Libel & Defamation

As I know some of you bloggers will be getting stuck into people and institutions from time to time, here’s the bbc’s take on how to handle yourselfs. Just be kind, but true I guess. And don’t say I didn’t warn you. You could also think media karma… but please do take part in truth.

Increasing traffic to your blog

Many thanks to Garth Spiers for this reference. Garth is a vital participant in our Tuesday night blogging group and a wonderful man (and management consultant/coach) besides.

Blog TrafficKing

I’m not sure about this approach to blogging, and perhaps the name says it all.

Makes me think about the movement of evil substances or innocent victims around the world, or is that just me?

But there are some useful tips and tricks that Yaro Starak has to offer, some of which will be covered in our beginners course but others will be more relevant to advanced bloggers.

Let’s have some discussion about it. My feeling is there will be as much here about what not to do as what we could be doing with our Authentic Blogging practice.

I guess it’s a case of how you want to live your life and make a living, and what’s authentic for you.

If it smells like another “Get Rich Quick” scheme, then it probably is. Our approach with Authentic Blogging is not such an egocentric one, but why throw the baby out with the bathwater. Have a look for yourself.

Gra, would you like to kick off the discussion?

Learning to communicate better, wherever, whoever

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

Bob Dylan & Social Media Get Hitched – blogging just got sexier

Bob Dylan’s releasing a new album. His marketing people have seen the benefit of social media and launched a facebook application to help him. It’s available for anyone on facebook to play with and have Bob promote their own message.

So if we are already friends on Facebook, just check out my profile to see how sexy Bob can make blogging look, or make a friend request – and if you show me your private life, I’ll show you mine.

If you have not yet been seduced by the Fascist Dystopia that is Facebook (according to Ivan Pope via Tom Nixon), then go play. It really is worth experiencing. But read the health warning first, and a shout out for the next big (and braver new world) social media thing…

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Our blogs

Wow, just sent a list of our blogs to Brighton Bloggers for inclusion. It’s getting a bit long. Hadn’t realised just how much blogging Gra and I (mainly Gra) have been doing over the last few years. So here it is…

www.authenticblogging.com – the place for a deep, authentic and truly happening approach to blogging in all it’s potential and ripeness. Blogging courses and an emerging new community – here we are!

www.barkingowl.com/learning – began with documentation of our early learning project and moved on from there into person-centred education, blogging and beyond… still sometimes active and ranks well with Google, loads of good stuff to check out and comment on, but have largely moved across to authenticblogging now

www.gravyland.net – our personal, family blog (including some contributions from Bea age 6, eg. this lovely picture she drew. Still not entirely sure how open I should be online, but this, like everything, is a work in progress.

http://blog.scouta.com – Scouta is our online media recommendations venture. Regularly featured on Techcrunch, actually.

http://presencelabs.com – Business blog for our main consulting vehicle, Presence Labs Ltd.

http://aplacecalledprovidence.com – A group blog for the co-working
office space at 50 Providence Place in the New England Quarter (where Gra is based, while I am at home hanging out the washing in between brain flashes and mad typing). Includes contributions from such neo-reno’s as Snipperoo’s Ivan Pope and the lovely Dom Stockdale.

Take part in truth

Let’s get back to the root philosophy of blogging.

So David Bohm’s the one. Well one of them. “On Dialogue” takes me back to the core of the work I was doing as an undergrad at Murdoch with Structure, Thought and Reality.

The whole discipline and practice of communication theory never ceases to underpin my thinking and excite me. Guess I chose the right course age 17, no matter how meandering it has been. Or it chose me…

And one day soon I will get focussed on bringing all this deep, rich content into the blogging course more specifically. Want to get much more visual here too. But the wikipedia entry for communication theory is a good place to start.

Now there I am showing Tom Nixon the book at this networking thingy tonight (he’s a bit lovely btw). I’ve been thinking for years how important the Dalai Lama’s words on our need for genuine dialogue were. Something small and inconsequential passing comment like… the only thing that will save humanity from the endless cycle of pain and suffering is… yep, dialogue, or something like that.

Then there HHDL is in the front blurb saying good old Dave Bohm is one of his “scientific gurus”. So I guess we’re on the right path here dear people.

“During the past few decades, modern technology, with radio, television, air travel and satellites has woven a network of communications which puts each part of the world into almost instant contact with all the other parts. Yet, in spite of this world-wide system of linkages, there is, at every moment, a general feeling that communication is breaking down everywhere, on an unparalleled scale.”

The question of how we can communicate better is at the heart of On Dialogue. This revised and expanded edition is the most comprehensive documentation to date of best-selling author David Bohm’s dialogical world view.

I’m going to reflect and share more from it as I go on. For now, here’s the link for those that just know they have to get into it now.

I’m delighted that his name hides “ohm” (mani padme hum) in something Oppenheimer, David and friends helped blow the world up with, before they saw they light… He became a real peacenik after all.

All seems rather spooky and perfect from where I’m sitting <grin>.

New choices for blogging course

After a long gestation period, things have been moving fast on our innovative, profound and effective (says us) blogging courses. They are now two time slots to choose from – an evening or a morning.

Eight weeks in a row (not including half-term school holiday)

Monday mornings 10-12 noon
8 October – 3 December
or
Tuesday evening 7-9pm
2 October – 27 November

Find out more about them but exploring this site and clicking here, and email Libby to reserve a place or call 01273 540 023 or 07968 687 107 to find out more.

Want to learn how to blog really well?

Still some places left on the blogging course I am running in Brighton for eight weeks from 25 September, Tuesday nights 7-9pm. Call Varndean College to book in on 01273 546604.

I’ve already had chats with some of the participants direct and it’s shaping up to be a very stimulating group of people. Mainly folk who have never blogged before.

Can’t wait.

Feel free to get in touch if you want to know anymore about it. But check this site first under Courses and click through the information provided.

Cory Doctorow on “How to be a top blogger”

Some great tips here for all budding bloggers by net guru and writer Cory Doctorow. Well worth viewing to get the real meaning, but here’s the top three tips:

1. write headines like a newswire writer, ie. be specific, short and sweet
2. open with a traditional news style lead paragraph with who, where, what, why, when – or at least the key information right up front.
3. respect your readers.

Or so Cory says. Click through to also consider what Jakob Nielsen has to say about making web pages user-friendly.

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