Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

pianoperformer · 05-24-2008, 08:23 AM

I currently have a blog (see signature). usually I am very unbalanced about which topics I post. Lately it's been music, because I'm a music major and that's a large part of my life. But I also program, and so sometimes discuss that. Further, especially since visiting this site recently, I've been trying to make spirituality and personal growth a larger part of my life, and i wouldn't mind blogging about that, too, both for my own use as well as hopefully to help others.

I can't see merging these various topics into one blog, without pushing away some of my audience. It reminds me of how when Steve changes gears with his blog, many people complain, but others are happy. However, mine would be focusing on many topics all at once.

So, I'm thinking of splitting them up into multiple blogs. Maybe music, programming, spirituality, and something like personal development. Then perhaps still keep a personal one without defining a specific topic, for when I post about stuff like college, etc, though that one might not be as popular since most of the things I want to post are about one of the above.

What do you think of this idea? Further, I'm not really sure then what to do with the main page of this domain. I would probably have each blog be subdomains, but maybe the personal one would stay on the main domain, with links to the subblogs?

DavidDavidDavid · 05-25-2008, 03:39 AM

Multiple themes for a website is not an issue, except perhaps for search engines trying to "typecast" your site. For a blog, however, it's probably best to separate them, since people tuning in would be doing so on account of a particular topic and not necessarily some other one out of all that you're interested in...unless you manage to sell your persona such that most anything you have to say would be of some interest because people think of you in personal terms (like how fans want to know all those things about celebrities).

pianoperformer · 05-25-2008, 03:45 AM

Exactly what I'm thinking. I am pretty sure I'm not a celebrity.

I am actually thinking of using separate domains now. I realized that subdomains might be useful for separate blogs on related topics in the same niche, but for completely diverse topics, multiple domains might be the preferred way to go, especially since there is always the chance of some of those sites developing into something more than a blog, even if that plan doesn't exist right now. I tend to think in terms of possible future expansion.

DavidDavidDavid · 05-25-2008, 05:12 AM

Just bear in mind that people *do* do blogs that span multiple, seemingly unrelated themes (which, of course, are actually related -- all boundaries are artificial, ultimately)...there are web development blogs that, while focusing primarily on CSS and JavaScript and Ajax, also offer content about family and friends and sports and politics as well!

I think the main issue to consider is why you're doing the blog. Think of it as an ongoing musical composition....

pianoperformer · 05-25-2008, 05:15 AM

From what I know, though, blogs are usually more popular if they follow a specific theme, I think. otherwise people might get tired of what is to them off-topic posts.

DavidDavidDavid · 05-25-2008, 05:40 AM

Did you know that the vast majority of blogs never make any money at all, while religiously limiting themselves to just a theme or two?

Correlation is not causation. If the blog is named "musical-musings.com" and you rant about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, yeah, sure, folks can see it as being off-topic. But hey, if "Christian music" is your thing, then your blog could cover both.

I think these details are troubling you because you do not actually have any idea why you want a blog other than to make money. You sound like a guy who just wants to have sex with a girl, and is getting caught up in all the logistical details over how to impress her.

When you play the piano, do you stumble over the keys? If you have practiced, and you love the piece, you do not hesitate over where to strike next. Indeed, you will find a great many different ways of striking the same set of keys!

Likewise your blogs. It is because you do not actually know what you would do for your visitors that you worry about what you could do for them.

Let me say that again: it is because you do not actually know how they can benefit from your blogs that you worry.

Tautologous, right? Sure, but note this: if you do not know how they would benefit, that means you are not going to be adding value to the web.

So try to establish first why it is that you want to blog.

Once that is clear -- and *right* -- everything thing else follows, suggesting themselves as a natural consequence of inherent necessity, like cells dividing upon division, specializing to fulfill particular tasks.

pianoperformer · 05-25-2008, 06:20 AM

Actually, if you notice, I never mentioned money. My main interest here is readership, which may or may not lead to money. Usually focusing on money before why you're doing a certain thing isn't going to lead very far, anyway.

