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

Where to Find Topsyturvydom:
Blog URL: http://spencro.blogspot.com/
Category: Literature, Reviews

Topsyturvydom

Rob Spence is a “Lecturer in English Literature, and a proud Mancunian” with the generosity to share his love of literature and fine works with the world. His blog, Topsyturvydom, is the place where he gets to reach beyond the confines of his lecture halls to bring his wealth of knowledge and insight to a much wider audience.

Topsyturvydom - Why You Should Go

Although many of us share an appreciation of the written word and of books in general, not as many of us experience either to the depths that we are capable of. Having dedicated his profession (and, it would seem, his life, too) to the great works of English literature, Rob Spence is very well positioned to help us develop that level of deeper appreciation. Of course, there are those, too, who share this already higher level of literary exploration, and for them Topsyturvydom is a place to meet with peers, a place to explore and discuss the works that Rob Spence presents through his many reviews and discussions of quality literature, while also offering up tidbits of musical appreciation and tales from his worldly travels.

Summing Up Topsyturvydom

Topsyturvydom is a place for meeting of the minds and also for learning, in a pressure-free environment, about what makes great English literature. Come here for the discussion and leave with [more than a] few good books and literary recommendations.

Go here to check out Topsyturvydom.

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

Category: Do You Digg It!

Now that you know why there are never any negative blog reviews here, maybe you’re left thinking—”yeah, but there are so many great blogs you’re missing!” We couldn’t doubt in the least that that is the truth. As you might imagine, though, there aren’t enough hours in the day to explore and find all the excellent, deserving blogs on the net.

Really, Though—You’ve Got To See This Blog!

If that little voice in your head is screaming out at us that you know where there is a top blog that we’re missing (or maybe you’re talking to your monitor again? ?) then don’t keep it to yourself—do share!

We are happy to consider blog review requests and recommendations. We encourage your participation! As we’ve done in the past, we simply ask you to leave us a comment and a link to the blog. We’ll add it to the list of blogs to cruise and carefully consider it for review; and if it’s as good as you say it is, odds are great that you’ll be reading about it here in the near future!

I Don’t Know A Particular Example, But I’d Sure Love To See A Blog About…

You do not have to have a specific blog in mind to make a request. Even if you only know the topic that you’d like to see represented, we can accommodate and do the searching for the benefit of you and all of our readers. There are so many categories and topics of blogs out there, and many yet to be represented here. So tell us what we’re missing, and we’ll be happy to take that under careful consideration, too.

Submitting Blogs And Topics For Review

It’s simple to let us know what you’re thinking—just leave a comment below this post. Give us the link or the topic, and maybe a quick (optional) explanation of why you think the blog or topic deserves our attention. Everything gets considered, but we do ask that you recommend worthwhile blogs with good content in one form or another. Remember, this is an international effort, so blogs from anywhere are greatly appreciated (unfortunately, though, English is the only language that we can understand at this time, so they’ll need to be either English-based blogs or blogs with good translation).

As always, your efforts to help Digg along are greatly appreciated!

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

Where to Find A Tidings Of Magpies:
Blog URL: http://tidingsofmagpies.blogspot.com/
Category: Personal blog, Journal

A Tidings Of Magpies

Every once in a while, you come across a blogger whose distraction is her gift; a blogger like Distracted by Shiny Objects, for example. Distracted is the author of today’s featured blog, A Tidings of Magpies.

A Tidings Of Magpies - Why You Should Go

Distracted describes herself as a “Happily married wife and mom of two full- of- beauty girls. Critical Care Nurse for 29 years-or 100 years, depending on the day and who you ask. Just another soul trying to make sense of the kaleidoscope on the other side of my eyeballs.” Her blog is described as a place for her to share her “writings and works in progress, or another writer’s work which has moved my heart. Meant to be a bit of a journal on the days that pass by so quickly.”

