Three Tips for Blogging Productivity
Posted Friday, February 29th, 2008 7:44 am by Dave Moyer
Many people have asked me how I can blog so much. “How do you find the time to write all of that?” “Where do you get all your topics?” Well, those questions inspired this post: tips for blogging productivity.
Blogging, and all sorts of writing, tends to be fairly different from other things when you’re talking about productivity. This is because you often need to pay a lot more attention to what you’re writing, and multitasking isn’t so easy. You also can’t always do things as quickly as before. But, that being said, there are still a few things you can do to be as efficient as you can when it comes to blogging. Here are a few of my tips.
1. Use all the time you have - This tip really helps those with laptop and notebook computers. Especially if you carpool or take public transportation a lot, you’ll find there are lots of times in your day when you are just sitting around doing nothing. Use these times! Write a blog if you can, or brainstorm topics for later posts. I’ll talk about brainstorming later in this article. Using all the time you have can help you get a lot more done than you ever thought possible. In fact, I’m in a car right now as I write this!
2. Keep a list of topics for later posts - Writer’s block is probably the biggest hinderer of productivity when blogging. Keep a list of different topics to write on later. I use Remember the Milk to keep track of my tasks and to-do lists, and I have a list completely devoted to topics for later posts.
3. Take a little time to write - Just think about it. Is there ANY time in your day when you have at least 30 minutes free? If the answer is no, you need help. If you answered yes, you’ve got time to write SOMETHING at least once a day! I usually get around one article done every day at the minimum, just by sitting down and writing for half an hour each morning or evening. Try it out and see!
That’s all for now! Get blogging!
If you’ve got a tip to share, I’d love to hear from you! Just comment on this post by clicking the link below.
Comments (3) | Permalink
Paradigm Theme
Posted Thursday, February 28th, 2008 4:46 pm by Dave Moyer
Paradigm is a widget-compatible WordPress theme designed to be used for a podcast website, but can be used in any other way as well. It can be modified in any way you choose, as long as you don’t remove the credit to the theme author.
Latest Edition: 1.1
- Added support for Pagebar2 plugin
- Added pagination
- Updated search/archive pages with better display
- Removed ‘Filed In: Category‘ for posts, unnecessary on a podcast site. Can beadded back if needed.
DOWNLOAD: Latest Version - 1.1 (.zip)
Older Versions
1.0 (.zip)
Comments (1) | Permalink
Gmail vs. Thunderbird, Outlook or Apple Mail: Gmail wins!
Posted Sunday, February 24th, 2008 4:58 pm by Dave Moyer
As many know, I recently switched to Thunderbird from Outlook for my email and have been loving it! Well, since then, I’ve seen lots of posts talking about Gmail, and how it’s the ultimate email client. I pretty much assumed it was the best webmail service out there, but nothing could beat the speed and usability of having an installed email app like Thunderbird or Outlook.
After seeing many Lifehacker posts and others saying that Gmail was even better than a local program, I decided to give it a try. I was already loving Gmail in the first twenty minutes! It allows for POP access, so you can access almost any other email account you have through Gmail, with the exception of Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail, and you can even send mail through other accounts (this includes Yahoo! and Hotmail) without the use of SMTP. Most other programs, including Mail, Outlook and Thunderbird all use SMTP to send mail through the specific server. Gmail does things differently, sending messages through its own server, and making the “from” address whatever email you want it to be. It’s perfectly secure, though, as you need to verify you own that email before sending anything with a simple link or entering a code. This method is a definite plus as it’s faster than SMTP, and it gives those without SMTP relaying available the capability to send messages through Gmail.
So, I set up all my accounts, which was surprisingly simple. The first thing I noticed was how fast it was! Switching back and forth between messages and my inbox was almost immediate, even on a slow hotel connection! I also liked many of the features that you don’t find in other clients, such as a very nice search and the “quick reply” box at the bottom of a message. Gmail also has a very nice method for handling replies, almost like a message board or forum. Rather than seeing many rows of “RE:” in your inbox, Gmail groups messages into “conversations”. For instance, if I send an email to Beth Skinner with a change in the WordCast recording time, I won’t see RE: next to the subject when she replies. Instead, I’ll see something like “Beth (2)”. Gmail places the conversation at the top of my inbox, leaving me room for more messages. The more I reply, the conversation’s thread count increases, but it all stays within one entry in my inbox.