My initial purpose for blogging was just to discuss my life, basically, as an outlet for myself. If people found anything useful, great.

But as I continue, I find that certain things, I keep that original purpose, but other things I would like to actually have value for people, if they can glean anything from my own experiences or knowledge.

Are you saying that if in one post I talk about how much I love this piano concerto I'm learning, or how difficult it is, and then in the next post go into a discussion of C# and why business logic and data should be separated, and still in the next go into my attempts at psychic development, readers would not be confused?

Rose of Cairo · 05-25-2008, 02:27 PM

Hey Brandon,

Who are you and who are your readers?

If you're someone interested in several things, blog about several things. Of course some people want to read blogs that have a narrow focus on one topic. But not all of them. I'd be very interested in reading about music, programming, psychology and whatnot. I'd find it a pity if you had several blogs, it wouldn't really fit your personality, would it? When I read a blog, I want the author's personality to shine through, not only a part of it.

We're not all specialists. Just share who you are, and you'll attract readers who like it. why do you want to attract readers who are not a fit for you?

I'm like you, so I can understand you very well. My blog is a messy potpourri too. At the moment I'm writing more about my raw foods experience, but also about other things. I'm just starting with my blog, but I have plenty of unfinished articles about all kinds of subjects, music, mathematics, computers, overcoming addictions, health matters... I'd like to make my readers discover something they're not familiar with. Of course some don't like it, so what?

You can't please everybody anyway. So what kind of readers do you want for your blog?

DavidDavidDavid · 05-25-2008, 03:33 PM

Pianoperformer: sorry, I thought this blog was an "extension" of your "musicalprogress.com" idea from the other thread, where you'd specifically mentioned making a profit. But my overall point still seems valid, that you are beset by what are relatively small technical details because you don't actually know how people would benefit from your blog. In which case, it's in danger of being more of a vanity project than anything. (Though you could, arguably, benefit in a sort of "therapeutic" way from the catharsis of an online journal....)

As for your most recent question (in the last sentence of your most previous post), I don't think readers would be "confused"...and if you "packaged" your blog right, from the outset, I don't think they would be "annoyed" either.

To package your blog for multiple themes, make sure to signal that fact prominently, either in the URL ("my-wisdom.com") or as a site slogan ("life, the universe, and everything -- plus the kitchen sink").

Think of all those great movies or novels which explore multiple issues...sure the simple folks get confused or bored by such fare. If that's who you're talking to, well, you might well keep things simple and straight-forward and just stick to chatting about the weather!

Ultimately, a writer is an entertainer (and bloggers are just writers -- often very poor ones). If you take a creative writing workshop, where your stuff gets critiqued, you'll get that notion in your bones (though the word "entertainment" would probably not be used): your job is to entertain, to keep them turning the pages.

Hey, look at Steve's blog. What's he doing here? He is entertaining people. That folks may learn a thing or two is really beside the point, whatever his own intent. People might first discover the site while searching for some kind of "information," but they return because of the entertainment (and, incidentally, the genius of an online forum is that your visitors create entertainment value for you -- for free!).

You see, you may or may not be able to get a point across to someone -- that is, teach them (though, a bit like Socrates, I would say that there is no such thing as teaching, only learning) -- but you can always entertain someone. Really, even the mentally handicapped can be entertained. Even most animals. (Not that the mentally handicapped are animals, mind you.)

So how's your blog going to keep people amused? Whether intellectually or emotionally (though distinctions are artificial and there can be no "intellect" without "emotions"), your job is to entertain.

Think of how you entertain your audience as a pianist. Would they be confused or annoyed by a broad repertoire? Not if the advertised point of your show is to demonstrate a range of styles, say. Likewise your blog. You may perform badly, but any displeasure resulting from that wouldn't be on account of the breadth of the attempt, but from the incompetency or superficialness of a particular performance.

Do you know how to seduce women? If you do, you should have no problems as a writer (or, for that matter, politician or dictator!). It's the same psychological mechanics involved.

pianoperformer · 05-25-2008, 04:45 PM

Rose of Cairo, very true. But when you say readers that are a fit for me, well I dont' think many people are going to have the exact same interests, which is why I thought of splitting it. Hopefully people are willing just to filter out the stuff they don't care about.

