I read and follow blogs to sharpen my thinking, learn and grow. Check out the other reasons I read and follow blogs here. There are some things that I find annoying and try not to do for you, the community that reads my posts.
There is no one best way to blog. Different things work for different bloggers in different contexts. Never make the mistake of thinking there is one best way.
However, there are some things I feel must never be compromised when it comes to blogging (and perhaps other social media platforms). Every blog post must have integrity. This must stem from the values every blogger must embrace. By blog post integrity I mean:
integrity extends from who you are to what you do
| image by contemplativechristian | cc
Link Integrity
As part of search engine optimization (SEO), which is a means helping you organically rank higher in search engines, internal and external links are encouraged. (You can read more about SEO here).
Internal links are links to other posts etc. on your blog. And, external are other websites and blogs you link to outside of your blog. Every blogger must ensure that every link in every post works.
This is a difficult gig for old posts, especially where you link to websites or blogs that do not exist any more. However, the least you could to as a blogger is ensure that links within your blog are functional. (I might be guilty of that on my blog and I correct it as soon as I find faults)
Sending people to a link that does not work is like giving a guest in your house directions to a bathroom that doesn’t exist.
Sources
Credit sources for your illustrations and other media that you use that you did not create. I use a lot of creative commons media and do my best to credit my sources.
Most of the creative commons media I use is open for adaptation and commercial use on condition that the source is acknowledged. I even go as far as acknowledging the sources for some of the ideas I build on from other people.
Out of wanting to seem smart, some people go on to present other people’s work as their own. I find it despicable.
You do not lose credibility by acknowledging that you are not the originator, you actually gain credibility.
What must be included in blog posts for their integrity’s sake?
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