It wasn't a reply to anything earth shaking. It wasn't disapproval. But with no additional information it didn't leave the door open for future possibilities. I'd merely asked if she might like to have coffee together this week!
Now this friend is kind hearted, humorous, thoughtful and used to making her own decisions. We click really well together. But, I've noticed since I first met her, most of the time, if anything new is suggested, her automatic response is that same word, "No."
Just for the fun of testing, I inquired a couple of weeks ago if she might ever think about having a personal website! Guess what the answer was?
You're right!
It started me wondering how many times no, such a short word and used often, has prevented people from actually experiencing life to the fullest? Aren't humans meant to explore new experiences?
Yes! They're not guaranteed to be safe, and sometimes we even feel apprehension about walking down unknown paths but it's good policy to experience the unknown, because invariably, it's a learning experience too. Aren't those some of the things we're supposed to do while on this earth? Learn and gain experience?
New Experiences Mean Learning - Always!
It became fun. I made new friends. It was a whole new experience learning to write in a whole different way, for a different audience.
New experiences, new friendships came out of writing. A website naturally evolved out of the friendships. There are talented people, behind me, every step of the way now. They're an online family, with their own personalities, lives, and events that are shared. They're my kind of people! The only way it happened was because I never said "No!"
It seems that many people don't really understand much about blog sites. They'd love to read, and get more out of them if they knew how to use them more effectively, so this is an effort to explain some very basic things about websites.
These days my website is an extension of who I am. You've heard about "platforms" when people start talking their jargon about websites? Well, this is my online platform. It works the same way speakers at Hyde Park corner stand on a soapbox to get attention and deliver their messages to the crowd immediately in front of them!
The only difference, fortunately for me, is that my "crowd" has become thousands of global viewers.
Types of Websites
Even if you just have product pictures, and no blog, your website acts like a cyber signpost - directing people to your products and to your sharing social sites.
So if you want to sell anything at all, you can learn to do it from your own website. You can share photos with your family, if you want to do that. You can write anything you fancy, when you like. If you're like me, you can even just be your own little newspaper, delivered 2 or 3 times a week to "followers" who have free subscriptions to your site!
What do newspapers sell? News, of course. But they also sell space to advertisers. There are big advertisers, and small ones. You can always sell space to the big advertisers, and they give you a teeny portion of their generated sales. I've chosen to have indie ( independent) business advertising on these pages. You see them on the right. I have a special love for promoting indie businesses because I've been an entrepreneur for years and am still an indie biz owner myself.
So, websites can serve many purposes for their owners. Most want to sell something, and earn an income. But even if you want a family focused one, you'd find it useful and interesting to have your website up, and start researching your family as an heirloom project! And who knows where that would lead?
If you're thinking of blogging as a business, it's not a get-rich-quick thing. Better not to even start with a blog if you think it will be! Blogging (meaning a web log) requires writing skills, and dedication to the job. That means you have to actively seek sources for writing inspiration, and be willing to write very consistently.
Your hope is that people will enjoy whatever messages you want to share, and look for them. If they love them enough they may even share your writing with others, and that's how you build a network of dedicated readership!
About the 'dangers'
This could be a valid concern, and yet most of those same people will go on the social networking sites, sharing family pictures, and other personal information, without caring. But the good thing is, visiting a writer's site means very few 'bad guys' are around! The pace is probably too slow!
In all my time writing, I’ve never had anyone undesirable follow me! Seriously, I don't think I'm worthy of their unwanted attention.
It's kinda like in a schoolyard, where the jocks gather together, the nerds are in another group, and the surreptitious smokers attract each other. Like seeks like!
Of course there are millions of websites, and their followers are naturally interested in whatever topics have caught their interest.
About that different colored font . . .
I'm very proud of my embedded links, 'cause it took a while for me to learn how to do them. Piece of cake now, though!
Click on them, and you'll be instantly taken to whatever the blogger wants you to notice, on the same site, or even a totally different site. You can return immediately to what you were originally reading just by clicking on a back arrow in your browser. And sometimes an embedded link will save you the trouble and will simply open the link in a brand new page for you.
It's often interesting stuff they've taken the time to embed for you, so look carefully, and add to your learning by going back and following the suggested links, even if you do it after you've read through an article.
If reading this today has inspired you to think, "Wow!" Instead of "No!" to the thought of possibly investing in a whole new exciting world for yourself, I'm embeddingthis link which will take you to my own amazing website-builder and dear friend, femmeflashpoint. She's alsomy webmaster-extraordinaire, meaning she takes care of assisting me with site updates in graphics, tools, widgets, editing and new content.
I consider her the best of the best, but just between you and me, that's because no one else could be so incredibly patient!
Now I'm wondering . . . Did this article add to your understanding of websites and how they can be important?
If you're inspired, please feel free to leave a comment. And "NO!" No one except me will see your email address!
See where it says "comments" after this article? When you click on that you'll see a form come up. Just use your chosen name ( doesn't even have to be your real one) and email in the designated fields (or boxes). If you have your own website, please include the address for it in the designated field too. That's how networking happens! If another reader likes your comment and sees that you have a website, they can click that and then check it out for themselves. A little arrow after your chosen user-name will lead new readers to it!
Winter lettuce - its here at last!
There's a before harvest, and an after. You'll notice I'm just clipping off those succulent little leaves right now. You'll see the re-growth next week!
The tiny tomatoes are stocky, strong and need to be transplanted into their final pots about now!
Before you go ...
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Vicki