Draw It Out for Me: Infographics

Many people, from past generations and especially this one, are visually driven. They are visual learners, they believe things when they see it, they can view photos virtually anywhere, and they can see satellite imaging anywhere from space. And our cravings have only increased; therefore, it is no wonder that infogrpahics have remained so popular over the years.

Infographics can come in many forms and for many purposes, from the humble pie chart to venn diagrams to maps. I would also include models as a type of infographic.

Infographics provide us wih information from history. The one below was found at an archeological site in Israel. It demonstrates the differences in lagnuage between two cultures as well as the way life has changed over the last century. This exampe shows the primary purpose of an infographic, to inform and enlighten and to help grab a new concept through pictures and visual aid. Notice also how the infographic is vivid and cathces your eye.

Infographics are used virutally everywhere, from magazines to the stock exchange to the local gym. It provides a visual for concepts that are both easily tangible and abstract. It provides reinforcement for things we know has well as clarity for what is important. This is why they can be so useful in the world of public relaitons.

Pictorials and inforgraphics are often used for poll taking as well, as seen in this example below. It provides an aid in surverying snd allows one to get a viusal for percentages, which can have a much greater, more striking, and longer lasting impact than just a statistic.

image from mashable.com

Guest Post- Alexandra Vittetoe

Alexandra Vittetoe has a passion for travel and a heart for missions. She shares here from her blog, redpenpapers.

Recently I was discussing with an unsaved relative the idea of my class “Theology of Missions,” and explaining to her the typical content of this course. She was very confused because in her mind, she said, the theology for missionary work is kind of basic and obvious. She considers missionaries to be usually very good-hearted people, same as you would find working in education, childcare, or social work, people who have a strong religious belief, but who basically just change the environmental state of the people they are surrounded by – mostly in a good way. I tried to explain the concept of “incarnational missions” to her, but she didn’t seem to think it was much different from what she was talking about. “Living among the people and loving on them, isn’t that basically what you do?”

“Well, no, we also try to reach their souls.”

“Why?”

“Because we love them that much.”

“So does any atheistic do-gooder. You don’t have to be a Christian to love on people in third-world countries. And by trying to save all of them, you’re trying to change their natural lives. How can that be good for them to change who they fundamentally are into something that isn’t natural for them?

The world around the church, outside and separated, sees from its own perspective a very basic idea of what it means to be a missionary. The assumption commonly reported is that missionaries go into other countries, usually third-world countries, and do good deeds that will make the natives suddenly desire desperately to change themselves and become Christians. This representation, while still maintaining a part in the whole truth, is not quite adequate. In order to properly understand the entirety of what it means to be a missionary, we have to first understand three things: what we were created to be, what we have let ourselves become, and God’s plan to change that. The true dynamic involved in missions is not merely good deeds or words timely placed; we are called to restore the people of this world – the people that God has created – to their rightful places in His eyes. A ministry of restoration cannot be overlooked in any conceptualization of the missionary life. It is not natural for us to live in sin.

The first point to be addressed is the idea that we as human beings were created a certain way and for a certain purpose that we perhaps are not living up to now. When God first created the world, the story that is related in Genesis, we see that Adam and Eve lived a life that we have not been able to replicate no matter how many ingenious methods we employ. This shows that God created us with a certain model in mind, a model of “imago dei”; not necessarily an impossible model, or even a strict model that we should rebel against. Rather, this model implies that the life of a Christian is the life that we were created to live from the very beginning, and that sin is the deviation from that model.

The second point to consider is that we are not living the lives that we were created to live. In Romans chapter 1, verses 18-20, Paul says of all humans:

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

This indicates that we all have an instinctive knowledge of the divine, and if we have an instinctive knowledge of the divine, then we must in some way be responsible for our actions or reactions thereupon. Further in Romans, chapter three verse twenty-three, Paul says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” giving way to the concept that we were made for a higher standard than we are currently living. Such is this that to be able to “fall short” of something, we must be working toward a goal – perhaps a goal of holiness and perfection? “Therefore you are to be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” So we can and should be living to a standard that we are not achieving, and that most of the world is unaware exists.

