Category: social media

  • Fall in love with your content

    Every day I read all sorts of blogs. I follow hundreds of blogs with Google Reader and I’m constantly following links on Twitter and Facebook to various people’s blogs. And I’ve gotten used to the mediocrity of most stuff out there. There are very few people writing about what they love. But there are a…

  • Learn from me next Saturday in Chicago

    Here’s the deal. I am scheduled to teach two classes next Saturday in Chicago. But as of right now… no one has signed up! I’ve got plenty of people interested as watchers on Skillshare but no one has ponied up the money to attend the class. If I don’t get 4-5 people by Monday at midnight…

  • Facebook shrank the world, literally

    Some recent research using Facebook’s social graph has shown that the world’s largest social network has actually made the world about 20% smaller, socially. Some highlights from the study. There are more than 800 million active Facebook users, 50% of which log on daily. The median Facebook user has about 100 friends. If that number…

  • Every idea is a network

    You have ideas. We all have ideas. Some of them are brilliant and some of them aren’t. But every idea (pursued) is a network. As you explore your idea you bump into people. Some are new people to you and some are old friends. Each of those connections makes connections with other people based on…

  • It’s time to deliver

    Yesterday was gut check time.  I woke up anxious. At 5:00 am I got up to start re-working my WordCamp talk– scheduled for 4:00 pm. I added all new slides, completely reworked the content, and I seriously considered calling the organizer and telling him I was sick. Like all fears it was completely illogical. Why…

  • Teaching Principles vs. Trends

    Today finds me at WordCampLA. WCLA is a one-day conference for WordPress users, developers, and fans. Last night I had a great time getting to know some of the speakers and sponsors of the event. If anything, it was a reminder of just how far WordPress/blogging/small business development has gone in the past 5 years. When I…

  • The Power of Poop

    Working together, we firmly believe that reinventing a long-lasting, safe, and sustainable answer to the world’s sanitation needs is not just necessary, but within reach. Sylvia Matthew Burwell, President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [link] Re-thinking poop. Turning poop into power and fertilizer. Turning waste into opportunity. I like it. A lot. Safe…

  • Dealing with streakiness in the creative process

    I’m finishing my seventh year of daily blogging on May 25th. Over the past 2,555 days I’ve written 3,523 posts or about 2,000,000 words. Nearly every day over the past 2,555 days I have sat down at my computer and written something that was worth my time in the moment. Streaks So what has changed since…

  • How to repost a blog post with style and grace

    Since I first wrote about people stealing my content last November, “How to blog, write, and speak with integrity” I’ve gotten lots of contacts asking me how to properly repost or cite blog posts, web articles, and news stories. Here are some tips for reposting internet content with style and grace. Never repost an entire…

  • Blame the Internet

    There are a lot of jerks out there empowered by the internet. Why is that? Affinity grouping vs. Geographical grouping Whereas, in the past, your social network was largely defined by geography, in the internet age your social network is self-selected. This is a double edged sword. Let’s say there is a guy on my block…