Seth Godin on the 8 Free Things

Seth has a post about the 8 free things that every site should do. Let’s take a look.

1. Register with Technorati.

I agree with this. Technorati is the best way to see who is talking to you, so you can talk back to them. It’s also the best way to see what other sites are making you an involuntary correspondent by hijacking all of your content in the name of a little click fraud. I haven’t been to New York in a decade, but I’m a regular correspondent for one site based there. I wonder when my paycheck will arrive?

Technorati is also good for your ego, because every time your linkcount starts to get too high, it will magically get cut in half.

It’s not perfect, but I still like and use Technorati daily.

2. Become a Digger.

I’ve been on record for a long time as not terribly excited about Digg. But when I read that post the other day about Digg and Netscape, I dipped my toe back into the waters a little, visiting Digg and registering for Netscape. I added Digg and Netscape submission buttons to the bottom of my posts- so readers, please submit away.

I’m not sold, but at the moment I am willing to consider that Digg and Netscape may be good places to find news for my Morning Reading series, and possibly to attract some traffic.

We’ll see.

3. Build a Squidoo Lens

I haven’t got the slightest idea what this is. Let me go investigate….

OK, I’m back. I’m still not really sure what Squidoo is, but by golly I have a lens. The only thing I know for sure is that as soon as I have earned $1 million, Squidoo will send my earnings to Rabbit Rescue. I bet Shelley will send her earnings to Squirrel Rescue.

4. Get Your Team to Spread the Word

Well, first I have to have a team. Anybody want to be on my team? Lucky Dog would be happy to be on the Newsome.Org team, but he can’t type or spread the word. Unless the word is “Woof,” and I don’t think that’s the word.

But, he can chase small mammals. Like squirrels.

I’m going to have to put this one on hold for a bit until I can gather a team.

5. Issue a Press Release

OK, here’s mine.

“Newsome.Org, a blog written by developer, lawyer, musician, father, and all around cool guy Kent Newsome is a great blog that everyone in the world should read. The web address is www.newsome.org. For more information, please contact Newsome.Org’s public relations officer, Lucky Dog at luckydog@newsome.org.”

Paging Lee Gomes: Hey Lee, can you do me a favor and pass this along to whoever is doing the front page story for tomorrow? Thanks.

6. Get a Sister Site for Testing

Well, my sister is still on dial-up and hasn’t even agreed to sign up for Flickr, so I’m thinking this one might be tough. Hang on while I call her….

Well, she couldn’t get the internet to come up in Outlook Express, which is the only internet application she ever uses. So I took things into my own hands.

Here’s my sister site (well, post anyway).  So check that one off the list.

7. Google Analytics

I have this one already, thereby proving once again that Seth is getting all of his good ideas from me.

Maybe Mike Arrington’s trademark lawyers can write Seth a letter on my behalf. I’ll settle for half the proceeds from the sale of his next book.

8. Don’t Be Boring

Uh Oh. This one might be tough.

Here, to prove that I am not boring, is a random passage from Wuthering Heights:

I refused staunchly. At length her suspense was ended: the travelling carriage rolled in sight. Miss Cathy shrieked and stretched out her arms as soon as she caught her father’s face looking from the window. He descended, nearly as eager as herself; and a considerable interval elapsed ere they had a thought to spare for any but themselves. While they exchanged caresses I took a peep in to see after Linton. He was asleep in a corner, wrapped in a warm, fur-lined cloak, as if it had been winter. A pale, delicate, effeminate boy, who might have been taken for my master’s younger brother, so strong was the resemblance: but there was a sickly peevishness in his aspect that Edgar Linton never had. The latter saw me looking; and having shaken hands, advised me to close the door, and leave him undisturbed; for the journey had fatigued him. Cathy would fain have taken one glance, but her father told her to come, and they walked together up the park, while I hastened before to prepare the servants.

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