Help Wanted
December 14, 2009 | Uncategorized | Ckemtp | 23 Comments

Hey, readers: Can you lend me a hand?

I’m very much interested in getting feedback on how I can make this a better blog, website, or whatever it is. I really enjoy writing this stuff and improving our profession, and I can’t really do that if I’m not keeping you all happy.

So I’m asking everyone: What can I do to improve this site? You can reply here on the comment section, e-mail me at Proems1@yahoo.com or twitter me Http://www.twitter.com/ckemtp

Here’s what I’m thinking:

  • I should improve the navigation and make old posts and topics easier to find.
  • I could include more multimedia in my posts
  • I should make searching for topics I’ve written about easier
  • I should ask you all what you want to read about and write more of that

Anything you’d like to see?What do you think I should do?

  • theroaddoctor

    One of the things that I love on blogs, and that I don't see much or here at Fire/EMS blogs, is a link to the previous post, and a link to the next post while on a current post.

    Makes it really easy to read from the beginning for new followers, or catching up if you fall behind. For an example, check out http://www.fatcyclist.com

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    That's a great idea! I'll work on adding that right now.

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    Chris, I believe there is a plugin available for the link to the next post.

    Fire Daily uses it…look at the bottom of this post and you can see a link going both ways to the newer and older posts.http://firedaily.com/2009/12/lodd-fire-chief-jimmy-lee-davis-sr-63-white-oak-volunteer-fire-dept-maysville-nc/

    As for making the blog better…you asked so I will tell. These are personal aesthetic preferences. You don't have to do it, I am just sayin…

    1. Go with a theme that only has one sidbar. This will widen your post area. Everything on the right sidebar can fit on the left.
    2. Make your banner logo not so tall.

    Other than that. I enjoy your writing. I love sarcasm…more more more.

    Keep up the great work.

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Hmmm, interesting thought about the one sidebar. I'll look into doing that tonight.

    My banner was designed by the One and Only Justin Schorr of Happy Medic fame. Perhaps if he's got time he can look at it.

    Any tips on how I can get more reader engagement in the writing?

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    more engagement with the readers….

    Unfortunately, I have not found the perfect recipe for that. I don't always do it, but if you write about your readers and about experiences they might have had while asking questions about what they would have done you will get comments. I am not saying you don't, just leave that open end in the post so they feel compelled to leave a comment.

  • Tammy_K

    My suggest would be to spruce up the background. White is boring as well as hard to read. I find myself with wandering eyes when the background blends into the words.

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    I try to ask questions, I'm just not good with endings. I tend to ramble… a lot. Sometimes I just write and write and keep going on a thought even though I think that the thought should end and my fingers keep moving on the keyboard even though the reader has lost interest long ago and I just have to keep writing because I don't know when to stop with the thought that I am writing and I end up continuing on the thought and going on and on and on like I am right now!

    I do that. I'm working on it 😉

    Change the background? I'll look into it

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    That's a great idea! I'll work on adding that right now.

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    Chris, I believe there is a plugin available for the link to the next post.

    Fire Daily uses it…look at the bottom of this post and you can see a link going both ways to the newer and older posts.http://firedaily.com/2009/12/lodd-fire-chief-jimmy-lee-davis-sr-63-white-oak-volunteer-fire-dept-maysville-nc/

    As for making the blog better…you asked so I will tell. These are personal aesthetic preferences. You don't have to do it, I am just sayin…

    1. Go with a theme that only has one sidbar. This will widen your post area. Everything on the right sidebar can fit on the left.
    2. Make your banner logo not so tall.

    Other than that. I enjoy your writing. I love sarcasm…more more more.

    Keep up the great work.

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Hmmm, interesting thought about the one sidebar. I'll look into doing that tonight.

    My banner was designed by the One and Only Justin Schorr of Happy Medic fame. Perhaps if he's got time he can look at it.

    Any tips on how I can get more reader engagement in the writing?

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    more engagement with the readers….

    Unfortunately, I have not found the perfect recipe for that. I don't always do it, but if you write about your readers and about experiences they might have had while asking questions about what they would have done you will get comments. I am not saying you don't, just leave that open end in the post so they feel compelled to leave a comment.

  • Tammy_K

    My suggest would be to spruce up the background. White is boring as well as hard to read. I find myself with wandering eyes when the background blends into the words.

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    I try to ask questions, I'm just not good with endings. I tend to ramble… a lot. Sometimes I just write and write and keep going on a thought even though I think that the thought should end and my fingers keep moving on the keyboard even though the reader has lost interest long ago and I just have to keep writing because I don't know when to stop with the thought that I am writing and I end up continuing on the thought and going on and on and on like I am right now!

