As well as a means of expression, blogs are also a means of revenue. Click through revenue is the surest source of income for a blog site. However, if the blog ads are annoying you might not only lose money, but a reader who might have, at some time, clicked on one of your revenue generating ads. Keep your readers coming back. If they don’t find an ad on your page that strikes their interest now, that doesn’t mean they won’t find one later. The greatest offense you can commit against your own interest is to turn a dedicated reader off with those wretched, impertinent, annoying blog ads.

So, what kind of ads will so annoy visitors that they will click the previous button to get out of your blog? A while back, “PC Magazine” did some research on such ads. Things [...]]]> Don’t lose revenue by marring your blog with annoying ads

As well as a means of expression, blogs are also a means of revenue. Click through revenue is the surest source of income for a blog site. However, if the blog ads are annoying you might not only lose money, but a reader who might have, at some time, clicked on one of your revenue generating ads. Keep your readers coming back. If they don’t find an ad on your page that strikes their interest now, that doesn’t mean they won’t find one later. The greatest offense you can commit against your own interest is to turn a dedicated reader off with those wretched, impertinent, annoying blog ads.

So, what kind of ads will so annoy visitors that they will click the previous button to get out of your blog? A while back, “PC Magazine” did some research on such ads. Things haven’t changed much. What annoyed people then, unsurprisingly, annoys them still today. Here, in capsule form, is a short list of what ads most annoyed web cruisers and provoked them to get out of the page, away from the site, and never come back again.

• Animation is fine, if you make it a very minor part of your page, but those billboard, neon flashing, blink and wink ads simply distracts the reader – sometimes to the point where they are not able to read what you’ve taken such careful pains to say. Art, think art, think subtly, think blinking eyes, shaking head and a groping for the first way out. Sure, they catch your attention, but that’s just the problem. Readers want to attend to the words on the blog. If you must animate, think small, one letter, a little light, but that’s more than enough.

• Just as nobody likes flashing lights in their eyes, nobody likes thunder in their ears. Audio probably has no place in blog ads. First, it’s too expensive in terms of downloading. The page hangs, plugins are needed, and your reader really wanted only to read what you had to say, not come up to the latest download. Unless you’re selling sound, stay away from these.

• They’re everywhere, floating ads that just, well, float. They float up, they float down, they float across your screen like bugs. Try to close one of these suckers if you can. It’s impossible. Stand still!

• You’ve gone to far when you’ve finally allowed a video blog ad to appear. Hey, if I wanted a movie, I’d watch television. No, don’t use these or you’re sure to find your numbers down, way down.

These are just a few cautions. There are more. The best you can do is to think as an artist thinks when you lay out your blog page and blog ads: everything in its proper place, in pleasing proportion, in balance. If you chose your ads carefully, with regard to the sensibilities of your reader, if you are considerate of their sensibilities, your page will not only be a source of information, but what’s as important to you, a source of income. Moderation will stand you in good stead when it comes to your blog ads.

If you want to create a blog, the process is simple, quick and free with any of the many blog hosting services. When you create a blog page, give your topic and writing style a bit – quite a bit – of thought before simply jumping in and hoping for the best.

Most important in the planning phase is your topic. Passion for your subject is what ultimately breeds success with your readership. When you create a blog, select a subject that fills you with excitement, curiosity and a [...]]]> Not so many years ago, “blog” was not a household word. Today, blogging is almost an international hobby, with literally millions of bloggers, posting their thoughts on everything from global warming to tips on pet care. Some have huge followings, while others don’t fare so well. Let’s take a look at how you can create a blog that stands out in the crowd.

If you want to create a blog, the process is simple, quick and free with any of the many blog hosting services. When you create a blog page, give your topic and writing style a bit – quite a bit – of thought before simply jumping in and hoping for the best.

Most important in the planning phase is your topic. Passion for your subject is what ultimately breeds success with your readership. When you create a blog, select a subject that fills you with excitement, curiosity and a desire to share with others. This makes words flow easily and nurtures an untiring commitment, so necessary to long-term success.

Once you’ve nailed down your topic, your primary job is to tweak reader’s interest with knowledge, perspective and provocative commentary. This causes readers to reflect on your posts and contribute thoughts, questions and perhaps new information that set off a flurry of responses from yet other readers.

