Instigator Blog

Turns out we’ve got a movement on our hands.

I wrote about removing NoFollow from your blog just about a month ago. Since then more and more people have followed suit. I didn’t start the movement, but it’s nice to be a part of it and push it along.

For those catching up, NoFollow is a tag added automatically to URLs input into comments so that those URLs don’t gain any link love / Google juice from you. It was a means to deter spammers from posting comments to try and boost their URLs search rankings. Of course it didn’t deter spammers at all. And people who comment properly and regularly on your blog weren’t getting as much value as they could from doing so.

Removing NoFollow is extremely easy and there are numerous WordPress plugins for doing so.

What’s particularly interesting about this whole thing is the true movement of people making the switch to DoFollow - inspired by others.

Randa Clay has made the move, and on top of that she’s created a cool little icon you can put in your sidebar to let people know that you’ve setup DoFollow.

It’s a nice way for bloggers to show they care about the people who comment regularly and add real value. Plus, it’s a great move on Randa’s part to do a little marketing of her own…nice work Randa!

If you haven’t setup DoFollow yet, go for it. Don’t be shy. You won’t get more spam. You won’t have more work to do. At minimum you’ll be helping others. You may also start to see more comments and interesting discussion take place on your blog, which is what it’s all about.

Added Note: Andy Beard just informed me of his No NoFollow I Follow DoFollow Community setup through BUMPzee. I’ve just signed up to show my support for the cause.

A quick note: I’m in the midst of changing the domain name registrar for Instigator Blog.

If you experience any problems with accessing the blog please let me know; but everything should shake out in the next 24-48 hours.

Thanks!

You can’t police the blogosphere with process and systems. Nor should you.

I completely understand where the Blogger Code of Conduct is coming from, the sentiment is a worthy one, but it won’t work.

Those that decide to support the Code of Conduct are already abiding by its basic tenets: Be nice. Be smart. Be reasonable. Be open.

Those that don’t follow those basic rules of engagement just won’t follow the Code. If the Code were to reach critical mass, people could make judgment calls on which blogs they would read and participate on based on whether the blogs followed the Code or not, but it’s unlikely to reach that critical mass. And people can make those judgment calls without a Code already; let’s give them a bit of credit.

Many of the Code’s ideas make complete sense. Why wouldn’t you follow them?

But to try and implement a system and process for blogger interactions is impossible. Since the beginning of time people have been communicating as they saw fit - rightly or wrongly. There’s a place for dealing with issues of Free Speech, hate speech, etc. and I completely support smacking people around who abuse the rights we should cherish so immensely.

I read what I want to read. I hang out where I want to hang out. I socialize with who I want to socialize with. And I make decisions on what I personally publish, knowing full well that every single word I write sets the tone for how people perceive me. If you don’t realize that you should stop blogging completely.

When you blog, you put yourself out there. Often forever. Online content doesn’t disappear.

Systems and processes like the Blogger Code of Conduct are typically implemented as a knee-jerk reaction, the result of something done by a very small minority. Yes, there’s a ton of absolute garbage online. Hate speech. Flames and personal attacks. Death threats. It sucks. And if it’s against the law, it should be stopped. But ultimately a huge percentage of people already follow their own Code of Conduct, and it’s generally a decent one. The anonymity of the online world and the security of being behind a computer do increase the number of jerks, but it’s still such a small percentage. Just look around at all the great bloggers, great communities and open conversationa that people are having.

A Blogger Code of Conduct won’t stop the jerks. Ignoring them is your best bet. And if they take things too far, find out if you have legal recourse, get help and go after them.

b5 media has a great opportunity for an entrepreneur blogger. They’re looking for an entrepreneur - someone with business experience - to write their blog Startup Spark.

Yup, they’re replacing me!

For those that remember, I launched Startup Spark a few months ago, but with the increased pace of my new startup - Standout Jobs I’m no longer able to give Startup Spark the attention it deserves.

Take a look at b5 media’s job ad for the entrepreneur blogger position.

Blogging takes a lot of time. And as much as I enjoyed Startup Spark I just don’t have the time to do it justice.

b5 media is a very cool company. Trust me, they’re going places. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to connect with some worthwhile, fun people, give this opportunity a thought. Even if you’ve never blogged before, this could be a great way to get started, because the b5 network will hold your hand along the way.

I’m sorry I have to leave b5 media and Startup Spark but it has to be done. And in the meantime, I’m sure my replacement at Startup Spark will do a great job and take the blog up a notch or two.

A day late, but worth the wait.

Blogtipping is the invention of Easton Ellsworth. Smart guy that Easton. A community builder, blog evangelist and generally nice person…Easton created blogtipping to give people a chance to do 2 things:

• Promote cool blogs by picking 3 blogs you like and listing 3 great things about each; and,
• Help bloggers out by giving each of the 3 blogs you’ve highlighted 1 tip.

Simple enough really. And quite a bit of fun. Oh, and you blogtip on the 1st day of every month. I haven’t been keeping up 100% but I did do some blogtipping in February, November 2006 and October 2006.

With the recent success of DemoCamp Montreal, I’ve decided to do some local, Montreal blogtipping…

Blog #1: web1979 by Mat Balez (RSS feed)

1. Mat is wonderfully opinionated. He’s not coddling up to anyone, which is quite refreshing. Note a couple of recent posts - The A-List Blogger Phenomenon: Antithesis of the Web and RIP Twitter (2007-2007). Whether you agree or not, at least he’s honest.
2. He’s tackling meaty issues. Mat’s not one for short, quirky posts. He’s going for the jugular with a lot of his content - going deep instead of wide. Although for those of us with bad cases of A.D.D. (i.e. ALL bloggers) this might be challenging, sometimes you need to just sink your teeth into it.
3. The design is as simple as they come. Granted, he’s using the Wordpress.com service so he doesn’t have a lot of opportunity to change the design, but he’s picked a super simple design; the content is the focus here.

The Tip: Write more. It might be tough when each post is meant to be a dissertation of serious consideration, but writing more will help draw people back and develop a community around the blog.

Blog #2: Montreal Tech Watch by Heri Rakotomalala (RSS Feed)

1. Quick, interesting news. Heri’s covering the Montreal technology scene, and he does it quickly and efficiently. I find myself checking it regularly for interesting tidbits.
2. It’s not just the news. The blog could be quite bland if Heri just fed us the news, but he’s injecting his own opinions and ideas into the mix as well, giving us a 1-2 punch of news stories and insight.
3. He’s serving the community. Heri is making a difference in Montreal by contributing. And that’s great to see. While some complain that Montreal tech entrepreneurs don’t do enough, Heri steps up on a daily basis.

The Tip: Setup WordPress and get a slick, custom theme. It’ll do a lot to enhance the overall style of the blog but also draw more attention to the content. It’s worth investing to take the blog to the next level.

Blog #3: Montreal Startup by John Stokes (RSS Feed)

1. A great combination of local content and expert advice. John’s expertise and interest lies in VC and angel investing, with a local/Montreal focus, which means an interesting combination of information on investing and entrepreneurship along with a good amount of attention on what’s going on in Montreal.
2. John has a frank, open style. There’s a certain openness to John’s writing that makes you feel welcome, engaged and curious about what he’s up to.
3. John is tapping into the Montreal tech scene very quickly. He hasn’t been here too long, but John’s making an effort through his blog (and showing up to events / participating) to get involved and show his interest in Montreal and the tech entrepreneurs working here.

The Tip: Not to be redundant, but…write more. I know it’s a challenge, but I would guess that there are others out there like me interested in hearing a bit more about what you’re doing, planning and thinking.