Final Thoughts on 2010

(UPDATED: December 2, 2011)

My blog has never had so much support and fanfare and attention. Let me share with you my thoughts on 2010 for John's Blog Space. This involves things like salutes and respect to all of my loyal readers and fans. This is a chance for me to share my mind with all of you on my blog. This blog post is my final post of 2010.

--- Thoughts on 2010 for "John's Blog Space" ---

Each heading indicates certain ideas I think about for my blog this year.

Keeping Track.

--- FEEDJIT ---
I tried out a number of things to keep track of my audience while also thinking of new ways to push my content. I've used FEEDJIT to see my international readers. I am someone who believes that ANYTHING posted online is seen by the world. Because of this, I want to make something for international audiences to enjoy. Why do I do this? I want to know that my work is viewed worldwide. It isn't stalking or anything- I just want to feel happy knowing that people around the world are viewing my content. All of my content is mostly my own with some pictures from around the Internet.

A good thing about FEEDJIT is that I learn how people accessed my blog. Some people make searches and find John's Blog Space. I sometimes read these search results because sometimes, it helps me to edit my blog to better service my readers. I may need to make some important edits to keep my material fresh and understandable based on search results I get. If I don't do this, then my blog goes flat. My goal is to appease to you with my content. I have to keep everything going strong to continually keep my blog strong. I want you to keep coming back to my blog to enjoy my content.

A good sign of FEEDJIT is when I find that people visit my blog through Email subscriptions. This makes me feel happy because people are actually subscribed to my blog via Email and are getting the latest note on my latest blog posts. It may also apply to people who share my blog posts via Email. Regardless, I'm glad you all are sharing my blog posts. I've worked really hard to make my blog relevant and enjoyable.

--- MyBlogLog ---
I check my views and readers on MyBlogLog to see how I did from the previous day. The fear was that MyBlogLog was shutting down, but it's still on. The only service that went away that I used was Bloglines. Each night at 12:00 Pacific Time (2:00 AM in Central Time), I check on my recorded material from the previous day to see who all visited and for what. This gives a baseline for what all I've worked on and what all I have worked for.

--- DISQUS ---
I then installed DISQUS to better police comments to my blog. This resulted in a decrease in spam and any personal attacks. I even got more involvement from my readers as a result. You could respond with DISQUS with any sort of social media services. The one thing that pains me, though, is that I wished I could get just a little more involvement for many of my blog posts.

--- wibiya ---
More recently, I installed a wibiya toolbar to enhance the overall viewability of my content. I noted my content became a bit more evenly distributed. I even picked up some Twitter comments for my work.


The moral of this section? NEVER stop trying to find ways to push your content! Look for anything to help push your blog further. Don't be content with what you have; press forward like you're still trying to become relevant!

Attention and Involvement.

You never know who actually visits your blog and appreciates your content. Let me share with you a brief look at some of the people who visited my blog and commented.

• I blogged about the Aquila CR1 Sports GT. One person from Aquila saw my material and commented a LOT more on it. I learned a lot more about the CR1 Sports GT.

• My blog posts "Plus Size Fashion" and "Sweet Petite!" seemed to get me noticed and some attention. I noted how a model named Shay Shaunte' was beautiful and attractive as a plus size model. The point of "Plus Size Fashion" was to discuss plus size fashion. The attention I got for my work was wonderful. I even got to meet a beautiful young lady from Ireland who has a blog called "Pearls, Lace and Ruffles : a fatshion blog" via Twitter. On the petite fashion front, TJ Petite linked to my "Sweet Petite!" blog post and even followed me on Twitter. It was great to know a company admired my work to where I got attention.

• My blog entry called "Androgyny in Fashion and Art" was fully inspired by a very handsome male model named David Paris. In total surprise, I never thought David Paris himself would comment on my work. I guess what I shown was change perceptions. The Australian (and half-Swedish) male beauty was mostly pleased that someone on the Internet would post such kind words about someone. The perception I might have changed is that there aren't average people on the Internet that don't do anything but post hateful material about others. I am a straight male, but I complimented David Paris as having genderless beauty. He is very beautiful and handsome and boasts divine beauty. As the blog became more popular, I started adding more androgynous models to spice things up. Maybe the most popular one of the ones I posted is Nagel Lanväettir. Nagel is such an androgynous beauty that his looks and body would make even some girls jealous of his lovely looks.

• When Tom Penders resigned as coach of the University of Houston's men's basketball team, I never thought I would receive a comment from a very respectful person who had spirited commentary on the athletics situation at the University of Houston. It really added some credibility to my blog post.

• Perhaps one of the largest surprises was when I blogged about the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain when I got a tweet from the Ricardo Tormo Circuit's Twitter feed complimented my work. I followed Ricardo Tormo Circuit's Twitter feed in return.

