The document discusses blogging and provides definitions, examples, and advice. It defines a blog as a personal online journal with discrete posts displayed in reverse chronological order. It notes that some large news sites started as blogs. Blogging allows for engaging content, branding, community building, and rapid publishing. Challenges include losing control over comments and negative sentiments, but these can be addressed. The document encourages blogging to share passions and provide quality content without expectations of returns while respecting audiences. It highlights advantages like flexibility and expertise building but notes disadvantages like sole responsibility. Overall, the document promotes blogging for individuals and companies.

1. Blogging – WTF?
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http://www.shaolintiger.com
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http://www.darknet.org.uk
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@ShaolinTiger on Twitter

2. Yah..so who are you?

3. My friends are bloggers

4. I read a lot of blogs
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How many of you regularly read blogs?

5. Yah I also have a 'serious' Blog
- Top 5 infosec blog in the world
- 35,000 RSS Subscribers
- 6,000 Twitter followers
- Etc...

6. So what is a blog?
“A blog (a portmanteau of the term web log)[1] is a
personal journal published on the World Wide
Web consisting of discrete entries ("posts")
typically displayed in reverse chronological order
so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are
usually the work of a single individual,
occasionally of a small group, and often are
themed on a single subject. Blog can also be used
as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to
a blog”

7. So...
- By that defition..is Techcrunch still a blog?
- Is Huffington Post still a blog?
- Is Slashdot still a blog?

8. Interesting..
- Quite a number of sites that started out as
blogs (according to the traditional definition)
have ended up as huge, extremely successful
news portals
- In a way this shows the intrinstic value of
blogging and the heights it can reach if done
correctly

9. The value of blogging
- Engaging – not just publishing
- Branding – both personal and corporate
- Finding people – either as friends or to hire
- Marketing – Be a thought leader/influencer
- Community – building your tribe
- Rapid publishing – which allows transparency

10. The percieved negatives
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Losing control
− You never had control over what people say
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Negative sentiments
− They are out there anyway, a blog is a way to
address them effectively

It's a lot of effort
− Yes it can be, but done right it's worth the returns

11. How to Engage YOUR audience
• Write about what you are passionate about
6)Provide high quality content without the
expectation of anything in return
• Respect your audience
• Communicate (leverage social media, reply to
comments)
• Update regularly

12. Advantages of Blogging
- No editorial process (can be a pro and a con),
but it enables very rapid responses and very
honest, open writing
- You forge the direction, narrative, intended
audience and every other aspect
- There's no pressure, unless you create it
yourself
- You can easily establish yourself as a subject
expert by blogging (goes for companies too)

13. Should you Blog?
- You should TRY it, honestly it's not for
everyone (it costs nothing to give it a go)
- Should every freelancer & company blog –
absolutely yes (as long as there's someone
committed to updating it)

14. Disadvantages of Blogging
- You are the WHOLE TEAM (writer, researcher,
editor, photographer, web designer & server
admin)
- You don't have anyone to check with if you're
'doing the right thing'
- You can feel certain expectations to write a
certain way once you've built an audience
- If you start accepting ads, you've sold your soul
to the devil (especially advertorials)

15. Great examples
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Richard Brandon 
Tony Fernandes

16. Get Blogging..
- http://wordpress.com
- http://blogspot.com
- http://www.tumblr.com
- http://posterous.com

17. The END!
Questions?
Feel free to stalk me @ShaolinTiger
This preso will be on http://slideshare.net/shaolintiger