Why You SHOULD Comment

I know I have not been a good blogger because I hardly ever visit blogs AND then leave a comment. What I do is to visit a blog AND THE LEAVE. So you can be sure that I do not have many friends who are bloggers.

On top of that, I do not write posts hamsup compelling enough that make the handful of faithful readers leave a comment. I read that to solicit comments, I have to write in a question form, RIGHT OR NOT?

So it's all my own fault.

However, in case you did not notice, since the day I changed my blog template from the default one, I have already implemented DO FOLLOW. Now, you may wonder what is DO FOLLOW. Well, Do Follow means that when you leave me a comment, it will be counted, by Google and Technorati, as a backlink so if you have many such backlinks to your own site, your site will increase its Google Page Rank and Technorati Authority. When we have a website, we want as many links pointing to our own website.

That being said, when you drop me a comment, you will be creating a backlink to your own site. You don't need to request for a link exchange or ask to be added to my blog roll or anything like that. If you would like a backlink from my blog, ** An Anonymous Journal **, just leave me a comment.

Thank you very much!

Blog Hopping Marathon

For the past couple of weeks, I have been blog hopping and I think I have visited more than two hundred blogs. For most of the blogs, I tried to read all the posts on the first page even though all the blogs have been monetized one way or another.

I don't really mind all the sponsored posts or link ads and what not, which by the way, could be turned off if you have a filter enabled. What makes me close my browser is when the blog is slow to load or something pops up suddenly that makes my browser hang.

You know, I am using tabbed browsing and when one tab hangs, all my other tabs are also forced to shut which I loathe! Sometimes Firefox hangs in such a way that even after closing it, I can't open another window because it says that there is another window running and I am forced to reboot. So to me, I don't mind what is written within a post. Heck, I even enjoy reading the sponsored posts if only to see how others interpret a task but please don't place so many things on your blog that it takes eons to load.

My Blog Is Accepted by TLA!!!

I received an email from TLA this morning that I can now sell and publish text link ads here. Previously, I could only be an affiliate and refer people but now I can publish!

Wait a minute, I don't know if I should be happy to have another source of revenue if I managed to sell my links, that is. I know that my blog is accepted only because of the PageRank fluke I received thanks to Google. It's no fault of mine, why should I fee guilty?

Anyway, I don't know if should implement the code. It requires me to upgrade my template which I am VERY reluctant to do. I read that it comes packaged with lots of problems, and one cannot insert Adsense or banners in between posts, like what I have now.

I seriously do not have time to meddle with the codes. If I have spare time, I would have spent it doing up my Blank Canvas but as you can see, it's still bare *sigh*

I wish the new template doesn't bring so much headache. I am as non-techic as can be :(

Blogging For Money

Recently, I was getting hits for this post that I wrote two months ago: When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be A Problogger!

I wondered where these people came from, of course, but there was no referral information.

Anyway, I found out yesterday. Someone cited this post in a discussion along the lines of "Should bloggers place ads in their blogs?"

Now, I wanna clarify that this post does not mean that I am by any means advocating problogging, especially for guys. If you have read my recent posts, I touched on problogging again and my opinion on it.

When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be A Problogger! is purely an observation piece.

Some people were of the opinion that under exposed blogs like mine should not have ads because that would not serve the purpose if it is not read by people. Well, in my opinion, it serves me just right.

If I have a high traffic blog, do you think that I would bombard my readers with ads? No, I don't think so. I would rather generate passive income through Adsense and other contextual ads.

I know there are many people who judged me based on the number of paid posts I put out. Well, let me tell you, if you have been a reader of this blog before the deluge of sponsored posts, you will know the kinda background I come from.

At least I make no pretensions that, yes, I am hard up for this money and I fight for every dollar. So what if I make two sponsored posts a day? I do my part by writing well thought out posts for the sponsors.

I am only taking an opportunity that is given and I must be out of my mind if I do not take it, having to carry the financial burden that I have. I have blog readers who became friends with me through blogging and they are supportive of me but of course there will always be believers and non-believers.

And the non-believers are usually bystanders who have nothing better to do than to spend time "discussing" about issues. We can find many such people in the coffee shops, can’t we?

Although my blog now has sponsored posts, it does not mean that my interim posts are of lesser quality. They are still as original, as well thought out, as well written and as lengthy as before. In short, my interim posts are NOT filler posts. Each has its own original story to tell.

In conclusion, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do and nobody has the right to fault her for that.

New Blogroll! Want a Link Up?

