Firstly, the three blogs I commented on were:
Andrew Pregler's - http://bit.ly/rtz5QK
Zach Meagher's - http://bit.ly/tcyJLG
Sean Zervoulias' - http://bit.ly/tk7VTG
My comments are under the name "Orange Slice Sports" because that's the name of my blog and the account I used to comment.
So, throughout this 8 week process, I've learned a few things about my project. The first thing is that social media is a lot more valuable than I thought. In today's world, people are constantly checking their Facebook and Twitter accounts. It's so easy to flip open your smart phone and check out your timeline. If I use social media to frequently infuse my content into timelines, then I'll get a lot more hits. I used both Facebook and Twitter but I think I under-utilized them.
Also, I really need to identify my target audience. I've sort of realized that my product is for student at Syracuse University. So why don't I advertise my site to those students? QR Codes have really got me thinking. I think I need to get on top of a poster design and include a QR Code for students to scan, bringing them directly to my site. It's another aspect of advertising that I have been completely under-utilizing.
What this project really did for me is reinvigorate me. Honestly, the flame for my site was kind of starting to die. But this project really re-lit the fire because it gave me all kinds of new ideas about ways I can improve and develop my product. Next time the flame starts to die out, I'll brainstorm some new ideas and implement them as soon as possible.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Week 7: Networks
I'm not sure how much this relates to my topic, but the idea of networks is very cool. I really enjoyed lab, watching packages travel through different countries or states to reach a certain destination. Right now, through blogger, my site's IP addresses and all of that is managed by them, but someday I can see myself having to deal with all that stuff.
I currently have a domain for my site. www.orangeslicesports.com. And that IP address is being leased out to me for one year. I am paying $10 for that domain name. It was interesting to find out in class that the domain name was really just an alias for an IP address. I plan on renewing the IP address at the end of this year.
I currently have a domain for my site. www.orangeslicesports.com. And that IP address is being leased out to me for one year. I am paying $10 for that domain name. It was interesting to find out in class that the domain name was really just an alias for an IP address. I plan on renewing the IP address at the end of this year.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Week 6: Digital Color
Digital color is something i've already had to deal with multiple times while dabbling in the processes of web design. It's something i've dealt with, however i've never fully understood it. So this week's lecture was awesome to help me understand what I was dealing with.
When I first started designing aspects of my site, I used Photoshop. I'd spend a long time creating something and when I was done, I'd finally import it into the site. It would come out looking really weird, the colors weren't right at all. I was doing something wrong and I had no idea what. Finally, I discovered this little check box on the color wheel in Photoshop that said something like, Web-Safe Colors Only. Clicking that gave me a selection of RGB colors that would look good on my website.
Another problem I ran into was printing. I wanted to print certain designs I was using and bring them to some other people I was designing the site with. I'd print them out and they'd look absolutely nothing like they did online. Little did I know that RGB and CMYK colors were completely different and it didn't translate over to my printer.
When choosing colors in Photoshop, the six digit code we talked about in class was always there but I never knew what it meant. Now, when I design, I can change those numbers based on the colors I want to use and alter them slightly. I've never been able to find an Orange similar enough to one that I want. Maybe now I can find one.
When I first started designing aspects of my site, I used Photoshop. I'd spend a long time creating something and when I was done, I'd finally import it into the site. It would come out looking really weird, the colors weren't right at all. I was doing something wrong and I had no idea what. Finally, I discovered this little check box on the color wheel in Photoshop that said something like, Web-Safe Colors Only. Clicking that gave me a selection of RGB colors that would look good on my website.
Another problem I ran into was printing. I wanted to print certain designs I was using and bring them to some other people I was designing the site with. I'd print them out and they'd look absolutely nothing like they did online. Little did I know that RGB and CMYK colors were completely different and it didn't translate over to my printer.
When choosing colors in Photoshop, the six digit code we talked about in class was always there but I never knew what it meant. Now, when I design, I can change those numbers based on the colors I want to use and alter them slightly. I've never been able to find an Orange similar enough to one that I want. Maybe now I can find one.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Week 5: A Blog Like Mine
I'm using this week as an opportunity to write about another blog since we only had one lecture because of the test. I'm going to write about the blog that is probably the most popular among Syracuse University fans. That blog is Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician. The blog is popular for many different reasons. Firstly, because it was really the first of its kind. Sean Keeley, the creator, started the blog before blogging was the thing to do. It was back at a time when blogging was just getting big. So being the first is definitely an advantage. Another reason it's so popular in my opinion is because of its name. It's provocative, and it makes people wonder, "what is this blog all about?"
Nunes Magician, as the site is often called, seems like it does everything better than any other site. It's funnier, looks better aesthetically and covers some great content. But it has also had the most time to develop these ideas. One thing I like the most about the site is it's Daily Links posts. It covers other local blogs and other content. I like that because Keeley doesn't really compete with other blogs, he tries to help them out. It's not about being the best for him, it's just about delivering good content to his viewers.
The thing I like most about his site is the voice he has developed. It's unique. He does have other writers but he told me that he only selects writers with a voice that he finds acceptable for his blog and I think this is what REALLY differentiates him from the other SU sports blogs. That is my biggest problem. I have yet to really develop a voice. I have a few people on my staff writing and they don't really have similar voices and that is something I really need to take a look at and think about.
Nunes Magician, as the site is often called, seems like it does everything better than any other site. It's funnier, looks better aesthetically and covers some great content. But it has also had the most time to develop these ideas. One thing I like the most about the site is it's Daily Links posts. It covers other local blogs and other content. I like that because Keeley doesn't really compete with other blogs, he tries to help them out. It's not about being the best for him, it's just about delivering good content to his viewers.
The thing I like most about his site is the voice he has developed. It's unique. He does have other writers but he told me that he only selects writers with a voice that he finds acceptable for his blog and I think this is what REALLY differentiates him from the other SU sports blogs. That is my biggest problem. I have yet to really develop a voice. I have a few people on my staff writing and they don't really have similar voices and that is something I really need to take a look at and think about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)