community

Blogging Me, Blogging You

A-ha! Okay, now that the ABBA/Alan Partridge reference is out of the way (and sorry, I couldn’t resist!), I’d like to ask you a question. Okay, a few questions, I guess.

What do you want to read?

What do you want to know about?

What can I help you with?

How can I help you improve (and, in doing so, continue to improve myself)?

I write about social media. I write about PR. I write about marketing. I write about community, and tools, and people. Yet there is always something to write about that I might miss.

I’m guessing you come here to learn and be entertained. If not, if you just find me by accident then I apologize for the assumption.

However, if you do come here to either learn or be entertained, hopefully I do a decent enough job to keep you coming back. And maybe have you asking yourself questions as you leave.

Yet I know that’s only half the story. You guys, from the regular readers to the occasional visitors, are the other half and one of the main reasons this blog exists.

So, tell me what more I can do for you. What can I write about that will help you more? Do you want to know more about the tools or the people behind the tools? How about business versus personal interaction and connection? Networks or solutions? These are just some ideas – how about yours?

I see a blog as the author’s house. I’ve just actually moved into a new home, and while I have things to put in various places, there are some spaces that are open to suggestion. So, my doors are open.

Come on inside and show me what you’d put in these spaces. I’ll try my best to accommodate. And if it’s something I’m not aware of, we’ll learn together.

Sound like a plan?

photo credit:?Michel Banabila

Availability Factor Ten

I’m not too keen on using this blog as an advertisement. It’s one of the reasons you don’t see any affiliate banners, badges or sponsored posts. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that – it’s just not for me.

Today, I need to change this. But don’t worry – it’s just a one-off, so hope you don’t mind too much.

A little back story. I’m in Canada, having arrived here Christmas 2006. I applied for my residency and it’s been a nightmare from start to finish. Delays between the UK and the Canadian government departments talking to each other meant expired paperwork and medical reports that I then had to go through again.

This week, I learned that my residency application had been denied, because they hadn’t received my updated medical report. Despite me paying $200 last year for the privilege of a government recommended doctor to examine me. You can imagine I’m a little galled, and both the government and doctor will be hearing from me quite sharply.

Jump forward a little. I’ve put the appeal letter in and advised that the medical was carried out, confirmed, and sent off. So, get your asses in gear, official paper shufflers.

This is where my advertising comes in.

Because I am now still classed as a visitor, I can’t work in an employed capability (even though I have a temporary Canadian tax number). And despite the fact I have had companies interested in employing me. So, it’s back to contractor status.

So here’s the deal. I am currently available if you have any projects you wish me to look at with you. I’m currently working on a long-term project but have room for a few more.

If you know me from online, you might have an idea of what I can do. If not, you can find details here. If you’re looking to build your awareness, let’s talk. If you don’t need any projects at the minute but know someone that does, feel free to send my way. Here’s my bio, if that helps.

Like I said at the beginning, I don’t like advertising on this blog, so I hope you’ll allow me this one particular ad.

Thanks for listening, guys, appreciate it.

photo credit: Curtis Gregory Perry

Community Spirit and Blog Comments Redux

A couple of days ago, I wrote about Fake-Twitter and concerns of how it could be misused.

As a (partial) result, the site received an official takedown notice from Twitter and I received some of the most heated and angry comments ever from a post.

That’s cool. People have opinions and sometimes these opinions are strong, and the comment section is where these opinions are allowed to be expressed.

It’s one of the reasons that I have an open comment policy. Some people emailed me asking why I was allowing the comments to stay when a lot were personal and derogatory. Simple – I believe in free speech and the right to air grievances. Of course my post wasn’t going to be popular with everyone and the comments bore that out.

But, as I say, that’s people’s prerogative and I won’t stifle that. Where I will (and did) draw the line is when you attack my readers and others leaving comments. If you have a gripe with me, fine, take that out on me – I’m big enough and ugly enough to take the heat.

But the community that are sharing their views? If you attack them with vitriol and over-the-top abuse, I will delete your comment. I think that’s fair.

Speaking of community, that’s one thing that was a positive result of the post, no matter what “side” you were on.

Although it led to some pretty personal comments against me, the response from the Tumblr community in particular was actually pretty cool to see. These are the friends of one of the guys who came up with the whole Fake-Twitter idea.

When it became clear that “one of their own” was involved, they quickly got together and started posting humorous parodies of me on Tumblr, along with their comments on the post itself.

While I may not be a fan of the personal attack over reasoned argument, it can’t be denied that the community spirit that I believe in and encourage was present. For that, I congratulate them.

We may not always agree on everything; we may not always agree on most things. But one thing we can agree on is that community and support is the way forward – isn’t it?

photo credit: nataliej

Just Because

Today is Valentine’s Day. Sometimes, as we build our communities and friends online, we forget the intimate one-person community that is our rock and makes us who we are. So today, take the time out and be with the person that is your own personal community. The rest of us online will still be there when you get back.

For all the times I’ve forgotten my rock, I’m sorry. Today is for you.

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