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Lessons from Racists how to manage attacks via your comments section

By Michael Fletcher On August 15, 2011 · 5 Comments

As it happens I have an alter ego who writes at mydl, which is the geekronym for My digital life a South African digital lifestyle blogging site which I contribute to. The last week has been extremely emotionally charged with many of those problems that we South Africans tend to avoid bubbling to the surface. For those not living within our lovely border , shame on you!! Ok now that I’ve got that out of my system essentially what’s happened is Canada has granted political asylum to Brandon Huntley, a South African national living in Canada illegally. See more in my post Canadians must not be very clever just ask Brandon Huntley

The Issues in a Nutshell

Brandon Huntley is a white South African
Brandon Huntley claims to have been the victim of violent crime at the hands of black criminals on seven occasions, but never reported any of these crimes to the South African police
The Canadian panel hears Brandon Huntley’s representations and finds:

Brandon Huntley is being persecuted in his home country because of his race
The government in South Africa is unable and unwilling to protect white South Africans like Brandon Huntley
Brandon Huntley would not be safe returning to South Africa because “ no matter where he went in South Africa he would stick out like a sore thumb”

For more on this see the link above to my post on mydl. What I’m here to discuss is the manner in which this story brought to the surface a number of issues which we as a country have just been to damn polite to discuss.

Racism is still rife in South Africa

I think the most important lesson I’ve learnt this week is that racism is still alive and kicking in South Africa. The large number of hateful and absurdly ignorant comments that flew back and forth this week really knocked the stuffing out of me until I realized, Brandon Huntley might just be the savior of our democracy. Brandon Huntley and he’s sneaky underhanded attempt to remain in Canada has started a dialog that should have begun 15 years ago. We need to release the pressure bubbling below the lid of political correctness and give space for expression of ideas we dislike and disapprove of. Brandon Huntley and his cheap trick which is now under judicial review in Canada has given a voice to racism and I’m actually happy to hear it.

Lessons on Managing comment flaming

For me everyday on mydl is a learning experience and never more so than this week past. Some of the best lessons which I think apply to any kind comment flaming on blogs or in normal social :

Shut up, the more distasteful the comment the more closely you should listen, when you start listening you open the door for understanding always remember discussions via comments are public affairs
Ask questions, make sure you understand the other persons point of view once they’ve stated it
Be respectful, anyone can shout and scream and use profanity, when you do it you take away from your credibility and alienate your audience
I mention this seperately because well it happens a lot don’t call people names Once you’ve called someone idiotic it’s unlikely they’re going to listen you again no matter how compelling your argument.
Pause, try not to reply while your emotions are running high take some time and reply when you’re calm
Do reply thoroughly citing references where possible
Do acknowledge when people with differing opinons to you make compelling arguments
Don’t be afraid to quit while you’re ahead or even if you’re behind, some arguments simply become childish mud slinging matches. Don’t let your ego rule you, remember why the discussion started and if the discussion has become trivial walk away, continuing will only take away from your brand.
Over and above all that forget about winnng! It’s not a game state your case and move on.

Some very tasty comment discussions and lots of lessons on how not to handle comments:

Stop thinking like Hitler
Crime is because of Apartheid
The white Racist thanks you
Canadian refugee Brandon Huntley and the deafening silence of the opposition

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Find time to live and beat writer's block! 8 Excellent Posts that will Kill the Myth!

By Michael Fletcher On July 20, 2011 · 12 Comments

Beat Writers Block

The most common problem amongst writers? Writer’s block! Writer’s block is described as everything from the work of the divine to a medical condition. So what is writer’s block? How do we get Writer’s block? How do I beat writer’s block and most importantly how do I avoid writer’s block?

Writer’s Block is a Myth

Writer’s block is a myth, a label for a society in love with labels. Even in the depths of supposed writer’s block I could get 10 words out of any of you! All I’d need would be a hot poker (grins evilly) Point I’m trying to make is with the right motivation writer’s block would be a thing of the past. If I asked you, while you languished in the pits of writer’s block hell, to write about the history of your cat or importance of understanding the offside rule or why Friends was the greatest cultural event of the 90’s I bet your cup would be overflowing. These are subjects that you know inside out and the words would likely pour forth from you like one liners from Chandler.

