Disqus - Latest Comments for Jamie Harrop

Re: My Weekend Reading List – 12/08/2008

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:14:09 -0000

Thanks for the link love, David. :-)

Jamie

Re: A Quick Word on Metaworking for My Blog

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:59:29 -0000

Hey Sid,

I spend much of my time trying to find blogs I haven't visited before and then writing comments on those blogs. I attended a blogging meetup last month that I co-organised with Chris Garrett and I asked everybody to give their best tip for blogging success. My tip was, "Comment on blogs, and then comment on the blogs of the bloggers who wrote a comment on the initial blog". (I'm sure that sentence confused you just as much as it did the 15 or so people in the room).

Basically, I have a selection of blogs that I read on a regular basis and comment on a regular basis. Then each day I look at the comments on those blogs and click through to the blogs of those commentators, and then if I like what I see, try to give some constructive comments on those blogs. That's how I found your blog... by coming here through a comment you left on ProBlogger.

It may sound a little too "planned" and structured, but I find it's a great way for bringing in new visitors to my own blog, and more importantly it's a great way to build new relationships.

So writing comments on blogs, and then writing comments of the blogs of those who wrote a comment on the first blog. ;-) That's how I spend much of my time.

Like you, I also spend a lot of my time on blogging forums. I like to spark discussions and answer questions as well as get my own questions answered. Forums provide a nice, different environment to step in to when writing blog comments starts to get old. I often find a lot of discussions that inspire me to write new blog posts. They're a great way to motivate, inspire and make new connections. :-)

Fantastic post, Sid. I'm now subscribed!

Jamie

Re: More Important than Money - Paying Myself First With My Time

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:06:15 -0000

Another fantastic post, Sid.

I too have recently found that waking up earlier is an excellent way to increase productivity. My realisation actually came out of a desire to be awake when the sun came up every morning. We all see the sun set each day, but most of us rarely see a new day get born. Some people will probably never see a sunrise.

I had a desire to see it every single day, so I started going to bed earlier and getting up at 6am. Because, like you say, most people are still asleep at that time, my productivity and energy levels are huge.

It's generally just a better time of the day, even if you're not a morning person (I'm far from it, like you).

Jamie

Re: A Christmas Story - A Tale of Craig’s List and Two Frying Pans

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:20:25 -0000

What a wonderful story, Sid!

Thanks for sharing.

People really are amazing sometimes. I remember when I was organising a camping trip to Kandersteg, Switzerland for 18 Scouts in 2006, we got a random donation of £60 ($120) from a man none of us knew. It came with a note that simply said:

"This is for your trip. I have many fond memories of camping at Kandersteg as a Scout 60 years ago"

Jamie

Re: Why Our New Year’s Resolutions Are Doomed Before We Even Begin - And What We Can Do About It

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:02:47 -0000

If you were stranded on a desert island with nothing but you and nature, you'd have to stop smoking because there would be nothing to smoke. So people *can* stop smoking. They just have to *want it*. I think far too many people set New Years resolutions that they don't really want to achieve. They know they should set them because achieving them would mean a better life (no smoking, better eating etc), but deep down I don't really think they want to stop smoking or eat better because they enjoy both those things.

As for my dissolutions, I'd probably say TV is my biggest time waster. I spent about 40 hours a wake watching the likes of The Simpsons, CSI, NCIS, Sport and cooking programmes. Entertaining and fun, sure. Productive? Nope!

Thanks for the very interesting post, Sid. It's nice to see you back after the holiday break!

Jamie

Re: Why Our New Year’s Resolutions Are Doomed Before We Even Begin - And What We Can Do About It

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:06:11 -0000

Sorry. That was meant to say 40 hours a week. Doh! :-)

Jamie

Re: Nerdy Productivity: Covey’s Time Management Matrix Illustrated with XKCD Comics

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:16:54 -0000

Those comics cracked me up, Sid. Very funny, but so true. :-)

You did a fantastic job of talking about something very normal, in a much more interesting way.

