Want to Blog Like a Pro? Hang with ‘Em

Everyone always compares the Internet right now to the heydays of the Wild West (or the Old West if you prefer). What they are really saying is that it is a frontier, and as with all frontiers, it’s a wild and wooly place with lots of scam artists, lots of small but vibrant communities, and its own set of rules, or code, to live by. The economics of it are in flux; the shape of how the land will look in 40 years is still undetermined. But the people are there, doing some crazy things, and trying their best to tame the landscape.

While much of the Wild West Internet is still tdb, the ethos of it is not. There is a clear value system that exists despite the different value systems in real life, and you are either living it, learning it, or flaunting it.

There are also living legends. Pioneers. Leaders in the community that everyone looks up to, turns to for advice on the fall crop of affilliate revenues, and wants to sit by in the Sunday forums.

I read four of the Pioneers every day without fail: Problogger. John Chow. Daily Blog Tips. Seth Godin.

There are many, many others out there, but these are the guys whose posts I find myself reading even when I have no time, even when I’m late, even when I really needed to leave ten minutes ago.

When the frontier settles down, you don’t get to interact with the legends like you do when things are still crazy and up for grabs. So take advantage of the fact that you were born in this era, and sign up for their feeds or to get their posts by email. Even if you don’t have a blog, these guys will give you valuable insights into a world that is just starting to take shape.

Tagged as: blogging advice, blogging tips, New media, recommended, the blogosphere, the internet