The First Thing To Do With Your Blog

So you have successfully setup a blog. Now what? What the first thing that you need to do aside from writing that "First Post" topic, which is almost equivalent to "Hello, World!" program of a beginner?

There's one thing that's been overlooked by many.

You need to install your stats analytics as soon as possible.

So if you are reading this, why don't you setup your Google Analytics account? If you already have a google account (like gmail), you don't have to do setup analytics. All you need to do is to access it, by clicking here.

Why do you need to do this?

Well, later on, you will want to keep track of your traffic. Is it improving? Is it steady? What are my major source of hits?

So if you will do it anyway, why don't you set it up as soon as you can? If you don't, I'm telling you, you will regret not installing it sooner: "how I wish I knew my stats since the very first day!"

HOW TO DO IT:

1. If you don't have a google account, make one now.
   
2. Access your favorite Stats Analytics tool (SiteMeter, Google Analytics, etc)
3. Add your site to get a tracking code
4. Copy the tracking code
5. for wordpress user, open your footer file (usually footer.php) then go to step 8.
   
6. for Blogger user, go to Dashboard > Layout then click Add Gadget from the footer
7. from the popup window choose " " then paste/insert the tracking code then save the changes. Skip to step 10.
   
8. Paste the tracking code before the "< / body>" (without the quotes and spaces) tag. Save your footer file.
9. Upload the changes to your server.
10. You're done.

The steps above sounds harder than it actually is. It's pretty straight-forward, nothing to be scared of. ;) Good luck!

Community Blog or Personal Blog?

Blogging can be tiresome, I won't deny that. If you have tons of idea to write about, sometimes you get excited and at the same time get confused where to write it.

Is it a personal experience? Does it involve my community or neighborhood?

Or is it both?

In a personal blog, you can write about anything. Just be careful though, as I have read many things about some people getting fired because they blog about their work. But other than that, it's safe to say that your own personal blog is your kingdom. You can do (or so say) as you please. Keep in mind, though, that if you plan to be popular via personal blog, you do not get any help if you are not creative. I must say that the success (or fame) curve for a personal blog is very steep. Monetization is hard -- bloggers who own this type of blog -- usually write paid reviews to support their sites.

On the other hand, a community blog has a strong likelihood that it will grow into an active site where everyone in your neighborhood is involved. Because you write about your community, others will be able to relate and they will be able to contribute either by writing comments or submitting a topic. If you are creative, you may be able to gain success via old school marketing (asking local businesses to advertise) since the traffic will be steady. You may use Adsense if you wish, as there maybe people coming from search engines. One example of this type is Jersey City Information where the blog talks about Jersey City. As a result, I got inspired and made my own "aspiring" community site -- Journal Square, a district in Jersey City. In this blog, I try to talk about all the happenings in Journal Square.

In my country of origin, my friends made a community site (Pandacan, Manila) that slowly but surely is gaining popularity.

So, which do you prefer?

I suggest you try both, and size up which one is best suited for you. Either way, you won't lose time if you enjoy blogging. ;)

The Legend of The Fourth Finger

Ever wonder why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger? (The finger between the pinkie and the middle). An email has been forwarded to me, and I thought it's fun sharing it (although I feel that it is old).

Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?
There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese…..

Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents your-Self
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner
& the Last (Little) finger represents your children.

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back.

Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip
(As shown in the figure below):

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents)…, they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings)…., they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children)…., they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT….., because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!!

Please try this out………….
ISN’T THIS A LOVELY THEORY?

Movie: WANTED

Just saw this movie, and I must say it was entertaining. Award-winning? Nope. There are a lot of plot holes and of course, as an action movie, expect several out-of-this world scene.

Angelina Jolie plays a nice mysterious female lead. James McAvoy was awesome in his role. The two combine a perfect chemistry (not a lover chemistry, but a nice "partnership" if you know what I mean). Morgan Freeman's presence helps elevate this movie to a superhero-type of flick.

The actions are sick, and the bullet trajectory is unrealistic but it's fun to watch. Just don't see it on a crappy copy of DVD. Wide-screen or flat-screen will be a treat if you didn't see this on the cinema. ;)

Own Doman or Free Blogging Platform?

To continue with blogging, this is most common question every aspiring bloggers ask: should I get my own domain name or should i just use free blogging platform?

Here's my answer: Try Both.

A. Own Domain Name

Getting your own site is more expensive. It costs between $150-$200 from an average webhost for 2 years. Plus, you need to be a little technical savvy in order to maximize its full potential. One main advantage of this is having full control of your site and blog. You can experiment on various things and even setup multiple domain names (depends on your webhost).

Before you Ask yourself: Do you really need to have your own website? Are you committed to

B. FREE BLOGS

If you are ready to go, and do not want the hassle of tedious setup, then get a free blog. There are several sites that offer free service such as blogger (this site!), wordpress.com, livejournal, etc. Ask yourself before you use them: Are you blogging for money or simply for hobby?

Why is this important? Well, some free sites do not allow paid reviews. Wordpress.com won't let you make money. But Blogger does.

So, have you made a choice yet?

Disclosure Policy

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The information contained here is the my opinion based on my personal observation. I will not be responsible for the use of information here. I may accept forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the honest content, topics or posts made in this blog. I will not however post anything not relevant to my usual interest or anything I haven’t personally experienced. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as “tipped” post, “brought-to-you” entries.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest and this disclaimer may be amended whenever necessary without notice.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

First Post

Da Ruki is a Filipino Spelling of English words "The Rookie", which in my own term means beginner. In this personal blog, I will post anything that I learn for the first time. Topics are pretty much general, and posts vary subjects: It can be work-related, about technology, about life, tips -- anything.

Feel free to browse around and hope you enjoy reading this site.