Geek in Heels - Page 57

Jan 26, 2012 • In Blogging, Bloggy Thursdays, Geek, Web, WordPress

Bloggy Thursdays: Backing Up Your Blog

Welcome to this installment of Bloggy Thursdays, where I share with my fellow bloggers tips and tutorials to maximize and better your blog. While I do not consider myself an expert, I do like to think that after 10+ years of blogging — in addition to my technical knowledge — I know more than the average blogger when it comes to making your blog more appealing to readers.

Do you have any comments, questions, or topics you’d like to see covered here? Please send me a message via my contact form. Enjoy!

I have stated in an old WordPress Plugins post that I use WP-DBManager to backup my blog.

Well, times change and so do preferences. My current backup plugin of choice is BackWPup, which, according to their site, does the following:

Database Backup
WordPress XML Export
Optimize Database
Check\Repair Database
File Backup
Backups in zip, tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2 format
Store backup to:

Folder
FTP Server
Amazon S3
Google Storage
Microsoft Azure (Blob)
RackSpaceCloud
DropBox
SugarSync

Send Log/Backup by Email
Multisite Support only as Network Admin

Why do I prefer BackWPup to WP-DBManager? There are two reasons:

It has the option to automatically back up my files to any of the various cloud servers listed above (I use Amazon S3, but I think most people prefer DropBox).
It backs up both your database AND files.

Let’s back up a bit here. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “But what’s the difference between your database and files? Aren’t they the same thing?”

Not necessarily. In simple terms, your database refers to your blog posts, metadata, and comments. Your files refer to everything you’ve uploaded — including pictures and other media.

Can you imagine if you believed you were diligently backing up your blog all this time, only to have something horrible happen…and discover that while all your old posts are safe, your blog theme and all the pictures you’ve uploaded over the years are gone? 😯 I shudder just thinking about it.

As you can see in the above screenshot, I have one “Job,” which I (very creatively) named “Weekly Backup.” I have set it to run every Sunday morning at 3:00am EST — when blog traffic is usually very low so that the servers won’t get too worked up — and it is configured to back up my database and files, in addition to optimizing my database tables (optimizing your database ensures fast and smooth communication between your web server and the database).

This is all set up under my own personal preferences, of course. You can se it to run every day if you’d like, perform whichever functions, and there are even options to exclude certain folders from your backup (like plugins and themes, for example).

And if that weren’t enough, you can create multiple “Jobs” so that BackWPup performs different scheduled tasks at different times. You can even set a job not to run automatically, and only run it manually when you’d like.

Each backup location option lets you specify a maximum number of backup files, with the oldest files getting deleted first, so that your backup files do not take up too much space. (This is a great feature for people like me who use Amazon S3, because the more data we store, the more we pay!) Additionally, you can have a log get emailed to you so that you know right away if there were any errors.

I’m sure there are many other backup plugins and methods available for WordPress, but this was the first I’ve tried that actually WORKED on my humongous database and file size, in addition to it being practically effortless once set up!

Do you have other recommendations for backups? I’d love to hear them!

Truths for Mature Humans

Via In Web We Trust.

Cool Tool Tuesdays: What I Use to Clean and Protect My MacBook Pro

Welcome to today’s installment of Cool Tool Tuesdays, where I feature a favorite item from my life and spotlight it so that others who are not familiar with the product may also benefit from it. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, hardware, material, or website that I have personally tried and love.

Do you have any questions about today’s cool tool? Would you like an item featured in the future? Please leave a comment to this post, or send me a message via my contact form. Enjoy!

Some people like to rough up their gadgets, add personalizations, and give it some character.

I am not one of those people. In fact, I am the complete opposite: I like to keep my gadgets looking as new as the first day I got them.

(This also helps tremendously with their resell values. I was able to sell my old 4-year-old PowerBook for $500!)

Loyal readers may remember that my beloved MacBook Pro died on me last fall. And when I finally got a replacement, I knew that I wanted to protect my investment. After all, it was THE biggest purchase I had made in years, in addition to being a fragile item I knew I would be using every day.

1. Protecting the Keyboard

One of the reasons I was so sad to have my old MBP die on me is because I vastly prefer the old body design of the MBP over the newer, unibody construction. (Anyone else with me?)

And the thing I hate the most about the unibody MBP? The black plastic keys.

