Rodent Regatta

Few companies can boast a circulation for their internal newsletter that rivals the circulation of a daily newspaper. Few weblogs get readership beyond the family, neighbors and a groupie or two.

That isn’t stopping an explosion in the numbers of weblogs and the weblog tools behind them. This study titled Weblog Tools Market—Update February 2005 provides the details. Notice where each weblog tool stands and how fast it is moving. Elise Bauer has done a fantastic and thorough job of assembling the data that tells the story. It is a continuation of work begun in August, 2004.

One clear message to tool developers: it’s a crowded field already. All of the things required to retain and grow a customer base in a competitive market simply must be in place. If you want to take share from others, what’s the value proposition?

During the late 1990’s people began to refer to the “new” economy. Rather quickly it became obvious that there was not a new economy, but the same capitalistic system we had nurtured for a couple of centuries.

With some of the recent reporting by weblogs on national and international events, the talk of “new” journalism has been making the rounds. The fact is that journalistic principles have not changed. The media types that require journalists have changed and expanded.

Read more about it in Al Mohler’s essay.

Hugh Hewitt has been spending some time with the “traditional” media recently. After all, there’s a Blog to flog. With every moment spent there the distinctions between traditional news reporting and blogging becomes more evident. Conciliatory comes to mind as the description for how bloggers are viewed. Here’s an excerpt from his description of the experience:

So I find myself slipping into deep Noah mode: When interacting with my colleagues in broadcast, I will answer their questions and tell them that the flood is not just coming but has begun. But I do not expect they will believe me.

There’s at least a rumor that sometime tomorrow Textpattern’s version 1.0 will be released. If not then, it’s not far off.

Today, at my local bookstore, I found three copies of Hugh Hewitt’s new book called Blog hidden behind a biography of Ronald Reagan. Blog is at your bookstore. You might have to uncover it.

So, how do you start a weblog? There are plenty of alternatives, but I’d suggest two things:

• Buy a copy of Hugh Hewitt’s book and start reading it.
• Watch for Textpattern 1.0 and download it when it’s available.

Do these two things in the next couple of weeks and you’ll be ahead of the masses who will do something similar in the next 24 months.

I learned the best system for personal productivity and organization in 1976 from an expert in inventory control and replenishment. While unrelated to his automated replenishment savvy, his method for staying personally organized was flawless, and not one electron was energized to make it happen. It was and remains a paper system.

Getting Things Done by David Allen explains a system that is analogous to the one I learned. There is also a weblog called 43 Folders which amplifies this and other techniques for personal organization and priority setting. Merlin Mann who writes the weblog recently suggested the Hipster PDA as an alternative to your $400 electron eater. Click on the photo and read the comments.

Is It Urgent or Important?

We look cool or connected or important when we punch, poke and tap our electronics, but how effective are we? How certain are we that we have not fallen into the trap of the Tyranny of the Urgent? (Buy five and give four away.) The urgent is seldom our most important priority.

Moleskine notebooks have been mentioned here a few times. Surprise yourself this year by thinking outside the (PC) box. Before you cast off any paper solution as silly, wasteful or unworkable, do some reading. Make sure you realize just how effective some tried-and-true techniques can be.

Go back to some simple tools that lend themselves to thinking about your priorities rather than thinking about your technology. You’ll be glad you did. It’s 2005: the year of the text.

A Note About Amazon

Amazon needs to facilitate their partnership with webloggers. It was once easy to post a simple, small image of a book cover along with a link to that book’s page at Amazon. As a member of Amazon Associates Central, you might record a few cents of income each month when others bought the books using your link.

Now you get non-validating, grotesque images as long as a grocery receipt. Ah, you doubt me? Examine this carefully immediately after memorizing the periodic table:http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_c_4_3435371_3/103-7479907-4810204?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=12920511&no=3435371&me=A36L942TSJ2AJA

I like Amazon and buy things there. I just wish they’d enhance their affiliate program and the ease with which we can link to books and products. There is no reason we should not be able to generate a personalized link to any book just by clicking on the proper button while logged in. The link and the image should be well-formed. They should not look like they were intended for Crazy Al’s Used Car Lot.

Perhaps I’m merely assuming that Amazon wants to get things done.