#following every happenstance that is an extension to is really does me no good

[weldnas]

-

[setsailslash]

jayjay(jay) challenge

written for the jayjaychallenge by @fade-works (also for @rogues8 who encouraged this among my near daily shrieking) featuring: fem!jay/ak!jay/rhato!jay because why stop at one or even two jasons when you can have three.

Jay doesn’t like what she sees.

Because all she sees are broken versions of herself eroded down to just pain and revenge, a nasty rusting edge along every seam. Like that is all they could be, like that is all they’ll ever amount to.

She didn’t go through the things that she did and do the things that she does to end up back on that first step. Their Bruce is not her Bryce. Whether their first step is the same as hers, she hasn’t gotten this far just to go back to the start to retrace her steps. She has refused that reality once and she will do it again.

She will not change even for them.

Jay breathes out through her teeth in a long slow seethe, drawing their attention right back to her.

Even when she’s in a room with versions of who is essentially her in this universe and another one if their confusion with each other is any indication at all, she is still the odd one out. Jay knows there is probably a few things that she can read into from that alone but she also knows there are bigger badder issues right here right now that she probably shouldn’t try shooting her way through.

He calls himself Jason, and the other, well, she’ll settle for calling him J for the time being. They are both her, alternate selves and all that.

Universe hopping and falling between alternate realities are nothing new. A run of the mill happenstance. But Jay finds that there are constants that hold true in varying degrees of truthfulness in every single one.

If there is one thing more heartbreaking than the Jason Todd of this universe, of course it would be the Jason Todd of another.

Jay might not like this but she loves that she is not the one at the bottom of the barrel. Rotten apples might not fall far from the tree but hers is hardly the first one to rot to the core.

“So boys,” she starts, peeling back her domino mask to blink her blue-green eyes at theirs, “how’re we gonna do this?”

Jason looks a good mix of caution and concerned. J looks just about ready to throw the first punch. Jay doesn’t blame him.

She tries another way, the way that never works, the one that has her attempting a smile of the genuine kind.

“Stop that.” Jason tells her.

And J follows right after with: “It looks painful.”

“It is.” She answers them both with a grimace that looks no different than her try for a smile. She stops at that because they can talk about trauma, and Jay is sure that there is more than enough of that between the three of them to talk about until their worlds realign themselves to take them home. But really.

She knows herself, and by extension, she knows them too.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it.” Jay tells them, the delivery of her words are mean but the way her mouth curves is deliberate. She confirms their hunch without saying the exact words, gives them an opportunity to say no to what could be delivered in every manner that is both crass and explicit.

Because there is nothing subtle to the way she drops her gaze, down to the holsters pulled taut across Jason’s thighs to drag upwards. Slow and appreciative at the sharp cut of J’s waist coloured in black and gray and red camouflage beneath the extensive armour of his suit. Up and up, across the bright red bat of Red Hood’s chest then over the symbol of the Arkham Knight.

Jay doesn’t smile when she catches the hard swallow at J’s throat or the slow rising flush to Jason’s cheeks. She doesn’t have to.

She sees the way they are looking right back at her.

They know exactly what she means.

[livingwithashipname-blog]

Ermanda’s Inner Sanctum: Scorpion 4.08 “Faire Is Foul”

This episode was a really great showcase of Team Scorpion on the personal end.  On a whole, the episode could have been better but definitely worked as a transition episode.  I usually format my reviews around the storylines, but this one focuses on the characters and friendships.  

It’s Sly’s birthday, so let the revelry commence! 

Sly 

It’s Sly’s birthday and this episode epitomizes what makes him unique.  He is a nerdy germaphobe with a big heart.  The love he has for his friends has pushed him to be there in ways he would never choose 3 years ago.  Sly has an increasing sense of confidence and has accomplished so much in such a short period of time.  As far as I am concerned, he is the most successful team member right now in terms of accomplishments outside Scorpion!  And yet, he still finds joy in cosplay and comics!  It’s a wonderful juxtaposition showcasing Sly’s maturity, competence, and inherently good nature.  This is what I appreciate about a character in a story who is the youngest amongst his peers!

