Thanks for the link love Yan! Appreciate it so much!

EmmaB’s last blog post..5 Blogging Platforms To Consider

Thanks for the link, bro.

Hey, you’re from KL too! :smile:

Desmond - DesmondBlog.com’s last blog post..How I Make $20/day through Bum Marketing Doing Almost Nothing

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

Hello Yan ,
Thats a really useful list . And yes its a very useful way to promote good and useful posts and get their approval as well b/w it really gets their attention too . Congrats to the top commentator . Hope i make this month’s commenting toll. Good work peter .

Regards
Asim

@EmmaB - You deserve it, gal for being in Top 10. Haven’t been seeing you around here lately?

@Desmond - I value your link love so this is my way of reciprocating the love back. Yes, I live in KL and I believe you are too, are you?

@Asim - You are welcome to join the fun, pal. Actually, you are in the list but for some weird reasons, I couldn’t get to your site. Are you providing me with the right url?

A free 125*125px ad for one month? Wow, that’s appealing. I’m pretty sure t-you’ll get lots and lots of comments!

jbj’s last blog post..Promote your blog: 250+ links to get free backlinks

@jbj - Thanks for dropping by, Jung. Yeah, it has been going on for few months. In fact, no one knows about it except my regular readers as I don’t shout it loud anywhere on the blog so there is an element of surprise. Beside, I’m all against spammy comments.

Thanks for the link loving Yan.. And thanks for your informative posts. :)

@Domain Structure - You deserve it, Brian for your active participation. Hope everything is fine over at the other side.

Tks Yan,
I will try and keep up and win next month!
bring on the comments!

Hey Yan, this is a very great gesture. You are a big inspiration to me. Thanks for the suggestions on my blog. I didn’t hessitate to consider them because I know they are coming from a wise and genuine mine.

I still have one very big problem though. CommentLuv won’t work on my blog, and surprisingly, there is no error message. Maybe you can help me with that :D

@Larry - Aha, you finally got your gravatar.

@AZ Blogging - Uncle Zhe, I wish I could help you with the plugin but the truth is I can’t advise you on anything I’ve never experienced first hand. I can’t be a smart alex and bluff my way around. I’m sorry.

One thing you need to understand is that plugin that works on other blogs may not necessarily work on yours. In case you aren’t aware, some plugins that you installed prior to CommentLuv might cause it not to function properly.

I was there before after the switch and I know how fun it is to install one plugin after the other but you need to prioritize and separate what is good from what is necessary.

Good luck, buddy…

Give a little, get a little…

Give a lot, get a lot…

This is why blogging rocks - and it is absolutely mandatory that you reciprocate what’s given to you…

A little link love goes a long way as well!

Elijah’s last blog post..The Ninja Mindset - Protecting Your Affiliate Links

I like the list of blog posts you compiled here. I checked out a few of them and they had a lot of helpful information that I did not know.

Thanks Yan

Bruno Auger’s last blog post..Don’t be a Victim of Social Networking Online

@Yan - lol, Ive been shopping and getting used to the big city where I am attending school. I come from a small little reservation where theres no malls so I am splurging a little on myself :) I am coming back full force though!

EmmaB’s last blog post..5 Blogging Platforms To Consider

@Elijah - Oh I remember you. If I recall, I did visit your site sometime last week or so. I must have completely forgotten about it and almost lost you in the radar. That’s the drawback of not having the option to “subscribe to comments”; something that I have been encouraging others to install.

Thanks for the visit, Elijah and appreciate your comment. Hope to see more of you around here.

@Bruno Auger - You are welcome, Bruno. Glad that you like that basket of link loves.

@EmmaB - Well, it’s the natural thing to do since shopping is very much a girl thingy. Where exactly are you from? and where are you now?

Yan,

Thanks for the link love. Very nice set of links.

Nihar’s last blog post..Australia v Bangladesh 2008 - Live Cricket Streaming links - Sopcast links - TVU links - TVAnts Links

Thanks so much for the link love Yan. It’s an honor to be on the list.

