing more about the software used and the content. If for example the blog is created using something like WordPress then that might explain the number of visitors. Are they genuine visitors or just spammers? WordPress's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is fairly decent so that will get your content indexed with search engines such as Google. On the other hand perhaps the content you've put up is of interest to real people and again it's likely to be search engine listings that are bringing in the traffic.

[Simon]

I've never blogged, because I don't really have anything to say that would interest anyone.  Do people reply to it, like a thread on here?  What exactly are your concerns, David? 

[David]

It's hard to say with any authority without knowing more about the software used and the content. If for example the blog is created using something like WordPress then that might explain the number of visitors. Are they genuine visitors or just spammers? WordPress's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is fairly decent so that will get your content indexed with search engines such as Google. On the other hand perhaps the content you've put up is of interest to real people and again it's likely to be search engine listings that are bringing in the traffic.

Thanks Zap a couple of spammers but the vast majority just saying how cool or thanks or when am I posting again  I do use wordpress  thanks I am just intrigued 

[David]

I've never blogged, because I don't really have anything to say that would interest anyone.  Do people reply to it, like a thread on here?  What exactly are your concerns, David? 

My thoughts as well Simon yes but I dont know why its just my personal take on issues which I normally may put in my diary for instance 
I have had a few who have issues as they want to read it on android but I have stated that technical issues I cant help with Simon also is there an etiquette one follows

I have replied to some but it is odd to see so many ( well it appears a lot for me ) lol

[Simon]

I guess it's harmless as long as there's nothing on it that's more personal than you'd want the world to know about, but if that were the case, you wouldn't have published it.  I suppose there's a risk of some unpleasantness if you get the wrong type of people replying, but I guess that's why you can moderate it, as long as you can 'switch off' from any negative comments.

[David]

Yes I did get one but did reply and agreed with the comment 

[Steve]

I'm not being critical but if you write a blog and it's publicised on the internet you hope it's being read. Otherwise there is no point. I think the fact that you are receiving some positive responses implies to me that you have been a help in some way to someone. Obviously you'll always attract the brain dead as well but it sounds encouraging to me.

[Lona]

If you send me a link to your Blog, David, I'll read it and give you a few tasty comments.

[David]

  Careful what you wish for

[David]

I'm not being critical but if you write a blog and it's publicised on the internet you hope it's being read. Otherwise there is no point. I think the fact that you are receiving some positive responses implies to me that you have been a help in some way to someone. Obviously you'll always attract the brain dead as well but it sounds encouraging to me.

Thanks Steve to be honest I didnt write to help or hurt anyone,I just wrote if that makes sense but yes lots of thank you's 

[Niall]

I made a site for gaming and photography several years ago. I used wordpress as it's simple and you can adapt it a lot. One thing I had to do was sign up for various anti spam/bot things and constantly upgrade the site as wordpress attracts a lot of bots. The odd thing that I found though, just like you're finding, was that after a while people I've never met or spoken to online started registering on my forums and the website/blog. It was all going swimmingly until my database and backup got corrupted at 34SPs end, so I lost everything and it took me days to rebuild it from scratch. When users realised their accounts had gone, they didn't bother coming back. It was all very odd!

[Lona]

I would love to do a blog on social networking sites and the trouble they can cause to young people I would ban the lot including facebook and twitter.  They are just wasting a lot of young lifes and ruining the act of proper converstion. It;s just an excuse for morons to type insults to descent human beings.

[David]

We think alike Lona I started one on this very topic today after watching my own children couldn't agree more

[Niall]

Spoken like someone that's read shock factor tabloid stories blanket accusing everyone that uses social media in the spirit intended, and not usef it themselves. You get scum everywhere not just online.

[Lona]

Spoken like someone that's read shock factor tabloid stories blanket accusing everyone that uses social media in the spirit intended, and not usef it themselves. You get scum everywhere not just online.

Untrue, Niall. I have factual accounts from relatives kids who have been bullied on social networks. One particular Mum went to the school to complain about what was happening to her daughter and got no satisfaction.  You just have to look on twitter to see all the twits behaving like idiots towards other twits.  Social network sites have a place, I suppose, but it should be monitored just like forums.

[Steve]

Social networks can be a nightmare for teenagers,they're very vulnerable,they feel pressured to conform, they express their most intimate details to complete strangers. Yes I have been directly aware of online bullying in this format and we the parents have had to sort out the subsequent mess. Obviously bullies see online chat of any form as easy prey, they don't even have to be brave enough to physically confront their victims.