When you create a blog that meets these criteria, you’re halfway there. Another key point to consider: know your topic, be willing to research, and learn more. You’ve heard it said, the more you know, the more you realize what you don’t know. This is what makes an expert in any field.

Readers may pose a situation or difference of opinion that requires that you do additional research before you can make an educated response. This only fuels your own enthusiasm and gains you further credibility. You’ll learn new facts or ideas and have even more interesting material to offer. The usual result is a wider readership.

Word-of-mouth is an excellent way to promote your blog. However, a little active marketing never hurts.

Many bloggers swear by spreading word of their blog through personal profile sites such as MySpace, where you can highlight your cyberspace presence with an infusion of your personality and lifestyle that will pique the interest of individuals who might otherwise not ever have come across your blog. Submit some of your best entries to article directories in the appropriate category. Search out newsletters that focus on your topic and then offer your most provocative pieces to the editor, in exchange for a byline that links to your blog. Just these three simple efforts will do wonders for your exposure to new readers.

Go for it! Create a blog! Choose your subject carefully, respect and encourage comments from others and learn all you can. Blogging is a satisfying activity. You may just change the world for the better!

In a world ruled by super fast connections and free information, the new way to make your mark is to set up shop on the Internet. One of the easiest ways to do this is to set up a blog. However, many people get lost once they’ve staked their territory. What to do with it? People need blog ideas!

Here are a couple of unique blog ideas you can try out yourself:

Try writing about your life!

You may not think your life is that entertaining, but with reality TV taking over TV, and people needing to escape from the drama of their own lives, reading about yours may be just the escape they need! This blog idea is easy to execute, because you literally get to write about what has happened to you during the day. Think [...]]]> Unique Blog Ideas to Try Today!

In a world ruled by super fast connections and free information, the new way to make your mark is to set up shop on the Internet. One of the easiest ways to do this is to set up a blog. However, many people get lost once they’ve staked their territory. What to do with it? People need blog ideas!

Here are a couple of unique blog ideas you can try out yourself:

Try writing about your life!

You may not think your life is that entertaining, but with reality TV taking over TV, and people needing to escape from the drama of their own lives, reading about yours may be just the escape they need! This blog idea is easy to execute, because you literally get to write about what has happened to you during the day. Think that’s too boring? Spice it up! Make fun of yourself, or the situations you face. You don’t have to use specific details, but if you can report the facts and create a humorous or significant commentary to go along with it, you might be able to draw more readership, and relieve some stress!

Your interests!

Are you wicked good in the kitchen? Are you a truck fanatic? Maybe you just love movies, collector items or sports. Regardless, you can blog about these things! This blog idea works because it gives you a chance to show off. Your knowledge is a valuable resource, and people want access. By writing about things you know, you’re not only having fun, but you’re also helping other people out. This seems too simple and easy, but it will give you plenty of material and readership.

Your future interests!

Is there something you’ve been dying to learn about, but never had the incentive to do so? Let your blog be your incentive! Take a leaf out of the movie Julie and Julia, where one individual, determined to do something different with her life, decides to cook her way through Julia Child’s most famous cookbook, and chronicle her misadventures in the process. This blog idea is a good one because it gives you a reason to do something you want to do – people are waiting to hear what happens next! It is a super entertaining way to chronicle your own memories for yourself in the future – a testament to your ability to persevere.

Blogging is the new hobby these days. If you want to give it a try, these are three simple blog ideas for you to take advantages. It’s a wide world web – go explore!

Developing high quality blog content is an important factor in driving traffic to your blog. Quality content that is updated on a regular basis will also ensure that your visitors keep coming back. Not only that, but as the content and activity on your blog grows, you’ll be more likely to be picked up in search results. Below are some tips for developing blog content that will attract readers and keep them reading.

Find your niche. Popular blogs often tend to be run by a blogger who positions himself or herself as an expert in a particular area. Don’t dilute your blog content with posts about a variety of different subjects. Instead, find an area that interests you, and that you are knowledgeable about, and keep your blog focused around that topic. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert or a knowledgeable amateur in your selected [...]]]> Tips for developing quality blog content

Developing high quality blog content is an important factor in driving traffic to your blog. Quality content that is updated on a regular basis will also ensure that your visitors keep coming back. Not only that, but as the content and activity on your blog grows, you’ll be more likely to be picked up in search results. Below are some tips for developing blog content that will attract readers and keep them reading.

