Tips for Newbie Bloggers: Sharing My Experience Using Free Tools for Blogging

This is my advice for newbie bloggers or beginners.  You have to start somewhere so start using free tools.  That way you test yourself and see if you really want to pursue this endeavor.  Been at this for over 10 years and I can tell you from experience, that consistent and persistent blogging is not for the faint of heart.

I'm cheating a little with this post.  Via Quora (a Q&A platform where I am an active member) there was a published post generated by an AI bot titled "Which are the best free tools for blogging? - Quora".  

I went through the list and I can comment on most of them because I have tried them.  I am publishing this content on Blogspot (aka Blogger) - owned by Google - because quite frankly, I think this is the best blogging platform for newbies.  The Quora post listed 8 platforms and I am sharing my thoughts and experience with some additional thoughts for the platforms that were not mentioned.

Image credit

1. WordPress.com

The free tier is nice but I could not monetize my content.
Last blog post: Creating Real Worlds in Fantasy and Fiction

2. Blogger

A simple blogging platform owned by Google.

Easy and free. Was approved for Ad Sense but that was ages ago, Not sure if new users can get approved.

I have several blogs.  View my Blogger profile.

3. Medium

Affiliate links are permitted but not encouraged. They don't want the site to become a spam magnet.  Super easy to publish and has a lively community that interacts with the writer. The Partner Program helps you monetize content but don't expect money to come rolling in. The PRO is the ability to create your own publication (kind of like a magazine).  

View my Medium publications:  Express Yourself! and Nothing but Love for Korean Drama.

The CON is that if you are not a member you can only read 3 free posts each month.  The way the monetization program is set up, external visits don't count.  Only visits to your articles by other members are used in the algorithm.  Even so ... it's one of the best platforms.  They accept original and republished content and Medium links often get found by the search engine.

View my Medium writer's profile.

4. Wix
5. Weebly

Tried them but did not like it. Just my preference.

6. Ghost (Self-Hosted)

Never heard of it!

7. Substack

Tried it. Liked it. But it didn't work for me. It was just extra work with no profitability. But others have reported a different experience. So don't take my word for it.

8. Tumblr

They offered a way to monetize and then they discontinued the program. Nevertheless, it's a fun platform for social sharing or for bookmarking.  Take your links from your other blogs and share them via Tumblr ... BUT! ... 

"Tumblr backlinks can help you increase traffic, but they won't be as effective as backlinks earned on another blogging platform. This is due to the fact that Tumblr pages are considered subdomains. And they carry less weight as a source of backlinks. You should also include images in your blog posts."  (Per Tumblr SEO Best Practices & Tips | Tactica)

View my Tumblr blogs.

CONCLUSION: 

Two Platforms Not Mentioned:  Quora and Vocal.Media

(1)  Interestingly, the AI-generated post was published on Quora and it did not mention Quora! {Maybe it's not "the best". (O.o) }Quora offers a free blogging platform. I have used and it's been an off-and-on relationship. At present, I am turned OFF! Quora had a program that would allow bloggers to monetize their content and now they don't. That was the reason I tried so hard. I was trying to earn money. But now that they don't have the revenue-sharing programs anymore, so I said “Bye Bye!”

(2) The post also did not mention Vocal.Media.

Easy to publish. Republished content accepted. Free account (upgrade offered). Earn $3.80 per 1000 unique views.

View my Vocal.Media profile.


Hope these tips help.

Introduction to Classical Music ~ Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky

Many of the famous classical music composers that we know of – Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky - are no longer with us.

Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Popular singers, songwriters and musicians like the late Nina Simone, the late Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Keys have all said they draw inspiration from or have been greatly influenced by these composers. 

The above is regarded by historians as the most accurate surviving likeness of Mozart, painted when the composer was 26 years old. It is a section of an unfinished 1782 portrait by Joseph Lange. The splotchy texture of the composer's cheeks, visible in the original painting on display at the Mozart Museum in Salzburg, was verified by Mozart's contemporaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You heard that most music store owners are tempted to put their classical music selections in a small room at the back of the store; however, it was just a bit of humor. The least we can do is display their masterful works – whether on the store shelves or in your home music library - in plain view so that the memory of these gifted musicians will live on.

Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Copy or second Version of his 1746 Canvas, private ownership of William H. Scheide, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thinking about experimenting and expanding your musical taste?

You want to listen to classical music, but you don't know where to begin?

Start here.

