The Todd Blog

Ever since coming across ProBlogger.com, I’ve been impressed with the practical, helpful tips the site’s creator, Darren Rowse, provides. A lot of his tips have to do with monetizing your blog, but there’s also a lot of great articles about content, SEO and usability. As great as the tips are, I’ve never really taken too much time to implement anything he’s suggested.

Which is why I’m so excited about his upcoming “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” project. Starting April 6 (it got moved back from April 1), Darren will post a tip a day and a short exercise (10–15 minutes) to implement that day’s tip. 

If you’re looking to kick up your blogging efforts, I recommend joining the challenge. If you do decide to join, leave a comment below. It will be fun to see who else is doing this.

Check out the story in today’s Wichita Eagle about my friend and favorite-local-blogger-who-links-to-me-often, Bobby Rozzell.

Aside from one factual error in the story – Bobby was never a pastor, as we don’t use that word – Denise Neil truly captured the essence of what Douglas and Main is all about.

Check out the full story here.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve made some design changes to ToddBlog.net. (If you’re an RSS reader, I invite you to come check it out.) I’m not a designer, and while I work with some ridiculously talented folks, their design genius and skills haven’t magically transferred into my heart and hands. So, what you see is the result of my love for Gill Sans and Adobe Kuler.

So, I’m turning to you. What do you think of the design? Do you have any recommendations for what I can do better? Is anything taking away from your enjoyment of the site?

Thanks for your help.

P.S. If there’s anyone who would like to donate a custom blog design to ToddBlog.net out of the goodness of their heart, let me know. It’d be fun, educational and a nice sample in your design portfolio. Oh, and there might even be some brownies in it for you.

I’ve got nothing against Todd Cochrane. I’ll bet he’s a nice guy. I’ll bet we’d even enjoy each other’s company. We’re both interested in social media. He lives in Hawaii, which is awesome. I know he’s been blogging longer than me.

But he has my domain.

Don’t get me wrong, ToddBlog.net has served me well. But if I’m going to take over the Internet, I’m going to need to all the ToddBlogs I can get my hands on. Well, at least all of them that have “.com” at the end.

The only problem? The other Todd doesn’t want to give it up.

So, I’m turning to you, my faithful readers. What do you think I should do? Do you think I should just let it go? Or should I fight for the coveted .com?

I need your creativity and strategery.

As you can see to the right, I have a pretty lengthy list of Totally Schweet Blogs. I personally subscribe to each of those blogs. If I stop subscribing, I stop linking. I try to only support those blogs that I actually read.

Some bloggers, in an effort to increase their Technorati authority score, will link to anyone who links to them, regardless of whether or not they actually read the blog. Often, these lists get so long, they have to implement a rotating blogroll. This tool shows a set number (usually about five to ten) of blogs that randomly change each time a person visits the site.

I suppose, if one has 100+ blogs the rotating tool does make your blog prettier. But really, beyond that, what is the point? Are you really recommending all the blogs on your list? Do you read all those blogs yourself? If not, why should your visitors?

And (this is my ultimate beef with the rotating script) what is the value for me, the linkee, to be on your list? There’s a high probability that most people will never see or click my link.

So, no matter how long my blogroll gets, I will proudly share all of them for all to see (a la my blog-idol Brody Harper). Because each of them are worth clicking. Worth reading. And worth linking to.

What’s your take on the rotating blogroll?

I don’t know how things look for you right now, but all is not well in ToddBlog-land. Hang tight and we’ll get things squared away.

In the meantime, does anybody have any interesting books to recommend?

Please note that I intend for the beautiful graphic above to be a joke. I have not, do not and will not endorse the use of an “under construction” graphic in any serious capacity. Ever. Unless I am paid otherwise. Or somebody asks me nicely. Or I change my mind.