Finally, if we as Christians are aware of this model presented, of a life that we can achieve where our actions become “natural” in that they are sin-free, then how can we keep this wonderful truth to ourselves? Christ came to earth to pay a blood-bound penalty for our deviation of the natural, and to restore to us the power to change. When He healed a sick person, He said almost consistently alongside the healing “your sins are forgiven,” proving that there is a link between physical restoration and spiritual. Healing is a type of restoration that returns the ill person to that of their intended condition. Forgiveness, then, must follow the same path – forgiveness is to restore a person to the life that they were created to live.

As missionaries, our goal is to begin an expression of restoration among the nations. We are to be working to restore not only their physical condition (that of healing), but also their spiritual (that of forgiveness). Of course, a love for these people will naturally flow through us as we work, but this whole new perspective changes the undercurrent that will mark our behavior. We are not going out into the world to change who these people fundamentally are to something that is fundamentally different: we are going to restore them to their rightful status in God’s eyes. So many youth in the world crave a “revolution,” but what is that besides restoration? Without being raised up to who we are supposed to be by definition of being human, there is no chance for a change in the outlying world.

“Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Tribe”

Can you guess which culture the Nacirema Tribe represents?

http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/gerstg/Naciremapg3.htm

Where have we gone wrong?

Blame Justin Beiber, Twitter, and texting all you want, but whatever the reason, the current generation of high school student ages 15-19 do not have their facts straight. Worse yet, the facts they do not know are not esoteric, they are about simple events in our nation’s own history. Try not to cringe or punch your own computer screen out of frustration as you watch this hilarious, and embarrassing, video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2fHQ9eULzk

The Case of the Copy Cats

What would you do if you realized that someone copied information verbatim from the organization’s blog your public relations firm is representing? PRmoment.com calls these writers “churnalists.” It is also simple plagiarism, and it is considered illegal. Journalists and PR professionals toe-the-line when they are not careful about including attributes or coming up with fresh ideas. It also puts the reputation of a PR firm at risk if content from their organization is parroted by someone else. It makes publics wonder who really has authority in the media.

Content scraping can be unfortunate and cause some damage. However, with proper PR work, it can also result in reward, according to Angela England on Blogging Basics 101, an informational blog for those working in digital media.

“My initial knee-jerk reaction is usually, ‘How dare they!?’ but this is rarely a useful response,” said England.

She suggests keeping calm when making contact with whomever stole the contact and working out a way for the author of the original post to receive payment for their work by charging who took the content a reprint free if it is not removed by a certain date.

“This not only creates a potential win/win situation, but also makes it very clear that your [organization’s] words have VALUE and aren’t up for grabs,” said England.

However, if this creates more conflict or ends with no results, and your organization’s content still up, you should consider filing a DMCA complaint. This notifies Google and other web hosts of copyright infringement.

You should remain calm and try to keep the situation between your firm, the organization, and whoever copied the content. Avoid posting threats or expressing agitation on social media sites, despite the injustice.

Weighty Issues

What if there were multiple websites that promoted suicide that were accessed by hundreds of adolescents each day? Should they be banned in schools? Should there be some kind of government legislation over such sites? Many young women feel this way about pro-ana and “thinspiration” websites, undergrounds that promote anorexia and bulimia nervosa as lifestyle choices rather than psychological disorders.

These websites offer tips on keeping disordered behaviors a secret as well as photographs of women and men who are unrealistically underweight as “encouragement” to maintain an unhealthy diet regimen. These photos bear captions such as “If they can do it, why can’t you do it?”

“It makes the girl in my mirror look that much more disgusting in comparison,” said Olivia*, who is in recovery for anorexia. “It made me need to keep going.”

As shocking as it may sound, pro-ana websites often downplay the mental and health issues attached to eating disorders and make them out to be somewhat of a diet plan.

“These sites tend to make light of eating disorders and ignore the fact that they are actually very serious, thus the prevalence of eating disorders is perpetuated,” said Maisie*, a former user of pro-ana and thinspiration websites.

Many of the sites are set up as social networks similar to Facebook in which each user creates a profile. Information that users post include current height and weight, goal weight, and “thinspiration,” photos, song lyrics, and personal manifestations such as “starving hurts but hunger works,” and “nothing tastes as good as thin feels” to encourage users to continue on a path of extreme weight loss.

