Where does the time go?
Five years ago, I started Conservative Blogger because I was tired--tired of the bias of cable news and Corporate Media; tired of feeling like I was on an island; tired of feeling like my voice just wasn't being heard.
I had heard about blogging and, while I didn't know much about it, I figured it was the best way to exercise my First Amendment rights. So, that weekend, I registered a domain and signed up for a hosting plan and began writing my blog. I was so new to the medium that I wasn't even using a content management system. I was manually constructing each page using Microsoft Front Page and I would FTP it up to my server space.
My first real entry, "In Defense of Rush Limbaugh...," had an initial readership of about twenty people--and that's only because that's how many people I had sent it to in email. Some thought it interesting...some found it laughable...some even asked me, "What the hell is a blog, anyway?"
At the time, there were not as many political blogs as there are today and there certainly weren't any blogs on national politics originating from New Hampshire. As far as I can tell, I was one of the first (if not the first) in the Granite State.
Since 2003, I've felt really fortunate to see this blog grow. I'm certainly not the biggest or the most-read blog in the blogosphere, and I'm OK with that. Despite my seemingly endless ego on these pages, "shameless self-promotion" has never really been something I've excelled at. It's become easier in some ways with applications like Twitter and Facebook, and I've seen a corresponding rise in unique visitors since incorporating these into my blog.
Conservative Blogger: The First Five Years...
To celebrate my fifth blogiversary, I asked Mel at Emtwo to completely change up the design. While I liked how the site's design had evolved, I wanted it to look brighter and less cluttered. I took some of the feedback I had received over the past five years and gave Mel just a few rough ideas of what I was looking for. In the end, though, I wanted the new design for Conservative Blogger to have a "Web 2.0" feel to it. Mel delivered a design that was almost exactly as I saw it in my head and I couldn't be happier.
The first obvious change is the "weathered flag" look that was the look of this site for more than half its existence on Al Gore's InterWebs is history. It's been replaced by reds that are red, whites that are white and blues that are blue. The new look is crisper, cleaner and much easier to read.
Some of the other new changes to Conservative Blogger are...
TWITTER:
Twitter is a "micro-blogging" site where users can upload their comments in 140 characters or less. With Twitter, you can follow a group of people you wish to receive updates from and they, in turn, can follow you and see your posts as you update.
This Twitter Badge in the sidebar enables people kind enough to stop by Conservative Blogger to see what I'm up to or what's on my mind--and it forces me to be brief! Twitter users can also see my blog postings in my Twitter updates as they're posted.
Twitter has grown in popularity in 2008 and it's a tool I enjoy using. Most recently, I used it to "live blog" the second presidential debate between Obama and McCain.
FACEBOOK:
Facebook is a social networking site that allows me to connect with my friends and family when I'm online. It's where I'm likely to post photos, share a link to a website, communicate with friends or even play some "Star Trek" and "24" trivia games.
It's also now a place where I've started to connect with people who read my blog. I've been fortunate enough to add and get to know a few of the people who frequent the site and hope to get to know many more.
If you're using Facebook, please feel welcome to send me a Friend Invite, and also be sure to mention Conservative Blogger in your request.
TAG CLOUD:
Also new to Conservative Blogger is what's called a "tag cloud." The blog entries on this site are classified by "tags" or keywords of what the blog posting is about.
For example, an election-related article in 2008 might have tags like "Barack Obama," "John McCain," "Election," "2008," and other similar tags based on the content.
You can click on any of the terms in the tag cloud at the top of this page (in the side bar) and you can see all postings with that tag.
COMMENTS AND TRACKBACKS:
When I started this blog, there was no method to leave comments on individual entries. Because I was writing HTML pages myself, there was no database or no engine for comments. With the upgrade to the new version of Conservative Blogger, you can now leave comments on individual entries at the bottom of every single blog posting.
Additionally, if you have a blog and link to a blog posting on Conservative Blogger, you'll receive a reciprocal trackback link to your posting instantly.
Of course, feedback can still be delivered the old-fashioned way using the Feedback form on the website. (At least, for now, until I get tired of the anonymous spam for erectile products I receive on a daily basis.)
COMING IN 2009:
People often ask me what I plan on doing next with my blog. A year ago at this time, I had been working on getting a ConBlog Podcast off the ground. Time was the biggest factor in that project plan. As a one-man operation, it takes a significant time commitment to write, record, edit, mix and publish an audio podcast. Thankfully, I've found an easier way to do the type of format I want to do:
Thanks to BlogTalkRadio, I'll be launching my own weekly internet radio program sometime in 2009. It will be easier to produce than a podcast and will also allow me to take calls and comments from those listening. The exact schedule is yet to be determined, but each episode would be archived for those who can't listen live. If you have ideas or suggestions with regard to the format, please feel free to leave them as comments here on this posting or you can email them directly to talk.nospam@conservativeblogger.nospamcom. (Leaving out the phrase "nospam" where appropriate."
In closing, I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by to read my blog over the last five years. Whether you agree or disagree, each of you who has taken the time to read or send feedback has helped make this a better blog. I am fortunate enough to do what I do and there aren't words to appreciate the role each of you has played in the success of my little blog.
From the bottom of my heart, and with all sincerity, I thank you.
Here's to the next five years!
Leave a comment