Let’s talk about what we like about big cities, what we don’t like about them, being alone, being with friends, during the day, during the night, where we have been, where we would like to be, in songs and movies, and anything else that comes up.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?
I have wonderful relationships with so many stellar and outstanding bloggers.
One of the best of them is Easton Ellsworth of KnowMoreMedia — the man who invented blogtipping.
A good part of yesterday afternoon we spent on Skype talking about how to use links to build relationships and to write effectively for people — sure links bring traffic, but if traffic is your only goal the people who come aren’t the same as the readers you find you when you write for people.
Take Easton Ellsworthââ¬â¢s word for it.
SOBCon 07 will be different from any conference you’ve attended.
The speakers will be incredible. But they’re not the main event. You are.
You have to be there. YOU will shape and define SOBCon. And SOBCon will reshape and redefine you and your business.
You will discover how to use emerging technologies to supercharge your business and connect to people more effectively on the Web.
The virtual mini-conference was just an appetizer. The seven-course meal is coming.
Are you coming to Chicago? Are you going to try to persuade me to help you get there?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Don’t forget April 1 is just days away . . . be sure register now and to take advantage of fabulous hotel discount using promo code!!
Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,
I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.
They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.
I thank every one of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.
Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her directly to me. This award comes with a full “Liz said so” guarantee. It is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.
If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame. Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Tully said on the phone last night that people do things and then sort of hold their breath waiting to see whether Liz would let this one go through . . . Oh no!!! I did it again!
You might recall that last week, it was Tuesday. Tully posted a meme that was astoundingly clever and stunningly well-thought. He had found a way to get bloggers to ask relevant questions in such a way that the question would be answered by a blogger who knew the answer, and the answer would be written on a blog where such an answer belonged. That’s no small feat if you think about it.
Without planning, some guy might ask a question, the blogger who answers would write the answer on his or her blog. How likely is it that the blog will be about the same topic as the question? Not very likely considering how much bloggers like to help.
Ah, but Tully figured how, in the construction of his meme to avoid questions being asked of a blogger who had a blog where an answer didn’t belong. Voila!
I only had one problem. I needed the directions called out. So I sent a question back to Tully in answer to his question. I know, you’re not supposed to answer a question with a question. Sorry. It was called the One Question, One Question blog. Tully answered with the One Question, One Answer – How To
And now that I know how to . . .
I move the One Question, One Answer meme further along.
The question that Tully passed me is a good question, I think. You’ll understand why I say “I think,” and not “I know” when you read my answer, well sort of.
Tully’s question:
Liz, as a full-time/professional blogger, a great deal of your day is spent reading other blogs (direct or via RSS feed), commenting, and blogging – you no doubt have a system that you have been developing for some time now that works well for you.
What ADVICE would you give to relatively new bloggers who are feeling swamped yet only have limited time to read, comment, and blog?
My answer:
Wow! There’s a hidden assumption in that question. It’s that the bulk of my day is spent reading other blogs. I don’t know for sure that I can say that is true, It’s certainly not true every day. Some days the bulk of my day is spent talking to bloggers via voice. Hmmmmm.
Where do we get this notion that we have to read every good blog? I can’t read every great book ever written. I can’t listen to every wonderful piece of music ever composed. I can’t watch every play, see every sunrise, enjoy every movie, attend every concert, taste every wonderful wine, or meet every person I might want to meet before my time is up. I’m only one person and to try to do more than one person can do is silly at best and leaning toward downright disastrous if I tried.
Writing is my work. I build my day around that. I pick the times during the day that I write most effectively and that’s when I write. I keep a list of a limited number of bloggers that I find inspire me. I read them in between the articles that I write. On Thursdays and Fridays, I read all of the posts of the week from many bloggers — it’s more efficient than switching from blog to blog every day. I often read late at night when all of the bloggers have long since gone to sleep.
I only comment when an important thought comes to me or when I have something I want to communicate. Sometimes what I might have commented turns into a post that I link back.
There you go, Tully. Not the answer that you’d expect, but then you expected that by now, I suppose. 🙂
My turn to pass on a question and the How to rules to the next blogger.
Here’s what you do.
Read Tully’s how to rules for the One Question, One Answer Meme and then if they work for you link to them when you answer this question for me.
How do you feel when you are in a place where you cannot be creative? What do you do to keep your spirit going at times like that?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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One Question, One Question, 1/2 Meme . . . Overly Started, But Not Begun
When I suggested to Director Tom that he be a B.A.D. Blogger, he was, as he is, the curious person who makes stories on film. He wondered about what we would do, and say. He suggested “Saturday morning with a cup of coffee sound.” 🙂
I thought here’s a guy who was going to be a perfect conversation partner for me — worth looking forward to the way children look foward to Saturday morning cartoons.
I tried to set his mind to ease a bit with “We’ll just talk like regular people. 🙂
It’s a phone call. I bet we’ll get it right. Probably have a whole lot more fun than Dinner with Andre.”
Tom set the tone for the call when he replied to my email with, “Regular people? Fooey! Aw, c’mon.” 🙂
What could I possibly answer to that, but “Okay then, like us.” 🙂 . . . ? And looking back I have to say that’s exactly who we were.
Tom answered the phone and immediately we were talking, and laughing. Laughter comes easily to both of us. We spent most of our time working on changing things on Tom’s blog, while we did so we talked about blogs and what he did. Boy that was fun!
Tom talked about his awards and his films, but I liked most the part when he talked about how he started blogging. He said that he went online looking for someone, anyone,who explained how to do what he does. “Everyone has a website,” Tom said. “I don’t want to attract other filmmakers. I want to tell folks who want to tell stories on film how to do that.”
Tom explained to me that there were three important questions I needed to answer to tell a good story on film — I should know
Tom said that’s how to tell a smart story in a smart way.
Go read his blog I think he does great job of it and every time he leaves me wanting to say, “Hey Tom, would you do it again?”
I love all sorts of ideas and philosophies. . . . I need to play around in the sand boxes. . . . I have to at least look, with blogging, I wanted to participate. — Thomas R. Clifford
Stop by Tom’s Blog, Director Tom Blog, and say hi!
Thanks, Tom you B.A.D. Blogger!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar
Hi Everyone! Every week Sandy and I try to think how to sum all that we talked about but you know it’s impossible to capute the joy, humor, and comaradarie of 4 hours in one simple blog post. And as much as I like taking a clever comment and sharing it here. It sure takes time and once in a while it embarrasses folks.
So we’re going to stop trying to do the impossible, to retell a fabulous memory, and instead let you enjoy the comments as they were said whole.
It was a busy night. We were talking about how to find and follow our dreams in business and in life with guest host Tariq Khan from The Kitchen Table. Tariq asked and answered questions that got us all thinking.
Wow!
You can read all about it in the comments section.
Here are some cool links we shared.
Thanks to everyone for the cool links and for being part of the conversation.
See you next Tuesday? I sure hope so.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?
WANT TO GUEST HOST AN OPEN COMMENT NIGHT WITH ME? PICK A THEME AND TELL ME ABOUT IT. C’MON IT’LL BE FUN!