My Kid Is Good At Video, I Suck At It

I'm really good persistent at writing a sub-par fishing blog, but I'll be the first one to admit I suck at making videos. My 11-year-old daughter is way better at it than I am.

I used to be somewhat okay finding my way around Microsoft Movie Maker, this probably being my masterpiece (ha!), but somewhere along the line I upgraded or updated my computer, and it disappeared. Oh, and Microsoft doesn't offer it anymore. That kinda sucks. I'm sure I could get a copy on the dark web, whatever the hell that is, but that just sounds too sinister to me, like something Snidely Whiplash would do... (man, that's a dated reference).

Since the only way to improve at creating videos is to try more of it, I'm determined to record some footage (within reason) at this Fall's Tenkara Summit in Colorado. So in the meantime, I'm test driving a few different, basic video editing programs.

I'm currently playing around with a program called "Filmora" that's pretty easy to use, even for a video-for-dummies candidate like me. Cranked out this super quick 0:15 video last night, just to play around with some of the introductory features such as cropping, text & graphic overlays, sound tracks, and transitions.

Whatever... I know it sucks, we can't all be Drew Lookinfishy. It's just a proof of concept sort of test.

So I'm curious, what video software do you use (preferably PC), especially if you're not totally engrossed in online movie making? I'm guessing the Mac folks use iMovie, but heck, I could be wrong. I'd love to read in the comments below...

Cool Stuff: New Blogger Themes!

Wow, talk about unexpected...

Blogger as a blogging platform has kind of been on the wane. And with the way Google has a history of pulling the plug on products somewhat abruptly, it wouldn't have surprised me if they announced on Monday that they were sunsetting Blogger at some point in the not too distant future.

Image: Slate.com

Instead, for the first time in quite a few years, they announced that they've released 4 new native Blogger themes for people to give their blogs a nice little (mobile-friendly) face lift. Talk about overdue.

Introducing: Contempo, Soho, Emporio, & Notable.

The new themes can be found in your blog dashboard, and can be easily customized with Blogger's simple to use WYSIWYG tools. Honestly, as I've tried other 3rd party themes over the years, and found the biggest issue to be the fact that customization usually required some bit of coding to get it how I wanted it to look, or afterward still wouldn't care to load pages particularly quickly. This immediately solves those issues.

Are the 4 new themes perfect? No. Is Blogger anywhere near as customizable as Wordpress? No, but they're a step in the right direction, and I'm happy they invested resources in this minor, yet needed update.

If you use a Blogger blog, check them out. I flipped this blog over to the "Contempo" theme in a matter of minutes.

Let's Party Like It's 2010

I miss the fishing bloggers' banter.

Back in my day...when we used to type on our computers uphill through 20 feet of snow...there was a pretty good group of outdoor bloggers out there that had a community vibe going on. You'd write a post, they'd comment on it. They'd write a post, you'd be sure to visit (because it was in your Blogroll or feed reader), comment, perhaps even write a reply in a blog post of your own.

20+ Comment Posts Were Common

There was a cast of characters, RD, Owl, Func, Clif, Wolfy, DNash, and a bunch more beyond that. Some are still going, like Howard & Mark, but most have sort of found better other things to do with their time than write blog posts regularly, or have moved most of their online conversing to (gasp) Facebook.

Heck, I'm finding myself guilty of that too. Efforts on Troutrageous! have been sort of cast aside for my little Tenkara Angler magazine project over the past 6-9 months. I can't tell you the last time I wrote something that I thought was "good" over here, and even worse, I can't tell you the last time I regularly visited the blogs in my blogroll and commended their efforts. Used to do that several times a week, if not every day. It's just too easy to skim Facebook and click "Like."

Screw That.

While some of my old favorites seem to have faded away it does seem like there's still enough energy out there keeping the blogging community alive. Rad dudes like CARF, On A Fly!, Eddie, & Stalking the Seam (just to name a few) are all cranking out a regular stream of posts. Heck, even some oldies but goodies (like JT) seem to have found a new swagger.

No, this isn't some sort of stupid resolution that I'm going to start writing awesome-sauce blog posts on a daily basis again, far from it. That time has passed. However, I think it's time to at least try to play the game again.

Let's party like it's 2010.

Okay, maybe not exactly like 2010...

The Top 5 Troutrageous! Posts of 2014

More year end hi-jinks, coming up...

2011 was kind of a stellar year around here.  3 years ago I hacked together penned 280 blog posts within the calendar year.  I know...WTF, get a life, right?  That number's been slipping each year since...down to 172 in 2012, 154 in 2013, and a "mere" 136 so far this year (not counting today's hot mess).

