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19 Apr
20 Reasons You Shouldn’t Be a Freelancer
Blogging, Business, Corporate
150

We’ve all read countless articles on the reasons you should consider freelancing.
They often make it out like anyone still working in the corporate world is just a schmuck with no ambition. But the truth is, there are plenty of reasons not to start freelancing.
Below are twenty such reasons, all laid out so you can make an informed decision about whether freelancing is really something you want to do in your career.
There’s nothing wrong with staying in a corporate job, just as there’s nothing wrong with setting out on your own. But it’s a choice every designer and developer needs to make for themselves.
One note: when we talk about “corporate jobs”, we’re talking mostly about design firms with multiple employees (whether they’re corporations or not), but most of it also applies to in-house design teams at large companies. Read more
10 Mar
WordPress vs. ExpressionEngine: Apples and Oranges?
Blogging, Expression Engine, WordPress
202

This post has been a long time coming. Whether on Twitter or in the blogosphere, the question often arises, and I have been asked numerous times for my opinion on the ExpressionEngine vs. WordPress debate, and why one would choose one content management system (CMS) over the other.
My usual answer is that they cannot be compared. While WordPress had made huge strides in usability, for anything other than a blog it is an apple.
ExpressionEngine, with the release of version 2.0, makes for a lovely platform that is, as we will see, an orange. Read more
9 Feb
Free Speech and Freedom of Information: Advice for Bloggers
Blogging, Information
17

The information bloggers choose to put out there often has a huge impact on how they’re perceived and what others online think about them.
And what many bloggers don’t realize is that information they put on their blogs can have a direct legal impact.
Even if what you’re posting to your blog isn’t breaking any laws, it may be considered unethical by others, which can often be just as damaging.
Here’s a guide to free speech and freedom of information specifically for bloggers. Legal issues, ethical issues, and other things to consider are all covered.
If you have additional input or advice, or disagree with anything here, please speak up in the comments. Read more
30 Nov
Internet Famous: Becoming an Online Celebrity
Blogging, How to, Internet
57

Some people dream of being famous from the time they’re quite young. They crave the spotlight, and will do anything to be the center of attention.
They want nothing more than to become a celebrity, to have legions of adoring fans, and to have their name recognized the world over.
For others, fame is a means to an end. They want to be famous so people will buy their product, hire them to do something they love, or to influence others to support a cause they really care about.
They see promoting themselves and becoming a celebrity as a way to further their career, business, or other efforts, and nothing more. In many cases, these people would prefer not to be famous if they could be as effective in other ways.
Whichever category you fall into, if you’re reading this article you’re probably interested in becoming an Internet celebrity. Read on to find out more.
Read more
14 Sep
How to Display Your Content on a Blog’s Front Page
Blogging, How to, Web Design
40

The front page of a blog is obviously of great importance to the overall design.
Up until a few years ago, most blogs simply showed posts in order of publication, the most recent at the top.
Then excerpts became popular, and later magazine-style front pages.
The purpose of the front page will, of course, vary a bit from one type to another; for example, a personal blog will be different from a professional multi-author blog.
In this post, we will take a look at the options that bloggers and designers have for showing content on the front page, and some reasons for choosing each. Read more
19 Aug
How to Blog Effectively
Blogging, How to, Writing
70

A blog is a great tool with which to express your opinions, build a community, network with others and drive traffic to your website.
However, a lot of designers are not sure how to get started or what to blog about.
I’ve been blogging for a couple of years now, but I’ve been blogging effectively (in my opinion) for only several months.
My blog posts used to go unnoticed, and I’ve now realized that this was because of a lack of structure and commitment.
So, what’s involved in the process of writing an effective blog post?
Read more
2 Jul
20+ Useful Desktop Blog Editors
Blogging, CMS, WordPress
86

If you’re a power blogger, or someone who blogs regularly, across multiple blogs, with detailed, in-depth posts, a desktop blog editor can make your life infinitely easier.
At least when it comes to the blogging aspect of it. There are a lot of blog editors out there.
Some are browser-based, some are standalone. Some work across different platforms while others are only for Windows or Mac OSX. Some are paid while others are free.
The main thing they all have in common, though, is their ability to streamline your blogging process.
Below are more than 20 great desktop blog editors. There are options for every budget and every platform. Some even let you blog without blogging software. Read more
13 May
10 Ways to Launch a New Blog with a ‘Bang’
Blogging, Blogs, Freelancing
115

Do you want to enter the blogosphere like a quiet librarian enters a classroom, or do you want to rock the stage? I am definitely one to rock stuff out and in this article I will share a few tips to help you make an attention grabbing launch.
If you want to give your blog an exciting launch, your blog needs to be valuable to your target audience, otherwise your hard work will be in vain.
Ask yourself this simple question “Does my blog provide something that a thousand other blogs don’t?” If you don’t have something special to offer, no one will care when you launch or how you launch.
There will always be a certain category of blogs that will not qualify for a special launch and it is up to you to determine if your blog fits that category. Now let’s look at 10 ways that you can launch your new blog with a ‘bang’.
Read more
13 Mar
40 Comics Strips for Web Designers
Blogging, Comics, Freelancing, Internet
60

With the massive exodus towards online publishing, many people hardly reach for the newspaper these days. If there’s one thing I truly miss from the newspaper, it would be reading the comic strips.
There’s something magical about comic strips that seems to lighten your day and make you feel good. There’s certainly something to be said about starting your day with a bit of humor.
I figured that we’re so immersed in the Internet that it would be cool to compile a list of funny strips related to web design, the Internet and of course blogging.
Take a few minutes from your busy day to relax, have some fun and see how many of these situations relate to you… Read more
21 Feb
The Workstations of Popular Websites
Blogging, Blogs, Design
212

As a blogger myself, I’ve always wondered what other people’s workstations look like. I realize many of you probably wonder the same thing, so I’ve decided to prepare this post which includes photos of work spaces from popular blogs and websites.
Most pictures show Mac computers being used, sometimes in conjunction with PC’s and/or laptops. It’s also interesting to see how some spaces are very clean and minimalistic, while others draw inspiration from busier set ups.
Thanks to all of you that participated in this fun article and sent their images. Finally, if you have a popular website or blog and would like to be featured here, simply contact me so that I can include it here. The article will be expanded as other photos get submitted over the coming days.
Now, let’s go explore some interesting workstations and get inspired… Read more
6 Jan
I’m LiveBlogging This RIGHT NOW
Blogging, Social Media, WordPress
21

Liveblogging may very well be the future of traditional news media and blogging. Now you can stream information live on the internet and Twitter while an event is happening using nothing more than your laptop and free LiveBlogging software.
People have been doing it on a widespread basis for the past year, thanks to a plethora of free LiveBlogging tools that have sprung up almost overnight.
Whether you are a business striving to build a name and reputation in your industry or you are a web designer or web dev pro building a reputation, you need to be aware of Liveblogging and the tools used to conduct it.
We have moved from the “I’m blogging this” world to the “I’m Liveblogging this” world very quickly. People are no longer satisfied with hearing news after it has happened – they want access to news while it is happening. Read more