Recently, Geocities shut down for good. I suppose I should refer to them as Yahoo Geocities, since at the time of their demise they were, technically,  a Yahoo property, but having been one who used them way back when it wasn’t shameful to admit… I suppose I’ll always just think of them as Geocities.

I happened upon the sad news by chance, on the very last day it was possible to get in there and save old files. And so, one day not that long ago, I spend an afternoon in the file manager at a very old Geocities site that almost no one who knows fracas has probably ever heard of before. I deleted, saved, transfered and reminisced until there were no remaining files, and then I logged out for the last time, saying goodbye to the first real site I’d ever created online.

Which brings me to this post, and the question I hope will inspire you all to chatting here again.

What (and where) was the first site you ever created online?

Are you an old timer who remembers using services like Geocities and Angelfire to build a site we thought was spectacular even if it did use left column graphics bar backgrounds, and blinking text? Sites where we proudly displayed our Bravenet guestbooks and links to our free message board forums at InsideTheWeb or Voy? Or are you young enough that you don’t know what it was like before Blogger and Wordpress made having a site as simple as a few clicks?

Do tell us about your first time… and don’t be shy, we really do want to know!

Though her really old sites are now gone, Fracas is still responsible for a variety of nonsense online today. You can find her at the fracas blog, fraccers, just fracas, or even over at twitter. There’s a rumour she’s started other projects too, but she’s managed to keep quiet about that so far. It’s quite obvious… she’s a Canadian who’s just out of control on the internet, and she loves Fuelmyblog!

I have been busy the past few months running around (some would say like a headless chicken!) speaking with hundreds of people from all walks of life.

From a 90 year old war veteran to a world famous sportsman, from the head of Sky News to a news anchor for Bloomberg, frequent bloggers to heavy twitter users, facebook addicts and those that still use myspace, from self-employed builders to FMCG CEO’s there is one thing in common, everyone is seeing a change in media with blogging and social media changing the way we are presented with news and information.

For example, the 90 year old complained that his weekly local newspaper no longer carried a lot of news, the sportsman wanted to be more in control of his media coverage and had become an active twitter user to clear incorrect news regarding his private life. It seems there will be some huge changes next year, Murdoch is threatening to “pull out of” google and local newspapers seem unable to get online, broadcasters are looking more and more at streaming as their traditional revenues weaken..

Yet one thing seems to remain consistent, bloggers are blogging, twitter users are twittering and the news is becoming more instantaneous because of us. Mobile phones (cellphones) are a key to these changes and as the iPhone has shown, we simply love presenting our world whether from a twitpic or speedy wordpress blog post on the go..

I had to give a statement last week and the question was “What do you think will happen with old and new media in the next year”..it made me think.

I am curious to know what you think?

Where will we be this time next year?

Please leave a comment below, it will be interesting to see who was nearest, this time next year!

I have more blogs than I can count but basically, there are 3 I really work with. One of them is an online diary where I address the issues of my life as well as blog stats. For over a year now I have blogged there about a blogging method I dreamed up. It isn’t perfect but it’s a method I could do all that time. The best part about it was I could measure improvement. This past week I altered the acronym I used to follow and replaced it with a new one. I’m a right-brained hippie so I need acronyms to remind me what I am doing half the time.

The new method is going great. To summarize, the acronym is ARC and it stands for: Analytics, Relevancy, and Conversion. These words have meaning for me in my goals of blogging. I never meant to make it a universal.

That’s where you come in. You are an individual blogger but have you defined your individual goals? Perhaps you want to make money each month as I do. Others out there may want to integrate more with friends in social media. Maybe you want to promote your company blog or website? The point is, there is no universal ranking system or method that can determine the importance of a website. You should, based on your blog goals and needs, develop a method that points you in the direction of success.

A lot of bloggers have the psychology that a Google PageRank toolbar determines a blog’s importance. That is a wide misconception. Google itself in fact is sending the message that PageRank should be ignored. Maybe we as bloggers should listen?

