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Plug Your Book!
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Like any tool, however, comments can be abused. It’s not unusual to
see rude or off-topic comments on some blogs, and even “spam
comments“ written solely to plant links back to the spammer’s site. The
worst spammers even use software robots, which scour the Web for
target blogs and insert their junk links. Spam comments are usually
along the lines of, “Hey, great blog. Come see us at www.Cheap-
Viagra.com.”
Fortunately, most problem comments can be prevented by using
countermeasures like comment moderation: you review and approve
new comments before they appear on your blog. Another option is to
allow readers to post comments immediately, and you review them later.
The advantage is your readers get immediate gratification in seeing their
comments posted as they submit them.
Most spam comments can be prevented by using word verification,
requiring comment writers to type a short series of characters displayed
in an image. This stops spam comments from software robots.
To be sure, some popular authors don’t allow blog comments at all,
such as marketing guru Seth Godin. Simply because they’re well known,
famous writers attract a certain number of crackpots and sycophants,
and perhaps it’s easier to avoid them by allowing no comments.
Blog style
Just as every book and author is unique, there’s an endless variety
of blog styles and flavors. All the blogging services have page templates,
allowing you to start with a basic design and add a few personal
elements.
Don’t get bogged down looking for the “perfect” design. You’ll
always be free to tweak your design later, or do a complete overhaul. The
most important thing is to get started adding content and building your
audience.
The main design requirement is readability. Plain vanilla blogs are
fine, and are actually preferred by most readers—it’s the words that
count. Black text on a white background might seem uninspired, but it’s
much easier on the eyes than white text on a black background or some
other color. A plain masthead, simply your blog title in capital letters, is
fine to start. The important thing is to get started.
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