A comparison between the unibody MBP (left) and the older model, which I had (right).
(image source)

I loved the silver keys on the old MBP — a design which carried over from the PowerBook days, which was actually my first Apple computer back in 2001 — and believe that the black keys have a cheap feel to them compared to the silver ones. (Although to be fair, the silver keys were made of plastic too. However, they were sprayed with a matte silver finish that made them look metallic.)

And wouldn’t you know it — my fears were confirmed when, just TWO WEEKS into using my new MBP, shiny spots began to appear on the space bar and a couple of other most-used keys.

These shiny spots were not oil spots. Instead, they were “wear and tear” spots, from the matte finish on the keys wearing away.

A brief perusal of the web told me that indeed, this is a common problem among unibody MBP users and that the best course of action is to purchase a keyboard protector.

NOW YOU TELL ME!

I quickly discovered that best keyboard protector for the MBP is the Moshi ClearGuard, which is advertised as the thinnest keyboard cover/protector on the market at 0.1mm thin, or one-fifth the thickness of silicone protectors.

You might think that the $25 price tag is pretty steep for a piece of plastic. But I freakin LOVE this thing. It creates a bit more traction for typing, it allows for the keyboard lights to shine through, and I no longer need to worry about small spills, tiny particles entering the inside of my MBP through the keyboard cracks, or the dreaded shiny wear-and-tear spots on my keyboard.

The best part? It is washable and reusable!

As for the existing shiny spots on my keyboard? They were bothering me so much (yeah, I’m OCD with my gadgets) that I tried a potentially dangerous remedy: the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Because the Magic Eraser is a very fine abrasive, and because I would be wetting it before use, there was some potential for disaster.

However, I squeezed out all but the teeniest amount of water from the Magic Eraser before use, and very gently rubbed the offending spots. It took about 5 minutes of rubbing per key, but it worked. My keys looked brand new again. Problem fixed. 😀

3. Protecting the Body

What about the rest of the MBP? I certainly wanted to protect it from scratches as well as dinges and dents, which are all very likely with a very clumsy owner and two young children at home.

I decided that a hard case — despite the extra girth it would add, in addition to covering the beautiful design of the MBP — would be best suited for my needs and decided on Speck Products’ SeeThru Satin Case.

Installation was a snap — literally — and I love that the material is a smooth, rubbery texture. It has already protected my MBP from a number of incidents which would have surely left ugly scratches on the beautiful aluminum finish, and the case doubles as a sleeve for travel purposes.

It is also transparent enough to let the lighted Apple logo softly shine through:

3. Cleaning the MacBook Pro

When I replaced my PowerBook with a MacBook Pro in 2008, I purchased an iKlear Cleaning Kit along with it.

And if you too, own an Apple product, you should get one too.

iKlear is the only brand that is used by Apple in its stores to get its products clean. It is both ammonia and alcohol free — both of which are chemicals that can damage your screen. (This isn’t false information to boost the sales of iKlear and other products like it. I have a friend who used an alcohol-based wipe on his MacBook Pro and it left a permanent streak.)

There are various iKlear kits available for sale, but all you really need are the basic three items: the spray, the antimicrobial microfiber cloth, and the chamois cloth. (The microfiber cloth is to clean the entire product in conjunction with the spray, while the chamois cloth is used dry, to buff the screen.)

If that isn’t incentive enough for you, I am still using the same exact kit I purchased in 2008. This stuff lasts a loooong time, and is completely worth every penny.

Which products, if any, do you use to keep your laptop — as well as other gadgets — clean and protected? Can you recommend any alternatives to the three I’ve listed above?

Chinese Girl Transforms Herself into 13 Different Girls with the Magic of Makeup

…and the use of circle lenses, wigs, and double eyelid tape/glue.

I have talked about the power of makeup before, and some of these Asian girls seem to take it a little too far!

Via Absolutely Fobulous.

My First Night as a Volunteer at the Homeless Shelter

This past Saturday, I left the girls with J and his parents and joined a small group of volunteers from our church to lend our hand at the local homeless shelter.

It was tiring. It was heartbreaking. And it was totally worth it.

Prior to joining this church, I had never even considered the possibility of a homeless shelter in the area. While J and I live in an city with great income discrepancies — and are exposed to poverty on a regular basis as a result — our church is located in Bergen County, NJ, which one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, and is even home to the most expensive zip code in the country!