I just want, readers. I've been blogging for about a year, and the most I get is an occasional comment from a musician. My most popular post has maybe 800 and some views.

Does your own blog get much traffic, then, if you don't mind me asking?

DavidDavidDavid, I understand what you mean.

I already enjoy keeping an online journal of sorts, but am slightly disappointed that not many people are reading it.

Interesting about signaling it is about multiple themes. Right now it says "My personal blog about nothing in particular."

Good point about entertaining. People generally say I am a good writer when it comes to my formal writing, but I keep it rather free-style in the blog.

No, I don't want simple readers. Really I want the readers who would be interested in each of these subjects, maybe more than one of them. It amazes me how these forums, for example, have such a wide array of interests portrayed, and how such diverse people can be here. Honestly, there's everything from technology right up to psychic development.

Rose of Cairo · 05-25-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianoperformer

Rose of Cairo, very true. But when you say readers that are a fit for me, well I dont' think many people are going to have the exact same interests, which is why I thought of splitting it.

People don't need to have the exact same interests as you have in order to be interested in reading your blog. For instance I have a big passion for baroque music, but not so much for classical music. In fact I pretty much hate Beethoven. I've never played the piano in my life and I know nothing about musical theory. AND I find your blog very interesting. When I read about your work with the Saint-Saëns concerto, it makes me feel like listening to it. Now I'd like to discover it, and to listen to the parts you're talking about while reading your blog, to understand what you're doing with it. I'm sure I'd end up totally loving even Beethoven once I've heard it through your ears. The interesting thing for me is not that much that you learn the left hand voice... it's how you learn it. How you feel about it, what it represents to you, what you want, the goals you set for yourself, how you experience the music, all that. I like reading how you explain the music, giving a life to the hands, making them angry or hesitating. It makes the music much more alive for me. Reading that you learned the left hand voice becomes very interesting when it's about experiencing the world through you.

If people find you interesting, they'll follow you on your journey even if your path has not much to do with theirs. And if your path oscillates between psychic development, music, programming and other things, they'll follow you all the way because no matter what you write about, it's how you experience these things and why you love them that matters.

Quote:

Does your own blog get much traffic, then, if you don't mind me asking?

No it doesn't. Something between 5 and 15 a day. I must admit, it's my fault. I'd like to improve and develop the site, and post much, much more, creating some real value. Unfortunately I'm extremely busy with other things at the moment. As soon as I have more time, I'll put a lot more energy into the blog.

Quote:

Right now it says "My personal blog about nothing in particular."

Yeah and that's not true. It's about things in particular, even in great details, just not only one thing. I'd change this title if I were you. It conveys the message "this blog is not important, there's nothing of value here, you'd rather leave immediately". You seem to have doubts about the value of what you're sharing. Don't.

Steve wrote posts on his blog about how to increase traffic, if I remember well. Maybe have a look at them?

pianoperformer · 05-25-2008, 07:59 PM

Thank you so much for your reply. I am glad you find value in my posts on my blog!

The way I discuss the music so descriptively is something new for me if you look at the archives. I love this concerto so much that it is beginning to come alive for me. I feel like music tells a story, and I'm trying to put that story into words.

I am so happy that the way I describe things makes the music alive for you, because that's my goal. It is alive for me, too.

So, I suppose then I see your point for sure.

By the way, do you think it is valuable or useful having those recordings for the practice sessions and lessons? At first some people told me it would be a waste of time and space, but I went ahead with it anyway and I quite like having it there. I especially like having recordings of my lessons, since I go over those if I forget something. Sometimes I listen to parts of the practice recordings too to see how it actually sounds from an objective standpoint.

What tagline then would you recommend? That suggestion before about "Life, the universe, and everything" is funny because I'm a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan, but I think I've seen other blogs using that. I can't remember which one but I am sure I saw it.

