May 26, 2007

A Story: New Media and the Writer/Blogger Girl

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:26 am

Improbulus, I Don’t Know

bloggy tags small

The question was set. What is your diet of new media? What do you consume? Make a list if you would. Put the most consumed at the top of the list. . . .

Shortly before SOBCon, my friend Improbulus asked that question. I wanted to answer, but truthfully, I didn’t know what to say. Sad to say, my mind might be clever and occasionally a risk taker, but my reality is flat out boring.

I’m a dreamer. Like Christopher Columbus, I’ll go sailing off to the edge of the planet in the most rickety ships. (Okay, so maybe his ships were state of the art, but mine wouldn’t be — unless Terry Starbucker and Chris Cree made sure things were in order.) I’m a pizza and beer kind of girl. I still like my music on CDs, preferrably timeless, musical, and with great lyrics.

I’m not sure I know what new media is.

New Media and the Writer/Blogger Girl

This is the story of new media and the writer girl who became blogger girl. . . . It begins with knowing that, as writer girl, all I need s is a great keyboard, a fabulous display, and my BOSE headset that sends back sounds bouncing off walls — so that I don’t have to, bounce off walls, that is.

A telephone is useful, but optional. Well, this writer girl talks a lot, so maybe it should be on the list.

Life was simple in Web 1.0.

The world changed when I started blogging.

Writer Girl Becomes Blogger Girl

Never one to learn just a little, writer girl jumped into blogging with abandon . . . well sorta. I’m a saturation learner. Okay so I walked into the water, shivering. The decision was made to get in and try. What was I going to lose? Writing was something I needed to do.

Like everyone else, blogger girl thought that blogging was about writing. Silly girl, I was as surprised as the next guy to find out that it’s about the people. I found relationships with fascinating people, who quickly became dear to me — head to head and heart to heart too. Next thing you know writing is only part of my time, talking to a new world of friends was a big part of my life too.

Suddenly my blogger girl media needs went beyond blogging platforms, and color-palette tools. I found myself using Skype, IM packages, document and photo transfer, all of the Sociable sites, and all forms of protection from Internet meanies who want to take over my computer. As blogger girl my blog was transporting me to folks all over the world.

I now have three browsers. Each is set with multiple tabbed groups for my reading short lists. I have feed readers I don’t use and a $100 million feed reader I do. I’ve shared and online spreadsheets, documents, conference calls, meeting rooms, chats, and webinars. I get IM’ed, and MyBlogLogged, and emailed, and Twittered, and Facebooked, and Stumbled. I wish I had a $1.00 for every link I have gotten or given away. Wouldn’t that be neat?

There’s a rush hour time to my computer and I won’t tell you when, but it’s pretty hairy navigating traffic when it’s on. On the other hand, it’s engaging and energetic — kind of like a video game. I don’t tell folks to stop, because well, it’s so nice to have them as part of my life.

Google calendar is very cool. I do a heckuva lot of market research on Amazon.

Most other stuff takes too long to set up.

I spent more time developing my Twitter home page than I did actually Twittering. I do go there to read sometimes. I’m too shy and my life is too uneventful for that interface. No I don’t need a webcam. I actually long for a cordless mic for my skype.

I’m amazed by the stats programs, but talking to people still reveals more. Their intuitive detail fills out the picture for me. Give me that voice connection. Let me hear the heart behind their clicks.

The Ultimate Blogger Girl Gadget

What is the ultimate, all-time, I-wish-I-had-it, new media gadget?

That would have to be the automatic to-do list maker/errand runner. It’s currently available in a a Web 1.0 version — a guy named Bartholomew who will do that work for a price. Unfortunately, I haven’t found him yet — not in my price range. (I know, I need the deluxe version Bartholomew, who comes with complete proofreading and copyediting skills.)

Writer girl was forever changed when I became blogger girl. New media was part of that change. It’s funny to know that, since I’m still not sure I know what new media is.

I won’t tag you, but do tell me, what is your ultimate new media gadget?
If you want to know why I wrote this, click on the bloggy tag to see the original inspiring post.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.


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20 Comments to “A Story: New Media and the Writer/Blogger Girl”

  1. May 26th, 2007 at 9:50 am
    Karin H. said

    Okay so I walked into the water, shivering. The decision was made to get in and try.

    And there, in the water, diving in fully - first hesitantly - the writer girl discovered deep sea diving. First a bit of snorkelling, but then right into the deep where all the colourful fish be.
    Equipment makes you go deeper to see even more, to be able to spend more time doing what you do best: meeting new, different colourful fishies. ;-)

    My ultimate new media gadget? I’m still catching up ;-) don’t even have Skype yet

  2. May 26th, 2007 at 10:15 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    Oh you have to get Skype. Then we can talk for free!!