There couldn’t possibly be as many homeless people in the county as to even warrant a homeless shelter…right?

As usual, I stood corrected as I entered the shelter, spoke to some of its employees, and learned that all of its 92 beds have often been filled to capacity since its opening in 2009, that they are always turning away people, and that a great number of those we would be serving tonight were only there for a warm meal despite not having a place to sleep for the night.

The Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center,
where the shelter is located (image source)

Our job was to bring and prepare dinner, set up the dining hall, serve the food, and clean up afterwards. We were to prepare enough food and disposable dinnerware for 160 people. Since the cost for all this came from our church’s budget, the night’s menu was not too extravagant: fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, string beans, and brownies and cookies for dessert.

However, so many people told us that this was the best food they had received in a while that I couldn’t help but be sad. This meal, which didn’t seem that great to me and was definitely subpar compared to what I usually ate for dinner every night, was the best that most of these people had eaten in months. 🙁

It was even harder to learn that the shelter required volunteers to oversee EVERY part of the dinner — even the sugar packets for coffee! The employees warned us that if we do not set a limit of 2 packets per person, and have a volunteer standing there to make sure that rule is followed, the sugar packets would quickly be snatched up by people who would want to sell them, or hoard them for the future.

But perhaps the most difficult part of the night was limiting one serving of dinner per person. This was a rule that was strictly enforced by the shelter, and they even had a member of the staff standing by the serving line, acting as security to make sure no one would cause us trouble about this rule.

We sadly had to turn down many people who asked for seconds, or even just an additional piece of chicken. We did our best to pile on as much mashed potatoes and string beans on their plates in order to make up for this, but we still knew it wasn’t enough.

The majority of the people we served were in their 40s and 50s, but there were some young faces here and there. The youngest person I saw that night was probably in their late teens. I think I probably would have cried if I saw a young child, but seeing a pregnant woman — who told me that she wished she had a choice in the meals because her bad morning sickness did not allow her to eat many dishes that were served — was close enough. I had to blink back some tears after speaking with her, and it took everything in my power not to offer her to take my health insurance.

Seeing a man wearing a Giants jacket, I asked him if he was a fan (knowing that they would be playing in the NFC Championship game the following night). He replied, “Oh, I don’t watch football. Someone gave me this jacket, and it keeps me warm. That’s all I care about.”

Needless to say, I felt like a complete idiot.

(image source)

After our duties were complete, I drove back home in silence. I knew that this shelter was one of the better ones in the country. I knew that what we were exposed to that night would probably be considered luxury compared to other homeless shelters.

I was reminded of how, when my sister returned from a missions trip to Haiti, she told me that it’s amazing how much we take for granted every day, even just having clean — not HOT, but just CLEAN — water available at all times.

I was sad that we couldn’t do more. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but be SO thankful for what we did have.

I am ashamed to say that I haven’t done ANY volunteer work since my college days. 🙁 As someone who used to regularly volunteer at hospitals, retirement homes, mental institutions, etc. since I was a teenager, I must admit that my night at the homeless shelter seemed like a rude awakening — like a cold bucket of water had been dumped over my head to make me realize just how complacent I had become.

You can be sure that will be returning to the shelter, and seeking more ways to help the less fortunate whenever possible.

Reverent Sundays: Cherry-Picking Bible Verses

Welcome to the very first installment of Reverent Sundays, where I write about an aspect of my faith. This can deal with recent books I have read on Christianity, my thoughts on religion and current issues, as well as particular messages I find touching and/or powerful. I am aware that most of my readers are not religious, and that is fine — you are more than welcome to not read these posts if they make you uncomfortable, enrage you, or bore you to tears. I am open to debates and discussions in the comments section as long as everyone remains respectful. Enjoy!

One of my biggest annoyances is when people — Christians and non-Christians alike — take certain Bible verses out of context, usually for their own gains.

The Christian Bible is history, philosophy, sociology, and theology all rolled into one. It is one of the most studied texts in human history — and yet I doubt no one human has ever completely understood it.

So why do so many people, even those claiming to be Christian, cherry-pick verses, quoting them to get their agenda across? If anything, we should treat each verse of the Bible with as much respect — and probably even more reverence — than any other scholarly, religious, and/or ancient work.

