I started my adventure into blogging with very little knowledge and no expertise at all. In the last few months, I’ve learned a lot from reading other blogs and analyzing their layouts. I still have more questions than answers. I still lack expertise. Hopefully, one day, there will be enough traffic to this site that I can find people who will share their knowledge. I’m told the blogging community is a very helpful one.

Like all bloggers, I wanted the opportunity to put my thoughts before an audience. I also enjoy reading the ideas from other people and the people with whom they link. I’d like to build a community of people who have similar interests, but that’s difficult with a blog that really has no “focus.” This one doesn’t, because it is just my random musings.

How does one build that community? Most of my readers have been friends, family, and the folks who hire me. By putting my blog url on my e-mails, a lot of people come here to read. But, they aren’t bloggers and just lurk [FYI: if you are not a blogger, you CAN comment by clicking the “comment” link at the bottom of each post. I’d love to read what you have to say.].

I’ve listed my site on Technorati, put it up on Self Portrait Day, put Feedblitz on the site so people can subscribe to get notice of updates. Atom feed is turned on, but I know nothing about it OR RSS feed, so I’m stumped on that. I’ve “pimped” my site with a duplicate blog on MySpace. Does anyone have other suggestions?

I have randomly tried visiting other sites and commenting (when appropriate) and have gotten a bit of traffic that way. But, “random” searches don’t always lead me to bloggers with whom I have many shared interests. I don’t have enough knowledge yet to know how to find them. What do other people do? Where can I search?

Last Thursday when I was following links, I discovered the Thursday Thirteen meme. I wasn’t even smart enough to know what a “meme” was, but by following links I found enough information to be able to participate. That spiked my traffic AND took me to several bloggers whose work I want to read. I’ll definitely participate in that again.

There are other memes out there, but I don’t want this blog to be just about me answering questions or making a list. I still have other things about which I want to write–a folder full of things, in fact. Is there a meme I should know about? I’m not above answering silly questions about myself (I have no shame) but, I’d like one that will make me think. And, make other people think, too.

I also think that most of my topics are too long for the attention span of many people. I’m told that bloggers want to read it and get on to the next blog. I’m not sure I can change that. I’m not sure I want to change it. But, any suggestions from a reader would be helpful.

Yes, I put Google AdSense on my blog. I’d love for it to make at least enough to pay for my internet experience. Like every other blogger on the planet, I dream of being the next “Dooce.” I also fantasize about winning the lottery, but I don’t expect that to happen either.

But, AdSense takes away from the aesthetics of my blog, and it just completely confuses me. I’ve tried reading the material that Google puts on line, and it only makes me more muddled. It’s made several dollars, which is pretty amazing for as little traffic as I have. I don’t know how to take it a step further.

I don’t know enough about the computer to make my page more appealing. I’m experimenting, but I’m confined to the Blogger template, since I don’t know html. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I’d love to add links to other bloggers and interesting sites, but it just blends into the page. I’d like to put a picture banner across the top, but I don’t know how. I wish the doggone page were wider. Grrr. I wish I had a geek in my house to help me make this look the way I want it to appear.

Maybe someone has answers. Maybe I should have a contest and the best answer wins a prize. EUREKA!

So, it’s a CONTEST:
Give me your Top Five Suggestions for improving a blogger template (specifically mine!) AND/OR increasing traffic. Simply post a comment on this site to enter.

THE PRIZE:
I’ll mail the WINNER the choice of:
1. My copy of The Everything Blogging Book by Aliza Sherman Risdahl (with all the dog-eared pages) and my best wishes that it helps you more than it helped me!
OR
2. A $10 gift certificate to Starbucks Coffee (which might almost buy one cup).
RUNNER-UP:
Gets whatever the winner didn’t want.

ALL participants will receive a link from my site to theirs (exceptions: pornographic sites, those selling or distributing firearms, or those sites which maintain that Britney Spears is in any way relevant to life on this planet).

Contest winners are arbitrarily chosen by the judge (me). All decisions of the judge are final. Contest void where prohibited by law (which for some reason unknown to mankind is usually in Tennessee). All submissions will be available on the World Wide Web, unless the judge deletes it.

[Note: anyone who tells me to shut up and go away will get nasty comments on their blog from me and all my friend!]

CONTEST ENDS APRIL 1ST, 2007

[that's no joke]