Donor Anonymity: Are Sperm Donors Really Anonymous? By Guest Blogger Michelle Patterson

The decision to become a sperm donor is a major decision that needs to be thoroughly thought out beforehand.  While there are many factors to consider before making your decision, the most important factor to consider is that of your confidentiality and anonymity. You should know and understand what to expect from a donation clinic as far as your confidentiality and your rights as a donor are concerned.  While your rights will differ depending upon what type of donor you will choose to be, they are nonetheless important. 

You should take an adequate amount of time to educate yourself regarding the donation clinic’s confidentiality and anonymity contract before making such an important decision.  You need to insure that you are choosing the clinic that best meets your needs.  All donation centers must have a confidentiality agreement that protects your rights as a donor, and knowing those rights beforehand can make a world of difference before signing a contract.  This article will discuss what to expect from a donation center regarding your confidentiality and anonymity as a donor.

While there are two ways to donate your sperm, anonymously and not anonymously, this article will focus on anonymous donors only.  When donating anonymously, you should expect just that; that your sperm donation will be made entirely and completely anonymously with no chance of your name ever being released to the recipient or the child at any point.  Most clinics should assign you a specific donor number that you will be referred to throughout the donation process, and any other time you decide to donate.  This number will then be included on all of your paperwork in the place of your name, thus again further protecting your anonymity.

It is always important that you read any contract that you are given in full detail before signing your name.  If you have any questions regarding the contract and your rights as a donor, it is vital that you have your questions and concerns addressed before signing the contract.  If you are choosing to donate anonymously, then you most likely have concerns about meeting a child later on, and you want to be sure to agree to that fully in the contract.

Another thing to check on at the donation center is whether or not the center has what is called an “openness agreement.”  An openness agreement is an agreement you sign that states that if a child born from your donation wishes to contact you, you can be contacted by the clinic and asked if you would like to meet the child.  Even if you agree to sign this agreement in case you change your mind about anonymity later on, the agreement should state that your name and information will not be given out without your consent and without the phone call from the clinic beforehand.

Again, it is important to do your research on the clinic you wish to use in order to insure your anonymity, although most clinics that are accredited follow confidentiality contracts fully.

About the Author

Michelle Patterson is a nurse with several years’ experience in a sperm clinic.  She suggests looking into the information provided by California Cryobank regarding sperm donor anonymity before making the decision to become a sperm donor.

Borrowed Wisdom: How to Use Quotes on Your Blog from Daily BlogTips

Have you ever read something – perhaps in a book or blog – and thought wow, I wish I’d written that.
While you can’t take the words and pretend they’re your own, you can use them to support your blogging.
Quoting other people is a staple of many types of writing. Journalists use quotes in their stories, magazine writers interview experts to support their piece, and academics quote research papers. As a blogger, you too can borrow the wisdom of others to inspire and support your writing.
This is also an under-used technique, so it’s one that can make you stand out:

For an entire week I read every post from five A-list bloggers to see how many of their posts included quotes. Out of 31 posts, only three did.
– Bamboo Forest, Elevate Your Writing By Using Well-Positioned Quotes, Write to Done

It does take a little extra time and effort to add a quote (or a few quotes) into your post … but if you follow these steps, you can’t go wrong.

Step #1: Find an Appropriate Quote

Quotes can come from all sorts of sources, but three of the most likely ones you’ll use are:
Other Blogs
It’s easy to do a quick Google search for information when you’re writing a post: if you find a great piece of advice, you can include it in your piece as a quote. Alternatively, you might save good quotes as you’re reading, so you can use them in future posts.
Books
It’s fine to quote briefly from a book so long as you acknowledge the source (see Step #3). If you have an ereader, highlight relevant passages when you’re reading so you can easily find useful quotes afterwards.
Collections of Quotes
Sites like Brainy Quote list thousands upon thousands of quotes, and you can search by topic. If you do choose a quote that’s been widely reproduced, check several sites as the wording (and sometimes the attribution) may be incorrect in places.

Step #2: Decide How to Use the Quote

There are plenty of different ways to incorporate a quote into your post, and you don’t need to use the same method each time. These are some popular ones:
At the Start of Your Post
Alex Blackwell of The Bridgemaker has a quote at the start of every post he writes. This is a technique you’ll sometimes see used in books, with a quote at the start of each chapter.
As the Basis for Your Post
Barry Demp of The Quotable Coach bases each of his posts on a specific quote. Here on Daily Blog Tips, we often quote from and explain a good resource when we link to it – see The Psychology Behind The “One Weird Trick” Ads for an example.
To Support a Point You’re Making
Often, a quote from an expert can be a great way to support a particular part of your post. For instance, in Sonia Simone’s post The 5 Things Every (Great) Marketing Story Needs, her bonus – You need the truth – uses a quote from a book.

