Jake’s Life

A few folks have e-mailed me lately and asked what tools I use on my blog. Well, on top of the visible ones, being Wordpress and Windows Live Writer (I’ve blogged on how much I like WLW before), I use a lot that may be invisible to my readers. This post will be dedicated to them (and how free they are).

ScribeFire: A great blogging tool I haven’t talked much about is ScribeFire. It’s a Firefox plugin which embeds a blogging app into your browser and makes certain things a lot easier. For example, when a tab is open and you create a new entry, go to insert a link and the URL of that page is automatically there for you. It gives you a WYSIWYG editor as well as a raw HTML code view. Control your previous entries and Wordpress categories from ScribeFire as well.

Paint.NET: Paint.NET is something I’ve used for a while now. I have Photoshop, but if all I need to do is create a thumbnail, modify a screenshot, or crop a photo, Paint.NET is much faster and more streamlined.

WebShot: If all I want is to grab a quick screenshot of a particular web site I usually use WebShot. It’s a very small app that lets you grab a screenshot and output it to a certain size. The great thing about it is that it will grab the entire page, not just one monitor’s worth, but everything from top to bottom.

I feel like interaction with readers is lacking lately, so I’m going to try to post more when I have time. I always jot down ideas on my Blackberry for posts, but rarely remember when I get home from work or have motivation to finish them.

I’ve seen different self-questionnaires circulating blogs lately, but instead of answering questions that I want to answer I want to answer questions that you guys want answered. SO start asking, and I’ll start posting.

Not of my reader’s themselves, although it can mean that.

Last night, while standing out in the 28 degree weather working containment, I thought to myself,”I wonder what the other bloggers are doing right now?” It was about 0400 my time, and with others on the East Coast they were likely just starting their day. I can’t exactly take a photo of what I was doing, but I can find things in my daily like that I can photograph and post.

So here’s the deal: For those of you who read my blog, e-mail me a photo of your daily life, whether it’s at work, on your way to and from, out shopping, working out (locker room pics only!), whatever. I want to see a fractions of the lives my readers live through their eyes. Yes, I read your blogs (for those of you who have them), but I want to be there with you, just for a second. Camera phone, digital camera, kindergarten sketch, whatever. Just do it!

For every single photo I receive from others, I’ll send them a few in return. If you want a photo posted with a link to you, let me know too!

I commented in November how much my blog traffic shot up that month and how my outlook for December was pretty low because of the Holidays. Well, I was right.

It looks like 2008 is off to a good start though, just getting into the last week with about 1300.

I wanted to share a few other things I’ve done to my blog, mainly on your suggestions, to enhance readership and promote more interaction, and in turn more traffic and the opportunity for me to meet more people through my site. I’ve installed a few Wordpress plugins that will help:

• Subscribe to Comments: A very simple plugin that allows those who comment to notify them of follow up comments through e-mail. My blog will send you e-mails of all future comments, and when the post becomes old or you’ve had enough banter, you click the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Simple! Just check the box in the comment form.
  
• Highlight Author Comments: This plugin is more geared toward me, and basically displays my comments on a post in bold.
  
• Comment Luv: Probably my favorite, and should be yours too. Even though a lot of my readers already read other readers’ blogs (let me know if I lost you there), it creates more traffic for you. When you check this box in the comment form, and you type in your blog’s URL, it grabs the latest post title from your blog and displays it.
  

I usually do most of my blogging on my weekend, being Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This week is a long one for me, because I got shafted on Thursday night (told me I had to work Wednesday night), and I’m picking up an extra day for my Supervisor who is on personal time (I have no problem ever working for him).

So, that’s why not much has been posted in the last week. Oh, and if you want to read the protected post the password is the same as usual for my work posts.

I am a bit excited to work a Saturday night. I should be kept busy, especially with a bunch of stuff that happened in certain areas that we are expecting this weekend too. I won’t really be bored at all, and will probably have so many things I want to do I won’t know what to do!

Off to shower and head in!

