Are You A Jedi Or A Sith?
June 6th, 2008
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Image from Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
After you figure out whether you’re a Gryffindor or a Slytherin, it’s time to figure out whether you’re a Jedi or a Sith. So head on over to Remarkablogger and read my “guest post” Are You a Jedi or a Sith Blogger?
I put “guest post” in quotes because it wasn’t really a guest post. Instead, Michael took a question I asked and used it as the basis for a post. A good deal for both of us!
I asked Michael “What’s the best way to make it as a blogger? The way of the Jedi, or the way of the Sith?” You may recognize these terms from Star Wars, but I defined a Jedi blogger as one who focuses on providing value, and a Sith blogger as one who focuses on tactics.
Just to be clear, this is not the difference between good and evil. A Jedi asks “how can I help my readers?” while a Sith asks “how can I help myself?” As a Sith is thinking about what tactics will work best, they will consider options without regard to whether they’re evil.
I consider myself to be mainly a Jedi blogger in that I focus on value creation. For example, I choose topics without consideration of how much the relevant AdSense ads will pay, I respond to all comments (for now), and I link to low-ranking sites if they’re relevant. But I consider myself partly Sith, in that I put my sidebar on the left because that’s where people look, I sometimes put numbers in headlines because I know they grab attention, and I’m considering Ezine Articles to get more traffic. None of these things are evil, but they don’t come from a perspective of “how can I help my readers?”
I asked Michael which is the best way to make it as a blogger, and I left the door open to the possibility that the answer might be somewhere in the middle. So go on over to Are You a Jedi or a Sith Blogger? and share your thoughts.
Points for participating in the blogging discussion. Bonus points for realizing that this has nothing to do with blogging.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I don’t know what I am, but I guess I would be a Jedi. I enjoy helping people, I’m always teaching in some form or another everyday, whether publicly or quietly by example.
Enjoyed your welcome message, my first time listening to it.
June 6th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Hi Hunter,
I’m a Jedi. Helping people was why I started my blogs, and even though I display ads, any earnings are unexpected and always a pleasant surprise.
You’re a teacher too. I am not a Star Wars fan, so I get to learn about it from you.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..Book And Product Reviews Generate Traffic
June 6th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
You are one of my favorite bloggers and I think a big part of it is that you are a Jedi.
I am a Jedi in the sense that I write whatever I want and tackle the issues that I find interesting. I never ask myself “what would my readers want to read” or “what would work well as far as SEO goes”, but rather “what would be fun to write about”.
I am a Sith in the sense that I do a fair amount of networking, through commenting on other blogs and participating in social media sites. I do want to grow my blog and I would love to make more money from it.
Now I am off to check out the “guest post”.
Vereds last blog post..When Successful Bloggers Try To (Gasp) Make Money
June 6th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Hi Hunter,
Ahh, the force continues…it takes a little Sith to support the Jedi. We have to keep body and soul together after all to keep all that refreshing and insightful content coming.
All best,
Janice
Janice Cartiers last blog post..The Weekend 30 Minute Challenge
June 6th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
@ Natural, I think you’re a Jedi too. Teaching in any form is showing that you care about people.
@ Barbara, so you’re picking up the Star Wars lingo, huh? If you want to sound even more Star Warsy, you can say “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” Or I guess you could say mother.
@ Vered, awww, thanks. Ironically, I think that focusing on what would be fun to write about can very well be better for your readers than writing about what you think they want to read. People are quite often bad at knowing what they want. Glad to hear from a part-Sith though. I do see you commenting all over the place, and it can certainly be effective at growing your blog.
@ Janice, I like a blended approach too. I think having just a little Sith keeps things interesting, as well as helping with growth.
June 8th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Oh I’m in it for the money.
Robins last blog post..Paul’s letter to the Corinthians
June 8th, 2008 at 11:02 am
@ Robin, well, you’ll need a lot of money since you want to live forever! Social security will run out long before the end of time.