Hello World! I'm finally here. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see.
This is my first blog post. Ever. This is also the first publicly available piece of writing I've ever created. The pressure is on. I've actually put off writing this post for nearly three weeks now. It's not that I didn't want to post, but I felt that a first post needed to have some sort of special significance or insight. There are many things I plan to write about, and hopefully they will live up to the name of this blog and prove insightful and helpful to people in many of my various areas of interest. However, for my first post I want to start with an all encompassing post that doesn't necessarily dive right into the gory details of some project I'm working on.
In thinking through this dilemma I've found myself returning to a few consistent ideas. So instead of writing about nothing, I've decided to share these ideas as guidance for others similarly struggling with a grand entrance to the internet lifestyle.
Without further ado, I present you with my four guiding principles for writing your first blog post:
1. Be the person you want to be.
The internet is only very loosely connected to real life. Take advantage of this fact to renew yourself as a larger-than-life internet persona. Like starting a brand new job, starting an online life presents you with an entirely clean slate. You can be anyone and say anything. No one outside of your small circle of fiends will have ANY IDEA that you aren't being yourself online. Wish you were more well spoken? Take your time and write well constructed posts and comments. Always bite your tongue when someone ticks you off? Become the internet's biggest jerk and flame anyone and everyone (although I don't recommend this route). Wish people thought you were smarter? Do good research and think before you type - it won't be long before people start respecting your opinion. Take advantage of the abstract nature of the internet to become the person you always wanted to be.
2. Say something other than "Hi! Its me!"
I mean this in the nicest possible way: NO ONE CARES! If you are serious about creating and maintaining an internet presence than you are going to have to break out of the traditional real-world "get to know you" attitude. In the virtual world people don't want to get to know you just because you seem like a good person. At some point, you're going to need something intelligent to say if you want people to sit up and pay attention. If you don't have a specific subject in mind, try to find anything you can that might make people smile, laugh, cry, think, or respond. Unless you're one of those lucky people who's life is exciting enough for others to want to follow, you're going to have to think a little bit for your posts.
Note: This point does not apply to people who are extremely physically attractive. If you are such a person, you'll be just fine posting a few sentences with nice hi-res pictures of yourself. I'm sure you'll have a sizable following within the first few months. Cheers to you.
3. Take your time.
Another nice (but sometimes frustrating) aspect of the internet is the fact that almost nothing happens in real time. You can take all day to write your post and people will assume you came up with it in 15 minutes. Taking your time and making sure your words come across as you intended. There's no reason to rush out a post and accidentally say something stupid or unintentional. Develop your style and stick to it. People will be much more likely to stick around if they know they can expect quality posts every time.
4. Keep it short.
People are busy. Don't be a jerk and take up more of their time than is needed to get your points across. Unfortunately, I've clearly decided to ignore this final point in my first post (the one you're reading). If you're still here, thanks for reading. I'm almost done. Next time I promise I'll have something beneficial to say, although I can't promise it will be relevant to you.
I hope you've enjoyed my first post. I've certainly enjoyed writing it. Check back again soon for another completely random sample of the things rattling around in my head. Hopefully something cool will pop out.
This is my first blog post. Ever. This is also the first publicly available piece of writing I've ever created. The pressure is on. I've actually put off writing this post for nearly three weeks now. It's not that I didn't want to post, but I felt that a first post needed to have some sort of special significance or insight. There are many things I plan to write about, and hopefully they will live up to the name of this blog and prove insightful and helpful to people in many of my various areas of interest. However, for my first post I want to start with an all encompassing post that doesn't necessarily dive right into the gory details of some project I'm working on.
In thinking through this dilemma I've found myself returning to a few consistent ideas. So instead of writing about nothing, I've decided to share these ideas as guidance for others similarly struggling with a grand entrance to the internet lifestyle.
Without further ado, I present you with my four guiding principles for writing your first blog post:
1. Be the person you want to be.
The internet is only very loosely connected to real life. Take advantage of this fact to renew yourself as a larger-than-life internet persona. Like starting a brand new job, starting an online life presents you with an entirely clean slate. You can be anyone and say anything. No one outside of your small circle of fiends will have ANY IDEA that you aren't being yourself online. Wish you were more well spoken? Take your time and write well constructed posts and comments. Always bite your tongue when someone ticks you off? Become the internet's biggest jerk and flame anyone and everyone (although I don't recommend this route). Wish people thought you were smarter? Do good research and think before you type - it won't be long before people start respecting your opinion. Take advantage of the abstract nature of the internet to become the person you always wanted to be.
2. Say something other than "Hi! Its me!"
I mean this in the nicest possible way: NO ONE CARES! If you are serious about creating and maintaining an internet presence than you are going to have to break out of the traditional real-world "get to know you" attitude. In the virtual world people don't want to get to know you just because you seem like a good person. At some point, you're going to need something intelligent to say if you want people to sit up and pay attention. If you don't have a specific subject in mind, try to find anything you can that might make people smile, laugh, cry, think, or respond. Unless you're one of those lucky people who's life is exciting enough for others to want to follow, you're going to have to think a little bit for your posts.
Note: This point does not apply to people who are extremely physically attractive. If you are such a person, you'll be just fine posting a few sentences with nice hi-res pictures of yourself. I'm sure you'll have a sizable following within the first few months. Cheers to you.
3. Take your time.
Another nice (but sometimes frustrating) aspect of the internet is the fact that almost nothing happens in real time. You can take all day to write your post and people will assume you came up with it in 15 minutes. Taking your time and making sure your words come across as you intended. There's no reason to rush out a post and accidentally say something stupid or unintentional. Develop your style and stick to it. People will be much more likely to stick around if they know they can expect quality posts every time.
4. Keep it short.
People are busy. Don't be a jerk and take up more of their time than is needed to get your points across. Unfortunately, I've clearly decided to ignore this final point in my first post (the one you're reading). If you're still here, thanks for reading. I'm almost done. Next time I promise I'll have something beneficial to say, although I can't promise it will be relevant to you.
I hope you've enjoyed my first post. I've certainly enjoyed writing it. Check back again soon for another completely random sample of the things rattling around in my head. Hopefully something cool will pop out.
Nice. It's very self referencing and circular to write a first post about writing a first post. Sort of like a written onomatopoeia.
Posted by: Ariel Diaz | April 28, 2008 at 03:34 PM
I found you on cyberspace!!! Do you have anymore secret bloggers? I also tagged you in my "buddies and me" section in my blog...How are you?!
Posted by: Jenny | September 30, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Thank god I am not the only other person in the world that feels this way. Your post is amazing. I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm sick and tired of everyone posting the ugliest, stupidest pictures of themselves and their dogs online and thinking that everyone in the world cares. The internet is NOT real life. In real life, I'll listen to you talk about your 8 cats. On the internet, I will not. Thank you for passing your much needed knowledge onto the rest of the internet world.
Posted by: Dana | July 17, 2009 at 12:26 AM
It does work for me, thanks
http://www.rapidsharemix.com
Posted by: Diamond | January 14, 2010 at 06:29 AM