Cold War Between A-List Bloggers and Rising Bloggers

Recently I came to know about a cold war between Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) and Hendrik (DuoBlogger), where Hendrik wrote about how A-List bloggers decrease the quality of their post and rely on their huge user base to earn money. A couple month back my friend Deb was telling how the top bloggers write only to earn money and increasing their Google pagerank by changing the way of writing a blog. Few bloggers started including other very less or no way related posts to their posts, so that it may carry some pagerank juice and some readers can click on those posts. One more thing I noticed is that some top bloggers post some silly or old tricks, information etc. to keep their post count ticking. And I found interesting is that few people posting comment on those silly post, like they don't knew that before and appreciate the author.

But the most important thing, in my opinion, which changed in recent days is the attitude of certain A-list bloggers. There was a time, when those bloggers follow up your comment and giving a reply to your questions or your constructive comment. Now they don't follow any of those comments. Just posting something good or useless and keeping them busy in getting ideas to earn more money. How could they find some time to reply what their readers think. The point here is they don't worry to loose one from the existing reader base. This is because, they became so popular that if one user is decreasing from the number, ten more are getting added. Why do they care about them?

What do you think about the A-List Bloggers? Who are the top bloggers not blogging for money? I know someone, who is a good blogger, no idea he comes in A-list or not, but you will like to read his blog. He is Head, TCS Innovation Lab - Web 2.0 at TCS. But you will never find any geeky stuff there. I enjoy reading his blog, hope you will too like that.

Multiple Login Options for Google Friend Connect

Now Google Friend Connect introduced Multiple Login Options. You can choose Google Account, AIM, Yahoo, Netlog or OpenID ids to log in to Google Friend Connect. This will attract more people to use Google Friend Connect.

Which id do you prefer to log in to Google Friend Connect? Do you use Google Friend Connect in your site/blog?

Sell Remote Computer Help

[ Help Me From Myself .. ~
Originally uploaded by The Falle'n ™ ~

Are you good in solving problems of computer? But unfortunately don't have any job (recession may be a cause)? Then why don't you sell your service online, by helping people, solving their problems online. CrossLoop is such a service, where you can sell your service to other people and get paid. You need to use their software for remote connect. You can use their software to help any of your friends for free too. However I don't like the speed and quality of the images (as compared to logmein.com), but if it can pay you for your help, then good to try.

Providing Information in Your Business

These days, I want to send one parcel to US, so I wanted to know the estimated time and cost for the shipping. Some of the parcel services came into my mind, UPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT etc. I am looking for a cheaper solution, but can't go with India Post, because of complexity of custom process, however this option seems to be the cheapest option.

First I tried to estimate at UPS, and the results I got is unbelievable. It shows less price (INR 2xxx) for the best service they have, which is even less than the cheapest solution from them. When I clicked there to see in detail, it says the actual price (INR 6xxx). Wherever I mentioned INR here, is INR in actual, but the website shows it as USD. If someone thinks about USD 6,265.88 to send a parcel of 7lbs (3.5 Kg, approx), the lips only utters 'WTF?'.

Now it's time to check FedEx. However, I found it's easy to estimate, but there is only one option, one plan.

Now I moved to DHL. Whereas the global website looks good, the India website does not look good and it's full of broken links and many things which does not work. Having a website with good looking yellow color, bad looking design and no information which you need, is what DHL India website.

At last I checked at TNT. Very easy to navigate to get the estimate for shipping. And the price is even low as compared to other services. So now thinking to choose TNT to ship. Let's see what happens next?

So if you are some business and have a website, the website is for providing information about your business, not to have it on your business card only. Some business have a domain name, which they primarily use for email id, and just put something to fill the website for domain. It's important to provide useful information about your business, which need to be easily accessible. Easily accessible means the the user can easily get what they need, a better navigation, easy to understand layout. Accessible also means, that search engines find it easy to index, so that your website come in the top results when anyone searches the information which your business provides. And why do anyone shy to say what she says? And when you have some competitors, then it becomes more important to provide the perfect information easily and win your customer.

Which service do you like and suggest? Do you have any bad or good experience with shipping something?

image credit

Theft on the web and Brand awareness

Recently I found The Markup Dude changed his portfolio design. Then I came to know that someone (a front-end developer from 2006) stolen the design and put it on his portfolio. This worried Deb (the dude) and he changes his portfolio design. See this image for the original and copycat.



Deb tried to put that design off from that site. So he emailed that guy and some of his clients about this theft. And it worked! That guy changed his portfolio design. So it became a winning story for Deb.

Now come to the second part - the brand awareness. Your design is popular, this means you have the potential for a brand. A in case of Deb, his design is already featured in many css and design showsites (I coin showsites = showcases + websites). That guy who copied it must have got this from any of those showsites. This implies that the design is good and popular. When I think about markupdue.com, that particular design comes into my mind and when I think about The Mobile Store, that red color poly-bag comes into my mind.

There are few blogs who provide their theme for free download, so that admirers of that blog design can use this on their blogs (wordpress or blogger). This helps them to build their brand. Anyways, the design of your website affects your brand in a big way. So what do you think about the "Worry of Deb on design theft"? Does anyone can share the brand value or add more importance to the it by coping the design? Anywhere on the web you will see any bird, do you think about twitter? And what comes to your mind, when you see a whale (of course failed!)?