Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Last night I wrote a post, sharing my experience with feeling overwhelmed and the search for a well-balanced and meaningful life. When I began writing, I had a vague direction for the post, but I didn’t have a clear message or lesson that I wanted to teach. I let the words flow in the direction they wanted to.

When I was at the end, I briefly considered adding an image for eye candy and then decided to allow the words stand on their own. I hit publish at 11:46pm, tweeted about the post and went to bed.

By the time I turned on my computer this morning, there were already comments from four readers (including one new reader), an email response from a colleague, two people had retweeted about the post, three people had tweeted about my blog, a reader in Japan had bought me a cup (or two) of coffee, a copywriter’s offer for free assistance with the pending ebook on web accessibility for bloggers, and the blog traffic was spiking. Wow! What amazing results in less than twelve hours!

But why? The post wasn’t that spectacular. There were no images, no lists, no hyperlinks, no subheadings, no mention of blogosphere rock stars, and no contests. The title wasn’t even snazzy – it was slapped on before hitting publish. I definitely didn’t use any keywords. These are all strategies for increasing traffic and search engine optimization (SEO).

What was it that garnered such results?

Writing coach Joanna Young nailed the reason in a Twitter conversation:

I think you managed to make your personal experience universal – something we could all relate to

Thanks Joanna. One of those posts that wanted to be written. You know how that is, I’m sure. 😉

I do, and of course, those are the ones we respond to… we ‘hear’ you. Plus there were the spider plant babies… 🙂

Mentioning spider plant babies did it? Had I only known…!

But seriously, as Joanna points out, I shared a personal experience that most people are experiencing. Who isn’t feeling overwhelmed by the amounts on their plates these days?

I wrote from my heart, my truth in that moment. I wrote to share but also to reflect. I didn’t feel the need to go searching for distractions while forcing out words. The words flowed through my left thumb. When those moments occur while writing, that is when writing is enjoyable, liberating and authentic. To me, that is what blogging is meant to be.

While writing yesterday’s post, I wasn’t concerned about using keywords or SEO. I wasn’t writing for search engines; search engines don’t connect and engage with thoughts, emotions and ideas. The amazing results named above are not due to search engines and page rankings, but thanks to people.  People connect and engage. People comment, tweet and stumble.

To engage readers, share your truth, write authentically and include a few spider plant babies.

The past couple of weeks, Darrell and I have been giving his website an extreme makeover (no link because it isn’t quite ready). We have been using WordPress 2.7, which has given me the opportunity to get a feel for it before upgrading WordPress on my own blog.

In the short time I have been using the latest version of WordPress, I have discovered a few issues that can easily be remedied to further increase the accessibility of the most popular blogging platform. 

Colour Contrast

After the initial disoriented feeling of a completely redesigned dashboard (main controls page), the first thing that struck me was the colours. They are rather subdued, without much distinction.

Pulling out the colour contrast analyzer on the nifty Web Accessibility Toolbar, I tested several of the colour combinations on the page. Some did not pass the contrast test necessary for enhancing readability.

With some digging, I found the option for changing the colour scheme (Users > Your Profile > Personal Options):

Switching to the blue scheme does more easily distinguish the various sections. However, some of the colour combinations still do not maximize colour contrast to enhance readability.

With such a customizable dashboard, the option for bloggers to choose their own colour scheme to suit their particular needs and tastes would further increase and improve the customization of WordPress.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Poking around further, I discovered keyboard shortcuts had been added to the visual editor used for writing posts. For someone who relies on the keyboard, these shortcuts makes life easier.

Searching the help, I could not find a list of available keyboard shortcuts, except the ones for comment moderation. Unless I have missed something, the only way to discover the shortcuts is to hover the mouse over editor buttons, which defeats the whole purpose of keyboard shortcuts.

The keyboard shortcut for Bold is given as Ctrl / Alt + Shift + B. I have never seen a “/” in a keyboard shortcut before. What does it mean? Do I actually hit “/”? Does it mean either the Ctrl or the Alt? I could not figure it out for the life of me. Out of sheer frustration, I tried the Bold shortcut that most other PC programs use: Ctrl + B. It worked! The standard Ctrl + I worked for Italic.

Although a keyboard shortcut is strangely not given for Underline, the standard shortcut does work: Ctrl + U.

A list of functioning keyboard shortcuts available in WordPress 2.7 would be helpful. Even sweeter would be if that list was visible while writing a post.

