Friday, October 26, 2007

Help add PJ blogs

I've been blogging for several years. When I started, there weren't many other bloggers. So, I linked to any blogs of interest to me.

As some PJs got blogs, I moved those into a separate sidebar category. Those later became staff, freelance and collegiate (and high school) categories. TV PJs were added a little later. Photoblogs and Info links absorbed most of the early sidebar items. VJs (video journalists and multi-media) are the most recent.

Since I started, the blogging world has exploded. In an ironic twist, blogs went from being reasons to terminate PJs to required items on a resume. The former is why many of the early bloggers still don't have their names, publications or other info on their blogs. The latter is why there are a lot of new blogs.

What I need
I sweep through the blogs for new links occasionally, but I can't keep up with everything in real time. So, please send me PJ, VJ and TVPJ blog links and the minimal info listed below. I'll put them all on the inside page (there's unlimited space). If one is a daily PJ blog, I'll add it to the sidebar.

As y'all encounter working, pro PJ (staff or freelance), VJ, TVPJ or student PJ blogs, please let me know (e-mail) the following:

Blog address
Blog name
Blog author
Author's city, state
Author's publication or status
(staff, freelance, VJ, TVVJ, student)

Link organization
My organizational method may seem random, so I'll explain how it works. Let's start with the inside pages because they're semi-automatic.

Inside links
The inside link pages contain links by category. The links are sorted by blog title or PJ's last name. I'll link to any working PJ's or PJ students' individually-owned or team blog. However, it must contain original work. Return links are NOT required, but they're always appreciated. :-)

Inside link blogs that haven't posted in more than a year may be removed unless there's some really compelling reason to keep it.

Photoblog links are different. They either A)   comment regularly on this blog. B)   have quality images in my opinion (at least when the blog was added) or C)   linked to this blog when there weren't many blogs.

Sidebar links
The sidebar links employ a lot more judgment on my part. The most important factor is post frequency. If I ever click on the link and it's more than a month old, I take the link off the sidebar.

I also don't place R-rated blogs on the sidebar because I have a "safe" status with schools and several kiddos visit this blog when it's time for research papers.

Otherwise, the sidebar blogs are sorted the way I prefer to read them. This doesn't always mean the best are on top. I value quality PJ work, but I also reward frequently-updated blogs.

The reason I blog daily is to force myself to shoot better every day. Each night I sift through my recently published images. Often, I dislike my options. However, I still post a new image each day.

I think some people return here because they know I'll have something new. When I visit a blog and it hasn't been updated since the last time I visited, I feel like my download time was wasted. This is another reason I reward high-frequency blogs with better sidebar placement.

Enough for now,

4 comments:

CarmenSisson said...

Wheeeee! I get to be the top of the freelancers! I always secretly look to see if I've been knocked off your list. I post PJ so seldom, I hardly feel justified in being there.

It's a double-edged sword, posting daily. When you post day after day and no one really comments, you sort of feel like a) maybe the work isn't good or b) no one cares.

I try not to let comments/hits affect me, but they do. Far more than I want to admit. Although to be fair, I'd just as soon not have a "Nice work," comment. That tells me nothing.

I still earn a good portion of my money as a photographer, though I'd say it's shaken out to 50-50 or 60-40 with writing. I spend more time writing and am published more as a writer, but photography adds up because it pays better.

I'm far more selective now in who I shoot for. I keep a handful of steady, good clients who pay well instead of scattershot shooting for many who don't.

All this is to say that I appreciate the link. I feel a little unworthy of it sometimes. But it makes me smile when I see it and reminds me not to post crap (too often.)

Lately, I've decided to return to daily shooting because it made me better. Some of my best images would have never happened without it. Comments be damned. I shoot because it's what I am, not for a pat on the head. As should we all.

Congrats on your continued success. It's always nice to see what you've been shooting.

Mark M. Hancock said...

Thanks Carmen. It's always good to hear from you. :-)

Unknown said...

Mark -

Thank you, and be sure to get me your Christmas list early.

Blog address
http://solomojo.blogspot.com

Blog name
solomojo

Blog author
Joseph Hollak

Author's city, state
Fresno, California

Author's publication or status
College student
Recent SPJ photo award winner

Mark M. Hancock said...

Joseph,

Your blog is already on the sidebar and inside. I hoped you (and others) would help and E-Mail worthwhile links from your blog sidebars.

I can find the info, but it takes time and is frequently annoying to track down who owns a blog and verify the owner's status and/or publication. I'd rather spend the time to write new posts.