Considering a Comment Policy

My previous post on the blog of NTUC Income CEO has been getting some attention of late. Within the last two weeks or so, three comments have been posted (after this one). A few minutes ago, I removed two of the latest posting from "Veronica" and "Those Who Know". Reasons stated here.

While I advocate bloggers and commenters to identify themselves, I'm perfectly fine with anonymous comments. There are people who might feel a bit shy about leaving their name for the Whole Wide World to see. But attacks on persons or personalities are strictly no-no.

We challenge the Idea; not the Individual.

Perhaps I should post a Blog Comment Policy -- something like this. But not yet. I'm not changing my comment feature setting just yet. I can still manage the load since I don't have regular commenters by the thousands, hundred, tens.

Tag: comment policy

About page, Site design, and Other Stuff (Starting a new blog - Part 3)

[From: Starting a new blog (Part 2)]

After the relatively harder parts of creating my new blog was over and done with, I was able to take my time with Part 3.

In part 2, I mentioned about adding an 'About' page, choosing a template, and some other "behind the scenes" stuff (claiming my blog with Technorati, adding a blogline subscription button etc).

#1 - About page
I asked myself: "When I visit other blogs, what do I want to know about the blogger?"
What I look out for are as follows (and this is just a personal preference):

• Who's the blogger (I prefer to tell people who I am, rather than remain anonymous)
• Why did the blogger start the blog?
• What's the objective of the blog
• Any other information that they blogger wants the reader to know (e.g. comment/ email policy)
  

The About page will get indexed and retrieved by searching engines, so I made sure I used relevant key words that best represented my blog. This will help people who share similar interests to find their way to the blog.

I've also added my email and MSN Messenger IDs. So far, I don't have problems with spam. Gmail does a good job of filtering most of them out. I've not had cyberstalkers either.

While some bloggers choose to say little about themselves, my motivation for blogging is to connect with others with similar interests, or with those whom I might strike a rapport with.

In considering what personal information to provide, my rule of thumb is whether the information is already publicly available. Some good tips provided at this PAGI webpage.


#2 - Choosing a blog template
I tried out all the Wordpress templates provided. Discovered that some templates do not show the categories, while for some templates, certain site information (like the name) do not show up fully.

I prefer simple designs. Not too boring but nothing too wild or fancy that might distract readers from the blog content.

As of this post, Wordpress does not allow the blogs to be customised beyond the templates they provide. Which means I won't be able to do things like add my site counter, change the colours , change the stock image.

But looking at it positively, it means I don't have to worry about modifying the templates too much (since the option isn't open) and I can change the look of the blog at will without having to insert all the codes with each change.


#3 - Creating categories, Blogroll, and additional pages
Wordpress blogs allow you to create categories (you can also rename or delete them). It's a nice feature to organise posts for my reference, as well as let others know what topics I tend to blog about. But for Wordpress, do check what template you select, as some template designs do not display the categories and other information. As to the number of categories, I personally limit myself to 8 at most (anything more than that, I find the blog too cluttered).

I know a few bloggers who have stopped listing a Blogroll (i.e. a list of their favourite blogs/ bloggers). I still put out one for two reasons: (1) It's my own "quick reference" to my favourite sites/ blogs; (2) it's a useful "service" to help connect my readers to other blogs of similar interest or content. Again, I'd limit to less than 10 links in the Blogroll, and provide a link to my Bloglines folder where more links can be found, like this one.

Unlike Blogger, Wordpress allows you to create separate stand-alone pages (which also means it's usually "there", whereas blogposts are archived after a certain time). It's useful if you want to say, list all your favourite links on one single webpage (which means more space than a blog post might provide). In Blogger, the work-around I use is to create a blog post, and then hardcode the permalink to the blog template.


#4 - Other stuff
When I first started my first few blogs more than a year back, I'd try out things like submitting my site to search/ bloggers directories and search engines, claiming my blog with Technorati etc. But nowadays you don't really have to do this, especially when in the case of Wordpress, where you can't customise your blog. In anycase, you might still want to explore services like Feedburner, and try things like creating your Bloglines subscription buttons, like this one:

You might also want to sign up to Technorati account and try out some of the features offered, like creating your watchlist and then maybe you'd want to participate in Kevin's TechnoratiTopDog meme.


What's more important is to search and visit other blogs of similar content (in my case, Art Blogs). Leave a comment or two. Join the conversation. It's a way to let people know you're reading their stuff and they might take a look at yours in turn. However, please don't leave blatant "Please visit my site" or "Please Link to Me" comments that, i.e. purely self-serving/ self-advertising comments. It's a sure-fire way to turn people off.

