When creating my MMA fighter search app for Android, Knuckle Head, I created a class that I have reused a few times since. Its called UrlJsonAsyncTask and the code necessary to use it is available in my . The following excerpt describes the problem it was built to solve:

I can’t even count how many times I’ve had to load a ProgressDialog in Android, query JSON from a remote URL, and then return control back to the app once the query has completed. It’s an incredibly common control flow, and one I’m sick of doing over and over again. I’m sure I’m not alone.

In effort to keep this a DRY situation, the class in my collection of Android helpers, , is dedicated to the aforementioned task. It reduces what can be an 80+ line of code endeavor, per task, down to about 15 or less.

For the rest of the article, head over to the full article at BuildMobile.com and check it out. The full article includes a full explanation of the code, a with full source, and even a downloadable Android app for testing the functionality yourself.

The Backstory

I’ve tried in vain to make a couple bucks off the content of my blog. Google Ads, affiliate programs, and a few other typical methods yielded very little in terms of results. I had basically given up on the notion of monetizing my blog, despite Dan Florio’s chivalrous efforts to explain to me how it can be done. That’s when things started falling into place.

I put all my efforts into writing about the area of technology that currently interested me most: mobile frameworks. If you are , I’m sure you’ve seen at least a handful of these articles by now. If not, then you are missing some of the highest quality content on this site. If you’re curious, check here, here, and here for a taste of what I’ve been working on.

Long story short, I made a serious effort to provide unique, accessible, sought after content. That combined with the tips I detailed in my last post, “11 Vague Ways to be Technically Relevant“, led to the most promising of monetizing efforts so far… writing for others. Turns out, even though there is a superfluous amount of mobile content on the web, not much of it is unique or has more than an inch of depth in terms of analysis. Enter Tony.

Writing

Apparently I had thrown my 2 cents out there about mobile frameworks enough to garner the interest of the powers that be at BuildMobile.com. While it appears to be a relatively new conglomeration of mobile technology authors, there is more than meets the eye. Scroll to the bottom and you’ll find its owned by the web development powerhouse SitePoint.com. And by powerhouse, I mean an Alexa rank of 907.

So in a match made in mobile development Heaven, I will be a contract author writing mobile development articles for the up-and-coming BuildMobile.com. It’s not compensation that will have me quitting my job anytime soon, but I will be making more with my first article than I have in almost 2 years of trying to monetize my blog. Finally some of this hard work is starting to pay off with something other than pats on the back from peers. Not that they aren’t appreciated.

The Morale of the Story

As the title of this article says, monetize your expertise, not your blog if you are a techie. Most people that visit tech blogs are all but blind to Google Ads, and even well placed, relevant affiliate ads will only net you a few dollars unless your userbase is very big. The only thing you should be selling on your blog is yourself. Your blog gives onlookers a chance to see what you are capable of, and its always nice if they aren’t pummeled with annoying banner ads in the meantime.

People can tell the difference between a blogger, writer, programmer, etc… who is really passionate about what he/she does and one who is not. You need to invest yourself in your work and make a commitment to provide quality content each time, not just fodder for your RSS feed. This is what will set you apart from the pack. That, and being willing to play the social networking game a bit, of course. Don’t discount any connection as you never know how a random favor may pay off in the future. I’m not religious, but I’m a staunch believer in karma.

Keep working on the things that really drive you. Put all your effort into them. Make sure your thoughts are heard. Add some time, persistence, and initiative and you just may start making some money doing the things you love.

NOTE: Anyone who wants to tell me I’m a jackass and that there’s a clear cut way to monetize a blog with a captive tech audience, I’m all ears.