Images

After upgrading my blog to WordPress 2.5.1 a while ago and being baffled by the “Add an Image” dialog box, I was hoping the 2.7 version would be more straightforward. No such luck. They are essentially the same.

When I uploaded an image for test purposes, the 2.7 version showed the full image (rather than a scaled size, completely messing up the rest of the box:

Using the 2.5.1 version for guidance, I am assuming the three text boxes are for entering the Title, Caption and Description. From here, the Title, whose default is the filename, becomes the image title; the Caption becomes the alterative text <ALT>; and the Description seems to disappear and is pointless. Confused yet? I am!

The code comes out as:

<img src=”http://enablingabilities.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/glenda-watson-hyatt-oct08.jpg” alt=”Glenda Watson Hyatt” title=”glenda-watson-hyatt-oct08″ class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-79″ />

The thing that really bugs me is, in the “Add an Image” dialog box, the Title is marked as a required field, not the Caption that becomes the ALT: a crucial piece in web accessibility.

It is the ALT text that enables an individual using a text-to-speech screen reader to hear what an image is; not the TITLE. It is the ALT text that appears on the webpage when an image does not load; not the TITLE.

To encourage bloggers to provide an ALT for every Image, make the Caption a required field; better yet, name the field what it is – the Alternative Text.

With these and other changes, Matt Mullenweg and his development team will continue strengthening WordPress’ commitment to accessibility.

Last year I followed Christine Kane’s lead in choosing one word to guide me through the year. Focus was my word for 2008. What I discovered about finding focus was interesting and quite helpful.

While 2008 was drawing to a close, I began thinking about my word for 2009. Should I stay focused to truly master it or should I move onto a new word?

I went about my daily stuff: checking my email, tweeting, responding to Facebook comments received via email, deleting email notifications of invitations to Kiss the Frog or Toss the Vampire and then declining them on Facebook. I remember screaming in my head, “This is bullshit! There has to be a better way.”

Being in these communities and using these tools is great. Friends, readers and even stalkers can reach me via the method they are most comfortable with: a Facebook comment or message, a tweet or DM on Twitter, a blog comment, or a good, old-fashioned email. Talk about accessibility!

I love being this connected and interacting with people from everywhere. However, there is only one of me; only one left thumb! I find it impossible to keep up, plus do the work that I actually do. I don’t like having 1376 emails in my inbox alone (of which 620 are unread), many of which deserve some kind of response; another 447 Twitter followers yet to follow and Facebook messages in my Bacn “emails I want but not right now” folder; and the list goes on.

There has to be a better way, I say!
A way to mash together
Facebook, Linkedln, Flickr,
YouTube, Viddler, and Twitter.
Please say its so!

This year I will search every
Megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte
On blogs, wikis and tweets,
I’ll be emailing, DMing and PMing
My people, peeps, and tweeps
For wazoodles, widgets and gidgets
To follow, connect and friend
Friends, readers, robots too!

To be the best connector,
Inter-actor and communicator
With one left thumb
I will, I must streamline,
I say, in 2009!

With snow piled up outside, making it impossible for Darrell and I get beyond the front gate, this afternoon was a great time to reflect upon this past year. 2008 was quite a year. I feel like I didn’t have a chance to slow down at all!

Here’s a brief review of my goals for 2008:

My Contribution to the Blogosphere

The blogosphere is all about building relationships. One great way to build those relationships and to contribute back to the blogosphere is to comment on other blogs. My goal was to comment on ten blogs per week – five comments on blogs I had previously commented on to further strengthen those relationships, and five comments on new-to-me blogs to expand my network by forming new relationships.

This year I left 153 comments (make that 154) in the blogosphere, excluding the ones I left during Liz Strauss’ Open Mic Nights and the ones left on various Disaboom blogs. The result wasn’t what I had envisioned. However, part way through the year, I realized leaving comments isn’t the only way to contribute to the blogosphere (or the only measure of success of a blog post). Using Twitter has become a major tool in contributing to the blogging community – and I did my fair share of tweeting this year!

My Word for the Year

I chose FOCUS as my word for 2008. To me, FOCUS entails minimizing my technologically-induced ADHD, decluttering and simplifying my surroundings, multi-tasking only when appropriate – tasks requiring my full attention will receive it.

During my year’s journey, I found being able to focus means setting up the right environment, externally and internally. Having the right tools to complete a task made the single

most difference. I also discovered eight other strategies for finding focus.