Re: Fun with Opinions

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:15:05 -0000

Hey Andrew,

Those are some awesome songs.

The ones on my list tend to be the traditionally motivating songs. These tend to be the new age motivation. :-)

Thanks for the link love!

Jamie

Re: Simon Goudie » Maintenance Mode

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:37:41 -0000

Hey Simon,

So it's been a while since you made this post. How's the speaking going? :)

My own "word" to avoid is "errrm". I remember when I recorded my first video blog. It was five minutes long and there must have been 30 "errms". When it came around to the next video blog, I actively tried to remove them from my speech. Two or three worked their way in there but overall it was much improved.

Jamie

Re: Monday Poll: Will you take action on 2.7?

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:19:09 -0000

I tried IntenseDebate and found it far too confusing and bloated for what I want in a comments system. I like threaded comments though, so I'll stick with Brian's Threaded Comments plugin that I've been using for a long time.

Re: 4 Simple Ways To Let Your Blog Run RIOT

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:35:58 -0000

Hey Daniel,

Excellent post.

Blogging really does revolve so much around building new relationships, and that's why your points 1, 2 and 4 all discuss that.

I've built my blog solely from talking to other bloggers through comments, emails and social networking Web sites. When I spot a problem on their blog (a broken image, a broken link etc) I email them. I do that, because I know that when people have taken the time to email me about broken links on my blog, I've remembered their name and gone to their blog.

But there are so many ways to build relationships in the blogosphere, and all will pay far more than just more subscribers. Long term friendships are one of the reasons I love blogging. :)

Jamie

<abbr>Jamie Harrop´s last blog post..Do You Have a Blogging (Business) Plan? - Poll!</abbr>

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere 10-28-2007

Jamie Harrop — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:58:04 -0000

Hey Sara,

I just wanted to say thank you for the link to my site. :)

It looks like you have an interesting blog here. Consider me your latest subscriber. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Welcome John Chow Dot Com Readers!

Re: 10 Ways Not to Communicate with your Readers

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:48:29 -0000

Interesting post, Sara.

I especially like the point about 'failure to inform'. I absolutely hate it when I'm not kept up to date when there is a problem.

I was holidaying in Corfu recently when there were problems with our transfer from the airport to the apartment (and vice versa on the way back). We weren't kept up to date with what was going on, and so, as you can imagine, at 2am in the morning, stood outside an airport wondering why we weren't allowed to move, people were getting very annoyed.

A quick update to honestly explain the situation would have helped so much.

Bang! Idea for a blog post. Link love coming your way later today, Sara. :D

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Welcome John Chow Dot Com Readers!

Re: You Are Not too Busy to Work Out

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:45:57 -0000

I always used to be very fit. I played a whole heap of sport not too long back, then I suffered a knee injury.

Then I started working from home full time, so not only was I not going much sport any more, but I wasn't even travelling to school/work any more. To get to and from college each day, I had to walk three miles, so that kept the beer belly away. Since finishing college, I've barely done any exercise and it has caught up with me.

However, last month I got a gym membership and I've been going four or five times a week, doing cardio and weights. I'm certainly not overweight, but I am incredibly unfit. The feeling I have been getting from the gym and the 15 minutes in the steam room afterwards is awesome. It is so refreshing and relaxing.

I also started a six month kayak training course, which is helping to keep me fit.

Being fit really is a great benefit for everything in life, including work. :)

My own advice would to have a goal. I find it very hard to get fit if I don't have a goal. Saying "my goal is just to get fit" isn't good enough. It needs to be measurable. Maybe you want to take part in a fun run later in the year. Maybe you want to walk that hike you have always wanted to walk. Whatever works for you. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Welcome John Chow Dot Com Readers!

Re: Are We Really That Busy?

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 06:34:03 -0000

Damn right I have time! If I have time to read each day the 60 blogs in my RSS list, and I have time to actually count how many are in that list like I just did, then I have time for anything! :D

I guess it's time for me to go rant at my readers about how they *do* have time. :)

Thanks for the link, Sara. By the way, it seems you forgot to close my link with . I'll always take a huge link like that, but I gathered I would let you know. :D

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..The Excitement of a Business First

Re: Money-Hungry Kumiko Acts Like Blogging is a Business

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 08:12:49 -0000

Amen to that!