Find your niche. Popular blogs often tend to be run by a blogger who positions himself or herself as an expert in a particular area. Don’t dilute your blog content with posts about a variety of different subjects. Instead, find an area that interests you, and that you are knowledgeable about, and keep your blog focused around that topic. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert or a knowledgeable amateur in your selected area, you’ll find that people will keep coming to your website to hear what you have to say about your topic of interest. These will be loyal readers who are also keenly interested in this particular topic.

Another important element of blog content is frequent updates. We’ve all seen websites where there’s a flurry of activity before there’s a long period of radio silence. Most blogs never get updated at all, and therefore don’t have any sort of readership. Make sure you don’t fall into this category. Aim for frequent and regular updates to ensure that you give your readers a reason to coming back. Daily is best, but if you can’t manage that, then at least try to post several times a week on set days.

The quality of your blog content largely rests on the type of blog posts that you write. You want to ensure that your posts are to the point, and offer something valuable to your readers. Avoid short blog posts that don’t offer anything new, or posts that are essentially ads. You want your readers to be on your page for as long as possible, so give them a reason to stay there. Provide rich, thoughtful blog content that they will take time out to read on a daily basis. Quality blog posts may include in-depth reviews, discussions of news or new research, interviews, or lists of links to sites and articles that your readers will find helpful.

Keep your reader in mind as you put together your posts, and target your writing accordingly. If your readers are experts, write to suit an expert audience. If they’re novices, pitch your articles at a lower level. Consider whether they’re coming to buy a product, or whether they’re after reviews. Checking your hits and stats can show you what people are looking for when they come to your website. Make use of these stats, and focus your content as appropriate.

There are literally millions of blogs out there on the internet. To make yours stand out as a site that people come to visit, you need to focus on the type and quality blog content you offer.



As blogging becomes a more and more popular method of web expression and communication, it seems that a lot of contributors have no compunction whatsoever about cursing, bickering, using racial slurs, making threats and generally conversing in a way that would seem completely inappropriate in a

public setting, where participants are face to face.

Such abusive language begs a difficult, if not somewhat frightening question; do blog comments show our true feelings?

Most of us have heard the expressions “e-thug” and “keyboard warrior” – disparaging terms intended to shame such people into toning down their blog comments to something more fitting to a general viewing public.

A growing trend among a lot of blogging sites, however, is to warn people that abusive comments, such as obscenities, racial epithets and demeaning remarks will not be tolerated.

A friend of mine, a former wrestler, visit many wrestling and mixed martial arts web [...]]]> Do Blog Comments Show True Feelings?

As blogging becomes a more and more popular method of web expression and communication, it seems that a lot of contributors have no compunction whatsoever about cursing, bickering, using racial slurs, making threats and generally conversing in a way that would seem completely inappropriate in a

public setting, where participants are face to face.

Such abusive language begs a difficult, if not somewhat frightening question; do blog comments show our true feelings?

Most of us have heard the expressions “e-thug” and “keyboard warrior” – disparaging terms intended to shame such people into toning down their blog comments to something more fitting to a general viewing public.

A growing trend among a lot of blogging sites, however, is to warn people that abusive comments, such as obscenities, racial epithets and demeaning remarks will not be tolerated.

A friend of mine, a former wrestler, visit many wrestling and mixed martial arts web sites that give viewers the opportunity to leave blog comments if they so choose. It is obvious to me who the true fans of the sports are very early on, as they make relevant, informed comments, without regard to such factors as personality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors that have nothing to do with an athletes’ ability to perform.

Obscene language is rarely used in these blog comments, and if it is, it is done so in a way that the reader hardly notices, and is usually not offended.

Then there are those people who use the opportunity to express their opinions to leave comments that can be downright nasty, and usually, extremely offensive. I used to get angry over such comments, but I learned that typically, those people are only saying the things they do because they have the protection of anonymity.

They are safe at home at their keyboard with nobody knowing that they get online and make such ugly remarks.

There is another phenomenon among such sites called “trolling” where people will purposely make controversial or offensive comments simply to stir up trouble.