Another cool feature is the easy contact management. It’s got a 3 column layout to add and manage different contacts and groups. The whole Gmail UI is incredibly intuitive. The POP access works perfectly, and I have experienced no problems sending from other accounts. I made my regular email my default sending address, and it’s not had any problems! (The sending address can be changed when composing a message.) The filters work fine, and tagging (”labeling” in Gmail) works just like any other! All of these features, rolled into a webmail client that I can access anywhere and is faster than any installed program! Plus, it all works seamlessly with my Google Calendar (that’s another article), Google Docs, and more!
On top of all of this, I downloaded and installed the free Firefox extension by Gina [INSERT NAME] of Lifehacker, Better Gmail 2. It gave me even more cool features, like an alternate skins, message highlighting, default secure connections when accessing my mail, and setting Gmail as my default email client when I click on “mailto:” links when browsing.
Gmail is the definite winner in this battle, and I’d recommend it to anyone from zero to infinite experience with email. I don’t plan on going back to a local application anytime soon.
UPDATE: I’ve talked about the Gmail switch with many people, and nearly all with them have been skeptical. However, once they tried it out, they were loving it, just like I was. For instance, Kym Huynh wasn’t too keen on the idea, concerned about transferring messages. But once he tried it out, he was crazed about it, saying “I. Love. Gmail. Period!” Beth Skinner, once she switched, wrote, “I really hate having to admit this but my Web Kid was right, it’s a great product. (Plus it’s FREE!)” Bottom line: Just try it out, no matter how scared you may be.
Like this post? Buy me a Starbucks!Comments (7) | Permalink
Top reasons to make the switch to Firefox
Posted Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 12:20 am by Dave Moyer
I use Firefox, and it’s a great browser! No wonder it’s growing almost exponentially with users. These are my top 5 reasons to make the switch.
5. Great interface - It just works! Firefox has Google search built right in, with a selection of other engines to search with. Plus, with free extensions, you can add search engines at the click of a button. The downloads window is incredibly convenient (but, of course, this can always be turned off or changed if you want something new), and the Find function is much better than that of IE. It has no extra windows, simply a little, unobtrusive toolbar at the bottom of your screen.
4. Theming - Not found in IE or Safari, lots of people love the theming capability of Firefox. I usually choose not use them to conserve RAM, but browsing and trying on new themes can be lots of fun.
3. Security - Firefox is, by far, one of the most secure browsers you can have. With phishing security that doesn’t have annoying pop up windows, spyware protection, and a quick window to clear private data, Firefox has all the features to make it very secure, plus it’s open source! This means that it’s updated when it needs to be, with patches released when the holes are found. It’s even got an auto-update feature to make sure you get your security updates as soon as possible.
2. Session Restore - It’s another feature that IE lacks, and it’s saved me countless times. Everyone experiences the occasional crash (especially if you’re working on a PC), and Firefox has got you covered. If you’re forced to end the process or you get a beach ball and/or blue screen of death, you’ll be greeted with a little window next time you start Firefox, asking if you want to restore the previous session or start a new one. Unobtrusive, and quite the life saver. What’s not to love?
1. Plugins and Extensions - I don’t know where I’d be without Firefox extensions. With a gigantic directory full of free plugins, almost every function that’s not already built into Firefox can be added right in! I’ve written about some of my favorite plugins in the past, and will soon be publishing a post on the best plugins for productivity. Of course, IE doesn’t support any add-ons, and I don’t expect them to be supporting them any time soon.
Still not convinced? Check out the logo. Dudes. It’s a fox hugging the earth. How can you say no to that cute little guy? If you still need more evidence, check out the official features page for more information on the features mentioned above and even more. If you use another browser or have a question about Firefox, post a comment! It’s quick and easy.
Like this post? Buy me a Starbucks!Comments (2) | Permalink
iPod Shuffle Price Drop
Posted Friday, February 22nd, 2008 12:16 pm by Dave Moyer
What was $79 just days ago has now become $49, and what used to not exist will soon be only $69. Yes, the iPod shuffle has seen changes just like the Nano and iPhone have in the past, and Apple seems to be flaunting this one a bit less than before.
I wonder if they’re making room for something new besides the 2 GB model coming soon… what would they have in mind? I hope there’s another Nano price drop (even though I just got a new 8 GB one a couple months ago). Let’s wait and see what’s on the way from Apple this time…
Comments (0) | Permalink
About
Entries (RSS)
