Liz Strauss is holding the “Bring Back That ‘Brand New’ Blogging Feeling Event” contest and giving you a chance to win a premium WordPress Theme from Blog Design Studio and a copy of her ebook. Whether you win or not, it’s a chance to really push your blogging creativity.
The challenge is to take a picture of something that shows that “brand new feeling” such as you feel when you published that very first blog post. That’s right, your first. Can you remember back that far? (I can’t 😀 ) Compose a one sentence caption and head over to the contact form to upload the photo and your contact information.
There are so many emotions tangled up with that very first blog post, how would you display that in a photograph? I’m fascinated by the concept and eager to see what people come up with. Bloggers are such creative folks, and the almost USD $4,000 value of the prizes is definitely an incentive.
I gave it some thought and here is my version of that “brand new blogging feeling event” dredged from the depths of my memory.
When I began “blogging” the name soon became “online journaling” as we ventured forth with the first web pages and websites in the world. We didn’t call them web pages back then. They were “homepages” and these were our “homesites” as the web wasn’t the Web but the beginnings of the Internet in those rough and tumble days. It was a new world, a new universe, and technology that was part of the rush into space. Since we couldn’t seem to push our government to support travel through outer space, we plunged into cyberspace along what would come to be known as the Information Highway. It wasn’t a smooth ride but this was the future and we were on board our virtual space ships, navigating by keyboard, mouse, and browser, ready for our grand adventure to seek out new life and new adventures. To boldly go where no Internet Connection would ever be lost!
I didn’t realize how far this galactic journey would take me, deep into the wilderness of HTML, web design, CSS, SEO, JavaScript, PHP, the rugged beginnings of WordPress, the stumbling steps of social networking and social media, tags, categories, comment spam, blog trolls…in a way, much like the journey in Zork, the original of the popular IF Games (Interactive Fiction) text-based adventure games. A rough journey of exploration and discovery, with a few trolls and grues to fight off.
There will be 50 winners choose to receive a premium WordPress Theme from Blog Design Studio and a copy of the ebook Insider’s Guide to the Conversation eBook by Liz Strauss.
There is also a bonus round. Be the first fifty to follow the directions exactly and submit “clever pictures” and you will be featured on her blog, Successful and Outstanding Bloggers with a link back to your blog.
Don’t forget that Liz Strauss is also the honoree of one of the most popular new WordPress Plugins, the Liz Strauss Comment Counter by Ozh WordPress Plugin, a nice addition to your blog’s sidebar. I wrote about it recently on my blog and on the Blog Herald.
Remember to submit your entry to the competition in order to participate and win.
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Copyright Lorelle VanFossen, the author of Blogging Tips, What Bloggers Won't Tell You About Blogging.
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22 Comments
I wish the image of the Star Child from “2001” wasn’t copyrighted. 🙂
Yeah I still remember it clearly (around 1 year ago), especially the excitement of looking at there are 10 people reading my first post lol
I’ve already submitted my entry just now 😉
I remember designing my first homepage that was hosted by Geocities in 1996. Those days, the more animation you have on your homepage, the better 😀 But of course, that has evolved over the years, and now we are back to simplicity. Funny, isn’t it? 😀
😛
just started my blog not too long ago, but it’s quite a boring post the first one. Design looks nice tho.
Gee I started blogging to learn how to do it for a client and I didn’t have any idea what to write. I’ll have to think about how I felt or at least how that’s best portrayed. Novel competition!
I’m glad we couldn’t “…push our government to support travel through outer space.” I wish we could convince it to stop supporting travel here on earth.
The “rush into space” occurred in the 50s and 60s. I don’t think the internet had much to do with that.
For me it was not the first post per se. I simply die of joy when I see “any” traffic. If it is a great feeling to be a producer. It is having used Linux for so long and then being able to actually contribute a patch for something. I just wish the stats were more graphical. Where this this guy come from, what he read and what he clicked on. Some sort of individual interaction streams.
I remember my first blog post and how excited I was with my creation. I titled it “Why Blog” which stated my rational for added yet another voice into the cacophony voices all ready dancing in this amazing new medium. Now to find a picture that can express that! Wow now that’s a challenge.
Nick
I was doing a blog clean up like minutes ago and found this topic in the feeds area of WP. The first post in my blog was a super short introduction on the blog titled “Welcome, Let’s Start Winning the World”. 5 months later the blog grew and matured into a pretty much defined blog in regards to people development.
One of the latest post was an appreciation post titled: “Cheers To Our Earliest Readers and Members”. It’s quite a huge difference since the beginning entry. 🙂
@ Viper007Bond:
That was my first on WordPress.com. 😀 I was so preoccupied by Hurricane Katrina, I barely remember writing that first test post. My thoughts at the time were about putting it to the test, not enjoying the experience. Thanks for tracking that down.
I remember playing with dasBlog (asp.net blogging engine) and trying to set up my first blog. Well, that end up being my first blog post – my experiences with dasBlog and the problems that I faced setting it up.
I think first blog article is always related to our own experiences.
@ Daniel Richard:
I love the walk down memory lane, don’t you? However, the challenge at hand is to convert that memory and “feeling” into a visual image. That’s the very hard part of this competition. I’m really excited to see what people will be submitted as visual representations of the memories and feelings. I know this is going to be great because bloggers are creative inherently.
Ack! Now I get the idea of this entry. Hmm lets see if I can come up with anything visual this time. 🙂
I wonder whether my submission was received as I had no feedback so far 🙂
Curious at what other people come up with heh heh
I’m also curious as to why there’s no feedback about our submissions. Can’t wait to see all the entries that are accepted.
This is a fun competition. The photo I used isn’t a particularly good one – it was an impromptu snatch at capturing a moment with a new camera.
My first blog post was the start of a holiday blog some 4 years, which never happened, because I spent more time enjoying the holiday rather then posting about it.
Though my first websites were around 10 years before that, ISP support pages and RPG web sites. I even did my own smiley Mac animated gif. It is interesting how design has changed, and the move from 28.8 bps models to broadband has changes what you expect in a site.
I think I best stop reminiscing now, I’m starting to make myself feel old.
I hope they appreciate the humour of my entry. I think most first blog posts are probably a bit of a mess, that you realise later need a cleanup. 🙂
@ Leefe:
I’m sure they will, but be sure and get it in right away. The cut off date is very close.
@ scatterbrain:
No feedback? It’s a competition. You’ll get plenty when the contest is over. If you want more feedback, though, ask Liz directly.
I remember my first blog post (Jan 10, 2005) as well as my first web page (last updated 01/12/01). Both originally more sparklie graphics and blinkie images that I am willing to admit. But both where my pride despite their bedecked faces and miss spelled paragraphs. I was beyond giddy when I received my first visitor. Ecstatic when with my first guestbook signing (remember those?!). I still get that heady, giddy feeling when I start something new.
Boy, I feel like creating something…
hey! thanks to your blog, i knew about this; and i won! thank you!
Philip. =D
@ Wingless_Angel31:
You are welcome. Great entry! And congrats.
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