Posts Tagged ‘blogging’
Three ducks and a blog
Blogging is an art form. More than content, timing, form, and expression are all elements of a craft I’m yet to master.
For that reason, I was a little taken aback when I stopped by the blog of a Social Media Chieftain. It had been months since my last visit, so reading another post about life on the road, topped off with the question ‘does that make me sexist? engendered a feeling of dejavu.
If I were to display the contents of my bag, spendiferous with tampons, and dog eared post it notes, my sister and girlfriends might be amused. However, from leading experts, who command substantial fees on the conference circuit, I expect more than repetitive ‘me centric’ commentary. (I left a comment implying as such)
I’m far from a raving Seth Godin fan, in fact I disagree more than agree with Seth, however he has the blog down to a fine art. His pithy, relevant posts usually provoke thought or action.
In my humble opinion, posting is similar to hanging art or family photos. Space and balance are the key to a tasteful display.
Judicious minimalism gives the reader an opportunity to experience your work more intensely. Without the hyperbola, content takes on greater form, and the reader, (rather than the writer ) is invited into a deeper reflection and personal expression.
Perhaps I’m reacting against the burgeoning expression of the blogosphere, regardless, this stream called social media is beginning to sound like one quacked over the cuckoo’s nest.
WHY Seth Godin doesn’t do twitter
While I don’t always agree with Seth Godin, I pay attention to his ideas, and believe he’s right about developing a bloggers mindset.
I began blogging on myspace, which I’m proud to say was a very successful blog. Writing a collection of personal stories was my first foray into the bloggasphere, and now four blogs later, (including twitter) I take Seth Godin’s point about twitter.
Twitter is not without value, in fact a good percentage of my readers come from twitter, however contrary to what the twitteratie would have you believe, it’s not the alpha and omega of social media.
Many would do well to heed Seth’s point that twitter can be nothing more than an opportunity to stay busy while not actually doing anything.
In an interview with Josh Bernoff Seth went on to say, ‘… “For me the issues are distraction, time management, the little voice of self-doubt and the desire to push through …Comments and Twitter are like a Fresnel lens. You can use them to focus attention if you’re very disciplined and very good, or, if you’re like me, you’ll end up finding your energy and attention diffused into a maelstrom, lost to the winds of inanity, anger or trivia.”
And there’s the sticking point for all writers: time management! While I’ve invested time making twitter work for me, I’ve reached the point where I need to manage my time better.
I’ve discovered when I get on twitter, like a morning mist my time evaporates, and before I know it, I could have written a dozen blogs. As a researcher, listening and observing’s in my DNA, however left unchecked, it’s easy to get sidelined and follow worthless leads.
Here’s my point, I’ve a lot of writing to get finished before I leave for the States in October, so today I called my upstart employee Mr Twitter into my office and gave him a dressing down.
Looking him in the eye, I handed him a stern warning, “Mr Twitter, as of tomorrow you’re no longer allowed to stroll into my office when you feel like it, you start and finish work precisely when the whistle blows. Every twea break and conversation around the water cooler will be recorded on your time sheet, and all outcomes measured in the context of the companies overall social media strategy.”
With my social media strategy reinforced, and a restored conviction I gave the upstart an early mark and returned to my passion; blogging!
clocking off
Microsoft and blogosphere tremble every time Google sends out edict
Instead of the usual pitch to AAP to announce a new operating system Google made headlines by wrting about it on a blog.
Within hours there was a tweeding frenzy, with over six hundred online articles blogging about Googles blog, The irony is the press sent out an alert announcing the announcement …
News Alert from The Wall Street Journal
The Silicon Valley Internet giant (Google) announced … in a blog post late Tuesday night …software, which will initially target low-end portable PCs called netbooks, would be based on its Chrome Web browser and available to consumers in the second-half of 2010.
In excess of 3,000 AAP Journalists, 1,500 daily newspaper members, 1,700 daily, weekly, non-English and college newspapers as well as over 5,000 radio and television outlets heard the news second hand.
Seth Godin’s criticism newspapers are an ineffective means of getting the message out has merit, however the Google announcement skews that discussion.
In my view, it’s too early to call the Old King of PR & Marketing dead, and chant long live the Queen of Social Networking.
Let’s remember Google is the god of the royal court, and when god sends out edicts about new operating systems, Microsoft trembles, Washington’s on alert and royal emissaries dispatch blogs.