• A young lady saw my blog on braided/plaited hair and wanted to start her own online resource on braided/plaited hair. It was a sign that someone appreciated my work to where she came along with her own deal catering to these hairstyles. That store is called 3Trends Beauty.

• My blog post on the duPONT Registry was well-liked and resepcted by the duPONT Registry that I got some kind comments from them as well as some Twitter re-tweets of my blog post.

• Maybe the biggest and most heartwarming deal was when a man from the Philippines admired my work so much that he was looking for ways to get his blog more attention and involvement. As a friend, I wanted his blog to flourish and prosper. I talked about it and all. Sadly, there was some malware on the site, and I've been unable to access it since. Still... if you're out there, Warren, I wish you the best in all aspects of life.

The biggest thing to take away from all of this is... you never know who actually views your work! You may think people are just dropping by and leaving without offering anything in return, but that's not true. Some people really enjoy quality work. I offer my own commentary on almost anything that crosses my mind and get noticed. I have a professional mindset and vision for my blog, but I am casually professional in my work. To EVERYONE whom have visited my blog and commented- whether an average person or someone even remotely famous, THANK YOU for your support and your commentary! That even includes family members of mine whom have taken note of my blogging work.

Pleasant Surprises.

You know, I try to do this blog with professionalism while also having a hobby-like aspect to it. This is where I get to experience certain things that end up being unexpected surprises. Allow me to share some of my pleasant surprises in blogging from this year.

One of the biggest pleasant surprises was seeing how my blog has evolved over time. I would struggle to get to 100 daily views for John's Blog Space earlier this year via MyBlogLog. Nowadays, I get at least 500 daily blog views from MyBlogLog's stats. MyBlogLog reports anywhere between 500-1000 daily views on my best days. Blogger's own stats, however, say my blog usually gets between 2,900 to 3,900 blog hits daily now. I rarely surpass the 4,000 mark often times.

Another pleasant surprise is just how many males have visited my blog post on men's ankle boots. I never thought I would generate so much attention for discussing men's ankle boots. I don't usually discuss men's fashion because I'm mostly into feminine fashion and more comfortable discussing feminine fashion. Still, it's great to get some attention however you can.

By far, the BIGGEST pleasant surprise 2010 was when my blog post on my first impressions of the kiosk demo of Gran Turismo 5. For one time in my life, I felt like my work was relevant. I thanked Jordan (GTPlanet.net owner and administrator) for his great work and for linking to my blog. What that experience showed was two things- (1) the strength of Gran Turismo around the world, and (2) the strength of GTPlanet. Other websites even linked to my blog post on the GT5 kiosk demo. Never before has my work been so widely-viewed and respected.

On YouTube and in my blog, the pleasant surprise of knowing that my work has inspired others has helped me feel better inside. I feel great knowing that I have positively influenced others with my work. Someone whom I was most touched by was a young girl from the Philippines who says that I am someone who cheers her up when she's down. She has her own blog here on Blogger/Blogspot called Ericaritish. She also has a second blog where she wants to showcase her literary skills. Have a look at SEE YOU AT THE END.

These pleasant surprises have been nothing short of amazing. I am forever thankful for all whom have supported my work.

Expanding Audience to the South Pacific.

When I became fascinated with the South Pacific, I wanted to blog about it. So I launched "Oceania and the South Pacific" back in late September. Before the sort of South Pacific attention I got, I mostly got blog hits from Australia, New Zealand, one hit from Vanuatu, and sometimes Fiji. Since launching the "Pacific and Oceania" blog label, I've gotten blog hits from American Samoa, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Niue, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, and most recently, Nauru.

The biggest boost to getting a South Pacific audience was the 2010 Miss South Pacific Pageant in Papua New Guinea. With the traffic I was getting for it, I tried to enhance my material to better service my South Pacific audience. I discussed how beautiful all eleven ladies were, including the MSPP 2010 winning (and who I am a fan of) Miss Cook Islands Joyana Meyer.

It was both a project and an experiment- and it worked. I want to thank everyone from the South Pacific for even caring to visit my blog. I never thought I would get such attention through my efforts to discuss the South Pacific in my blog.

Starting Two More Blogs.

I welcome all of my readers to my universe. It is a universe full of content from my mind as well as various commentaries of mine. I felt the need to create two more blogs to expand my universe to the online public. Therefore, I created "John's Shop Space" and "John's Gran Turismo Space." John's Shop Space and John's Gran Turismo Space were created for two different reasons. I created "John's Shop Space" in hopes that many of my readers can get to check out and shop for content online. Involvement has been mostly poor as it receives so few views. Then too, JSS was not really meant to be a traffic cow for my online material. John's Gran Turismo Space was started to better service my Gran Turismo fans. It all featured my own comments and resources on the Gran Turismo series. It was my first attempt at making a niche blog. Sadly, it hasn't resulted in a lot of views. I am still proud to devote a blog to the Gran Turismo series even after posting a lot of videos on Gran Turismo.

