Disaboom Left Thumb Blogger Blog

Christmas Memories

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:53:15 GMT

Vancouver and area has received the most snow in December in decades. (In fact, an additional two centimeters are needed by midnight New Year's Eve to break the record, and that could easily be broken by tonight's snowfall.) Because of the snow and the disastrous road conditions, Darrell's parents did not drive down from Nelson in southeastern British Columbia, and, even though Mom was less than an hour away, she didn't make it in either. There was disappointment all around, but we all held onto the fact that everyone was safe and warm in our respective homes. We'd celebrate Christmas later when we could get together, safely.

Darrell and I enjoyed an intimate Christmas for two (plus kitty) - something that we haven't done much in our twelve Christmases together. Actually, it was quite nice.

We took our time opening presents, in between phone calls. We even surprised Darrell's parents with a conference call via Skype with Darrell's brother and family in Georgia. Using technology to bring the family together was great and helped to span the distance between all of us.

Thankfully we still had one package of frozen turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. That, with a box of mashed potatoes, stovetop stuffing and veggies made for an easy yet enjoyable Christmas dinner for us to prepare.

On Sunday, Mom was able to come by with a load of groceries - we haven't been out for two weeks! We surprised her with a turkey lunch. I cooked my first turkey! It was a 5lb one we had in the freezer. I thawed it and managed to pull its neck out its butt! Ick. We had Christmas - Take Two.

More memories available on Flickr.

Signs of Christmas

Left Thumb Blogger — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:16:47 GMT

Today I decided to do a photo walk, looking for signs of Christmas. With 18 inches of snow outside, I decided to do the photo walk inside! Here is some of what I found:

Our fireplace decked out in faux greenery. Mrs. and Mr. Frosty are taking the chill of by the fire.

On the mantle, my grandma's silver candlesticks are brightly smiling. I believe she received them on her 25th wedding anniversary. Mom gave them to me on my wedding day; we placed them on the head table. Call me crazy, but I enjoy polishing them. It is one way to connect with Nanna, who I vaguely remember.

Our mini fibre optic tree aglow. Who says ornament must be hung on the tree? Without an AB (able-bodied) available, we place them around the tree.

A few of our Mis and Chief kitty ornaments. These are so adorable. It is a shame they are put only for a short time each year.

One of the best parts of Christmas is the yummy goodies, including Christmas dinner dessert. Forget pumpkin pie! That belongs back at Thanksgiving. To me, Christmas dessert is plum pudding; ideally, Cross & Blackwell plum pudding, but our grocery store has a limited selection. Doused in rum and lit ablaze. Yum. In a house with minimal alcohol intake, I was intrigued by how Mom always found a little swig of something to pour on the plum pudding and light!

I don't have many ethnic/cultural traditions I follow, but shortbread is another must-have. I had to explain to Darrell why I bypassed the Danish or Dutch shortbread and went straight for Walkers. I'm sure the other shortbreads are good, but, for this Scottish redhead, it must be the "Made in Scotland" tartan package. Granted, it doesn't melt in mouth quite like Mom Sutherland's once did, but it will suffice.

Those are a few of the signs of Christmas that I found. More photos are on Flickr.

10 Tips for Surviving the Last Christmas Shopping Weekend

Left Thumb Blogger — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:29:00 GMT

Except for a few fresh items required for Christmas dinner, my shopping is done! For those of you poor souls who still need to brave the overcrowded malls, here are ten tips for increasing your chances of making it out relatively intact:

Protect your hard earned cash! In these tough economic times, people are desperate. The stores and tax man will grab enough. Don't give others the opportunity to also grab some.
Rather than viewing the long lines as a annoying waste of time, view them as a progressive block party that moves from one store to another. Take the opportunity to meet new people. Who knows, you may meet your future boss, future mother-in-law or future ex!
Shop at a 24-hour Walmart in the middle of the night. (from accrete)
Stay calm, get in early (to avoid the crowds and last minute panic sessions), and take time out for a mid-shopping edible treat to replenish energy! (from Ruth Ellison)
Go with a plan: know what you will get from where. Be prepared with a Plan B! (from Darrell Hyatt)
Avoid malls all together. Shop at Amazon and use overnight shipping! (from Candie Beachamp)

(Due to the economic downturn, this list of ten tips has been regrettably cut back to six. You are solely responsible for the remaining 40% of your survival. Happy holidays!)

