Successful Blog

Introducing Bloggy Tag — I’m it, You’re it, I’m it. . . .

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Oh Okay

As we established on Monday, a meme is an idea that propagates itself. Memes (rhymes with dreams) got their name from Richard Dawkins in his book, The Selfish Gene, and are the cultural counterpart of biological unit gene.

I get bloggy tagged often by the pseudo-memes that travel the blogosphere. I’m lucky the bloggy tags that march my way are usually fun and often offer a way they can be made useful or entertaining for folks reading my blog.

Introducing logo

On Monday, folks asked me to start a campaign to rename the bloggy memes something . . . um . . . er . . . more appropriate. Unfortunately, I have no faith in my ability or strength to move the blogosphere in such a noisy way.

Heck, I got a passel of Bloggy Tags this week to address. That’s a force to contend with. So I choose to take a quieter route — one that makes sense for me –to formally describe and name what we do and give it a button of its own.

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Introducing, “Bloggy Tag.” It’s a scattershot Internet version of the children’s game. Here’s how you play.

  1. Do a written task or answer a question. Then tag 1-5 others to do as you did.
  2. Tag your post with the button shown to the right to alert readers that you’re playing.
  3. Link the button to the post of the person who tagged you, if you didn’t start the game.
  4. Tell your readers to click the button to find out who came before you. It’s a surprise for them.

One cool part of the whole thing is that everyone can tell at a glance when a post is the answer to a tag. We no longer have to write extreme explanations about who made the tag. Once everyone gets the rules down, we won’t have to repeat them over and over either. YEA!

If it works for you feel free to take the button with you and use it the next time you get tagged. Meanwhile . . . this weekend . . .

Bloggy Tag Weekend: I have named this an Official Bloggy-Tag Weekend on Successful-Blog. I plan to catch up on all of the bloggy tags recently sent my way and any I might have missed in the past.

If you have bloggy tagged me in 2007 and you haven’t seen your answer yet, please email me at lizsun2 @ gmail.com with a link to the post that has your tag. Thanks in advance for that help.

After all, we can’t have mutant memes running loose on the Internet. The meme pool could contract a memetic disorder.

That would be bad.

Now on to a few games of tag, tag, tag, tag, tag, . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help with a problem you’re having with your writing, check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

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SOB Business Cafe 04-27-07

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Alister Cameron, Blogologist wants us to know something important.

Blogopreneur takes a good question and answers it even more fully.

Conference Calls Unlimited has some advice on managing what doesn’t seem to stay the same.

Spooky Action outlines 21 capers that made the papers.

Logic + Emotion explains why being small is a big deal.

Life Beyond Code tells a simple story.

Related ala carte selections include

One Reader at a Time Suggests We Make Some Noise.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
SOBCon 07 limited seating. Register Now!

Only 14 Days to a Blogging Experience Like No Other

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SOBCon 07:

When you join content-rich conversations with authentic relationships, you are bound to make an amazing experience.

Here’s what you can look forward to.

  • Phil Gerbyshak’s conversation will explore how to create and grow relationships on your blog, and “how to be a relationship geek,” with 3 simple, but not easy, methods.
  • Liz Strauss’s interactive discussion on the stages of building a high-trust environment, how our writing voice builds loyal readers and keeps them involved, and how to win when we let the community drive our blog.
  • Brad, Sheila, and Marcus, who know how words make connections with readers
  • David Armano, Creative VP at Digitas, will discuss how “conversation architecture,” visuals, and “experience design” can establish and enhance our brand, our community, and our place in the market.
  • Jesse, who can see how a gamer might get over a wall, and he’ll be listening with the mind of a designer to be.
  • Rodney Rumford and Ben Yoskovitz will talk about how Video Blogging and Podcasting can extend our reach and the wealth of opportunities we can offer to invite readers to be part of our blogs.
  • Tony, who can diagnose a problem inside a plan and Tony D. Clark whose voice over talent could support the entire conference for at least 30 years.
  • Andy Sernovitz, the man who wrote the book on Word of Mouth Marketing, is sharing his experience and expertise on how to get important people interested and talking about us.
  • Tammy, who knows the people in every part of our job and the dynamics of conversation, and Lorelle on WordPress who can spread information faster than most bloggers.
  • DrewMcLellan, Mike Sansone, and Mike Wagner, are discussing the ins and outs of making our brand contagious in the very best ways through customer-centered business blogging.
  • Ashley, who brings a painter’s vision and delicate hand, Joe, who brings those grounding questions and computer expertise, and Jeff, who understands good to great and will get there.
  • The Tools Panel: Chris Cree, Robyn Tippins, Diego Orjuela, and Vernon Lun will explore how widgets expand our audience through social networking, vocal interaction, and connections to other blogs.
  • Tim and so many others, who bring the heart that calls folks to join with us, Steve, who is the extreme leadership that lifts us to try, and Dawud, who brings those goals he wrote that prove we express ourselves in our business.
  • Wendy Piersall, just back from the Elite Retreat, will be talking about how to attract and keep readers in the audience beyond the blogosphere.
  • Vernun, who knows how to celebrate others as part of our dream, >Robert, who will be there with a practical eye toward what is real, and Muhammed, who can’t help but provide energy and new ideas.
  • Franke James and Timothy, who know the “group think” of the situation
  • Our host, Terry Starbucker, Liz, and the Audience will blog critiques to answer the question, What Makes a Successful-Blog?