More Houston/Galveston Content.

As important as making material for an international audience is to me, I must not forget about the United States and my hometown of Houston. So I included a "Houston/Galveston" label to better service my hometown people. Maybe my biggest blog post in this category was on my favorite on-air TV personalities in Houston news. I am even surprised how people from other nations visit my blog to learn a little more about my hometown.

Fashion.

The impact of my fashion-themed material was pretty nicely felt. I've come across some people whom have loved my material. One of my supporters is the lovely Belgian beauty named Cindy, better known as Glamour Bbey. Closer to home, there were two beautiful curvy girls whom I've followed on Blogspot named Lucia (of Hello Lucie!) and Emmy (of SELECTIVE MEMORY). I came across two beautiful young Indonesian fashion bloggers I want to give mention to. Chekka Cuomova has her own lovely pictures and fashions along with the candy-sweet and fashionable cutie Michelle Koesnadi of Glisters and Blisters. Principessa Gabriella was a blog I came across once apart from "Pearls, Lace and Ruffles : a fatshion blog." The fashion princess (Principessa is Italian for "princess") is a very beautiful young lady with a lovely sense of fashion. Later, I followed Gabi Gregg's Young, Fat, and Fabulous and Allison's Curvy Girl Chic after reading Teen Vogue magazine and loving both of their sense of style. The Irish beauty of Pearls, Lace and Ruffles ; a fatshion blog was a blog I loved reading since she followed me on Twitter. Her voice is very sweet.

It was tough to name so many people on here. However, I love all the different blogs I follow. That even includes the lovely pictures in blogs like tuolomee and Estonian fallie. Interesting thing is how many some of the different blogs I follow have been featured in Teen Vogue magazine.

The Hair Blog Posts.

Most of my blog posts regarding hair are mostly digests of hair-themed blog posts have been my most widely-viewed blog posts. I give no information on maintaining hair or anything, but it still ended up being vastly-viewed blog posts. It began with "Long Hair" back in January. I ended up adding more content to it based on the traffic I was getting. I later did a blog post about how beautiful wedding hairstyles can be. This also resulted in a lot of blog hits worldwide. It was very pleasing that more people were noticing my blog posts. I then tried to take on a few more blog posts on hair. This time, on braided/plaited hair. I mentioned earlier about the lady who loved my blog post that she wanted to make her own store called 3Trends Beauty. As with the other two hair-themed blog posts, this also got a fair share of hits worldwide. It's even nice to see where in the world people have viewed my work. It is even a nice cultural deal knowing who all in the world views your content. I've gotten some decent attention from a variety of African nations for the blog on braided hair.

The Topics That Weren't Posted.

I try to blog about anything in a professional manner, but there are some topics that were a bit risky for me to post. There were a few topics that I thought would disgrace my readers and subscribers. I think posting a blog on a certain subject could give me some negative looks. So therefore, I avoided posting certain blog posts and discussing certain things. I wanted to avoid mostly posting topics that could get my parents or certain friends to look at me strange. Thing is, it's my blog, and I am my own boss. I am responsible for myself here.

As a by-product of certain topics, they've resulted in a good series of blog hits. Maybe one of my biggest gambles was in discussing androgynous males. I then also attempted to discuss same-sex relationships. So some of those controversial topics were more along the lines of GLBT issues. One other blog post I was careful to discuss concerned males wearing feminine fashions. This is where I discussed males wearing feminine clothes. Despite the subject matter, it was NOT about crossdressing. It was about males wearing feminine clothing for fashion and style. There are men who will wear high heels, skirts, or just about any feminine garment for the purpose of fashion and style.

I am looking to take a few more chances for 2011 with a few more topics that... may not be for everyone. Most important to me, however, is keeping everything friendly for all the world to see. What ticks me off sometimes is when someone posts some sort of pornographic or offensive image that's really unnecessary to post. I know there are people who'd rather view adult material online rather than read a semi-decent blog, but I care about keeping things world-friendly and safe for work. And if a blog post isn't safe for work (or may not be), I put in a Jump Break to keep my world-friendly material active.

--- A Hopeful Outlook for 2011? ---

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, but if there were things I hope to accomplish in 2010, here are some

More Involvement.