Other sites play videos, constant montages of skeletal women, including celebrities and models, set to an ironically chipper soundtrack. The women are often faceless, and common shots include  the low waistline of blue jeans and protruding hipbones or a shot of a stick-legged girl in shorts with the notorious “thigh gap” that many viewers aspire to have.

“Like ballet and some forms of modern dance, thinspiration puts a premium on both agony and lightness,” said Virginia Heffernan in the New York Times. “It also carries a fierce ethic of self-sacrifice.”

Many who have seen these sites view them as both a health threat and a complete moral and ethical outrage.

In 2008, French legislators approved a law against web sites promoting anorexic or bulimic behaviors, which is impressive for a capital of high fashion. However, many have doubts that such a law would work in the United States.

“I definitely think there should be some kind of legislation over these sites, although it would be difficult to do much because of the First Amendment,” said Maisie. “Maybe pro-ana and similar sites could be required to include some kind of warning about the dangers of the site’s advice to health—the same idea as the warnings on cigarettes and alcohol bottles.”

Many pro-ana websites use the guise of being an online eating disorder support system for those trying to recover, and their operators argue in defense of that claim.

“We are here as a live-and-let-live community where people do not seek to judge, but seek to understand,” said James Watson, founder of the website Prettythin.com, in a letter in 2010. “PrettyThin is not pro- eating disorders; it is pro individual. We support those who have an eating disorder and wish to live lives without being treated like freaks.” He also said in his letter that he does not believe that eating disorders should be treated as a mental illness, although many health professionals would argue that that is exactly what they are.

Like most sites of this genre, posts on Prettythin personify eating disorders and give them names, the most common being “Ana” for anorexia and “Mia” for bulimia.

“It definitely is abnormal behavior; it is a sickness,” said Kara Caricato, who struggled with anorexia and bulimia for about 15 years. She is one of many that believes these sites are like a suicide aid. “That is basically what you are doing to your body, slowly killing yourself,” she said.

Both founders and those in opposition to these sites agree that they serve as a safe haven and familiar place to turn for both anorexics and bulimics, no matter how unhealthy that is. But some pro-ana sites take it to extremes.

One such example is the subgenre known as “bone thinspiration,” whose ideals represented are so severely emaciated that they look like they could be corpses. They go by names such as “Clavicle Envy” and “Skeleton Stories.” Other sites represent anorexia as a religious belief, set with a list of commandments and prayers.

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) recognizes February as National Eating Disorder Awareness Month and will be hosting an awareness walk in Tampa, Florida, February 25^th.  NEDA also hosts the year-long Media Watchdog program, in which those who are anti-pro-ana can write letters of protest to the sites as well as to magazines and television networks.

While eating disorders do not discriminate, the target audience for pro-ana websites is middle class Caucasian women between the ages of 15 and 24. According to NEDA, eating disorders are most prevalent in female middle class college students.

Historically, college campuses have protected students from potentially harmful sites such as Juicy Campus. Should pro-ana sites join the banned list?

“At private schools, where there are a different set of standards, I think pro-ana sites should be blocked to protect students from this influence, at least while they’re on campus,” said Maisie.

Mental health professional Laura Praschan agrees that these sites should be blocked from most university campuses. Until then, she advises that those prone to emotional triggers should avoid pro-ana and similar websites.

“Even sites claiming to be a community for those in recovery can be dangerous grounds,” said Praschan.

For more information on the impacts of these sites or participating in any NEDA events, visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

*Interviewee did not wish to reveal last name.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We the Media

I found myself huddled by a scaffolding at the back of the pavilion at Dolphin Aviation in Sarasota this past Tuesday at the rally for Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. He was making a stop on his Tour de Speeches and was expected in Fort Myers in another couple hours, and he was already late for this rally. I was shadowing at the local news channel and rubbing elbows with other journalists and reporters at the press pit. I had my Nikon poised and ready and was chit-chatting to my host news correspondent and exchanging glances and smiles with another young intern with a camera from NBC. We stood politely and slightly aloof. When Gingrich fianlly stepped out of his bus, our eyes focused on the crowd rather than the potential President. When he spoke, we did not cheer nor boo nor applaud. Many of us bit our lower lip in restraint.

The button of the mouth of the camera operator in front of me came undone about 15 minutes into the speech, not long after posters about ignoring the liberal media began to be passed around. My host warned me to be careful, to never share an opinion or debate and to be cautious of what I took from others.

