Chrispian H. Burks

You may notice some changes around here. Please ignore the mess. I still have a lot of work to do, but this is the beginning of the relaunch of this site, as well as few more to follow. I just recently finished my last bit of freelancing so I’ve been working on finishing up one project for a friend and my own sites. Mostly I’ve been working on content, but now I’m ready to start putting it together So pardon the mess.

I decided to go with the Genesis theme, and I’m using the News child theme. I’ll customize it more and more over time, but I just wanted to get started for now and I really like the clean look. I’ll customize it as I go. Also, I’ll post detailed review of Geneis once I’m done.

For those who don’t know me that well in a past life I ran a blog network. Over 400+ blogs and almost as many bloggers. While that project didn’t pan out (story for another time) my favorite part was working with other bloggers. I’ve been working on a couple of blogs and have several ideas for more but I keep coming back to wanting to do one with more than one voice on it. I posted a quick tweet and I’ve have a more than a couple of messages about it. So I thought I would expand on the idea a little and see what kind of interest there is. I’m certainly keen on the idea.

First off, topics. I’m pretty open on this, but my preference would be something I really like. I love technology, movies/entertainment, mobile gear, web development, social media, writing… things along those lines. As an example, here are a few domains I own and would be happy to use on this project:

• chipsndip.com (Could be used for anything, funny stuff, interesting bits, whatever)
• cmshacks.com (CMS – Content Management like WordPress, Expression Engine, etc.)
• codebash.com (Programming)
• geekgasmic.com (Anything Geeky)
• greenlivinghacks.com (Green technology, was thinking more from a saving money standpoint)
• mobilityhacks.com (Mobile gear, consumer oriented – focused on products, tips, tricks, how-to, etc.)
• oshacks.com (Either Operating System Hacks, windows, linux, mac, etc. or Open Source software)
• smhacks.com (Social Media Hacks)
• twitterhacks.com (I think this one is obvious, lol)
• webdevhacks.com (Same here)

These are not the only ones I own and not the only things I’m willing to do this on. I’m totally open to suggestions. For those who don’t know, the “hacks” in the domains above means tips, tricks, how to and that kind of thing, not how to hack software or computers. Think lifehacker and those kinds of sites.

For Money or Fun?

I’m game either way. With wordpress it would be easy enough to setup so that each other could monitize their own content. I’m also willing to do something that’s just for fun. Or both!

Nothing is set in stone so if you have ideas I’d really love to talk more about it. Hit me up on Twitter (@chrispian), Skype, email (chrispian at gmail.com) or the comments below. Even if you don’t want to write or be part of this you’re welcome to suggest ideas.

Thanks for all the comments and feedback so far!

WordPress users, if you use the plugin About The Author Box, this plugin inserts a hidden bit of text to promote some spam site. It does this by inserting a noscript javascript tag so that users won’t see it but search engines will.

It appears on line 25 of the file ‘about-the-author-box.php’. Here is what it looks like:

<noscript><a href=”http://yourherbalcare.com”>Your Herbal Care</a></noscript>

That gets added to the code of your site and while you and your users won’t see it visibly it’s in the code. Google could ban you for doing it too, because it’s considered cloaking. They are doing it this way so only search engines see it and it counts as a back link for them.

Please be aware when downloading plugins. Read over them and look at the source of your site after the plugin has been installed. That’s how I found this sneaky bastard’s tactics.

I’m so happy 2009 is gone. To be completely honest with you, I’m glad 2000-2009 is gone. It was a tough era for me and my family. A time we are just now seeing the end of. I really don’t want to dwell on the past too much, but it was rough. I lost my mother, my step mom and wife were both diagnosed with cancer. I was forced to sell my sites to pay for medical bills and ended up deep in debt helping ourselves and my family. But that’s the past. 2010 is going to be our year.

Though 2010 didn’t start off so hot. I got sick around Christmas. At one point I ended up in the ER. Great way to start the new years off right. But there’s plenty of good news too. My wife Aeryn finally got the all clear we’ve been waiting for. She had a series of tests and one of them showed “signs” that her cancer may be back. So they had to do a PET scan, which is the definitive way to look at the human body. We didn’t tell anyone about this because we didn’t wan anyone else to have to worry with us.