Although CashQuests has been in my mental list of blogs I knew of, I have only recently subscribed and started reading.

As a new reader, I can't say I've noticed anything about Kumiko's writing style that has put me off. In fact, I'm quite enjoying her blog. Change tends to effect those regular readers more than it effects new readers. If a new readers opinion is anything to go by, the regulars will soon get over the changes and realise they were relatively small when compared to the overall picture.

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..The Excitement of a Business First

Re: Thank You, Kieron Donoghue!!

Jamie Harrop — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 05:14:30 -0000

Awesome! I can't wait to see what they come up with, Sara.

I have to say this though... if I was you, I would try and keep the light colour scheme. It's so refreshing to come here and see lots of white space, plus a fluid layout that covers my whole screen. I can actually spread out here and not touch the sides, whereas most other blogs are dark and crammed in, a little like economy on a flight!

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Dude! It?s time to Relax!

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere 11-04-2007

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 07:10:58 -0000

Wow! Liz's answer to the too busy question puts mine to shame. Simple and interactive. Good job Liz! :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Sunday Speed Linking - 4th Nov 07

Re: Questions on Making Money, Branding and Guest Blogging

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:28:08 -0000

Sara, there are two things on your blog that shout out "Brand!" to me...

1. The green colour scheme.

2. The photo of you in the top right corner.

Keep those, as well as your logo, and your brand will only be effected positively, in my opinion. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..My StumbleUpon Analysis - A Poor 500% Traffic Increase

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere 11-04-2007

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:33:56 -0000

I see your post about Kumiko is getting some good attention on Blogging Zoom, Sara. :)

I just submitted my first article. It'll be interesting to see how it performs. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..My StumbleUpon Analysis - A Poor 500% Traffic Increase

Re: Socializing Offline: Just Do It!

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:42:51 -0000

It's funny you should mention this, Sara. I've been considering putting together a monthly blogging get-together. Similar to John Chow's Dot Com Pho, I suppose.

My only problem is I'm having trouble finding bloggers who are interested, and those who I think might be interested (looks at Caroline, for example) don't share where they reside in the UK (it makes sense not to share this information, but it makes organising an event a little difficult).

Maybe it's time I sent a few emails around to see who would be interested. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..My StumbleUpon Analysis - A Poor 500% Traffic Increase

Re: November Goals

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:21:04 -0000

Thanks for the mention, Sara. :)

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the info-product.

Good luck with your goals, Sara. If I can help in any way, you know how to get in touch. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Setting Out Your Blogging Goals

Re: Think Different Challenge

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:59:40 -0000

Although I often find it hard, I do try to look at the positive side of everything.

I have so many ideas. So many dreams. So much ambition. Unfortunately, one can only do so much and I often find myself frustrated when so many of the things I want to do can't be done right now.

But then I remember that I'm 20 years old, having never worked for anybody other than myself. I remember I work from home and I remember I've experienced live BBC radio interviews, travelled to NYC, Toronto, Chicago, Switzerland and a whole boat load of other places. Once I remember that, things seem so much better again. :D

Thanks for the tag, Sara. It's time for me to go post. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Setting Out Your Blogging Goals

Re: PayPerPost: You Know You Want it

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:10:32 -0000

Thanks for reminding me about this, Sara. Although I've read much about it, I never took a close look.

I guess I'll add it to my ever growing list of things to do once I launch my new design. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Standby Idea Vs Standby Post

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere 11-18-2007

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:28:53 -0000

You just know you're missing my "6 Google Analytics Secrets" post, Sara. It was said, in a comment, to be the best article on Blogging Zoom so far. :D

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..New Design - Your Feedback Wanted!

Re: Meme: 5 Questions About You

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:20:09 -0000

I love the library story, Sara. It's always nice to take a trip down memory lane. :) (incidentally, a trip down memory lane would probably make for a good meme).

