Yearly Blog Update 2015

It's time for my yearly blogging update. Before I get started, I should point out that I have a lot going on right now. My evaluation is not going to be very thorough.

Blogging Presence

I am currently maintaining four blogs:

• Random Rants and Ramblings
• The War Between Schooling and Education
• Mental Exercises
• Pictures from a Sub-Amateur

I'm still not actively promoting my blogs. I have added ads in 2014. Without traffic, those have been pretty much worthless. I'm not going to get rid of them at this time. There's a bit of a wildcard for visits to my photo blog. I don't know how things will change if people searching for information on the U.S. Open start bumping into my countdown. It probably won't be significant, but there will likely be at least a few people visiting my online presence who don't know I exist. If the right people find me, they could be more influential than the random chance that I have relied on so far.

Random Rants and Ramblings

I have no planned changes for this blog.

The War Between Schooling and Education

I have no planned changes for this blog.

Mental Exercises

As planned, I will be removing Rethink exercises and adding a new category. That category will be known as Missing Pieces. I don't want to replace the page for Rethink until Missing Pieces exercises have begun. For now, I will share the description that I was planning. I will have to update the poll.

I am also altering the order. The new exercises have similarities to both Puzzles and Random Creativity exercises. I don't want them immediately before or after either. Here's the new order: 

1. Self-exploration
2. Missing Pieces
3. Challenge
4. Random Creativity
5. Puzzle

The only other planned change is that I don't think I can make interesting exercises for PowerPoint/presentation software in my Challenge posts. I made one, and I believe that's the one posted today. I didn't find it to be an interesting exercise, and I have no plans for a second.

Missing Pieces - Description

These exercises combine pieces of puzzles and random creativity exercises. A random word or phrase will be provided as well as other random information. Look for a way to complete the project to reflect the random word or phrase. The idea behind these exercises is that puzzles are among the most popular forms of mental exercises. These exercises should take a similar mentality while still encouraging you to come up with your own ideas.

Pictures from a Sub-Amateur

Obviously, the Countdown to the U.S. Open did not exist at the beginning of last year. It will not continue to the end of the year. This will be a change. I'm also probably going to give up on Flickr Friday. I have been so unmotivated that it seems like a waste to explain each week why I'm not participating.

In 2014, I decided to make a simple change to how I handled my vacation log. I posted the vacation log at Random Rants and Ramblings. I posted thumbnails of vacation pictures at Pictures from a Sub-Amateur. Then I provided links between them.

Flickr

It sounds like the family photo challenge will be back for 2015. I don't currently have details, but it sounds like this one will be more like 2013. Also, as I have already stated, I probably won't bother with Flickr Friday. With how 2014 went, that's not much of a difference.

Google+

Like last year, my lack of a social life makes it difficult for me to motivate myself to post to Google+. That's not stopping me from posting links to most blog posts.

eBird

I have added a few locations to eBird. I didn't like reporting all of my sightings at the actual Chambers Bay (body of water) when that is not a good representation of where I'm walking. This is especially true for walks in which I do not visit that area. I have also added a patch so that I can include everything seen at the park on a single list. Other than that, I have no real reason to make changes.

Recapping changes

For those who can’t handle reading my text, here are the changes that you can expect to see:

• Rethink exercises are being replaced with Missing Pieces
• Updated poll
• Revised exercise order
• No more PowerPoint challenges
• The Countdown to the U.S. Open is temporary
• Don't expect Flickr Friday pictures
• Using different locations on eBird