After Thirteen Years: Blog, Twitter, Gmail... Still No iPhone.
Believe it or not, after thirteen years of resisting, I have started to blog, twitter, and gmail. That’s amazing, because I’ve worked as a web consultant for thirteen years! And, I’m young — a prime target for all things social and online. Yet, my life is too real to interface conveniently with the online social scene. I’ve never had the desire, need, or time to continually post what I’m thinking or doing. And who in the world would want to read what I have to say anyway? There are too many interesting voices these days. So, why would I start now?
Good question. Here’s why I think I am starting now:
- Because I have the desire to connect with other people to see how we can collaborate — two minds might be better than one. And I have the desire to share what I am working on and thinking about.
- I have the need to promote my new consulting firm, Think Say Do.
- I have the time to write now — I am now my own boss after all. And, I have thirteen years of pent up words!
Here’s what I’ve learned in my first few weeks of being web-connected:
- Observe others: read your favorite blogs and think about why you like reading them
- Practice makes better: write often and you’ll get better with each post
- Find a voice: initially posts/tweets sound formal and dry, but with time you’ll find your own voice, the way you actually write and think
- Create hooks: be provocative in your writing and headlines, then go on to say something useful
- Make contacts: keep up with your writing, keep up with your contacts, keep learning and growing your connections
For even better tips, check out Pam’s site.
So, while I have finally started to join the modern web scene, I still don’t have an iPhone. I’m not a consumer of tech gadgets, so maybe once Apple starts making them completely recyclable, I’ll join the crowd.
~ Collin Schneider, Founder / Systems Designer / Blogger / Tweeter / Gmailer / Environmentalist
10 months ago
