Categories
Blog Philosophy

Happy Fourth Birthday, Dear Blog

Balloons for bloggy birthdays (Courtesy daniel.he at Flickr CC)Today is the 4th anniversary of the Family Travel blog here on the BootsnAll Travel Network.  True story – this blog is here because of books.

I first heard about BootsnAll from Stephanie Elizondo Griest on a travel writer’s panel at the stupendously great annual Texas Book Festival in Austin.

The very first post on February 10, 2006 said hello to everyone, the second was some random screed about traveler’s checks, but hey, I started a blog and wrote something, then kept at it, and boy am I grateful.

Categories
Blog Philosophy

Thinking about blog rank and whether I’m phoning it in

Phoning it in (courtesy Thunderchild tm at Flickr CC)Thanks to Wendy Perrin of the PerrinPost, I found this Invesp Consulting list of travel blogs broken out by various measurements: Google PageRank, number of inbound links, number of RSS subscribers,  number of unique visitors per month, etc.

Now, normally I try not to pay too much attention to such lists.  They often compare a one-woman show like mine to wide-ranging, multi-author efforts like World Hum, and there’s no way that I can match a gargantuan site when it comes to some measurement metrics.

On the other hand, seeing the Family Travel Logue floating around in the #40 – #60 range (for most metrics) was rather depressing for me, I’ll admit, considering that I’ve been writing here since February 2006 and have some nice recent kudos in addition to past recognition in the UK’s Guardian, the Telegraph and Real Simple magazine.

I lost some Google search engine placement/authority last summer when we shifted the blog to this URL, but we’re talking almost a year ago now, so that’s like claiming you’re fat because you had a baby, but the baby’s now 9 years old (like, ahem, my son. Hey, the baby excuse can no longer explain wearing “fat jeans” all the time.)

Categories
Blog Tips

Success in travel writing and blogging

Many folks ask me how to get started as a travel writer and blogger, so it was a pleasure to participate in two recent email interviews that can partly answer that question.

***  On the Netherlands-based blog The Happy Hotelier, I answered 10 Questions for Sheila Scarborough of Family Travel Logue, including how I got started as a writer, my top 3 destination experiences and why I don’t really care about hotels. Thanks, Guido!

***   On Working Your Way Around the World (based on the soon-to-be-published book of the same name, about how to be a digital nomad) you’ll find Interview with a Travel Writer: Sheila Scarborough where I discuss the differences between writing for print and writing for the Web, how I find new ideas and what I want to do next.  Thanks, Thursday!

Please drop by each of these excellent blogs and tell Guido and Thursday hello….

Categories
Photos Texas USA

Photo of the Week: My Guest Room

hotel-knucklehead-bfwThis Three Stooges sign is on the door to my guest room.

I’m running around cleaning it (and the rest of the house) because Austin’s South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) tech conference starts this Friday, March 13.

As a resident of the Austin metro area and a traveling guest-room-borrower myself, I’m happy to host fellow geeks at this event.

This year’s guests include social media communicator extraordinaire Liz Strauss and the multi-talented Becky McCray, who specializes in small businesses in small towns and rural areas.

On Saturday, March 14, I’ll be speaking at SXSWi about travel blogging (our panel is called Blog Highways: Travel Blogging for the Wanderer) with Seattle-based writer and photographer Pam Mandel.

We intend to pack our panel room in the Austin Convention Center….but first, Hotel Knucklehead has sheets to wash and vacuuming to do!

Categories
Blog

Why don’t they get it? I’ll tell you why….

Age of ConversationIt’s outta here, launched, gone, hasta la bye-bye — my contribution to the next edition of the Age of Conversation, a multi-author book about collaborative marketing and business in the world of Web 2.0 and social media.

The first edition of Age of Conversation had 103 authors from 12 countries (including my dynamic colleague Connie Reece over at Every Dot Connects) so I’m thrilled that the book’s editors Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton selected me to participate in the 2008 edition.

All proceeds from sales of the book go to Variety – The Children’s Charity.

Our topic theme for this edition is “Why Don’t People Get It?” (meaning Web 2.0/social media.)

I’ll tell you why….well, maybe not until the book is published in August 2008, but here’s a hint:

We don’t make it clear why people SHOULD “get” something that….

  • can inhale your available time
  • involves occasionally frustrating technology
  • overwhelms with many tools and applications; things like blogs, YouTube, flickr, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Del.icio.us, digg — does your head hurt yet?

Sometimes, we Web 2.0 evangelists are our own worst enemy when we don’t answer the basic “what’s in it for me?” questions. I personally think that the human connections and friendships that I’ve developed thanks to social media tools make the drawbacks worth overcoming, but if I can’t address fundamental concerns, I’ve failed as a teacher.

I’ll let you know as soon as possible how to buy the next edition of the book, or click the graphic above to grab a copy of the current edition.

Here are my fellow authors, in a massive linkfest shoutout:

Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Categories
Blog

An extra 24 hours in the day would help

Just a note to say that I’m still out here….

