Where to Find Lorelle on WordPress:
Blog URL: http://lorelle.wordpress.com/
Category: Internet Technology, Blogging

Lorelle On WordPress

Having a title created in your honor has to mean that you are a real authority on your subject. When that title is “blog evangelist” that must mean you attack your subject with an interest and enthusiasm that is unmatched elsewhere. So where can you find this unmatched, enthusiastic blog evangelism? At the blog of the blog evangelist herself, Lorelle on WordPress.

Lorelle on WordPress - Why You Should Go

Lorelle VanFossen has more than proven herself as an authority on blogging. She maintains three blogs of her own interest and is the author of Blogging Tips: What bloggers won’t tell you about blogging (a compilation of tips and how-to’s for maximizing your blogging efforts). Her expertise doesn’t stop there, though, Lorelle is also a much sought-after “public speaker, instructor, writer, and consultant on web writing, web design, and blogging, especially working with WordPress.”

This particular blog focuses on WordPress, blogging with WordPress, and the impact of blogging, most especially the impact of blogging with WordPress. It’s a place for general chat and several WordPress stories of interest, but primarily a place to learn how to effectively utilize the platform and benefit from it. Lorelle describes her blog’s purpose as a place to “learn more about blogging and WordPress…with help, tips, advice, and techniques for blogging and using WordPress, and Wordpress.com.” In short, “The blogging help you need. Now.”

Summing Up Lorelle on WordPress

Lorelle VanFossen has been given her due as one of the premier voices on blogging and the WordPress platform. Frequent her blog to maximize yours and see how blogging as a whole is changing lives in unconventional ways.

Go here to check out Lorelle on WordPress.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

We’ll come back to the blog itself for later review (because it certainly is deserving in its own right!); this blog caught my eye today because of the feature recently posted about Glenda Watson Hyatt, whom we reviewed a short time back for her amazing and inspirational Do It Myself blog.

(Re) Introducing Glenda Watson Hyatt

To refresh the memory, Glenda Watson Hyatt is the author of DoItMyself.com and a book also aptly titled I’ll Do It Myself. Glenda has Cerebral Palsy, and uses blogging as her largest outlet of communication with the world. She has become a true source of inspiration for so many, and a much sought-after presenter at conferences and seminars, including Blog World Expo.

Glenda’s Story

This recent feature post is found on Lorelle on WordPress. Lorelle was privileged to have Glenda share her story with her, which is shared in a video on the post.

It’s a wonderful thing to see Glenda get her due attention, and an inspiration to see her story. Take a minute to visit this site and be inspired by Glenda—and learn more about the amazing ways blogging has changed lives.

Go here to see Glenda speak on Lorelle on WordPress.

Has Blogging Changed Your Life?

Glenda’s story has me thinking about the unexpected ways something as simple as blogging can change a life. How has blogging changed your life? Please tell us your own story in the comments below.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Where to Find Wordpress Lets You Do That?:
Blog URL: http://clint.uwcblog.com/
Category: Internet, Technology

Wordpress Lets You Do That?

As Clint says, when you start looking into leading blog platforms these days one name comes up above the others—Wordpress. It’s a blogging platform favored for its customizability and SEO superiority. The thing of it is, few Wordpress bloggers are getting all that they could from the platform. Clint used to be one of those bloggers as he set off into Internet Marketing, but over time came to be quite well versed on the platform and its many possibilities. And the more he learned, the more he realized that there was a blogosphere full of Wordpress bloggers out there that just might enjoy benefiting from his new-found knowledge.

Wordpress Lets You Do That? - Why You Should Go

The name of the blog is very much indicative of its content. On this blog Clint offers up all the knowledge a Wordpress blogger could want. Posts range from the basic to the back-end to show you how to get online with Wordpress, and then optimize it for the best possible traffic. Given the range of topics, content, and posts, this blog is as good for the seasoned Wordpress blogger as it is for the newbie trying to figure out how to publish that first post, and a great resource for anyone considering switching blog platforms.

Summing Up Wordpress Lets You Do That?

There are many things that Wordpress lets you do that can make all the difference in your blogging and blog’s ranking. Clint has uncovered many of them, and generously shares them with you on his blog. Find out here how to make the most of your Wordpress blogging experience.

Go here to check out Wordpress Lets You Do That?

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

If there is one thing that stands out as I make my rounds around the blogosphere, it is that many people are not taking full advantage of the tools their blogs offer to them and their readers (including us here at Digg It, mea culpa). The one most under-used tool that I see as a blog reviewer is the profile or “About Us” page.

Why Don’t We Get Personal?