My thoughts will be with you battling the crowds while I lazily sit beside the warm crackling fire, enjoying a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream.

Christmas Decorating is a Juggling Act

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:15:20 GMT

'Tis that time of year to put up a tree in our living room and to cover it in decorations and lights. A few years ago, Darrell and I decided that, unless an AB (able-bodied) will be here before and after Christmas, our small fibre optic tree set on a TV table will suffice. Granted, I would love to have a live tree fully decorated top to bottom, with warm glowing lights. But, reality often dictates otherwise. Even for the mini tree to go up, much juggling is required.

Step 1: Remove my old scooter from the living room. This thing isn't small. Finding another place to tuck it out of the way, until I find a new owner, is not easy. But, I did find a place in front of the bookcase, which meant moving the chair by the bookcase to somewhere else.

Step 2: Pull off the slip cover from the chair in the corner and wash it. How can one cat lose so much hair and not be bald? Before I could get the warm-from-the-dryer cover back on the chair, guess who was curled up on it again! Yep, that is Faith yawning, ready for yet another cat nap. I eventually got the cover back on the chair, after working up a sweat. That is tricky to get on fairly neatly. Then I placed a towel over top for Miss Faith to sleep on. That will be easy to pull off before parents-in-law arrive.

Step 3: Retrieve two TV tables from behind the couch. At one point, we did have two tables in a handy place where we could get them to actually use. But then a helpful AB placed them with the other four tables.

Step 4: Carry the tree box from Darrell's office. That was fairly easy.

Step 5: Place the TV Tables in front of the cabinet. Cover in sparkly fluffy cotton. (Sparkles are now all over the floor, which will need sweeping yet again!) Push and pull the corner chair, which means sliding the couch down, so that TV tables aren't jammed up against it.

Step 6: Pull the tree out of the box and place on the TV tables. Plug in the lights.

We now feel like how Faith looks and wish we could curl up by the fire on a cold wintry day! The rest of the decorating will happen another day, once our backs recover.

The World's First Registered Disability Savings Plan

Left Thumb Blogger — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:10:00 GMT

Canadians with disabilities are disproportionately poor, many receiving less than $10,000 per year in provincial disability support payments. Any financial gifts, say in the form of inheritances, received from parents and relatives are often deducted from support payments, leaving individuals no further ahead.

Thanks to years of tirelessly effort by the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), that's about to change. PLAN co-founder Al Etmanski says, "Similar to a Registered Educational Savings Plan, the RDSP(Registered Disability Savings Plan) is designed specifically for people living with a disability. It allows anyone already eligible for a disability tax credit to invest savings tax-free until withdrawal, up to a lifetime limit of $200,000. Friends and family members can also contribute to the RDSP of a loved one."

As an incentive for people to set up a RDSP, the federal government "has also created the Canada Disability Savings Grant and the Canada Disability Savings Bond. Through the disability grant, the government will provide up to $3 in matching funds for every $1 invested, to a maximum of $3,500 a year. The disability bond provides $1,000 annually to the plans of the most vulnerable -- low-income families unable to contribute anything themselves."

Etmanski continues, "Led by British Columbia, provincial governments are responding to the RDSP by changing their regulations to allow people to have significant assets and still qualify for disability benefits. This will make it much easier for families to help their relatives financially, and people with disabilities who save money for their future will no longer be penalized by claw-back policies."

According to PLAN, RDSP highlights include:

Like Registered Education Savings Plans, the plan will allow funds to be invested tax-free until withdrawal.
Any individual that is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit may establish an RDSP.
In the case of a minor child, a parent or guardian can establish and direct the RDSP.
$200,000 lifetime contribution limit.
Contributions permitted by the individual, any family member or friends.
No annual limits on contributions.
Contributions grow on a tax deferred basis.
No restrictions on when the funds can be used or for what purpose.

As a Canadian with a disability currently living on disability benefits who is not permitted to have much in savings regardless of how frugal I am, which makes saving for expenses not covered by the benefits difficult, I find this new legislation exciting! Checking with two financial institutions so far, details are still somewhat sketchy. My husband and I will definitely make an appointment once more information becomes available at the end of January. 2009 could be off to an awesome start, financially! Only in Canada, eh? Pity!