I’ve posted a few simple entries so far, but wanted to clarify for my readers what it is and why I’m doing it. If you’ve read my blog for a while you know my issues with fitness and motivation to get fit. I’ve never been an athletic person, besides a short stint in Tee-ball in the 2nd grade (in which I spent most of my time sitting in center field waiting for something to happen). I had a knee injury in 6th grade and skipped PE in most grades after that. I got fat (6′1” and 265 lbs. in high school) then slimmed down a bit (6′4” and 190 lbs.) in my early 20’s. Now that I am officially 14 days from my 25th birthday, I’m 6′4” and a bit over 200 lbs. (estimated…I hate scales). The only time in my life that I worked out regularly was the eight months I worked at a gym when I was 21 and 22.

I’ve known this was coming for a while. I couldn’t deny it. I think a major catalyst is that Sandro returned from Cancun this week, and while he was definitely a good five shades browner than when he left, he also told me that he is dieting to lose a bit of weight and get a really nice body. So, should I let him so that someone hotter can come around, or do it myself as well? (That was only half serious, by the way).

I think that with my readership, I can count on a few of you to help keep me on track. It’s all up to me, but I know that readers will see when I’ve skipped working out for a while. So here we are, and I’m starting a fitness schedule up again. The gym at my new apartment is huge…literally a huge room with tons of stuff in it. I’ve seen “fitness centers” in apartment homes that have a few machines, half a wall of free weights, and a cycle. This one has a wall of free weights, a wall of cardio machines (cycles, treadmills, and ellipticals), and a good five universal circuit machines. The only issue is it is only open from 9 am to 10 pm, but I think I can fit things in before work or after, in the morning. Either way, I feel pretty committed right now.

While not the most prestigious award ceremony (mostly it consists of me typing, you reading, and me having a beer to celebrate), and superficial at best, here they are. They are mainly from the blogs I read daily or have on my blogroll. If you’re not here and think you should be, send me an e-mail.

Just remember…my blog is the USS Enterprise, and I am Captain Picard. Make it so, bitches.

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Most Insightful Blog

Spo-Reflections

 

Spo-Reflections is a blog that I’ve followed for a long time but only recently added to my blogroll, mainly due to laziness in organizing my Google Reader feeds. From his reasons for choosing the name Ur-Spo as his blogger pen name to the categories he posts in on blog, you can tell he’s a shrink. No, seriously, he is.

Blogger I’d Mind Meld With

jay+gay=me

Jay blogs pretty frequently, and it’s always usually about something that makes you think. He’s originally from the Caribbean, and from what I hear coming out in any way, shape, or form there is really hard to do, and I think his coming out process and inner battle with his sexuality was a big more epic than most’s are. I’d love to take a peek inside his head and see what’s in there.

Favorite Windows Mobile Blog

The Boy Genius Report

 

Anyone who reads my blog knows I’m a big fan of Windows Mobile and other mobile technologies. While I subscribe to several blogs that cover that topic, if I had to choose one it would be The Boy Genius Report. Besides the news stories, reviews, and un-boxings, there are also several photo galleries of different devices.

Wordpress Jedi

Lorelle On Wordpress

If you are just starting with Wordpress, or you’ve been using it since the beginning, you can learn from Master Lorelle. This blog provides so much information on the Wordpress blogging platform it’s sickening. From the small tweaks to fix something only you are bothered by to the good ol’ overhaul you’ve been planning, and everything in between. Bookmark, subscribe, however you do it, but read it. Cheesy as it may sound, the Force is strong in this one, hrmm, yes.

Biggest Fan Award

Path to Enlightened Insanity via Defacted Musings

Here’s one blogger that likes me! Seriously though, during my Coming Out posts he said some nice things about me, and between our IM chats and talks on the phone he has always been there when and if I needed him.

Gayest Blogger

A Boy’s Life…in Utah

Maybe I’m alone in this one, but of all of the blogs I read daily, this one seems like the blogger is sipping a diet cola, legs crossed, E! on the TV in the background, and Christina Aguilera as the ringtone for the celly.

Heartthrob Blogger

Troystopher

Seriously though, you’ve seen pictures, right? One of the first I ever saw of him was one holding a baby girl, and my heart melted. His blog is private now but if you’re lucky enough he’ll give you access.

Solitary Blog Award

Our View on Superior

I’ll be honest here, this is what love should be. While the blogger is monogamously partnered and technically isn’t living in solitude, I get the feeling through his wording and the overall feel of his blog that if he were to live alone in the entire world, not another soul in sight or in mind, save for his partner, he’d be alright with that.