    I do that. I'm working on it 😉

    Change the background? I'll look into it

  • http://davidkonig.com Dave Konig

    3 really quick tips (IMHO) on increasing reader engagement:

    1) Leave 10 comments a day on other blogs who's commenting system will allow you to link back to your blog. Don't spam… spammers can be spotted a mile away.

    2) Link to other bloggers and build upon their initial thoughts or express your own opinion… then leave them a comment letting them know as much.

    3) Be both interesting and interested… meaning write interesting content and reply to all comments no matter how big or how small.

  • emschick

    If it's any help I linked two of your blog posts yesterday for a post I was writing and I was able to find them within minutes. I was surprised that the two I used (about cleaning an ambulance and ems reports) wasn't on your “featured content” tab but I found them with the labels easily enough.

  • theroaddoctor

    Shoot, if you want more interaction, I can stalk your blog like I do FC's.

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    Note to self…write post on blog about how to get comments and sit back and read the paydirt!!!

    Oh and adding multimedia certianly helps. People love clicking on images and watching videos. As a matter of fact if you can have a box of crayons and a piece of paper fly out of the computer then most of us would be content for hours!!!

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Man oh man am I bad at commenting back! Not my fault though, we got busy on the truck and then my lovely wife wanted to go shopping. I tweeted the whole thing…

    Anyways,

    EMSChick: I gotta fix my tabs. I'll work on that tomorrow. I really should link that ambulance cleaning stuff on there. Even though it is *uber* EMS geekery. Thanks so much for the links!

    TheRoadDoctor: G'head. Stalk me 😉 I can take it. Just expect that I'm stalking back.

    FireCritic: This is awesome, isn't it? I'm honored to have any readers at all, but when they tell me what they want then I'm really darn happy about it. This is great! I'll work on the crayon thing, and Happy's Facebook suggestion for “More Bikini's”

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Man oh man am I bad at commenting back! Not my fault though, we got busy on the truck and then my lovely wife wanted to go shopping. I tweeted the whole thing…

    Anyways,

    EMSChick: I gotta fix my tabs. I'll work on that tomorrow. I really should link that ambulance cleaning stuff on there. Even though it is *uber* EMS geekery. Thanks so much for the links!

    TheRoadDoctor: G'head. Stalk me 😉 I can take it. Just expect that I'm stalking back.

    FireCritic: This is awesome, isn't it? I'm honored to have any readers at all, but when they tell me what they want then I'm really darn happy about it. This is great! I'll work on the crayon thing, and Happy's Facebook suggestion for “More Bikini's”

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Man oh man am I bad at commenting back! Not my fault though, we got busy on the truck and then my lovely wife wanted to go shopping. I tweeted the whole thing…

    Anyways,

    EMSChick: I gotta fix my tabs. I'll work on that tomorrow. I really should link that ambulance cleaning stuff on there. Even though it is *uber* EMS geekery. Thanks so much for the links!

    TheRoadDoctor: G'head. Stalk me 😉 I can take it. Just expect that I'm stalking back.

    FireCritic: This is awesome, isn't it? I'm honored to have any readers at all, but when they tell me what they want then I'm really darn happy about it. This is great! I'll work on the crayon thing, and Happy's Facebook suggestion for “More Bikini's”

  • theroaddoctor

    Shoot, if you want more interaction, I can stalk your blog like I do FC's.

  • http://firecritic.com Fire Critic

    Note to self…write post on blog about how to get comments and sit back and read the paydirt!!!

    Oh and adding multimedia certianly helps. People love clicking on images and watching videos. As a matter of fact if you can have a box of crayons and a piece of paper fly out of the computer then most of us would be content for hours!!!

  • http://www.lifeunderthelights.com Ckemtp

    Man oh man am I bad at commenting back! Not my fault though, we got busy on the truck and then my lovely wife wanted to go shopping. I tweeted the whole thing…

    Anyways,

    EMSChick: I gotta fix my tabs. I'll work on that tomorrow. I really should link that ambulance cleaning stuff on there. Even though it is *uber* EMS geekery. Thanks so much for the links!

    TheRoadDoctor: G'head. Stalk me 😉 I can take it. Just expect that I'm stalking back.

    FireCritic: This is awesome, isn't it? I'm honored to have any readers at all, but when they tell me what they want then I'm really darn happy about it. This is great! I'll work on the crayon thing, and Happy's Facebook suggestion for “More Bikini's”