The ratio of blog hits to comments on blog posts is pretty low. If I somehow get 3,000+ views to get so few comments and responses, that's saying I can get hits, but not much involvement. I look at various other blog posts and see a great stream of comments from various users. I struggle to get even a few comments from others. On a positive note with involvement, though, more people are viewing external links I post in certain blog entries. It feels great knowing that people are actually reading and interacting with my material. I just wish I can get more fans and comments from my readers and subscribers.

More Google Followers.

Again, this goes back to involvement. If you love my blog and my work, PLEASE follow my blog with Google Friend Connect. I call my fans as my "shining stars." I want to get more Shining Stars who love my blog. It's sad that while I get hits... I don't get fans who actually announce themselves.

More Hits.

I don't know what some other blogs get in terms of views, but I want to get more hits from more people around the world. I will always look for more ways and topics to get more hits. I will also utilize both Facebook and Twitter to keep getting more hits.

More Facebook Fans.

I will not spend money just to get more fans. I think there are people who love my work, but don't want to show it further by becoming fans. Lots of people have Facebook. Lots of people use the Internet. Why not show some love for me here by becoming a fan of mine on Facebook?

More FeedBurner Subscriptions.

FeedBurner is the one I try to follow most because I have no other way to gauge my other subscriptions. Some blogs and websites have three-figure and even five-figure FeedBurner subscribers while the most I've ever gotten (as of the date of this blog post) was about 62 for John's Blog Space. My all-time highest FeedBurner Reach (as of the date of this blog post) is 66. Keep showing your support!

(Positive) Media Attention?

I would like for one day or one time to feel like a superstar or feel respected. I am just a casual guy who operates solo, but just to feel like I've won the respect of many people would make be feel great. Part of me says that my big break will come. Either I become featured in Houston media, have an interview on a major website, get some TV time, or something along those lines. I have never felt important to very many people almost... ever. I do think that through my blogging efforts, I may get that big break that pushes me over the top. Will that moment come in 2011? I can only hope. Someone has to really give me that chance and have enough faith in me to be so supportive of my work. I want to be that casual fellow who blogs professionally... though not a professional and earns readers and subscribers on content, rather than anything really flashy.


This outlines a positive outlook I have for 2011. All I need is your (as in you reading my blog right now) support. Will you help me reach a level I long to aspire to? Please?

--- What I Want For All of my Readers and Subscribers ---

Besides obviously wishing everyone a happy and safe 2010, I just want to thank all of you. It is tough to say "thank you" in plain text. I don't post videos of my own in my blog (unless through YouTube), so this is the best I can do online. I want you to get more involved with my content. When I say that I want you to subscribe to my blog or become a fan of mine on Facebook, I don't require you to do so, but I would appreciate if you show me some support for my work. All I ask- let me know that you enjoy my work. If there is a way to gauge how work is distributed, I want to know so I can gauge if I am actually see if my work is as appreciated as I think/hope it is. This is all that I have- it's a hobby for me, but I still take my blog seriously and professionally. For a guy that doesn't have much of anything, this is the least I can do for the Internet.

Most of all- thank you so much. There are a lot of times where nobody would give me attention or the time of day. I never started to feel more relevant than when I got subscribers on YouTube and fans of my blog. I can only hope that I may actually become better respected and honored by many more people. I don't want to become the next best online superstar- I prefer being AT LEAST one of YOUR favorites. This is all that I ask for. Nothing more, nothing less. Have I done enough to win your respect? Have I done enough to positively waste your time? Is my work enjoyable that you'll come back for more? Don't answer those questions in comments- just answer these for yourself and surprise me a bit with your input.





Just to say one last time- Happy New Year and thank you for a momentous 2010! I post the blog entries, but it's up to you to make my content relevant. You gave me a chance and liked my efforts (I hope). I will keep providing quality content for all of you. I will not post anything unless I am confident that it can get some attention and respect from others. Remember- my blog and its positive progress means nothing without your support. So keep supporting and respecting my work. Keep sharing my blog and its entries with others. Keep commenting. Keep checking out JBS, but also visit John's Shop Space and John's Gran Turismo Space. If you have Facebook and love my blog, PLEASE "like" my Facebook fan page! Visit my YouTube channel to see some of my video work. My videos may not be the best, but it is far from the worst. Even for a low-key YouTube channel, I've garnered over 350 subscribers in my now third year on YouTube. Thank you if you never stopped caring or believing in my work! Last thing I want to do is disappoint anyone who I feel I can easily win over. You have my word- I'm not stopping my blog or YouTube work until I'm absolutely done with either or both.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for a great 2010! I hope to keep up the great work for 2011 and beyond. I have you all to thank for the support and for never giving up on me. Have a happy and blessed 2011, everyone! And one last thing...

Love and peace! ^_^ And yes... this is me- the creator of John's Blog Space! Nice to meet you! :D

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