Pimp My Blog?

Since I've started this blog, I've become a little obsessed with finding new tricks for accessorizing it. I found an excellent resource for free "must haves" for Blogger blogs at http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/04/free-essential-tools-for-blogger/. Russian Mafia Babe already had FeedBlitz and AdSense, and as I was adding Technorati and signing up for PingOat, I started to wonder.

At which point does it cross the line? Where does it go from classy to overly made up?

I love all the tools. I have an engineering background and could play with free widgets until I go broke from not doing any actual paying work. But what are the most important, and where do I need to stop?

To help guide me, I've taken a critical look at some of my favorite, daily reads. For example, http://www.chrisg.com/ features only his blog, his blog, his blog: posts, signups, consulting services. No AdSense, you have to search for the social bookmarking buried on the refer a friend page. On the other hand, http://www.performancing.com/ has more of a we're all in this together feel to it, with lots of social options but still a pretty clean format.

Yaro Starak's http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/ is about as opposite as can be, with ads, social bookmarks, lots of extras including audio and screenshots. By the way, if you haven't done it already, go to his site and sign up for email updates! Pro Blogger at http://www.problogger.net/ is also pretty tricked out.

My favorite mom blog, http://www.dooce.com/, is all about content. And ads. If you like the content click the ads. No bookmarking, have to search for the RSS feed, no option for email signup. Similar setup for http://www.hipstermom.com/.

So where does this leave yours truly, Russian Mafia Babe? She's still somewhat of a newborn, and at the moment wants it all. Kind of a techno - internet - mom - maserati blog. Life isn't all about being a mom, but then again the mom part sure enriches the techie geek part.

Keep reading, I'll keep posting and tweaking. Let me know what offends and what works. And please, by all means, if you like it, Digg it. Just click the link below.