Lijit

It’s the question that everyone wonders about. Is anyone else using Lijit? And if so, what are they being searched for?

You now have access to that kind of information via the new Lijit Twitter account, Whos Lijit. (Don’t get us started on the missing apostrophe…we’re calling it twammer–grammar for Twitter.) The tweets are real-time searches that are being done on blogs with Lijit installed and the link included in the tweet takes you to the actual search results. Updated every 15 minutes, this new twitterstream provides a very interesting look into the world of Lijit’s publishers.

For example, there are some searches that make you wonder…”How does a golden gopher taste?”

Then there are the searches that make complete sense…

Some of the searches that you see in the tweetstream can make you hungry and provide inspiration for lunch…

Let’s not forget the searches that make you want to learn more about useful life skills...

Not to mention the searches that make you chuckle a little to yourself…

And of course, we can’t forget the searches done in Indonesia…

If we’ve piqued your interest, be sure to check out WhosLijit and have fun discovering new content. You’re welcome.

With our WordPress plugin and Micah’s speaking at WordCamps (Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago and DC) one might think that at Lijit, we dont love other blogging platforms, such as TypePad or Blogger, as much. Even some of the newer blog platforms, such as Tumblr and Posterous, sometimes have told us that they feel a bit left out.

But, you see, this is just not the case. At Lijit, we love all blogging platforms equally. Whether you are using Expression Engine, or Moveable Type, or even Drupal, Lijit happily installs (some times with an added love tap from our ability support staff) on them all.

And, you might be surprised to hear, we do it without having our love reciporcated. (Yes, I am speaking to you Wordpress.com!) So when one of the blogging platforms reaches out to their users and tells them about how great we are at Lijit, well, we get just a bit excited.

“Professor” Andy Wibbels on the Everything TypePad blog does a great job of explaining how TypePad users can get the most out of Lijit.

We love you too TypePad! We are excited to hear from other blogging platforms about how their users are getting the most out of Lijit.

How about publishers on other blogging platforms? How are you getting the most out of Lijit?

Before Shawn graced us with her presence at Lijit, we didn’t have a QA team. Okay, we had one, but it consisted of everyone already employed by Lijit coming in for releases and doing lots of late-night testing. So you can only imagine how happy we were when Shawn was hired. As it turns out, not only is Shawn awesome at what she does, but she’s also a wonderful person to have around. Plus, she was game enough to answer the questions that I ask of everyone in this series.

What is your Lijit contribution?

Bringing more quality to the company and the features we release to our publishers by noticing and squashing bugs in Lijit’s offices before they crawl outside.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally and why?

Experiencing that you’ve done something good by seeing things come full circle. In July 2002, I had to put my Australian Cattle Dog, Kaena, down after a hard fought battle with a nerve sheath tumor, a low incidence type of cancer. It took 2 years to be diagnosed however, after the diagnosis, his lame limb was amputated and he lived a happy 18 months as our “tripod”. Knowing that this type of cancer was rare, I vowed to donate him to research when the time came. My personal loss became a gain for science. The lead veterinarian on Kaena’s case at Colorado State University wrote me a note expressing gratitude for the immense knowledge that Kaena’s case provided to all the veterinarians, both seasoned and new, that were present during his autopsy.

What sound or noise do you hate and why?

2 things…breaking, slamming and banging things in anger. It’s wasted energy, you’ll need to use more time and energy to fix what you’ve broke, and you can’t take back the impression you just made. Plus the high-pitched shrill of screaming people hurts my ears.

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt and why?

Barrel Racer. I marvel at the teamwork, speed, control and athleticism that exist between horse and rider in professional barrel racing.

Something you’re guilty of…

Having too much fun on hockey road trips.

How can you not love someone with a name that’s as fun to pronounce as Shawn’s? Don’t believe me? Say her name a couple of times and appreciate the way it rolls off the tongue. And let’s not forget about the fact that she’s a hockey mom from Hawaii. We love having Shawn as part of our team and hope we don’t scare her off anytime soon. (And she looks fab in her Lijit vest!)