As I said in my post, I certainly seem to prefer the writing style of female bloggers. I'm really not sure what the difference is between those female bloggers and the male bloggers. I just guess I enjoy the writing style much more.

For what it's worth, one of the reasons I like blogging so much is because it isn't a male dominated industry. At least not as dominated as other online industries are, such as Web hosting and Web development. I'm not sucking up to the females of the world (honest!). It's just nice to have a different view on the world, as opposed to the usual beer and bum talk. :lol:

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..New Design - Your Feedback Wanted!

Re: Happy Thanksgiving

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:53:46 -0000

From a UK friend to a US friend, Happy Thanksgiving. Please save some turkey for me, Sara. :D

And dayum women! I'm gonna miss your posts for the next couple of days. /Jamie wonders what in this world he's going to do without his daily dose of the Pajama Professional\

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..My New WordPress Plugins

Re: Introducing… Gosh That’s Green

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:24:52 -0000

Subscribed and commented. :D

Just one thing... the comment form didn't appear when I looked at the site in Opera (my browser of choice). I had to open up Internet Explorer to write the comment.

Oh, and I have a post idea for you. "A Look on the Wild side of Switzerland's Recycling". I've been to Switzerland twice and I'm always amazed at how clean the country is (I saw hardly any litter), and their recycling policy is second to no other country in the world. Waste *must* be split in to several different categories and deposited in an appropriately coloured trash can. If it isn't, you find yourself on the wrong side of the law... and like everything it Switzerland, the offence is taken seriously.

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Quick Tip - Use Absolute URL’s

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere 11-26-2007

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:04:36 -0000

I can't wait to see the new design, Sara. :D

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..I Won a Contest! Welcome John Cow Readers!

Re: Introducing… Gosh That’s Green

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:22:38 -0000

Well well well. Look who it is! My favourite HostingCon drinking buddy. Hey John! :D

Sara, Cirtex and I spent many an hour getting drunk in Chicago at this years Web hosting Con. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Thanking You, the Vocal Voices!

Re: Four Super Simple Steps to Quick Holiday Cash

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:55:03 -0000

Interesting idea, Sara. I take it posting affiliate links on CraigsList is within their rules?

Ohh... what happened to your theme? It's gone! :shock:

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..5 Things Every Blogger Can Learn from a Scout

Re: Comments are for Conversation

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:27:00 -0000

I'll drink to that, Sara.

It's no surprise to me that Web hosting companies are having to worry about this. I'm a moderator at a large forum called "Web Hosting Talk". There are hundreds of thread created each day that are negative reviews of hosting companies, and often a lot of them are just awful attempts to degrade a company from somebody with an agenda.

It's a shame this practice is coming outside forums in to blogs.

P.S. It's was nice to see your feed report a new post last night. More!! We want more!! :D

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Around the World in… How many days?

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere - March 23, 2008

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:38:18 -0000

Hey Sara!! :D

Thanks for the mention!

I've spent my fair share of time outside the public eye of the blogosphere, while still working hard in the background. Later today, with motivation in one hand and a desire to rock a world in the other, I'll be re-entering the world of blogging in a big way.

I'll be relaunching my blog with some new, (hopefully) never seen before features, competitions, and good quality content. Most important of all, I'll have a plan, rather than some half-assed finger tapping that it was before. :)

So expect more from me soon. And expect better from me soon. And expect more conversation from me soon (I've hated not talking to the likes of you and other blogging friends. I've missed everybody!).

More soon... I promise. I'm really glad to see you're getting back in to the swing of things again. :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Around the World in… How many days?

Re: Monetizing your Blog: Jack Humphrey’s $400 Post

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:26:10 -0000

That's a fantastic video from Jack. Thanks for sharing, Sara.

I can't wait to see your video blogs. They can be hard work to do, but they're also a lot of fun. :)

P.S. It looks like your blog theme went a little crazy again.