Classical Music for Beginners

***

Fascinating Facts about Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky.

• Beethoven composed his most celebrated works after he went deaf.

• Mozart was writing his own compositions by the age of 6.

• Bach was blinded because of a botched eye surgery.

• Tchaikovsky was constantly and harshly criticized by the “music critics” of his day.

The Health Benefits of Classical Music

There is no doubt that there are benefits to be found in many different genres of music. It can often seem to help when nothing else is able to change our mood or motivate us. For thousands of years, humans have been intrinsically linked to music in all its forms. It is part of our mourning, our celebrations, and our rituals.

Original source

Berniece and Drusilla Might Be Called Bad Girls of the Bible

Sharing a few biofacts from a non-historian about 2 sisters ~ Berniece and Drusilla, both Jewish princesses. The Jewish historian, Josephus, says the two (2) sisters hated each other. That's probably why there is not much mention of them in history crossing each other. It's likely they just stayed out of each other's way. OR … Big sister was so busy bed-hopping, she didn't have time for her little sister.

Who was Berniece?

After learning a little about a woman named Berniece, I concluded that she was clearly ambitious and her bedroom moves, simply put, were … “power grabs”.

She was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I who was the ruler of Palestine (AD 37-44). (“Political Rulers of Palestine in the New Testament Era”.)

• First, she married an insignificant guy named Marcus. Not sure of the reason why the marriage ended, but she moved on and married her uncle, whose name was Herod. He died shortly thereafter. By the way, her uncle was a king.
• Since she had already married one king, might as well keep the momentum going. She married King Polemo and deserted him shortly after their wedding.
• She moved to Jerusalem and hooked up with Agrippa II, a great-grandson of Herod the Great. He was also her brother, which meant they had an incestuous relationship. (It seems her aim was a little bit higher, so you could call this marriage “a stepping stone”. Just me thinking.)
• Ultimately, she made her way to the bed of two (2) Roman emperors. Some records indicate that she was not only the mistress of Emperor Vespasian but also his son Titus. She became the lover of Titus when he was a general and he continued their relationship when he became emperor.

After her relationship with Titus, she seems to have faded from history.

♦ Who was Drusilla?

Berniece had a little sister and her name was Drusilla, a feminine derivative of the Roman family name Drusus.

Berniece and Drusilla are both mentioned in the New Testament Book of Acts.

Drusilla was the wife of Felix, a Roman governor of Judea, who sent for Paul to hear about Jesus. Before she married Felix, she was married to some guy named Gaius Julius Azizus, who was a priest-king of Emesa.

Drusilla didn't bed-hop as much as her big sister, Berniece; but she did sort of follow her big sister's example. Even though she went backward. Instead of going from governor to king, she went from a king to a governor.

Historical records indicate that she perished in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

♦♦♦

P.S. I am not a qualified historian, so if you see anything incorrect in this short post, feel free to call me out on it.

♦♦♦ ADDITIONAL READING

Berenice | Jewish Women's Archive

A descendant of Herod the Great, Berenice was queen of Chalcis and Cicilia and opposed the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE. She eventually became the lover of Titus, the Roman general (and later emperor) who destroyed Jerusalem.