Yep, I’ve heard them all. (image source)

When reading the Bible, it is important to consider two things. The first is that we should interpret the Bible according to “progressive revelation.” This means that although God is unchanging, the way that He has chosen to deal with humanity has changed throughout history, as He has gone through different covenants/agreements with mankind.

For example, much of the rituals we read about it in the Old Testament have been fulfilled by Christ. Colossians 2:17 is referring to these rituals when it says “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (NIV). This is why we are no longer practicing the Old Testament sacrificial system: because Christ fulfilled our need to atone, once and for all.

And this is why I get tempted to roll my eyes whenever someone tries to challenge my faith by saying something along the lines of, “Your Bible also tells you that you are ‘unclean’ when you are having your period and you should be isolated. Why don’t you follow that rule?”

Because it is an Old Testament law that has been fulfilled by Jesus. Because these laws were designed to protect and provide for the purity of the Jews until the Messiah came, and when Christ tore down the barrier between Jew and Gentile — the Old Testament laws being a huge part of that barrier — the laws became no longer necessary.

(It should be noted that moral laws, such as what we find in the Ten Commandments, will never pass away because they are rooted in the very character of God.)

I found this image at this now-defunct Tumblr blog whose aim was to post the “most atrocious
bible verses” he could find. I agree with the author of the blog that Christians should know
what’s there in the Bible, including the ugly stuff.

Secondly, we must always remember to interpret a passage in light of the context and history of the passage. What else is being said before and after this passage? Who was the original audience of the passage? What sorts of things were going on at that specific time and place?

For example, in 1 Corinthians 11:6, Paul says it is a disgrace for a woman to pray with her head uncovered, and that she “might as well have her hair shaved off.” (NIV). The historical context for this passage is that Corinth was a very raw city — as a port city, it was the center of action and was very focused on hedonism, sex, money, and such.

Also, in ancient culture, for these particular people at this particular time and place, wearing head coverings was the cultural norm. The only women who didn’t wear head coverings were prostitutes, who advertised themselves by walking around with shaved, uncovered heads.

The Christian women in Corinth were enjoying their freedom in Christ, that they didn’t have to wear head coverings anymore…but they were getting confused by others for temple prostitutes. So here, Paul is pleading with them to sacrifice their freedom in order to protect their witness/the witness of the church.

You could read the passage at face value and think it’s telling you to wear a head covering, but if you delve into the historical situation, you take away an even greater theological truth and the real spirit of the passage: the idea that sometimes it’s better for sacrifice your freedom rather than flaunt it, for others’ sakes.

And the same goes for all the other contested passages in the Bible. 🙂 It may be a Levitical Law that no longer pertains to those who believe that Christ died for their sins. It may be part of a historical record of things that have passed. It may be pointed specifically at the people for whom the passage was written. Whatever the reasons for the existence of these passages, they are always included as a part of a larger story and message.

All 117 Things That Leslie Knope Supports, and Negative Campaign Ads

I did not like the first season of Parks and Recreation. I couldn’t help but think that the show was a major waste of talent and was annoyed at how Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler’s character) was written as a moron who didn’t know when to give up.

Now, four seasons in, Parks and Recreation is currently my favorite television show. It is quirky and charming with lovably flawed characters you can’t help but root for. And yes, Leslie is still determined more than ever, but she is no longer the vapid idiot I rolled my eyes at in season one.

Fans of the show know that Leslie is currently running for City Council, and that the latest episode featured a naively-optimistic — and completely hilarious! — campaign ad:

To my utter delight, BuzzFeed has compiled the full list of 117 things that Leslie Knope supports (funniest ones in blue):

