Battle of the blogs

One thing I learned during Project Grace 2010 is that people have their preferred method of reading blogs. For example, some sign up to have them delivered into their inbox, others follow the link via Facebook and many will go directly to the blog site. This consequently affects how people interact. The email subscribers will reply directly to me, Facebookers will write on my wall and blog site visitors will comment below the post.

At the time of setting up Trailing Grace, my husband had been using Posterous, which I discovered could autopost to a vast array of popular social media sites. "Perfect!" I thought, "I can write one blog and have it posted in several places and thus increasing the chances of potential followers". My plans for world blog domination were coming into play. That is until I realised what a NIGHTMARE some of the sites can be.

I have spent a ludicrous amount of time fixing up messy, glitchy, buggy HTML code (I feel like I have adopted half a dozen cute puppies that ended up doing poop in every room of the house!). To the untrained ear, this might sound like I know what I'm doing - but I can assure you that I do not, hence the nightmare (I am referring to cleaning up the HTML code, not puppy poop).

In view of all of this and being several weeks (if not months) short of launching my official website, I invite you to follow, subscribe, or bookmark my most preferred blogging platform - Blogger. I created Project Grace 2010 on Blogger and found it very user friendly and relatively bug free. What you see is what you get, thus eliminating the frustration of trying to figure out why text, images and YouTube embedded videos become corrupted and refuse to look like what you saw when composing your work. It's enough to make you drink!

The other downside of having so many sites is that the comments are scattered like ashes - so it's difficult to get a community going... and I LOVE communities. So below I've made a brief statement of what I think of the blog site, as well as including some of your comments.

Blogspot (Bought out by Google some time ago and is very user friendly. It's my favourite):

"Congratulations Grace on the new journey! Loving the name of the blog/ project and the many interpretations and incarnations it allows. I haven't read 'eat pray love' yet, but am now inspired to do so. I actually read your 3 blogs backwards and have many thoughts spinning in my head... not only turning 40, but then the arrival of a new year has me once again full of questions, anxieties, self doubts and a sense of failure. Forever feeling you as the Ying to my Yang, I am jumping on board with you- well side saddle really- and following your trail (Hansel and Gretal style hoping there's a wonderful lolly house at the end and we can destroy the nasty witch!) as I try to work through what may just be the Universal Human Condition. Lots of love, Jaala xxxx"

Posterous (while it's clever that it can auto post to many sites, the blogging function is cumbersome with buggy code and the inability to preview your work before posting):

"welcome to the world TrailingGrace" - Pat

"i'm so excited & i just can't hide it! whoo hoo go you trail blazer you!" - Liza

"congrats" - Garrie 

"Congratulations on your new journey! I look forward to following you as it unfolds. I can relate to so many of your thoughts/feelings/ideas. Your spirit is inspiring!" - Kira

Wordpress (I found this to be the MOST frustrating. Very buggy. I'd make changes, click save and it would go back to what it was in the beginning. Despite following the instructions, I could NOT embed my YouTube video yesterday. Nearly drove me to drink!):

"Wow Grace. This is a fantastic extension of project Grace (which I was very sad to see the end of). I am definately along for the ride on this one. Count me in. x D"

"Fueled by Champagne. New T shirt coming soon. Will work for Champagne ;)"

Facebook (I LOVE Facebook, and use this to guide people to my blog. It is currently set to Wordpress but I plan to change that pronto!)

Jessica wrote: "I love it Grace! Love the name, the logo, the 'coincidences' - it's all positively inspired!! And while you said it was exactly 9 months, it was exactly 10 - which is a full term baby anyway!!!" xxx" 

Liza wrote: "Love the new blog title. I feel like i'm trailing/following your adventurous life along with you. I keep thinking why the hell isn't anybody publishing your work, you should be at the top of the best seller's list. Well, you are published to a audience of millions. The web. Its just a matter of time before your captive audience multiplies. I know i've said this many times before but you are such a talented writer. My heart sings and weeps with your words. Love it love it."   

Leeanne wrote: "I agree totally with Liza's comments. Your blog is part of my daily enjoyment. Always insightful, brutally honest and sometimes inspiring. Love your work Leeanne xx" 

I also use Xanga and Tumblr (I prefer the latter), however they have not had any comments (and I'm okay with that).

So before I get myself into a bloggy big tangled mess, I will spend some time consolidating.

Until tomorrow, be bold and nip things in the bud before they get out of hand.

Grace xx