This is from a Google QnA forum on PageRank:

Q: My site’s PageRank has gone up / gone down / not changed in months!
A: Don’t worry. In fact, don’t bother thinking about it. We only update the PageRank displayed in Google Toolbar a few times a year; this is our respectful hint for you to worry less about PageRank, which is just one of over 200 signals that can affect how your site is crawled, indexed and ranked. PageRank is an easy metric to focus on, but just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s useful for you as a site owner. If you’re looking for metrics, we’d encourage you to check out Analytics, think about conversion rates, ROI (return on investment), relevancy, or other metrics that actually correlate to meaningful gains for your website or business.
(Source)

Here’s my final thought for now: Each blogger should take some time to identify what “meaningful gains” are for her/him and then create an individualized method to get there.

Monetizing Your Blog

Monetizing your blog with big brand widgets/banners

Would you be interested in placing a banner or widget on the home page of your site for a fixed monthly fee of between £5 and £10 per month?

The banner / widget will be from a well known high street brand it will not include adult content and could be a small poll/ survey, display a news feed or a flash based banner. Always tasteful.

Blogs will need to have a Google PageRank of at least PR2/3 to qualify and the widget will have to be placed on homepage only

At this early stage we would like to hear your feedback to see if we are on the right track and whether you would register to take part in this advertising campaign.

Please email sylvie to give your feedback we are looking to ascertain numbers at this stage.

Review Opportunities – as ever, no payment just true physical review based on actual product test, can be positive or negative, be honest with your readers.

SlimShots Campaign:

Our campaign with SlimShots is well on its way – the first reviews have started to appear and the feedback so far is pretty positive. We have another 25 slots available so if you are interested in taking part, email sylvie with your url – we will put your blog forward to our client and get back to you with more info if your blog was successfully selected.

Looking for Catholic bloggers prepared to promote the Pope latest single

This is a great opportunity to add quality content to your blog. Bloggers selected would get water marked CDs, as well as invites to listening parties – there is also an opportunity to make some money from official Universal affiliate schemes.

Time scale: November – if you are interested in putting your blog forward please email your url to sylvie – this is a global exclusive.

Important update from the FTC ruling on blogging and disclosure applicable to the USA

Damien Riley kindly agreed to cover this latest update from the FTC on the FMB blog. Key fact: always disclose paid for reviews

Give your views on the subject in the allocated comment area.

For a closer look you can also read the whole document issued by the FTC

iPhone gadget to the test:

We are doing a trial run with a really cool company specializing in iPhone accessories – we have a really cool gadget that could make your iPhone experience more enjoyable when traveling by plane.

requirements for this campaign:

Blogger based in USA, iPhone/iPod Touch owner prepared to try out the gadget and write an honest review. Please forward your url to sylvie

Time scale: now

Hey everyone, before I start, yes I know it has been a while since I posted anything here at FMB, but I’ve been rushed off my feet lately with a stack of project that I am running, so I would like to take the opportunity to bring a bit of Linky Love and recognition to fellow bloggers here at FMB

Recently over on my Blazing Minds blog I have started a news series of Blogger Interviews, where I give a blogger a selection of questions to answer and then I post the results on the blog as an interview, such as the ones I have already done with Justin Germino from Dragon Blogger and  Victoria Pires from Glowstars.

So if anyone is interested in a “Blogger Interview” then please stop by my Contact Me page on Blazing Minds and let me know.

Everyone is talking about the new FTC ruling on blogging and disclosure. It may or may not affect the “Shoe Money” monsters out there, I’m not concerned with them too much. Who’s crying for someone who makes $2,000us for one Tweet? On the other hand, I’m here to tell you how it affects the “real” middle of the road bloggers like you and me. We make up the big bubble out here in the ’sphere.

What is it?

The FTC ruled this month that bloggers must disclose when they receive payment for a product review. We have seen this many times in the form of something like:

This was a sponsored review and I received a free pogo stick from the company before I wrote this post.

The above would make a sponsored review compliant with the FTC law.

Note: Text links on their own that are not part of a review are still ok to remain undisclosed, even if the blogger is compensated to include them in a post. For example, I am paid often for “link words” in my post that have little to do with the content of the post. So far, these have no restriction or guidelines associated with them.

What’s wrong with it?