Papa Cabe 

Cabe & Sly 

Cabe has enough love to go around for all his children!  He works with each member of the team in a special way.  He has integrated himself into Sly’s world, granting him the name Magnus by Sly’s band of friends!  (Side note: One of those friends is Tom Massmann, one of Ari’s body/stunt doubles.)  We get evidence of Sly’s influence in Cabe’s life when Cabe lets his nerd flag fly and admits he loves Chair of Blades!  We see the reverse when Cabe encourages Sly to use his influence to rally his fellow nerds to capture the criminals and save the evidence.  They have this mutual camaraderie and respect for one another!  This will grow and be tested as Sly continues as Cabe’s lawyer.  I love how this has been extended from last season!  

Cabe & Toby

I think we can all agree that Cabe’s conversation with Toby about Quintis baby-making activities is the most hilariously awkward moment we have ever witnessed on this show!  I still die laughing when I think about it!  I will never look at sprinkles the same ever again!  I will be that weirdo in Menchies or Yogurtland grinning hard when I pass the sprinkles. 😂  I am also reminded of how this differs from 3.05 Plight at the Museum.  Toby told Happy that he was worried because she was, “carrying the product of [their] love.”  Then, he turned to Cabe and continued saying, “not to mention some vigorous whoopee-making, huh?”  Toby was building up his successful seed-plating exploits!  In this episode’s moment with Cabe, Toby is suddenly coy when Cabe talks to him in special detail about his baby-making skills!  Ha! Oh, man!  Cabe is trying to be THAT dad who makes sure his son has game! 😂😂😂😂😂😂  It’s done so well!  I just want to thank the writers for this.  PURE COMEDY!!!  I really like their growing relationship this season.  Cabe just isn’t concerned about his trial.  He wants to have full confidence that Sly will get the charges dropped.  I hope it creates more moments for Cabe to prepare Toby for fatherhood as Toby helps Cabe cope with the charges against him.

Solid Friendships 

Walter & Happy 

Time and time again, I make it known how much I love this friendship duo.  They are two peas in a pod!  It’s really sweet to see him seek Happy’s advice and Happy explaining the importance of speaking from the heart.  The moment is reminiscent of 2.23 Chernobyl Intentions.  The show is starting to highlight this relationship as an extension of the parts of the Quintis & Waige storylines that intertwine.  I have been eager to see this on screen and so stoked it is finally happening!  Anyone else notice that Happy makes hilarious comments to Walter when he says or does something silly this season? 

Toby & Paige

Their relationship is similar to Happy & Walter’s.  Even though Toby is as cerebral as the others, he relates to Paige as a behaviorist.  I love their various discussions about their respective lives.  They always share great advice with one another, especially when it’s directed at their love lives.  This episode revisits a relationship food descriptor that was first introduced in 2.17 Adaptation.  Toby said then that he and Happy were like peanut butter and chocolate - a good mix of two great standalone flavors.  Now he refers to Happy and him as double chocolate in reference to their inner cores, but he states that chocolate and peanut butter is as equally delightful.  It reinforces the reality that they can make it work and get on the same page even though they are different people.  Once again, Toby and Paige convos show the connection between Quintis and Waige.  Makes me wonder if these references will be reinforced in upcoming episodes!  Be on the lookout! 👀

Operation: Baby Quintis  

Toby and Happy are really taking every opportunity to get their Quintis baby!  It is unfortunate their hay loft hookup is disrupted due to criminal shenanigans, but their desire leads them to unconventionally buy pregnancy amulets at the fair for good luck!  This is so sweet!  The decision to do something like this is so Toby-like, but now it’s something we can expect from Happy as well!  They are really rubbing off on one another!  HOLY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!  Like I have said in other reviews, the arc is set up to show us how they are handling this new planned life choice as a means to test their perseverance as newlyweds.  Plus, anyone see the shift from Happy in 3.13 Faux Money Maux Problems in comparison to this episode?  Happy makes the advance to roll in the hay to get a good lay that will make a baybay 😉😂 whereas she suggests Toby come with her to the wine cellar as a means to get them out of perceived danger.  I love little changes like this!  Operation: Baby Quintis is soaring!!!  