So, are blog comments people’s true feelings about the world and society? That is hard to say. I believe that most people say what they mean most of the time.

On the other hand, there are those people that are controversial for the sake of being controversial, and if you scratched just past the surface, you would find out that they don’t actually mean much of what they say on blogging sites.

My personal philosophy is to never leave blog comments that I would not be willing to make in front of my family and friends, and when it comes to dealing with people who make rude comments, I follow the advice my parents gave me about bratty children that pick on other kids – just ignore them.

Blog comments can be the lifeblood of any blogger’s webpage. They offer you feedback about the types of posts that readers find useful or interesting, and they encourage your readers to actively participate. A blog with a busy comments section is one that is seen as active and popular, with a good sense of community. Interesting and active comment threads are also a good way to get people coming back to your blog time and time again. Here are some tips for making the most of your comments section.

Encourage blog comments. You can entice your readers to comment on your posts by discussing interesting and topical material that they want to discuss. Readers are also likely to comment on material that personally appeals to them, or that relates to their lives. Attempt to provide material that they can engage with in this way. Another [...]]]> Making the most of your blog comments

Blog comments can be the lifeblood of any blogger’s webpage. They offer you feedback about the types of posts that readers find useful or interesting, and they encourage your readers to actively participate. A blog with a busy comments section is one that is seen as active and popular, with a good sense of community. Interesting and active comment threads are also a good way to get people coming back to your blog time and time again. Here are some tips for making the most of your comments section.

Encourage blog comments. You can entice your readers to comment on your posts by discussing interesting and topical material that they want to discuss. Readers are also likely to comment on material that personally appeals to them, or that relates to their lives. Attempt to provide material that they can engage with in this way. Another way of getting people to leave comments on your blog is to pepper your blog posts with questions. People will want to respond to them, and it is likely that conversations will begin within your blog comments threads. This sort of activity is great to encourage, and you’ll probably find your stats increasing.

To increase the likelihood of people commenting on your blog posts, you should try to make it easy for them. There are a number of different options that you can consider when setting up your blog comments. Allowing anonymous commenting or commenting that doesn’t require the user to type in any information can encourage posting. However, it can also encourage spammers. Requiring commenters to provide a name or alias is usually fine, and can encourage a sense of community when people see familiar names. Consider allowing people to use avatars to personalize their comments, too.

One thing that you don’t want to see in your blog comments is spammers. Spammers clutter up otherwise useful pages or comment threads with nonsense and useless links. To avoid spammers, set up a spam catcher on your site. There are plenty of these available online for free. Another option is to require your commenters to type in a particular key phrase before they can post their comments. This may slow down posting a little, but it’s a good way to deter spammers.

Another useful thing to take advantage of with your blog comments is trackbacks. Trackbacks occur when another webpage has linked to your post. Trackbacks appear as comments, and can be useful both to you and to your readers to show who is reading your blog and finding it useful. These can be easily set up by downloading the relevant software or adding a plugin to your site.

Blogging tip #1

Be yourself! No one likes to read a blog that sounds unnatural or boring. Let your personality show through! The more unique you are, the more your blog will stand out. A friend of mine started her blog with a very static format. She would relay information about what had happened at work and what she did afterwards, but she gave no details. You’re guessing is right, the read was very boring. Then, after she started inserting opinions about what had happened in the workplace, or descriptions of her nights [...]]]> So you want to write a blog, huh? Blogging is certainly one of the most revolutionary components of the Internet. It allows people to convey information about themselves, products, services or the world around them in whichever way they see fit. However, if you’re going to write a blog, you should definitely read up on some blogging tips first.

Blogging tip #1

Be yourself! No one likes to read a blog that sounds unnatural or boring. Let your personality show through! The more unique you are, the more your blog will stand out. A friend of mine started her blog with a very static format. She would relay information about what had happened at work and what she did afterwards, but she gave no details. You’re guessing is right, the read was very boring. Then, after she started inserting opinions about what had happened in the workplace, or descriptions of her nights out on the town, her readership doubled! As far as blogging tips go, keeping it interesting is one of the most important things you can do.

