Blogging Basics 101

How do you "tag" someone else with a meme you were tagged on?

Tagging someone for a meme means that you are inviting another blogger to play along with a meme. To do it, you simply answer your meme as usual, then, at the bottom of that post write I tag this blogger, this blogger, and this blogger. (Of course, you'll need to change the words "this blogger" to an actual blog or blogger and then link to them.) Tags are usually done in threes, but there's no hard and fast rule here. You can even announce a generic tag and invite everyone who reads your blog to play along.

It's a good idea to send a private e-mail to the blogger(s) you've tagged to let them know you've tagged them.

As an etiquette aside, please do not be offended if you tag someone and they choose not to play. Sometimes people just don't like to do memes and it has nothing to do with you.

How do I use Mr. Linky?

When you are hosting a carnival (e.g., Works-For-Me Wednesday or the Blogging Story carnival) you are inviting people to write on a specific topic. You give them the topic, which day they need to post the blog entry on that topic, then ask them to come back to your site and submit their link so everyone can see what everyone else wrote.

Carnivals are a great way to improve traffic to your site by hosting, but also through participation. The beauty of a carnival is that links to all the participating blogs are in one place (the host blog). The best way we've found to host all these links easily is a program called Mr. Linky. You can see Mr. Linky in action every Wednesday at Shannon's Works-For-Me Wednesday extravaganza.

To get started with Mr. Linky:

1. Create an account at the Mr. Linky site.
2. Next, click on the Wizard link at the top of the page.
3. Choose your server (e.g., Typepad, Blogger, Wordpress).
4. Choose the widget you want to use (I usually just use Original Auto-Linkies).
5. Click on the Generate Code button.
6. Follow the instructions provided.

That's it. It's really a very straight-forward program that is endlessly useful.

How do you pronounce "meme"?

It rhymes with dream.

What is a blogring? Should I join one? More than one?

A blogring is a group of related blogs linked to each other. Multiple blogrings exist for just about every type of web log. They are a place where you can find many blogs related to a particular topic. By joining, you are placing your web site within that ring making it easy for people to find. Rings are also a very easy way to find sites related to a topic you are interested in.

Blogrings can be a way to increase traffic, but it is not guaranteed. Blogrings can be huge and your site may be lost in the masses. However, a well-run blogring that has frequent changes, carnivals, etc. is more likely to bring you traffic than a static (or unchanging) ring that simply lists members.

Some webrings host collaborations called carnivals. The ring owner decides on a topic and invites members of the ring to write on that topic. The owner then provides links to each of those sites that submit links. BlogCarnival.com provides a list of several carnivals ongoing in the blogosphere.

What is a "meme"?

A meme is a pre-set group of questions, similar, in many ways, to a chain letter.  You can start your own, or "grab" one off someone else's blog.  A meme might look something like this (though typically it will be longer):

• What was your first job out of high school?
• What was your first pet?
• Describe your first date.
• What was your first car?

You would answer these questions, about yourself, on your blog.  You may simply leave it at that, or you may "tag" someone.  That simply means you are inviting another blogger to post their answers to these questions on their blog. 

A few more "meme pointers":

• Some bloggers enjoy responding to "tags"; others don't.  Do not take it personally if someone you tag doesn't play along.
• It's a good idea to notify someone that you've tagged them, with a link to your meme on your blog.
• It's your blog, and you can do what you want, of course--but if you're wanting to gain a readership, you may find that people tire of reading meme after meme after meme on your blog. You might want to consider limiting your participation to occasional memes.

Note that a meme and a carnival are not the same thing.