I would venture to guess that the reasons that people don’t pay much attention to profile and About pages are something along the lines of

• They want to remain anonymous to an extent
• They don’t know what to say, or struggle with how to explain their blogs
• They are unsure when the blog is constructed where it will really go, and then forget about these pages once they have a firm direction
• They think readers already know what the blog is about—they’re here aren’t they?

These may all be very valid, at least understandable, reasons not to write a profile of your blog. But now may be a good time to reassess, and here are some of my personal thoughts on why you might consider it.

Building Your Profile Page, Why It Matters

When your blog doesn’t have a profile page, it can be very difficult for readers to tell at a glance what your blog is about. And no, you can’t just assume that it is obvious. Sometimes it takes sifting through many posts before a newcomer can “get” what your blog is about. That’s time that I put in as a reviewer, but as you can imagine, it’s time that the average web surfer is not as likely to put in. We’ve all heard about the nature of the web surfer—they are a flighty bird with a low attention-span, who wants instant gratification when they alight at a site (yes, I include my own self in this category, mea culpa again—that is, unless I’m reviewing a blog!). To increase your chances of gaining that new reader, give them what they want—a quick and concise way to learn about your blog and find out if it fulfills their needs.

It’s not enough to assume that the intent of your long-standing blog is obvious. Most of your readers probably have not been with you from the beginning, even if you have a very large readership. Blogs take time to build, as any blogger knows, and it could be six months, a year, or more before the majority of your blog’s readers actually find you. So no, that first post you put up to introduce yourself and your blog is probably not sufficient, and probably was not or will not be read by the bulk of the people who pass through your blog.

A Blog With Personality

Another reason to take advantage of your profiling tools, and I’m sure there are many others (do feel free to tell me about them in the comments below) is to add that touch of personality. Blogging is, after all, personal—it’s the reason the medium has been so successful, putting faces and personalities on an otherwise neutral information highway. When people can get to know something about you, at least the parts relevant to your blog, they feel a connection and camaraderie with you and your work, and feel more vested in it as a result, making them want to keep coming back to keep up with a friend or colleague.

It’s easy to take profiling for granted, but it’s easy to take advantage of it, too. Consider the ways that your blog and your readers might benefit from the simple addition or use of a profile or About page, or even just a side-bar description.

And now it’s your turn—what do you think? Why else is a profile important to a blog? Or do you respectfully disagree?

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Reviewing blogs gives me an opportunity (and a great excuse) to explore the web endlessly, reading from the many interesting and diverse blogs in the greater blogosphere. This is something that grew out of Sean Rasmussen’s (who created Digg It) passion for blogging and belief that blogging really does open minds and creates so many possibilities for learning, networking, socializing, and general expansion of the mind. It was a great idea that is proving to be a pretty popular and much appreciated one, too.

With now over 70 blogs to our review tally, I’m beginning to see some trends emerge among the betters (and also the less impressive). This has led me to a few observations of my own, a few preferences, and a few points for potential discussion. So with Sean’s blessing from time to time I plan to step in and offer my own two cents in the form of the occasional discussion post, and hope that is worth something to you, our readers. We might be lucky enough to have Sean do the same!

What Do You Get For Mary Ward’s Two-Cents?

It’s hard to tell. Probably a mixed-bag, as many of our favorite blogs are. But for starters we might talk about other ways to make a better blog—not the mainstream stuff you read everywhere about linking and the like, but the things I like to see when I review a blog, the things that mean the difference between being reviewed or passed by; I might share with you my blogger pet peeves, or offer a forum for you to share what you’ve learned from the blogosphere. Or I might take requests from you! Digg It is intended to be a place for the bloggers, by the bloggers, and we are always open to suggestions for our blog and for bloggers worthy of review.

For today I thought a fair forewarning was in order, and I welcome all your thoughts on the matter! Comments are always open below.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Where to Find Francessa’s Thinking:
Blog URL: http://francessarich.blogspot.com/
Category: Reviews, Personal Blog

Francessa’s Thinking

Hoping to expand our international reach a bit beyond our three nations of main interest—which have been, up until now, Australia (Sean’s & Digg It’s real home), the U.S. (mine), and Canada (close by), I was excited to see that Lydia from Writerquake was recommending a blog written by a woman who lives/commutes between Austria and Germany (the blog, however, is in English). I had high hopes that this would be a blog worth reviewing, and I wasn’t disappointed. Actually when I got there I had a choice of two great blogs, but more on that another day…

Francessa’s Thinking is written by Francessa Rich, a teacher and researcher researching the internet communication of teens. Her posts include many reviews of thought-provoking books and movies, and also posts of a more natural and observational nature. It’s a nice balance and an easy read on some interesting subjects.