Anyway, of those most recent 136, there were probably at least a few that were somewhat worthwhile...or entertaining...or had some sort of redeeming quality...at least that's what my Google stats tell me by "your" visits.

So for all of you that have been around for the ride, or are even brand new to the blog, I figured I'd close out the year with a Top 5 post. "Popularity" being judged by Google Analytics' visitor statistics. Which I do understand is clearly flawed logic since posts written in the beginning of the year have a better chance to amass more traffic, but whatever...blah, blah, blah...

(Also, to any blogger that also plans on doing a year end recap either this week or next, please note that THESE RULES STILL APPLY).

The Top 5 Troutrageous! Posts of 2014

#5.  Daft Punk Unmasked; A Crappy T! Grammys Recap

My buddy Howard over at Windknots & Tangled Lines didn't really have a banner 2014.  But he did evidently get some red carpet time in with some author I never heard of and the guy in the Arby's hat...while looking quite dapper in the process.


#4.  A Plea For Help - Save Our Wild Puffer Balls!

Yeah, I was clearly smoking crack or something when I wrote this one.  The fact that it's so long (that's what she said) is what really gets me.  I think I had the brainstorm for this opus while I was mowing the lawn in 98 degree Florida heat.  Heat stroke, yep, that's what I'll blame this on...


#3.  The Quest For The Ultimate Fly Fishing Kayak - Part 5

For whatever the reason, folks must have been really into the new Feel Free Lure fishing kayak.  I've written several "Quest For The Ulitmate Fly Fishing Kayak" posts, and this one was by far the most popular, not only of this year, but perhaps (in relative terms) of all time...


#2.  ICAST / IFTD 2014 - Reels In Review

For a blog that talks a heck of a lot about tenkara, my readers sure do like reels.  I mean who am I kidding, how can you not?  Heading to the ICAST/IFTD show in Orlando this year as "press" was a pretty cool thing.  I actually wrote a handful of posts about several different product categories from the show, but this came out tops, by a wide margin.  The Fly Reel Company's RB1 (picutred above) might have been my favorite reel at the show...


#1.  So You Want To Buy A Tenkara Starter Kit? Patagonia vs. Tenkara USA

The people have spoken...and I guess they were interested in tenkara starter kits...  Patagonia created a bit of a buzz in early 2014 when they entered the tenkara market with their "Simple Fly Fishing" concept.  Primarily packaged in a "kit," I compared their offering to the leading competitor's offering.  I really wasn't trying to pull ALL of the options into this post, as there are many worthwhile sets in the marketplace...only trying to compare comparable offerings from a pricepoint and feature/benefit standpoint.  The choice was clear to me, but I certainly can't fault you if you went in another direction.


And with that, I conclude the Top 5 Troutrageous! Posts of 2014.  Unless of course I pull one out of my backside in the few days left between now and New Year's.  I seriously doubt that will happen, but who knows...

I hope you enjoyed...or at very least, tolerated...the offerings here over the last 362 days.  I'll try to do better in 2015, because it'd be hard to do much worse...

Maximize Your Ad Dollars the New JAX Way

You've worked hard at building up your website or blog's audience.  You've spent time creating great content, you've mastered SEO, you've tweeted like crazy, but you're ready to take the next step and spend some money on advertising...

Perhaps you've decided to try a Facebook "sponsored" post... or you've bought Google keywords...or maybe even placed highly visible banner ads on popular websites.

Guess what...  You're doing it wrong.  Horribly.  Wrong.

Come September, we're holding a T! Party on a Rollergirl's leg.  

Can you say high yielding, ass kicking, return on investment?  

Want in?  You know you do...

Help send the #14 team in the World, the Jacksonville RollerGirls' "New Jax City Rollers," to the WFTDA Divisional Playoffs in Indiana...

...or don't...because you're scared of girls...

Do You Yonder?

Probably not.  You're likely thinking, "dude, knock it off with that jibber-jabber..."

If you've noticed in the last few posts, I've been playing around with Instagram quite a bit.  I've been a member for quite some time, but never really got "into" it, as most of the people I follow on Instagram I also follow on Facebook (or to a lesser extent, Twitter), and I end up seeing the same exact pictures twice.

During some downtime at night during my recent vacation I was playing around in the Google Play app store and happened upon Yonder, an Instagram-like app that's targeted at the outdoors crowd.

"Yonder is a community of explorers and wanderers, of climbers and bikers, of skiers and hikers, sharing their love for the outdoors every day."

So why Yonder...especially if I already Instagram?  Honestly, I'm still pretty new at it, so I don't have a definitive answer for you...but I'll list some clear Pros & Cons that I've noticed after about 48 hours of use.

