The Blogger Interviews: Cristiano Betta
As we kick off another week, it’s time for another blogger interview. This week we’ve been talking to Cristiano Betta, also known as @cbetta on Twitter. Cristiano has been coming to London Bloggers Meetup events for a couple of years and you’ll no doubt have seen him with his other half and fellow blogger / geek / technologist Melinda Seckington.
Cristiano is someone who says what he thinks in a fairly direct way, which is good because often he has something interesting to say. See one of his tips below on getting started in blogging: “just do it”. His blog is a place online where he shares thoughts and updates largely on his world and technology. If you’re in to code and web design, you’ll probably find his list of links pretty useful.
Well, without further ado I’ll hand you over to Cristiano.
1. What’s your blog called and what’s the URL?
Cristiano on Tech/Life
http://blog.cristianobetta.com
2. What’s your blog all about ( in 20 words or less)?
A resource of things I figured out and want to share, and a list of things that happened to me.
3. When and why did you start blogging?
I started in 2006, on a small group blog I wrote with 3 friends. We all finished Uni and started our “real” lives. The sire was called FourStarters.com and we wrote about the things that kept us busy.
4. Which blog platform do you use?
WordPress, self hosted, always have, always will
5. Can you give an example of how blogging has enriched your life?
My blog has given me work opportunities, a better web presence, better recognition in the web community, and in general, a good place to vent any frustrations I might have.
6. Are there any blogs you recommend reading and why?
Most of the stuff I read is quite technical. I actually don’t read any of the mass media blogs, to me they are just as valuable as old media. Instead I read a lot of good old fashioned web-logs where people write about their work. Good examples are:
Dan W’s Scrapbook – Dan W likes to bookmark a lot of interesting stuff he finds online in his Tumblr and it’s often quite interesting.
MissGeeky.com – Melinda writes about anything geeky, often focussed on girls, but not at all inaccessible to guys.
Simon Willison’s Weblog – Simon is a developer extraordinaire and most of the stuff he writes about is very inspiring to anyone with a technical insight.
7. What three tips would you give to someone just starting out in blogging?
- Just do it
- Don’t worry about SEO, just make sure you write something interesting and worth reading
- Don’t set up your own server, write your own HTML, and build your own design (all of which I did). Instead go with a hosted service (wordpress, blogger, tumblr) or have someone do it for you. Want a special design? Buy one. There are loads of sites out there that sell of the shelf designs.
8. If you could change one thing about your blog what would it be?
I would write more on it. I aim to ADD a steady stream of posts but I rarely do. I have a lot of drafts that never get published.
9. What is the key to getting readers to your blog?
I think the key to getting readers is simple: have something interesting to read. Marketing your blog might get you far but in the end it’s all about your content being relevant to your readers.”
10. And finally, why do you come to the London Bloggers Meetups?
To learn from others. To inspire others. And to relax.