Parks
Public Safety
Environmental regulation
Local proposition 45
Local proposition 86
Local proposition 102F
More Dog Parks
Senior Citizens Rights
Safe Streets
Safe Sidewalks
Better Schools
Lower Taxes
Better Parks
Better business climate
Better Better Business Bureau
Cleaner Streets
Improve greenways
More snow plows
Protecting Pawneeans
Improving tourism
More trash cans
Energy-efficient street lights
Westside Detoxification and Revitalization Project
Repaving Grand Avenue
More Teachers
Fewer Libraries
Improve intergovernmental agency communication
Clean-up barefoot lake
Passing Pawnee Jobs Bill P-129.4
Playgrounds in every park
Playgrounds in every schoolyard
Playgrounds in every residential block
Clean energy
One police officer for every 5 citizens
One park ranger for every 10,000 raccoons
Resodding Hilltop Cemetery
Start talking to Cuba again
Emergency evacuation drills
Plow For Charity
Forming an Ad Hoc Sub-Committee Oversight Committee
Challenging the norm
Pawnee Corn Subsidies
Finally Passing PR-61, formally recognizing South Korea
Official peace treaty with Wamapoke Tribe
Four-way stops at every intersection
Unionizing ice cream trucks
Get Europe out of debt
Free trade with Illinois
Enact RRP- Raccoon Relocation Project
Pawnee Community College tuition in exchange for 4 years of public service
Doubling Pawnee Hospital’s emergency room nurse staff
Legalize Korean
Lower the obesity level
Stop global terrorism
Re-open the toucan exhibit at Pawnee Zoo
Find Gabe the Toucan
More community gardens
Ordinance 11F: To re-pave City Sidewalks
Budget Reform
Updated Technologies for Local Schools
Better retirement benefits for city employees
Edward Phillips Senior Center Remodeling
Speed bumps in front of elementary schools
Unemployment benefits
Re-installing the Main St. Farmers Market
No turtles as pets
New uniforms for youth sports programs
Free Public Wi-Fi
Updated childcare facilities
Shutting down the Child Left Behind program
Handicap parking placards for the obese
FREE PARKING EVERYWHERE
Cleaner drinking water
Regulate heights of trampolines
Memorial for those lost in the trampoline “incident”
Control the floods
Funding for public art commission
Fencing in correctional facilities
New police patrol cars
Funding overtime for police
Rebuilding the PTA
Prosecuting former PTA president Linda Trifle
Profitable government organizations
Shutting down underground shooting ranges
Making sure city contracts employ local workers
Providing more economic development grants and micro-loans to small businesses
Foster partnerships with sister cities
More buses to speed up morning commutes
More streets to accommodate additional buses
Require all city employees to check and respond to email
Working sewers
More parades
Grants for scientists to discover new forms of energy
Leave a lasting impression on all visitors
Challenge the norm (Ed. note: So important it’s listed twice.)
Finish the statue of Burt Bacharach
No more conflict diamonds
Bulletproof glass everywhere
Free cookies at every street corner
One school for every student
Require flattering mirrors in public restrooms
Develop a municipal composting operation
Enforce existing speeding and noise ordinances
Upgrade existing parks
Create an anti-graffiti youth outreach program
Free cake when it’s your birthday
Reevaluate NAFTA
Rickshaw Wednesdays
Making it illegal to refuse a hug
Make downtown more people-friendly
Sell candy in government buildings to pay down the debt
Get Pawnee a licensed pharmacy
Better screening processes at local adoption agencies
Finding homes for the adopted children of Day Labor Corp.
Prop 6A: To Recognize All Five Food Groups
Pawnee
Hot Dogs

I personally loved Leslie’s video and her disdain for negative campaign ads, where a candidate paints his/her opponent in a negative light. It is precisely for this reason that I look forward to each election season with about as much enthusiasm as I look forward to a root canal: I can’t stand the smear campaigns! In fact, I can’t remember an election since I turned 18 where a candidate did not resort to negative ads. 🙁

Would a positives-only ad campaign — where the candidate only focuses on his or her merits and never says a bad thing about their opponent — ever work in the real world? Do voters need to hear crap about your opponent in order to vote for you? If anything, I get turned off by a candidate whenever I see them running a smear ad.

Am I being too naive here?

Lunar New Year Paper Crafts by Canon

This weekend, as he does every year, J will be decorating our home for Lunar New Year with various Chinese paper cutouts and prints which are meant to ward off bad spirits and bring good fortune to the household in the new year.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Chinese culture, the Lunar New Year is a BIG deal in China. Workers usually take an entire month off so that they can travel to be with their families, and the weeks-long celebrations are loud, exuberant, and can be pretty intense. Since J’s birthday falls in the same week as the Lunar New Year Day this year, he will be taking the entire week off next week to properly celebrate both. 🙂

Koreans are not quite as into the Lunar New Year as the Chinese are, so I usually just sit back and watch him do his thing and only participate when asked to. However, when I happened upon these adorable paper crafts by Canon, I just knew that I needed to add to our New Year decorations with them.