Naked Conversations exposed

Shel emailed me:

Like any proud parent, I am beaming to announce that Naked Conversations has just gone on sale at Amazon.com. If you find it in your heart to spread the word, Robert certainly would appreciate it.

Sure thing. You have my support yet again with this post, in addition to what I've posted earlier.

I went over to Amazon.com to read the book excerpt:

Bloggings's Six Pillars: There are six key differences between blogging and any other communications channel. You can find any of them elsewhere. These are the Six Pillars of Blogging:

1. Publishable. Anyone can publish a blog. You can do it cheaply and post often. Each posting is instantly available worldwide.

2. Findable. Through search engines, people will find blogs by subject, by author, or both. The more you post, the more findable you become.

3. Social. The blogosphere is one big conversation. Interesting topical conversations move from site to site, linking to each other. Through blogs, people with shared interests build relationships unrestricted by geographic borders.

4. Viral. Information often spreads faster through blogs than via a newsservice. No form of viral marketing matches the speed and efficiency of a blog.

5. Syndicatable. By clicking on an icon, you can get free "home delivery" of RSS- enabled blogs into your e-mail software. RSS lets you know when a blog you subscribe to is updated, saving you search time. This process is considerably more efficient than the last- generation method of visiting one page of one web site at a time looking for changes.

6. Linkable. Because each blog can link to all others, every blogger has access to the tens of millions of people who visit the blogosphere every day.

You can find each of these elements elsewhere. None is, in itself, all that remarkable. But in final assembly, they are the benefits of the most powerful two-way Internet communications tool so far developed.

I was thinking about the choice of the book title -- Naked Conversations. It's a clever one and thought it deserved elaboration in the excerpt.

In 2004 ,after meeting Shel the first time, I found my way to his blog and discovered posts, like this one, where he openly shares his thoughts about visiting Singapore the first time:

I see no evidence of anything like a police state, but then, I just got here. As I write at nearly 1 a.m., I hear the first sirens I’ve heard in Singapore's night. I’ve not yet seen a police officer. The only soldiers I've seen were collecting money to support the schools. I'm in the densest part of the city. In New York City, sirens are part of [the] backdrop.

Far from being offended about how Singapore was perceived (everyone's entitled to their perceptions), I remembered thinking, "So that's how he, a first time visitor to Singapore, perceived us."

I also recalled how a little light blub went off in my head (just a little one -- I'm not too bright). I thought, "Isn't that interesting. If this guy did not blog his thoughts aloud, I'd never have known he had such an impression about Singapore. It was unlikely to have found its way into our conversation then."

After I learnt how to blog, how to search for them, about RSS and tags, more 'Naked Conversations' were exposed. Sure, some were pretty mundane stuff but once I knew where to look, I discovered a lot more intelligent "no-holds barred" posts and discussions. Opinions and discussions that I strongly suspected would not have taken place outside the blogging medium.

Naked Conversations indeed.

Shel will be dropping by Singapore next week. I'm looking forward to meeting him in person again.

Congratulations again, guys.

Tag: naked conversations

Amusing "Some things money can't buy" MasterCard Ad (or, "Value of Libraries")

Ever seen those "There are some things that money can't buy; for everthing else there's Mastercard" adverts? Here's a funny one (via Random Acts of Reality), where a guy escorts his date to her doorstep and makes an indecent proposal...

The ending is a real kicker. Worth the time to view it.

Which made me think about measuring the value of libraries. I mean, imagine a Mastercard Advert like this:

Camera pans to what seems like a bookstore.

Shows a person stopping by the Business section and narrator goes, "Blue Ocean Strategy, $18". Then to another reader browsing a book and narrator goes, "The Da Vinci Code, $15". Zoom to a group of teenagers huddled and quietly giggling: "Your Guide to the Opposite Sex, $25".

Then camera zooms out and shows children, adults, teens, seniors reading, discussing, engaged in activities, in a library:

"The value of libraries? Priceless."

"There's some things that money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard".

The blog course that didn't happen

I was scheduled to conduct an Introduction to Blogging course (including related technologies like RSS), organised by the Library Association of Singapore (LAS). However, the session was cancelled. The LAS organising committee decided on a minimum of 10 participants. I was told there were only 5 who signed up.

