Archive for the ‘blogging’ Category

Drought

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Looking at the last post I made — can it be November 11, 2009? It’s not that I haven’t thought about writing . . . probably hundreds of blog posts started, written in my head. Many of them rants that are better left unwritten. Some on sensitive topics that should not be shared. A few rather political or personal — not good to broadcast that stuff either. So, I guess the world, or at least the blogosphere, will never know what I’ve been thinking for the last  seven months.

So yesterday, I wanted to get the skeleton of a blog post down before I lost the thought — and, would you believe I couldn’t get into my blog? Well, first of all, when I logged into my server account, I got the message that there was such a critical security update necessary that I couldn’t get in until I updated WordPress. Well, OK, I’ve been ignoring those e-mails for a while – so why not press the “update” button. Did that, and went on to something else.

When I came back to my now updated WordPress installation, I proceeded to log in. Oops – I stared blankly at the screen. Then I found the “forgot your password” link. Filled in my e-mail address. Eeek, that address not on file. Geez, which one did I use? Hazardous to own server space that gives unlimited e-mail accounts. Not gonna guess the e-mail I guess. Try the user login option. Now what kind of idiot can’t even remember the user login. Nothing related to the domain or me. Ugh.

Well, I guess you can tell that through a trial and error process I guessed the user name and got my password. I managed to log in.

I haven’t a clue what the blog post was that I couldn’t wait to write. But I broke the drought. Is it over? Only time will tell.

Blog readability

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

Formulating a message to fit the audience is a constant challenge — in both written and spoken communication. The online Blog Readability Test purports to assess a reading level for blogs, or any URL you put in the search box. I am proud to say that this blog rates a “College” rating (smirk). Well, alright, it’s only “undergrad” but it’s a credible rating, albeit from a suspect algorithm. Imagine my astonishment to find that my library system’s newly launched East Central Libraries collaborative blog rates “Genius.” Wow!

Thanks to Stephen’s Lighthouse for this tip

Happy Birthday, Blog!

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

2 years ago today, I got brave enough to make my blog public. This is the 193rd post since then. My Blogger profile says I’ve been on Blogger since November 2003, which is when I came back from Internet Librarian, inspired to blog. There were lots of posts back then, but one day I (foolishly) deleted them, thinking I didn’t have anything worthwhile to say.

Lots of studies have been done on why people blog. Just today, the venerable Michael Stevens of Tame the Web wrote about the ideology of blogging. I identify with the comment in his post: “It amazed me how ingrained in my life the act of blogging had become.” I am often aware of how what a great blog post a certain experience would make. Now, if only I had time to act on all those inspirations.

I recently said to a colleague that blogging was so “yesterday.” I guess what I really meant was that blogging has become so mainstream that it’s hardly a phenomenon any more. We just accept and expect that the voices of our culture are heard through the blogosphere.

I think librarians as a group blog more than any other profession — maybe it’s a perception thing, since I know more librarians than anything else. Or maybe, it’s because we’re information professionals, and blogs are about information. Some of us blog because we believe we have something philosophical (or pithy) to say. Others use blogs as a super-easy to create marketing tool or billboard for what’s happening at the library.

Blogging was a natural progression for me, since I started writing for my adolescent self in a little pink diary with a teeny tiny ineffective key. I don’t write anything very controversial (witness the lack of comments), but I’ve sure made a lot of friends through this blog. While my blog is largely related to my professional life, it also reflects my whole person.

Wonder what this blog will have to say in another 2 years.

Happy Blog Day

Friday, August 31st, 2007

Today is Blog Day – the third annual. Today, each Blogger is tasked with recommending 5 new blogs – to expand the reading of others. Here are some of my local favorites (in no particular order). All have been born in the last year.

1. Library Tree – from Red Wing Public Library. News about upcoming events at the library.

2. Albert Lea Public Library – from Albert Lea Public Library. News about the library and new items.

3. Kids’ Info at NPL – from Northfield Public Library. News and lots of pictures.

4. MLA Update – news from the Minnesota Library Association.

5. Metronet Director’s Chat – observations about libraries and the profession written by Tom Shaunessy.