The best part? They are all FREE and available on the Canon website! All you need to do is print them out and follow the accompanying instructions.

Message Dolls (Wealth Dolls)
Chinese Lantern
String Decoration: Lion Dance	String Decoration: Fortune
Chinese Dragon	Lion Dance

I had no idea such a fun section existed on the electronics giant’s website. I am particularly in love with the Milky Way Decoration Set, which is inspired by one of my favorite tales from childhood. (I thought for sure that this was a Korean fairytale, but apparently the same story exists in China and Japan too.) You can be sure that I will be making it for — or even with — my girls in the near future.

Be sure to check out the rest of Paper Crafts by Canon site for more great projects!

Bloggy Thursdays: The Internet Writing Guide

Welcome to the very first installment of Bloggy Thursdays, where I share with my fellow bloggers tips and tutorials to maximize and better your blog. While I do not consider myself an expert, I do like to think that after 10+ years of blogging — in addition to my technical knowledge — I know more than the average blogger when it comes to making your blog more appealing to readers.

Do you have any comments, questions, or topics you’d like to see covered here? Please send me a message via my contact form. Enjoy!

I know that I said I will not be covering content in Bloggy Thursdays, but I have decided to make an exception for this particular topic. Because not only does it cover a (small) personal pet peeve of mine, it also goes back to the basics of writing — and in this case, blogging — on the internet.

Back in 1999, right after the web really took a stronghold in American society and everyone was IM’ing and chatting away on message boards, an author by the name of Timothy Campbell created a small website called The Internet Writing Guide. (The site, unfortunately, is no longer online.)

It was not a fancy site by any means, and taking a look at it via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, you can see how simple and unobtrusive it was.

(Did anyone else notice the use of HTML frames? Oh, the horror! 😉 )

However, this small, 8-page site quickly became a favorite reference guide for millions of internet users, especially moderators of message boards whose job was to not only keep users in check, but to remain an example of proper internet writing.

I will not be regurgitating The Internet Writing Guide here. Rather, I will take from it a few key points which I believe help tremendously with a blog’s content — points that I try my best to employ every time that I sit down to write a post.

(image source)

Now, some of the bloggers reading this may be thinking, “But I’m a blogger. I already KNOW how to write.”

Yes, you may. And you may even be an excellent writer. But what you fail to realize is that writing for academia, work, and such is usually different from writing for an online audience.

The main difference in online works is that the average reader’s attention span and concentration shorten significantly online. Not only is your content competing with other online content, it needs to deal with real-world distractions too. Additionally, the glare of a computer screen is much more tiring on the eyes than paper.

So what exactly do you need to do to combat these problems?

Keep it short and to the point. The Internet Writing Guide has an entire section devoted to brevity. I myself am guilty of this as I like to write verbose pieces that articulate exactly how I feel about a particular topic in the way of verbal diarrhea. (See what I did there? 😉 ) But always ask yourself — does my audience need to hear this?
Break up blog posts with images and/or lists. This will give the reader’s eyes and mental processing a much-needed break, especially when the post is a long one. I always try to include at least one image with each blog post for this reason. (It also doesn’t hurt that it makes the post more visually appealing too!)
Keep your paragraphs short. This is the small pet peeve mentioned above. I know that I’m not the only one who finds it hard to read loooong paragraphs online, especially when they are right next to each other. Once again, bear in mind that it is more difficult to read text on a screen than on paper. If you need to use long paragraphs, try to use a short paragraph — even if it consists of one brief sentence — right after it.
Along the same line, the use of one-sentence paragraphs can really help emphasize your points.

Other tips in The Internet Writing Guide, such as proper capitalization, spelling, and grammar, is a no-brainer. And I must admit that sometimes, being polite ALL the time does not always make for good blog content. 😉 But the rest — while written with message boards in mind — are very applicable to blogging.

And if you need more tips on writing? Go check out Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. This book should play an essential part in any writer’s arsenal. As for online sources, you can’t go wrong with ProBlogger (check out their “Writing Content” category for more focused pieces on this subject).

I know that the contents of a blog are entirely up to its author and the author can choose to write whatever and however they see fit. But I guarantee that these small tips will help your blog posts be more appealing and better understood. And if you already use these tips? Good for you!

Do you have any additional blog content tips that should be added to this post?