I think this FTC law has a lot of loopholes. Furthermore it fails to fix false advertising on the web. While we all want to destroy the blog posts that say stuff like “I lost 100 lbs in a day!” We can never really know if an author has been compensated for their online writing. For example, If my friend pays me $15 to review his new motorcycle company, how will anyone ever know he is my friend? Now, multiply that times the millions out there doing paid reviews undisclosed and you have the situation as it is.

What does it mean to the average blogger?

My advice to my fuelmyblog brethren is:

Keep reviewing whatever products you think will be relevant to your blog and be honest. Just make sure you let your readers know if you got paid for it.

If you follow that advice, you will be in compliance with the new law.

Related Links:
damienriley.com/ftcs-blogging-for-hire/
pcworld.com/article/173169/ftcs_new_rules_for_bloggers_a_quick_guide.html
dragonblogger.com/bloggers-must-disclose-paid-reviews/

Here are the latest product reviews available for the fuelmyblog community – as always we are interested in your feedback and commitment to review a product on your blog.

Halloween is just round the corner and we are looking for bloggers aged 18-30 based in the USA – preferably students planning on having a big Halloween bash.

#Funky costumes will be available for you to try out and keep if you commit to a fun but thorough honest review of the site and costumes. Email sylvie with the url of the blog you will review on – we will get back to you if your blog was selected for this campaign.

Note: your blog must be updated frequently to qualify for this campaign and reviews will have to be submitted within a week of the party…that should allow enough time to recover…non?

#tactical boots trial:

Still a few places available for the tactical boots campaign.

If you work in an emergency environment and require tactical/magnum boots for work, email us* your blog url as soon as possible along with your shipping address and shoe size.

You will be sent a pair and be expected to review it within a week of getting the boots.

*USA based bloggers only

#Crystalift:

Looking for lady bloggers age group: 30-50 based in USA with an excellent readership profile, we will also take into consideration your overall online presence (followers on twitter and other active networks) to test out and give your unbiased opinion on a state of the art Crystal Resurfacing Package. If you can commit to several blog posts with a before and after feel to it then feel free to email me your URL.

Note: we will get back to successful applicants only.

bye for now x

A new fuelmyblog page on facebook:

All you need to do now is to become a fan and any info posted on the page will appear in your facebook feeds – this could be useful to find out the latest product placement opportunities …I am currently the only fan…it is lonely in there!

Fuelmyblog on Twitter:

twitter.com/fuelmyblog  – twitter.com/kevindixie – twitter.com/sylvied

Fuelmyblog Talk:

Is the place where you will be able to enjoy a casual talk, in a twitter manner without saturating your twitter account – you will need to login in order to start talking. Be warned though…*gingernuts* are everywhere!

The FMB blog has recently been upgraded, writers having problems loading up images in the past should now find the whole admin experience a lot smoother!

Fuelmyblog is on Posterous.com – we have been very impressed by this light blogging platform – what are your thoughts on Posterous?

Have a good week everyone!

Sylvie x

Sometimes, that is “the question.” Pillar posts are ones you write with your particular authority on a subject. I’ve read in much “blog how-to” literature that pillar posts are very helpful for traffic and seo. I can attest this is true indeed.  If you are regular at these, you will see they get a lot of search engine traffic for a long time. Once in a while, a pillar post is not the ideal way to get your valuable words out.

It’s sometimes better to create an adobe reader file, a pdf. Often these are sold on websites, ie: “5 steps to playing bass guitar.” Other times they are given away as blog marketing rewarding readers to subscribe to their feed.  I am currently working on an ebook about starting a blog, my first. I’m not sure how I will offer it to my readers yet. The reason I thought to try a pdf is because I get questions about this topic all the time and I think it would be more convenient to email than to repeat myself over and over. These are easier than ever to make, you might want to create one and have it handy for your family and friends.  The newest release of Office Word allows you to save your Word project as a pdf.

So, what do we think of tattoos then? ………

……. do people have regrets? …….. either way. I’ve always rather fancied one but I’m told they hurt.

Skechers Shape-Ups have been put to the test by the bloggers

A little while back on fuelmyblog we offered UK bloggers a great opportunity to test out the latest trainers recently launched in America and Europe: The Skechers Shape-Ups

Shape-Ups aren’t quite your ordinary trainers, the design team has worked out a very specific shape to enhance vascular health and overall fitness.