More information:

Technorati Tags: Canada,registered disability savings plan,PLAN,federal government,disability

Has Blogging Enhanced or Diverted Your Creativity

Left Thumb Blogger — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:45:30 GMT

Earlier this evening, I was watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Darrell; our Sunday evening ritual. The designers' ideas for the kids' bedroom always amaze me; the bedrooms are so creative and cool. Then, out of nowhere, I began wondering where my bloggy friends used to put their creativity. On the next commercial break, I tweeted my question:

By the next commercial break, there were a few responses waiting for me on Twitter:

@Akula said graffiti ;-) (Hmm, interesting!)
@studio747 was really involved with making jewelry and painting.
@deafmom daydreamed a lot. Now she shares what's in her head with the world. LOL
ggw_bach reflected we are definitely entering an age of super-creativity. All the tools are there; the connections too. Just marvel.

On Facebook, Lori-ann added, "well...some people I know... wrote their autobiography :)". (Hmm, I wonder who she is referring too!)

My first question began me thinking about another one: Has blogging diverted your creativity from other passions?

@steven_sanders lamented that blogging has pulled his creativity away from his website design and development. He never gets work done at his job any more. (Oops, I hope his boss isn't following him on Twitter!)

For me, blogging provides my creativity with an outlet. I love when I have a thought or an idea, and can then write it and share it. To be able to add photos or images, which I can play with and manipulate until I get just so, adds to the creative experience. However, blogging has taken me away from other hobbies like needlework and macrame. But those hobbies were solitary and didn't benefit anyone else but myself. With blogging, I get to create with words, connect with other people, and, occasionally, benefit others - all of which I love doing.

How about you? Where did you put your creativity before you began blogging? Has blogging diverted your creativity from other passions or enhanced it?

Enjoy the Riches of Blogging: Share Your Personal Story

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:27:43 GMT

The other night, long after I should have been fast asleep in my warm cozy bed, I came across this one blog that reminded me what blogging is truly about. As a nearly full-time blogger, getting caught up in driving traffic, increasing comments, installing the latest widget or plugin is easy to do. But, the real magic of blogging, which often overlooked, lies in sharing personal stories and experiences. Much richness and value is found in first-person stories.

Light's Life Journey shares a mother's experiences in raising a beautiful young daughter with cerebral palsy. After reading several posts, I realized that, regardless of race, creed or religion, parents raising children with cerebral palsy (and, no doubt, other disabilities) face similar experiences:

the endless medical appointments and therapy sessions,
the need for wheelchairs to come with accessible vans (How are parents suppose to lift these heavy things?),
the unconditional love of siblings,
the unique beauty in their child, as this video touchingly shows (video is not yet captioned):

By sharing personal experiences, others facing similar situations gain strength in knowing they are not alone. We can learn much from one another.

What is your story? What can others gain or learn from you? Share your story on your blog and share in the riches of blogging.

Blog on!

Have a blogging question? Leave a comment below.

Read more Blogging 101...

Using Facebook to Increase Blog Traffic

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:17:00 GMT

With more than 120 million people actively using Facebook, a thought struck: surely there are ways drive traffic to my blogs! Last Friday I began an experiment finding ways to find ways to Integrate my posts from both blogs (I also blog at Do It Myself Blog) into my Facebook page to increase traffic to the blogs. Here is where I began:

1. Notes

Using the Notes application is the easiest place to start, once I found my Notes box. (I haven't used Facebook too much lately as I am preferring Twitter at the moment.)

When I did find it, clicking on the See All in the upper right corner took me to a page with an Edit import settings option. Here I entered my blog's feed URL. For Disaboom blogs, the feed takes the form of:

http://www.disaboom.com/Blogs/left_thumb_blogger/rss.aspx

For your Disaboom feed URL, replace left_thumb_blogger with your username. Click to confirm import and my blog posts will appear on my Facebook page shortly after publishing them.

Advantage: Relatively straightforward and simple to do.

Disadvantages: Posts from only one blog can be imported to the Notes. For the moment, I chose to import posts from Do It Myself Blog. Only my friends can see my notes, limiting my potential increase in traffic.