Step #3: Format the Quote Correctly

It’s often a good idea to distinguish quotes from the rest of your post, especially if you’re quoting more than a line or so.
There’s a handy HTML tag for this:

(Most visual blog editors will have a button that looks like quotation marks: this applies the

formatting.)

Different blog themes will have different styles of blockquotes, but almost all will indent the text from the left. They may use a different font colour or size, and might add other features like a quotation mark graphic or a line down the left hand side.
For very short quotes, you may not want to use the blockquote formatting. You can simply incorporate them into your sentence, using quotation marks. Here’s an example:
This week, I’ve decided to use more quotes on my blog. I was inspired by Ali Luke who explains, “You too can borrow the wisdom of others to inspire and support your writing.”
If you want more on punctuating posts correctly, check out 8 Tips for Using Quotes and Dialogue in Your Blog Posts (ProBlogger).

Step #4: Attribute the Quote Correctly

Make sure that all the quotes you use are attributed carefully: don’t just throw them in without a name or source.
At a bare minimum, you should include the name of the person (or where that’s not available, the website / publication) that the quote is from.
Normally, if you’re quoting from a blog post or website, it’s good to link to the source. This helps out the person you’re quoting (links are good for their search engine ranking) and it also offers extra value to your readers, who may want to read the whole of the source piece.
If you’re going to use quotes on a reasonably regular basis, work out a good standard way to attribute them. There are plenty of ways to do this. I like to have both the quote and the attribution in blockquote format, like this:

[quote]
– [name], [title of post, which links to it], [name of blog]

So, for instance, if you quoted from this post, you might do it like this:

Normally, if you’re quoting from a blog post or website, it’s good to link to the source. This helps out the person you’re quoting (links are good for their search engine ranking) and it also offers extra value to your readers, who may want to read the whole of the source piece.
– Ali Luke, Borrowed Wisdom: How to Use Quotes on Your Blog, Daily Blog Tips

Bonus Step: Changing the Quote

Sometimes, you’ll need to make changes to a quote. This is OK, but it needs to be clear to readers what’s changed. For instance:

• You might cut out a section of a long quote.
• You might alter a word to help the quote make sense.

There are standard conventions for doing this.
Cutting Part of a Quote
Use an ellipsis (three dots) to indicate where the cut part is.

Normally, if you’re quoting from a blog post or website, it’s good to link to the source. This … offers extra value to your readers, who may want to read the whole of the source piece.

Some writers like to put the ellipsis in square brackets too, like this: [...]
Warning: Be careful not to use an ellipsis to change the meaning of a quotation.
Changing a Word in a Quote
Sometimes, a quote doesn’t quite work out of context: for instance, there might be a word like “he” or “it” or “this” that refers to something in a previous sentence.
The easiest way to fix this is to simply replace the word by putting the new word or phrase in square brackets. For instance, in our example quote, you might choose to use the second sentence only, and change the word “this” at the start:

[Linking to the source] offers extra value to your readers, who may want to read the whole of the source piece.

Your turn! Use a quote in the next blog post you write. If you get stuck or you’re not sure if you’ve done it right, just pop a comment below so we can help.

Five Ways to Connect With Fellow Bloggers from Daily Blog Tips

How do you build a relationship with other bloggers in your niche?
Whether they’re brand new, well established, or A-listers, fellow bloggers are an invaluable source of support.
If you have a strong relationship with them, they may well help you with your promotions, link to your posts, offer you review copies of their products, etc.
You might wonder, though, how to get noticed by a specific blogger – and how to build a real connection. These five ideas should help. I’ve listed them in order from simplest to most involved (but also most likely to have an impact).

#1: Tweet or Share Their Post

This one takes seconds of your time, and isn’t at all scary! Simple find a blogger you’d like to connect with, pick one of their posts, and tweet it out to your followers. Make sure you include the blogger (e.g. I’m @aliventures) so they see your tweet.
Tip: A-list bloggers won’t always notice a few retweets and shares, but smaller bloggers probably will.

#2: Leave a Comment

When you leave a comment, you’re not just helping out the blogger by adding to the discussion on their site – you’re laying the groundwork for a relationship. Try to comment on their posts over the course of a couple of weeks before moving further.
Tip: Make sure your comments are genuinely useful and relevant. You don’t have to comment on every single post, so don’t push yourself to write something if you have nothing to say.