Do check out the reviews on the Shape-Ups below if you are contemplating buying a pair it will give you added info before you do decide to go ahead!

• On strengthening your back: √ diaryofa70steen.blogspot.com, glowstars.net, blazingminds.co.uk

• On weight loss: √ bloggers have not been able to tick this box yet only time will tell.

• On firming calf and buttock muscles: √ lezzles.blogspot.com, sparkleandglitter.co.uk

• On reducing cellulite and toning thighs: Like on weight loss this benefit will be fully appreciated after a few months of using the fitness trainers.

• On increasing cardiovascular health: Any walking and regular exercise will contribute to a good cardiovascular ’s health.

• On improving posture : √ Glowstar, manuniteddevils.com

• On reducing stress on knee and ankle joints: √ illbefrancoise.blogspot.com
• On Look: Mixed feelings about it: manuniteddevils.com, blendingthemix.com one thing is sure, the fitness trainers Shape-Ups should not be seen with bikinis, skirt, dress…however, they do look pretty smart with a casual pair of jeans.
• On comfort: √ emilybassin.blogspot.com, ananyah.com

A  lot of boxes ticked – improved posture and comfort have been repeatedly pointed out through the trial. Thumbs up for the Skechers Shape-Ups here on fuelmyblog!

I have been rooting out old photees and laughing my socks off at some .. my scanner is not working so photographed a few….

So hows about this Friday, just for fun….. doing a ‘Friday 5 photos’ that are of you the blogger through the years by decade ??.. if you don’t have the decades to show then, 5 random piccies that are about you would be equally fabulous….

Mine  are over at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70steen/

Gitwizard you certainly have managed to celebrate this moment in style…you now may go ahead and pick your shirt from Uncle Iffy’s virtual t-shirt store, email us back your choice size and address

Thank you to everyone taking part it was fun to share a slice of 9/09/09 with you all!

70Steen emailed us a while back suggesting to mark 9/09/09 with a little blogging momentum. We thought it was a great idea – here is what you can do to join:

Take a photo of what you are doing on 09/09/09 at 9.00 am – blog it and update on twitter with the #headsupfuelmyblog or alternatively upload your photo and comments directly on fuelmyblogtalk – you will need to register to login first.

The best pic will get to choose a t-shirt from Uncle Iffy virtual t-shirt store

See you tomorrow!

I’ve just finished my second season with The Lawmen from Bristol, UK.  Someone in the audience asked me why I re-enact?  Why pack all my stuff up and relocate for three days, play cowboys and floozies, then pack it all up and come home?  Well, to be honest, the  reason I joined was to shoot stuff and roll about dead.  My husbands reasons were far more honourable, he loves the Civil War, and has a huge interest in American history.  I just wanted to blow things up at weekends, and rob banks.

Funnily enough, through playing different roles, my knowledge of authentic clothing grew.  And suddenly, this girl who wasn’t into ‘pretty’ outfits, began learning about them and eventually making them.  The old sewing machine was brought out and dusted off.  I grew to love dressmaking, and found a new creative outlet.  A skirt or jacket for a fiver in a charity store, with some ribbon added, some old buttons, an alteration here and there, is miraculously transformed into a late 19th century townslady coat. I took great delight in making my husbands town drunk outfit.  I bleached the trousers, muddied them and dyed them with splats in all the right places, dyed the shirt and ripped it a bit.  It’s revolting and the audience love it.

We began socialising with our fellow team mates, and gathered at a country music club.  Country music was never my favourite genre…..I now play the banjo.  My next challenge is to write music for it.  Last year, my husband bought a camera for us – it’s lead to me taking the profile photos for our members and keeping my blog well kitted out with images.  I’m no David Bailey, but I’m improving all the time.

I never wanted a speaking role, I was happy to dress up and stay in the background.  I’ve been in every show this season, and had cause to wear a microphone at least once a day. Despite my lack of confidence at one time, I am almost loud enough without a mic now!