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Writing content? Add value to your reader add value to your community

By Michael Fletcher On July 18, 2011 · 17 Comments

I’m not in the business of writing about writing content but I came across a very interesting article written by one of my many many blog readers this evening, If you want more traffic for your blog, you have to give more traffic. This was really enjoyable post which reminded me again, as I slog away behind my laptop that I’m not in this on my own, every time I hit a key I’m paying my dues in one of the toughest and fastest growing communities on earth. Neat hey?

So what are you on about?

My blogging started with me skulking around blogs I enjoyed, like The Simple Dollar, Problogger, Zen habits and Lifehacker. Looking back at these blogs now I realize how much the “voice” of each blogger when writing content contributed to the type of community that turned up day after day to interact with the content. Over and above this these guys were and are authorities in their niche. It helps I suppose that these are all professional bloggers, able to spend their time “researching.” With an advantage like this how screwed are the rest of us writing content? What chance do we have against full time web trawlers in their niche? Surprisingly we have an excellent chance they’re just giving all their knowledge away. They’re happy to add to the value of your blog.

Don’t leave anything on the table

A-list bloggers have figured out the trick to this blogging game there’s one rule. Yes only one, no neat bulleted list or catchy system for success just one rule. Add value. Add value to your reader. Add value to your community. A-list bloggers leave nothing on the table. They’ll tell you everything they know if you’ll listen.

Spend time finding questions

This might seem dumb, what value are questions? Now imagine writing a post where more than 50% of your readers sign up to your RSS feed or E-mail updates. Sound impossible? Not really, if you know what questions your readers are asking to end up on your site then you’re well on your way. Answers are easy to find. No matter how knowledgeable you may be, until your content asks and answers specific and relevant questions you’re going to struggle to become an authority as your readers trawl through your unrelated content (or more likely give up and look elsewhere)

Get by with a little help from your friends

Now to neatly come back full circle to that post that started it all. Blogging is about synergy not SEO or advertising. Blogging is a dialogue. Build a following, send them to sources of information that will be useful to them, add value and they’ll be your friends forever. Build a relationship with bloggers in your niche and you’ll save yourself a heap of pain trying to reinvent the wheel.

You’ll have someone to have a laugh with when the frustration of this blog game becomes a bit too much.
A sounding board when your ideas wander out into unchartered territory.
A marketing department(following included) when you add value.
Some friendly competition to push you out of your comfort zone
Some role models in the form of sites that have been there and done that
An inexhaustible supply of reader questions

The key to all of this though is sincerity. Just like in real life, people can only be manipulated so much. If you want true synergy you need to give without motive. Give because you can. You’ll get screwed over now and then. Even if you make one great blogging acquaintance out of every 100 interactions you make, you’re probably doing something right.

Technorati Tags: Traffic,Blog,Blogging,Readers,comments

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SEO Writing: Your writing Should Engage Others

By Michael Fletcher On July 16, 2011 · 28 Comments

Ok now for a little rant. I have recently become genuinely annoyed with the state of the blogosphere. The more time I spend as a blogger and blog reader the more it seems that bloggers (especially newer bloggers) are caving under the pressure to produce content to please Google and their fascist bots. Now I’ve only got a few posts up and I spend some time on SEO writing on all my posts just like everyone else but it’s not an obsession. If my content is good and I keep at my strategy for getting my blog out there, good SEO writing or not, people will show up and they’ll bring friends. I’m pretty sure I believe this.

SEO Keywords and A nice carcass metaphor

Carcass

Why bother driving tons of readers to your site with great SEO writing strategies only for the crowds of people to arrive have a look round and realize, that after they’ve picked the meat from the carcass of your keyword riddled body they still feel distinctly unsatisfied.This is self defeating. You’re wasting your time and you’re wasting mine! Me and my SEO illiterate, keyword abhorring friends will leave your site never to return ever again.