My Bucket List

Let’s see what I cross off of my bucket list for 2008:

• Spend more time with my kitty purring in my ear. – That is one of the most soothing sounds I know.
• Listen more to my husband’s beating heart. – His beating heart is the other most soothing and reassuring sound I know.
• Write love letters to him. – Oops! I would like to say right here that Darrell is one of the wisest and most patient people I know. I am honoured to be his wife. 
• Find a way to get to the north shore to watch the eagles soar. – I didn’t get to the north shore. But, I did receive a most spectacular framed photo of an eagle as a surprise birthday gift. (Thanks so much Nance and Damien!)
• Meet more of my invisible friends. – Yes! 
• Be in the ‘real’ world more. – This really depends on the season. At the moment, Darrell and I are unable to get beyond the front gate. We have been cooped up inside for more than two weeks now due to snow. 
• Connect with more of my invisible friends in a real way, if I can’t meet them in person yet. – An ongoing effort. 
• Become more physically active. – Again, depends on the season. 
• Finish selling the first print run of my autobiography. – Autographed copies are still available!
• Continue searching for a cp-friendly bra. – Why the heck did I include this here!
• See Anne Murray in concert, finally! – She was fabulous!
• Get organized for when I do kick the bucket. – It’s a good thing I haven’t kicked the bucket yet!
• Make a positive difference or impact on people’s lives. – I hope I have. You, my readers, can decide.
• Reconnect with my penpal Paivi and my Brownie friend Karen. – Yes! I have made initial contact with both of them. Now to follow up and fill in one another about our lives and such. 

Blog for a Year

In 2007, I was vying for first place in the Blog for a Year contest and the opportunity to be paid to blog for one year. Although I didn’t win the contest, I did land a contract to blog at Disaboom.

I have enjoyed my year at Disaboom and have formed a few more relationships. Learning the Community Server blogging platform was definitely challenging. To be honest, I much prefer WordPress – a lot less frustrating to use.

However, yesterday I was notified my contract was being terminated due to budget reallocation. Not the best news for beginning the New Year. I will miss that bit of income. But, strangely, the contract turned out to be for one year and I made slightly more than I would have had I won the contest. Hmm, a universe thing?

Onto to the next opportunity!

Let’s Feed 100 People Christmas Dinner

This was definitely a moving highlight for me! Thank you to everyone who made this happen.

And thank you for making this a wonderful year! I’d like to wish you health, happiness and love in 2009!

In an email exchange several weeks ago, social media strategist Chris Brogan suggested that I put together an ebook from my blog posts to generate some income for myself. Awesome idea!

The wheels began churning. I’d pull the best posts from my first year of blogging here and entitle the ebook The Best of…The Left Thumb Blogger. Adding Volume I to the title would enable me to create similar ebooks in subsequent years, assuming this one was a success. 

With Christmas fast approaching, I then began thinking that I could donate partial proceeds to my favourite charity the Union Gospel Mission for its Christmas dinner fundraiser. I headed to bed, feeling good about this plan.

Entering the bedroom, I heard a voice clearly say, "Feed 100 people."

What the heck? 100 people? Are you kidding? I’m only a small blogger with small blog traffic? How am I suppose to sell 100 ebooks to feed 100 people within the limited time before Christmas?

I proceeded with the idea the next day, with the voice’s words on my mind. Due to some delays because of other commitments and a few technical difficulties, the ebook took longer than expected to create, increasing my doubt to sell 100 copies in time. Once created, the project became a community effort:

• Todd Jordan and Robert Hruzek offered feedback on the ebook’s plan;
• Lori-ann Engel, in her new role as my virtual assistant (!), edited the ebook,
• S. R. Emerson assisted me in getting Mal’s shopping cart playing nicely with PayPal (please let me know if you had any difficulties in downloading the ebook);
• Joanna Young kindly stumbled the original post;
• Chris Brogan blogged about it and then tweeted it;
• Countless other kind souls then retweeted, spreading the message like wildfire through Twitterland.

What happened next was amazing and humbling. People – some friends, some strangers – purchased multiple copies of the ebook. Others, not wanting the ebook but wishing to buy Christmas dinner for people in need, bought me enough cups of coffee (using the link below the post) to keep me buzzing for a week!

In less than a week of launching The Best of…The Left Thumb Blogger: Volume I, enough money has been raised to feed Christmas dinner to nearly 80 people in need! And there is still one more week to go!

How heartwarming is that? Giving selflessly to people less fortunate – the blogosphere has definitely caught the spirit of Christmas!

Thank you.