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10 Commonly Used Net Lingos To Improve Your Internet Experience

Published at December 27, 2007 in Blogs and Blogging, Observations and Opinions and Something Fun. 14 Comments

Internet ChatWhenever I read an interesting article that has a lively discussion, I sometimes feel the urge to join in and contribute. I want to share what I know.

However, when I encounter a foreign word or a Net Lingo, I lose momentum because I still have to research its definition if I can’t figure out what it means in a sentence.

It’s frustrating sometimes when a time-sensitive discussion goes hot and I want to reply to some of the comments. Looking up the words can be a waste of time. How I wished I knew those words at the start because, before I can respond after research, somebody has already “stolen” or written my argument.

That’s the reason why I am going to share with you my top 10 popular internet lingos to help you improve your online surfing experience:

Alphabetically arranged:

• FTW – For The Win – Commonly used in sports forum, particularly in sports game updates where members talk about the player who is taking the buzzer-beating shot for the win.

• LMAO – Laughing My Arse Out – Used by people when they read something real funny. LMAO has replaced the old LOL (Laughing Out Loud) and ROTFL (Rolling on the floor laughing). Two things I noticed about LMAO. 1.) It is seldom used by women. 2.) It is frequently used by a top SEO master Vic Franqui. For SEO ranking purposes? I am not sure. :P

• QFT – Quoted For Truth – I personally like this one. Short but powerful. It simply means a vote of approval when a person reads something honest and truthful and he can’t pass up the chance to quote the author.

• SFW / NSFW – Safe For Work / Not Safe For Work – These terms are often suffixed after a topic title to forewarn a reader that he is about to view a post that contains graphic pictures/videos and his work might be at stake if he tries to view it. By the way, shouldn’t you be working instead of watching videos? :P

• WTH – What The Heck – This is usually followed by a question mark, to express utmost disbelief. “Heck” can be substituted by another “H” word unpleasant to Christian ears. WTH is a cousin of a stronger term WTF which is normally the choice expression of a foul-mouthed person.

Honorable Mentions

I separated the next 5 because their definitions are pretty much self-explanatory. All of them are used in chats, text messages, discussion boards and forum:

• AFAIK – As Far As I Know.
• IDK – I Don’t Know.
• IIRC – If I Recall Correctly
• IMO / IMHO – In My Opinion / In My Humble Opinion.
• OTOH – On The Other Hand

IN CLOSING

Learning new things is a challenge. If you are a member of a forum, don’t be afraid to ask. Most of the time, members are more than willing to help you out. But if you are too embarrassed, then make sure to bookmark this page and share it with others who are afraid to be branded as “newbie”.

Do you have a top 5 or top 10 Net Lingos? If you still have doubts on certain net lingos, feel free to come back and post them here.

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Write In Your Best Condition

Published at December 14, 2007 in Blogs and Blogging and Observations and Opinions. 8 Comments

I got home last night with one thing in my mind: to write. Having been fully immersed in work the entire week, I was happy that I could finally be able to set free the overflowing ideas in my mind. I was back in my sanctuary. So, I began typing on the keyboard.

Unfortunately, the physical exhaustion has affected my writing capabilities.

My fingers were stuck at the home keys, my eyes began closing, my head started dropping. I tried to fight it, but failed. I arrived at a conclusion: I was physically tired.

And there was no sense of forcing something that has no power.

Strength

So I asked myself: should I continue just for the sake of writing despite my temporary incapability? If so, shouldn’t I be worried that I might sabotage my post?

My main objectives for having a blog are 1.) to express myself, and 2.) share my thoughts, opinions, and observations with others. Writing unsatisfactorily would be a shame and a disrespect to myself and to my readers.

With that in mind, I made a decision: I turned the machine off, took a break and then slept.

Now – fresh and recharged – I am reminded of basketball players when they are not healthy. Basketball is a physical game, and an injured player is not allowed to play until he is 100% healthy or cleared by the team doctor (some exceptions apply).

The risk of aggravating the injury is simply too high if a player forces the issue. Besides, will he be able to give something of significance given his limitations?

Same goes with writers and bloggers.

A writer should also rest if he needs to, because just like athletes, he should be in his excellent physical condition to bring out the best in him.

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How Viral Linking Taught Me To Be Patient

Published at December 9, 2007 in Attitude, Blogs and Blogging and Simple Tips and How-To. 21 Comments

ChainIf you don’t know what Viral Linking is, or you are not comfortable with how it works, then you came to the the right place.

In this post, I will discuss what viral linking is, why it is tempting, and how it taught me to be patient.

What is Viral Linking?

Viral linking is a tempting activity among bloggers because it is so easy to accomplish. All you have to do is answer some questions from the originator and list the sites/blogs in your post and “tag” other people to do the same. As a result, the list grows (or spreads) like a virus.

Viral Linking comes in various names. Meme (rhymes with “cream”), Chain Blog Links, Tagging Game are some of the names associated with it. Basically, viral linking is similar to chain linking.

Why Do Bloggers Do It?

Exchanging of links (or backlinking) is hard to come by. As much as possible, we want our site linked to others in an ethical fashion. And it’s a tough mission if your site is still new or unpopular. You might get ignored.

But since viral linking is well accepted in the blogging world, it quenches our thirst for backlinks. Below you’ll read some of the common benefits of viral linking:

• Receive Inbound Links
An inbound link means a website or another blog is linking to you. For a blog, particularly the new and low-traffic ones, receiving an inbound link is like a manna in the desert. The feeling is good when you found out that someone out there knows your site exists. So just imagine if you’re a part of a successful viral linking: the inbound links will be tremendous.

• Increase in Technorati Ranking
Technorati is a service that ranks blogs according to “reactions” or links it received. The ranking is called Authority. If your blog has been mentioned in a post of another blog, it is counted as a reaction. In the past 3 months, my blog has received 50 reactions, which is equivalent to almost 17 a month. Close to a half of those coming from viral linking.

Community

• Receive Untargeted Traffic
Untargeted Traffic means hits from sites outside your niche or interest. If you’re a part of a tagging game, bloggers who participate might click on your site to learn more about you. How do I know? Because that’s what I sometimes do.

• Increase of Potential Readership
Readership means the number of people who read your site on a regular basis. It is manifested in the comments you receive. If those who are part of viral linking enjoy your post, there’s a strong likelihood that they come back and might subscribe in a reader or by email.

• Build a Community
One thing I noticed about Viral Linking is that bloggers involved seem to know each other. If you want to establish a community, a simple tagging game can be a good start.

Viral Linking Taught Me Patience

PatienceKnowing its benefits, it’s so easy to fall into its trap. Viral Linking is a double-edged sword. It is good if done properly, otherwise, overdoing it might cost you some readers. Just ask yourself: would like to read a blog with half of its content are viral links? As a blogger, I want to share insightful experiences and useful information. As a reader, I want to learn more about the author.

I have seen how viral links works, because I’ve been a beneficiary. But I purposely didn’t maximize its full potential. Being included in numerous linking before, I was tempted to spread the love, too. However, I had to wait for a viral linking that fits my blog, and I was glad Jeni tagged me for a simple tagging game (see below). Patience is truly a virtue.

Why Don’t Some Bloggers Do It?

Some bloggers are not really fond of viral linking, and here are my theories:

• Out of niche – Some bloggers are too protective of their niche, and they feel they will lose some readers if they participate in viral linking especially if the questions are not within their subjects.

• PageRank Concerns and Paid Links – Some bloggers have what Frank best describes as “Googlenoia“, or being paranoid of Google’s evil acts. Big name bloggers seldom (or never) do viral links because they prefer paid links. They will not link to you unless you are willing to pay for a tiny space in their sites. There’s nothing wrong with what they are doing since their priority is monetization.

• Laziness – Formatting links and post can sometimes be pain in the neck and time-consuming, especially if the blogging editor is not really user-friendly.

How Do You Play The Tag Game?

As I said above, the originator of the tag game will set some rules and you simply follow them. Most of the time, it contains questions to be answered.

In order to make the viral linking successful, you have to copy the links from the previous tag. It’s really that simple.

I was tagged by Jeni and I’m going to use that viral linking as an example:

Below are the links included in the tag, feel free to click on the sites that look interesting to you:

Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamas
StylewithPassion
Chinneeq

Dora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks

Dancing in Midlife Tune
Underneath it All
I am Dzoi
Hobbies and Such
moms…..check nyo

Choc Mint Girl
Amel’s Realm
My Thoughts
Rusin Roundup – Mel
MondayMorningPower
Comedy Plus
Mother’s Home!

Down River Drivel -> last tagger

PlanetSaedel -> my site

1st Rule: If you are tagged, copy the links above and insert your site at the bottom of the list (right under the last tagger) to make sure you’re included in the succeeding tags (see example above).

2nd Rule: Tag 5 bloggers from your list. (My tags below)

My Tags

• Vic Grace at CaribooPonderer
• Cris at KillTimeDoBlog
• Marcus at MarcusLangford
• Frank at OpTempo
• Mert at Search For Blogging

Tagging game, by its technical definition, should have a question. So for optional 3rd rule, here’s a simple question for you to answer: Briefly, what’s the story behind your site name?

Because I am the originator of the question, I’ll answer it first:

PlanetSaedel means “my world” or “my planet”. Here, I share personal experiences, tips, insights, and advices for others to use.

Since the question was a modification of the original rule, you may or may not choose to answer the question. It’s really up to you.

CONCLUSION

Viral Linking is one of the smartest methods of natural link exchange among us bloggers that will increase our inbound links. However, overdoing it might lose you some readers or turn off first time visitors. Learn to be patient, wait for the right “tag” tailored for your blog. If you’ve been tagged, it’s your choice if you want to continue the viral linking or not. And if I have tagged you, I hope you do spread the links.

Happy Tagging!

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The Website Grader, 2 Months Later

Published at November 28, 2007 in Blogs and Blogging, Online tools and Simple Tips and How-To. 14 Comments

This planet was just barely one month old when I first used a free online tool called “The Website Grader” (owned by The HubSpot Company). The grader analyzed my site and gave it a grade. The result was expected: a low mark. Two months later — I’m posting my site’s grade again.

As of writing, this blog is graded 72%, still low if you base it on the “academic” grading standards; but allow me to brag a bit — that is a major improvement, considering that my previous grade was only 41%. My goal is to reach a grade of around 80%-85% before the year ends.

The rest of the post contains technical terms and blogging-related jargons, so if you are one of my non-technical and/or non-blogger readers, feel free to skip to the conclusion below.

What is Website Grader?

This is according to their website….

Website Grader is a free seo tool that measures the marketing effectiveness of a website. It provides a score that incorporates things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. It also provides some basic advice on how the website can be improved from a marketing perspective.

If you are a new blogger, this is a good start to learn about SEO, internet marketing, and traffic.

A snapshot of my grade. Click for more details.
PlanetSaedel.com's Website Grade

What I Noticed

There are a few things I noticed. It’s normal to get a low score if your site is new. Your grade will gradually increase if you regularly update your blog. I learned this by checking my site a few hours after I post an entry. In simple words: More Content = Higher Score.

I also noticed that my Google PageRank (PR) went up to 3 from 0. I was kind of expecting it. New blogs/sites start with a 0 PR. If your site hits 3 months and Google updated the PR, you may be given a ranking, like what happened to this planet.

I also found out that the Delicious Saved Count remains at 0 even though I saved some of my pages in my account. The Subscriber Count is also reading 0, mainly because they are using the WordPress built-in feeder as the basis, not the FeedBurner, which is what I am using. It is minor, though, since I have access to that number.

Checking Out Popular Social Sites

Out of curiosity, I checked out some of the most popular social sites among bloggers. You will find below their scores as of this writing: (click on their names for full report)

CONCLUSIONS

My score is increasing simply because I am updating my blog on a regular basis. The more content I post, the better grade I get. But is that what I really want?

If you are a blogger, this grading system is a good motivational tool to improve your technical blogging skills and social strategies as it also reports your traffic ranking and the number of sites that are linking to your blog. If you want to be in the thick of serious bloggers around the blogosphere, then use this tool to find errors in your site and try to correct them if you can.

However, this is not the only tool available for learning. Broaden your perspective and read a lot. If you are serious about SEO and related topics, there are other good websites and blogs that offer excellent tips to increase your scores and traffic. Also, getting a high grade doesn’t mean you have to be complacent. Don’t jack up your blog with meaningless posts for the sake of increasing your score. Remember, quality content is still the champion in the hearts of your readers.

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Don’t Let Your Diversions Take Over Your Job

Published at November 22, 2007 in Attitude, Blogs and Blogging, Career/Work/Job and Responsibility. 24 Comments

I used to be a workaholic, which meant I did my job not just efficiently, effectively, and productively but also going over and beyond expectations. It gave me a true sense of accomplishment. Extra-miling was one of my hobbies — sometimes I even brought my work at home to keep up or to be ahead.

I produced results. And by that, I meant awesome results that made my co-workers and I truly proud. It was a good scenario for me because it made me happy.

I have a weakness, though. When I develop new interests, they sometimes affect my priorities. These interests become diversions.

When I discovered blogging, it became my number one diversion and it interfered with my work.

I used to hone my technical skills.
Now I enjoy lurking in various websites.

I used to read books.
Now I prioritize blog-hopping and commenting in other blogs hoping to increase my site’s traffic.

I used to enjoy updating my school’s website.
Now it took a backseat because I prefer looking for themes and plugins to improve my blog.

Suddenly, I’m the man who can’t produce results. Because at the back of my head, I keep thinking my job can wait. I know I can always do it later.

Problem is, “later” never ever arrives because:

  • I look for and think of something to blog about instead of focusing on the real work at hand.
  • I check my site’s stats whenever I get the chance.
  • I leave my email open and check it every time I go near my laptop.
  • I visit social sites to learn more about blogging tips because I’m afraid to be left behind.

Other people love to malinger during work: extended coffee break, smoking, playing games online, shopping online, and many more. I know, because that’s what I’ve observed from others. Although I consider mine a lesser evil, it is still evil nonetheless, as far as my real work is concerned. Those activities I listed above are just a few examples of little things I insert during work. Little things that when combined, become a bad habit that holds back productivity.

And it has to stop now because that’s not the way I work. I am no fan of mediocrity.

There are reasons why I didn’t quit the 9-5 job (or 8-4 for me) for blogging. It’s because my day job is one of the biggest sources of my income and I enjoy it. Simply ignoring it means taking the risk of gradually losing it. And I can’t afford that. Without my job, this site will cease to exist.

This realization has led me to think that some things will simply have to be bumped down my to-do list. Since I enjoy blogging (or writing) and it makes me happy, I will continue to post and do the “blogging etiquette”, if they are within the boundaries of my priorities; or as long as I can do it while still producing results for my day job.

So how do I intend to do it?

Simple. Stop doing unnecessary things at work. It’s easier said than done, but that’s the responsibility that we all have to take. I’ll summarize it in two quick steps:

Step 1: Eliminate non-related activities during work hours – gradually, then completely. In this case, blogging has to be dropped from my 8-4 schedule.

Step 2: Every night, spend 1.5 to 2 hours at the most (not necessarily consecutive) for diversions. Since blogging is on the top of the list, I will have to settle doing it at night or when I get home. It includes “blog-rolling”, stats checking, commenting, social networking, and the like. I feel I have already built a connection with other bloggers and I don’t want to lose that. My presence will definitely still be felt. Doing Step 2, I will not have to worry about blogging during work hours.

In simple words, I just have to be more disciplined to live more happily.

How about you, do your diversions interfere with your work? If so, what do you plan to do to remain productive?

——

Inspired by:
Haiku Blogging @ ProBlogger.com

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