Pros:

• Outdoor Focused - Pictures are of outdoor pursuits only...no other noise...including ads
• Not A Lot of Crossover - The people I'm connecting to on Yonder are clearly different than my other social networks
• Categorization - When you upload a picture, you can categorize it into one of 22 categories - Biking, Hiking, Camping, Paddlesports, Outdoor Photography, Fishing, etc... Hashtags work for collating too, but are not necessary
• Social Sharing - If so inclined, you can also share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, or Message
• Google Maps Integration - You can tag your posts with your location.  While not always the best thing to do for fishing, for those that enjoy other outdoor activities, this can be great

Cons:

• Not a Large Community of Users - Google Play quotes "1,000+ Downloads" for Yonder, whereas it quotes "1,000,000,000+ Downloads" for Instagram
• Social Sharing - A "pro" above, it's worth nothing that the in-app sharing is not as robust as Instagram, can't share to IG, Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook Pages, etc...
• A Little Buggy - The navigation needs a little work.  I'm using Android, it's not always intuitive on how to get around, especially to go back after clicking into something
• Who Needs Another Social Network? - Self explanatory

In any event, I like it enough to keep it on my phone for the time being and give it a longer-term trial.  If you want to give it a try, you can check out the Yonder website, and then download either for iPhone or Android accordingly.  If you do, check me out once you get there under troutrageous1.

DISCLAIMER:
This post is simply the result of me being a tech-dork, one that likes to try new things on for size.  Yonder in no way solicited me to write this post.  If they did, they'd have to send me free stuff before I'd write anything, at the very least a coupon for free fro-yo.  Because nothing hits the spot better after hiking, fishing, climbing, or whatever than fro-yo.  Mmmmmm....

Auto Share From Instagram To Your Blogger Blog

Blogger blogs don't get a lot of love from the widget, or plug-in community.  It's probably rightfully so, considering WordPress is really what most would consider the "world class" open-source blogging platform...and well...Blogger works mostly within Google's gated walls.  That noted, I still run a Blogger blog, and I know many of you do as well.

I recently decided to try using Instagram a little bit more.  Many of you who do use Instagram (far more than I do) passively integrate your Instagram photos into your blog by embedding a widget in your blog's sidebar, creating a "slideshow" or "filmstrip," but there's no true way within the Instagram social sharing interface to get your pictures to publish as a Blogger blog post.  You can share/post them to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Flickr, etc...just not Blogger.

I happened to find a workaround yesterday that I thought I'd share that is run through a service called IFTTT.com.  It will share your Instagram pictures directly to your Blogger blog, creating an individual blog post through a simple "recipe."  A recipe is simply a command that outlines how when you post something on one app, it will take certain attributes from it, and post them on another app.  In this case, it pulls the Instagram photo, caption, and URL and automatically creates a Blogger blog post of it.

You can actually use IFTTT recipes for many other apps as well - for example, you could set one up to save every PayPal payment you make to a single Google Docs spreadsheet...or have your Weather app send your Gmail account an email every time it's supposed to rain.

I've set up Instagram/Blogger recipes that take your Instagram pic and create a Blogger photo post by either using the hashtag #blog in the caption of the photo, or it will embed the Instagram post into your blog by using the hashtag #embed.

You can set up the recipes to automatically blog post all of your Instagram posts without the use of hashtags, but I thought using the hashtags was a little bit more convenient as it would allow you to be more selective in what you choose to post from Instagram to your Blogger blog.

The cool thing is once you get it to run, if you have a service (such as Networked Blogs) that automatically shares your regular blog posts on Twitter or Facebook, you no longer have to share them on those social networks via Instagram (if you don't want to).  Just post your Instagram pic with one of the hashtags...it will create a Blogger post...and from there gets sent downstream to the other social networks...with all of the traffic pointing back to your blog.

I tested both yesterday and they seemed to both work okay.  I tend to prefer #photo to #embed, only because when it shows up on other social networks later, namely Facebook, their systems can pick up the actual photo to use as a thumbnail image.  That doesn't seem to work with an #embed.

Example of a #Photo Post

Example of an #Embed Post

Confused yet?

If you happen to be interested, you'll simply need to sign up for an IFTTT account either on your desktop, or download the app.  (I'd recommend the app).  From there you can use one of my pre-made recipes below, or try to create your own.  It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it;  far, far easier than I probably make it sound above.  (One note, you may want to change the blog tag on your versions of the recipes.  Mine are set up to tag all of the Blogger posts as "Instagram," which may or may not work for you).