Of course, we all bear our own political opinions. When I entered with my host and our clipboards, many mistook us to be a part of the campaign staff. But being a journalist at a political event does not make you much less of a target. One man shoved a camera in my face asking me a question about Obama that I could not understand much because he muttered, and me and my host both turned our backs. He persisted, asking why I was unprepared to answer such a question.

“I am not unprepared, but would prefer staying neutral,” I said, trying hard to be diplomatic.

My host was more blunt.

“Leave her alone, she is underage,” she said. She had also mentioned that she could have killed the man testing the mics while she was taping pre-speech interviews.

Politics is a circus of media and events and good PR, as they stalled for the arrival of Gengrich, as reporters with recording devices hounded the press secretary. However, not much is different from the media. There is a lot of networking and PR attached with being a journalist, especially on an assignment such as this.

The main things I learned by owrking a few times in the field are to never discount anyone as a potential back up interview, no matter how obnoxious over gaining your attention they may be, to never fight back to strongly, and, as seen on the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, to never “go viral.”

My host also recommended bringing backup powder, blush, and Friz-Ease to events and o yes, to never go viral.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Grammar mistakes that smart people make

Image Credits: "Business" by oki975

The English language is complex and mysterious, even for those who have never learned any other language. Word choice is the nugget of grammar that trips people up the most. Even refined writers sometimes find themselves reaching for a dictionary when it comes to certain rhetorical devices. Here is a list from Grammar Girl that may surprise you as much as it did me.

1. Blond vs Blonde 

The word can be used as a noun or adjective,  but how do we know when to put the “e” at the end? According to Mignon Fogarty, the woman behind Grammar Girl, the “e” is only used when using the word to describe a female. So, “the blond over there” would indicate a male, but “the blonde” would indicate a female.

“It looks as if the marketing people believe we will love their new roast if we think of it as a woman,” said Fogarty of the Blonde Roast.

2. Flout vs Flaunt

The words may sound the same, but their meanings are not. To flaunt means to parade or show off. You can flaunt your possessionsm your looks, or your new promotion.

To flout is to scoff or mock. You can flout or aunt’s weird hat, someone’s idea, or rules and laws.

“Remember that you flout laws by linking the “out” in “flout” with the idea of being outside society,” said Fogarty.

3. Backward vs Backwards 

As in the towards and toward conundrum, “backwards” is the British standard and “backward” is the American standard. However, there is one exception. When using backward as an adjective instead of an adverb, you never use the “s.”

For residents of the U.S., just remember that it is always without the “s.”

“We like shortcuts here, such as eating dinner in our cars, so you can remember that we’ve lopped off the ‘s,'” said Fogarty.

Blog Comments 2

Comment #1- Commentary. On “Comments Everywhere” by Elizabeth Telg 

I found your sources for this post to be incredibly helpful, and interesting! Writing comments can seem daunting to those who are just starting out in the blogosphere. I liked what you said about not trying to change the writer’s view and pointing out the difference in being assertive and being just offensive.

Comment #2- The Cure of the Common Creative Writer. On “Top 5 Ways to Get Over Writer’s Block” by Peri Kinder 

This was both entertaining and enlightening.  I have found both the pity party and the artistic creations to be particularly helpful. It is nice to take a break from writing, plop down somewhere else, and say “You know what, I am not the greatest at this! I need a holiday! *Scream*” instead of usual positive and perky affirmations. Yoga, which I guess would fall under the exercise category, and playing the piano are also great help. I enjoyed your mix of truth and humor.

Comment #3- File Under “Chic Geek.” On “Top 10 Things I’ve Leanred from Living with a Nerd” by Pam.

These seem so simple, even for a low tech, roommate reliant, last decade girl like me. But aha, light bulb! I have never thought of some of these simple and painless solutions to everyday life at a job that has me typing at a compute all day. Your findings mean less calling IT, more superhero moments for everyone! Thank you, fashion trends and shows like Big Bang Theory and Chuck for making nerds mainstream to inform the rest of us, and thank God and online tools that learning the tricks of the trade to become a nerd yourself can be simple.