In many ways, Magpies is just what blogging was intended to be—a journal of the author’s experiences and thoughts, in whatever form they come to her. There are posts of poetry, short story snippets, reviews of movies and books, commentaries on recent events and the state of the world, accompanied by wit and witticism and entertaining (and sometimes endearing) pictures, too.

Summing Up A Tidings Of Magpies

Tidings’ mission is for each reader to “embrace your grace.” Many of the posts here will help you do that, by painlessly spurring you to thought and appreciation, and reminding you to laugh at the funnier sides of even the serious side of life.

Go here to check out A Tidings Of Magpies.

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

Where to Find Damien At The Speed Of Life:
Blog URL: http://diary.rileycentral.net/
Category: Personal blogs

Damien At The Speed Of Life

Damien at the Speed of Life is self-described as the “Inner monologue of a dreamer.” It’s one of the newer ventures of veteran blogger Damien Riley, who also maintains a blog of psychology and inspiration, and a blog where he uses his skill and experience as a fourth grade teacher to lend tips and tricks and things that work for parents and others important in the lives of kids. This blog was started as a personal diary, and shares much of the same air of insight and helpfulness as his other two, minus, perhaps, the topical restrictions.

Damien At The Speed Of Life - Why You Should Go

Damien Riley has a wide net of expertise, and this blog seems to be a culmination of many of them. It is part ‘get to know you better,’ part inspiration and advice ( guess a teacher can’t really ever get away from that) and part useful review where Damien talks about many of his favorite and most efficient work and time-savers, including Last.fm and Sidebar chat plug-ins. Damien has been researching the blogging field for quite some time, so it is worth a stop in at his blog if for nothing else than to glean his blogging knowledge (including this post where he lists 10 Gripes About Blogs These Days—quite a few of them are right on the mark!).

Summing Up Damien At The Speed Of Life

Damien didn’t need to start another blog, he wanted one that could be “a way to get out of my sometimes confining (though lucrative) niche of psychology and inspiration and have a freeform place to really connect with my readers on a less structured level.” It appears that Speed is fulfilling that goal, and serving as a nice round-out to Damien’s collection.

Go here to check out Damien At The Speed Of Life.

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 Kitchen Table Medicine:
Blog URL: http://kitchentablemedicine.com/
Category: Health, Personal Development

Kitchen Table Medicine

Kitchen Table Medicine is the work of Dr. Nicole Sundene, a Naturopathic physician (yes, a real doctor giving out real advice!), and her team of colleagues and contributors which includes a naturopath, a personal trainer, a Doctor of Philosophy and Psychotherapist, and a “Happiness Expert” with a law degree from Yale. It’s an impressive mix of minds and a place where you can learn from real, credentialed experts to feed your mind, body, and spirit in ever-better and healthier ways.

Kitchen Table Medicine - Why You Should Go

Kitchen Table Medicine is a blog with the potential to help you live better in all aspects of life, including “tips for natural, healthy, organic, sustainable, good green living” and more. The primary contributor is the creator, Dr. Nicole Sundene, who posts on a regular basis and lends information and guidance to those looking to live and feel better, naturally. She is accompanied by her professional team of contributors who post on topics of self improvement, fitness, exercise, and other health-related topics for everything from managing depression to overcoming the fatigue of cancer treatments and natural detox diets.

What’s great about Kitchen Table Medicine is that it is not another health blog that doesn’t really give advice. This blog (which of course offers its own healthy dose of disclaimers and advisement for personal professional attention by qualified health professionals) details the foods, diets, practices, and products that you can use to live better. It raises all the issues related to living better, including knowing what to use, how to use it and when, and what to change psychologically to incorporate real, lasting, healthy change; and it offers a platform where people can ask and learn of qualified natural health professionals, and get real responses to questions (and participate in Dr. Nicole’s poll to tell her what you want her to write about).