Too bad. Was really looking forward to sharing ideas with fellow colleagues from other libraries in Singapore. Had prepared loads of examples of what overseas librarians and libraries are doing w.r.t. blogs etc. I even had a vision of the course participants populating Frappr.

I wonder why there weren't more participants. Was it the choice of the venue? The fees charged by LAS? The date and timing? Or that they already know about blogs but weren't interested? Or heaven forbid, they have an issue with the Trainer!? I hope not -- Heh heh : )

Maybe I'll suggest to LAS to have Rejection-Feedback forms. I mean, it's common to solicit feedback from participants after the programme, to identify areas for improvement and to continue with areas done well. So it makes sense to have Rejection-Feedback forms too.

I have another training opportunity coming up, this time with Preetam as co-presenter. Will blog about it soon.

Will the SG Blogosphere see our very own Library Superpatron Blogger?

Learnt from my colleague's blog about this library customer in the USA, Edward Vielmetti, who's been called Library Superpatron for his committment in improving his library service (see this post, this, and this one).

Clearly, Edward's not a crank who submits those "Obey- me- the- taxpayer- or- else -I- write- to- Straits- Times- Forum" edicts disguised as suggestions, without thought to feasibility or library staff welfare and efficient allocation of resources... *ahem* (sorry, got carried away).

Days ago, the NLB launched the "I Love My Library" campaign:

National Library Board launched "I Love my Library" campaign on 5 January 2006 to step up its efforts to tackle the rising issue of poor library etiquette that has marred some library users’ experience. "I Love my Library" campaign aims to reach out to library users to take ownership of the library -- that everyone has to play his part in being civic conscious and to practise good library etiquette so as to benefit fully from the library materials and services.

In addition, well-known local cartoonist Chee Chew has specially designed a series of illustrations on everyday experiences that occur in the libraries. These tongue-in-cheek illustrations aim to bring across 10 basic library etiquette to the users in simple pictorial form that is easily understood by the layman, and are displayed at the libraries -- posters, bookmarks and booklets, decals in the toilets and along escalators.
Source: www.nlb.gov.sg Newsflash (last accessed 10 Jan 06)

(Also see this short post by another colleague of mine).

I feel campaigns like the above are necessary reminders to library customers who might not be aware of the rules and guidelines. It also serves to tell those customers who obey rules and etiquette that their library cares too.

Incidentally, campaign-weary Singaporeans tend to say, "Ah, just another Gahmen Campaign". I'm not ashamed to support campaigns if they are meaningful. Besides, this one ain't from the Gahmen but from the library. There's a difference.
:)

Now I was wondering if it's possible to get SG Bloggers to try a “I love my library” meme, or maybe start a “I Love My Library” aggregator blog. Imagine if we’d 10 to 20 Edward Vielmettis...

How about a special section in Tomorrow.sg just to feature "I Love My Library" posts. And for balanced reporting, a "I Want To Complain About My Library" "How I think My Library Can Do Better" section.

Cynics may say, "But the NLB might not do anything". I say, "Try, and then see how the NLB reacts."

So, any of the hundreds (thousands?) of SG Bloggers care to be a local version of Superpatron?


[Views expressed in this blog are my own. They do not reflect the position of my employer, nor will it earn me brownie-points with my bosses or the good folks at Tomorrow.sg]

TechnoratiTopDog meme

Kevin (theory.isthereason.com) passes this meme. He's a nice chap (ok, more than nice) so I'll take it up. I followed his instructions, steps 1 to 6:

#1 - Make sure you’ve claimed your blog on Technorati and given it 20 relevant tags (Learn how here)
Done. Claimed it and added the tags some time ago. I have eight tags:
librarian, Librarianship, Public Libraries, Public Library, public library service, ramblinglibrarian, Singapore, singapore librarian.

#2 - Go to Technorati Blog Finder
Ok...

#3 - Search for the tags you’ve given your blog (e.g. Singapore, librarian)
... uh huh, I chose the first tag and typed in "librarian" in the Blog Finder search box...

#4 - Write down how well you rank in that area (it’s listed by authority)
... and the results for librarian: I'm ranked at No. 3, after Library Avengers ("Why you should fall to your knees and worship a librarian. And some other stuff." -- LOL!) and Filipino Librarian.