Comment #4- “My Fair Ladies.” On Vanity Fair…Not so Fair… by Molly Dodd 

The magazine should have the right to place their models however and wherever they want. To be included in the cover should be considered an honor, and there appears to be no segregation or racism on Vanity Fair’s behalf. The cover represents a wide variety of talent. It seems like they are going for a diversity in the type of actresses (action to teen drama) more so than a diversity in literal skin color.

Comment #5- “You got the look” in response to “Appearances can be…scary” by Melanie Shoults

I think this was definitely worth pointing out. Women can have some flexibility when it comes to make-up in the workplace, but it should always be fairly minimal. I have seen both co-workers and costumers at my job at the beauty department of a store come in way too overdone, and it is hard to notice anything else! The same applies for an overly done fake tan. I think that makeup should be kept simple because too much makeup demands too much attention, and no one wants to be perceived that way. Whether true or not, too much makeup can send signals that a person spends too much time promoting themselves. It also shows poor judgment, as heavy makeup is also associated with nightwear.

Comment #6- “The Light. the Sound ” in response to SEU Public Relations Alumni Making a Big Impact in Little Haiti by Daniel Barcelo.

This was incredibly moving. It shows how when one of our senses is gone, the others are there to compensate and lift us up. It shows that sometimes those who are impaired are not as “handicapped” as we may think. This was the story of a strong family, and a very brave young lady o uproot and move to a third world country. It shows just how powerful the human spirit can be.

Comment #7- “Good points to shoot” in response to Work What You Have: Finding New Perspective on the Usual by Jillian Reid

I have taken several courses of photography and am the proud owner of a digital slr myself, but as you pointed out, you do not need to drop loads of money on a camera or corresponding lenses to get a few nice shots. Your advice, such as shooting a portrait from a ladder and not not shooting a subject from a straight angle, is simple, yet not obvious for most beginner photographers. This concise piece is a perfect summary of a first photography lesson for someone looking to go out and capture some good, higher-grade shots.

Comment #8: “No Time to be Brief” on “Slowing Down to Save Time” by Andreas Kluth

I agree that it takes so much more time and thought to write something concise than it does something that drones on with no real flow. It is such a common problem, yet I have never heard anyone describe it so ironically before! I love the quote at the beginning; i fell that way all the time.

Comment #9: “To pin or not to pin” on “Pinterest is killing you softly with its song” by never contrary 

Pinterest is definitely addicting! While I do not have an account, I use Pinterest to save pictures that I find either pretty or inspiring, with the realization that many things are unattainable. I found your comment about dessert humorous; it definitely puts pressure on everyone to make a Martha Stewart level treat at their next party. With everyone surfing Pinterest, a plain jane cake might fall flat. As for those houses, everyone dreams of being a millionaire, Pinterest or no Pinterest. The health and fitness pages also provide unrealistic ideals, but so do most weight loss blogs and magazines. I have thought about the copyright as well, but I believe all things pinned link back to the original website. This post was clever because it points out the futility in something that we can’t help but carry on with anyway!

Comment #10- “Jugding a book by its author,” in response to “The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie” by the biblio files.

I am a fan of House, but I did not realize that Laurie was an author. I agree that the author’s name alone can sell a book, especially because of Laurie’s fandom from House. Like you said, many might not even pick it off the shelf if not for the authors name. This book was average, yet you, and thousands of other fans, including myself, would be willing to read another book penned by the actor in addition to books by other actors that you like.Many celebrities write books not only to dapple in a new art form but also because they know their name will sell more than the story. In other words, there is judging a book by its cover, and then there is judging a book by its author, and it works in the publishing world.

Comment #11- “Piecing with Pics” on “Infographics…I dig it” by Jillian J Reid

Infographics are in themselves and art form. From mastering the complex yoga and Pilates moves above to properly using a hair styling product to understanding the evolution of a new media group a la photographs, charts, and ye olde pie chart, they are not just for business meetings or sporting statistics anymore. And I definitely dig them, too!

Comment #12- Video killed the radio star on “Cancelled TV Shows That Broke my Heart” by Sara, Sories and Sweet Potatoes

This post shows how much shows inspire us. There is noothing like settling in front of one of your favorite programs after a rough day. So when a show gets cancelled, and can definitely throw off your schedule. It is a bit like finishing a great book, and a little bit like losing touch with a friend. They were faithfully there for you for so many nights, and now they are gone. And their diappearance leaves you wondering what could have been.