Again, I probably won't use this all the time (if at all), I just thought it might be useful for those of you that are power-Instagram users and also run Blogger blogs.  I'm pretty sure you could use IFTTT to auto-publish to Wordpress too, but I'd imagine there's already a plug-in for that.

  

A Social Media Rant of Troutrageous! Proportions

So I gotta ask a question of my fellow bloggers...I know there's a lot of you out there...  Outside of writing your blog, do you really enjoy the social media part of blogging?

I don't.  And I haven't for some time.

Look, I dig writing a blog.  It started as a place to post pictures of fish and my kid, but turned into a creative outlet.  I work a desk job concocting spreadsheets and negotiating prices all day, so that release is not only welcomed, but needed.

But I'm at a point in my life where I'm really starting to detest Facebook.  I think I'm turning into an (almost) 37 year old curmudgeon.  I honestly believe it's a total time drain and other than maintaining about 40 or so actual "friendships" from afar it's something I could definitely do without.  Plus you'll go blind if you do it too much...

Fortunately(?), I've already all but given up on Twitter.  I once found some value there, but not so much anymore.  Life is so much more than 140 characters.  Those last 3 sentences were 157.

I never really embraced Instagram or Pinterest.  Pictures are cool, but everyone cross promotes their Instagram pics on Facebook.  I don't give a crap about any of the "next gen" social networks out there.  Is Snapchat yet another method one can use to distribute inappropriate pictures of their junk?

For some reason I'm like one of the 7 dudes who sort of enjoys the quirkiness of Google+, but even that is becoming nothing more than a collection of people running around taking pictures of absolutely nothing with their Google Glass cyborg eyewear and cloud-created "Auto Awesome" animated GIFs.  Hey Google+, not every winter picture needs animated snowflakes added to it...

I think the only reason why I actually still do social media (outside of writing the blog) is due to some sick sense of obligation I have to feed content to my roundabout 1000+ Followers, Likers, Circlers, or whatevers.  The sad thing none of us probably want to admit is that if we don't post something new to Facebook (or insert social network of choice), the followers won't miss us at all.  They'll just scroll down to the next picture of their friend's adorable baby or the Russian dash-cam car wreck video or the photo of their friend's half drunken bottle of IPA in their news feed.

But wait a second, one of the first things you're told...or you read...or whatever...as an impressionable blogger is that you should promote your writing to expand your audience.  Everybody consumes content differently, so it's incredibly important to post your crap on Facebook, Twitter, and places like that...  It's a necessary evil, right?

Eh...Google Analytics tells me that over the last 365 days only 8.8% of my blog's visits came from social media referrals.  And half of the 8.8% came from Blogger referrals (i.e. blogrolls), not Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, etc...  So is 4.4% of my traffic all that important, especially if the process of acquiring it isn't all that enjoyable?  Heck, I'm probably doing it wrong anyway.

As I'm re-reading this in closing I'm not exactly sure where I was going with this whole post...but I'm in too deep to just toss it aside.

Look, I still enjoy blogging.  It's fun, and I value all of the friendships I've made along the way.  Perhaps this is just my way of saying that if I'm quite a bit less active on social (other than syndicated blog posts that Facebook will probably not let you see unless I pay them for the honor), it's intentional, but nothing personal.  I'm just making better use of my time.  Maybe even out fishing...


Postscript:
The incredible irony of this post is that it was inspired by a instant message exchange with Jason Tucker on...you guessed it...Facebook.

The Top 5 Troutrageous! Posts of 2013

Everybody likes a good year end recap post.

Okay, as readers, you probably don't give a flip about reading a blogger's year end post, but since it is a scientific fact that we bloggers are narcissists, we like to write them.  Also, to any blogger that also plans on doing one this week, THESE RULES STILL APPLY.  (Click that bold type to see what I mean).

Anyway, with that I figured today I'd more or less close out the year with the 5 most popular posts from 2013.  "Popularity" being judged by Google Analytics' visitor statistics.  Which I understand is clearly flawed since posts written in the beginning of the year have a better chance to amass more traffic, but this is my blog and I make up the rules.  So without further adieu...

The Top 5 Troutrageous! Posts of 2013

#5.  Introducing The Troutrageous! Fishing Blogger Pro Staff

Although the criteria for inclusion was real, this post was sort of a jab at all of the random "Pro Staffs" you see out there featuring people of dubious qualifications.  This post probably falls under the category of "web traffic bait," because everybody that was included is also a blogger...and since they are narcissists (see opening paragraph), they either wrote blog posts, Facebooked, Tweeted, Instagrammed, or whatevered about their inclusion...sending people right...back...here... 