Walter 

As I have mentioned numerous times already, this season is focused on Walter’s EQ growth and how that fits in his new relationship with Paige.  He decides to learn guitar and write a song for Paige after he screws up on a date in support of her friend.  Now I wanted to hear Walter sing a heartfelt song that would give us EPIC Waige feels, not a goofy one!  WE GOT BOTH!!!  The first song is sooo funny!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂  Walter thinks he can serenade Paige with the same formula Happy used for her hit song in Portugal, but she bluntly tells him that doesn’t work.  He goes back to the drawing board and records something so beautiful and profound.  Let’s revisit these lyrics and more to understand why I consider them profound.

🎵 When I’m with you It soothes my mind And I feel fine, I feel fine When you’re with me My mind can rest My thoughts can nest, thoughts can nest With a calm I hold in my arms Peace that only you so disarm 🎵

Not completely sure about that last line, but I love these lyrics!  The genius mind is constantly flooded with thought, followed by a desire to explore them when they are leading to something of great interest.  I know from experience that I hate disruption when I am entranced by a task or deep in a thought process.  We were introduced to how this affects the geniuses, especially when the team had to work with Collins in 1.05 Plutonium Is Forever.  Collins’ intellect was so intoxicating to Walter that he neglected his own needs for the sake of science.  He went down the rabbit hole.  Happy essentially saved his life.  He had to commit Collins’ to asylum. He struggled to appropriately handle his team’s discomfort as the leader.  Walter was in an emotional conflict and didn’t realize it until the situation reinforced his decision to send Collins away.

Collins: I showed you the outer limits of your intelligence and you couldn't handle it. You couldn't risk me, or anybody else, jeopardizing your team, your precious cyclone. Walter: They are worth it. C: Why them? Toby, Happy, Sylvester... they can't touch my abilities. So why wasn't there room for one more? W: But there was. Paige. She binds us. C: I’m going away. But I'll get out... Maybe I'll see you back down the rabbit hole, Walter. W: I… hope not.

Walter knew that Paige was special.  Over time, he realizes that she introduces a calm and focus that he never knew he needed.  It creates space for him to expand his EQ and contemplate realities he once considered nonsense.  These lyrics show how much Walter values Paige’s abilities.  He doesn’t want to go back to who he was 3 years ago.  He wants to make her happy!  

Now here’s where things are going to come full circle to parallel earlier events!  Paige tells that she doesn’t want him to change simply because she asks for it or because it will make her happy for a moment - paralleling a similar tone in 2.15 Da Bomb (my all-time favorite Waige moment).  Walter took Paige’s words at face value and decided to nix his music project.  However, the tape bounces off the trash can and lands under the bed with his hidden guitar.  In 2.15, Paige catches Walter’s attention when she asks the pizza parlor if they have fermented fish (Walter’s favorite snack) as a topping.  The tape under the bed sets up a moment for Paige to find it by sheer happenstance and approach Walter about it.  While I wish Walter had decided to stick with the music project as a means of giving her something she would enjoy, the situation creates another learning experience for Walter to understand the value of “just because” gifts and gestures.  Are you excited about the anticipated Waige feels as I am?!  😍😍💙💙💙😍😍 Walter gonna get some “good good” if Paige listens to that tape!  I’m just saying’!

Drabbles...