2. Simplaris Blogcast

Upon recommendations from Twitter buddies, I then checked out the Simplaris Blogcast application. "Simplaris Blogcast lets you quickly and easily integrate your existing blog into your Facebook profile. Get more exposure for your blog and share your content with friends." With 48,733 monthly active users, I figured it sounded promising and proceeded with the install.

The dialog box asks for the blog feed URL and how I want to keep Simplaris Blogcast up-to-date. I chose to let the application handle that for me; it will update daily.

Advantage: If you are familiar with installing Facebook applications, this is still fairly simple to implement. From my initial understanding about the application, posts fed through Blogcast can be seen by anyone using the application, ie 48,733 people. Hence, my potential reach is far greater.

Disadvantages: Again, only one blog feed can be used; too bad if you write for multiple blogs. This time I used my Disaboom feed.

3. Blog Networks

Following another recommendation, my next stop was the Blog Networks application (soon to be renamed NetworkedBlogs). This application has 265,209 monthly active users. Yes! According to the application page, "The best way to promote your blog on Facebook and to discover new blogs. Blog Networks is a community of bloggers and blog lovers."

Adding a blog to Blog Networks requires more information than the previous two applications, including:

Blog name
URL
Three topics or tags
Blog language
Description

However, once your blog is added, you need to verify that you are, indeed, the author. This can be done in one of two ways:

add a chunk of HTML code to your blog, which, with Disaboom blogs, isn't possible (that I know of at the moment); or,
in typical Facebook style, invite ten friends to confirm your authorship.

Then, once you have confirmed you are your blog's author, the blog needs 15 fans for its feed - for new post titles - to appear in the general listing.

Advantages: Multiple blogs can be added. I have added Do It Myself Blog and Left Thumb Blogger - each blog has its own Facebook page with details, fans, etc. With 265,209 active users, potential reach dramatically increases.

Disadvantages: Requiring author confirmation and 15 fans could take some work before seeing any benefit to joining the network. If you do join the network, leave your blog's Facebook page URL in a comment below so that Disaboomers can become fans.

I am sure there are even more Facebook applications that I could be using to promote my blogs, but I'll leave it at these three for now and see what happens. No doubt, a combination of applications will yield the best result and, as always, creating quality blog content with enticing headlines will remain essential.

Have you tried promoting your blog on Facebook? What have you found that works? What doesn't?

Blog on!

Read more Blogging 101...

For Women Only

Left Thumb Blogger — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:44:39 GMT

It is my time of month, yet again. I never used to dread it. When I began this nonsense, my period was something that happened once a month and, after cuddling with my heating pad for an hour or popping a Tyenol, everything was relatively fine and I'd carry on with my day. But as I age, the cramps feel like my fallopian tubes are being squeezed in an ever tightening vice grip. And there's no way to shut off the tap. If this is a preview to menopause with cerebral palsy, I'm not looking for to the actual event.

What is the point to this pain, hassle and discomfort each month for the next umpteen years? I will never have a baby growing inside of my womb. Despite how much Darrell and I would love to have a child, it isn't in the cards for us. Each month I am reminded of this as I flush another potential human down the toilet, literally. Each month I am saddened by that which will never be. Each month I inwardly mourn the magic of child, the human potential, the scientific discovery or the beautiful art or the earth-saving idea that will never be realized.

What is the point?

What is point of keeping my uterus and related parts? They will never be used. They only cause pain and discomfort. Why keep them? Without out these parts could I possibly feel even less than a woman then I do now without a baby?

If having these parts removed didn't mean hospitalization, anesthesia, doctors and even more pain for a while, I might seriously consider a hysterectomy. For now, I will take a deep breath and carry on until it all hits again next month. As a woman, that is what I do.

Come On Body, Work with Me!

Left Thumb Blogger — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:42:19 GMT

Some days my body and mind are in sync, working like a well-oiled machine. I have plenty of energy for a productive day, and I go bed feeling accomplished and satisfied. Other days my body rebels against me.

After needing to get up once or twice during the night, I drag my bootie out of my warm cozy bed, more tired than when I went to bed. I go about my morning routine of getting dressed and having breakfast, trying desperately to resist the urge to crawl back into my warm bed. My pain is more noticeable than usual. The thought of sitting at my computer, writing - or pretend to go through the motions - does nothing to motivate me. When I do go to bed, I end up beating up myself for not doing more when I have so much to do and for, essentially, wasting a day.