I didn't mean to put you on the spot about your blog, just wanted to see if having different topics paid off for you. I guess there are so many factors that one never really knows, unless someone explicitly complains about it.

Rose of Cairo · 05-25-2008, 08:54 PM

Well, making what you love alive for others, isn't that a great purpose for your blog? And a tremendous value you're providing. Imagine if we learn to love all the pieces you work on, how much richer we get because of you. I'd be forever thankful to you if you manage to reconcile me with Beethoven

And if you love several things, why not make them all alive for us? I'm sure you could make programming and psychic development alive too, if you let the love shine through

I know it's funny to tell you "yeah, blog about many topics! I do it too, and I have almost no traffic!" But I'm sure you can build traffic even with several topics. I just didn't try properly. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianoperformer

By the way, do you think it is valuable or useful having those recordings for the practice sessions and lessons? At first some people told me it would be a waste of time and space, but I went ahead with it anyway and I quite like having it there. I especially like having recordings of my lessons, since I go over those if I forget something. Sometimes I listen to parts of the practice recordings too to see how it actually sounds from an objective standpoint.

I couldn't listen to the recordings unfortunately, because I'm not at home at the moment. I'm in a place with an extremely slow internet connection, where such a thing is hopeless. But I'd love to listen to the recordings. Listening to the concerto on some CD is not the same as listening to you practicing this left hand voice you're talking about in your post. You know? It makes it much more personal to hear you, especially since you will express the music according to the story you have in mind and are talking about. Another musician would certainly not play it the same way. It's about your relationship with the music, so we need to hear you.

Maybe I'm saying that because I'm used to work with recordings, too. I used to sing in a baroque choir some years ago. Since I'm not able to read music, I had to learn the whole pieces by heart, so I always recorded the rehearsals.

Quote:

What tagline then would you recommend? That suggestion before about "Life, the universe, and everything" is funny because I'm a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan, but I think I've seen other blogs using that. I can't remember which one but I am sure I saw it.

Haha, I like the book too

About the tagline, I don't know. What is your blog really about, for you? What's your goal with it? Who do you write for? why? What does it represent to you? How do you choose what you blog about and what not?

DavidDavidDavid · 05-26-2008, 07:05 AM

Pianoperformer: I don't have a blog. Not even a website. But I'm working on one. Right now, I'm learning the technological stuff because I want to really do something super. I don't just want to put up a blog, my thoughts, blah blah blah. Actually, I do have a certain kind of blog in mind for the future -- think of "The Book of Job" and Noah's Flood meets Monty Python -- but that's actually fairly easy in the conceptualization of it, whereas this Big Project I'm doing has a lot of really puzzling "conceptualization," as I say, "issues" to it...so it's got me much more intrigued and preoccupied (for those who remember '80s-era computer gaming, I'm looking at "Ultima IV: Quest of The Avatar" for a certain kind of inspiration...).

Believe it or not, I still feel qualified to give website advice and even general business advice! 'Cause I've half-grokked those subjects, as it were...or, to echo Kant (IIRC), "a man is, primarily, what he feels himself to be"....

pianoperformer · 05-26-2008, 08:08 AM

Rose of Cairo,

That's great. I'll definitely try to put the same passion into all of my other subjects as well. Feel free to tell me if I am being successful with it or not, if you ever check back.

I changed the tagline to "Stretch the limits." It is because many of the things that I believe or experience in my life are far from the mainstream. My spiritual beliefs are very different. I'm interested in psychic development as well. Beyond that, I have a "disability," which gives me a unique perspective on many things (notice the "Living with a Disability" category). I'm also the only person I know that programs and plays the piano. Usually they are mutually exclusive. In general, I am very inquisitive, never accepting anything for face value, and always ripping it to pieces in an attempt to understand it, and decide whether it is suitable for me or not. I would love other people to do the same. I hate when people accept thing sjust because it is what they are told by what they believe to be a reliable source.

Right now I'm stuck on the verb, namely between "Stretch the limits" or "Transcend the limits." I'm possibly thinking the second, since it would give an idea that limitations are often fake, perhaps even self-imposed. I'd love your opinion on the matter.