Great argument, Sly! Now if you could just work on that delivery… 🤔

W: I’m making a song for Paige. H: Okay, what did you do wrong that now you have to do this? It’s so funny that Happy knows when Walter messes up! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

C: …cuz if you need any tips in the gooty department… T: I don’t need any tips. Please don’t ruin gooty for me. C: Just trying to help. Me: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀 Now Cabe is saying gooty! Who’s next?!

I am in love with Paige’s black flowery blouse! I want, I want!!! Btw, the whole outfit is a very common style for Paige in this series which expresses the character’s playful side. Check 1.14 Charades and 3.23 Something Burrowed, Something Blew for reference.

These costumes, the slow-mo entrance… 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Happy is not having it with the gender roles of the Renaissance! 😂👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Walter wants to give this place a history lesson! I feel him on this one! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Once again, Toby is turned on by Happy in a costume! #KinkyQuintis 😍😍💚💚💚💚💚💚😍😍

Toby and Paige are just too stinking cute! 💛💛💛💛💛

The ladies and Sly during the band’s performance… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀

I just died when Toby answered Walter’s question as if he was talking about him and Happy’s steamy activity in the hay loft! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀

Someone is always hampering the fun… BOO CRIMINALS! 🙅🏾👎🏾👎🏾

More Quintis exchanges! C: Why didn’t he slash the tires? T: Kevlar. You can’t pop them with a set of keys. You can’t be married to Happy Quinn without learning a thing or two about motorcycles. Me: This is ironically accurate considering that Walter, who was also married to Happy, uses a chain to stall the criminals’ motorcycles. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

The fact that Toby needs a very hot tool to cauterize the officer’s wound is somewhat reminiscent of the same suggestion he made for Walter in 1.22 Postcards From the Edge.

Team Scorpion: We need help to stop the criminals from killing us! Everyone else: Say what now? Yeah, see the way my health is set up… *facepalm* 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀

As much as I love Sly’s speech, I think it would have been better suited in the tent given that criminals were on the way there to search for that evidence bag.  But since it seems that everybody got in place before the criminal arrived, I’ll give it a pass. It was a cool moment for Sly! 👍🏾

Yay! Small moment of teamwork between Paige and Happy! This is what I want! 🙌🏾 

Cabe coming through on that horse should have come a lot faster! Great moment regardless!

This officer is awesome! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

He has to die?! Say what, Walter?! Oh lordt, here we go again! 😱😱😱😱😱

The way Walter took the bad guy out was really impressive! 😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This show really has an obsession with 💩💩💩

Aww Quintis! 😍💚😍💚😍💚😍💚😍💚😍💚😍💚😍💚

I love Elyes’ voice! So happy he was able to showcase it again! 😍😍😍

[chrisabraham]

Turn your website into your social media brand HQ

Make your website your communications hub

Target audience: Businesses, brands, developers, marketing professionals, SEO specialists, geeks, general public.

At the end of the day, none of us owns anything we do on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus. What we do own is our personal properties.

No matter how many hours I spend at the Java Shack or Peregrine Espresso, I am just a customer. Social media and its social networks may feel like a home to some of us, but they’re really just private public spaces, similar to coffee shops, the Politics & Prose reading area, or the ballroom at the Rosslyn Marriott.

At the end of the day, none of this is yours. These places, while filled with amazing opportunities for connection and growth, mean nothing if you can’t bring it all home, be it sales, self-promotion, networking, creativity, marketing, education or brand building.

Ultimately, your home is your business and yourself

What is home? Well, in a practical sense, your online home is your web site; maybe your blog. More philosophically, your home is your business and yourself.

I was installing a new personal consulting website over the weekend and I was reminded of this. I chose to use Drupal, a content management system (CMS) that is similar to WordPress, though known less for being a blogging platform than a content platform. I chose a database-backed Web application instead of a Flash-based or flat file site for several reasons, all of which had to do with making my online brand identity work as hard for me as possible.

Some of the core functionality that drew me to Drupal is how well it connects to Cron, sort of like a server’s timekeeper. It keeps my website primed not just when I am available, it can also work on my behalf even when I am on a plane or asleep.

