Comments on: 9 Ways to Make Your Blog More Inclusive

By: The Space Between My Peers » Click, Clique?

The Space Between My Peers » Click, Clique? — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:35:41 +0000

[...] Since I consider myself somewhat of a “clique-buster”, I found Pro-Bloggers list of ways to make your blog more inclusive inspiring. Thought you might too. [...]

By: Owlhaven

Owlhaven — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 05:00:03 +0000

Regarding #1– I personally am alienated when there is heavy use of foul language. I am not a prude– I can handle judicious swearing. I regularly read bloggers who swear. I swear sometimes myself. But bloggers ought to be aware that overdone it can be very alienating to people. I don’t read some bloggers who, supposedly, are excellent writers, because whenever I visit their sites, I end up feeling like they are using cussing as a crutch, like they somehow think that they cannot be down-to-earth or portray emotion without it. I think writing can be approachable AND portray strong emotion without all the *bleeping* swear words.

Mary/Owlhaven

By: chiyou

chiyou — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 02:52:08 +0000

I like this picture very much, and I quoted the BLOG

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:02:09 +0000

How bout don’t use Captchas, or don’t the visually impaired count in being inclusive?

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:19:57 +0000

(Adding)

It all depends on the reader too: I mean, I’m new at all this, and am only just learning the lingo and the jargon that comes with it. I feel intimidated posting comments because I wonder if all the ‘pros’ reading will think I sound like a tool.

It’s up to the blogger to provide a safe, non-judgemental environment (if he/she chooses too, naturally).

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:16:37 +0000

I think layout also is important. Nothing turns anyone off more than a confusing page. But I’m sure thats a given.

Very thought provoking, both your post Darren and the comments……

By: Hendry Lee

Hendry Lee — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:01:10 +0000

Darren,

The 6th point probably deserves its own post. What is considered “space”? Is it a forum? A mailing list? A free blog?

Or is it just blog posts at different level of expertise? And let the readers themselves choose the posts according to their level of expertise?

By: Jason Clegg

Jason Clegg — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:45:22 +0000

These are great ideas! Blogs really are about the users, and interactivity is an important part of the user’s experience.

Here’s to better “welcome mats” in the blogosphere!

By: jhay

jhay — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:08:47 +0000

Wonderful tips. It will surely improve my blog in terms of traffic and popularity, and most of all, meeting new people and making new friends.

By: Easton Ellsworth

Easton Ellsworth — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:59:38 +0000

Great ideas, Darren. Another way to increase inclusiveness in your blogging is to participate in other bloggers' projects and ideas. For example, right now I'm doing a post series on Fortune 500 corporate blogs and am doing what I can to comment at other blogs that are engaged in similar projects, email those bloggers and add my thoughts to their work. In turn, some of them come to my blog to add to the conversation there as well. This enhances the collective conversation and we all benefit from each other. As you sow, so shall you reap!

By: al-fallujah

al-fallujah — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 20:47:33 +0000

nice…was just compiling a list of wordpress articles and blah blah for other bloggers who ask questions that can get tiring to answer sometimes :-)

By: brem

brem — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:11:50 +0000

Thanks Blaine for the abbr acronym tags.

By: Wendy Piersall

Wendy Piersall — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:07:59 +0000

Wow. Great, great stuff. I already took some of your ideas and implemented them – and I thought I was an approachable kind of gal!

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:55:58 +0000

Hey Darren,

Other than saying great post, which it is, I think you should know your adsense ad is overwriting the first paragraph when you come straight to this post.

Thought you might like to know.

Joe

By: John Dilbeck

John Dilbeck — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:26:42 +0000

Darren,

I appreciate these kinds of posts.

You have a good community here and I enjoy learning from you and then passing along what I can to others.

Thanks for all you are doing.

By: Ian Anderson

Ian Anderson — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:26:03 +0000

10. Create original content. Don’t just sit there and rehash the information that is already being talked about on 100 other blogs. Try to explore something that hasn’t been looked at. Or look at something from a different angle.

By: Tillerman

Tillerman — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:12:51 +0000

What other strategies do I use to build inclusivity on your blog?

End a post with a question that will elicit comments.

Don’t you think that’s a good idea?

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:04:35 +0000

Sorry, typo, it’s acronym and not acro…hit submit too quick.

By: Blaine Moore (Run to Win)

Blaine Moore (Run to Win) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:03:27 +0000

Another thing to do is to use the abbr and acro tags.

By: Harrowdrive

Harrowdrive — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:30:06 +0000

Another method is to imagine a “typical” reader and write for that particular person as if it was a 1 to 1 conversation. That is what I have always used.

However, my niche, club cricket, has quite a lot of specific terminology and perhaps there is more than one typical user.

Some good ideas for posts are emerging now…