Great tips, and great quotes in this article that hoepfully will inspire others to “give back”! :)

Cheers!
Jay

@ Oh gosh you’re right my g was missing from blogspot. All fixed and running now. Yan i would like to know how we could transfer from blogger to wordpress . I think word press is more functional when it comes to its themes and design . And your theme is really elegant compared to the posts it suits it well. The comments also look perfectly set!

Asim’s last blog post..Counter Strike | CS | Clan | Maps | Matches

Thanks Yan for finding something of value on my blog and using it as an example. This in turn shows others how it is better to link to other blogs in appreciation of things learned rather than to take it and run. In this way readers can learn from both blogs and is in essence what the Internet is all about, the sharing of information. Thanks again.

Sire’s last blog post..Quality Comment Does Bring Results

@Yan - I am from a little place called Angling Lake or Wapekeka (it has two names, most reserves in Ontario do lol, dont know why). And now I am in Thunder Bay, and from the looks of things I will be living here for quite a while :)

EmmaB’s last blog post..5 Blogging Platforms To Consider

Yan,

Thanks for the kind words. It’s a pleasure to be a frequent visitor and I learned a lot since my first visit here. You’ve got a unique blog and you’ve walked the talk about helping others and you’ve helped me offline as well. I remember telling my kids when they were growing up to mix with the bright kids if they want to learn and excel in their studies. Looks like I am doing it here too mixing with great company starting with you and your blog.

Peter Lee
p.s. I’ve got Askimet to fix the problem so you shouldn’t see me comments in your spam folder. Let me know if you this is true.

@SuiteJ - Hey, Jay.. no worry about it. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Fact is I was just zooming past your blogging radar and you caught me.

@Asim - Great and yes, it is far more superior than blogspot. You have made the first move thinking about it and now go take some action. I have email you with the details.

@Sire - Though this is not the first time I did it to my readers, you have impressed me on the value of reciprocity and I just thought that your blog was worth a mention here.

You are right! Blogging is all about a community of sharing and learning so let’s make this be better place for everyone.

Do drop by here when the time permits and share what you know with the readers here.

@EmmaB - Oh, really…I think I know those two places…, though I have been there myself. Thing is when you are living in the city with all the hassle and bustle, you long for more laid-back style of living and the opposite is so true.

@Work At Home Ideas - Congrats, you are now officially de-spamed by Akismet and gone are the days when I have to dig into my spam folder to retrieve yours. I kinda miss it somehow..:-)

As I have said it yet again, you have always said the nicest words, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks for thinking so highly of my blog. Fact is in my true humble opinion, we learn from each other and will continue to do so.

Have you sent me your ads banner, Peter?

Hi Yan,
I will send you my ads banner tonite. Hey Yan I noticed that your CommentLuv does not pick up my last post. Any idea why. Did I get banned like you without knowing it?

Peter

Work At Home Ideas’s last blog post..Work At Home Ideas’ Blog Contest

Originally Posted By Yan@Domain Structure - You deserve it, Brian for your active participation. Hope everything is fine over at the other side.

To be honest Yan.. your blog inspires me so much. I only hope my blog(s) can have such success as yours.

Domain Structure’s last blog post..BlogVertise.me

You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got you in my RSS reader just so I can keep an eye on you.

Sire’s last blog post..Quality Comment Does Bring Results

i’ve read about this reciprocity thing from here sometime ago and planned to have a take on it. maybe it is time :) i like the idea.

dimaks’s last blog post..The Pacman, De La Hoya Fight is On

@Work At Home Ideas - Your last post was fetched successfully anyway. In any case, if it doesn’t, it only means that your site takes too long to load and it has gone beyond the pre-set time frame usually a few seconds.