I've added some more blogs that I hop to occasionally in my blog roll. These are what I can remember off-hand, and I will be adding more as I recall them. You know something happened to my memory lately, and I don't even bookmark blogs in my browser, so yeah, these are what I have for the time being.

I usually just compile a list then only edit my template. I'm so lazy to just edit and add one each time. Too much work to do. I may even be adding the blogs of commentors on my blog. This is another way for me to discover new blogs, instead of depending on PPS solely.

Or, if anyone wishes to have a link up with me, just drop me a comment lor.

Cheerio!

2 SMRT 4 U ~ Online Safety :: A Community Message

Since being exposed to blogging about six months ago, and started reading local blogs through Petaling Street Project, I have been amazed at the boldness of some bloggers who have no qualms about publishing photos of themselves, friends and family, and also leaving contact details like instant messenger IDs and private e-mail addresses in a public blog.

I even came across one girl blogger (maybe there are more) who posted her mobile number on her blog. It may be a prepaid number but from 15th December, 2006 onwards, there will be no difference between a prepaid or postpaid line in terms of ease in obtaining personal information of the owner.

I have mentioned quite a few times on my own blog and through chatting with fellow bloggers about my concern, but they seem unperturbed.

Call me paranoid, but in this world, one never know what sort of people are around us, and what are their intentions, until it is too late.

Today, I came across this programme called Teen Online Safety :: 2 SMRT 4 U, and I feel it is my duty to help spread the message across in whatever small way I possible can.

Image courtesy of Teen Online Safety

According to a survey done in March 2006, 71% of teens receive messages online from someone they don’t know. While this is probably a research carried out on American teens, and the target of this campaign is towards teenagers, I do not see how far off the mark it is for other website or blog owners. And being older doesn't mean that we will not be gullible or susceptible to such contact.

2 SMRT 4 U has a page dedicated to the DOs and Don'ts of creating an online presence and what or who we should be cautious of. If you come across cyber predators, REPORT THEM.

For comprehensive information, please read THIS PAGE. Happy SAFE Blogging!

When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be A Problogger!

During my parents' time, right after Form Five or the most, Form Six, the girls would fight to get into teaching or nursing while the boys would try their best to get into the uniform bodies like the army, navy or air force. That's because trainees were given a healthy monthly allowance.

In those days when times were so tough, only the rich kids could afford a tertiary education as soon as they completed Form Six. There aren't many local universities around and to get a degree, most need to go overseas. Most people only can put themselves through university whilst holding a full-time job.

For people of my generation, where obtaining a tertiary education is so much easier for many people, what with the booming economy, the bullish stock market, and with the 2 + 1 and later 3 + 0 twinning degree programmes and the mushrooming of local universities, many were able to achieve their ambitions of becoming doctors, accountants, lawyers, etc. In short, to be "professionals".

I remember when I was in primary school, we were required to give the class teacher our top three ambitions. We were so young, we don't even know what is AMBITION, what is CITA-CITA? And when we were told that it means what do we want to work as when we grow up, we will go, "Oh, I want to be a teacher, like you!"

Five years from now, I envision children of the new generation telling the teachers that their ambition is to be probloggers!

Upgraded to Blogger Beta

After some long months, I have finally upgraded to Blogger beta. The delay was due to password issues. I have crossed my Blogger password with Gmail so it was very troublesome to log in and out just to reset the passwords. Anyway, it's finally done.

And now I have to find my way around the control panel again. I find it a waste of time to relearn something. I prefer familiarity. I have the logic of "Don't fix it if it ain't broken."

What to do? Now my blog seems quite difficult to load and I can't return to the old Blogger (non-beta). Just like how now I hate Windows Live and Yahoo! Photos. So damn hard to load with the crappy Streamyx.

And by the way, I have done away with word verification. I wanted to take it off a long time ago, but I couldn't as I have changed my template and had problems turning word verification off. The only way to go about it was to edit the code, which I have no idea how to do.

Moreover, the one thing that I wanted in Blogger beta is CATEGORY, but it seems that I can only have it if I upgrade my template. That will mean I have to forgo my current template, which I like very much and spent ages tweaking it to just the way I want it.

I guess I will now be spending the next couple of days just labeling all the old posts. I hope you guys have no issues with this "upgrade".

Clarification On Blog Sponsorship

Beginning yesterday, this blog started to publish sponsored posts.

A sponsored post may or may not be identified. Those that are identified will have a screenshot of the sponsor's website header image, written in a quote box and in a different font colour. All these self-imposed rules will be adhered to if and when I remember.