Francessa’s Thinking - Why You Should Go

As I mentioned when I got to Francessa’s blog I had a choice to make—which of her two to review (the other being her research-focused blog)? And I very nearly went with the other for today, because it offered some very interesting views and analyses of blogging and life through the internet. But I thought it more appropriate to start with this one, to where Lydia sent me.

The reason for my choice was the reason for Lydia’s blog, which does so nicely capture the spirit of blogging. She began her blog in the interest of connecting with and learning from people all over the world, and also to give others “a glimpse of European points of view.” Hers is a highly respectable task that offers the opportunity to open the mind, expand your horizons, and understand a bit more about diverse cultures, worth sharing for the premise of the blog itself.

Summing Up Francessa’s Thinking

Francessa’s thinking is a rare opportunity in blogging. It is written in English (with the warning that Francessa is not a native English speaker, but you’d never know it to read it!) with an admirable goal, and what’s more it offers information of insight and value. If being one in a global community is your goal, this is a blog to put on your list.

Go here to check out Francessa’s Thinking.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Here’s your chance to tell us who you Digg the most!

Readers Made Digg It What It Is Today

We greatly appreciate and value our readers here, and many of you have in fact been the inspiration for subsequent reviews.¬† We’ve also enjoyed the discussion and commentary that has transpired as a result of the reviews.¬† This community, although young, is already proving to be a great group, and through our reviews it is expanding all the time!

We know you have all already given much of yourselves, but we thought we might be able to ask a little more of you.¬† We hope you don’t find it too much of an imposition.¬† Actually, we hope you can embrace it as the opportunity that it is–the opportunity to tell us what to do!¬† Hey, these opportunities don’t come along everyday :), best to get in while the getting is good.

Here’s Your Chance To Spotlight Your Favorite Blogs!

Maybe you’ve guessed by now what we are about to ask.¬† We’d like to know who you, our esteemed readers, think is worth following.

We know that there are great blogs out there.  We find more and more of them everyday.  And as you might guess, we also find some, well, less than great blogs.  Chances are though that all of you have more blogs that you follow and that are deserving of a review here on Do You Digg It!  So please speak up and tell us who they are!  Where can we find them?  Who is worth a read?  What blogs are worth bringing more readers to?

How To Tell Us What You Know

The rules are simple.¬† We don’t really have any.¬† Well, maybe a couple…

• Blogs should be of good quality and provide content of interest.¬† They can be informational, educational, entertaining or just plain funny and anything in between, but they need to serve us some purpose or they’re just not worth talking about.¬† You might have noticed we don’t bother with negative reviews, we just ignore that which isn’t worth highlighting.¬† We’ll continue to do the same.
• Blogs should be clean.¬† We’re all adults here (but maybe not), but we do like to maintain a modicum of decor, so please nothing that would be too offensive, end definitely nothing illegal.
• We don’t really even care if the blog is your own, so long as it meets the standards set forth here.¬† If you think you’ve got a good thing going, do feel free to drop a link.¬† But hey!¬† Why not help a friend too and tell us about their great blog while you’re at it?

Now, to tell us where to go, all you need to do is leave a link in the comments below that goes directly to the blog.¬† We can take it from there.¬† We’ve got a diverse group of readers, and we’re very interested to see what you digg up!

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Where to Find Accountability Corner:
Blog URL: http://accountabilitycorner.com/
Category: Personal Development, Personal Accountability

Accountability Corner

If it seems to you the world could be better if people would just start taking some responsibility for their own lives and actions, that a little personal accountability could go a long way, then you have something in common with Wolf K., originator of Accountability Corner. He’s constructed his blog as “a collection of thoughts, ideas and actions either demonstrating accountability or decrying the lack thereof.” And he’s invited us all to look inside and outside of ourselves, and see what a difference personal accountability can make.

Accountability Corner - Why You Should Go

Accountability comes and goes in many forms; some people are cognizant of it and the need for more of it and some are foreigners to the term, and to the implications of increased societal accountability. Wolf K. believes in the power of personal accountability, enough to have created a blog and a website dedicated to remediating society through networks and connections and personal responsibility.

Wolf’s well intentioned blog is a collection, as he says, of thoughts and ideas, topics and hobbies of interest to Wolf. It includes monthly spotlights of deserving blogs and bloggers; it also includes an Honor Wall where readers can add the names and faces of U.S. soldiers and soldiers from other countries who have given or are giving of themselves, protecting the right of us all to live to be accountable another day.