Blogger I’d Stalk

Paint The Blog Orange

Well seriously, V. Jay, what do you expect? You dangle carrots in front of my face, giving me tiny bites of your blogging goodness, then disappear for a week at a time. How else am I supposed to get my fix unless I follow you around, take photos, set up video surveillance in your bedroom, and put a tail on you?

Blog I Look Forward To

Frozen Underwear

Frozen Underwear. Yes, it’s cold where he comes from, but that does little to detract from his blogging. It’s always great when I open Google Reader and see he’s posted something new!

Easy Sleazy Blog Award

The Neighbors Will Hear

Would you really give this shining medal of valor(-ian disease) to any other blog other than the defunct Note For Rent? Four craigslist hookups in one day and enough time to clean up the house for Thanksgiving. I’m no angel, but that’s outright ho-ish. But, we all have our vices and addictions in one form or another.

Favorite Dirty Blog

Dudetube

We all have one, and boy, this is mine!

Blogger I’d Love to Photograph

Closet Frat Boy

I’ve been keeping up on the Frat Boy’s posts lately and would love to see who actually writes the blog. Because he’s in a frat he doesn’t feel comfortable posting his picture, but come on, he’s a frat guy! Who wouldn’t want to see a picture of him?!

Please Post More Award

Already Bruised

A very close runner up to my favorite blog, Already Bruised missed it by the lack of posting. Who am I to criticize his blogging ferocity though, as I have been through many weeks where I’m busy or just don’t want to post. His blog was the first place that really inspired me to post photo blogs of my day, and so far I still like his the best. Definitely a cutie too!

Sorry folks, finding a place and selling a lot of my stuff has been taking a lot out of me the last few days…I just got around to approving everyone’s comments this morning. It won’t be like this for very much longer though, and I do plan on communicating with those who have e-mailed me. BTW, Eliot, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll explain why I edited your comment.

I’ll be publishing my rinky-dinky blogroll awards soon too!

I checked my monthly ending web stats this afternoon and found my bandwidth within a hundred megs of my monthly limit! Sure, I may have to up my web hosting plan (or slim down my blog’s bandwidth), but overall I don’t mind that I’m getting more exposure. My RSS feeds are also being read by more, which takes up bandwidth, as well as all of the new readers (or stalkers, as none post any comments) I’ve received lately. Take a look at my year so far. In January I had my blog, but mainly used it to share files with friends and web storage. It wasn’t until around March or April that I actually started blogging regularly:

Jakeslife.net went from a couple hundred unique visitors per month to a couple hundred per day. Don’t get me wrong, I love the readership of my blog and hope it keeps growing, but it’s not my ultimate goal in blogging. If my stats dipped it wouldn’t hurt very much, as long as I still have my core readers and others stumbling on it each day for a random read or two.

Speaking of dipping stats, I know that a lot of fellow bloggers are college students, and during the Holiday season not only will their blogs go unmanned, but stats of other blogs will likely go down from their lack of visits. I’ll still be posting though, although with the dip in stats I may use this time to make some changes.

It definitely blew me away when I looked at my stats this morning. Each month I’ve been setting goals for unique visitors to my site and RSS feed subscriptions. Yesterday I gained some new subscribers and my stats more than doubled for the day. Maybe it has to do with the photo of Justin Timberlake playing with his junk, or with the many posts I’ve been churning out about Wordpress lately, I’m not sure.

Now that we’re on the topic of web stats, and since I haven’t posted about them in a while, they are on a steady rise each month. The beginning of every month I set a goal, higher than the last month’s stats, and try to get out as much content as I can, especially having to do with the posts that are most read on my blog. I also have to thank my referrers, led by Jay for the last 5 months straight, followed by Frozen Underwear and Our View On Superior. My own Blogger profile comes in fourth place, which could be linked from any comment I made on any Blogger hosted blog.

Other miscellaneous facts about my web stats:

 

So tell me, why is it that my stats have seemed to increase, but my comments have not? I still spend my time each day posting at least five or six comments on various blogs. Are my posts not open-ended enough? Not engaging enough? Interesting enough?