If a sponsored post is not identified, it is because the item is in line with my blog's theme.

A sponsored post that is subsequently rejected by the advertiser or failure to receive payment from them will cause that particular post to be deleted.

Sponsorship can motivate me into blogging more often, otherwise I will lose interest. I am sorry I have to compromise on the quality of my blog but don't worry, I will not compromise on the quality of my original posts, if there was any in the first place.

I apologise to my faithful readers for the inconvenience caused and I thank you for your understanding.

Bianne (sorry in Korean).

Blog Housekeeping & Random Jottings

After six months blogging here, it was time to do some housekeeping, so I deleted some of the useless stuff on the sidebar which I thought was useful but they did nothing but clutter up the place.

I've added RSS feed to this blog. I've also added music, but you'd have to click on the PLAY button, on either end of the bar. Thanks to _butt for introducing Lifelogger to me. So I got my friend to register, cos I hate to register with so many sites, I keep forgetting my passwords. So anyway, now I have a song, and I have also added her syndication of blogs on the side bar, in exchange. Please visit her blogs. Thank you.

I hope you'll enjoy my selection of songs. It was my childhood dream to be a DJ. I don't know why, but I love radio a lot. Obviously, I did not get to realise my ambition *sigh*

November is a bad month for me. Most of my friends are November babies. There are almost 10 birthdays of close friends, and also numerous not so close ones. This year I am quite lucky as one of them is in New Zealand, one in Australia and one in PeeJay on work trips. Luckily for me *phew* Otherwise, I really pokkai. Just send them e-card will do. Free wan. :-)

If last month I looked like a witch, now I look like an old witch, the ones we see in fairy tales, with dishevelled long hair, wearing a cone-shaped hat and riding a broom. I don't know how I'm gonna play host to my friend who will be bringing his family for a visit this school holidays and another friend is coming back after Thanksgiving, another booked me for after Chinese New Year.

I better start taking care of my looks and try to get rid of the eye bags from now onwards before they think I am a bomb victim. That's the result of sleeping less than five hours a night.

"Go and read my blog lah!"

Small talk is dead. Have you tried to initiate a conversation lately? Well, to every question that I asked below, all the replied I ever received was, yes, you got it, "Go and read my blog lah!"

Q: How's your exams?
Q: Which uni do you plan to apply to?
Q: Oh, you found a job?
Q: How's the family?
Q: How was your vacation?
Q: How's the leg?
Q: How's your (pet) doing?
Q: Are your parents back from overseas?
Q: Where have you been lately?
Q: How have you been?

Gangsterism in Malaysian Blogosphere

You think only Malaysian schools are affected by this? Even in Malaysian blogsphere, people bully each other. They step on each other's toes (or tails, meowwwwww), pick fights, back stab, gossip, complain about this and that among so-called elites (while I do not recognise this word, I'm using it for want of a better word) about so-and-so, bla bla bla the list goes on.

One wonders how come these people are soooo free to go around busy-bodying. People call them "mo liu", which means, "have nothing better to do." Or to be crude, "Waiting to defecate after a meal".

So, how to fend off these bullies?

Just create a list of Friends' Blogs and link up to Malaysian Blogosphere tai kor(s) (e.g. Kenny Sia) and tai kar che(s) (e.g. ChanLilian), as many heavyweights as possible.

In Friends' list, ok? Blogrolling just doesn't have the same effect.

Or you can hire bodyguards. Maybe someone large in size can frighten off these bullies, e.g. Fat4, or a martial arts exponent, e.g. Shaolin Tiger GGGrrr

One would need bodyguards as these bullies sometimes come to your domain and steal your stuff and use it like it's their own. Very convenient indeed, very good fit, hor?

Sometimes there are gang fights when these leaders try to expand their territory. And their underlings will also be deeply involved, rooting for their leader.

All these are done with words, of course. After all, the pen keyboard is mightier than the sword.

Just because people are separated by screens, doesn't mean they are not human and have no feelings or emotions. The problem with blogging is that people are too free to voice out, without sieving their words. It's like the floodgates are suddenly opened. The Chinese call this, "Speaking without passing through the big brain."

A word of advice from mini me, go get a life and don't be too wrapped up in blogging. Fighting online is definitely not worthy of your time.

Blogging Meme

I saw this meme in The Reflector so I thought I'd do it, out of boredom.