What do I mean by this? Well, Drupal is open source software, so there’s not only a lot of useful functionality built in but also thousands of modules and plug-ins that easily and readily extend the functionality of my site out the wazoo.

So, there’s a built-in aggregator that I can set up to suck in all the RSS feeds of all the blogs to which I contribute, including Twitter. This allows me to write for Tumblr, other blogs, and Twitter and have as much or as little of the content brought back into my business home site, and shoved into my own database for my own posterity.

Sharing doesn’t happen by happenstance

Another thing it lets me to do is add a plug-in that easily allows me to offer all my visitors the ability to effortlessly share my content to Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and more. This makes it easy to add and remove different buttons as social networks go away (good bye, Google Buzz!) and add them as they’re introduced (hello Google+, for now).

And remember, it’s always better when other people share your stuff. Just like compliments, it’s always better when other people say how pretty and smart you are. Also, by design every share will include a link to your content, to your brand, and to your contact info. It’s genius! You’re also not prohibited from sharing from your own site as well — nobody said not to.

Another reason why I chose Drupal is because Google gets Drupal and Drupal gets Google. Unfortunately, too many people roll their own sites. Generally speaking, these are some flat file sites, some bizarre proprietary solution some Web guy peddled you, or a pretty minimal WordPress install, designed by a graphic designer instead of a coder.

The flat file and the proprietary solution are alien to Google, at least for a little while. While Google has seen a bazillion Drupal, WordPress and Joomla installs, it might take a while for Google to suss out what you’re about on your proprietary or brochureware site, if ever. This is especially true if you’ve also designed the entire site in Flash or a sliced-up Photoshop file.

On the other hand, Drupal is very aware of classifications, user-readable URLs, customizable title, keyword and description tags. I have already installed a module that connects to Google Webmaster Tools via a dynamic XML Sitemap, to Google Analytics, and to all the Ping Servers (do people even use those anymore?). What more, I’ve installed an SEO module that will help me further explain myself and every page I make to Google.

Drupal can prevent you from being Sandboxed or De-Listed

And since the Drupal community is so Bright White Hat, they make several modules that audit your site to make sure you didn’t do something evil that might be perceived by Google as being Black Hat, resulting in your site getting either Sandboxed (pretty darn bad) or De-Listed (devastating).

"All the work you’ve ever done on social media is likely to vanish unless you spend time capturing your work, words & creativity"  -- Chris Abraham

Since I have my own server, I have access to server logs, which are great ways to look deeper into how people are interacting with my site than even Google Analytics can go. That said, Drupal does a pretty good job of being able to actively and dynamically promote similar and popular content to my visitors so that anyone who comes in looking for Blogger Outreach Services because of one search will be offered all the pages that are similar to the topic that are available on the site, hopefully keeping folks on the site until they’re convinced that they want to hire me.

I believe that Drupal also offers the ability to auto link text in its core or as an extension. I can write my copy with abandon without having to worry about linking text or whether those links will go dead or change over time. Every time my article explicitly says “Blogger Outreach” the server will turn that phrase into a hyperlink and that link will go to the page on Blogger Outreach. If I change things up, I can change the point-to link to somewhere else and it will change every instance instantly.

Drupal also offers dynamic meta-tag titles, descriptions, and keywords; it can connect directly with other web applications via XML, RSS, or ATM, both read or write, if you set it up correctly. It can also cross-post whenever you post something on your site — be it news, something bloggish, something sales or hiring, or something PR — out and about, automatically: to Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, or wherever.

And, if there’s anything you can imagine that you might want to do, there’s probably an app for that (well, a module, really). Now that Drupal has been accepted widely and has matured over time, anything that may well be missing can be created for you by extending an application that already exists (by either joining the team and adding features or by forking the code into your own thing) or by hiring a Drupal developer to do it for you. Since it’s “just scripting” (PHP and MySQL, really), you won’t be stuck behind that proprietary wall of opacity. There are lots of options and developers of all levels of talent, skill, and experience (back when I started, PHP-coders were rare and Drupal developers were like unicorns).

