With WordPress 2.8 comes changes to XML-RPC, which is what lets you use external software to publish to your WordPress blog. Joseph Scott has outlined the changes, along with the ones made to AtomPub.

I did a quick test with MarsEdit and Blogo, two OS X blog applications I use on a semi-regular basis, and they work as normal. Has anyone had any issues with external applications after the 2.8 upgrade?

Matt Mullenweg has announced the release of WordPress 2.8, available for download from wordpress.org as always, but also in your up to date WordPress install by automatic update. If you haven’t followed the beta talk, you’ll note that it is visually the same as the previous version, but a lot faster thanks to code improvement. It also featured a new widget interface that greatly improves the usage, as well as giving themes the same update and install treatment as plugins. Speaking of themes, if you’re one of those mad people who edit them right in the browser, you’ll like the code syntax added to these things. There is also new screen options on a per page basis, and a ton of bugs are ironed out.

As for compatibility, most plugins and themes will work. There’s nothing groundbreaking in the core code department, so you can probably update right away. read more

One blogger has received some major league attention from baseball player Raul Ibanez after insinuating that the athlete’s stellar start to the season might be a result of steroid abuse. read more

Recently I’ve added a new tool to my blogging arsenal. I’m relying on Google Voice. There are two primary ways I am using it to help me in my blogging endeavors. read more

5,000 posts that is, on popular blogging blog ProBlogger.net. Impressive to say the least. He celebrates this by posting 13 things he learned about successful blogging:

1. Anticipate Growing Trends
2. Solve Problems and Meet Needs
3. Write for YOU
4. Blog over the Long Term and Blog Regularly
5. Be Interactive
6. Be Personal
7. Go Where People Are Already Gathering
8. Build Your Brand
9. Spot and Follow Opportunities
10. Develop Partnerships
11. Know Your Goals and Stay Focused
12. Work Hard
13. Be Lucky

Naturally, he’s got explanations to them too, so you should head over to ProBlogger.net and pick his brain on this. Congratulations Darren!

This comes as no surprise at all, really. After all, with the Facebook front page upgrade some time ago, I’m surprised this hasn’t hit harder yet. Buy a status update on eBay, and get noticed. Or at least you could, the auction is removed. Inside Facebook broke the story, and has screenshots if you’re curious. read more

There’s a new site that all bloggers need to go register for – now! (Well, after you read this post)

The site is Scribnia, and it is a community where you can discover new bloggers while you promote your blogs as well. read more

Want to protect your brand (ie your name) on Facebook? Then be at the ready on Saturday, because that’s when Facebook will roll out the vanity URLs we’ve mentioned before. As in facebook.com/peter/ rather than facebook.com/profile.php?id=12354477861485115. Looks better doesn’t it, and will show up in search as well. This from the official announcement:

Starting at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Saturday, June 13, you’ll be able to choose a username on a first-come, first-serve basis for your profile and the Facebook Pages that you administer by visiting www.facebook.com/username/. You’ll also see a notice on your home page with instructions for obtaining your username at that time.

About time. More on Techmeme.

I often find that folks who would like to believe that blogging and Tweeting are just “passing fads,” will point to the extremely high abandon rate of both mediums.

There has been a lot of buzz recently about the volume of people bailing on Twitter after a mere Tweet.

However, this is what we do – we bail! Whether it’s a TV show, a movie, a book, a conversation, etc. – and these are leisure activities – we bail! Many people fail to realize at the onset that blogging and Tweeting is hard work. (OK, maybe not rocket science but it is time consuming.)

Likewise, we also follow. It’s how most humans are built. So to hear that 10% of Twitter users are driving 90% of the content is not surprising. Who controls most of our money? Our politics? Our religion? Fashion? The Digg homepage?

Small groups will always drive the bus.

Now fess up…are you a bad parent? Have you recently orphaned your blog and/or Twitter account?

The cover of the June 15 edition, number 173 apparently, features Twitter and how it will change our lives. read more