You can read the guest post she wrote last year about why she enjoys working at Lijit or check out her blog to find out more.

We are excited about our newest offering for blog publishers: the ability to create and maintain your own Content Network. Many of our users were requesting some way to build topical communities that would promote their content and help to drive traffic to individual sites. We listened and now you can organize groups of bloggers that write about a common area of interest.

There are three Content Networks currently up and running: The Security Bloggers Network, The Venture Capital Bloggers Network, and The Cycling Bloggers Network. With the release of the Conent Networks, Lijit provides all the tools for you to easily create one of your own. Lijit will host the main site, aggregate all the RSS feeds from the individual bloggers, and allow your readers to search through the entire network of experts. Additionally, we give you the ability to monetize your network through display and search advertising.

The real beauty of the Content Network lies in the simple fact that by collecting similar content in one place, readers have an amazing way of searching across a number of different bloggers writing about the same thing. When you visit the Security Bloggers Network, you can do a search that will bring back results from all of the 200+ bloggers who are a part of that network. No one knows the industry better than those blogging about it and now, readers can benefit from all that expertise in one place.

You can read more and find out how to start your own Content Network here. We love hearing feedback and are proud to be able to empower bloggers to do even more!

This week, we’re proud to have the chance to profile the recipient of the 2008 Best Medical Blog Award. Fortunately for us, he also uses Lijit on his site. Dr. Kevin Pho is a board-certified Internal Medicine doctor who’s been blogging for almost five years. His blog is a platform to inform readers on various health care issues and to provide commentary from a doctor’s point of view. Whether he’s sharing his opinion about what’s really wrong with health care, weighing in on recent medical news, or explaining some of the background behind popular procedures, Dr. Kevin does an effective job of shining a light into the dark corners of the medical community. Enjoy the dose of information that he provides!

How long have you been blogging and what made you start?

I’ve been blogging since May of 2004. I wanted to blog in order to give instant physician opinion on medical news that was reported by mainstream media. Many times, there would be an inaccurate or incomplete interpretation of a study, and the blog allowed me to give a more informed medical commentary to patients.

What has been the greatest thing you’ve gotten from blogging?

The opportunity to promote a physician point of view in the national health care dialogue. Many journalists and mainstream media outlets cite and read my blog, and I have had opportunities to regularly write for USA Today, as well as be interviewed by the CBS Evening News, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.com. I would not have had these opportunities without journalists reading the blog.

Of all the posts you’ve written, what has been your favorite and why?

It’s hard to pick just one, since there’s over 16,000 to choose from. I’m particularly proud of my Open Letter to Barack Obama and John McCain, which I wrote during the Presidential campaign. I summarize the problems facing primary care doctors (of which I am one), and how important a solid primary care foundation is needed in any health reform initiative.

How do you see blogs helping the medical community?

The strength of blogs is to dynamically provide commentary and opinion on breaking medical news. Scores of studies are released and reported daily, and many reporters do not have the medical background to provide relevance to patients. Blogs can fill that niche, and provide informed medical opinions to patients.

Furthermore, medical blogs provide insight into the problems that physicians face. Often times, what goes on behind closed doors in a doctor’s office and hospital is a mystery. Blogs can pull that curtain back and expose what’s really going on with American health care.

How has Lijit helped you as a blog publisher?

With over 16,000+ posts, Lijit provides a way for both my readers and myself to accurately search through posts. I particularly like the Re-Search feature, as many readers find my blog through a Google search. Using Re-Search, they are able to navigate through more pages than they would have without Lijit.

Be sure to check out KevinMD for even more information about your health concerns. Dr. Pho answers the questions you’re afraid to ask (Does masturbation really cause prostate cancer?) and shares the pictures you’re afraid to look at (When ear piercings lead to keloid formation). Follow him on Twitter and rest assured that this is one Lijit doctor.