Make your website your communications platform

OK, I am a total geek and I am so psyched to be elbow deep in Secure Shell (PuTTY), FTP (FileZILLA), vi, chmod, wget, and tar xvf that I would like you to forgive me for this article (I should be talking about social media marketing and digital PR, after all). However, I have been in the PR world now for 10 years and most PR websites really suck. Your own personal web site should be more than just a landing page for decision makers. It’s also your own personal platform for communication, engagement, sharing, and for square-dancing with lovely spiders and bots of Google, Bing and the gang.

Take some time to become better than yourself. You make not be a geek like me, but you really need to take advantage of all the cool stuff I can do. The setting up of all the back-end stuff only took me one dedicated Sunday, so it’s not rocket science.

Good luck and remember that all the work that you do and have ever done on social media in support of your brand is ephemeral and likely to vanish into thin air unless you spend some time capturing your work, your words, and your creativity somewhere you can keep it and keep on using it.

It might as well be in your own online home, your website.

Contact Chris via email, follow him on Twitter and Google Plus or leave a comment below.

[chrisabraham]

Turn your website into your social media brand HQ

Make your website your communications hub

Target audience: Businesses, brands, developers, marketing professionals, SEO specialists, geeks, general public.

At the end of the day, none of us owns anything we do on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus. What we do own is our personal properties.

No matter how many hours I spend at the Java Shack or Peregrine Espresso, I am just a customer. Social media and its social networks may feel like a home to some of us, but they’re really just private public spaces, similar to coffee shops, the Politics & Prose reading area, or the ballroom at the Rosslyn Marriott.

At the end of the day, none of this is yours. These places, while filled with amazing opportunities for connection and growth, mean nothing if you can’t bring it all home, be it sales, self-promotion, networking, creativity, marketing, education or brand building.

Ultimately, your home is your business and yourself

What is home? Well, in a practical sense, your online home is your web site; maybe your blog. More philosophically, your home is your business and yourself.

I was installing a new personal consulting website over the weekend and I was reminded of this. I chose to use Drupal, a content management system (CMS) that is similar to WordPress, though known less for being a blogging platform than a content platform. I chose a database-backed Web application instead of a Flash-based or flat file site for several reasons, all of which had to do with making my online brand identity work as hard for me as possible.

Some of the core functionality that drew me to Drupal is how well it connects to Cron, sort of like a server’s timekeeper. It keeps my website primed not just when I am available, it can also work on my behalf even when I am on a plane or asleep.

What do I mean by this? Well, Drupal is open source software, so there’s not only a lot of useful functionality built in but also thousands of modules and plug-ins that easily and readily extend the functionality of my site out the wazoo.

So, there’s a built-in aggregator that I can set up to suck in all the RSS feeds of all the blogs to which I contribute, including Twitter. This allows me to write for Tumblr, other blogs, and Twitter and have as much or as little of the content brought back into my business home site, and shoved into my own database for my own posterity.

Sharing doesn’t happen by happenstance

Another thing it lets me to do is add a plug-in that easily allows me to offer all my visitors the ability to effortlessly share my content to Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and more. This makes it easy to add and remove different buttons as social networks go away (good bye, Google Buzz!) and add them as they’re introduced (hello Google+, for now).

And remember, it’s always better when other people share your stuff. Just like compliments, it’s always better when other people say how pretty and smart you are. Also, by design every share will include a link to your content, to your brand, and to your contact info. It’s genius! You’re also not prohibited from sharing from your own site as well — nobody said not to.

Another reason why I chose Drupal is because Google gets Drupal and Drupal gets Google. Unfortunately, too many people roll their own sites. Generally speaking, these are some flat file sites, some bizarre proprietary solution some Web guy peddled you, or a pretty minimal WordPress install, designed by a graphic designer instead of a coder.