I believe and use the idea of SEO writing religiously

First and foremost for me SEO writing means my writing

S hould
E ngage/Entertain/Educate/Excite
O ther (people)

Pick your own ‘E’ word or any other letter I’m just illustrating a point here. The important bit here is other people. If you write content that entertains yourself, congratulations! You no longer need a television. The important thing is does, it entertain others. Does your content solve a problem for other human beings. If it’s not, you’re going to find it tough to go from a great SEO, high traffic, high bounce rate blog to a positively viral blog. Where readers arrive and for better or worse you’re stuck with them till a really offensive post you do part.

SEO and SEO writing

SEO writing is the problem, not SEO in and of itself. SEO writing is the practice of dumping in a ton of keywords then trying to hang some content on to them after. Real SEO writing that drives conversion is a by-product of good focused content. See the difference? You need to write your post then go back with your SEO glasses and give it polish. SEO writing for the sake of SEO writing is self defeating drivel. Unless you’re a poet write clearly and plainly. Fitting the word artichoke into a sentence because it Google friendly is just dumb, artichoke. When writing a post do your homework, find a topic people have an interest in, answer questions people are asking pimp your post. If it’s good meagre SEO will be enough. If it’s bad supercharging it’s SEO will only give you a much larger group of people reading a bad post and being less likely to return.

Writing for people is transcendental

I enjoy writing for other people, nothing excites me as much as when I receive a reaction from a reader, when I’ve made a connection and somehow my words have stripped away the many thousands of miles between me and my reader. When my words have made irrelevant the differences in culture religion and beliefs and my ideas are laid bare. Keyword abuse in SEO writing strategies tend to strip away the value in all internet writing. Keywords drive hits and become a “SEO iron curtain” behind which good sense appears to have gone to sleep. These bots don’t care about my ideas which i quite frankly find condescending and and arrogant. I mean sure i can’t read millions of lines of text a day, but I can write mean things about bots, take that bot bastards! I refuse to spin any yarns for your pleasure.

Bots are a fickle bunch

Impressing bots is a tough job. They’re a fickle bunch and as dense as your keywords may be i can make mine denser, really I can, don’t tempt me. The problem is, there is a point where traditional SEO writing just becomes comical. The bots giggle with glee as they promote these semi nonsensical posts to the top of heap for their relevance, knowing that over the long run they’ll be overhauled by the articles actually written for people. These articles gain authority. These articles are passed around, bookmarked and linked to. Ultimately great keyword use will only get you so far. If you want traffic build a rapport with your readers not a paint by numbers SEO writing strategy.

Quality of traffic counts

Write about what you’re passionate about. Write to be understood by people. You may find less traffic but higher quality of traffic. Most every type of monetization works better when you have authority. When the reader is invested in your site and in awe of your knowledge they are more inclined to trust any offers you have on your site. When a reader lands at your site and feels that they’ve been duped with insincere SEO writing, fancy keywords and meta tags they’re more likely to think I’m not buying anything this sleazy ad serving, spammer is selling thank you very much.

How to write Content that engages other people

Solve a problem for your readers
Turn a common problem on it’s head and give a different take on an old chestnut
Get annoyed about things that annoy your readers, like dodgy SEO writing (oh how I hate you)
Be a little controversial, play devils advocate now and then
Use comments from your readers as content for future posts (the comments will come in time)
If it sounds right but isn’t bot friendly go with what sounds right
Read your writing out loud no one likes a smarty pants make sure your language is natural

Bots never get picked first for dodge ball

Traditional SEO writing is a reality of the modern internet however with the advent of web 2.0 we are no longer completely at the mercy of the machinations of the search engines. As a result I suggest spending time building your networks and writing content that is useful to people. Bots don’t have friends and don’t click on ads. I kinda feel sorry for them sometimes.