A little bit of everything - With so many cool
Blogger and WordPress templates, add-ons and other widgets available for
your blog, it's easy to want them all. Unfortunately, by the time you
put in every useful-looking plug-in and every attractive graphic, your
blog has become completely unreadable. While it's understandable if you
want to take advantage of all the great resources available for bloggers
on the Internet, it's usually a better idea to pick your favorite two
or three elements. You can add more later if the circumstances require
them.
Embedded multimedia - Embedded sound, video, Flash games and other media can do a lot to draw attention to your blog. If you rely on them too heavily, however, they could actually drive people away. This is especially true for media that plays automatically, which can be loud and disturbing. Even media that's controlled by the viewer can be a problem, since it's a lot harder for search engines to categorize it. Keep the most important information in text format and use media as a special extra to add a little flavor to your site.
Lack of credit - Many blogging platforms, especially microblogging options like Twitter and Tumblr, make it very easy to repost or copy someone else's content. There's nothing wrong with this on a base level; by spreading the information across the Internet, you're helping the originator get a little better known. If you don't bother to credit the source, however, you're not just causing problems for the original content creator; you're also putting yourself in a potentially risky legal position. Play it safe; credit and always link back to the creator of a video, essay, image or anything else you use in your blog.
Poor color choices - Red text on a blue background or a really fancy font might look great on your screen, but there's a good chance it won't translate well to those of your readers. You don't have to stick to just black text on white, but there's a reason that kind of high contrast has long been the Web standard. People who have impaired eyesight or lower quality computers may have trouble reading more adventurous color combinations. If you're not sure whether your site will work well for your readership, take a screenshot and view it in black and white. Step away from the screen; if you can't read the text, it may be time for a change.
Essay CreatorEmbedded multimedia - Embedded sound, video, Flash games and other media can do a lot to draw attention to your blog. If you rely on them too heavily, however, they could actually drive people away. This is especially true for media that plays automatically, which can be loud and disturbing. Even media that's controlled by the viewer can be a problem, since it's a lot harder for search engines to categorize it. Keep the most important information in text format and use media as a special extra to add a little flavor to your site.
Lack of credit - Many blogging platforms, especially microblogging options like Twitter and Tumblr, make it very easy to repost or copy someone else's content. There's nothing wrong with this on a base level; by spreading the information across the Internet, you're helping the originator get a little better known. If you don't bother to credit the source, however, you're not just causing problems for the original content creator; you're also putting yourself in a potentially risky legal position. Play it safe; credit and always link back to the creator of a video, essay, image or anything else you use in your blog.
Poor color choices - Red text on a blue background or a really fancy font might look great on your screen, but there's a good chance it won't translate well to those of your readers. You don't have to stick to just black text on white, but there's a reason that kind of high contrast has long been the Web standard. People who have impaired eyesight or lower quality computers may have trouble reading more adventurous color combinations. If you're not sure whether your site will work well for your readership, take a screenshot and view it in black and white. Step away from the screen; if you can't read the text, it may be time for a change.
Completed Essay
No comments:
Post a Comment