1. Are you happy/satisfied with your blog, with its content and look? Does your family know about your blog?
I'm satisfied with the look but not the content, but after a few months, the layout looks kinda worn.

2. Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?
I consider this blog as private, otherwise I would have displayed my name and photos for all to see.

3. Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts?
No, in fact, it taught me a lot of bad things, especially foul words.

4. Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself?
I go surfing for blogs when I have time.

5.What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog?
Oh yes, I have it, just to gauge the topics readers like. Now I know what they like :-)

6. Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?
Sometimes, but I'm always way off the mark and get disappointed hehehe

7. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging?
Yes, it allows freedom of expression.

8. Do you think that bloggers society is isolated from real world or interacts with events?
It was but not anymore as it's now recognised as a form of media too.

9. Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it's a normal thing?
It's normal, we can't please everyone all the time.

10. Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them?
No fear. In fact I do read some political blogs.

11. Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers?
Not shocked.

12. Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die?
It'll be left to rot.

13. What do you like to hear? What's the song you might like to put a link to in your blog?
I like to listen to all types of music. I would like to put music on my blog, but not to play it by default, but I don't know how (yet).

TEN Things I Stopped Doing Since Blogging

in random order:

1. Shortwave radio - receiver conflicts with the computer
2. Reading - used to read hundreds of books a year, but now, cannot even finish one page. All I ever read now are blogs... and that's not considered "reading"
3. Newspapers - haven't touched one in moons
4. Write letters, and I mean loooong ones, not short e-mails like what I'm doing now *sigh*
5. Chat online - used to be a permanent fixture in a chat room. Now retired already.
6. Forums - No time to even log in
7. Play Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) - used to play Fairyland all the time

She is now dead :-(

8. Boil phone porridge - no more hours of late night phone chat
9. Watch TV - Only watched Malaysian Idol and One In A Million recently
10. Mow the lawn - this takes 1.5 hours each time just mowing, not taking into consideration sweeping and packing, so I gave it up!

I don't even know if I work slow or if my time management sucks. Anyway, if anyone wants to do this (is it a meme?), drop me a comment. Thank you!

Effort may Fail, But don't Fail to make effort for a better tomorrow.

Which Malaysian Blogger Am I?

Congratulations Anonymous Crap Sheeter! You are...

minishorts of minishorts.net

1. You are outgoing, direct, smart, pretty, and a definite go-getter.
2. You are frank, a little too frank perhaps that sometimes you get on people's nerves and make them very upset.
3. If people attack you, you hit back with triple the force without blinking because you are the kind of person who knows exactly what you are talking about or else you wouldn't talk about it.
4. Your quick-thinking is what makes you special.
5. You are an elitist.

Which Malaysian Blogger Are You?

My take:
1. I'm an introvert, direct, not so smart, not so pretty and definitely not a go-getter.

2. Hahaha this is correct, frank & blunt, nobody wants my honest opinion :-p

3. Correct, stood up countless times for the class until teachers hate me cos I always had a good comeback line :-)

4. Quick thinking only once in a blue moon. Most of the time I'm blur thanks to my zombified state of mind.

5. Need to check up on the dictionary :-)

BLOGGING For Fame AND Fortune ~ See to Believe!

Image courtesy of RobertChai

I've got this scoop from my best pal, Cyberpartygal, who is involved in a new project with a new concept in search of the *Next Malaysian Blog Idol*. It is basically like Malaysian Idol but chances of winning is WAY higher than in Malaysian Idol.

What are the prizes, what are the prizes??
How about MYR50 ca$h twice a month, plus webhosting, mobile phone and EAT THIS, a 19in DELL LCD screen for the top three annual winners? WOOHOOOO ~

Being a contest junkie, I'll participate even if I only stand to win a sample or a discount coupon hehehe

And that's not all! The person who submits the best feedback during beta testing period from now until 30th September, 2006, will win a goodie! What is the goodie? Aha... why don't you go and check it out?

I've got insider tips on how to win as well........... but that will be another post for another day. So stay tuned!

Let's head on over to RobertChai and BOMB him!

I'm SKED Cos I'm A...ehh.... Blogger!

I do not like to touch on political, religious or other world-shifting topics because this blog is meant for light-hearted silly joke posts which I do not even claim that 100% of its contents are really from my own life.

And I know those topics are better to be blogged on by the heavyweights.

But then, recently, someone wanna clamp down on the internet wor sure I must voice my opinion as well what.

Firstly, isn't it open secret that there's a certain group of people who prowl the internet all the time?