#5 - Rinse and Repeat until you exhaust all your relevant tags
I did the same with the seven tags. The results for all eight tags are:
"Librarian" - 3rd out of 57 blogs
"Librarianship" - 3rd out of 20 blogs
"Public Libraries" - 1st out of 5 blogs
"Public Library" - 1st out of 3 blogs
"Public Library Service" - 1 of 1 blog
"Rambling Librarian" - 1st of 3 blogs (all 3 are my blogs)
"Singapore" - 19th of 355 blogs (just made it to the list of what Technorati defines as the "20 blogs tagged singapore sorted by authority")
"Singapore Librarian" - 1 of 1 Blog
[Results as of 10 Jan 2006]

#6 - Blog the results, tag “technoratitopdog” and pass it to three others
Ok, have tagged this post and I'll pass it to Filipino Librarian, Doug Johnson (Blue Skunk Blog), and Ruminations (would have more but Kevin says only three).

[Total time taken to do the above (including posting screen shot to flickr.com) -- 15 mins or so.]

Did I do it correctly, Kevin?

It's an interesting exercise in learning more about Technorati Blog Finder (new to me). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about being listed (esp. for "Singapore") but it's more of a motivator to carry on blogging rather than thinking "Now-I-am-the-Greatest". As I mentioned in my previous post re: PubSub ranking, the rankings serves more as a reminder that people are reading my blog, and hence to blog responsibly.


Tag: technoratitopdog

What's the CE of NLB reading?

The chief executive of NLB shares what he read over the holidays, and what he intends to read next:

During the recent holidays, I finished reading The Kite Runner and Digital Fortress. Currently, I’m in the early stages of reading Deception Point.

From my Technorati Watchlist, I discovered one blogger who wrote:

My reaction though was completely different from that of the learned chief executive of the National Library Board. After a few chapters, I simply could not continue. The blasphemies were too much for me to endure.

You can guess what book is being discussed here (and this is yet another example of how libraries can leverage on blogs to discover what people are discussing about them).

I left a comment to invite the blogger to visit High Browse Online to share his views (ah, another example of how blogs can be used to engage the public where reading is concerned).

Choosing a name (Starting a new blog - Part 2)

[From: Starting a new blog (Part 1)]

For me, choosing a blog name is often the hardest part in the process of creating a blog. When I started my first blog (i.e. this one), I spent 60 minutes coming up with a name. In fact, from the MICA course I conducted with my colleague some months ago, I've observed that it's the same with a lot of other people new to blogging.

NOTE: If you're just experimenting with blogs, just use any name. All three services mentioned (Blogger.com, Blogsome.com, Wordpress.com) allows you to delete your blog. Blogger has the advantage of allowing you to change the blog url (if new name has not been taken) and still retain your User ID.

All free blog sites require you to specify a unique user ID. At this time of posting, when you sign up for Wordpress.com and Blogsome.com, your User ID is automatically set as the blog url. Only Blogger.com allows you to specify your User ID and keep it different from your blog url (because they allow you to create multiple blogs under the same ID -- could be considered an advantage over the other two).

I usually think of more than one name before I start registering for the service -- so that I don't get stuck at the PC, or make a hasty name up, when my first choice is unavailable. But as much as you plan, it might still be a long drawn process (as I found out this time round).

This time, my choosing a blog name involved a conversation with my wife:

Me: What name shall I name my new blog?
Wife: What is it for?

Me: for my art related posts. Drawings & stuff. How about "Ramblingart", "Ramblingartist", or "Ramblinglibrarianart"?
Wife: Why do you have to use the word "rambling"?

Me: To maintain an association of sorts with "Rambling Librarian".
Wife: (Didn't say anything but her face shows she's not convinced...)

Me: So... how about "artofivanchew"?
Wife: Sounds boring.
Me: Then it's perfect. That's exactly like me!

So with some names in mind, I went over to Wordpress.com and successfully registered "artofivanchew". Then toyed around with adding a short blurb for my profile, templates, generally exploring the admin module.

But somehow the name didn't feel right.

I'm an advocate of plain-sounding blog names (i.e. don't use bombastic words; choose something that is a common search phrase). But the more I considered "artofivanchew", it didn't cut it. Sounded too pretentious to me. Too formal. Too restrictive (I plan to feature art-related stuff of other people too).

I thought of a few other names: IsItArt.xxx.com, I-Did-This.xxx.com... hmm, only so-so.

And then it hit me!

I'd written a short "About Me" blurb which included the phrase "for my right-brain pursuits". I wrote that down on paper: myrightbrain.wordpress.com -- Perfect!

