Posts tagged as:

community

Everybody please take a seat…

by Richard Reeve on March 11, 2009

in @CCSeed

Experiment with a laser (U.S.
Image via Wikipedia

…I Have an announcement

The gift of persistence is emerging in this corner.  Giving oneself to these tasks: maintaining a blog, being active on social media outposts, reading and commenting on a variety of other blogs…all that can add up to a pretty big time commitment.  And the question that emerges for many is “what do any of us get out of it?”

Yes, there’s some cash to be made through a variety of strategies.  Yes, there’s networking to build up one’s business.  But neither of of these keep me moving forward.  For me it comes down to one word.

Discovery

I’m amazed by the community of people I’ve met through this practice.  I’m amazed by how my purpose here has been clarified through all the different interactions.  As my ideas continue to be tested, my understanding of the challenges of communication keeps growing.  Not a week goes by where I do not engage someone new in a rewarding way.  Not a day goes by where I do not learn something.

Persistence has refined my intent to a laser point.  I know exactly now where I need to direct my energies if I am to have any real efficacy.  And it would not have been possible without you.

So to all of you, a heartfelt thanks you.

{ 9 comments }

State of My Union

by Richard Reeve on January 29, 2009

in @CCSeed

Description unavailable
Image by melolou via Flickr

It’s possible that the data stream that seems so frantic now, with all the information flying into readers and emails, it seems possible that it will bloom a hundred fold in the coming decades.  It’s kind of a scary thought.  How will we manage effectively?

My story here is all recent, all still the story of a start up.  When I entered this space I was pretty timid.  I had less than 100 followers on twitter for two months, and my blogging, which starting over at Blogger, was a solitary affair.

I recognized the potential on these emerging technologies from a publishing standpoint and decided to find a way to get a foot hold.  The motivation was two fold.  At work, knowledge of these tools was lacking, and I’ve always had a literary part of myself that emerges now and then, surveys my grasp and capability, and to this point, tending to recede.

Well, it seems like I’ve broken through my own psychological resistance. All the start up goals that were mapped back in September when I attended Chris Brogan’s New Marketing Boot Camp have been achieved.

Much of my strategy has been built around three tools: this blog, my twitter network and google reader.  On the secondary level, backtype and friendfeed aggregate my activity with amazing results.  All the other tools are useful, but I do not really engage with them as a practice.

What I didn’t really expect was that all of you would be here to share this with me.  I was thinking publishing, not community.  Watching and participating, especially over at Liz Strauss’ blog, changed that.  It’s an amazing surprise to interact and engage, to share and lament, and to support one another as we make our separate ways in this journey of discovery.

So moving forward, I need to establish some new priorities.

  • I need to learn how to filter better, finding ways to gather the information that I need, while not getting distracted by the interesting but personally irrelevant stuff.
  • I need to learn how to use keywords effectively, so that organic search can lead people to the blog that might not find it otherwise.  Currently less than 3% of visitors come here that way.
  • I need to settle into rhythm with these tools that doesn’t get caught up felling everything is passing me by.  For that I’ll count on all of you to send me a heads up once and awhile.
  • I need to spend more time reading off line so that I can improve the content of what I share here.
  • Finally, I need to say thank you for being a part, the main part, of this journey.  It’s been both an honor and a privilege to engage with so many of you.

{ 9 comments }

Krater: a policy change

by Richard Reeve on January 23, 2009

in @CCSeed

The Declaration of Independence incorporates c...
Image via Wikipedia

By executive order of the Creative Director on this the 23rd day of January, 2009, this blog space is committed to the wishes of the multiple contributors that enliven and expand the content and improve upon the quality of what any citizen of the republic we currently call the blog-o-sphere might find.

Whereby, the goal is to inspire creativity and usefulness along with the development of best practices…

Whereby, without the many contributors this content stream would have dried up months ago…

It is hereby declared that any visitor may request to expand upon any topic not only by taking advantage of the comment field, but be developing a unique post which will be published within what is known here as the Krater stream.

To participate, simply e-mail the contents to ccseed at gmail dot com putting the words Krater Stream in the subject heading.

(enough of the political jargon… the doors here are open.  I hope you’ll consider the offer.)

{ 4 comments }

Comments: What If?

by Richard Reeve on January 22, 2009

in @CCSeed

Plato's The Republic, Latin edition cover, 1713
Image via Wikipedia

At WordCamp Las Vegas earlier in the month, both Chris Brogan and Liz Strauss spoke of the importance of comments in the blog-o-sphere. Liz has a neat strategy that she unleashes each Tuesday night which essentially uses the comment space like a conversation stream.  It’s what I would call a comment play, with a clear beginning and ending and a theme they may or may not be followed.  Her one rule, “Be nice.”

I’d like to share a story of something that unfolded across two blog posts and the dynamic interlaced comments that followed. Perhaps this can get us thinking of some new strategies to break the content out of the boxes we think we need to keep it in.  A few months back I introduced the idea of cloud publishing here and here.  This is one of the best examples of what I was then grasping for.  So, if you’ll indulge me, the following is the program to a multi-person dialogue (think Plato) we shall call:

What If? The Makings of a Republic

Act One:  On The Road To Nowhere by Jeb Dickerson with a chorus of comments.

Act Two: Getting to the Essentials By Richard Reeve with a chorus of comments.

What I’m interested in getting across is that too often comments are simply summations of what the post above has said.  Isn’t it possible to take a different strategy into our commenting activity.

What if…

  • we commented in a way that invited further dialogue?
  • we built new posts out of other stimulating posts and invited all the participants over to continue the discussion?
  • we became less interested in the real estate of traffic to our specific locale, and more interested in the commerce of ideas?
  • we encouraged others to take the ball and run with it?
  • you now add to this list of what if’s?

{ 44 comments }

Words on Community from the Master

January 11, 2009

Liz Strauss presented her ideas on using blogging as a platform for building community at WordCamp Las Vegas today.  Known for her role in identifying and promoting the value of her SOB’s, Successful and Outstanding Bloggers, Liz has extensive experience in building relationships through digital media.
Presentation takeaways:
Conversation has changed since Liz has started.  The conversations [...]

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Countering “Don’t Tread On Me” Thoughts

October 12, 2008

@CCSeed

Not far from our house is a New York State Forest Preserve property named Crystal Lake (no, not the one of Friday the 13th lore).  Pictured above, the lake provides primitive camping sites, swimming, fishing, and tremendous blueberry picking near the end of July.  
I point this out here because my mind has been playing [...]

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Big Spider

October 2, 2008

Dreams Unfolding
In my study and two readers, both women, are visiting.  Suddenly one shrieks because there’s a huge spider in her long hair.  I’m able to knock it off quickly and it scurries into the corner behind the desk.
my response:
This dream seems to be bringing two things to my attention based on the work I [...]

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Rural = Resourceful

October 1, 2008

@CCSeed

Amongst these hills, the calamity our nation seems poised to take on the teeth resonates with a knowing nod.  This County of Sullivan has known more tough times than prosperous, more need than excess.  Time and time again outsiders have arrived at its borders making promises that evaporated long before they developed, and the confidence man [...]

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