Lounging With Lord Likely

Good day, history lovers!

Since I began transcribing Lord Likely's journals to the internet, I have been exploring ways to drive traffic to his blog, to improve the lives of internet surfers everywhere.

One means of rustling up readers is through blog directories, and two of the best of these, in my humble opinion, are MyBlogLog and Blog Catalog.

Both Lord Likely frequents both these directories, (here and here, fact fans!) and both sites are both easily within his top twenty referers. Good show, what?

MyBlogLog is excellent, and of course favoured by Ed from The Pisstakers, what with him utilizing the site for his marvelous MyBlogLog Sundays (soon to celebrate their 25th installment!) However, for my money (all seven pounds eighty-five pence of it), I have to say I prefer Blog Catalog.

Blog Catalog gets the edge due to it's excellent interactivity and added features, from it's discussion board to it's newest and most exciting feature: groups.

Groups allow members to set up a group to discuss anything at all, and invite fellow BC members over to join in various discussions. It's a great idea, and one that his Lordship has fully embraced by opening his own group, Lord Likely's Lavish Lounge. Here, members can come and chat with Lord Likely, relax and share a virtual glass of whisky. It has gotten off to a wonderful start, with topics of conversation ranging from which type of facial hair is best, to whether or not urine would make for a lovely perfume. Something for everyone, I feel!

If you have a blog, or even just love reading blogs, I recommend that you sign up to Blog Catalog immediately (it's free, and relatively painless) then you too can join the Lounge.

While you're at it, join MyBlogLog as well. It is really good. I have not tried the recently launched Blog Rush yet, and am not sure I will. Is it worth it, dear readers?

Anyway, must dash - I have to go and plump up the cushions in his lordship's lounge. See you there!

- Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe

Oh! I almost forgot! It is Mr. Andy Fanton's birthday tomorrow! Why not pop over to his blog, i used my very best crayons, and wish him well. He does ever so much stuff for us here at Likely Towers. Well, sometimes he does. Go and say hello anyway!

His Lordship Loses His Widgets

Hello, history lovers!

Today has been a busy day, as I have set about reorganising the sidebar on The Astonishing Adventures of Lord Likely.

I had become aware, through some emails and comments, that his Lordship's journals sometimes took an age to load - if at all - due in no small part to the overwhelming amount of widgets on the site.

So, today I made a drastic decision - OFF WITH THE WIDGETS!

No-one likes to lose their widget, but I felt it necessary to do so. If we were losing even one reader due to slow loading times, then that was one reader too many, and one poor soul denied the pleasure of reading his lordship's writings.

So, I cleared out the widgets, but replaced them with more tasteful, graphical links instead. Having done that, I then decided to update all the more graphic links (buttons, adverts etc) to keep them more in keeping with the style and tone of the journals.

I hope the fine people at Fuel My Blog, Humor-Blogs.com, The Pisstakers, MyBlogLog, Blog Catalog and Spicy Page do not mind me taking such liberties. The reciprocal links are still there, they are just dressed up rather differently, and given a Victorian twist.

I have also added a couple more Victorian ads, some more priase from the newspapers at the time and some other bits and bobs, so go and peruse the journals right now, and let me know what you think of it's new-look sidebar.

Now, I am off to a real bar.

Good-bye!

Prof. Julian Syngen-Smythe.

Update: I reinstated the Blog Catalog and MyBlogLog widgets, but much smaller this time. I missed seeing your beautiful faces.

Double Update: I have just added a 'Story So Far' recap on the sidebar of Likely's journals, so new readers can quickly catch-up on events in his lordship's latest adventures.

Wiping Away The Cobwebs

Good evening, history lovers!

Dealing with history means I often have to come into contact with dust and cobwebs, as these things have an alarming tendency to build up around really old things. Take my mother, for example. (I'm joking, mum!)

I recently started cleaning up my study, which has become overrun with dust and cobwebs. It took me several hours, but eventually I had my nice, new study back in full, shiny order.

But I did not stop there. After that, I turned my attention to Lord Likely's blog, which has itself become rather cluttered and messy over the past four months. So, I got out my virtual vacuum cleaner, and my digital duster, and got to work tidying up.

Hopefully, you should notice my efforts. I ditched some graphics, pruned away some buttons to various sites that didn't seem to be doing much for his lordship, retitled some of the sections, added a new section for Likely's other writings for other publications (such as his recent piece for the fuelmyblog) and reorganized the links.

Now, that last bit is important to bear in mind. I have grouped the links into three distinct categories - The Likely Empire, Close Personal Friends and Passing Acquaintances. Basically, the blogs and sites in the first group are blogs that either I, or one of my cohorts, are involved in. The second group is for those people who have either linked to the journals, or who regularly visit and comment, or people who I owe a favour. Finally, 'Acquaintances' is for all those who may have visited, joined his lordship's community on MyBlogLog or Blog Catalog, but who have yet to link to us or comment.

If I have misplaced anyone, let me know and I will correct any errors. Likewise, if you wish to be on Lord Likely's link list, drop me a comment or get in touch in some other form.

Finally, I also added an advert for a book written by fellow blogger, television writer and all-round good egg, Mr. Biffo. Confessions of a Chatroom Freak is available to buy now from all good bookshops, and REALLY good bakeries. Tell them Professor Julian Syngen-Smythe sent you!

Whew! All this tidying has worn me out. I am off for a lie down on my newly dust-free sofa.

Cheerio!

- Julian Syngen-Smythe.