I’m reading history books with an enthusiasm I couldn’t muster when I was at school.  The old west seems to jump out of the page and into my living room as I read.  My husband was reading about making western leather goods – he thought it all looked too clever for him.  Then last year he ordered his first cow hide, and he’s made several belts, holsters, knife sheaths and chaps.

The club means I get to write frequently, I write my blog, and I write poetry.  A long time passion has resurfaced and become a big part of life again. I’ve started writing sketches and shows, playing around with situations and characters and seeing what evolves.

However….

The most recent and alarming development is….The Caravan.  I swore blind only two years ago that I would NEVER, EVER own a caravan.  I like Top Gear, and to go down that slippery towing-your-own-home slope would be too humiliating.  We towed ours to it’s first show in July.  And I’m mildly sheepish in admitting I LOVE it.  It has two wardrobes – big enough for ten hat boxes, ten pairs of boots, twenty or thirty outfits, and boxes of scarves, brooches, sheriff’s badges,, fans, gloves, feathers and respectable authentic undies.

Sometimes you do something and it turns your life upside down.  My life has never been the same since I joined The Lawmen, it really feels like LIFE now.  It’s rich, exciting, varied, fun, intense,  and challenging.  And to be called Big Nose Kate when your sitting at night around a campfire with a beer and thirty other re-enacting friends, it’s the best.

This is an automatically generated reminder service provided by the empire that is Daddy Papersurfer.

Attention 70steen – a reminder to remind everyone to remember that something is happening very soon that I’ve forgotten.

I would like to remind you that no further reminders will be sent. If you had signed up for the Delux Reminder Service I would of course, called round and poked you with a stick. As it is, this is all you get …… shame on you …….. tsk.

Have a nice day.

[All profits made from this reminder service are not given to charity but are being placed in a high risk pyramid selling scheme to provide me with a yacht]

A little while back we had a product testing  opportunity for bloggers requiring to wear scrubs at work.

The mission:  Order from BlueSkyScrubs.com and test out the scrubs.

Bloggers taking part in this trial are mostly nurses needless to say that their opinion is highly valuable.

Is BlueSkyScrubs.com standing out from the world of scrubs with its quirky designs and wide selection of scrubs?

The first reviews have started to come in and quality seem to be a word  repeated throughout the reviews.

If you are considering buying scrubs do read the following reviews:

Candice a registered nurse  and hilarious blogger (you should read her blog) was first to review BlusSkyScrubs on  Life according to Candice . Also reviewing, OB Nurse, hterry, Learning To Have Patients and Chaotic Kristy

Ongoing product testing:

Put to the test this month Skechers Shapes-Ups...updates on this campaign can be followed on twitter #SkechersShapeUps for now – Panorama photo software is also put to test – more feedback on this photo software very soon.

Looking for female bloggers in the US willing to loose weight:

SlimShots are looking for bloggers to test and review their latest product. If you are interested email us with your shipping address and the url of the blog you will make your review on.

Don’t forget to update your details in your account if you wish to be contacted and take part in our product testing campaigns.

So what do you get up to on a wet weekend?

Do you stick t-bags all over your body and see what it’s like being a gorilla?

Do you hunt down dust bunnies with a blowtorch and then spend months arguing with the insurance company over your claim for fire damage?

Do you get out your sketch pad and sharpen your pencils and then just stare out of the window waiting for the rain to stop?

I’d love to know if you’re as productive as I am ……. personally I hate to waste a single minute ……

Hi everyone

Ok it is 2009 and I am 70steen who has been landlocked in the last century in the 70s and subsequently the 80s.

Don’t let anyone say I am not up to the minute, despite my rambles last century [blimry I have striddena century!!] because next month we see a magical date…. 09/09/09. Even those across the pond can’t confuse me that day with the swapping around of month and days. … why do you do that??

In celebration of this lack of confusion I thought it would be fun to launch an experiment (yes I am that geek and I love experiments) …… how’s about all us FMBer’s take a photo or describe what we were doing at 09.00am on 09/09/09 on our blogs and link it back here to Fuel My Blog…. we will be part of history in the making.. it is an chance not to be missed…. come on you know you want to!!

The best post will get to choose a t-shirt from Uncle Iffy virtual t-shirt store!

I will send a reminder nearer the day