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/berenice

Drusilla

Acts 24: 24 Background: After returning to Jerusalem after years of missionary travel Paul was persecuted by  Jewish leaders and accused of sedition (Acts 21- 23). He was taken into custody and taken to the Caesarea to be brought before Felix, the Roman Governor. Felix agreed to listen to Paul and listened as he defended himself against the Jewish accusations (Acts 24: 1-20).  After hearing Paul Felix was interested in him and kept him under his protection for several more days. Then… “After certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.” (Acts 24:24) Facts About Her: Usually I only post facts that can be found in the scriptures, but Drusilla is a well documented historical figure and so I am including those in the facts even though they are not stated in the scripture. She was the wife of Felix, the Roman governor of Judea (Acts 24:24); She was a Jewess (Acts 24:24); She was with Felix when he sent for Paul and “heard him concerning the faith in Christ” but (Acts 24:24); She was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa and the granddaughter of Herod the Great; She had two older sisters, Mariamne and Bernice. Bernice also listened to Paul and rejected his teachings (Acts 25: 13-14, 23). Speculations About Her: She was only 6-years-old when her father, Herod Agrippa died. Before he died he betrothed her to to Gaius  Epiphanes, heir of Commagene, on the condition that he embrace the Jewish faith and be circumcised. This marriage did not take place because the groom wouldn’t consent to circumcision and so when she was about 14 or 15 Drusilla was married Gaius Aziz, the king of Emessa.  Who, in order to obtain her hand, was circumcised. ( Source ) According to the Jewish historian Josephus not long after her marriage  Felix, the Roman governor of Judea, saw Druislla and, being attracted by her famed beauty, convinced her to leave her husband for him. Josephus wrote: “While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla, and fell in love with her; for she did indeed exceed all other women in beauty; and he sent to her a person whose name was Simon, a Jewish friend of his, by birth a Cypriot, who pretended to be a magician. Simon endeavored to persuade her to forsake her present husband, and marry Felix; and promised, that if she would not refuse Felix, he would make her a happy woman. Accordingly she acted unwisely and, because she longed to avoid her sister Berenice’s envy (for Drusilla was very ill-treated by Berenice because of Drusilla’s beauty) was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her forefathers, and to marry Felix. ”  ( Josephus, Jewish Antiquities , xx.7.2) Drusilla left her first husband, to whom she was never legally divorced from, and went to live as Felix’s wife. She was probably around 20 years of age when she accompanied Felix to listen to Paul’s testimony. She and Felix had a son named Marcus Antonius Agrippa and a daughter Antonia Clem

https://www.womeninthescriptures.com/2013/03/drusilla.html

Bernice And Drusilla: 2 Wicked Sisters

Bernice and Drusilla were two evil sisters who took part in Paul's trial.

https://sharonwilharm.com/bernice-and-drusilla/

Original Source

The Heavenly Idol (2023) : Korean Drama Based on a Webtoon

The Heavenly Idol (2023); 12 episodes

This Korean drama series is adapted from a webtoon, titled “Sungseureowoon Idol”, written by Shin Hwa-Jin. The spirit of a loyal and pure high priest who faithfully serves the god in the Other World is switched and he ends up in the body of a Korean idol in a K-pop boy band in modern-day Seoul. Never mind how it happened. How does he get back?

Image credit: Kim Min Kyu Is A Priest-Turned-Idol Whose No. 1 Fan Go Bo Gyeol Becomes His Manager To Save Him In “The Heavenly Idol” | Soompi

Fortunately, in the modern world he still has his divine power, so he can continue to heal people and fight demons. It’s a good thing too because it seems that the devil has also switched and is in the body of a top executive in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, the devil is bringing in his minions from the Other World to serve him and to recruit new followers. The high priest meets an idol fan who thinks he is suffering from multiple personality disorder. She determines to help him get medical treatment for his mental health “illness”.

Eventually, she comes to recognize that the man she knows as a K-pop idol is not the same as the man she has befriended. He is not an alternate personality, he really is an entirely different person. She resolves to help him defeat the dark forces that have come over from the Other World, and in the process, falls in love with him. Their relationship gets sort of complicated. Not only are they from two (2) different worlds, but priests are supposed to be celibate. Will evil be defeated and true love find its own way? (Watch on Viki.)

REF:  My Korean Drama Reviews on Quora

** The Heavenly Idol | Official Trailer | CJ ENM

Blogging Tips: Have You Tried YouTube's 'Create a Post' Feature?

Everyone knows YouTube is for VLOGGERS.  But can YouTube be used for BLOGGERS? That is to say, people do not create and upload videos, but they do write blog posts - can they publish a blog via the YouTube platform?

Several months ago I tested YouTube’s “Create a Post” feature and got so busy with my other online projects that I totally forgot it. But in October 2023, I revisited the feature. There are a lot of PROs.

PROS:

1. If you like a particular video ~ even though you did not create n upload it ~ rather than leave a comment that might get buried with all of the other commenters, when you click the Share button, simply select “Create a Post” and then write your comments or a detailed blog post.
2. You can add hashtags, to make it easier for people to find.
3. I am not a vlogger but you don’t need to be in order to use the “Create a Post” feature. It’s perfect for bloggers. You can add an image and then write content just like you do on a blog. Your blog posts are published via the YouTube platform.

View two examples of how content is displayed when you reshare a video about a topic you liked OR you added an image and wrote a blog post.

(1) Created a Poat and linked to a YT video to comment about a Kdrama teaser

(2) Created a Post by adding an image and writing a blog post about Kdramas based on webtoons

• NOTE: Of course, alternatively when you click the Share button you can share the YT video via Blogger (Blogspot) or Tumblr, and write a detailed blog post. But YouTube has a lot of traffic so why not publish blog posts on that platform as well?