Summing Up Kitchen Table Medicine

Kitchen Table Medicine is an easier way to learn about living better in sync with nature. It’s a way to become more familiar with natural living without being overwhelmed by all there is to learn. Dr. Nicole and company present the information in small, understandable, digestible pieces, and cover all the bases for successful healthy living. If you could benefit by learning to live better and more naturally, pay Dr. Nicole a blog-call.

Go check out Kitchen Table Medicine.

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

Where to Find Master Your Card:
Blog URL: http://masteryourcard.com/blog/
Category: Personal Finance

Master Your Card

Credit Cards are a major source of frustration for a large percentage of the world’s population. If you know the facts, though, and know how to manage your card, your income, and your debt, a credit card does not have to be an additional source of financial stress and strain.

This is the premise upon which Master Your Card is being built. This young blog, a collaborative effort of four writers - Jonathon, Mike, Melanie, and Rob - all with a range of personal and professional finance experience, aims to help people master their financial lives by understanding credit, debt, the banking and finance industry, and also by giving real ways to utilize credit cards and pay down debt.

Master Your Card - Why You Should Go

As the name indicates, there is a lot to learn here about credit cards and debt management. But there is a lot to learn about personal finance and money management, too. Included in the categories are topics like:

• Budgeting
• Credit Cards
• Credit Rating
• Debt
• Frugal Living
• Myths
• Personal Finance
• Psychology

It’s not all work and no play, though; there are funny stories and miscellaneous pieces of interesting information included as well.

The bloggers here work in areas of finance and banking, and also work themselves day to day to improve their own financial pictures. These are real people with real budgets who are trying to do the same as everyone else and get a handle on credit card debt and money management. In addition, they offer interesting perspectives on the different banking establishments and industries, and offer insight few are privy to who do not work in these fields.

Summing Up Master Your Card

The contributors to Master Your Card do not necessarily view credit use as evil. They just understand it to be something that can’t be done with blinders on; they recognize that a credit card can be a useful financial management tool if you understand what you are getting into, so they’ve made it their goal to bring their readers real information and useful advice, blending both daily habits and tips for living within a budget with insider information aimed at clarifying the credit industry and the tactics it employs.

This is a site that you can read daily to gain better financial management and control bit by bit. The information is real and even better it’s understandable. At just four months young Master Your Card promises to be a very reliable and user-friendly way to learn about personal finance and credit management.

Go here to check out Master Your Card.

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

NewsFlash:

Legendary Cyberculture and Stumbleupon resident, Bleem-Filk, awards Sean Rasmussen an honorary citizenship for Planet Twilo

Cyberking Bleem-Filk

The recent review of Cyberculture King Bleem-Filk, on DoYouDiggIt, sparked a generous gesture by the Stumbleupon blogging legend. He awarded an honorary citizenship certificate for his home planet, Planet Twilo, to Sean Rasmussen.

The Planet Twilo citizenship is a highly desired award in the Stumbleupon community and cannot be gained too easily. When interviewed, upon the presentation of this prestigious award, an overwhelmed Rasmussen said:

“I do not know what to say… Words fail me! As a kid, I dreamed of this but never really thought it could become reality”

As there are only about 100 citizens on Planet Twilo, as revealed during a candid interview with Bleem-Filk, there is no need for a surname on the certificate. If Sean ever manages to overcome the ever rising rocket fuel prices to visit his second home, he will be likely to get the phonenumber: 12, should you wish to call him.

Cyberculture on Stumbleupon

On a serious note, you can visit Bleem-Filk’s stumbleupon pages to see what the fuss is about in the world of Social Networking and Cyberculture. If you aren’t already a Stumbleupon user, this place may just be a little strange to you. However, have some patience and look through the great world that Bleem-Filk lives in.

Who knows, you might just like it!

Relevant Stumbleupon links:

Here are some relevant Stumbleupon links to visit the pages of Bleem-Filk and Sean Rasmussen

Have fun, and as Captain Filk would say: May The Salad Fork Be With You!

Sean Rasmussen
Do You Digg It!
Blog Review Team
Do You Digg It! © 2008