Most people don’t know, but this isn’t my first blog. I’ve had several websites in several formats, including one I built from scratch just to teach myself HTML/CSS. I maintained an eponymous opinion/political blog on Google’s Blogger platform starting in early 2005. I learned pretty quickly that the secret to building a reliable readership is short, frequent posting. I was never very good at being brief, but I was pretty good at putting up new content.
Critics often howl about the lowbrow triviality of internet content and the perils that await inexperienced web surfers. They dismiss the usefulness of blogs, YouTube and web forums with the casual indifference that drinkers display when waving off cream for their coffee. But for the initiated, the internet is the most useful tool on the planet.
If you can’t remember the name of that song that’s bopping around in your head, just type some lyrics into Google and find the answer in seconds. Are you bored with your uninspired dinner rotation? Type your favorite ingredients into AllRecipes.com and find a list of new variations of your old standbys, complete with ratings and cooks’ comments. Do you want to get a feel for the quality and longevity of a product before purchasing it? Go to Amazon and read the buyer reviews; the truth will out. My wife even walked away from buying a Volkswagen because of disappointing consumer reports she read online.