–Me “Liz” Strauss
SOBCon 07 limited seating. Register Now!

To Be Wildflowers . . .

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I’ve been thinking . . .

about wildflowers.
In the early spring, in a grassy field, we can see something that looks to the unschooled eye to be a weed, but they’re not they’re wildflowers.

Some folks walk to a different drummer, some go their own way, some get called weeds when they are really wildflowers.

It’s easy to misunderstand each other, we use different words in minds that work differently. We grew up learning differently about how the world works. What we call a rose does change what we think of it. What do you think of weeds and wildflowers?

When someone misunderstands us, we don’t need to get thrown, if we know who we are. One person’s weed is another person’s wildflower. What matters most is that wildflowers stand tall enough to reach the sun so that we can grow.

We have these tiny bright traits of beauty that outstrip the most cultivated flower.

It might be a smile that comes easily.
It might be the grace of a quiet way.
It’s the charm of a person who doesn’t mind a wait.
It’s the one who never gives up.
A twinkle in the eyes gives it away.
A softness in the voice passes it on.
A sweet touch to the face offers it up.
Wildflowers are natures surprises set out with love.

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The world is filled with people.

We are so many wildflowers. I’ve never met a person who, in some way, wasn’t one. Each of us offers something new to learn, new to know, new to understand about the world and each other. Each genuine person I meet always has some trait, some quality — something that I don’t have enough of in my life.

Every wildflower offers me a chance to be a better person.

I’m on the lookout for wildlowers of every sort this weekend — some will stand inside a clear, old milk jug vase I think is special. I’ll put a bow around it. Some will be the people who come to admire the vase that holds some wildflowers standing tall inside.

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Bloggy Question 47: Take It to the Edge

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How does this photo relate to what you do?

A Place to Stand

Do you even think that it does?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Are you going to SOBCon 07?

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Business Rule 10: Is Their Urgency Real?

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Set Your Urgency Level on Facts

Business Rules Logo

My title was Director of Project Managment. My job was to make sure that the client’s needs were met as product was built. I was also responsible for strategy, budget, schedule, and all project issues.

My production manager was a bit of a pain. He was young. He was focused on personal recognition. He wanted to be KING.
I was no piece of cake either. I was young. I had no aspirations for territory, but I was focused on being SUPER MANAGER, DOER OF THE IMPOSSIBLE.

One day the production manager, Larry, stopped by my office. He said that he needed a particular something by 2 p.m. tomorrow, because it was due to the printer. I had about 800,972 other priorities that were equally urgent, but being SUPER MANAGER, DOER OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, I agreed to the deadline. I could find a few minutes between 2 and 3 a.m. when I might fit in reviewing it. Then I would have to send it over to be corrected and proofed. Then I would get it back again in time to check it before I handed it off to Larry. It could be done, but it would take keeping a close eye on.

I made it happen. In fact, I got it to Larry’s desk at 1p.m. He wasn’t there. I asked the woman at the next desk when Larry was due back from lunch. She said, “Oh, he left at 11 and he’s not coming back until Monday. He’s on vacation–extra long weekend. Didn’t he tell you?”

I couldn’t believe it! He told me he desparately needed it by 2p.m., and then he was gone!. In that split second, I made my mind up never to blindly buy into someone else’s sense of urgency again.

What to Do When Someone Is Urgent

These days when someone says, “I need this by . . . ,” I follow a set 3-step routine.

  1. I pick up a pencil and prepare to write.
  2. Then I ask, “When will you actually be able to work on this again?” That always makes the person stop to consider the date I’ve just been given. The usual response is something like, “Well, now that you mention it, . . .”
  3. At the point a new date is offered, I write down that date, the project, and the person’s name in very large handwriting, so the person sees me doing it. No words are necessary.

Just three simple steps help me find where to place my own sense of urgency so that I know when I’m urgent I am urgently moving things that will keep on moving.

I don’t get frustrated anymore by a false sense of urgency. Oh yeah and I gave up trying to be SUPER MANAGER, DOER OF THE IMPOSSIBLE in favor of trying to be MANAGER WITH A HEART WHO BELIEVES IN QUALITY a year or two after that.

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

Related
Business Rule 9: What’s the Value of Money?
Business Rule 8: What Are Your Square Periods?
Business Rule 7: Sound Bytes, Stories, and Analogies
Business Rule 6: Who Dropped the Paddle?