Blogging tip #2

Be careful! Did your mother ever tell you not to write anything down that you wouldn’t want to read in the newspaper? Unless you set your security preferences to the contrary, your blog can be read by everyone and anyone. This means that, if you’re not cautious, your very personal life could become public in a heartbeat. This could have major implications for your employment, especially if your boss reads that embarrassing description of his bald spot, or if your boyfriend finds out about your exploits at the bar. Solution? Code names. Use pet names to keep the personal details of your life safe, while still entertaining your readers. This is one of those blogging tips that may seem at odds with everything else you’ve learned, but it’s finding a balance between openness and privacy that will get you where you need to be.

Blogging tip #3

Be consistent! When you first start blogging, you’ll probably be so excited about the project that you’ll faithfully update your little corner of the Internet. However, as time goes on and things come up, it’s easy for your blog to fall by the wayside. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN! If you stop writing for a week, you may lose the interest of your readers and potential new readers. On top of that, blogging is often therapeutic, so you’re probably not doing yourself any favours by slacking off. Set aside a certain amount of time every day to write a post- even if it’s short.

Blogging can be a great experience, but you’ve got to think before you write. Keep these blogging tips in mind, and you’ll do just fine!

PS: I lately watched a movie called “Julie & Julia”. Do yourself a favour and make an effort to see it if you haven’t yet. It gives you amazing insight in the life, mind and determination of a successful blogger.

Towards the end of 2009 I recapped on what I have achieved since I started this blogging thing, and where I am going. Looking back at when I started, to where I am now, actually surprised me. It is amazing how much knowledge and experience one can gain in a short period of time – if you just get stuck into it.

Where I am heading also became much clearer. I have a clear vision now of my goal to guide and provide the readers of my blog with valuable information on how to start a “free” internet business. I realized even more that to decide on the “topic” or “niche” of your blog is the most critical part of blogging, and to the success of your internet business. Therefore I will dedicate my next few posts to this.

What should my Blog be about?

For some it might [...]]]> It is the year 2010.

Towards the end of 2009 I recapped on what I have achieved since I started this blogging thing, and where I am going. Looking back at when I started, to where I am now, actually surprised me. It is amazing how much knowledge and experience one can gain in a short period of time – if you just get stuck into it.

Where I am heading also became much clearer. I have a clear vision now of my goal to guide and provide the readers of my blog with valuable information on how to start a “free” internet business. I realized even more that to decide on the “topic” or “niche” of your blog is the most critical part of blogging, and to the success of your internet business. Therefore I will dedicate my next few posts to this.

What should my Blog be about?

For some it might be an easy decision, but I think for most it is a daunting task. The most important thing to realize it that you have to publish regular posts, and to build traffic you must submit articles to article directories on a regular basis as well as partake in forums if possible. All of these should be original quality content.

It makes sense to find a topic that you are knowledgeable or passionate about. If this also falls into one of the “niche’ markets, you are in the pound seats. It can be anything you are comfortable to write about. Cars (New on the market, Vintage, Trucks, Model T Ford), Gardening (Bonsai, Roses, Herbs, Fruit Trees), Health (Diet, Exercise, Cycling, Aerobics, Food, Recipes), Music, Movies, Celebrities, News, IT, Business, Pets, Nature, Tourism, Hobbies (Kites, Photography, Angling, Model Planes or Trains), Recreation (Golf, Yachts), History, Science, Space – you name it.

A good idea is once you have decided, or to get more clarity is to search the web for what you have in mind. Check out a few of the sites and the content. At this stage you might get scared that you will not be able to provide the same quality. Don’t, just do research and try to figure out ways to present the same thing different or better. I can guarantee you, 99% of these sites were not like that from day one. It takes time and development to get there – except if you have money to pay experts to do it for you.

See yourself in my league. I knew nothing. I was a beginner, newbie, rookie – whatever. But after almost a year I feel quite comfortable for people to visit my sites. Realize it is normal, a process to go through to get where you want to be.

Imagine you already have a blog. Start writing a few articles or posts you want to publish. See how you get along. I had great difficulty to get my first few posts or articles published. Sure enough, soon you become used to it and it comes natural – a pleasure. I am sure most of the Gurus will agree on this.

It is most critical to find something you enjoy to write about. Take time and research before you take the first big step – to create a blog.

First put your mind and imagination to work!