#4.  Initial Thoughts: Redington Vapen Red 8-Weight Fly Rod

The Redington Vapen Red made the blogger rounds the summer.  Let's just say if it was a lady, it'd probably need to see a doctor...and walk a little funny.  At least with its fancy red wrap it was protected during all that activity.  (Maybe that makes it a dude?)  I liked the rod quite a bit, although I was iffy on the feel of the wrapped handle.  But us guys always seem to complain that it just doesn't feel the same...  


#3.  Initial Thoughts: TFO Mangrove Series 8-Weight Fly Rod

Oh, the Mangrove.  I had a love/hate relationship with this rod this summer.  It's not a broomstick and casts great, but I broke it on like my 3rd outing.  Fortunately, TFO customer service turned it back around fixed in no time flat, so all's well that ends well.  I also documented a separate bout with the handle.  The cork grip was/is beyond crappy...until I fixed it with some filler...now it's boss.


#2.  The Quest For The Ultimate Fly Fishing Kayak

This was actually the first of four installments in my search for...yeah, the ultimate fly fishing kayak.  I threw out some criteria that I was looking for to the masses, and got a ton of great feedback...which made my list of kayaks quite a bit longer...spawning the follow up posts.  In the end, I went with a Native Watercraft Slayer 12'.  It's a really nice boat, even though it's not the one pictured above.


Which leads us to (drumroll please)...


#1.  Trout In Cookies

Sometimes the simplest of posts yield ungodly amounts of traffic.  Or posts that contain an image of a chocolate chip cookie that for some reason ranked really, really high in Google Image search results for most of the year.  Either way, it was a winner, and qualifies somewhat as a variant of the "Dave Hester" rule.


So those were there Troutrageous! Top 5 posts of 2013.  If you didn't read them before, I hope you check them out.  If you're a blogger, perhaps you'd like to do the same over the course of the next few days, it'd be neat if you did.  Just know I'd probably at best only skim it, unless I'm included somewhere within.  Remember, narcissism rules.

The Troutrageous! Blogroll Quarantine - Winter 2013

It's that time of year.  The hustle & bustle of the holidays.  The cold, the snow, the ice.  Like clockwork, fishing blogging comes to a screeching halt for many.  Ice fishing ain't for me either, so it is what it is, I get it.

The increase in inactivity also brings the annual expansion of the Troutrageous! Blogroll Quarantine (TBQ).  For those not in the know, I maintain a very generous blogroll on the right hand side of my blog.  (Not in already and want in, drop me a note HERE for consideration).  

Anyway, the rules are that once in the blogroll if you don't write a blog post in 3 months, you are relegated to the TBQ all the way at the bottom of the page until you write a new post.  Don't write a new blog post in 6 months, you're out of the quarantine and booted from the blogroll pretty much for good.

During the spring and summer months, when people are out and about and fishing, the TBQ might contain 3 or 4 blogs at one time.  This winter, much like many folks' waistlines, it has expanded to a maximum of 18 different blogs.  That number's a bit smaller at the moment, as some recently did new postings and others were removed due to extreme inactivity.  Today, it stands at 12 blogs.  

I present the dirty dozen.

Fortunately, just today, 2 blogs wrote new posts and are now back in the general blogroll population.  Those fortunate souls being American Sakasa Kebari & Casting Around (which also has a new "look"), so check them out and perhaps leave a comment at their place when you get a chance.  It'll probably encourage them to write more.

As for those other 12...if you're not dead...what's up?

I think I know what's going on with a few, but I only ask because I'm a fan of your work.

The Florida Gill Net Fiasco

Wanted to test embedding Google Plus posts in the blog. Not that I'm going to do it often, just to see how/if it works...

Please feel free to comment on the current issue of the on again, off again ban of gill netting by commercial fishermen in Florida, preferably on the Google post (given you have a Google account). If it doesn't render in your browser, that'd be nice to know too (in the blog's comments).

A Blogger Improvement? The New Google+ Comment Interface

Yesterday, Blogger (or Google, or whomever) announced a voluntary "upgrade" to the commenting system that powers many of our Blogger blogs.

The big news was that by clicking a button in your options, you can now change your commenting interface to seamlessly interact with Google+.  In short, this means that any comments made on your blog can automatically show up on Google+ and vice versa.  

Also, and this is where it gets a little nutty, anybody that shares or talks about your post on Google+ (whether you're aware of it or not) will have their share and subsequent comments on that share pulled into your post as well.  That way all the noise created by your blog post can potentially be viewed and replied to in one place.  

There's a little more to it, including how your Google+ sharing settings play into what other people actually see, but that's the basic concept.  One that potentially could expand the reach of your blog, creating more interactivity and attracting more readers.

