FAQ
I get a lot of questions about the same few things, so here’s my attempt to answer them all, relatively clearly, in one place. Did I miss something? Let me know.
Digitizd
Hosting – I use, and swear by, Dreamhost as my hosting service for all blogs and websites I own. They’re a fantastic, cheap, reliable, and easy solution for hosting, and I never recommend anything else.
Platform – I run Digitizd on a self-hosted WordPress site. I’ve tried nearly every blogging platform, and found WP to be not only the most impressive (with all its plugins, themes, and the like), but the simplest to use. That’s a tough combination to beat, and f=the free price tag is a winner.
Theme – I’ve used two themes in the history of Digitizd. First, there was the fantastic Thesis theme, which is both easy to use and super-customizable. I used it for a long time, and had nothing but good experiences using it. My recent redesign is based on the phenomenal Big Feature theme from a guy named vfxdude.
Software – About 80% of the time, I write posts in MarsEdit. It’s simply the best, most powerful and user-friendly blogging software ever created, and is the best Mac blogging app out there – of course, the grand poobah is still Windows Live Writer, which I miss every day. Otherwise, I use Microsoft Word or Adobe Buzzword, and then everything gets published through WordPress.
The Content
Where do you find things to write about? – There are a million answers to this question, but the simplest one is that I spend a lot of time doing this stuff. I read a ton of blogs in Google Reader, work a lot with Twitter and StumbleUpon to find new stuff, and just spend a lot of time reading and surfing the Web. There are people out there much better than I am at finding these things, and I’ve learned to follow them.
Will you link to my blog? – Honestly, probably not. I’ve been so inundated with people wanting to exchange links that I’ve had to just not do it at all. Still, though, feel free to send your blog to me either in a comment or via email. If it’s great, I might link to or mention it on one of my sites (or, more likely, on Twitter).
Can I republish one of your posts? – YES. I’ve completely released copyright on all posts here at Digitizd, and you’re welcome to take them, edit them, and redistribute them as you please. It’d mean a great deal to me if you’d link to the source article, or at least let me know what you’re doing with the post, but you’re by no means obligated to do so. All content of Digitizd is in the public domain, and you’re free to do with it as you please.
About Me
Who the heck are you? – I’m David Pierce. I’m graduating from the University of Virginia this year, and love technology more than I’d care to admit. I also play club Ultimate Frisbee, love movies, music and every sport you can possibly imagine, and voted for Barack Obama. I hate when my room’s messy (like it is right now), the smell of almond extract (but not almonds…), and waking up in the morning.
What kind of tech do you use? – I’m writing this post on my 13” Macbook Pro. I’ve also got an HP dv6 as my Windows machine, and a 23” Samsung monitor that extends either one. I have an HTC Ozone phone, but will get an iPhone the second it comes to Verizon. I use an iPod Touch, and a Motorola H550 Bluetooth headset, almost every day.
How’d you get started blogging? – I wish there was a good story here, I really do. But the truth is, I realized no one wanted to hire a writer without any experience, and that there was no one doing what really fascinated me (the intersection of technology and real people), so I just started. It came in fits and starts, but I kept with it, developed a style and voice, and continue to improve the more I do it.
Where else do you write other than Digitizd? – I’ve dabbled in writing at a number of other blogs and websites, as well as some print work, and I’m the process of making writing a full-time gig. But more on that later. For the full list of where and what I’m writing (which I try to keep up to date), check out my personal site.
Got another question? Post it here, and I’ll do my best to answer it.