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Book Review - Tricks Of The Mind

Re: The Relaunch of Jamie Harrop: Young Entrepreneur

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:46:31 -0000

Hey Sara!

Wow! This post was totally unexpected. Reading it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside that creates an involuntary smile on my face. Thank you so much! :-)

I'll be entirely honest and say that the Upcoming Posts feature isn't a plugin. I've resorted to updating it each time I need to add a new post to the list. But I'm ok with that, because the value of that feature is worth far more than my two minutes a few times a week to update it.

With that said, I've always wanted to try my hand on writing a WordPress plugin, so maybe this would be a good place to start.

Thanks, once again, for writing this Sara! It was the perfect article to wake up to. :-)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Book Review - Tricks Of The Mind

Re: First PJ Pro Video: Webcam Live and a Blue Snowball

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:24:08 -0000

I just watched your video for ProBlogger and really enjoyed it. Excellent idea, Sara. Good job! :)

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..6 Tips For Better About Pages

Re: Trip Around the Blogosphere - September 1, 2008

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:58:35 -0000

Hey Sara,

Wow. Have a I missed you!!

I hope you're well.

Those sound like some interesting links. I'll try make time to check them out later.

Thanks for the link love too. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I actually enjoy the story style posts much better than anything else. I always did like writing stories, even back in junior school. :-)

Have a great day!

Jamie

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..Today is Unique - Never to be Seen Again!

Re: What you need for your Wordpress Blog

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:45:04 -0000

Hey Jim,

I found that Akismet wasn't doing a great job at catching spam, so I installed the Bad Behavior plugin to work alongside Akismet. I now don't get any spam comments making their way to public view. They all get caught by Akismet or Bad Behavior. :)

The other plugin I like is "Odiogo Listen Button". It converts your posts to an audio file so readers can download them as a podcast and listen to them, rather than reading them.

Jamie

<abbr></abbr><abbr>Jamie Harrops last blog post..Blogger Interview Series - Hunter Nuttall</abbr>

Re: My Little Hobo

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:53:08 -0000

Heh. That's awesome, Matt. You should have given her a little bindle too. :)

Fantastic photos aswell. The contrast is excellent!

Jamie

Re: My Little Hobo

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:53:08 -0000

Heh. That's awesome, Matt. You should have given her a little bindle too. :)

Fantastic photos aswell. The contrast is excellent!

Jamie

Re: Newcastle history being made!

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:57:43 -0000

Taking online friendships to the offline world (safely!) is a fantastic experience. The first time I ever did it, I ended up flying from the UK to Canada for a BBQ in a friends garden. Since then I've met a load of online friends and the experience is always excellent.

Just recently, Chris Garrett and I have been organising blogging meetups for bloggers in the North of the UK. There's really nothing better than an offline gathering to motivate and inspire you to keep blogging. :)

I can't say I've ever been to a Tweet-Up, but I'm sure I'll attend one in the future.

Jamie

Re: Newcastle history being made!

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:57:43 -0000

Re: My Little Hobo

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:53:08 -0000

Heh. That's awesome, Matt. You should have given her a little bindle too. :) Fantastic photos aswell. The contrast is excellent! Jamie

Re: Newcastle history being made!

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:57:43 -0000

Taking online friendships to the offline world (safely!) is a fantastic experience. The first time I ever did it, I ended up flying from the UK to Canada for a BBQ in a friends garden. Since then I've met a load of online friends and the experience is always excellent. Just recently, Chris Garrett and I have been organising blogging meetups for bloggers in the North of the UK. There's really nothing better than an offline gathering to motivate and inspire you to keep blogging. :) I can't say I've ever been to a Tweet-Up, but I'm sure I'll attend one in the future. Jamie

Re: unH4cked

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:35:00 -0000

It's good to see the Cow back. Give it a month, and I'm sure somebody will conduct a survey to see just how many bloggers are now backing up their blogs after seeing your reminder. :)

Re: For Those Who Couldn’t Make It

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 05:54:26 -0000

John is always causing trouble. Good for him! :)

Re: Scot Lies Some More

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:27:26 -0000

Oh cow. Why bother playing in to this guys hands?