So we wait through the holidays, mostly sick and mostly unable to work or even help ourselves. So we waited and we worried and we got behind. But thankfully, good news was on the way. Aeryn’s doctor called yesterday to tell us that there a no signs anywhere that she has cancer. The spot they were worried about was scar tissue from the radiation treatments. She has to visit her cancer doctor one more time and have a bone density test (side effects) and then she goes back to the regular doctor just like the rest of us. Things are definitely starting to turn around.

Aeryn is now in school. She’s going for her CIS degree and wants to do web development. I can’t wait to help her out when she gets to those classes. I never got to go to college so I’m so proud of here for going. I’m not working on my own sites and doing some freelance work again. Just enough to help chip away at our debt.

I’m going to be changing the focus of chrispian.com one final time. It probably won’t be for a few weeks a I have to launch a couple other projects first, but chrispian.com will be more focused on my thoughts regarding my work and focus on my skills in the web dev field and try to promote myself and my expertise. I’m going to start a new business card style site at chrispian.me which may have a small blog with some random personal thoughts, but probably just links to my work around the web. I’ll make sure to post when these things are live, just in case you two fine folks want to check it out.

This weekend I’ll be launching my first blog in a while and I’m totally stoked. I’ve got some minor design work to do, but mostly working on content. I’m also working on some guest posts for other blogs to help promote that I’m back and have a new project to promote. I have 4-5 more sites along the lines of the one I’m launching, and I will launch at least one more of them in the next 3-6 weeks. After that, I need to get a feel for how much time it takes to run these two and market them. At some point I hope to make enough money to pay for some extra writers as well. I’ll have more details when things are closer to finished.

So, 2000-2009, goodbye. I’ll do my best to remember only the good times, like meeting many of my online friends, many I’ve known for more than 10 years, in person for the first time. And many times since! Even with all the bad, Aeryn and I have made it through 10 years of marriage and I couldn’t be happy to be married to my best friend. We also had a ton of nieces and nephews born, all of which are adorable and amazing kids. Especially when they go home with their parents. So, indeed, Goodbye 2009.

And hello 2010. At first I thought I knew you pretty well. But you were holding out on me! I was so afraid you’d be like all the other years but I think, just maybe, you’re the one. I’m looking forward to spending more time with you. 2010, lets you and I make it happen this year.

Anyone who’s been around me knows I’m pretty laid back. I’m generally positive and hopeful. I’m usually the first to reassure others and champion my friends. What most people don’t know is that I’m pretty hard on myself. I beat myself up over little things and over analyze every decision and idea. At times, it’s crippling.

I don’t know why, when or how it started. At some point in my life I’ve developed quite a negative view of my own value. I have almost 15 years of experience in the computer business, most of that programming and doing web sites. I’ve helped companies make millions of dollars per year. But when it comes to doing it for myself no idea is good enough.

No more

No on deserves anything, you have to work for it an earn it. I’ve put in countless hours for other people and, perhaps naively, thought that effort would be rewarded. But I’ve never spoken up. I’ve never asked for more. It’s just not who I am. I’ve always wanted to be recognized for the work, not for being the one who promoted myself endlessly. I’ve always thought of things in black and white and that if I did things just for the money I was selling out. The only person I ever hurt thinking that way was me. Those days are over.

I’m a passionate person. However, my interests are many yet I don’t have a passion for any single thing. At least not anymore. When I discovered computers and the Internet in 1992 (yes, 92, before the web) I was hooked and I’ve been at it since. I’d say the thing I’m most passionate about is this whole Internet publishing biz. Creating sites, working with other talented people and sharing it all. It’s my job and my hobby and perhaps I’m a little burned out. I love doing it, but I don’t want to start a site talking about web development. I do wish I was passionate about something though, and not everything.

So the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to figure out where to go. Which direction to take and where to focus my creative energy. I need to create something that I can have fun doing while at the same time, make some money. I just have no idea what that topic would be. With so many interests it’s hard to settle on just one. I always feel like it’ll be the wrong one or that it’s too broad or too narrow or a horrible idea.

