Advertising, Networks & Nodes

Cynical Yew Norker is our Hugh, but usually right on topic. Here’s another. But what does it mean to you Gra?

You Think, I Think, We Think (Better) Together

Been reading reviews about Charles Leadbetter’s book We Think all over the place. Got to get my hands on a copy sooon (come on Rosie, hand it over).

If anyone is trying to get their heads around Web 2.0, social media, new paradigm thinking and all that claptrap - get a look at this. Lovely simple animation. I’m going to use it at the beginning of all my courses. Free event coming up soon to give people a taste of it all. Watch this space.

Guardian review here (including Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky) which also looks reeal good.

Shame The Big Issue review isn’t available online. A different and very valid take on things.

No wonder most journalist’s I meet are annoyed with blogging and What’s Going On with we-think.

No wonder I am compelled to work in and support this space.

So glad Rosie Sherry is in it with me (thanks for the video).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiP79vYsfbo&hl=en]

Case Studies & Styles of Blogs

Here is a helpful take by a PR agency on the 25 main styles of blog. Each style has a case study to check out too.

What they don’t say is that, you can of course use a combination of styles and there are many new forms emerging all the time. Take it to the edge. Be you. That’s all I want to say right now. And as Shel Israel dropped into say on a previous post:

“In Naked Conversations, as I recall, we emphasized that short blogs were more popular and that bloggers who posted brief articles and then posted often, would score well in rankings. We certainly did not intend to say what blogs were MEANT to be. They are meant to be whatever the author chooses them to be.”

Every blog has it’s upside and downside, it’s pros and cons. Each one is unique, hopefully, as it’s creator/s. There’s no magic formula, despite the way these PR folk are trying to package it.

You’ve just got to blog, surf, listen and engage with the blogosphere - and let it all emerge. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. You’ve got to listen to yourself. Hmm, I think I’ve said that before somewhere… ;-)

[slideshare id=37589&doc=the-25-basic-styles-of-blogging-and-when-to-use-each-one-14243&w=425]

Free E-Book on the Essence of Authentic Blogging

Here’s a living document I prepared for our first three groups of budding bloggers. I feel a collaborative book coming on.

Not sure I see myself in the same light as the company I am keeping in this collection, but some wonderful people to be gaining inspiration from all the same. David Bohm, Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, Natalie Goldberg, Julia Cameron, The Cluetrain folk, Scoble, Meerman Scott (in some order of importance).

We see this as essential reading for anyone on a quest for personal and professional growth through blogging, but it is a very first draft. Stay tuned for more…

Have a read and let me know which quotes resonate most for you…

FREE E-BOOK on the Essence of Authentic Blogging
More posts on writing to help get your words flowing…

Authentic Blogging for Staff at Sussex

It’s early days here in the development of our courses for academics and blogging virgins. So I am going to show you this presentation on the proviso that you see it as a beta version okay.

Session one went well this week, with our first brave group of budding bloggers at the top notch Sussex Uni last week. It’s been a huge week, with three new groups starting. Lots to blog in a reflective way about how it’s all going. For now, I am just trying to get as many resources up for them (and you all) as possible.

There’s no substitute for actually being there, but some of these posts might get you thinking and feeling what Authentic Blogging might do for you. In a personal and professional growth, integrated human way. Yay.

Viva la online revolution!

[slideshare id=132666&doc=blogging-for-academics2577&w=425]

Also putting up the extra items that can’t be read easily in the presentation.

Academic Stakeholders - Stakeholder mapping is an exercise we run all our clients through. We say “Think of yourself as the first audience for your blog”, but then you really need to start knowing how to talk to your stakeholders. But then, as Gra calls it, blogs still allow a wonderful sense of “Enhanced Serendipity”, so you never really know who’s going to drop in and make a connection.

Academic Blogging Mindmap - Novamind Pro mindmapping is great but has a few glitches to sort in the next version, so here are the links from the main Authentic Blogging mindmap for now. Some of these are very specific and others are by way of example to begin exploring the concepts.

Collaboration

• Wikinomics

Deep (or person-centred or holistic) learning

I tend towards social constructivism and am much inspired by the Reggio project. See my previous blog “Learning” re: this. All linked to life orientation and current MA in Person-Centred Education at Sussex.

• Human becoming

More links to come…ie, reflection, story telling, dialogue… so much material to share! Feeling rather evangelical about the potential of blogging for human communication, connection and learning.

More posts on Academics Blogging…

Write like you talk

Two of us sat there yesterday in the midst of the Meme Mamma’s Monday group, listening to Lucy West talk her Journey Work talk. She really knows her stuff. I hope to tell you a little more about each of the founding course participants when they give me the okay.

Sarah and I said, just blog the way you talk. She was right on it. Clear, coherent, flowing, passionate and highly engaging.

I found this post at the legendary Kathy Sierra’s blog Creating Passionate Users.

Conversational writing kicks formal writing’s ass

Okay, she’s American, and proud of it. That aside Kathy says a whole lot about writing style in the new online paradigm and many other worlds besides.

Hope it helps you talk your talk, and connect with others who share your passions.

This is also a grand example of a blog that PASSIONATELY engages the audience. Wow, look at the comments and discussion on this one post alone. She has been around for a long time, blogging, publishing, speaking out publically and has at times been highly controversial. My guess is, Kathy has always been pretty Authentic. She is who she is. She takes risks.

Learning to communicate better, wherever, whoever

Beautiful resources for learning more, much more about communication at New Conversations.