I think out of all the things I find remarkable about building a blog are the  choices of gadgets, widgets and plugins.  Maybe its because I am not that technical or maybe these little tools are really helpful and useful.

We’ve been testing a variety of plugins lately….and here are a few of my favorites today.

Chitika -Enables you to quickly add and modify your use of Chitika Premium within WordPress-By Chitika Inc. I was excited when I checked my account today…who knows I might get paid in 2009!

AdSense Now!-Get started with AdSense now, and make money from your blog. Configure it at Settings → AdSense Now!, or use the “Settings” link on the right. By Manoj Thulasidas- I love the options of where to place ads on your site.

Just another contact form plugin. Simple but flexible. By Takayuki Miyoshi. This is a basic contact form that is very easy to edit.

And if you want to add a forum …try out simplepressforum.com.  I’m still playing around with it..its very easy to build.

Ben Finklea, CEO of Volacci interviewing Matt Cutts of Google.  Matt talks about how he uses Twitter on a day-to-day basis.

Sometimes I lack discipline in regards to writing..can’t stand talking to myself but more importantly I have something to say and I want it to be heard…I admit I like an audience and the interaction.

I long for more connections…prefer word of mouth marketing over the hard sell and that is a big reason why I love social networking.

For many of my brilliant real estate friends..they started their own blogs years ago…and I stuck with social networking.   Some questioned…some shook their heads and some thought maybe she doesn’t have a clue.

Little did people know..I trained agents just the opposite…get your own blog going...even if its just photos… because the down side of social networking sites are:

• You can spend countless hours of socializing without making a dime.
• There is sometimes too much drama on social networks
• Eventually you will have to pay and it will be difficult to give up.
• You are creating additional traffic to a site that does not belong to you.
• For some social networks… there seems to be a certain mindset and if you do not agree…you can and will get into heated battles.

I didn’t really look at it in this light…because I love people!

The upside of social networking sites are tremendous if you are social and many of these benefits would include:

• Growing your sphere of influence
• Referral Business
• Like Minds
• Several pats on the back and sometimes several slaps.
• Endless Opportunities

I can’t say that I have been anti-social these days…just socializing very different.  I admit…time is money…including the time I spend on social network sites and the time I spend in my business.

For the past few months I have been working on my own blog…its just little Ole me and the computer scientist honoring my request for changes in my template…added tools and features.

I can honestly say…I really love my own personal blog even if it gets a little lonely…but it hasn’t been lonely at all.  It’s a myth…there is the big bold blogosphere out there…and many people globally want to connect.  I admit its an amazing feeling…when someone contacts to me outside of my social network sites and social circles.

Now with the responsibility to drive traffic to my own site..I am working quite differently..

• Studying SEO and using the correct tags and key words.
• With moderating every one of my comments
• And watching the numbers closely on technorati and alexa
• Posting more frequently here than anywhere else
• Managing my time it takes to write each post

So in comparing social network sites vs. my own blog…the social network sites that I belong to are just that...my social network sites…

As for my own blog…its really not that different as a matter of fact it has become quite social…..it seems to generate more emails…phone calls from total strangers outside of the real estate realm.

I admit I got another call from a first time homebuyer today..yeah baby..I’m on a roll!  And when I asked them where did they find me…it wasn’t my social networks it wasn’t my site…

It was google…and my own personal map using the words..Daytona Beach Real Estate Agent..and then it lead them to my real estate website…my social networks…and then to this blog… and the proof is in the pudding…by connecting all of these sources my little blog…has become quite a social network and very social!

Contributing Writer: Midori Miller is a Real Estate Trainer and writes and trains Real Estate Training and assists sellers in short sale situations.  Midori is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker , License # BK645709 at CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty and a member of the Daytona Area Association of REALTORS.

Recently I have been applying for gigs..as much as I love real estate I tend to enjoy technology too.  With the necessity to fill in the gaps of income..I thought I would give it a shot, heck I do it just about everyday why not get paid for doing it.

One thing I have found..when applying for these online gigs..you must be careful and do your homework.  Scam…spam…phishing!

Just as an employer who is seeking to hire new employees often times do background checks..the same should apply to some of the many companies who require you to apply online.

Many of the job sites and  gig sites have the same problem…we freely give our personal information to only be sent to either another job site or get spammed to death…but the worst part is for someone who is desperate to find employment..you may end up getting scammed.

This should not be happening..especially for those seeking serious employment/gigs.

Today I applied for what I thought to be a dream gig..one of my favorite past-times…blogging...it was a strange thing but I decided to go ahead and do some research on the company.  Little did I know…if you google them they were known for scamming…for spamming and phishing.

As I read more about the company…I found out they had changed their name and the story goes beyond scamming…spamming and phishing.

Moral of the story: If you are in serious need of work..before you send your resume out online...research the company…otherwise you might wake up to an overloaded email box or someone taking your personal information and have a field day with it.

Is the best use of the internet?