I told one blogger that the work is "like filling Grand Canyon, one pebble at a time. But it is worth it, because the Word of God is effective."
Aristotle said, "Patience and courage are so closely related that one is either the daughter or the mother of the other." Most are not patient enough to blog year after year. That is where the effect builds up.
When I get up in the morning, I think, "There is no use writing any more posts." Then I have some fresh coffee (Vanilla spice today - Christmas present) and read some news. The positive responses encourage me, and the negative ones even more so.
The numbers are good, averaging 3,000 views per day. I began by writing for 20 people, deciding not to beat around the bush, as so many do in blogging. No one wanted to touch the big issues. They wanted to have their friends congratulate them on a brave post about the color of Advent candles or some other trivia.
Blog Graveyard
The most amusing blogger is now on the wagon, metaphorically speaking. Paul McCain never earned a graduate degree, but he portrayed himself as an expert in theology. He only served one parish, for about two years, as Al Barry's stealth campaign manager and leaker to Herman Otten. Although he liked to brag about his high-paying job at Concordia Publishing House, he was clearly plagiarizing the Catholic Encyclopedia and his Lutheran friends' blogs - even thanking people who liked his stolen material.
When I proved his plagiarism, his blog rolled up with a snap, like a window shade - but without a confession of sin or apology. Exposing his fraud was simply a side venture, eliminating some toxins from the Internet.
Research
One benefit of serious blogging is the constant research required. Claims of the blog have to be supported with the facts, and the facts are illuminating. Most blogs are simply shared opinions, unwarranted assumptions, with friends chiming in.
The apostates leave themselves in a bind. They love to brag about themselves, but their boasting is evidence, easily copied and cited on a blog. They can erase the evidence on their own websites, but not on mine.
If the research is provided, the readers can reach their own conclusions. That is why so many have hysterical reactions from the basic facts being copied and cited. The PR mirage manufactured by the synods is easily dispersed like the morning fog.
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| But it is a good way to get a call in the WELS. |
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Google's Blogger is especially good at sending content into the Google search engine. The idea is to keep the topic and its source at the top of the search results, the way Wikipedia is often at the top. Here are some tips for SEO:
- Long titles summarize the post and become part of the search.
- Graphics are essential, but they are especially good when captioned and linked to other stories.
- Links within the story are important for keeping readers on the blog and finding out more.
- Labels also boost SEO, so the liberal use of labels is good stewardship.
- Look at the statistics and repost popular articles from the past.
- Promote on the margin, a method my friends call "sticky posts." I use a picture which links to an article or even a group of posts.
- Content for its own sake is always good. A blog should be a treasure chest of useful material, such as the thousands of quotations I have copied over the years. The verbatim quotations and their citations are useful for anyone doing research.
- Link to good and bad stuff. Nothing makes me laugh quicker than those who want to condemn my little effort without naming the site or the reasons for disagreement. They fail to see they are the ultimate Pietists, shunning those who ruffle their starchy feathers. Generous linking leads to owning the topic and its associated graphics. I have heard that complaint from many sources.
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| Most bloggers are afraid of opposition. |
Faithfulness to the Word of God
Apostasy dominates today. As Martin Chemnitz wrote, "These are the last days of an insane, old world."
We can listen to the flattery or threats of apostasy, or pay attention to the Word. One brings temporary peace and eternal destruction. The other brings temporary grief and eternal peace.
