OK, shamelessly pulled the title from Laura’s Notebook – but for a good reason. On August 1st Laura took up the challenge set by Problogger to “build a better blog in 31 days”.
Laura is soon to depart on holiday, so to keep the continuity while she is away I will be taking over the remaining “challenges” set by Darren each day.
This will be a work in progress as I know my blog needs some TLC from the tips given out in Days 1 to 21 – I will return to these in September.
If you’ve been following Laura’s thoughts you’ll see that (unsurprisingly!) we have some things in common, but other things not – please bear with me and I hope when you return in September it will be to a good series of posts that have inspired readers to take action on their own blogs and not that your hard work has been undone! Thanks for the “special welcome”.
I blog as part of my work at the ICT Hub with Regional ICT Champions (see the blogroll links), but like all of you with your own blogs, I want my blog to be readable, interesting, funny and informative – something I hope the guidance from BB31 will address.
Appropriately Day 22 is “Getting new readers up to speed”. I’ve been running this blog since last November, but most readers have joined quite recently as I would expect. I’ve had new readers after we’ve run events, after the Regional Champions began their work and I expect after taking on this challenge. To bring you up to speed I do have an about page and as this is work related blog I can refer you to the ICT Hub site to fill in more background details – I can even offer you our definition of an RSS feed! This may be different to Laura where her “About Me” is tightly linked to the “What I do”. For me I don’t see blogs as standing in isolation, but as part of a mega-conversation of people with common purposes all interlinked – or perhaps I’m being lazy in referring to external links?!
I’ve been trying out Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other such Social Media sites recently. At the moment I’m not in, but also I’m not out! I can see uses for Facebook and LinkedIn for the UK Voluntary Sector – but Twitter? Please someone convince me – or I’ll just post random “tweets” about making a coffee, getting on the train….. Oh, and if you’d like to wave the flag as voluntary sector ICT Facebook or LinkedIn users please join me or let me know you’re out there.
Filed under: BB31Days, Blogs I read a lot, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Web 2.0
Welcome to the challenge Paul
I really enjoy your blog, so great to have you on board
Tim
I didn’t know what RSS feeds were (I know, shocking) so I have learned something today, thanks very much Paul. Now if you could just post a link to a Time Off In Lieu Request Form I could download in Word and change the title I could go home early. Could you get onto this, stat.
Susie
Paul, your rockin’ already! Have fun!
Laura
Hi Paul
A very belated welcome to the 31 Days Blogging Challenge – been a bit crazy here in Western Australia – may have something to do with overloading reader on too many technorati feeds
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The key with twitter is to have a network of people, with similar interest, who willingly with jump in and give advise when assistance is asked.
Take for example the other week I needed an example of someone using Flickr with students. Asked the question and shortly after Darren in USA posted a link to a great example that I was then able to use in a workshop. We also have online Elluminate PD sessions, nationally and Globally. I am never able to work out when they are on – but someone will always remember to post the link in Twitter and say PD session on… is on in 15 minutes. Amazing.
Sue