It's obvious he values a quick buck over his integrity and by giving him this public attention he gets the reaction from you that he's looking for.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Just my opinion of course.

Re: 60 Free Ads

Jamie Harrop — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:36:13 -0000

Count me and my Opera feed reader in. :) Screenshot

Re: First 10 Free Ad Winners

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:44:30 -0000

Finally, I won a blogging contest. :D

Details heading your way soon, Cow. :)

Re: Increasing Your Online Presence With Sivatar

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:21:44 -0000

Interesting. I'm not sure there's anything really unique about it, but I'm always game for giving something a go. I just joined. Pending approval. :)

Re: What We’ve Learned in 2008

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:16:25 -0000

It's not so much the hangover, as it is the feeling you get when you go to bed and all that beer your just consumed rushes to your brain as you lay horizontal. :lol:

Re: The Truth About Bloggers

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:11:59 -0000

Single and proud of it. That's me. I plan to live my own life for the moment, rather than living somebody elses life. :mrgreen:

Re: A ProBlogger’s Typical Workday

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:21:01 -0000

And now for "the house of the problogger", "the girlfriend of the problogger", "the car of the problogger" and "the bank account of a problogger". How about it, John? :D

Re: Whats The MMO Niche Coming To?

Jamie Harrop — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:00:30 -0000

Amen to that, Bob. I couldn't agree more.

I watched Vic's video slagging Caroline, and yes, I agreed with some of his points. In fact, I'd even considered Caroline's motives myself far before Vic had his say (I came to the conclusion that her motives were not an issue for me to worry about) But the way in which Vic has come out and said his things stinks. He lacks social skills. He lacks morals. He lacks respect. He lacks just about everything a human should have.

I'm sorry Vic. I agree with some of the things you say, but the way you say them is totally out of line and eventually it's going to bite you in the ass.

The fact is, if Vic was sat next to Caroline or Marc at a table in a restaurant, there's absolutely no way he would be hurling verbal abuse at them. Vic is making out to be some big shot who says it how it is, when really he's just a challenged, dysfunctional person doing the age old trick of hiding behind a computer screen.

Vic, if you're reading, I'll say it again... I agree with some of the things you say (by all means question the motives and morals of somebody), but the way in which you say it is way out of line. If you wouldn't say it to them face to face at the top of your voice in a packed restaurant, then don't say it from behind a computer.

Jamie Harrop's last blog post..20 Ways To Get More Blog Comments

Re: Answer My Questions for $100 at Amazon

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:03:28 -0000

The absolute, ultimate, number one characteristic of a blog that brings me back, gets me hooked and makes me want to read more is the openness of the blogger. Do they show a picture of themselves? Maybe a video? Audio, maybe? Do they give a little insight to their family? Maybe they go in to great detail about their past on their about page? Maybe they show pictures of their lunch?!

If I don't know a bloggers name and don't know what they look like, I'll never become hooked, even if their content is very good quality.

Take this very blog, for example. Despite the persona of "John Cow", I know your name (Hey Bob! /Waves\ :grin: ) and ever since you did the live video casting a few weeks back I've felt a much larger "hooking" or "addiction" to your content because I now know what you look like. Now I know who is behind the words, I feel much more compelled to read your content, comment on your content and link to you.

I've wrestled with the notion of writing personal content on my own blog. I've been blogging in some shape or form since 2005. For most of that time I was blogging from an entirely personal stance. What did I have for lunch? How was my weekend? Which people irritate me the most? I wrote about it all.

Then in 2007 I switched to business blogging, writing about all things entrepreneur and MMO. Suddenly my readership switched from a group of people interested in my personal life, to a group of people who wanted to learn from me and actually had expectations of the content I would write.

But there has to be a medium. Often, your personal life will cross with your business. Are you not going to share the important lessons for your bloggers, just because what your learned and want to share happened at a time when you were eating lunch? I took a trip to New York City earlier this year, so I shared my photos and told a few stories of the time while I was there.

