Blogging & Blogs Books - Page 4

Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Brad Hill

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you want to give yourself a Web presence without spending a lot of time or money, a blog is your answer and this is your guide. Blogs (Web logs) are short, diary-like entries on a Web site that has a chronological, journal format. Fun or informative, but not formal, blogs are easy to set up, maintain, and update. You can share your personal, stream-of-consciousness musings or your expertise on any subject ranging from your family vacation to world peace. This guide helps beginners (even technophobes) get started fast, with the essential info on:

• The elements of blogs, such as entries, sidebars, categories, comments, and index pages
• The different types of hosting services, from free to fee and from “turn key” services that are easy-to-use to DIY programs 
• Details on two popular, free “social community” hosted Web services that are ideal for casual bloggers—MSN Spaces and Yahoo! 360
• The scoop on Blogger, a popular free hosted service that has some community tools like the social networks, but is basically blog-intensive
• DIY blogging, covering three of the most powerful and flexible blog programs—Movable Type, WordPress, and Radio Userland
• Hooking into RSS feeds to distribute your blog entries beyond your site
• Choosing a newsreader
• Ways to raise the visibility of your blog and make money from blogging

Complete with step-by-step instructions and lots of screen shots, this guide walks you through everything from setting up your blog and posting your first entry to adding photos, audio, and more. It includes the URLs of lots of sample sites to see to give you an idea of blog possibilities. In addition to the essential how-to, it fills you in on:

• The blogosphere, blog culture and etiquette, snarks, macrologues, and more
• Moblogs that let you post entries remotely using your portable computer, PDA, or cell phone
• Buying a domain through a registrar such as Network Solutions, Register.com, or Go Daddy
• MP3 blogs, vlogs (videoblogs), photoblogging, audioblogging, podcasting, and more

You know you have something to say, whether it’s heavy stuff or just your thought for the day. Make your opinions known. Get your photos shown. With Blogging For Dummies, you’ll soon be blogging with the best of ‘em.

Blog Schmog: The Truth About What Blogs Can (and Can't) Do for Your Business

Robert W. Bly

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A good book that seems to accurately put blogs into perspective for people interested in including them in their marketing mix. 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed reading this book. It confirmed what I already knew about blogs and blogging. I highly recommend anyone interested in exploiting blogs for financial gain get a copy of this book and read it.

The overall message of the book is that blogs help increase a marketing-focused Web site get favorably ranked with search engines. Therefore, indirectly they help in marketing. But blogs are not a marketing tool in and of themselves unless one treats article writing as a marketing tool.

Building Web sites has always been pretty easy. And blogs are Web sites. What has always been somewhat hard is designing a Web site and filling it with content so visitors to the Web site will be inclined to buy a certain product or service. Since blogs by definition are not seriously researched or planned, their ability to convince visitors to buy is limited. And, as a result, their marketing value is not that great. However, Web sites do not exist in a vacume. They rely to some extent on getting traffic from search engines on the Web. And blog entries help in a few ways with getting a Web site some traffic. First, they provide content in a Web site that search engines index. At least this is the case when the blog entries are stored on Web pages within the blogger's main Web site for marketing purposes. Second, blogs are possible "hit pages" surfers will click through to when trying to find information. Such pages will then direct the surfers to "marketing pages" in the blogger's main Web site set up for marketing purposes. And third, if the blogs are freestanding, then they can provide external links directing Web surfers to the blogger's main Web site which has marketing umf. Search engines rank a Web site more favorably when other Web sites direct traffic its way.

The book also points out that the best blogs from a business' standpoint are "topical blogs." And the businesses that usually benefit are service oriented (as compared to retail oriented). For example, a consultant who counsels small business owners might have a blog that only includes entries about small business. A life coach might have a blog that only includes entries regarding life coaching issues. Or a bankruptcy attorney might have a blog that only includes entries regarding Chapter 7 personal bankruptcies. The blogs will probably help boost surfer traffic to their main Web sites, but they will also help build credibility for their respective services. Assuming the blogs have accurate and timely content, then the bloggers arguably will be viewed as "experts" even though they haven't gone through the hassle of getting a book published or passed some professional exam.

But there are many blogs out there that are not topical, are not accurate and timely, and don't really say anything worth reading. Those are the blogs that the author says are not worth producing. And I agree. 5 stars!

Editorial Review:

Blog Schmog takes a look at the blogging phenomenon and its impact on politics, writing, marketing, public relations, publishing, journalism, and all other forms of communication. Written from a skeptic's point of view, Robert Bly holds blogging up to close scrutiny, giving practical, easy-to-use tips that can help you master blogging and its application.