Made alot of sense too. I intend to include more than just drawings in this new blog; it's going to be an outlet for all things that I define as "creative"; it's flexible enough to include future expansion of categories; it's informal sounding but not too bombastic; it sounds just clever enough to be consistent with the creative aspect but not too pretentious...

So there it is -- myrightbrain.wordpress.com

My next steps would be to add an About page (which I've done so already), choose a template (also done) and some other "behind the scenes" stuff.

[Next: Part 3]

Brave New Singapore?

I'm blogging this as yet another example of how information is disseminated, and how discussions are generated in the Blogosphere. Disclaimer: I'm only a humble librarian who's travelled little, so don't take me too seriously:

Learnt from Loy's blog (From a Singapore Angle, 7 Jan 06) about a two-part series commenting on "the lack of liberty in Singapore" by a certain Dr. John Cobin (author, columnist, businessman and international lecturer; Ph.D.degree in Public Policy, M.A. degrees in Economics and in Business Economics).

Dr. Cobin and his wife was in Singapore for a two-day visit in December 2005, afterwhich the articles were published on 4 & 5 Jan 2006. Here's a quick summary:

In Part 1, Dr. Cobin suggests that "Singapore lurks an eerie fiend: slavish oppression". He "experienced favorable first impressions to say the least" but "upon closer scrutiny, one can see that Singapore more closely resembles Hitler’s Germany overflowing with its Brown Shirt regiment".

Further down, he cites that "criminals like rapists and vandals are stripped naked and caned until their buttocks are hideously bruised and bloodied".

Then in Part 2, he posits that "Singapore may enjoy a high degree of economic prosperity but its inhabitants are hardly free. If you want to have a rousing discussion about politics, economics, sociology or culture, you won’t find it in Singapore".

He adds that "the fascist state in Singapore imposes happiness on its people" and that from his two days in Singapore (in December 2005), while he found the trip "intriguing", it left him "despairing for those people" (i.e. those people = Singaporeans) and he was "yearning to leave with little desire to return".

At first I decided what Dr. Cobin (author, columnist, businessman and international lecturer; Ph.D.degree in Public Policy, M.A. degrees in Economics and in Business Economics) wrote must be true.

Especially the part about the Brown Shirts.

But I looked out my HDB home to check for Brown Shirts (I've been taught never to assume, 'cos when you do, "you make an ASS out of U and ME") but hey, I couldn't find any. *Ivan slaps his forehead* Ah, Dr. Cobin was merely using it as an analogy! Silly librarian.

Much chagrined about my poor grasp of the subtleties of the written word, I relooked at Dr. Cobin's article. It left me even more disappointed with myself, especially when I couldn't understand how the act of caning was less brutal than the act of rape.

Now, I'm may not be smart but at least I'm persistent. I continued with part two of his article (finish what you start, that's another thing that I've been taught).

Dr. Cobin wrote that people living in Singapore are hardly free, and that one can't find any "rousing" discussion about politics, economics, sociology or culture, you won’t find it in Singapore. It was hard to think about that statement, 'cos I'm sitting at the neighbourhood coffee shop and I'm distracted by a group three tables away talking about the PAP.

So, I'm certain I've become a better man after reading Dr. Cobin's articles. I've always thought I was free to think, act and speak responsibly in Singapore (that only irresponsible comments that would get me in trouble). But thanks to Dr. Cobin (author, columnist, businessman and international lecturer; Ph.D.degree in Public Policy, M.A. degrees in Economics and in Business Economics), it's as if I've taken the Red Pill and seen the truth. I've torn off the blinkers and finally seeing life in Singapore for what it is... ...


LOL!

Like I said, don't take me too seriously. I read the articles and was itching to comment. In truth, my first reaction was to ignore it but in the spirit of blogging, I decided to post my reactions.

In fact, before blogging this, I submitted a feedback in part 2 of the article (pending approval as of now). My feedback was simply this:

John Cobin wrote: "But my two days there, though intriguing, left me despairing for those people and yearning to leave with little desire to return." LOL:) It's ok, John. You don't have to feel sorry for us. I don't know about the rest of my fellow citizens (as well as my non-Singaporean friends who've chosen to become Permament Residents) but I'm perfectly happy where I am now. Maybe I've not travelled as widely as you have (I've been to 15 so far) but as much as I enjoy certain aspects of the host countries, I still prefer to call Singapore home. I'm sorry you don't have any desire to return to our country but should you change your mind, I can say confidently that you're more than welcome. Perhaps in speaking to more Singaporeans you might learn that we have more things in common than differences. Cheers.

Tag: singapore