DavidDavidDavid,

Good luck with your blog. I am interested in seeing it when it is up. Do you have a timeframe?

If you ever need assistance/suggestions on the technological stuff, just ask. I've been programming and making web sites for several years.

DavidDavidDavid · 05-26-2008, 09:49 AM

Pianoperformer: Well, a hearty thank-you! So far I haven't hit any snag that a few days of bothering people on usenet couldn't solve (

) but since you're such a masochist -- I mean, great sport -- sure thing, I'd love to pick your brains some time!

As for a time-frame, I will only be getting the non-interactive parts up sometime between September and December (more likely January!), since, contrary to the standard advice, I'm going to launch with much more of a complete site than not (I want a "lived-in" feeling to it!).

That blog (not to be confused with a blog on the aforementioned website) would be simpler to implement and I could get it up in about two weeks but it's meant to be really politically incorrect, so I'm not sure if I'd even "acknowledge" it here, lest it screws up the website!

Good luck with your endeavors, too: I enjoy practicing piano, and can go up to four hours with just a few very short breaks, but I'm only at a second year of competency (think "Fuer Elise") and regret that I can't offer any specifically "musical" ideas for your music site!

pianoperformer · 05-26-2008, 10:16 AM

Wow, that's a long time. It is usually better to put up a site when it's complete, but I am so impatient that I usually publish sites as soon as possible.

The only reason to publish a site as soon as possible would be to get search engines to start coming. They love frequent updates, which would inevitably occur with a site in progress. Also it gives time for getting out of Google's sandbox. If you're not familiar with it, they rank your site very low for several months (think 6 months or so), and then start coming more and ranking it higher after that. I guess the reason is that they want to make sure the site is there to stay.

Wow, four hours in your second year? I only started practicing so much in college. What exactly do you work on?

Now I find 4 hours isn't enough. I'm learning an 8-page piano concerto, a Beethoven sonata, and a Bach Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier. I also work on technique for about an hour per day. I've been trying to include about an hour for reviewing old repertoire, but have failed at that so far. I also want to start including ear training. Finally, I purchased a braille music course a few weeks ago, since I'm not very good at it yet, so want to begin reading that. Right now I just memorize everything, but I can memorize a little over a page in an hour so it's not too bad.

By the way, I wouldn't mind hearing your opinion on the tagline, too.

Tayrak · 05-26-2008, 12:40 PM

This is just an idle thought I got while reading through this. I get that you are interested in different things, that's a good thing.

Another thing that came through pretty loud, at least for me, was you really want more traffic, jeez who doesn't? To my way of thinking, if the only reason you are thinking of expanding topics is because you want more traffic, it may not be the best thing.

I understand that you can have more topics on a blog and it works fine, but they are all still somehow tied together. For instance someone has a blog about things they feel people should take notice of, and it's a lot of different subjects. It's more or less an opinion blog, but folks expect different stuff to show up and most of these blogs don't hone in on one particular subject.

You have focused on music, and done a bang up job of it. Now, I can see where finding enlightenment can have an effect on your music, and perhaps you could tie it in that way. But I almost would say if your blog has been centered around a certain subject shifting midstream might be a bit jarring for some folks unless you can tie it all together.

Taking Steve as an example, he shifted toward 'making money' in some posts but, he did it as a means to find fulfillment doing something you love. And that ties in with his main topic personal development.

Tayrak

pianoperformer · 05-26-2008, 12:56 PM

I am not sure what you are trying to say. By expand, do you mean into separate blogs, or the same?

Of course I want more traffic. Of course I have many interests. I still want to blog about those interests, whether it is in the same blog or a different one. But I just wanted to see which way would be most likely to bring more traffic.

Well, it's only been focused on music for the last couple of months. Throughout that and before, I've posted about college, and just life in general sometimes. I also discussed programming a bit, especially last summer.

So what are you saying I should do, then?

Jeanie · 05-26-2008, 01:14 PM

Pianoperformer: I do find that most people interested in Personal Development have a variety of interests that might seem unrelated to others.