This book cuts through the hype surrounding blogging, enabling you to get a true and accurate picture of blogging's potential as well as its limitations. Inside you'll discover how the blogosphere operates along with real-world advice from blogging experts on how to write an effective, reader-oriented blog.

The Rough Guide to Blogging 1 (Rough Guide Reference)

Rough Guides

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Terrific introduction to blogging 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderfull book about blogging. It is mainly an introduction. The book starts with some general information about blogging. Next it explains the different kind of blogs, were to host your blog or use a server side blog. It also guides you how to write a blog, how to earn money with your blog. The last part of the book consits of a list per category of the most important blogs. It is not a book to read from cover to cover. I used it for inspiration and examples as well as instruction book. What I did was read a chapter and followed the links it provided. The design of the book is very pretty, well done a pleasure to read and a excellent introduction.
It doesn't go into details how to maintain a blog or how to do research for your blog e.g. using e-mail alerts, website monitors etc.

Editorial Review:

The Rough Guide to Blogging is the ultimate reference for all things weblog. It takes you into the blogosphere, from blogging''s early history and where it is today, to the future of blogs and their social and cultural impact. This book will help you to discover the greatest blogs on the web and to understand newsreaders and RSS. Whether you want to start your own blog or contribute to an existing one, this guide will teach you everything you''ll need to know. Chapters include: Creating a Blog, Blog Design, Advanced Blogging, Audio and Video, Podcasting, Blogging for Money, Corporate Blogging plus much, much more. Whether you''re an experienced blogger or just getting started, this is the right book for you.

The Everything Blogging Book: Publish Your Ideas, Get Feedback, And Create Your Own Worldwide Network (Everything Series)

Aliza Risdahl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great for Getting Started 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Once you read or skim the book, you understand blogging and can start your own blog. The book made me think about what kind of blog I wanted to start.

The book compares the major blogging sites in text and chart form. It gives advanced information on photo, audio, and video blogging. The resources section lists a lot of free web sites and articles, and I have used it many times.

Bottom line: this is as good as a source on blogging as any book will be, but any book on blogging needs to be supplemented by surfing the web.

Editorial Review:

Blogging appeals to every demographic that has access to a computer-if you know how to do it right. This one-stop resource shows readers how to publish their ideas, get feedback, and create their own worldwide networks!
With this book readers will:

Create buzz marketing for their business

Get amateur poetry, short stories, and prose published

Create a worldwide network of people

Share unique hobby ideas with thousands of other hobbyists
With The Everything Blogging Book, readers will learn all that blogging can offer-and more!

Google Hacks: Tips & Tools for Finding and Using the World's Information

Rael Dornfest, Paul Bausch, Tara Calishain

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Everyone knows that Google lets you search billions of web pages. But few people realize that Google also gives you hundreds of cool ways to organize and play with information.

Since we released the last edition of this bestselling book, Google has added many new features and services to its expanding universe: Google Earth, Google Talk, Google Maps, Google Blog Search, Video Search, Music Search, Google Base, Google Reader, and Google Desktop among them. We've found ways to get these new services to do even more.

The expanded third edition of Google Hacks is a brand-new and infinitely more useful book for this powerful search engine. You'll not only find dozens of hacks for the new Google services, but plenty of updated tips, tricks and scripts for hacking the old ones. Now you can make a Google Earth movie, visualize your web site traffic with Google Analytics, post pictures to your blog with Picasa, or access Gmail in your favorite email client. Industrial strength and real-world tested, this new collection enables you to mine a ton of information within Google's reach. And have a lot of fun while doing it:

• Search Google over IM with a Google Talk bot
• Build a customized Google Map and add it to your own web site
• Cover your searching tracks and take back your browsing privacy
• Turn any Google query into an RSS feed that you can monitor in Google Reader or the newsreader of your choice
• Keep tabs on blogs in new, useful ways
• Turn Gmail into an external hard drive for Windows, Mac, or Linux
• Beef up your web pages with search, ads, news feeds, and more
• Program Google with the Google API and language of your choice

For those of you concerned about Google as an emerging Big Brother, this new edition also offers advice and concrete tips for protecting your privacy. Get into the world of Google and bend it to your will!

Blogs, Wikis, MySpace, and More: Everything You Want to Know About Using Web 2.0 but Are Afraid to Ask

Terry Burrows

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Handy guide to Web 2.0 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is a handy guide to Web 2.0. Burrows explains what exactly is Web 2.0 and how to make the most of it. He describes earlier websites as static and Web 2.0 as interactive. In each chapter, Burrows addresses some new interactive, exciting way the Web in now being used. For example, Burrows has a chapter about blogging. He explains what blogging is, the evolution of blogging, how to start a blog and websites where you can actually get started. He uses the same approach in chapters about creating podcasts, sharing videos, social networking and more.

