A Handy Guide for Beginners: Hockey Blogging, Part II

I'm still trying to figure out how best to post Handy Guides. So today, we're going to take a break from what we've been doing and kick this particular Handy Guide old school. Ya feel me?

Bumper sticker of the week, by far. Flickr

About this time last year, I did a Handy Guide detailing how to blog about hockey. A lot has changed in the blogging landscape, especially in hockey, since that post was written. So today, this Part II strives to update you on everything you need to know about this ever-changing environment we blog in. Hopefully you can learn as much reading this as I did writing it. Wait, no. Proceed with caution, dear reader.

Do convince a large internet conglomerate with an established base of viewers to let you write for them. Also insist on getting lots of money, the ability to work from home and hordes of commenters who say they don't like you but come back every day anyway. These types of companies are desperate, hiring anyone who will show them interest. Hell, they even let Devils fans work for them. (I keed, I keed)

Do not add BallHype 'Hype It Up!' buttons to the bottom of each of your posts. While it may make your sense of self worth increase minimally by having a few people hype up your post, it's not worth the countless hours of sleep you will lose refreshing the page constantly to see how many votes you have gotten. Take it from someone with experience, it's not worth it. Unless you have a post that you're absolutely, positively sure will get a +20. But that's every one of your posts, right?

Make sure to continue using an out-dated Blogger Template. So what if everyone else has a unique URL and design for their blog? Your standard Blogger Minima Template really shows off your skills as a web developer and your boundless creativity. Maybe someday you'll create your own theme or move to WordPress where things are easier. But you're lazy. Not today. Minima for life, baby!

Use Cover It Live for all your live blogging needs. Gone are the days when you would have to tediously record your witty thoughts throughout a game. Now all you need to do is throw out random barbs in your Cover It Live chat room. The chat is mostly guided by your readers whom you've given producer powers to because, well let's face it, you're not that interesting all by yourself.

Bash the MSM any chance you get. If there's one thing Bloggers and their readers can all agree on, it's that the MSM can suck it. You're guaranteed at least a +10 on BallHype with that diatribe you wrote railing about that journalist from [insert city here]. And remember to remind the moron how you don't live in your parent's basement anymore. You've got your own loft in your town's local arts district now! Man, you sure showed him/her!

YouTube is God's Gift to Bloggers. Now anyone can break a story! You don't have to be at the game or have any access behind the scenes. All you need to do is hit the record button, upload and viola! Show everyone that awesome goal/save/hit they missed! Your readers will thank you for it. Without you, they would have never been able to kill those 47 seconds of their work day.

Oh, yeah. Almost forgot...