Blogs are so 1990s - can we do better?

[kentobin]

I've found google+ to be more invasive than facebook. Last week I was poking around in it. I never use the account and found it was copying pictures and videos off my smartphone and populating my google+ account with it.

I consider it invasive when google+ defaults start interrogating my cellphone and taking things off of it without my knowledge. I'm sure that there is some legaleeze that google uses to do this but who reads all this and I'm sure google knows that.

Deleted everything there, god only knows what good that does, and terminated the account.

[Target9000]

If you're interesting, write well, or have beautiful women aboard in your photos; you'll have readers. We get lots of interaction, a lot of email, a lot of blog comments, and facebook friends. As Canibul pointed out, not all of it is visible all the time. Our website generates a lot of traffic and I don't feel like we're talking to an empty room.

Most blogging software now can seamlessly tie into social media and youtube can be embedded into it or be watched from youtube.

People that point out that bloggers are all either just writing for family or that they're out to make money are incorrect. There are others that blog for other reasons. Don't get pigeon holed by what other people think about blogging.

Find some awesome blogs you love and take the best of what you like from them to start with. If you want a ton of commentary, find blogs that use facebook as the comment backend. If you want video, get in touch with vbloggers.

Delos has been pointed out, for some that are doing it "right" please check out motoventuring.com for a nice example of vblogging.

In short, instead of trying to find a perfect solution, use the best of each solution to make what you want. As a side note, most blogs about "sharing my thoughts" seem to fail. The awesome ones all seem to pick something specific and stay loosely on that topic.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jongleur

If something says 'facebook' I hastily click off. I don't
tweet. Google+ plum evades me. The text capability
on my flip phone is turned off. I've got my 7 or 8
sites I look at and then I have a life. Web development
may continue apace without me.

I will check out S/V Delos's youtubes though.

My bag phone is on. As I read the OP he wants to reach a broader no. of people with or without a specific interest? I read most of this sites posts.
I don't know the purpose of reach people that don't have similar interest.
I put my 2 cents in when I think I may have something to offer. Try not to sound like a fool and am in awe of some post.

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by Tessellate

Cruisers Forum is awesome - don't get me wrong - but it's forum software that the vast majority of the world hasn't used in the last 10 years. Social networks took over for most Internet dialogue a while ago. Specialty forums still have their place for particular interests like this.

But the amazing thing about S/V Delos for example is they've managed to bridge the divide between sailors and non-sailors. They've made accessible the attraction of cruising. 99.9% of people don't know the difference between weather helm and lee helm, and therefore a more accessible format is the only thing they'll ever spend time on before moving back to their Facebook feed.

Just my 2cents. I look at this site for information. I'm not into chatting, or pictures. If this site should change, I'm outta here. I like seeing photos of refits, lots of information there. My only complaint is similar, in that I feel the threads should have mor specific catagories. Mast, sail, rigging, hatches, tanks etc. I plug one word in, say, rodes. I get 2,000 threads and not one of them has the word rode in it. Course I could be doing it wrong. And why would one want this site and the contents to reach other people? I'm trying to get away from all that crap.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by zengirl

Just my 2cents. I look at this site for information. I'm not into chatting, or pictures. If this site should change, I'm outta here. I like seeing photos of refits, lots of information there. My only complaint is similar, in that I feel the threads should have mor specific catagories. Mast, sail, rigging, hatches, tanks etc. I plug one word in, say, rodes. I get 2,000 threads and not one of them has the word rode in it. Course I could be doing it wrong. And why would one want this site and the contents to reach other people? I'm trying to get away from all that crap.

Are you referring to an anchor rode (sp ?)

[Target9000]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Are you referring to an anchor rode (sp ?)

The hilarious irony that this thread will now appear in her "searches" as well.

This isn't 1990. If you can't take an hour out of your life to learn to leverage the power of search engines and site software to search things, I can't help you.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by Target9000

The hilarious irony that this thread will now appear in her "searches" as well.

This isn't 1990. If you can't take an hour out of your life to learn to leverage the power of search engines and site software to search things, I can't help you.

+1

Living in a fairly remote place for the past ten years, I can say the internet saves my butt daily. Operations manuals, advice, parts, the internet makes it possible for us to do most of our own maintenance and repairs and upgrades.

But how did this discussion go from blogs to the search function on this forum? apples and payayas.
Methinks someone is unclear on the original concept.

[Target9000]

Originally Posted by Canibul

+1

Living in a fairly remote place for the past ten years, I can say the internet saves my butt daily. Operations manuals, advice, parts, the internet makes it possible for us to do most of our own maintenance and repairs and upgrades.

But how did this discussion go from blogs to the search function on this forum? apples and payayas.
Methinks someone is unclear on the original concept.

The way it went from one to the other is that someone came into a thread about blogs and posted a complaint about how threads aren't specific enough. Again, the irony. I am dying over here.