Now to answer your email question, (sorry for the late reply, I just got too many emails I’m freaking out already), the way I see it is that you have too many widgets and images on your sidebar that even though you may think that it doesn’t affect your loading time, it has certainly drawn too much attention away from your content.

I think you need to differentiate the good and the necessary and de-clutter your sidebar. Your content is the real reason your readers are coming to your site, not those in-the-eye ads.

Let me give you an example, the unnoticed will not be able to see your “Why Subscribe?” link which is IMO is one of the most important landing page, though I don’t have it myself here. It’s too important for it to be blinded if you know what I mean.

Allow me to give my opinion on the issue, if you could move everything to your footer, probably it’s the best option I could think of. At least, I’m presented with the content while waiting for the footer to load. Just my 2 cents….

@Domain Structure - You’ll be there and I’m pretty sure about it. Keep the passion alive and have the right mindset right from the very beginning.

When money is not your primary motivation, you will take care of your audience’s interest more than your own. I’m sure you know what I’m trying to tell you.

@Sire - Thank you, Sire. I’m glad we hit it off well right from the start. All the best..

Good post, Yan. :) You’re really teaching bloggers (especially starters) what they should be doing!

Lucas’s last blog post..Marketing Your Site Through the SitePoint Marketplace

this is a very useful post — thanks for the link to sire’s “scratch my back program”. i don’t completely subscribe to the idea of comment reciprocity, because it only works while the blog is relatively small (no one could respond to the thousand or more comments/day that some blogs receive). but i do agree that taking the time to read your commenters’ blogs is something all of us still-relatively-unknown bloggers should do for each other.

jackie sheeler’s last blog post..sarah palin: only good for one thing

@work at home,

I agree with yan. I have also seen that there are lot of widgets in your site and that is making the site very load. Your sidebar very slow…

Try to reduce it..

Nihar’s last blog post..Australia v Bangladesh 2008 - Live Cricket Streaming links - Sopcast links - TVU links - TVAnts Links

I’m from Cheras…u?

@Lucas - Isn’t this a blog that helps beginners to blog better? Glad you like it though the subject may be way below your level.

@jackie sheeler - Thanks for your comment, Jackie. I do agree with your viewpoint. In fact, I’m advocating the reciprocity to “the unknowns” and not the A-listers who are receiving too many comments they couldn’t possibly reply to all. We can always try the best we can and when it becomes a chore, we need to let it go somehow.

You’ll be surprised that many are still taking it for granted. Anyway, welcome to thoushallblog.com and hope you enjoy your stay here.

@Nihar - Thanks for the reinforcement, buddy. I hope Peter got the message. Less is always more in this case.

@Desmond - I’m from Damansara. We’ll catch up one day…

reciprocating is one of the best strategies you could use blogging. it will give you great results, and you are one of the bloggers that can confirm that :)

Hugo Santos’s last blog post..Time to Kick some one

Hi Yan,

Thanks so much for giving me something to think about. I do agree with you and Nihar (thanks!) that I have too many widgets. I will work on reducing them and see if that works. I do have quite a no. of picture urls (e.g. Blaugh, Picapp). Could they be causing the problem you think.

Peter

@Yan -

@Work At Home Ideas - Yes, I forgot to mention it earlier. Why would you use a third party image source when you could use your own image with proper alt text for better SEO? Unless, there is some kind of profit sharing from those displayed ads.

Widgets are notoriously slowing down your site’s loading time and I think you are aware of it.

Yan,
What a great way to thank you readers. I may have to steal your idea and offer some kind of “love” to my readers.

Work At Home Mom Tara’s last blog post..HostGator affiliate’s make more money!

@Work At Home Mom Tara - The idea wasn’t mine, Tara so feel free to steal it. I just thought it’s the right thing to do.

Thanks for dropping by. I enjoy reading your blog too and good luck to your gang of mafia. What a name!

Hi Sir!

All the best,
LAINY

Lainy’s last blog post..My Entrecard Dropping Techniques Unleashed (Part I)

@Lainy - Welcome to the friendliest blog on the planet, Lainy. Friends are made around here, no question about it.