What is your opinion? Do you think it's a good idea to use YouTube for blogging?

Original source

IF you had 50 trillion dollars to start your own country ...

Responded to an Interesting Question Posed on Quora.

Quora is considered as an intelligence community, where minds from around the world gather together to ask questions and get answers. Some of the questions asked are very specific and some are hypothetical presented as a “What If” scenario. This is my response to a “What If” question that was asked.

Question:
If you had 50 trillion dollars to start your own country, how would you start doing it?

My Answer:
$50 trillion is NOT enough to start my own country. My country would be the whole world. I need money enough to bribe everybody to live peacefully in a world without borders. ❤☺

(This response was also shared via MyLot.com.  This is a social site where you can make friends and earn money sharing your opinions, observations, etc.  Same thing you do on Facebook or other social media only they pay you "a penny for your thoughts".  Joined the site two years ago.  It's loads of fun!  #EarnExtraIncome)


If you had 50 trillion dollars to start your own country, how would you start doing it? - Quora

Read Treathyl Fox's answer to If you had 50 trillion dollars to start your own country, how would you start doing it? on Quora

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My Quora 2017 Activity Highlights

Received a wonderful eMail communication thanking me and congratulating me. It was a pleasant surprise. Text of the eMail message from Quora is below.


I reviewed some additional stats and realized that I have been a quora member since 2013.  Someone was nice enough to invite me to join and I can't even remember who!  This is a nice site.  People ask interesting questions, engage each other in intelligent discussion, supply great responses and information, and it has a free blogging platform.  Some insist that Quora can be used to drive traffic to their main websites and blogs.  (See links below.)  I have never used it for that purpose.  For me, it's a research tool and also makes for enlightening reading on a wide range of topics.

Thanks for being a part of Quora in 2017! Let's look at some of the ways you helped share and grow the world's knowledge this past year. Your 2017 Highlights 9 1 40 ANSWERS QUESTION NEW FOLLOWERS Your answers were helpful and earned 126 upvotes and 21.5k views.   Additionally, 4 of the answers you wrote this year were featured in a Quora Digest. Your question encouraged people to share what they know and inspired 1 person to follow your question Thanks for helping Quora have a great 2017, and we wish you a happy new year!

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My Best of Halloween Posts on G+ - Witches, Sorcerers and Wizards!

So witches, sorcerers, and wizards are not the same? 

What else don't I know?


glitter-graphics.com

Who is the most intelligent person in the world's history? - Quora.com

From time to time I check Quora.com for their interesting Q&As. Like this question:

Who is the most intelligent person in the world's history?

Varied responses to this question that basically range from responders indicating: (a) naming names of historical people; (b) debating the validity and validation of the "IQ score" and (c) pretty much saying it's a dumb question!

I couldn't come up with a response because I'm in the "Other 'I' Column". Ignorant!! :)  I really like that Quora site!!

View my Quora Profile.

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Niume Promises to Help You Promote Your Blog

Post UPDATED January 30th, 2017: UPDATE #1

Niume is a collaborative blogging platform, established in 2014 with the goal of assisting bloggers with blog promotion and monetization efforts.

 

Have you heard about the newest kid on the block in the wonderful of social blogging communities? (The site was started in 2014 and a site that's 2 years old is still practically brand spanking new! 👶)  According to ZDNet, Niume, a new collaborative blogging platform “is taking the web by storm”. The goal of this platform is to help bloggers successfully promote and monetize their blog VERSUS struggling to maintain a stand alone blog which will likely drown in the ocean of over 250 million other blogs that are out there, along with you, trying to swim to the top and stay afloat.

Niume is a content syndication site and the owners actually pay you to syndicate your blog posts at their site. (Read more: mostblogging.com)  

Real Wire describes this site as “All the pleasure of blogging but with instant reach”.


Do I have an opinion?  
But of course!  Published it via Quora.



Read Treathyl Fox's answer to What is your opinion of Niume.com (blogging platform)? on Quora

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

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What would you do if you had discovered you will die in some months? | Quora.com

It's been more than a few months. It's been a few years. Forgot I had answered this question. This was my response in 2013. It's 2016 and … that's my answer and I'm sticking to it!

 

Read Treathyl Fox's answer to What would you do if you had discovered you will die in some months? on Quora

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