Cheers,

James

Whether a blogger’s focus is to communicate with customers or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:

Google Adsense in Blogs

Google Adsense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the Adsense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google’s spider parses the [...]]]> Blogging for dollars might sound like the latest game show or some new drinking game, but it’s the latest craze to hit the Internet. Bloggers began blogging for a number of reasons, but as the blog movement has increased in popularity, they have found ways to monetize their blogs and are seeing their commitment pay off.

Whether a blogger’s focus is to communicate with customers or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:

Google Adsense in Blogs

Google Adsense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the Adsense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google’s spider parses the ad serving blog and serves ads that relate to the blog’s content. Google uses a combination of keyword matching and context analysis to determine what ads should be served.

Affiliate Programs (Product Endorsements)

Affiliate Programs work when an affiliate web site receives income for generating sales, leads, or traffic to a merchant website. Generally, bloggers will mention or endorse specific products and if site visitors purchase the product, bloggers will receive a portion of the sale.

Product Promotion

Businesses use blogs to detail how specific features or product add-ons can increase functionality and save time. Content-rich product promotion will help with search engine placement.

Banner Ads

While less popular than in the past, websites with high traffic levels can still earn decent revenue by selling banner space.

As the Internet evolves, bloggers will continue to seek out ways to monetize their opinions and thoughts. Daily journals and online blogs have become more than just a communication means to many.

by: Sharon Housley

Sharon Housley manages marketing for the NotePage and FeedForAll product lines. Other sites by Sharon can be found at Software Marketing Resource, and Small Business Software

Google has developed a plugin for WordPress that adds social features to WordPress blogs. The Google Friend Connect plugin makes it possible for the blog administrator to allow users to comment on posts by using any OpenID account, including Google, Yahoo, or AIM without having to register. When a visitor authenticates, it creates a WordPress account. It is a replacement for the existing WordPress comment functionality.

Optional futures are provided such as adding a Google Friend Connect social bar, member’s gadget, site wide comment gadget and recommendation gadget in the side bar.

When someone adds a comment to a post or recommends one of your posts using the recommendation button, those activities are posted to the Google Friend Connect activity streams.

Developer – Mauro Gonzalez…

Strengthen your blog’s community: Google Friend Connect now available for WordPress

“I recently developed a plugin to add Google Friend Connect social features to WordPress [...]]]> Google launches “Friend Connect” WordPress Plugin

Google has developed a plugin for WordPress that adds social features to WordPress blogs. The Google Friend Connect plugin makes it possible for the blog administrator to allow users to comment on posts by using any OpenID account, including Google, Yahoo, or AIM without having to register. When a visitor authenticates, it creates a WordPress account. It is a replacement for the existing WordPress comment functionality.

Optional futures are provided such as adding a Google Friend Connect social bar, member’s gadget, site wide comment gadget and recommendation gadget in the side bar.

When someone adds a comment to a post or recommends one of your posts using the recommendation button, those activities are posted to the Google Friend Connect activity streams.

Developer – Mauro Gonzalez…

Strengthen your blog’s community: Google Friend Connect now available for WordPress

“I recently developed a plugin to add Google Friend Connect social features to WordPress blogs. This plugin allows your visitors to authenticate using any OpenID account such as Google, Yahoo, or AIM and then comment on your posts with no need to complete a registration form.

When a visitor authenticates as described above, a WordPress account is automatically created for them. You can later add or remove permissions for the visitor from the WordPress site administration pages. If desired, WordPress comments can be replaced by Google Friend Connect comments gadgets. In this case, no WordPress account is created, since Google Friend Connect handles both the rendering of the comments as well as comments moderation. Regardless of whether the Google Friend Connect comments gadgets are enabled or not, comment entries display the user profile picture and link to the user’s profile. In addition, a set of social gadgets are available, such as the Social Bar, Members, Recommendations, and Global Conversation gadgets. When recommendations are enabled, a “Recommend” button is displayed below your posts allowing the site members to choose the content they like most. The most popular posts will surface to the top of the list within the recommendations gadget.

The blog activities -such as posting content or commenting on a post- are submitted to the Google Friend Connect activity stream, which is visible on the social bar. All of the plugin features, as well as the color scheme, size, and labels of the social gadgets are easily configurable via admin panel, using regular WordPress admin interfaces. The plugin installation does not require any programming skills at all and you can get it at the Google Code site.”