Ya Gotta Start Somewhere

Initially when I started blogging, it was a meant as a way to communicate and record my trip to Ghana. I'm really glad I did that, if only for selfish reasons. When I go back and read the blog, I have a great number of those "oh yeah, I completely forgot about that" moments.

After returning from Africa, I began to learn more about blogging through sites like Problogger  and a great many others.

Blogging is very simple. Anyone can do it without spending more than the cost of an internet connection. I also became aware that successful blogging is very complex and constantly evolving. Making serious money blogging is next to impossible, which makes it possible.

However, the fact is that the odds of making a living are remote. Think of everyone on this planet who ever threw a basketball at a net. Then think about how many people haver ever played in the NBA.

There is a saying regarding web sites and blogs that "content is king". The idea behind this is that if you provide good content, the audience will find you. This is complete crap. Content alone is not enough and the audience will not find you, you must find your audience.

The ironic thing about posting content on the web with a purpose is that it is the opposite of most artistic endeavours. You've passed the audition, got the gig, signed the publishing deal or whatever. The trick is that it is also up to you to put butts in seats.

There are about 100 million blogs, 300 million facebook accounts and at least 100 million myspace accounts out there. Don't even get me started on Twitter, Digg, Technorati and all the rest. The good news is that only a small percentage of these daunting numbers are producing fresh, relevant and consistent content. The bad news is that there are still millions of people producing  quality content on a regular basis.

The best news of all is that your potential audience is almost unlimited. Content posted on the internet has the potential to reach more people than any television station on the planet.

Apparently, I have made a few mistakes, the most crucial being that I did not make my blog about a very specific niche. If you want to make money blogging don't be general. I have come to learn that what I am doing is a subset of blogging known as lifecasting, or so they say.

Whatever it is, I have found a need to post content which is driving me to have a richer life experience so I can create more compelling content. I am still very new at this, but I am happy to know that if I post something , it will be read by a few people somewhere.

I am not making anywhere near enough to quit my day job, but it is a start and the numbers continue to trend upwards.

A recent review of my Google Analytics account showed that my blogs have been read in forty countries since I began in the spring of 2009. The map below shows where all of my visitors have come from, and I thank everyone who took the time to read my work in 2009.

I am still learning and striving to create better content in 2010 that will bring you back.

Thank you, and Happy New Year!

http://www.goyestoeverything.com



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Year To The Ground, i2009

I will always remember the year 2009 as a personal turning point, a period when I finally began to find my place in this world.

In 2008, I experienced a loss of family, friends and a beloved pet. Out of this cloud of grief, a realisation of my own mortality emerged, and with that came a commitment to more fully live my life in 2009, and I am proud to say that I think I did that.

I went to Ghana, and met my travel dream to go to Africa. Along the way I helped begin a project to rebuild a school. I can honestly say that if you ever get the chance, you should go to Ghana. The people there taught me a great deal, and I am forever indebted.

That trip also encouraged me to create goyestoeverything.com . Recently a relative mentioned that they were looking forward to seeing me and hearing my travel stories. I kind of cringed because I am not a great verbal storyteller, and I try to put everything into the blog. This is how I communicate best. If you want to know what I'm up to, don't talk, read.

The summer was spent working hard at two jobs. In addition to my regular gig, I worked some sleepless shifts for the Toronto International Film Festival, so I could pay for a new trip to Asia. Not only is TIFF a great organisation, but I must thank them for helping me to pay for my trip.

Thusly I was off to Asia, more specifically Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I am still learning my lessons from that journey.

However, the people that contributed to helping me make this the most incredible year of my life are my boss, Cayelle, and my mother. Without your combined generosity, none of this would have happened, and I am deeply indebted to you both.

Thank you, you made my year.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Not With A Bang, But A Whimper

I don't know what game we are playing, how much time is left, or who to cheer for, but I can assure you that the score at the end of this decade is....

• STUPIDITY 16
• HUMANITY  3

At the outset of this decade Bill Clinton was presiding over the greatest economic expansion in history, global warming (sorry, "climate change") was still an issue that could possibly be defeated by decisive and unified action, and terrorism was something that happened in other countries to other people.

Things were going so well , that I even pondered the idea that Canada might stop criminalizing people who smoke pot on the heels of allowing gay marriage. Alas, it was not to be.

The man who defined this decade is George W. Bush, because he laid bare to all the differences between the haves and the have nots. He did not create this gap, but he exemplified it.

As the decade draws to a close, I am increasingly astounded by the tremendous opportunities that we have to communicate with one another, yet dismayed by our lack of anything to say.

Of course the event of the decade is the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. That day truly ushered in a new era that defines our society to this day. Even today it was announced that I will no longer be allowed to take a carry on bag on a flight to America. In addition, another Canadian soldier died in Afghanistan.

Two announcements, one trivial, the other monumental, yet both connected to September 11th, 2001. Historians record era's by events, not dates, and they will forever remember 911 as the day that the 21st century began.

While people have been saying since the beginning of time that "The End Is Near" I have a palpable sense that the next ten years are going to be very brutal and contentious as increasing consumptive and environmental pressures continue to take their toll on the planet.

Make no mistake, my little candle of hope is alive, but it burns nowhere near as brightly as it did when the decade began. It appears to me that we have a lot of work ahead of us and that even the most monumental effort may not be enough.

Other than that, everything is perfect.

http://goyestoeverything.com

An Open Letter To 5440

Something has been bothering me ever since I posted  some videos from my Ghana trip , and now I have compounded the problem by posting more videos from my trip to Asia .

I have been known on occasion to get on my moral horse about the actions of others regarding theft, but now I find that I am the thief. At my most judgemental, I would ask others two simple questions.

• Did you take it?
• Did it belong to you?. 

It is true that ethics are what we do when no one is looking and the internet provides ample opportunities for us to challenge our own ethics. The opportunity to steal abounds, and I find that I am little more than another among the throng of pilferers.

While none of the music that is on the videos is stolen,  (every tune was paid for or downloaded for free from the 5440 website), the use of the music on the videos is clearly copyright infringement.

So I'm fessing up, and pleading guilty with an explanation, as I throw myself on the mercy of the court

- the videos are an homage to my favourite band

- they are not intended to be used for personal profit

- each video contains accreditation and promotes the band

Nonetheless, its your stuff, I took it, and it did not belong to me. There is no getting around that. I will respectfully remove the audio upon request.

http://www.5440.com

http://goyestoeverything.com

note - this was originally posted to 5440's facebook page.