10 Questions with Jesse of Wit’s End
Ten Questions with Jesse of Wit’s End
1. Describe your blog in five sentences or less.
At its core, Wit’s End is a personal blog featuring an assortment of anecdotes and topics that interest me personally (that I deem worthy of sharing with the world). My primary focus is quality content, whether it’s a post about how broke I am or an in-depth review of Pownce. I’m also extremely concerned about aesthetics and since I’m a graphic designer by trade, you won’t be let down visually. It’s a good-looking site! So swing on by and have a peek!
2. Link us to one post from your blog that best defines who you are.
The July 27th post at Wit’s End truly captures me (and what I’m attempting to do with my blog). I think I can be a funny guy at times, but I’m not trying to be a comedian; I’m here to blog and establish a decent-sized fanbase. The update begins with a brief story about some of my monetary woes and then jumps into a full-on review of Pownce, ending with a call-to-action and the offer of free invites. I enjoy writing about what’s going on in my life, but I’d much rather write for both myself and my visitors. And since I enjoy doing both it works out well!
3. What sets you apart from other bloggers?
What sets me apart is that I cover all the bases. Visually, the site looks great. Content, it’s there. Web 2.0, covered. On top of that, I like to write about an assortment of interesting things – from tech news and anything breaking, indie bands I love (that you’ve likely never heard), movie topics and reviews, social-networking reviews and commentaries to updates discussing recent social events or gatherings. I’m all over the freakin’ map!
4. When and how did you first discover blogging?
I started blogging back in ‘99 before the term blog had been coined. In my circle of 20-something college-related blogs, they were referred to as E/N’s, short for everything and nothing and the vast majority of the content pertained to the college scene. You know, bars, girls, booze. That sort of thing. It was fun while it lasted, but ultimately it was juvenile and it took a while to realize that only writing about me and my friends wasn’t in my best interest if I wanted to pull in people that didn’t know me and keep them coming back.
A few years later, a friend of mine (and fellow long-time blogger) teamed up and made the jump to Blogger.com (Blogspot at the time) and began anew. This time around we were a little older and wanted to focus a bit more on quality content and really establishing a legitimate fanbase. For about 3 years we ran the site, updating in tandem, until we closed shop in 2005. Again, another great experience.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve related to blogging or the internet?
Pet peeve has such strong connotations. I don’t think I have any that are web or blog-related. I would say that I don’t particularly like going to a blog to find that they’ve not really taken the time to install a decent-looking theme or install some essential plugins. I’m a designer, I look for these things, and I realize some people are just ignorant (we all are, to a degree), but sometimes I come across blogs that are so completely barren and neglected that I pass on the content and go straight for the Back button.
6. Name one plugin, blogging widget, or service that you can’t live without.
Post Ratings! Oh, I absolutely love it! It’s a shame that more people don’t rate my posts, but, yeah, the Post Ratings plugin is a must-have. For me, at least. It’s small, the pastel colors are soft and subtle and the Ajax refreshes in real time. It’s fun!
7. If you could choose anyone, living or dead, to write a guest post for your blog,who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s a toss-up! We’re looking at either Bob Probert, retired NHL tough guy / goon or the ubiquitous Kenneth FitzGerald, my college professor (Graphic Design, Old Dominion University). I have a tremendous amount of respect for both and think they’d both have some interesting things to say, but as far as quality content goes, I’m leaning towards Kenneth. He is a well-known design critic after all, so I’m sure he could rock out a couple hundred words before Bob had even finished his first paragraph.
8. How has blogging made you a better person?
Many facets of my life end up on my blog. Good times or bad. But most are good and most involve time spent with friends and family and it’s a great feeling to associate something I enjoy so much (writing, blogging, etc.) with my love for them.
9. What are your tips for becoming a better blogger?
In this day and age, everything is in a state of perpetual change. From physical hardware like computers and severs to cutting-edge software applications and programs. There’s a lot going on. It can be overwhelming to say the least. My blogging tip would be: look around and attempt to get acquainted with anything and everything you could adopt to better your blog. Whether it’s a platform like Wordpress or Movable Type, taking the time to setup your own server or implementing various widgets or plugins – there are things out there can make your website look and function better, so go give it a shot! Don’t be afraid try new things!
10. Name one great blog that you read on a regular basis. What makes it unique?
I have an assortment of blogs bookmarked that I frequent daily. Tons. But if I had to narrow it down to one particular blog it would probably be
Mashable. I’m really into this whole social-networking, web 2.0 revolution and it’s great to be able to have a website solely devoted to providing information of that specific genre.
Great answers, Jesse! After reading them, I was compelled to check out your blog, and now I’m hooked!