I like your tagline "Stretch the limits." It certainly applies to all the areas you write about. You may find that you try different taglines. When it feels right, you might change it to "Transcend the limits." I think stretching for a while is a great plan.

You can also try different names for your blog. As it now stands, the name of your blog is perfect -- it is, after all, Brandon's Blog.

In addition to your tagline, you might find that a visual image ties together the themes. Or several visual images.

A blog is a powerful way to clarify parts of your life. As you write, you discover. In fact for me, my first reason for blogging is for myself -- I love to write. I love the creativity and the discovery.

Enjoy the process!

Jeanie
Empowering Personal Development

DavidDavidDavid · 05-26-2008, 04:36 PM

Pianoperformer: Alas, while I'm at a second-year level of competency, that doesn't mean I've only been practicing for two years! I've actually been doing it off and on through the years, probably altogether three or maybe even four years of lessons and practice -- so being able to "competently," if not particularly artistically, play (as opposed to "interpret") a piece like "Fuer Elise" is no big deal...nor an inspired few four-hour practice sessions in all those years!

And though not blind, all I do is memorize pieces, too -- no real sight-reading capabilities! But it's all just for fun, I really like the feeling of moving my fingers around like that (and one's whole body, too, when really getting into a piece). I am not currently taking any lessons, so it's honestly just a more dedicated kind of fooling around that I do! I guess I'm sort of debating right now whether to spend $2K on lessons for a year, or whether to spend it on an equally "useless" Wacom Cintinq 20WSX "touch screen" monitors for digital illustrations.

You're right about search engines liking constant updates, and not picking up on a site anyway for a few months (though I've only heard maybe up to three, not a whole half year!)...though some people report that being accepted for Adsense by Google results in being indexed by Google that much quicker.

I'm only putting forth a more fully-stocked site than not -- contrary to "best practices" advice on optimizing later -- because I envision my site being a kind of resource, and thus believe it should be "mostly usable" on launch (like a dictionary that's A-Z instead of only A-D while it takes time growing), though there will be plenty of "evolution" in terms of interactivity (I'm learning JavaScript and Python and plan on tackling PHP and maybe MySQL, too) to come. Plus there would be hard-goods to produce, an on-demand self-published book and DVD series...though those are even way off in the future, as in years ahead, since they require more learning and practice....

As for your tagline, I like it, though, if you don't mind my so saying, it's a bit of a commonplace idea, pushing past one's limits, expanding one's limits, etc. I do like it, but I can't say I love it, in the sense of the notion being particularly unusual. But it does work, don't get me wrong.

As for the different connotations between "stretch" and "transcend," Freshman Composition books on style usually advocate less Latinate words for more immediacy. Also, FWIW, to "stretch" can be thought of as a semantic subset of "transcend"...it really all depends on your own vision of its "soul"....

I think you have great potential for the blog, being that you are blind and yet not only program computers but play the piano (incidentally, the mental faculties involved may not be all that different as you seem to imagine, however; math and music are intimately related [see Douglas Hofstadter's "Goedel Escher Bach"], and more so than music and a visual art like painting). Perhaps a tagline referring more directly to that disability, even making up a word, like "multi-bility" -- www.multibility.com??...though that's not a tagline, but you see (uh, no pun intended) what I mean: what could be more a stretch or transcendence of limits in a tagline than making up a word?? That fits, of course....

Don't be impatient, though. It's gonna come to you. Believe that. Not on blind faith, but because you can recall similar instances in your life when everything just came together perfectly.

It'll happen. Just let it.

Lea · 05-26-2008, 05:07 PM

I too blog about more than one subject. I separate some into pages for easy access for visitors who are interested in various topics. I also use 'in series' plugin to help group same theme categories for easy access. People will come to the site for a specific article, but often will also read something that catches their interest once on the site. I agree that the site's name can help if its general enough. Such as my site is Ocean Of Perspectives.

pianoperformer · 05-26-2008, 06:37 PM

DavidDavidDavid,

I would strongly recommend getting a piano teacher if you want to seriously get into the piano.

