What's a Blog?

Comment

Comment by LaVonna Connelly on December 23, 2009 at 11:34am

Thanks again, Amy.

LaVonna

Comment by Amy Lenzo on December 23, 2009 at 11:06am

La Vonna,

You're welcome! I'm happy to help.

Blogs can certainly include personal conversation - I was just letting you know that we also have a place for community conversation so if you have questions or are wondering about something you can just start a conversation and no doubt others will respond. We learn from each others' questions, so don't be shy! :-)

Warmly,

Amy

Comment by LaVonna Connelly on December 14, 2009 at 7:37am

Thanks Amy, for the excellent and informative response about blogging. It was the best information I have gotten about blogs and their purpose.

I do understand that you are telling me that personal conversation is not blogging, so I will make arrangements to converse with Nancy in a different venue. Thank you.

LaVonna

Comment by Nancy Kaye on December 13, 2009 at 12:43pm

Happy Holidays LaVonna! Actually, I am so busy (this is not new news) with my growing business and I am taking classes myself, that I have not been able to get into the holiday mood yet.

Final exams this coming week (17 of 17 weeks), and then I can focus on other things.

My Quantum Leaps Mastermind group is revealing so many "Leaps" in their personal and business life. They want to continue on and I am blessed to be able to lead such a wonderful group. Because of many new requests, and because I keep my masterminds intimate, next month I am creating another Mastermind "Jump-Start 2010™ Mastermind Group"

We have made progress with our business with getting our blog started and a newsletter, plus many new VIP clients.
I did do some Conversation Cafe events when I had time.

You sound like you are making progress with your goals, congratulations!
How do you see your "transportation conversation cafe" in your community evolving?

Glad we can connect here, and no more bounced back emails.
Merry Christmas dear one! ~ Nancy

Comment by Amy Lenzo on December 13, 2009 at 9:38am

Hi LaVonna.

Thanks for your question! :-) It's a great opportunity for me to point out the difference between a conversation (which is really what you've started here) and a blog.

I'll quote from the "FAQs" page on this site (which has some great practical tips - check it out if you haven't already):

"What’s the difference between a blog post and a conversation?
A blog post is an excellent choice when you primarily want to explore a subject you've been thinking about or offer your ideas on some topic or another; while a conversation is the best choice when you have a question you want other people to respond to or when you want to instigate a conversation about something. People can comment on a blog post if you have given permission, but you have the choice. There are a number of other benefits to a blog post - e.g. you can go back and edit (your own) blog posts later, choose to publish them at another time, etc."

The FAQ link above will take you to a page where you can find out how to use all the blogging tools available to you here, as well as all the other features of this site.

The topic you've raised goes beyond blogging here in the World Cafe online community space, though. Here on the WC site, blogging is for sharing thinking that is in some way related to the World Cafe.

But in the larger sense, blogs can be anything! They can be personal and only accessible by your family and close friends; they can be used to promote your work, or a place to share your passions. They can be a place to share your political views, share information on something you know a lot about, describe the process of a physical illness or human experience like giving birth and raising a child or helping your parents as they age. Blogs allow us to reach out to others and share our knowledge and wisdom, or they can be a place to rant. Blogs can exercise your desire to be a writer and give you some practice or show your other talents, etc. etc. etc.

You said you've seen blogs so you might have gotten a sense of how other people do it and the range of what blogging can be about. Nancy's offered her link below, and here's mine: www.beautydialogues.com. I use mine as a sort of combination work site (I'm a web designer, so it has links to various web design resources and examples of sites I've built) and personal exploration of what I find beautiful. To me, it's a way to say out loud my belief that one's work and personal lives are intertwined and one informs the other... and a way to voice my awe and gratitude for all the beauty I see in the world and within us.

Ultimately blogs are a vehicle to speak about what has meaning for you, in a way that can be read and responded to by others - including people you don't know and would never meet otherwise. Most simply put, it's a communication vehicle and you're the driver.

Hope that helps - and Happy Blogging!

Amy

Comment by LaVonna Connelly on December 13, 2009 at 8:20am

Hi Nancy, I'd love to see your blog site. I have seen blogs but don't really quite understand what they are all about. I am well, thanks for asking. I just completed a three month long project (research project) and am now able to resume my plan for hosting a "transportation conversation cafe" in my community. Other than that I finished my Christmas shopping early this year (Yay!) and have been enjoying the many gatherings and opportunities the season brings. And you, Nancy? Are you enjoying the holiday season?

Comment by Nancy Kaye on December 12, 2009 at 1:49pm

Hi LaVonna, perhaps we can communicate here. I have a blog site for
The Confident Communicator™ Workshops. Let me know if you want the site address.
How are you? ~ Nancy