More readers?  ...and the crowd goes wild!!!

I have to say I'm not all that warm to this change and probably won't integrate it into the Mothership for the time being.  Strange statement from somebody that's typically a fan of all things Google, right?  Well, there are two main reasons why, and I think each is pretty significant.

1.  The interface is with Google+

Who uses Google+?  If this was an integration with Facebook or Twitter, I think we'd be on to something...but Google+?  Despite my best efforts, It's still nowhere close to being an active social hub worthy of changing your blog around.

2.  In order for folks to comment on your blog...they'll need to have a Google account.

No more Open ID, no more Anonymous.  That kinda sucks.  Try to type in the text box and you are immediately prompted to log into your Google Account.  Now most people have a Google account these days, but making them use it (and also set up a Google+ page) just to submit a comment on one of my crappy blog posts...I'm not feeling that.

All that said, if you want to see a living example of how it works, I turned it on over at my Tenkara Sasquatch blog.  Here's a link and screen grab that shows what it looks like.  (Take note, that if you don't have or are not logged in to a Google Account, you won't see any of the Google+ activity.)

In this example, I had shared the post on Google+ as both +Michael Agneta and +Troutrageous!.  +Christophe Laurent commented on my share at Google+, however Mark Kautz-Shoreman simply commented at my blog, no Google+ involved.  As you'll notice, all the activity has been pulled into one place now.  No matter where you do the commenting, it all gets pulled in as one experience.

Confused yet?  I was too until I played with the functionality for a little bit.  Do yourself a favor, it'll make more sense after you do.  At the very least, I'm happy that this wasn't forced down our throat like Facebook does when it changes something and everybody complains.  I dig the fact that Google left this as optional.

So are you going to make the switch? 

Would love to hear why or why not (ironically) in the non-upgraded comments section below...

Internet Speculating With Domain Name Grabs

So I was trolling the internet last night, and I thought I'd do a Google search...  I never really paid much attention to what happens when you Google "Jacksonville Fly Fishing"

Notice anything odd?  Yeah I did too...  there is no jacksonvilleflyfishing.com.  Yeah, it's a long URL, but c'mon, that should be a layup.  So I changed that.

I hopped on GoDaddy and grabbed jacksonvilleflyfishing.com and jacksonvillefly.com last night in an internet land grab.  Am I going to do something with them?  Maybe at some point once I actually live there.  What that is...beats me.  Do I feel a little dirty for sitting on a domain without clear intent to use it?  Perhaps a touch.

Now you might ask, (or probably not, as I'm sure you've stopped reading this post by now) is this the first time I've grabbed a domain out of impulse?  Unfortunately, no.  Most usually come from some brainstorm that I have that I'll create this awesome website to do something remarkable with, but then I usually give up on it as on most days I can barely keep Troutrageous! up and running.

Some examples of my misguided and neglected domain purchases are below:

Although Troutrageous.com is not on this list,
one might argue that it is also misguided and neglected too.

At the moment, I think most, if not all of the above redirect here.  The only one that I know doesn't is tenkaralife.com.  I bought that back when I started my Tenkara Tuesday posts in 2011...I thought I was going to spin them off into their own website at some point, but they never really picked up much momentum.  Instead, I just redirect the URL to a blog started last year by the same name; Tenkara Life.  The author probably doesn't even know I do it, I just figure it's good karma.

Anyway, the real reason for this post is if you've ever considered this, there are coupon codes for GoDaddy right now that are pretty attractive, and have nothing to do with Danica Patrick.  The first (the one I used) was 50% off the domain and free Private registration in one code.  So you basically get your fancy new URL, and your personal information hidden from the masses for $5.

If that doesn't get you to take the fly, there's another code too for 70% off the domain only, which is a good deal if you're not so concerned with the private registration.

Oh, and let me make it clear I'm not getting compensated or anything for blogging these coupon codes, just thought it might be a good opportunity if anyone out there wants to do some domain prospecting themselves, or simply change their blog URL from a blogname.blogspot.com or blogname.wordpress.com or whatever to a legit address...

All this also got me to thinking...
Are there any other domain prospectors out there?  
Anybody else own some URLs that they just don't really do anything with?  
If so, do you feel a little bit dirty about it, like me?  
Feel free to comment below....

(I don't expect a big response to this, but figured I'd ask...)

Google+: Getting Facebook's Silent Cousin to Speak Up

Monday night was pretty weird...

Somebody made a pretty innocent post over in the Fly Fishing Blogger group I participate in on Facebook.  It was one of those "Read this article, it says Facebook is evil, they're stealing your identity" type of posts.