Editorial Review:

For both internet gurus and online novices, this handy mini-encyclopedia explores the useful and interesting sites—big and small, popular and obscure—that make up Web 2.0, the new online community. From YouTube and Flickr to eBay and Facebook, each website and online application is explained through step-by-step screen shots and examines what each site does, why people use it, how to get started, and any special features. Simple yet thorough definitions for commonly used internet elements—such as tags, bookmarks, blogs, and podcasts—are provided as well as little-known usage tips for expert surfers. Grouped by type, this detailed guide also offers dozens of alternative URLs that cover similar online territory, but with their own unique takes.

Google AdSense For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Jerri L. Ledford

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

You can get paid for online ad placement with Google AdSense! If you’ve ever considered using AdSense to improve revenue for your Web site, Google AdSense For Dummies will get you started. It’s loaded with tips to help you implement a successful AdSense program.

AdSense lets you generate income with ad placement on blogs and Web sites. Google AdSense For Dummies shows you how AdSense works, how to analyze cost per click and track AdSense results, and how to earn money from your blog or Web site without selling a product. Discover how to:

• Register and set up an AdSense program
• Track results with server logs, AdSense reports, and Google Analytics
• Boost AdSense income with search engine optimization techniques
• Apply Google guidelines by including relevant links and content, making your site easy to navigate, using a sitemap, and keeping links in good repair
• Fine-tune your Web site with beefed-up content to please Google and boost effectiveness
• Earn more with AdSense for RSS, streaming video, and referral units
• Design appealing ads and search boxes, and deal with ads from competitors
• Add video units to your site, design mobile ad units, and understand referral units

In Google AdSense For Dummies, author Jerri Ledford, a self-described “Google geek,” helps you make money with AdSense.

The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington

David Sirota

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An All-Access Pass to the Populist
Insurrection Brewing Across the Country

Job outsourcing. Perpetual busy signals at government agencies. Slashed paychecks. Stolen elections. A war without end, fatally mismanaged. Ordinary Americans on both the Right and Left are tired of being disenfranchised by corrupt politicians of both parties and are organizing to change the status quo. In his invigorating new book, David Sirota investigates whether this uprising can be transformed into a unified, lasting political movement.

Throughout the course of American history, uprisings like the one we are seeing now have given birth to powerful movements to end wars, protect workers, and expand civil rights, so the prospect of today’s uprising turning into a full-fledged populist movement terrifies Wall Street and Washington. In The Uprising, Sirota takes us far from the national media spotlight into the trenches where real change is happening—from the headquarters of the most powerful third party in America to the bowels of the U.S. Senate; from the auditorium of an ExxonMobil shareholder meeting to the quasi-military staging area of a vigilante force on the Mexican border. This is vital, on-the-ground reporting that immerses us in the tumultuous give-and-take of politics at its most personal.

Sirota also offers a biting critique of our politics. He shows how the uprising is, at its core, a reaction to faux “bipartisanship” in the nation’s capital—the “bipartisanship” whereby Republican and Democratic lawmakers join together in putting the agenda of corporate interests above all those of ordinary citizens.

Ultimately, Sirota reminds us that the Declaration of Independence, “America’s original uprising manifesto,” says that governments “derive their powers from the consent of the governed.” Irreverent and insightful, The Uprising shows how the governed have stopped consenting and have started taking action.

The Blogging Church

Brian Bailey, Terry Storch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great resource 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

If you are looking for some help in defining and establishing a blog for yourself or your ministry you will find this book helpful. It gives some great insight in to establishing a good blog for the right reasons.

Editorial Review:

The Blogging Church offers church leaders a field manual for using the social phenomenon of blogs to connect people and build communities in a whole new way. Inside you will find the why, what, and how of blogging in the local church. Filled with illustrative examples and practical advice, the authors answer key questions learned on the frontlines of ministry: Is blogging a tool or a toy? What problems will blogging solve? How does it benefit ministry? How do I build a great blog? and Who am I blogging for?

The Blogging Church is a handbook that will inspire and equip you to join the conversation.

The book includes contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world—Robert Scoble, Dave Winer, Kathy Sierra, Guy Kawasaki, and Merlin Mann, as well as interviews with blogging pastors such as Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, Tony Morgan, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, and many more.