The flat file and the proprietary solution are alien to Google, at least for a little while. While Google has seen a bazillion Drupal, WordPress and Joomla installs, it might take a while for Google to suss out what you’re about on your proprietary or brochureware site, if ever. This is especially true if you’ve also designed the entire site in Flash or a sliced-up Photoshop file.

On the other hand, Drupal is very aware of classifications, user-readable URLs, customizable title, keyword and description tags. I have already installed a module that connects to Google Webmaster Tools via a dynamic XML Sitemap, to Google Analytics, and to all the Ping Servers (do people even use those anymore?). What more, I’ve installed an SEO module that will help me further explain myself and every page I make to Google.

Drupal can prevent you from being Sandboxed or De-Listed

And since the Drupal community is so Bright White Hat, they make several modules that audit your site to make sure you didn’t do something evil that might be perceived by Google as being Black Hat, resulting in your site getting either Sandboxed (pretty darn bad) or De-Listed (devastating).

"All the work you’ve ever done on social media is likely to vanish unless you spend time capturing your work, words & creativity"  -- Chris Abraham

Since I have my own server, I have access to server logs, which are great ways to look deeper into how people are interacting with my site than even Google Analytics can go. That said, Drupal does a pretty good job of being able to actively and dynamically promote similar and popular content to my visitors so that anyone who comes in looking for Blogger Outreach Services because of one search will be offered all the pages that are similar to the topic that are available on the site, hopefully keeping folks on the site until they’re convinced that they want to hire me.

I believe that Drupal also offers the ability to auto link text in its core or as an extension. I can write my copy with abandon without having to worry about linking text or whether those links will go dead or change over time. Every time my article explicitly says “Blogger Outreach” the server will turn that phrase into a hyperlink and that link will go to the page on Blogger Outreach. If I change things up, I can change the point-to link to somewhere else and it will change every instance instantly.

Drupal also offers dynamic meta-tag titles, descriptions, and keywords; it can connect directly with other web applications via XML, RSS, or ATM, both read or write, if you set it up correctly. It can also cross-post whenever you post something on your site — be it news, something bloggish, something sales or hiring, or something PR — out and about, automatically: to Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, or wherever.

And, if there’s anything you can imagine that you might want to do, there’s probably an app for that (well, a module, really). Now that Drupal has been accepted widely and has matured over time, anything that may well be missing can be created for you by extending an application that already exists (by either joining the team and adding features or by forking the code into your own thing) or by hiring a Drupal developer to do it for you. Since it’s “just scripting” (PHP and MySQL, really), you won’t be stuck behind that proprietary wall of opacity. There are lots of options and developers of all levels of talent, skill, and experience (back when I started, PHP-coders were rare and Drupal developers were like unicorns).

Make your website your communications platform

OK, I am a total geek and I am so psyched to be elbow deep in Secure Shell (PuTTY), FTP (FileZILLA), vi, chmod, wget, and tar xvf that I would like you to forgive me for this article (I should be talking about social media marketing and digital PR, after all). However, I have been in the PR world now for 10 years and most PR websites really suck. Your own personal web site should be more than just a landing page for decision makers. It’s also your own personal platform for communication, engagement, sharing, and for square-dancing with lovely spiders and bots of Google, Bing and the gang.

Take some time to become better than yourself. You make not be a geek like me, but you really need to take advantage of all the cool stuff I can do. The setting up of all the back-end stuff only took me one dedicated Sunday, so it’s not rocket science.

Good luck and remember that all the work that you do and have ever done on social media in support of your brand is ephemeral and likely to vanish into thin air unless you spend some time capturing your work, your words, and your creativity somewhere you can keep it and keep on using it.

It might as well be in your own online home, your website.

Contact Chris via email, follow him on Twitter and Google Plus or leave a comment below.