Ever get those emails in your inbox? The ones with subject lines like:

"RE: Hey!"

"I found your money/wallet/credit card.."

"Nicky said you'd want to see this"

"Approval Notice"

"Order Processed"

"Your request"

"Online Billing Notice"

"FW: FW: FW: FW: So funny you have to see!!


etc, etc, etc?

You see it, and you're not sure if you recognize the email address. The savvy Web jockey knows "ok, this is probably a trick", but when you see a note that says "I found your money", it might be kinda hard to ignore. So you click on it. And it's all about this Mortgage Refinance Company or That Improved Body Part or Those Little Blue Pills or These Hot New Stock Tips blah blah blah blah...

It's what is ruining the Internet, not to mention your inbox. You feel tricked, your time is wasted, and sometimes you even get ideas and images you have no desire to see. It's invasive and unethical, and it's choking the life out of the Online World.

And that's why we don't need it here, in any form.

Let's take a moment to clarify what blogging is all about here at SW.com. See here:

WHAT IS A BLOG?
A blog is a web page usually made up of short, but frequently updated posts arranged in order by date. Blogs are composed of everything from links to cool and interesting sites, to commentary about other web sites. People also like to write about news items, their collections of stuff and random experiences. So in short blogs can be diaries, mini-essays, editorials and simply links to fun stuff found on the Web.

Many blogs are personal "what I'm thinking about" type ponderings. Others are collaborative efforts -- or multi-blogs -- based on an area of mutual interest. Here on starwars.com, they can be about your reviews of the films, tips on tracking down the coolest action figure, or even your haiku odes to Bossk. But most importantly, blogs are a fun way to express yourself. As a blogger you have the unique chance to write what's on your mind and share your musings with people you may never have a chance to meet in person. Not only is keeping a blog fun, it's addicting! If you come across a link to a funny Star Wars fan trailer, post it. When you find old photos of you as a kid dressed as Darth Vader, blog the link! Show off your latest portrait of R2-D2 in ASCII art. Give tips on how to master the latest Star Wars video game. Report directly from comic book conventions and Star Wars events. The possibilities are endless!

Simple enough. Notice how in that handy outline that nowhere does it mention "the purpose of blogging is to be on the front page, all the time"? Or to be the "most popular blog"?

ONCE I CREATE A BLOG, HOW DO I CREATE AN ENTRY?
After you have set up your blog (blog name, description, etc.) you'll want to create a new entry. Start by giving your entry a title, then type in the post itself. Use the tool bar above the entry to italicize, bold, underline, add links and choose an image to go with your entry. You'll also be asked to choose a category you think your entry topic best falls under so readers can search for your entry by category. When you're finished, click the Preview link to make sure it's ready to go. Once you're satisfied with your post, click the "Publish" button. This will publish your new post.

Easy. But notice it doesn't say "try to drive traffic to your blog using any means available, because blogging is a contest."

WHAT'S AN ENTRY INTRODUCTION? HOW LONG SHOULD IT BE?.
An Entry Introduction is the short description (a maximum of two lines) of what your entry is about. This introductory text is shown long with your "Blog Entry Title" in various places on the site, including your blog main page and the blogs.starwars.com front page, to alert readers to your new entry. If you leave the Entry Introduction field blank, then the first two lines of text from your entry will be displayed by default.

Makes sense. Notice how nowhere in that explanation does it say "try to purposefully mislead people to click on your blog entry"?

Blogging is about sharing your thoughts, your humor, your experiences, in some cases your disappointments, creativity, etc etc. Blogging is not about being on the front page.

If you write a good, entertaining blog, it'll end up there on it's own. And here's some brutal truths:

I) Not everyone's blog will be on the front page.

II) Some will never be on the front page.

III) And occasionally, some are on the front page too often, and people get sick of seeing them. But...that tends to take care of itself in time.

Write blogs because you want to share what interests you. Write your blog the best way you know how. Make it as interesting as you possibly can. But remember, this is not a contest, and this is not about being seen by everyone all the time. It's about being read, and reading, each others blogs. It's about communication, not popularity.

Yes, there is a format that allows for the most popular blogs to be put on display. But that is not intended to be the entire point of blogging here.

And here's where it gets into the nitty gritty of blog moderation:

{-o-} Please don't write blogs that are purposefully (and obviously) incorrect just to gain ranking. Writing a blog titled "Anakin was not Darth Vader" just to get more hits is likely to be disabled as spam.

{-o-} Please don't title (and subtitle) your blogs with a misleading title that has nothing to do with your blog entry, again just to generate traffic. Writing a blog titled "Why was Mace's Lightsaber Purple" and then writing a blog about something entirely different is likely to get disabled as spam also. Being creative with your title is fine, even being provocative and challenging in a good way (such as Sue Rostoni's "Don't Read This!" which combined a polite spoiler warning about Betrayal and Bloodlines with an interesting title). But being misleading just to bring traffic to your blog entry is not. Getting people to read your blog by being interesting is good. Getting people to read your blog by tricking them is not.

{-o-} Please remember that when you excessively promote your own blog through dubious means, you are depriving other worthy bloggers from being seen. Be respectful - it's not all about you, and its not all about being on the front page.

From the StarWars.com FAQ page, originally built for the forums, but applicable here as well:

"Spam" is any kind of unsolicited promotion or excessive posting of any kind. On-topic discussion of web happenings are allowed, but the Star Wars message boards are not an appropriate vehicle for traffic generation or production promotion. Spamming is prohibited.

When people purposefully try to make a blog appear on the front page using misleading and dubious tactics, it decreases the overall quality of the blogs once everyone starts doing it, its unfair to other bloggers, it abuses the system, and its not what the blogs are intended for in the first place.

The point is to blog, not to try to get on the front page at any cost using any method.

Blog responsibly, share your thoughts, don't push and shove to be seen. It's your community, help to promote the quality of it, and the original intention of it - to share and share alike, to entertain and be entertained, to inform and be informed, to read and be read in a respectful environment.

Like we say - it's not a contest, it's communication.

Thanks,
DM out