Well then Chris Hunt (of TU fame and Eat More Brook Trout infamy) made a point, followed by a little joke about moving to Google+.

If you're not familiar with Google+, it's sort of like Facebook, and sort of like Twitter, except much quieter.  For whatever the reason, conversations don't seem to flow as easy over there, and as such people try it for a while, and then leave.  Myself included, guilty as charged.

So I thought it might be fun to basically SPAM anybody that has anything to do with fishing in my unused Google+ Circles (think Friends on Facebook) and ask them why they don't use Google + and what might entice them to use it more.

While I honestly didn't expect much of a response, I was shocked to see the turnout.

The takeaways?  People said they don't care for Google+ because:

1) It's too quiet
2) There are too many social networks to manage
3) Closed API (restricts sharing across social networks)
4) "All my friends & family are on Facebook"
5) All Social Networks are evil, what difference does it make
6) Too many people put them in Circles that they've never heard of before

(BTW, not sure how #6 isn't the same as what goes on at Facebook...).

But they also said they would be interested in:

1) Using Hangouts (Video Chat) for things like fly tying
2) Getting a better grasp on the features/functionality
3) Moving to G+ if other people moved too

With that noted, most of those same people that commented continued to interact within Google+ throughout the day yesterday (Tuesday), posting stuff, creating new Communities (think Groups on Facebook), etc, etc...  Seems like there's interest to "kick the tires," for more than a few, if nothing else.

Want in?  I can send you an invite...

What does it all mean?  Beats me, but I think at minimum I'll give Google+ a solid 30 days of legit use to see if it gains any traction with me.

See you there?

Find me here, I'm sorta using both identities...
Michael Agneta on Google +
Troutrageous! on Google+

Helping All You Bloggers With Your Year End Posts

This week is notoriously famous as the time when most fishing bloggers either write up their "Year End Recap" or "New Year's Resolution" posts.  Just like when the doctor tells you to turn your head and cough, it happens every year and takes over blogrolls like MRSA.  Hell, I'm guilty of it myself...and in that I mean the New Year's Resolution posts, not the viral rash.

So with that, I'm gonna do you all a favor and give you 5 tips on how to help avoid having your year end post suck more than a hooker pushing a Dyson...although, on second pass, that would be pretty damn entertaining...

Don't like this pic...Google "Hooker Vacuum"
and see what comes up for yourself...

1.  No lengthy videos or photo slideshows of all of the fish you caught.  
C'mon with the 10 minute YouTube opus to bluegill already, one looks just like the rest.  If you're gonna do one of those, set the egg timer on your Windows Movie Maker to no more than 3 minutes in length (2 if only pictures).  fishingpoet did his movie correctly, click here & take notes.  And while you're at it, add some music (preferably with a beat) or else we're all going to fall asleep.  Might I suggest Rumpshaker by Wreckx-N-Effect?

2.  Don't write too much.  
Diarrhea of the keyboard does not make for a compelling post.  A few paragraphs, a few pictures, and get out.  Think using the restroom at a sporting event.  Keep talking to a minimum and don't shake my hand.  It's a recap, not your diary.  You've already written FAR too many uninteresting things this year.  Don't waste our time with one more, we're busy people...who need to use our time constructively on Facebook.  Got it?

3.  No lamenting over your blog's future...
I vomit in my mouth a little bit every time I read a blogger's struggle to fight their inner demons and re-dedicate themselves to this "craft" for the new year.  "Why do I do this?"  Because you're a narcissist like the rest of us.  Pull up your big boy pants and either stick around for another 365 or announce your retirement once and for all.  This is a cutthroat world we live in (ha, cutthroat, see what I did there?), and nobody wants to listen to someone whine...we got 99 problems and bloggin' ain't one.  

4.  Insert a stupid pop culture reference in your post, even if it makes no sense.  
Why is my 2012 New Year's Resolution post the #2 most viewed entry by a longshot?  The wonderful, revelation-filled goals I set for myself?  No, idiots Googling "Dave Hester YUUUUP" over, and over, and over....

Hey Dave...did you enjoy your 15 minutes of fame?

Will it entertain people the day you write it?  Hell no, but we're talking staying power.  Photobomb it right with alt text and you'll get hits on that bastard the entire year.  Don't know what alt text is?  Stick to Twitter.  Duck Dynasty, Amish Mafia, Moonshiners...the choice is yours.  Just stay away from Honey Boo Boo, picking on the mentally disabled ain't cool, unless it's family.