[David]

Spoken like someone that's read shock factor tabloid stories blanket accusing everyone that uses social media in the spirit intended, and not usef it themselves. You get scum everywhere not just online.

You jumped the gun a little there Niall I was only going to ask myself what are they there for for instance why collect a million friends who you dont know, and the silly way my children talk to each other when they are in the same room using facebook
I dont know about scum I have not seen that side of it but I have seen posts where people post things like "just having my dinner" or buying a new TV and personally cannot see the point of it .I did try it myself and found it bizarre that people I dont know want to be my friend !!
My blog is a light hearted look at social network sites not a Newnight special 

[David]

Social networks can be a nightmare for teenagers,they're very vulnerable,they feel pressured to conform, they express their most intimate details to complete strangers. Yes I have been directly aware of online bullying in this format and we the parents have had to sort out the subsequent mess. Obviously bullies see online chat of any form as easy prey, they don't even have to be brave enough to physically confront their victims.

My daughter did suffer from one bully but like in the real world the answer was simple she just deleted them although I admit to stepping in with a firm but polite post which stopped the youngster in her tracks but my children are monitored closely on there ......by me

[Lona]

The pressure put upon kids today to follow the pack instead of being an individual amazes me.  If you are not on Facebook, Twitter or Skype you are an outcast. The other factor that governs the pack is to see how many friends you can collect over the rest of your mates.

I call them all Lemmings. Where have all the folk gone who stand up for what they believe in rather than just be one of the crowd.

[Niall]

The point I was making which I thought was clear as day, as I actually said it is that you cannot blanket label everyone with the same negative comment.

That's like me calling you a racist because I know a woman that lives in a house like yours that's racist. You cannot ever apply reasoning like that to anything.

I use Facebook all the time and have some work colleagues and a lot of friends. I do not add people I don't know, with the exception of guitar luthiers who oddly seem to have their pages set up as friends rather than businesses, but that's probably to avoid facebooks business rules.

Anyone that's ever said anything out of order on Facebook is no longer on my lists and are blocked. That was 1 person I used to be in school with. So that's 1 person I 5 years. Yes indeed we're all bullies us social media users.

[Lona]

You're getting all hot under the collar for nothing, Niall.  I too have a facebook account which is private only to me.  I use it to enable my son to upload his photos as he lives abroad.

The point I was trying to make is what it is doing to young kids. There should be far more controls. If this forum did not have admins, folks could come on here and demean folk, use foul language and post filthy pictures at will.  Do you not agree that Facebook and Twitter have become the monsters of the internet and some control should be administered.?

[Simon]

TBH, there can be bullying in all walks of life - in the school playground, in the work place, and yes, on social networks.  In my opinion, it would be very difficult to moderate such a large medium as Facebook or Twitter.  In the case of teenagers or adolescents, it's up to the individuals concerned to report any incidences to their parents, and / or for the parents to monitor what's going on.  Anyone getting bullied can simply 'defriend', on Facebook, if I understand it correctly, but not sure about Twitter.

[David]

Yes Simon you can delete on Twitter too TBH that one baffles me but that isnt hard to do where I am concerned as you know so well 

[cavillas]

Children have always bullied one another in one way or another, these days things are worse because we are such a commercial and acquisitive society.  Everything is about Brands and one-upmanship and this spreads down from businesses to parents to children.  Because children are still learning social skills and interaction it becomes confusing when faced with Social Networking sites because there is no face to face contact and so easy to hide behind words that evaporate into the ether.  Without the direct contact children can't really see or understand the effects of their words on others whereas with actions they can see a direct correlation.

As for following the pack, this has been going on since time immemorial, just look at Teddy boys, Mods and rockers etc etc.  Parental guidance, love and direction is the best way for our children to become better adults as well as direct face to face contact.  Facebook has its use but should not take the place of real life, which unfortunately it seems to be doing far too often.

I have a Facebook account and find it beneficial to keep in touch with my friends (real) and family without constant recourse to phones (when they are not there), letters or visiting, it is just another way of communication not a way of life.

There is no problem with using Social networking but it must be used less rather than more especially in the case of children learning social skills and conversation.

OOOeerr my head hurts now, time for a lie down I think.