Oh ya, say “Hi” to Uncle Che for me, will you please?

For the whole last month while being on one remote job I had a thought that I would swim a river full of crocodiles for commenting here. And be in the list just like I’ve earned for July 08.

Well, I will need some mobile device in the future, they sell somethings like that now-days don’t they?

Rado’s last blog post..How Eating Pizza With Your Friends Can…

@Rado - LOL, being in a remote place for a long period of time didn’t seem to take away your sense of humor.

Yeah, it’s true that the river here are full of crocodiles but they are toothless and harmless. Trust me, I swim with them daily.

Tks Yan,
I will try and keep up and win next month!
bring on the comments!

Mizah’s last blog post..Oruç Tutmuyormusun !

Hi Yan,

That is a great way to get more interaction between your readers and you. The link love will simply give another reason to comment on your post. Nice and unselfish act from you Yan.

Wei Liang’s last blog post..Will High PR Give You Higher Traffic ?

Thats cool that you recognize your commenters like that. Hey, maybe it will be me this month.

@iPod Repair: I hope you are. Welcome to thoushallblog.com…

@Wei Liang: Thanks for such a great comment, buddy. Anytime you feel is right, join us in our friendly discussion here.

I like this idea,i will try it one of these days. Your blog posts are very informative and educating. Thanks for visiting my blog i really appreciate it.

tyna’s last blog post..Where Do you Get Stopped?

@tyna - Hey, it’s nice of you to reciprocate my visit and I really appreciate the effort. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that you do have a great blog too, Tyna.

Feel free to join our community here, this is one of the most friendliest blog around.

Yan, thanks for the nice reassurance :) , although I would like to say that I ‘ve been feeling pretty comfortable at http://thoushallblog.com while digesting all the knowledge from your posts. And I always did Mate.

Hey Yan,

Guess what, I solved my slow loading blog. Yippee! I identified and took out the culprit widgets in my side bar. I began to delete each whole text box contents one at a time instead of trouble shooting one widget at a time. As luck would have it after deleting the first text box (of course I saved a back-up), the loading became very fast. I then put the widgets back and then took out what widgets I could do without. It worked. My blog loading is back to normal. I guess I will have to think twice before loading another widget.

Peter
@Yan -

@Work At Home Ideas - Good for you, Peter. The last thing you need to do is to do away with the image widget on every post and I’m pretty sure it will speed up the loading even faster…

Hi Yan,
I know that removing widgets on every page would surely speed up my blog. But wouldn’t you think if you put a widget on your homepage you would want it shown on your other pages as well? Unless you know for sure that most of your visitors land on your home page first. Otherwise visitors arriving at your inside pages first may not necessary go to the homepage and thus missed the widget. Am I missing something.

Peter

@Yan Shall Blog -

Work At Home Ideas’s last blog post..Work At Home Ideas’ Blog Contest

@Work At Home Ideas - I’m actually referring the image widgets on your post. It’s better to use a static image with an optimized ‘alt’ tag for better SE rankings. Don’t take for granted Google image search…you’ll surprised that traffic do come from it.

Check you stats once you optimize the image ‘alt’ tag and you’ll know what I mean..

some great links there. i especially like the first and last ones, on link building. really useful. thanks.

kouji’s last blog post..haiku poem: conversation

@jackie sheeler - Hi Jackie, I hope that if I ever get that big I won’t forget my roots and that I will still try to reciprocate at least a portion of my comments.

I noticed that on some of the so called ‘power blogger’ blogs that the blogger hardly even responds to the comments on their own blogs let alone bother reciprocating.

Totally agree with you. Reciprocation is so essential especially for us bloggers. I can say I have made some very good friends just because we began by posting and exchanging comments.

wow definitely a great guy you are, looks like it is really paying off, ranked 50k alexa rank, I think I might start this on my blogs. Cheers and cya!