Yeah, I suppose that tagline is rather common. I've always been rather bad with such things, though I do like the tagline I came up with for that music site: "From practice to perfection." Nice alliteration, if nothing else. I still haven't come up with a name for that, though.

Lea, how does having various topics work for you?

I would say that having many blogs would reduce the amount that I post on any of them, since I usually can only devote maybe an hour or so to blogging, especially once school starts. Well, actually, certain blogs would probably be posted on mor ethan others, but I could see certain ones being posted on maybe only once a week or something. Especially music, since once I move my practice journal off the blog after I make that web site, I can't imagine what else to talk about concerning music.

Not to quite nearly merge the two threads here, but I have thought many times of keeping the practice journal on the site. It seems to be bringing a lot of traffic, somehow, and if it is on its own site people probably aren't going to go there just to read that. I do like the idea of other people being able to use it, though, as well as it being more automated in the way of stats and such. That's been a debate I've been having for a few weeks, though I pretty much decided on the new site because of the mentioned advantages.

DavidDavidDavid · 05-26-2008, 09:03 PM

Pianoperformer: "From practice to perfection" is great! It really fits the purpose of your musical site. And I bet that it came fairly easily to you because you knew from the get-go how your site would be valuable, how it would be beneficial. You see how artificial deliberations can be? I think an URL will suggest itself at some point while you're actually working on the site. Our minds work associatively, after all.

Yes, a piano teacher is a minimum necessity to make progress. I just have to get around to making the commitment, that's all. It's going to change my life, you see; right now, I just fool around doing what I can already do, practicing what I already know to sort of keep my skills up.

pianoperformer · 05-26-2008, 10:50 PM

Thank you. I quite like it myself. But, every time I come up with a name, I say it along with the tagline to see if it fits, and I've not found many things that fit yet. Even Musical Progression doesn't sound right, because I don't like that double -tion.

Over dinner, the line "Redefining reality" popped in my head, for the blog. Not sure if that's any less cliche.

A piano teacher will make sure you are doing things properly, and will gently push you forward. You should be careful, because if you learn something beyond your technical level without a teacher, you could get injured.

Tayrak · 05-26-2008, 11:57 PM

Traffic makes the web go round, I know we all need it and all's fair in how you get it. What you're trying to do is have the blog you want and get lots of happy visitors. The trick is can you do that with one blog or do you need more with the extra subjects?

Just chasing traffic, imho, is a mistake, it's not a crime or bad or anything, I just think it doesn't pan out quite like we always want it to. But that's just my take on it.

""Of course I want more traffic. Of course I have many interests. I still want to blog about those interests, whether it is in the same blog or a different one. But I just wanted to see which way would be most likely to bring more traffic.""

For discussion sake, I don't have blogs on either subject:
I set up a blog about collecting cookie jars. I get traffic from search engines, I gather up other visitors from different spots and end up with 100 visitors a month.

I set up another blog about collecting stones, same story 100 visitors.

The math says if I combine the two and I will have 200 visitors, and I just might. But, the question is - will my visitors be happy with the two subjects? They are both about collecting but about very different subjects.

Would it be better if I decided to expand on each seperately instead. Maybe cookie jar exhibits, cookie jar display cases. This gets me 50 new visitors, so I'm at 150. My old cookie jar people would be happy and so would any new visitors, and so would I because I have new traffic.

What I'm trying to say is, you don't just want more traffic, you want happy visitors too.

Blogs, websites too, have themes. Even those that have multiple subjects have an underlying theme. People have an idea what they are going to see when they hit your blog and decide if they want more. You want repeat visitors too.

I imagine a lot of bloggers just blog about anything and do well, usually their voice ties it all together. This is my blog about all the stuff that I think sucks in the world. This is about everything that happens to me while I'm in highschool. Even with different subjects there is a theme or a tone running through it and it works.

If you can tie the subjects together it would probably flow better.

But really, it's your blog. you can do whatever you like. I just dropped my opinion, which may or may not be worth the paper it's written on

Tayrak

pianoperformer · 05-27-2008, 12:13 AM

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