Anyway, internet and blogs in particular provide alternative reporting, since mainstream media cannot report anything "out of line". So where do we turn to for the other side of the story? Internet, of course.

And I believe, as adults, most of us are able to evaluate the situation and read between the lines after hearing both sides of the story.

But nooooo somebody still wanna treat us like kids, just like we are not supposed to watch even a kissing scene on TV. HORROR!

I wanna say, if these people are so free to catch internet users and bloggers from freedom of expression, why not spend a fraction of that time catching people who go online to con people?

There are so many online fraud cases, and so far, have any fraudsters been successfully convicted? No, I don't think so, not even with a stack of police report against him.

And why not? That's because there aren't enough laws around to protect the victims. Is it because most of the victims are "nobodies", have no title before their names, do not hold a high position in society or do not have any political connection, etc?

I dunno, man.... seems like some people have got their priorities all wrong, just to protect a handful of people, and not all citizens as a whole.

Cheers and do not let this shadow us from fair blogging!

** An Anonymous Crap Sheet ** is 3 Months Old!

Whoa time flies, man! Three months already and every day, I dig my brains trying to write something intelligible but I end up crapping and crapping, mostly. Sigh ~ must be the curse of the blog name lar... whattodo?

What I feel bad about blogging is that I don't reply to comments as often as I should and I mostly stalk my readers' blogs instead of leaving reciprocatory comments.

You know, I type so much whole day long and my fingers are so tired, all the veins also popped up oredi, that I just want to rest my fingers at the end of the day, that's why I don't reply to comments often. Please forgive me *sob* *sob*

Blogger Jolene left me a feedback on my post Losing My Objective in Blogging that I should go out and do stuff, come home and make that activity into blog material.

Well, last evening, my friend invited me for squash. I told him, I don't know how to play, don't have racquet, don't have clothes (should be "attire") but didn't want to use bombastic words on him ler.

While these are truths, I declined his invitation cos I had an urgent e-mail to reply to, and that e-mail eventually took an hour to complete. Such a looooooong mail. You say my fingers tired or not?

Sigh...I am not made out to be a blogger.

How to people celebrate Blog anniversaries? Do I get pressies? Maybe I should compile a Wish List now =)

Losing My Objective in Blogging

When I first started, I felt like I finally have an avenue to bring out my deepest thoughts and kill the devil in me. If there's no outlet, these thoughts will turn cancerous and eat me up inside. Or at least that was how I felt.

Anyway, now that the novelty has worn off, I'm wondering, why do I continue to blog? Why do I feel like I HAVE to submit at least a post a day? A post a day keeps the (mental) doctor away?

Do I blog for Adsense? Definitely not. I can't earn that money even if my life depended on it.

It's getting increasingly difficult to keep my identity anonymous. And I'm spending more and more time on the computer and neglecting my real world life. A friend invited me to go bowling with him but I told him I'm busy, and ended up staying in to blog!

But to be frank, I don't think I have the strenght to "carry balls". Every day, I feel like I'm typing hundreds of thousands of words and it seems a neverending task. My fingers feel like they are going to fall off, how to "carry balls" anymore? -.-

Do I really keep my readers, however little there are, entertained? Am I able to? If so, for how long?

I am a retired chatter, a retired forummer and I can just as well, sooner than later be a retired blogger. If this blog is left to drown in an ocean of growing blogs, will anyone miss me?

On Blogs and Blogging

I don't know how some bloggers can post so many entries per day. In PPS, you can see their new content being ping-ed every other line. Oh my, I have trouble keeping this blog alive as it is. I TRY to post daily, but sometimes "ink cannot come out". Modern term: "keyboard is stuck". Or "brain juice dried up" hehehe

Besides, where do they find the time? 24 hours aren't enough for me. Or is my time management that bad? Gahhh

I also am a team member of another blog, and I'm so guilty for not pulling my weight over there. My last post there was on 27th June, 2006. GOSH! How time flies. Guilty ~ guilty ~ guilty ~

It amazes me to know that some blogs can get six-figure hit count per month. They have so many stalkers, I guess, that people will go to their blog even when there's no new content.

I know I do that to some of the blogs I stalk. I admit, I stalk three blogs religiously. I do not have an RSS reader (or whatever it's called) and no subscription to notify me of blog updates, so I just access these sites through my bookmark, and inevidently contribute to their hit count :-)

But then, some so-to-say elite bloggers, even if their entry is just ONE miserable three-lined paragraph, can get readers to leave some sort of comment. HHhhmmm is that hero-worshipping or what?