Strange question to ask, I know–but sometimes, in blogging, one of the surest ways to get attention is to pick a fight.  I don’t mean that in the tradtional sense, of course, I mean that in the new blogosphere sense, in which you find a blog you disagree with, work up a list of reasons why they’re wrong, and tip them off in the hopes that you’ll get a counter argument going from the other end that, in turn, references you.

Sure, you can go in guns blazing, with a big post entitled “Why This Blogger Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Breed” or “Five Reasons Why This Blogger Is Too Dumb To Tie His Own Shoes”, but these strategies are more likely to get you ignored, or possibly sued.  There’s nothing wrong with a little snark–it keeps your readers engaged–but it’s like any spice; too much will ruin the soup that is your blog.  It’s also better to keep your snark targeted at governments or corporations who are used to this sort of thing anyway and will look horrible going after a lone blogger in the media.  Any time you can accurately use phrases like “David Vs. Goliath-style matchup” or “picking on” in a description between you and them, it’s probably a safe target.

But keep your cool, have your reasons well in hand, and let fly with an occasional barb or three and you should be able to get some attention, some links, and some traffic.

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