Today was one of those days. Last night was a rough night: my pillow wasn't positioned just so, the spot in my back needed to pop but wouldn't, and I had to pee at 5am, and even though I went back to bed until 9 - putting my daily schedule off - I didn't really go back to sleep. I knew it would be one of those days: I have projects to finish and posts to write, but no energy to do any of it.

Rather than pretending to work and get nothing done, I decided, with strong encouragement from my husband, to do something else. All that I felt like like doing was lying on the couch and watching one of Barry Manilow's DVDs that I had bought in Vegas but hadn't had time to watch yet. So, that is what I did! Lying on the couch in the middle of a weekday, covered with a blankie, with my kitty curled up behind my knees and the autumn sun pouring in felt so good; it felt so luxurious.

Tonight, when I do go to bed, I will try not to feel guilty for having an unproductive day. Hopefully, tomorrow my body will work with me and I will accomplish much.

Telemarketers Need Disability Awareness Training

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:57:51 GMT

The phone rang last night:

"Can I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Watson, please?"

I'm actually Mrs. Watson Hyatt, but close enough. "Yes, I'm Mrs. Watson." Dead silence. "Yes, hi?"

"Is your Mom home?"

Well, given that it is 7:30 and she doesn't like driving in the dark, there is a very good likelihood she is home. But, THIS is not her home.

"I'll call back later." Click.

Fine, call back later, but Mom still won't be here and I will still speak like this!

I have had countless phone exchanges such as that one through the years. And, I find each one equally frustrating! I know I shouldn't let them get to me - the calls are no big deal in the overall scheme of things. But, not to be taken as a capable, intelligent woman, to be asked if my mommy is home, because of my speech still hurts. There are even a few tears at times. This caller hung up before I had the chance; I didn't even get the satisfaction of hanging up on her!

I know I am not alone in facing this phone frustration. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 7.5 million people in the United States have trouble using their voices.

Do telemarketers and call centre employees not receive any training on how interact with people with speech impairments or heavy accents? You would think mastering skills in verbal communication would be essential for success in this type of job, no?

Is Your Mobility Device Part of Your Persona?

Left Thumb Blogger — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:59:27 GMT

In my blue Orion 3-wheel scooter, I soared along the sidewalk. Coming up the hill to our place, I soared like an eagle.

While out on errands on Wednesday afternoon, my brakes failed. Going up the hill, only to roll backwards should I stop was not a reassuring feeling. Not wanting his wife in something with questionable safety, Darrell decided now was time to take possession of the new scooter that had been on hold for me since before our Las Vegas trip.

The new scooter was simply a newer model of my Orion. The only major difference was its colour - it's red. Red was my favourite colour as child. And, I have dreamt about owning a red sports car (like who hasn't?!)

But a red scooter? Isn't red loud and attention-grabber? That is all I need!

While waiting for the scooter to be delivered Thursday morning, I was discussing my dilemma on Twitter. Someone suggested that I could charge like a bull. Me, a charging bull? Hopefully not too often! Someone else offered soaring like a red-tailed hawk. Now that had potential! Do hawks soar like eagles? Are they as powerful and graceful as eagles?

Later another friend suggested Red Hot Mama. The funny thing is, back in university, a friend nicknamed me Motorcycle Mama. Red Hot Motorcycle Mama is an obvious choice!

Now that the rain has finally stopped, excuse while I take my shiny red scooter out for my first ride and allow me to try on Red Hot Motorcycle Mama for size!

Has your mobility device become part of your persona?

How to Submit Disaboom Posts to StumbleUpon

Left Thumb Blogger — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:28:00 GMT

In my last Blogging 101 post, I shared how to discover sites by stumbling. Have you tried stumbling a bit? Did you come across any interesting pages? Did you find stumbling a wee bit addictive? ("Oh, just one page to see what comes up!")

The pages that StumbleUpon serves up to you are submitted to the system by fellow StumbleUpon members. In a sense, StumbleUpon is a database of the best webpages and blog posts as determined by the StumbleUpon community. As a member, you can submit to the database to share with other members and to drive traffic to that post.