#3: Send them an Email

In my post Nine Blogging Milestones to Celebrate, DBT reader Shawn Gossman wrote:
I think #9 [Getting a “Thank You” Email from a Reader] is the best milestone out of them all. When my readers contact me to thank me for writing articles, that lets me know that people enjoy what I have to say and it motivates me to continue.
It’s a safe bet that other bloggers feel this way too! By sending a simple “thanks” email, you can really make an impact.
Tip: When emailing someone for the first time, keep it short and simple. Most bloggers are busy people, often blogging around a full-time job.

#4: Write a Guest Post for Their Blog

Not all big bloggers read their comments or even their emails. Writing a guest post, though, is generally a sure-fire way to get your content read by them. Make sure you follow all their guidelines and submit the best piece of content you can.
Tip: Although it’s a wonderful feeling to have a guest post on a major blog in your niche, you can also get great results from smaller blogs – so don’t discount those.

#5: Write About Them on Your Blog

One pretty much certain way to get on someone’s radar is to write a post about them. That could be an in-depth review of one of their products, an overview of who they are and what they blog about, or a piece that links to and describes some of your favourite posts on their blog.
Tip: Make your post as useful as possible to them – by linking to their products, for instance, or by encouraging readers to sign up for their newsletter.


Have you used any of these methods? What’s worked well for you – and what might you try next? Let us know in the comments!

Secrets to Great Blogs!!

Let me tell you a little secret about blogging: It’s very formulaic.


It’s more craft than art.

If you can internalize what’s required to write a solid blog post, you’ll beat out the competition in the same way someone with a black belt will usually win a fight against someone who hasn't trained and internalized fighting principles.

While getting a black belt in blogging doesn't guarantee you’ll become huge, it does significantly increase your chances.

Let’s examine some of the fundamentals you’ll need to master to receive your black belt in the craft of blogging.

1. Use Metaphors and Similes

Using metaphors and similes will increase the quality of your posts in two ways.

It helps your audience to easily understand a concept since you’ll be comparing the new concept with a concept they’re already familiar with.

It paints a picture in the minds of your readers which will engage and please them.

A metaphor I recently used was comparing water to focus. I explained to my audience that focusing on the negative is like randomly pouring water out of your canteen when you’re lost in a jungle and really need that water for survival.

Do you see how the above metaphor not only paints a picture that makes reading more enjoyable, but also instills the lesson with much greater impact than mere plain language does?

2. Be Succinct

Saying everything you want to say in fewer words requires more time than conveying the same message to your audience without concern of how many words you use.

It may seem odd that a shorter post often takes longer to write than a longer one, but it’s not.

When you strive to limit your word count without compromising your message, you have to be methodical in how you express your message. Conversely, when you’re indifferent about word count, you don’t need to make as much an effort in how you convey your message.

Just as a good martial artist strives to make every movement as efficient as possible with no wasted energy, likewise, you should make every post you write as short as possible without your message being compromised.

I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had time to make it shorter. ~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

Your readership will love you for being concise.

3. Be Entertaining

As Jon Morrow of Copyblogger has mentioned before, if all people wanted was information they’d buy a textbook.

One primary reason people read blogs is because they’re looking for a diversion from the mundaneness of life.

If you want to compete with the competition, discover and practice as many ways as possible to make your blog entertaining.

Here are some ways to do that:

Use metaphors and similes.

Share interesting experiences and how they relate to your message.

Use quotes from books, music bands, movies and TV shows to help illustrate your points.

Be hilarious.

Be controversial.

4. Be Diligent

Unlike a black belt in the martial arts, once you get your black belt in blogging, it can be taken away from you within a moment’s notice.

In martial arts, once you get your black belt, you don’t necessarily have to spar with anyone from that day forward and you’ll always remain a black belt.

Not so with blogging.

You see, we’re fighting every day. Every day we’re fighting for people’s attention and trying to convince them that we’re worth staying subscribed to and that the competition can’t offer what we do.

There’s really only two ways to keep your black belt and it requires tremendous discipline.

1. Read like your life depends on it

I currently read an hour and a half a day and consider my reading more important than content creation for the simple reason that you can create all day long, but if it doesn’t shine, what good is it?

Reading diligently, blogs and books, will ensure that ideas are constantly coming to you and that they’re the kind of ideas that will keep your readers craving more of what you have to offer.

When I fall short in my reading regiment, fewer ideas come to me and the quality of ideas diminish.

2. Write like your life depends on it

While I definitely think reading is even more important than writing, writing’s a close second.

For starters, if you’re not updating your blog on a regular basis you can hardly be considered a blogging black belt no matter how much talent you have.

Writing is also the best way for you to practice all the techniques you’ve learned. Even in martial arts, any serious black belt never becomes complacent once they get to this exalted level. They just want to keep getting better.

What else do you need to receive your black belt in blogging?

About the Author: Tick Tock Timer is an online timer that helps anyone serious about getting things done be more productive, created by Bamboo Forest.