I think I figured it all out

I’ve got a few ideas for niches to get into. While I might not be passionate about the subjects, I’m also not passionate about the niches we cover at my day job either. But I absolutely love what I do. So I’m going to launch 2-3 sites in the next couple of days and while I’m not ready to talk about them specifically, I’ve realized a few things that have let me worry less about the details and just get busy:

• Stop over planning. I tend over think everything. While a solid plan is necessary, the idea is to fail as fast as possible. Get my ideas out there, see what’s working and if something gains traction, then really go for it.
• Stop worrying what other bloggers will think. They aren’t my target audience. The people in my niches are and they could care less about 90% of the stuff we tend to fret over. Let it go and get on with it.
• Everyone else is scrambling to grab an ever shrinking slice of the pie. If I don’t do it now it may be too late later.
• It’s okay to fail. It’s also perfectly okay to succeed. I’ve always been more afraid of the latter.
• Just do something. Anything. It’s simple physics. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Momentum is a powerful force.
• Stop trying to do everything at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as the saying goes.

I know none of this is ground breaking, but it’s been an internal struggle for me for the last few years. When I got out of publishing sites I lost touch with that part of myself and as time passed these things that plague have only become worse. By my aspirations and dreams are much stronger than those nagging feelings of self doubt. Everyone has them and they serve a purpose. I just learning when to listen to them and when to tell them to shut the hell up. Like right now.

Updated: Added the last bullet point, probably the most important.

I met Paul (@stammy) at Blogworld Expo this year. Besides being a super nice guy and turning me on to the cannon camera hack, he’s also the founder of Skribit. It’s a cool little service that lets you get feedback on your blog to help guide what you write about on the site. Love, love love this idea. Love it so much I got the sticker on my laptop.

So here’s your chance to tell me what to do, er, write about. Hit the suggestions box over on the right hand side and tell me what to write about. I’ll take all suggestions under consideration, and the more people who like an idea the more likely I’ll write about it.

Play around with it a little and if you like it, add it to your blog. It totally rocks!

It seems Twitter is divided over the new lists feature. Some feel the new lists are a way to exclude people, like Chris Brogan. Others think the lists are a game changer, including Robert Scoble and I happen to agree.

If you don’t know what lists are, Twitter recently added the ability to create a list and group people into those lists. It doesn’t change your timeline. You still see everyone’s updates. But the lists give you the ability to further segment you’re followers into, for a lack of a better term, folders. Works much like the lists on Facebook, actually. I don’t remember an uproar over those.

For me, Twitter lists are more inclusive, not less. It’s more about organization, readability and discoverability. I’m already following more people because of them, not less. Lists are game changing and now that the API is available we should start seeing lists appear in popular clients like Tweetie and Tweetdeck. That’s when things will get really interesting.

I totally understand where Chris is coming from on lists. His point is valid, that lists might exclude some people. But I think it all comes down to how you use them. So far my experience with lists has been great. Other than a few technical bugs, the lists are greatly improving my twitter experience.

I predict lists will be a driving force in Twitters next explosion in traffic. They are going to allow people to find more like minded folks to follow and interact with who will in turn create lists and introduce their followers to even more people. The feature itself is a pretty minor update but it’s added a whole new layer of “viral” to the site. Expect to see more about lists over the next several weeks. This is just getting started.

I was thinking about some of the projects I’ve worked on over the last couple of weeks and one of the common themes was how much clients dislike doing anything on their own sites. Not all mind you, some of them really get it. They embrace the medium and jump right in. On the flip side, there are a number of clients that want you to do everything.

I started thinking back to when I worked for a local ISP in the web department. While I was there I probably completed well over 500 client projects and I’d say 90% of them didn’t want to do anything on their own site. Now, this isn’t difficult to understand. Setting up a CMS, adding images, tweaking settings, doing graphics and general development are out of their area of expertise. No one expects clients to handle that part. That’s why I have a job. But the content? Who knows it better than the client? I certainly don’t know you’re business better than you do. At least I better not! I get the psychology of why some people don’t like it. They might be scared of the technology, they might be used to delegating everything or they just might not care one bit about the web. But in this day and age, really?

So I got to thinking. Some enterprising writer out there could probably make some serious bucks without doing much work. Most of it would be content emailed to you from the client and all you’d have to do is post it. In a CMS. You know, click add, paste, hit submit. Cha ching. Sure, some need content writing services and there’s a market for that. But some of the smaller shops out there just don’t have the time or interest in doing anything other than their work. They just don’t have time, and shooting off a quick email with the content is easier for them than learning WordPress or some other solution. I can’t say I blame them either.

So I’m thinking someone could probably do a reasonable side business of handling basic updates for clients that are too busy to do it themselves. Add to that actual content writing services and you could probably have all the business you can handle.