Category: News

Want to start your own blog?

Have you thought about starting blogging yourself but never got around to it? Well if you have Im going to spend a few minutes showing you just how easy it is, and how cheap it can be.

How techincal are you?

There a 2 options when setting up your 1st blog.
* Self hosting where you pay a company a yearly rate to host your website, you’ll need some technical ability setting this up, FTP files, configure DNS serves etc.
* Use a blogging service that does it all for you. (and is free)

If this is your 1st try at blogging go for one of the big blogging services and use them to host your blog, that way you can spend more time on blogging than getting it up and working. If your more technically minded or want more control over your blog head to google and do a search for a more appropriate guide.

Which CMS (Content Management System) to choose?

The 2 big boys are WordPress or Blogger, I would suggest WordPress if your new to this!

English: The logo of the blogging software Wor...

WordPress comes in 2 flavours, a version you install on your own hosted servers (with advanced features, themes and plugins) and a hosted solution thats free and very easy!

 

Image representing Blogger as depicted in Crun...

Blogger is the other hosted solution, is owned by google now and is a good CMS also, there’s no self hosted Blogger software.

Sign up for a Free hosted WordPress account

https://en.wordpress.com/signup/

Go for the free version to start with, you can buy a domain name or go for the free domain as you sign up. Remember the name is not set in stone, if at a later date you buy yourself a domain name you can then point it a you blog, so for now I’d suggest going for the free version.

Once you’ve filled in the form, thats it! Your sites up and ready for your to start blogging! No stress at all!

If you ever feel like you’ve outgrown your WordPress.com blog its very easy to migrate your blog to another solution, so keep the costs to free for a while as you find your feet in the blogging world.

If you do setup a blog, drop me a comment so I can read it!!

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Photo of the day – Platform 5 London Waterloo

A cold Friday morning at London Waterloo is hardly where I thought I be taking a photo today, but as we pulled into the station (a journey I make nearly everyday) I was struck by the colours, lights and shapes that I saw from the carriage.

Having to walk the wrong way down the platform caused a few stares from people as I made my way down towards the end of the platform to capture this instagram snap.

Have a great Friday!

Blogging goals 2012, a great start!

mappa_blog

2012 GTDWizard.com challenge

At the start of the 2012 I set myself a goal to get +1000 visits a week on one of my other blogs GTDWizard.com, all through 2011 since I launched GTDWizard.com in July I was averaging around 50 – 120 visits a day, around 400 – 700 visits a week. +1000 visits was just a figure I pulled out of the air that seemed achievable and measurable, with some work.

So, I’ve been blogging regularly this year and had been watching the numbers grow a little each day, seeing a few extra twitter followers and email subscribers… and then yesterday BOOM, I had over 1000 visitors in 1 day! (1003 to be precise!) Not quite viral proportions I realise, but still a nice milestone for a fledgling blog like own!

I think this weeks visit figures will be handsome, but Im not going to relax on my laurels, I’ve found getting 1000 visits on one day easy, I still need to bring in +1000 visits per week consistently for the whole of January.

Why blog at all?

When blogging here at ‘The Life and Times of Marcus P’ its for therapy! No really, I do it to unwind a little. Currently Im on the train on the way home with my laptop on my lap and I’m able to loose myself in some writing for a while. (Writing or Meditation, 2 great things to do on a train!) My blog-a-day 2012 challenge is progressing nicely, no idea if anyone’s reading it! (I’ve hidden the stats as thats not why I blog here!)

When I blog at GTDWizard I do it as I have a passion for the subject matter, I love being productive, being in control of the things I need to do and I like finding ways to improve my productivity. So I like to share what I find with like minded souls.

Blogging for a business?

I earn a few £’s from my blogs from a  few ads and affiliate schemes, which comfortable pay all my internet hosting costs and my app purchases each year. Last year there was enough left over for small hotel break with my girlfriend, Im not looking to make money but Im not going to say no to a few free payouts! So, Blogging for a business? No, Im not going full time blogging anytime soon, but one can dream can’t one?

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Post processing digital photos? Should I stop?

I took a quick snapshot on the home with my iPhone using Instagram then edited the original with Snapseed.

 

 

 

Which do you prefer?

Original
The original with no edits
Instagram
The Instagram version
Snapseed edit
Edited with Camera+

 

I like the dramatic lighting of the Snapseed (far right) version but wonder if it’s looks just a little (or a lot!) over processed?

Photography for me is about creating a statement and post processing is a good way to enhance a rather plain picture, but I do worry about relying on it a little too much at times. I vow to take a few more unprocessed pictures and see if I can create the same sort of statement with classic photographer skills!

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The Commodore 64 is 30 years old and sudo 8 bit gaming

I can hardly believe that the Commodore 64 was released 30 years ago, even though I was a ZX Spectrum boy back in 1982 I have a huge fondness of the C64. It’s music chip was massively better than my Spectrums, and it’s hardware smooth sprites looked great. Of course I can blame one friend who got me interested in computer back in 1992 my good friend @sm0d You have a lot to blame for buddy!!

An 8bit musical blast from the past.

 

8 bit gaming in 2012, done right!

Swordandsworcery

Before I start explaining that games back at 1980′s as being the best games eva… (they were not!) let me tell you about a great little iPad/iPhone/iTouch game that has it’s roots firmly set in the 80′s 8bit gaming. Swords and Sworcery - http://www.swordandsworcery.com/ it’s such a lovely little game and reminds me so much of early Commodore 64 gaming and it’s music, it’s keeping me nicely entertained on my daily commute! As it’s designed for todays hardware it’s so much more fun than trying to run a MAME version as they were all designed for joysticks not a multitouch screen so Im happy to leave 80′s gaming as a loving memory and play games like this that rekindle my love and memory of gaming.

 

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The 2012 doomsayers have invaded the Daily Mail. Shock?

2012 is just 2 days old and it looks like the pessimistic end of the world 2012 style stories are appearing already! It’s yet another cheery Daily Mail article to make the vunerable sleep easier in their beds tonight.

The Supervolcano That Can Devastate Europe Is Showing Signs of Awakening

http://gizmodo.com/5872418/the-supervolcano-that-can-devastate-europe-is-showing-signs-of-awakening

Looking at the graphic I’ll see you in Glasgow! (probably safer peering into the volcano!)