5.  Five is the magic number.  
Saying you have a Top 5 list is just sexier than saying you have a Top 4 list, and much easier to consume than a Top 10.  Remember 5 is the winning number when listing out your resolutions.  I'm snoring by 6.

Anybody remember the 6th Jackson Johnny?  Didn't think so.

Excellent.  Let the year end recaps begin!  I'm eagerly waiting to see what you all come up with...in about 600 words or less...

The Instagram Fiasco of December 18, 2012

This is not necessarily a fishing post, rather it's somewhat of a social media post, as I tend to do here from time to time.  See in addition to being fisherfolk, most of my readers also partake in some form of social media, be it through blogging, Facebook, Twitter, whatever...

There was an interesting revelation regarding the updated terms of service of a popular photo sharing app/social network (that also happens to be owned by THE omnipresent social network) yesterday.  For those of you who weren't following along, here's a summary of the general reaction that took place in Instagramland...

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGHolycrapTermsofserviceWTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#boycott#boycott#boycott#boycottOMGOMGThey'regonnasellthepictureItookofmy3leggeddogtosomecompanytosellcameratripodsOMGOMGOMGelfontheshelfWTF!!!!#freeowljonesOMGOMGOMGI'msoouttahereI'mgonnatakemykelvinfilteredphotostoFlickrYEAHTHAT'LLGETEM@instagramyousuckBITEMEI'msooveryou.........Oh...wait...they're reconsidering.  Maybe I should too.  #sorry???

First off...Flickr...really?

Second, and more importantly...  Your pictures aren't that good and your kids aren't as cute as mine, so chill out.  Even after you cross processed your mini masterpieces (the photos, not the kids) with both X-Pro II and Hefe filters.  Don't worry, Kimberly-Clark ain't buying them for a national ad campaign...although honestly, if they did, you should be honored.  

When it comes to any form of social media, or internet stuff in general, if you don't want people to see it, don't write or post it.  Remember, every time someone searches cure for genital warts on Google, a person in Mountain View, California starts laughing...hysterically...

Third, and finally...it's all Cameron's fault.  He's the one who got the fishing scene into Instagram in the first place...I blame him for this mess.

See you on Pinterest...that's where all the chicks are anyway...

The #odbloglove Proposition

No, I'm not talking about the new Odblo Gloves from Glacier Glove...

Odblo Gloves???

In reading this blog, you might have recognized that I like to give out the "blog love" in my posts pretty frequently.  What's blog love you might ask?  Simply put, it's the mention/promotion of another blog for an interesting post, or even more importantly, to simply provide little bit of exposure to a new blog, helping it gain a few more readers.

I received blog love back in the day from a fellow blogger, so I only feel it's right to return the favor now, especially since Troutrageous! has gained a somewhat delusional dedicated following.

While blog-on-blog promotion is great, I noticed on Twitter yesterday that the blog love hashtag (or #bloglove) is a very underutilized term within tweets.  Do a search, I dare ya - you'll get a few results, but nothing along the lines of #FF, #RT, or even #fishchat.  I started using it for a few posts yesterday and the response from the bloggers that originally wrote those posts was great.  Yeah, they were overwhelmed by the power of the blog love.

So what I'd like to propose...the next time you're on Twitter and want to re-tweet a blog post from someone...go ahead and add the "outdoor blog love" hashtag (#odbloglove) to the end of the tweet.  Unfortunately, the much shorter #ODBL is already taken by foreigners.  

For those of you slow on the uptake I'm tossing an od to the front of bloglove to make this unique to our outdoor demographic.  Hunting, fishing, camping, it's all good...

See, any lazy bobo can just hit the RT button and send a tweet along; this actually takes a little initiative, and will make finding good blogger-recommended outdoor content even easier.  

Or don't...and suck worse than you do already.

The Secret To A Popular Pinterest Pin

Like a few months ago or something I wrote a post about my experience infiltrating estrogen-heavy Pinterest. For the unfamiliar, it's basically the social media equivalent of "The View," just without that chick from Survivor.  (I can't believe either show is still on the air BTW)

11 year old dated reference

Anyway, much like Google+, I haven't been back to Pinterest all that often since, but I will "pin" a picture every now and then just for shits & giggles.

Most of the time, said pins never really generate much user feedback in the form of likes, comments, or re-pins.  I maybe get someone to be brave enough to do one of the three, but never all of them, much less multiples of all of them...until the other day.  It probably has to do with the fact that I mostly post obscure things like old Nike sneakers and Ric Flair, but whatever...

But I think I've finally cracked the code.  

Today I unveil to you the secret of a wildly (by my standards) popular Pinterest pin...

Post a picture of Chase Hundley

Yes, it's that easy to create social media magic.