communication. community. cognition.
Posts tagged Wordpress
Content Is King! Long Live the King!
Feb 3rd
Content is king.
It started with a Tweet by Jeremy Meyers, that said the following:
“Ironically, content about how “Content is King” is not an example of good content.”
“If Content were King, then Pink would have stayed dry.”
I was referring, of course, to Pink’s performance at the Grammy Awards, where she sang partially suspended and spinning in the air, then was dipped in a pool of water, where she came up spinning dripping and still singing pitch-perfect.
It was stunning.
It is also a clear example, to me, of where you can draw a significant line between Content and Presentation.
Her song is the same, whether she sings it in a studio, on stage, or in an S&M harness. What differs is the Presentation.
If there were no difference between Content and Presentation, then Iron Chef would not have points for “plating.” It’s a different experience, one that is separate from the content.
My blog engine – WordPress – makes a significant distinction between Content and Presentation. I’ve changed themes a few times in the last three years – but the content remains the same.
That’s why this post seems a little naked – I’ve taken much of the Presentation away.
It’s a very different experience. Yet my words are the same. My argument stands just as valid on its face – exactly the way it would appear in most RSS readers.
Yet here – through the Presentation of this one post – I have communicated more about the difference between Content and Presentation.
Content is King – but Presentation can make it more palatable. Style without Substance will leave you lacking. Substance with no Style will send the readers packing.
Long live the King!
Owning My Links
Dec 15th
Part of the reason I started noodling with WordPress was the ability to “own” my own site. Not have it hosted elsewhere, not beholden to anyone else’s whims and limitations. I can do what I want with the template and the look and the feel and the content. I can even move the URL around, break it, and start all over if I choose.
I’ve learned a lot of helpful things about coding along the way.
Today’s “currency” on the internet is still content, although sharing and linking are vital. You’ve probably noticed that most of the links being shared online are “shortened” links. TinyURL used to have the space to itself, and as the default shortener for Twitter it was poised to be the all-time king.
Now there are many competitors. Bit.ly is the new Twitter default, and even Bit.ly went even shorter, with J.mp. Add in ri.ms and cli.gs and is.gd, and you’re only part of the way there. Google for List of Link Shortening Services and see for yourself.
I wanted to make the move to own my own links because there are some heavy hitters moving in. Bit.ly will be offering its own custom domains for link sharing. WordPress now has WP.me, Google is trotting out Goo.gl, and Facebook will have FB.me.
My links will be at ike4.me.
That will look strange to some people, for sure – but no stranger than adj.ix or anything else that comes along. After all, we’re inclined to click on just about anything.
That’s the other motivation for me. When you see me sharing a link with http://ike4.me you’ll know where it came from. I’ve locked it down, so scammers and spammers can’t use it. It’s also a nice piece of branding, if I say so myself.
The Ike4.me domain is powered by Yourls, and is fairly easy to set up. With little technical knowledge (more than most of my friends, but far less than many who get paid for coding) I was up and running within an hour. More customizations to come.
Oh, and you can find me on Twitter at http://ike4.me/tw and on Facebook at http://ike4.me/fb.
The Hidden Gem
Apr 1st
Can you answer the riddle embedded on this page? (Not just this single entry, but the site as a whole.)
Comment below with your answer! (Are the categories part of the clue?)