Comment #13- “They clicked” on “The Ten Commandments of Online Dating” by Sorry I Am not Sorry.

Your advice is smart, nd it shows the risks we take living in a digital age, such as easily offering up too much personal information. Liteally anyone can make online portfilios and dating profiles, and it is very true that many do not post clear photos. In many cases of photo alterations, innocents participatants of online dating feel they are being lied to. And even more dangerous, many may have a secret agenda. Your advicce for being able to duck out of certain situations is clever and very helpful to young online dating users as well as older users not as familiar with the tecnology. Your aticle was very important since so many people have profiles for online dating now.

Comment #14- “Petroleum Pain” on “LA Gasoline Anxiety” by Cathy Flynn

Very interesting, entertaining, and informative piece. I am in Israel currently, which has some of the highest gas prices in the world, so I am defintely feeling your petroleum pain. I don’t have kids to worry about yet, but I know that when that comes I will definitely need to be more purposeful in my driving, like you are. I am from Florida, where you pretty much have to drive everywhere because of the generally lack of public transportation and because everything is so spread out. It is interesting to hear a story about the effects of gas prices from a telecommuter. It shows how it impacts even those who do not have to drive to work and puts the issue in a new perspective. Thanks for the read!

Comment #15- “Travelling minimally” on “The art of the overnight backpacking trip” by nzthroughphotos.

I really enjoyed reading this as I just returned from a trip to Israel which involved an overnight trip to a Bedouin camp (camels included). It is really great that you not only had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand, but to also do so minimally. I think the backpack experience makes any trip that much better. Thanks for the read.

How REMARKable

Go ahead! Let your voice be heard! Image credits: Mouth by juliaf

Comments are an important part of blogging because they allow conversations to take place between readers and writers. Readers can offer suggestions and opinions in a blog comment. However, blog comments also have a reputation of being somewhat useless tidbits. In the Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks comedy Larry Crowne, an exasperated Roberts said to her blogger husband, “You did not post a new story today! It was a comment! You posted a comment! As in, ‘you’re lame!'” Although just part of the whole blogging picture, commenting can be very important, but it must also be well executed.

“[Efficient] means working smart (rather than hard), getting more done in less in less time, and making things easy to handle,” said Jane Sheeba, author of Problogger Success and guest writer for problogger.net So, much to the relief of many tentative bloggers, a good comment does not necessarily mean it is of novel proportions. Plus, too large of a comment may seem spammy. On the flip side of the coin, make sure your comment is long enough to properly contribute to the conversation. Unfortunately, “totally!” and “you rule!” do not make the grade.

Before you can even post a comment, you of course have to find a blog to comment on. Sounds time consuming? Sheeba has a method to save time.

“Reading a blog through[RSS] feeds is less distracting, even if I have email notifiers turned on,”said Sheeba.  I read the post in my RSS reader, and click through to the article online only if I want to leave a comment. That saves me loads of time!”

Sheeba also recommends promoting your own content via Twitter.

“Number one, you have to read the post,” said Chris Pirillo of chrispirillo.com in his youtube video how to leave good blog comments. It may seem obvious, but if you think back to high school, we all turned in book reports that were products of skimming over the material, but because of the concies nature of blogs, this method will not produce a firm enough understanding of the post you are commenting on.

“Also, add something new to the post. Don’t just say ‘I agree,'” says Pirillo. Ask yourself “Why do I agree?” Extend on a certain point in the blog you found especially enlightening. Pirillo mentioned in satire that adding personal commentary or anecdotes with your critiques to put a personality and character behind yourself as a random commentor.

Also, don’t forget to spell check and proofread! Nothing destroys your credibility as a blogger than a simple grammatical error. It also distracts from the points you are trying to make when you leave a glaring error. No one will notice if you spell a tricky word like “accommodations” or “colloquialism” or embarrassed” correctly, but they certainly will notice when you spell something incorrectly.

The last piece of advice is to browse through other comments before leaving your original.  This makes sure that you do not repeat a point that has already been said.

“The first commenter who makes the Lady Gaga comparison is savvy. The tenth person who does it is annoying,” said author Nathan Bransford in his blog.

Reviewing what other people have said for ideas and inspirations will actually help you cultivate a comment that is more fresh.