PS Canibul, I enjoy your blog.

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Are you referring to an anchor rode (sp ?)

Yes, anchor. That was just an example. No matter what I type in the search, most of the time the threads that appear have nothing to do with what I typed in. And by chance if it does come up, I and others have to read through 2,000 threads to find an answer to a specific question, that is why so many people just try a new thread. The catagories need to be sorted out. What I just did, was go thru the entire year for every catagory they now have. Chose the ones I was interested in, emailed them to myself and put them all in specific folders. 1,300 of them. Daily I update what is new and concerns me. So now if I have a question on diesel engines I go look in my folder and if not there I will post the question. A lot easier than searching and reading for two hours.

p.s. and that is on my iphone that I usually search.

[Stu Jackson]

I've read all of Sundowner's blog, it's one of the best - humorous, specific to their boat but great for learning, and shows that they've done their own homework and are willing to share.

I've followed a few other friends' bogs, just to keep up with what they're up to, some written much better than others.

In addition to blogs and CF format websites, there are "boat specific" websites, like our Catalina 34 website, which includes a forum, wiki and other archived material. While boat specific, it includes issues that are not, like electrical and plumbing systems. I contribute heavily there, with text and photos. Instead of doing my own personal "blog," my experiences are all on that site.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by zengirl

Yes, anchor. That was just an example. No matter what I type in the search, most of the time the threads that appear have nothing to do with what I typed in. And by chance if it does come up, I and others have to read through 2,000 threads to find an answer to a specific question, that is why so many people just try a new thread. The catagories need to be sorted out. What I just did, was go thru the entire year for every catagory they now have. Chose the ones I was interested in, emailed them to myself and put them all in specific folders. 1,300 of them. Daily I update what is new and concerns me. So now if I have a question on diesel engines I go look in my folder and if not there I will post the question. A lot easier than searching and reading for two hours.

p.s. and that is on my iphone that I usually search.

I'd have to get a grand kid to do that. Only been in Marathon once. Found the folks at Burdine's, I think sp, to be very nice.

[Sondor]

Originally Posted by zengirl

...I plug one word in, say, rodes. I get 2,000 threads and not one of them has the word rode in it. Course I could be doing it wrong. And why would one want this site and the contents to reach other people? I'm trying to get away from all that crap.

Here's a quick and dirty guide (shamelessly copied from vBulletin.org) to searching that should dramatically aid your search results:

Basic Search Syntax

• Search multiple words use Boolean operators such as:
  - AND (ex. ajax AND instant)
  - OR (ex. ajax OR instant)
  - NOT (ex. ajax NOT instant) or use the minus sign (-) (ex. ajax -instant)
• Search for an exact phrase using quotes:
  - (ex. "instant email")
• Search for wild cards using asterisks (*)
  - (ex. *mail)

I use and find each one of these helpful on a daily basis. Note that these search techniques work all over the internet. Not just here on CF.

Another tip is to search in " Thread Titles Only" - That way you will ONLY see highly targeted and relevant results - threads whose name matches your query. Otherwise as you noted, you may have to scan an entire thread to find the one or two messages that drifted off-topic and into the topic you have an interest in.

If you wish to get a better education on internet search in general, look into "Boolean Search"

Btw, to the topic at hand (blogs are so 90's) - the way it's done these days are to have a "home-base" which *could* be a blog or a regular website, but as somebody above mentioned, tie it in to all the social media sites and manage them from a single dashboard. You don't have to post to FB, Twitter, Instagram etc... one by one.

Hootsuite is probably the most widely used social-media dashboard, but there are many others. Many of which are free btw - at least for their basic features: https://hootsuite.com/plans/free


Cheers!

[Dhillen]

I guess people want to sail for different reasons and one should not judge. There are thousands of earnest sailing blogs out there with people writing in excruciating detail about the most mundane things aboard. That is not for me but if they get a jolly or two putting that stuff up on the internet, so what?

I have always hated, loathed and despised Blogspot. We have a Wordpress site and posting to it is simplicity itself.

Does anyone read our blog? Next question: Do I care? Apparently we have 10,000 hits or something so somebody other than myself looks at it. My wife doesn't. Her family doesn't and I don't even think my family reads it (!). Why do I bother?

I like to think of the effort as my "literary suppository." It is a dark place I can insert all my writing and journals of our adventures when they are fresh and as they happen. Years later I will have, I hope, amassed a goodly amount of interesting (to me) stories. My two young daughters, perhaps 40 years from now, may even deign to read them and reminisce but that will be their decision and if they don't, well, who cares?

Cheers.

Dhillen

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by Target9000

The hilarious irony that this thread will now appear in her "searches" as well.

This isn't 1990. If you can't take an hour out of your life to learn to leverage the power of search engines and site software to search things, I can't help you.

I didn't ask you.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Target9000]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I didn't ask you.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I know sweetie but not to worry; the advice was free.

:ducks: