Blogging in 2k9

• Analytics - Surprisingly, it wasn't until this year that I added web analytics (Google Analytics, of course). I knew about GA and its benefits of course, but hadn't bothered because I didn't think many folks were reading this blog. But I finally decided it was silly not to know, and might prove interesting, which it has.
• AdSense - As a corollary to the analytics, I decided to install a WordPress plug-in to manage Google's ad-display platform AdSense. It's not that I think my small readership warrants ads to defray hosting costs or that I expect much usefulness to come of the ads on display. However, I've written about AdSense before and having a working knowledge of it is a useful skill for a web developer/marketer. And hey, if I make a few bucks so much the better! But I'm still a long way off from the $100 minimum for Google to cut me a check.
• Topics - Though it does fly in the face of common blogging advice to "pick a theme and write exclusively on that topic," I continue to write about various topics. This year, martial arts, web development and coding, and design have comprised the bulk of my posts. Not surprisingly, these are what occupy a lot of my thoughts. In the coming year I'll continue to write about these and other topics, but I hope to change my current WordPress theme to one that better organizes the content into distinct content areas.
• Comments - Despite opening comments to all users without requiring an account, I rarely get comments. It's sad. The integration with the plug-in WordBook instantly adds my blog posts to my FaceBook "Wall" when I post here. This has increased readership and does garner comments on the FaceBook entry (but not on my blog). I'll investigate a way to cross-post comments from FaceBook my blog as well as ask folks to comment on my blog, too! Except you comment-spam robots, you can stay away. In fact, a great plug-in called WP Spam-Free has stopped 806 spam comments from appearing.
• Stats - 69 posts in 2009! Quite an achievement, actually; especially considering I write because I love it and not to meet any quota. Here's how they broke down in my favorite categories:
  • Design - 15 posts; my favorite: Examples of design as a fail-safe measure
  • Language - 6 posts; my favorite: Drownd is not a word
  • Marketing - 6 posts; my favorite: Why Taster’s Choice should fire their ad agency
  • Language - 7 posts; my favorite: Drownd is not a word
  • Martial arts - 9 posts, my favorite: Kotekitae, or better living through bruising
  • Web development - 13 posts; my favorite: Mock-up to valid XHTML: how to build a web page (a two-parter!)

So, here's to another enjoyable year writing about interesting things that I hope others find useful, and failing that, at least humorous.

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