wordpress and microsoft word

I have been contacted by people numerous times when their blogs were “broken” and they needed it fixed.  There have been a variety of reasons behind the damage, but one common cause I’ve seen is through the misuse of Microsoft Word.

Like many other people, I do a lot of my writing in MS Word.  There is nothing wrong with using Word to hammer out your blog posts, the problem lies when you transfer your post from Word to WordPress.

Bad things can happen if you transfer content from MS Word to WordPress the wrong way.  So please please, pretty please with sugar on top, never copy and paste your post from Word directly into WordPress!

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Random Thoughts On Blogging

July 12, 2010

random thoughts on blogging

Even though every item here could be a blog post on their own, for now I’ve decided to just list some random thoughts I have in regards to blogging.

  • The quickest way to royally screw up a blog is to copy and paste a post directly from Microsoft Word
  • Having a unique “voice” is important, but that doesn’t necessarily make you special
  • If blogging is becoming a chore then perhaps it’s time to rethink why you’re blogging in the first place
  • A great design can’t make up for crappy content
  • Great content can be hindered by a poor design and/or layout
  • Chances are good that you won’t ever make a living through blogging.  Just accept it
  • If everyone is agreeing with you, you’re doing it wrong
  • Only a small percentage of people comment on your blog so spend some time responding to these people.  They are important
  • Advertising on your blog can bring in revenue, but don’t make your blog look like it’s in NASCAR
  • Linking to other blogs is a good thing.  Share the love
  • Don’t let the content in your sidebar be the main attraction of your blog
  • Use whatever blogging platform you’re comfortable with (I recommend WordPress)
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone, even the “pros”, are still learning
  • There is no easy way to create a popular blog. It takes time, a lot of work and some luck
  • Backup your blog, and back it up often.  You’ll be thankful for doing this if and when disaster strikes
  • Visit a commenter’s blog sometime. They have good things to say too
  • After you have written a rant post, wait at least a day before posting it.  Trust me
  • The rules that govern your blogging niche do not apply to other niches.
  • Your blog is an extension of you.  Can you see yourself in your blog?
  • Blogging is like baseball.  Some posts are homeruns, some are singles, and there are the occasional doubles.  Many posts are outs.
  • Too many social sharing options on your blog makes your look desperate.  Don’t do it
  • Sometimes it pays to ignore your Analytics stats and go spend time with your family instead

Should You Use HTML5 Video On Your Site?

July 7, 2010
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How are you including videos on your website?  Are you still using flash to embed them or have you switched to html5? With the state of the internet today it makes sense to use the video playback features already included in modern web browsers and revert to flash playback only when necessary.  This is true [...]

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This Is The Dancer Who Will Win It All

July 2, 2010
alex wong

After seeing the performances for the last few weeks, I’ve made my pick on who will win it all on “So You Think You Can Dance”, and the eventual winner will be Alex Wong. This guy is talented beyond belief, and he crosses over into different dance genres very, very well.  I know it is [...]

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Hitler Reacts To The iPhone4 Antenna Issue

June 26, 2010
Hitler iphone4 antenna

This is too good not to share. Original vimeo video by MG Siegler here

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Java 4-ever Movie Trailer

June 25, 2010
java 4-ever

Here’s a sneak peek at the most anticipated geek movie of the year! Go see it on their site

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Measure Twice, Cut Once, Or Suffer Embarrassment

June 25, 2010
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When inspiration strikes and causes you to embark on a new adventure, sometimes it really pays to get a second set of eyeballs on what you have planned before you commit to going any further.  When you are focused on what you are doing, it can be like you’re wearing blinders and it then becomes [...]

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Look At My iPhone!

June 24, 2010
iphone

One of the most annoying habits of some iPhone owners can be summed up in this one quip: How do you know if someone has an iPhone?  They tell you. And for reasons like this, I am turned off by Apple products simply due to the behavior of Apple product consumers.  There are many people, [...]

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The Universal Video WordPress Plugin Is Updated

June 23, 2010
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I did a small update to the Universal Video plugin this afternoon.  Not a lot was changed in this release, but a requested feature has been included. Now that iOS has been updated to 4, it should be safe to include poster images with HTML5 video and not prevent playback on devices such as the [...]

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Advice To New Bloggers

June 21, 2010
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Earlier tonight I had the pleasure of sitting in on Emily Grosvenor’s class on Beginning Blogging.  Emily is a talented writer who runs a great blog at Desperately Seeking Salem, so I knew she would do a bang up job guiding others into the rewarding and frustrating world of blogging. A point that often comes [...]

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