When reading an excellent article or post on Disaboom, you can easily submit it to StumbleUpon. With the Disaboom post still on your screen, click on the thumb up button on your StumbleUpon toolbar:

If you are the first to give the post a thumb up, a submission form will appear:

To submit a post:

Clean up the Title field - you want only the post/page title here
Write a couple of sentences about the page in the Review box.
Select the most appropriate topic. There are 501 to choose from, including those from the dropdown menu.
Add up to five tags, separated with a comma, either chosen from the topic list or keywords from the post. For example, tags appropriate for posts from Disaboom may include: activism, disabilities, health, technology. Unlike with search engine optimization, the key here is to use broad terms for tags.
Indicate whether post is adult content.
Click on Submit This Site.

Caution: If you are the first to discover a post and you choose not to submit the form (say, if you are in a rush or if you aren’t sure what to write for a review), hitting your Back button or moving on to the next post can send that post into the StumbleUpon graveyard, which is not good! When presented with the Submission Form, please complete the brief review process.

To check whether a page has been reviewed, click the Comment button:

If the post has been reviewed, you you can add a review from there. If the post has yet to be reviewed and if you still wish to submit it, return to the post, click the thumb up button and complete the submission form.

Do you have a question about using StumbleUpon? Leave a comment below.

Blog on!

Read more Blogging 101...

Discovering Sites by Stumbling

Left Thumb Blogger — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:40:00 GMT

In my last post, I shared how to get started with the social networking tool StumbleUpon and how to determine if you are stumbling one site (i.e. Disaboom) too much.

Today, I'd like to backtrack a bit and explain what stumbling is about and how to stumble.

Once you join StumbleUpon (it's free) and select a few of your interests from a list of over 500, you install the StumbleUpon toolbar, which looks like this:

The toolbar can be used for discovering interesting webpages. By clicking on the Stumble! button,

the system will serve you a webpage related to one of your interests. Clicking on the Stumble! button again and it will serve you another page...and another...

Using the Stumbling! button today, I discovered:

101 Useful Resources for Online Entrepreneurs
Funny Sleeping Cats (How cute!
Opening new worlds: The disability boom (About Disaboom's boss!)
Brain Trust: 100 Ivy League Business & Entrepreneurship Courses You Can Take for Free

Warning: Stumbling can be addictive yet quite educational!

When you come across a page you particularly like while stumbling, give it a thumb up!

If you particularly do not like a page, give a thumb down:

However, use the thumb down sparingly, for example, on:

slow loading pages
non existent or error laden pages
ad-heavy pages
voting pages from other social media
pop-ups & pop-unders

If you do not have a strong opinion either way, it is best to move onto the next stumble. Save your thumbs up for the best content.

Happy stumbling!

In the next post, I will explain how to submit pages to StumbleUpon.

Blog on!

Have a blogging question? Leave a comment below.

Read more Blogging 101...

Do You Stumble Too Much?

Left Thumb Blogger — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:49:38 GMT

Using the social networking tool StumbleUpon is a great way to discovering interesting websites, to meet people who share similar interests and to dramatically increase traffic to one's own website.

Getting started with StumbleUpon is as easy as one, two:

Join StumbleUpon and select your interests - you have 501 to choose from. Selecting your interests determines which pages StumbleUpon will show you. Choose a few for now, then add more later if you wish.
Install the toolbar (available for Internet Explorer and Firefox, a workaround exists for Opera and Safari)

Now you are ready to begin stumbling!

Much can be done using StumbleUpon and the toolbar. Today's tip is to help you determine whether you are stumbling or "thumbing up" a particular website, such as Disaboom, too much. In this case, too much of one thing can be a bad thing.

Once you have your profile page set up and have stumbled a few pages (how to stumble will be covered in a future post), viewing My Favorites in the grid display provides thumbnails of pages you have stumbled. This is an easy way to see how many times you have stumbled pages from the same domain (e.g., from www.disaboom.com, even though they may be from different blogs on Disaboom). Over stumbling a domain can have a diminishing effect in terms of traffic, and can actually ban the domain and your account from StumbleUpon, which is a not what you want!

A good rule of thumb is one in twenty-five stumbles for the same domain or blog; some people say one in fifty to be safe. Looking at this screen shot of my own stumbles, I did not do Disaboom any favours with these stumbles. This is one why learning how to use StumbleUpon correctly is so important. Doing the wrong thing, despite good intentions, can have disastrous consequences. Save your stumbles for excellent posts!

Have a blogging question? Leave a comment below.

Read more Blogging 101...