The Ten Blogging Commandments According to Ted

I first came to blogging in 1999. Those were the days of the very early Blogger, later bought by Google. Things were primitive. And the Internet was slow. But, I was enthralled anyway. Since then, I’ve “fathered” a dozen different blogs, mostly political and mostly about Europe and Greece. All these blogs are now extinct. Some died early. Others thrived. I am not the most organized person in the world and I made the fatal mistake of not keeping back-ups. Lots of (what I consider) good writing went to waste. Bits and pieces I have saved because of the use of word processors. But, overall, I made a big mistake in not backing up everything.
The other day I reconnected with an old friend who considers me his “Blog Father.” He did his share of blogging with success. We talked about old times. In between reminiscences, he raised an interesting point. After reading a million how-to-blog lists of do’s and don’ts, he said, he’s still not satisfied. So, he asked me for my take on what to do and don't do when blogging. I wrote my Ten Commandments and sent them to him and he replied enthusiastically. I told him he is biased on the positive side because he is a friend, but he insisted he was one hundred percent honest in his evaluation.

So, here’s my advice on how to do blogging--the distilled version after seventeen years on the front line. If you care to comment, please, be honest (moderate brutal is acceptable, too.)

ONE: Give thought to why you want to blog before you start.
Do you want to just vent? Or, do you plan to be rich and famous through blogging? Do you want to talk about your life? Or, do you want to tell the world about your brilliant success in raising horses? Knowing precisely why you want to blog puts many other things into perspective and could spell the difference between a successful, high quality blog and a shipwreck from the day one. I am sure you have read this admonition many time elsewhere--but I always believed repetition is the mother of learning.
TWO: No abuse, no hate.
Both words I use in their non-politically correct meaning. Calling an "African American" "black" is not abuse; calling a black any of the names collected in the old days is abuse. Expressing strong dislike for the enemies of your country is not hate; calling for dropping a nuclear bomb on their home space is (there is so much else to do to end the threat.) Rule of the thumb is to stay in the verbal "green zone." Admittedly, this job is difficult these days with the gigantism of various “movements” that are in your face and mine. Still, a cold-blooded approach is always far better than a slugfest you cannot win. Let them know what you think in precise and simple terms. Do not scream louder than the offender. Ninety percent of the time even the worst rabid dog of an “entitled” opponent will retreat-- because he has no clue of what you’re talking about or because he cannot emulate a “style” that requires a level of sophistication he cannot match.
THREE: Title and blog description
Be innovative. Choose "My Diary" if you want visitors to go into headlong flight. Choose something like "Curious Thinking" to deliver originality. Blog description should contain “your message.” Instead of going for “Pages from my diary” aim for strengthening “Curious Thinking” as in “How to influence change.”
FOUR: Be consistent, blog often
This is one of the oldest pieces of advice in the rule book. Consistency and frequency are two of the most vital blogging elements. Show your voice and your cadence and go from there. If you will post a 2,000-word essay today and return to your blog early next year, don't bother unless you are the living copy of T.S. Elliot. Start with modest steps. Three or four posts a week is a fair target at the beginning. If you are prolific, do not machine gun your readers unless you discover early on that the more you write the sunnier your statistics become (a rare and ideal case.) The average returning visitor spends anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes on a blog. Do not saturate and do not assume that reader attention is guaranteed (perfect recipe for disaster.)
FIVE: Think niche
This is another old rule you should never break. You can fly in all directions, and combine deep sea fishing with computer science, wine tasting, and fixing mobile phone tower antennas, but it is better to stick with something you can handle "professionally." Aim for original content that has "added value" to it. Creating "perishable" entries (i.e. posts containing links to various sources) may be fun, but they, just like the blogs that carry them, are forgotten inside the hour. The most prominent example of a perishable entry is the news story. The way the world turns nowadays, last hour's news is this hour's pre-history. Try to capture your reader's attention with original ideas and new thinking that does not replicate.
SIX: Comments or no comments?
Blogs are social hubs. Commenting is inseparable from this essential characteristic. Many bloggers though are uncomfortable with “Who can comment? Anyone.” Comments can excite and be provocative or they can be a nightmare. Moderating comments usually turns off readers/commenters unless you are writing The Economist blog. But non-moderated comments often lead to abuse. It's up to you to tweak and test and find a way. My assumption is that a blog has open comments.
SEVEN: Offer e-mail contact only
I am not for posting personal details on a blog. An e-mail is enough for keeping an “open channel” to your readers.
EIGHT: The truth that's fit to print
If you are posting factual detail, make sure that everything is checked and double checked. Do not toss around unsubstantiated “news” or other “information.” Post nothing you doubt or question. If you make a mistake, correct it as soon as possible. Show your readers you care about truth (whatever that means) and substance.
NINE: Don't make them dizzy
Blogs are read on a “device.” Increasingly these days this device is a smart phone. Computer monitors are still current. Choose a template that won't make your readers squint and strain. The best content will go to waste if your blog is unreadable. Avoid colors and blinding graphics. And don't forget: there are ONLY FOUR font families, Arial, Georgia, Courier New, and Verdana (and any of their close derivatives.)
TEN: Take your leave, if you wish, but tell them
Blogging should be fun. If it is not fun any longer, and it has become a pain and a "duty," that's the time to move on. But, don't just delete your blog and disappear. As a least sign of respect to your readers — the same who returned to your page time after time and contributed to your blog — post a short announcement of your retirement.

One final note on writing. Be as "literate" as you can. I do not subscribe to the various theories of "writing for blogs." Good writing is good writing whether it's done for blogs, books, newspapers, manuals, the church newsletter, and “in house” reports. Aim for your best English. Forget the clichés stuck in our minds because of the deluge of print and electronic “content.” There’s no need to tell the world, “Kelly Dunggoff pregnant: the six things you need to know.” There’s even less need to announce, “The amazing story of Greg Tsastelovskyii: Details that’ll blow your mind.” Show a standard of taste (hard to define but obvious to everybody except natural or deliberate morons) and don’t be afraid to learn from the best. Unless you are addressing the “very, very cool,” i.e. those who are outside the hated mainstream (still about eighty percent of readers above the age of 15) stay away from using your “talking voice.” Talking is, by nature, disjointed and, often, full of contradictions. A “talking voice” in writing is always the quick way to sudden death unless you are a born writer for this style. Above all, make sure you let the world know you are interested in what you write. This is the toughest test for any writer and, to date, very distinguished few have emerged as the true champions in this test.

Finally: Read William Zinsser’s On Writing Well and Jacques Barzun’s Simple & Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers. Once you read and digest them both, you will be on the firmest ground possible.