Even though the jam-packed South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) tech conference ended late Tuesday, I’m still digging out from under.

Although I had every intention of being back at the keyboard by yesterday, life and family obligations continue to intervene.

I have a few highlights from SXSWi to share and plenty of travel links and stories to write, but sadly my clone has failed to materialize and this one person in my body requires occasional sleep.

Back soon — I promise!

Categories
Blog

Our internal links and Search are borked

Just made the most unpleasant discovery that many of the internal links to about two years of Family Travel posts are FUBAR (did you ever wonder what that means? It’s “F*d Up Beyond All Recognition.” I like to teach things even when tearing my hair out.)

This probably has something to do with our recent upgrade to a better version of WordPress, the our blogging software, because the most recent posts seem to be OK. It also looks like it has something to do with my categories & subcategories going haywire.

Since we’re borked, (a more polite and techy term) that means that if a link to a specific FT post comes up on Google, or I link to it in another FT post, or you click on it over on the Favorite Posts section to the right, you will end up on the front page of the blog, not at the specific post that you were looking for.

(Update at 1:09 pm:  tech assist helped me fix the Favorite Posts links – yay!) 

This is a Bad Thing.

If you look for something on the right side of the blog under Categories, it seems to work, but that obviously makes it a hassle for my readers to have to hunt and peck. They’ll just give up and leave (unless they’re my Mom, or one of my close friends, who will pick up the phone and call me and tell me politely that the blog is, well, FUBAR.)

Rest assured that the Boot Boyz tech assist folks are laboring away on the problem (thank you!) and we’ll have our site navigation sorted soon.

Categories
Blog

Family Travel taking a break

I’m going to back away from Family Travel posting this week to give me a chance to catch up on some other blogging assignments and get my head, home and calendar ready for the upcoming South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) tech conference here in Austin March 7-11.

Based on my experiences at SXSWi last year, I’ll be going full-tilt the entire time. If I don’t do some prep work now, it’ll get ugly in terms of general organization and functioning at chez Seafarer.

See you again on Friday, February 29th, when I’ll be back in the saddle.

Categories
Blog

Nov 1st travel and family Blogtipping

Tip your blogs, not your cows (courtesy Easton Ellsworth)

This is a minor miracle — two months in a row when I’ve remembered to enjoy Blogtipping on the first day of the month.  The wonders of a decently-maintained calendar….

I don’t exactly follow creator Easton Ellsworth’s format for this bloggy activity (he writes Business Blogwire on Know More Media) but I still have fun telling you about three blogs that I think you’ll enjoy:

**  Rick Steves’ Blog Gone Europe.     You didn’t know that Rick blogs?  Well, neither did I until recently, but I’ve always been a fan….his guidebooks (especially those with tips about how to best attack art museums in Europe) simply SAVED me with my itchy kids. Now he’s blogging, most recently about his trips to Greece and Turkey where he deals quite frankly with some controversial topics.

**  Family Hack.     Michael and Hannah run a beautifully laid-out site with marvelous photos, and they provide all sorts of “hacks” (tips to do something more easily) for busy families.  I am not crafty, but am seriously considering making their Decapitated Teddy Bear Flash Drive.  They have a dynamite Travel category, too.

**  Nerd’s Eye View has “a camera, a passport, a ukulele.”     Written by fellow writer, adventure-seeker and Primo Nerd Pam Mandel (who is also the BlogHer Travel editor) these are the thoughts of a great writer, a pretty good ukulele player and a wonderful photographer.  She’s particularly interesting lately because she just landed a guidebook-writing assignment for….Hawaii.  Think that’s paradise?  Track her hair-tugging over it under the Aloha Oy category on her blog.

Happy November blogtipping; now it’s time to put away the witches and ghosts, and pull out those paper kid-handprints-made-into-turkeys.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, blogtipping, blogging

Categories
Blog

The Relationship Blogger: not a one-link stand

One-link stand — I wish I could claim credit for such a great line, but it belongs to one of my favorite mentors and friends in the on- and off-line world, Liz Strauss at Successful Blog.

A year ago this month I wrote a tribute to Liz for all of the help and guidance she’s offered. It was titled A Place To Come Home To: Successful Blog, because at Liz’s place, you’re only a stranger once.

This year, Liz threw another virtual party and invited a bunch of friends from around the world to visit Successful Blog, say hello and bring a link that was special to them.

You know me, I wandered in late as usual, but I took a post about the Dutch Waddenzee Islands, Texel and Terschelling in the North Sea because it’s like Liz; unusual and welcoming and a little off the beaten path (the Nov/Dec 07 National Geographic Traveler magazine Destinations Rated/Islands article lists Texel as a lovely “pastoral experience.”)

In tribute to all that Liz teaches me about community, I’m going to blast out the many wonderful links that Successful Blog birthday partiers brought to the festivities, and thank Liz again for her encouragement and vision.

These Links Were Shared in Just the First 210 Comments!!