    What a great extention to the story I like this part best.

    Equipment makes you go deeper to see even more, to be able to spend more time doing what you do best: meeting new, different colourful fishies.

  3. May 26th, 2007 at 10:20 am
    Karin H. said

    Skype is on my list Liz

    (somewhere hidden among all the other little goodies I like to have ;-))

    For now, the good old (dirty) keyboard has to do the snorkelling for me ;-)

    Karin H.

  4. May 26th, 2007 at 10:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Karin,
    Three friends have tried it in the last month and been amazed they didn’t do it sooner. It’ free and so easy. Only takes a US$30 headset and mic — setting up is easy with the test phone call. I did it by myself. :)

  5. May 26th, 2007 at 10:39 am
    Karin H. said

    Oh, I’m quite handy myself. Getting round to it, that’s the ‘hardest part’ for the moment.

    Tooo many lists, tooo many items on those tooo many lists ;-)

  6. May 26th, 2007 at 11:27 am
    ME Strauss said

    That’s blogging . . . you’ll never be bored or with nothing to do. :)

  7. May 27th, 2007 at 4:31 am
    Stuart Baker said

    Hi Liz and Karin,

    Well, I am hooked. Card carrying blogoholic. DT’s if I don’t blog and read and comment. I plan to write shortly about my experience of the blog world.

    Many thanks,

    Stuart Baker
    http://www.consciouscooperation.com

  8. May 27th, 2007 at 4:52 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Stuart,
    You might be a card carrying blogoholic, but maybe those aren’t the DTs that you have. Check out that those spiders you seem to be halloucinating aren’t just Googlebots come to check out your blog. :)

  9. May 27th, 2007 at 5:03 am
    Karin H. said

    ;-)

    Check out that those spiders you seem to be halloucinating aren’t just Googlebots come to check out your blog,

    They might be crustaceans ;-)

    Karin H.

  10. May 27th, 2007 at 5:08 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hello, Karin!
    Oh yes they might! I was also thinking they might be pink elephants . . . and Lord knows, those cuold just be those supposes standing obvious in the room that no one wants to talk about.

    Stuart could be seeing so many “real” things that are not delirium tremens . :)

  11. May 27th, 2007 at 5:14 am
    Karin H. said

    Good morning Liz

    Knowing Stuart, he’s bound to see real things
    Or consciously turning everything even remotely resembling pink elephants into real things.
    ;-)

    Karin H.

  12. May 27th, 2007 at 5:17 am
    ME Strauss said

    Good morning, Karin!
    You know, the more I speak to and hear about Stuart, the more I think he fits in here quite well. Don’t you agree?

    A few days ago, Mike’s comment starting talking about it’s feelings. So I’m ready for Stuart’s hallucinations to be real things. :)

  13. May 27th, 2007 at 5:23 am
    Karin H. said

    Read Mike commment’s comment yesterday, LOL.

    Are the fishies coming to haunt’ us next?

    (And as for Stuart, genuine article definitely belonging here - and there and everywhere in the conversational blogosphere)

    Karin H.

  14. May 27th, 2007 at 5:25 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin,
    It would stand to readon that a clever guy like Mike would have such clever comments. :)

    I’m delighted then to see that Stuart has found us. You have great taste in friends. We’re lucky to have you both. :)

  15. May 27th, 2007 at 5:30 am
    Karin H. said

    ;-)

  16. May 27th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
    Terry Starbucker said

    Yes Liz, you can bet I’d get you on the best ship - no rickety thing for you. I’d have beer and pizza on it for you, though. :-)

    Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, blogger girl! All the best.

  17. May 27th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Terry,
    And we would dance . . . :)

  18. May 30th, 2007 at 6:19 am
    Improbulus said

    Hi Liz, thanks for responding to my tag, and thanks for a very interesting read.

    I think media is what you think it is, as you saw from my own post I went off on a tangent myself on “what is media”!

    So what’s your $100 million feed reader??

  19. May 30th, 2007 at 7:13 am
    ME Strauss said

    How is it that you came to visit? Way cool!!
    Thank you for coming!! :)

    I so admire your work.

    My $100 million feed reader is from Chicagoland . . . Feedburner sold to Google for $100million.

    Now, that’s the power of new media!

  20. May 30th, 2007 at 7:13 am
    ME Strauss said

    PS Improbulus,
    I did think about writing a poem. :)

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