WordPress versus new Sport24 site
June 29, 2012 in rugby, sport, springboks
This post started as an answer to a comment on my blog and as a comment on Mickeynelsters blog but I had so much more to say.
I tried to answer and comment on blogs sports24.co.za from my wordpress blog, but even though it was comparatively simple to do so, I received no notification of any comments or replies to my comments. This means that outside readers like sport24 news etc will be excluded from the loop and they will not bother to continue reading our posts on these blogs. If we are only going to post and comment amongst the 10 (to be extremely generous) of us who are active, while receiving no external input, I cannot see the point of blogging on this platform, with all the aggravation of using half a semi-functioning wordpress set up, when the full aggravation free wordpress.com setup is there to use for free. Ask anyone of the ex LD bloggers that moved, if they prefer blogs24 or full wordpress and you will be surprised that even semi computer literate bloggers, have managed to set up blogs and been able to expand their readership.
In all my years of blogging, the thing that makes a site work is interaction. Nothing kills a blog or a blogger’s enthusiasm faster, than not receiving any comment feedback from fellow bloggers. We all want the interaction and if comments are not received or answered my and everybody else’s enthusiasm will expire.
I am seriously considering just leaving this blog to die on its own. I struggled for a month on blogs24 until it got overrun by adverts and bloggers left, then I gave up and deleted my blog. This sport24 blog is no better and I predict that advertisers will kill this one too. Out of 200 odd bloggers that were moved across only 28 odd bloggers registered and created blogs and of those 30 only a few have posted anything. What is the use? I can get 5 or 6 readers on wordpress too, and wordpress is way more simple to operate.
The twenty odd bloggers that have started blogs here will get fewer by the week unless something is done and going on a months experience on blogs24.com, absolutely nothing will change and as with Letterdash, we will be left to paddle our own canoe, sink or swim.
I seriously urge the active bloggers to open up full wordpress blogs and link to each other. Once connected and correctly tagged with rugby, South Africa etc you will be pleasantly surprised at the response you will receive.
As an example I started a wordpress blog for my non sports blog 5 months ago and there are 337 people who follow and many more that read this blog with close to 18000 hits which equates to over 3000 views per month. I have sadly neglected my wordpress sports blog because I was concentrating on my sports24 blog but even there I have 121 followers and 600 odd views in 2 months, despite not posting my own material more than a few times in a month.
Try it and see for yourself.
If we have a nucleus of 5 or 6 active bloggers linked and tagging correctly plus linking to facebook, twitter etc, you will be surprised. You can’t link the sports24 blogs to twitter or facebook, linkedin, google plus etc. automatically, like on wordpress and by linking to the social networks and other aggregators like digg, stumbleupon, reddit, and others, your readership will expand rapidly.
On wordpress you are a master of your own destiny. Hundreds of different themes and a huge selection of widgets, spam block is automatic (No friggin captcha box unless you want it), stats on all possible info, follow button, like button, reblog button, comment authorization and so much more. Email. Rss or other notification on all posts and comments and replies. Share buttons and a reader for all blogs you follow, which you can do with the click of a button.
I actually don’t know why I have persevered with an inferior blog site like sport24 when the real McCoy is there FOR FREE!
Long has it been known in Rugby circles […]
Green Machine said on June 29, 2012
@powa, reply to this to test if I get email notification. Doubt I will but let’s see.
The Green Man said on June 29, 2012
Testing 123
Powa said on June 29, 2012
Reply to testing 123.
Green Machine said on June 29, 2012
Testing testing 123 … Guess who? I logged out and tried just posting a comment. Let’s see if it works. Seems easy enough.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
@Green machine bet you won’t get this reply though
The Green Man said on June 29, 2012
That’s perhaps cause I did not enter an email address. I’ll do it again from the “Green Machine”
.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
No it doesn’t send emails to me either. WordPress sounds better every minute
Labach Tanai said on June 29, 2012
You know what, if this damn blogging site could just send me email-notifications, I would be happy! I cannot be logged in and trawling all the blogs I have posted a comment on the whole time just to see if someone wants to start a conversation.
I would be ecstatic if guys like GreenCap, DutchBear, Steyts to name a few were still around as well. They were not bloggers as such, but they did take part in the debate that is the essence of blogging!
Powa said on June 29, 2012
You will be surprised at how quickly your readers will grow. If yo have your old blogs where those guys commented you might be able to reach them by commenting on their last comment or just advertise your new blog address on this blog. Try it and see then send me a url so we can link. There are a few guys that have blogs there already
Darwinia said on June 29, 2012
Can I have a wordpress blog with the same name (Darwinia) and same e mail?
Labach Tanai said on June 29, 2012
Probably will have to make the blog Darwinia and not Unicorn-something, but the email should be fine I think.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
Your account name must be one that isn’t taken and cannot be changed but your blog name and blog title can be what you like. This blog has no bearing on wordpress. Guys like Kitch will not post here but they might on wordpress.
mickeynelster said on June 29, 2012
Powa, I’m with you on this. This platform is not user friendly at all. I have a WordPress account, same as here and as you rightly say, it’s much easier.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
Go to blogs24.com and look at their front page. It’s stuffed after a month. I honestly don’t see the point of staying here. I have commented from my wp blog and will do so from now on. I’m certainly not going to post there directly anymore. I might just press this on that site with a link to my wp blog.
mickeynelster said on June 29, 2012
my wordpress blog is running smooth, well not as smooth as it could, but much better than my blog on this forum.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
Have your blog there and linked we can only grow now
Anonymous said on June 29, 2012
Apparently not.. its been real
Peace
Anonymous said on June 29, 2012
Just checking to see if the site is ready for me..I could not post on Hanjo’s blog earlier
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
you seem to be doing fine here? the issue is that a comment has to be approved by the author of the blog before it appears, so if I’m not online or busy checking for comments and approving them, they’ll never show on my posts.
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
haha…maybe the above is not the case for not being able to ‘post on my blog’? not sure what the issue was?
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
interesting. I do however believe that a non registered reader can still comment. I’m testing it now. – lets see
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
see what I did there Powa? so with the blogs linked on sport24′s home page, it won’t simply be the 10odd active bloggers who can comment. ??unless I’m missing the point.
powa said on June 29, 2012
Missed the point I think. Outside people can comment via a rigmarole of email sign in and captcha box each time they comment but they won’t receive the notification if you reply or answer their question.
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
fair enough powa, but the views and initial comments should be exactly the same, the commenting process is almost easier than it was on letterdash for the non registered reader. think about it.
Powa said on June 29, 2012
I’m not comparing this site with LD as that is history now even though the site was antiquated at least it did what it was supposed to do. WordPress is by far a better option but the version being used on this new site is poor. Half the things don’t work properly and some don’t work at all. Then they “Fix” or add a new function and that doesn’t work either. No picture uploads is just one function of the many.
Hanjo said on June 29, 2012
okay, not bashing your cause, I’m just not one for change, just started getting used to this shitty platform, haha. – I’l check out WP next week, and I might just agree
Powa said on June 29, 2012
I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is even though its so much more comprehensive. You blog where you’re comfortable and I’m most uncomfortable here. Enjoy the games tomorrow