I've said there has to be a medium, and there certainly is. I know this because I read blogs that have found the medium. Ms Danielle puts out some fantastic business advice, but also shares her birthday (and other personal things) with her readers (BTW, her birthday post received a lot more comments than any of her "on topic" posts). Brendon Sinclair over at Tailored.com.au is another person who has found the medium. Almost all his posts are business lessons learned while he was doing something personal, maybe shopping or eating with his family. I feel like I know Brendon better than most bloggers on the Internet and I learn far more from him than most because he has found that medium of personal and business.

I've just recently finished my training to become a kayaking coach. A lot of lessons were shared with us, but one in particular has stuck with me. It was three letters... SEL. Safe. Enjoyable. Learning.

Now discount the safe part for blogging, but the other two are quite related. In the MMO niche, we all want to learn from other bloggers. But we should do that learning in an enjoyable manner. Enjoyment can come from any road, but I personally find that sharing and discussing your weekend is one of the easiest, and most effective ways of building a strong, enjoyable community.

Two people knock on your door, one after the other. One is serious and barely cracks a smile and strictly tells you about the product he is selling. The other quickly asks whether the dog next door is always that scary, and proceeds to tell you how he just got chased... then proceeds to tell you about his product. Which door salesman are you going to feel the most connection to? Which door salesman are you going to remember? Which door salesman are you most likely to buy from? I know which one I would prefer.

Jamie Harrops last blog post..Week 16 Link Love

Re: Winner of Answer My Questions for $100 at Amazon

Jamie Harrop — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:12:23 -0000

Wahoo! I won. :mrgreen:

Thanks John, and thanks for the kind words from the other commentators. :)

I'll be in touch soon, John. Thanks a lot!

Jamie Harrops last blog post..We Shouldn’t Aspire to Work from Home

Re: Business Goal Setting and the Exercise Bike

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:23:00 -0000

I couldn't agree with you more, John.

So many people run in to business and other aspects of their life without understanding where they want to run to. As much as I admire their motivation, I cringe when I see it happen. I've done it. I've been there. I'm run in to so many things without knowing where the finish line was, and I've regretted every moment of it.

Define your goals, and define a path to lead you to those goals. You wouldn't set yourself a goal of running 26 miles in a marathon without knowing where you were going to run to reach that goal, so don't do it in business.

One of the best quotes that ever came out of Muhammed Ali's mouth is, "What counts in the ring is what you can do after you’re exhausted. The same is true of life." The same is true in life, and the same is true in business. It's what you do after you hit the wall that really counts.

Jamie Harrops last blog post..Week 18 Round-Up & Comment Awards

Re: How Often Do You Think About Failure?

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:33:52 -0000

I'll give a big Amen to that, Steve! :)

Thanks for the link love, and thanks for the excellent post.

Jamie

Re: 3 Strategies to Conquer Your Fears

Jamie Harrop — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:21:37 -0000

Excellent post, Steve.

I love stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing fear. I believe it's the only way we can expand and evolve as humans. If we always did things we knew we could do, we'd never do something new.

Let me ask you a question. Even though you're a nervous wreck when you do a speech, how do you feel afterwards? Are you relived, or are you on a high and a buzz that takes an hour to leave?

I absolutely love public speaking because of the buzz I get during and afterwards. I'm curious to know what effect it has on you afterwards. :)

Thanks for the link love, by the way.

Jamie

Re: Do I Have the Balls to Get my Heart Broken in 2009?

Jamie Harrop — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:03:51 -0000

Funny post, Steve.

I'll admit, I don't dare go on a date for the fear of it turning in to something serious and me having to help her choose a pair of shoes. :-p

I'm looking forward to hearing how your future dates go. I'm sure there will be some funny stories along the way.

Jamie

Re: 2 Easy Steps to Change Your Life in 2009

Jamie Harrop — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:34:25 -0000

Excellent advice, Steve, told in a way that is short and to the point.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming articles! :)

Jamie