A Question about Blogging in January

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Strange Behavior

It’s not you, It’s not the quality of your posts. Its the U.S. winter. It happened last year. From what I read it happened the year before too.

Still it seems strange behavior.

Why do you suppose that in January and February stats act silly and bloggers, as a group, seem unpredictable?

Blogging seems like it should be a perfect winter sport.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Net Neutrality 01-02-07

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

AT&T Concession Thoroughly Debunks Key Anti-Net Neutrality Myth [via Anything They Say]

NEWS RELEASE

AT&T’s agreement to Net Neutrality as a condition of their merger with Bell South was a huge victory for Internet freedom. It also debunks a top myth told to the public by Internet freedom opponents like AT&T: that Net Neutrality can’t be defined. It can be – AT&T just did it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Read on to see how AT&T found a way to do it when it served their financial interests.

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

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The Cool Kid’s Guide to Blogging in 2007

Filed Under Successful Blog, Trends, ZZZ-FUN | 25 Comments

The Baton and Disclaimer

Finding Ideas Outside of the Box logo 2

A friend and reader, and very intelligent person, Amrit Hallan, who writes the Content and Copywriting Blog made 6 Predictions for 2007. At the end of his post he passed the baton for predicting the future to four others. I was one of the four that he chose.

The Disclaimer: Anyone who wore brown knee socks in high school — as I did — cannot claim the title of “Cool Kid.” However, it is just that fact that makes me “acool” — as in apolitical or asymptomatic — the right person to write this guide. You see, the inherently acool become great observers. We watch the cool kids to see what makes them tick and how their rules of survival work. That said, I move on to the guide.

The Cool Kid’s Guide to Blogging in 2007

Who exactly are the cool kids of blogging? Who will be the cool kids in 2007? What do cool bloggers do? What won’t they have time for? I talk to several bloggers every day on my cell phone. I read their blogs and have conversations in comment boxes. What pattens come through from all of that fodder?

Here’s what I’m finding from this informal data. Things this year are different from last year. Things next year will be a new again. Cool kids don’t let things stay the same for long.

  • Having Fun and Learning: Cool kids are no longer enthusiatic beginners. They are serious bloggers having fun at it. They are no longer tweaking templates for discovery. They know exactly what they want to do. XTML, HTML, CSS, PHP, aren’t new toys to learn, they’re a means to an end. If they can’t do it, they’ll find, hire, or barter with someone who can.
  • Focus: Cool kids know whether they’re information or relationship bloggers. Either way they are narrowing their focus. They are dropping feeds that don’t provide what they’re seeking. Cool kids talk about blogs they have outgrown and things they now know that they never used to. They no longer spend hours looking for new blogs. They find themselves in new places by going where their friends already are. Cool kids are starting to read books again — some never stopped.
  • Branding: Cool kids are going narrower and deeper. They’ve got a blogging identity. They’ve found a unique and authentic voice. Cool kids know their brand, their readers, and their blogging style.
  • Communities: Cool kids don’t worry about Social Networking. That’s so five minutes ago. It will have to evolve to exist next year. Cool kids only go to MyBlogLog regularly and peek in on the others when they have a special need to. No Cool Kid that I know has figured out a genuine use for LinkedIn or its clones.
  • Writing: Cool kids are becoming writers and they’re doing what they can to be even better at words in print. Content and communication is the beginning, middle, and end for every cool kid online.
  • SEO: Google loves cool kids because cool kids don’t game the system. They blog for readers and know the spiders will do the rest. They link and stay connected, because they value the thoughts of others.
  • Thought Leadership: Cool kids have stopped being snarky, started thinking deeper, and learned that self-promotion doesn’t win a prize. They’re not buzzword crazy. Cool kids talk with words that humans use.
  • Productivity and Listening: Cool kids have nearly reached the end of their need for productivity tools. They’re becoming less enamored with multitasking — except talking with friends while consuming food and drink. Cool kids know that listening is a value we shouldn’t lose.
  • Beta toys: Cool kids don’t need to download more stuff. Invitations to betas are a dead idea. Don’t talk to them about being a user. They know what they need and what they know. You won’t get their attention with anything less than spectacular, and then it better fit their niche.
  • Blogging and the World: Cool kids have quit trying to prove something. They no longer worry about whether grandma, the media, or anyone else doesn’t understand what a blog is.

Cool kids have a beginner’s mind and an independent, helpful spirit. They love, listen, and learn all at the same time.

If you want to be a cool kid in blogging in 2007, it isn’t hard to do — just keep a couple of things in mind. No one makes the blogosphere run and no one needs to make that sure it does. Being helpful, not hypeful still wins respect, and respect is still how relationships thrive.

It’s awfully nice to be in a place where everyone can be cool, by showing respect. I guess that’s why it’s called the IN-ternet.

To the IN-credible, IN-telligent, IN-sightful readers of Successful-Blog, may your 2007 be ever so very cool.

Liz's Signature

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Net Neutrality 12-29-2006 — AT&T Gives Way On Net Neutrality

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

AT&T compromise may get merger approved

WASHINGTON — AT&T Inc. has offered a new set of concessions that are expected to satisfy the two Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission and lead to approval of the company’s $85 billion buyout of BellSouth Corp. Approval by the full commission could happen as soon as Friday.

AT&T filed a letter of commitment with the agency Thursday night that adds a number of new conditions to the deal, including a promise to observe “network neutrality” principles, an offer of affordable stand-alone digital subscriber line service and a promise to give up some wireless spectrum.

Final approval still requires a vote of the commissioners, which can happen at any time via computer. The proposed deal is the largest telecommunications merger in U.S. history.

[ . . . ]

Among the promises made by the company:

_An offer of stand-alone, high-speed Internet service to customers in its service area for $19.95 per month. The “naked DSL (digital subscriber line)” offer would allow those who live in AT&T and BellSouth’s service areas to sign up for fast Internet access without being required to buy a package of other services.

_A greater commitment to network neutrality, or nondiscrimination involving Internet traffic. AT&T said it would “maintain a neutral network and neutral routing in its wireline broadband Internet access service.”

_To freeze rates for “special access” customers, usually competitors and large businesses that pay to connect directly to a regional phone company’s central office via a dedicated fiber optic line, for 48 months.

_To “assign and/or transfer to an unaffiliated third party” all of its 2.5 GHZ spectrum currently licensed to BellSouth within one year of the merger closing date.

_To “repatriate” 3,000 jobs that were outsourced by BellSouth outside the U.S. by Dec. 31, 2008, with at least 200 of those jobs to be located in New Orleans.

Ben Scott, legislative director for Free Press, a reform group that has fought the merger, said the network neutrality provision was a “big step forward for the supporters of an open Internet.”

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

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Net Neutrality 12-28-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Net Neutrality/Data in New Congress? Don’t Hold Yer Breath

Of course, the pundits interviewed noted this coming Congress will be preoccupied with other stuff, like, uh, the war and the budget. Oh, and let’s not forget about a little presidential race that’s already gearing up.

My bet is that we won’t see any federal legislation that does any more than pay lip service to the Net neutrality issue. Maybe something in the data security and privacy realm might hit the floor, but the fact is (and call me a cynic) the government wants access to any and all of our data for pretty much ever. That means it will be exempt from whatever laws are put in place, most likely making them moot where civil liberties are concerned. Remember CAN-SPAM, where they conveniently wrote themselves out of the law?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

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