Summing Up Accountability Corner

Wolf’s rules and values for life and his blog are simple and effective. There is a “do unto others” atmosphere that more than anything gets you thinking about your own personal accountability, and about how life could be better if we were all to step up and take responsibility for ourselves; if more people could put their core values out there and expose themselves to the world as Wolf K. does, in a way that clearly resounds with a level of individual responsibility, society as a whole could find a new level of confidence, security, hope, and enthusiasm. His is still a young blog but a premise with promise, and we hope to see more good things to come as Accountability Corner continues to develop and grow.

Go here to check out Accountability Corner.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Where to Find ProBlogger:
Blog URL: http://www.problogger.net/blog/
Category: Blogging

ProBlogger

ProBlogger is just one blog maintained by Darren Rowse, a fast-risen star of the blogworld. Darren is known to many as one of the co-founders of the popular b5Media Network, where he is also the VP of Blogger Training. But before b5 (and still today), Darren was a blogger—a professional blogger, and one who has an abundance of knowledge to share.

ProBlogger - Why You Should Go

Darren describes this particular blog as being “‚Ķdedicated to helping other bloggers learn the skills of blogging, share their own experiences and promote the blogging medium.” In a nutshell, that is what the blog is. It is an opportunity for bloggers of all shapes and sizes to learn from a professional making six figures a year as a professional blogger. From newbies to veteran bloggers, anyone can go to Darren to learn the ins and outs of successful blogging and monetizing (making money!) from your blog.

Darren’s sage professional advice deserves your attention regardless of the intentions of your blogging and your goals for it. If yours is a personal blog, interest for which you wish to gain more attention and readers, or a steady calling you’d like to make a go of as an income source, the blog tips (really, strategy and expertise) that Darren offers is what you need to meet those goals. He’s also shared his blogging wisdom in a book he co-authored with the equally upstanding Chris Garrett, ProBlogger, Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

Summing Up ProBlogger

Not all professionals are as quick to reveal the secrets of their success; so when you find a guy like Darren Rowse who is, you should definitely take advantage of his generosity. Darren isn’t someone talking about how it could maybe be done, he’s telling you how it is and has been done. He is a preeminent leader of the blogosphere, dedicated to watching it grow and taking a firm hand to be sure that it does.

This is a great time to visit ProBlogger, too; Darren and wife just welcomed their second son on June 15th - Father’s Day for many of us, but not for Darren in Australia (although he says he’s happy to celebrate this one, while giving all due credit to his wife for her efforts!). Darren will be taking paternity leave for the next couple of weeks, but has lined up a list of guest bloggers and revived some of his best posts to keep things interesting. This could be a great opportunity to see who the pro’s follow, rely on, and respect.

Go here to check out ProBlogger.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008

Where to Find Successful Blog:
Blog URL: http://www.successful-blog.com/
Category: Personal Empowerment, Business, Success

Successful Blog

The full name of Successful Blog is ‘Successful and Outstanding Bloggers’; it’s a good indication of what Liz Strauss’s blog is about. But don’t write this one off as just another blog about blogging, because it is really much, much more than that, and if you pass it by you’ll be missing out on all the rest that is Successful Blog.

This blog may have started as a blog about blogging, but over the years (we’re talking at least three, here) it has grown into something much larger. Today, Liz Strauss and her blog are recognized as one of the leaders in the field of not just blogging, but also personal empowerment and online business coaching.

Successful Blog - Why You Should Go

Very few bloggers or coaches exude the kind of warmth and support that Liz Strauss does‚Äîor the level of real-world, effective strategy and business sense. Hers is a unique approach to blogging and business, one that has been described as “relational”. Her blog has been described as “both a destination and an event.”

Not only are posts timely and informative, but the blog is also highly interactive, enveloping a “pay-it-forward” attitude. Liz invites all her bloggers to engage and share, join the team as an SOB or BAD blogger (which you’ll have to learn more about at the blog), join in the weekly Open Mic night (held Tuesdays, Chicago, Illinois, US time), or just drop the occasional comment.

Even more impressive is the fact that Liz is such an active presence herself. One might think that a blogger this popular would have a hard time connecting with her readers, but Liz makes it a point to engage with each and every visitor whose presence is known—new or old.

Summing Up Successful Blog

Liz’s philosophy is that, “Relationships are everyone‚Äôs business, and every business is relationships”. She uses this as her guide to building a highly personal blog aimed at creating a community of leadership and success. Day by day Liz Strauss guides her readers to build a path to success, one post at a time, and welcoming visitors with the motto, “you’re only a stranger once”; stop being a stranger to Liz Strauss and her unique blogging community. Get your daily dose of information and business acumen at Successful Blog.

Go here to check out Successful Blog.

Mary Ward
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008