Ways to be Heard

Do you write a blog?

Is it a raging success?

If you answered "yes," how about giving me me a link? ;)
If you answered "no," why not start by considering your involvement in other blogs? In particular, how often do you comment on other blogs?

I once read a blogger who said he tries to comment on every blog he reads. This does two things:

1. Makes you really interact with the ideas in the blog. Don't just channel-surf blogs all day long... that's like eating a steady stream of celery soup. You get NOTHING out of it and eventually want to gag. Dig into the blogs you're reading and find something to challenge yourself with. Leave comments makes you think about the blog.

2. Visibility. There's no better way to find people who are interested in reading what you write than to leave your face (and url) beside a thoughtful comment on someone else's blog. If you're reading interesting, thought-provoking blogs, you're probably in good company. The other readers of that blog are likely to be people with similar interests to you (you're both interested in the same blogs, anyway!) and they might just be interested in what you have to say.

A win-win, what's not to like? It takes a lot more effort, but you end up getting more out of blogs when you leave a little piece of your thoughts down the bottom as a comment.

Have you ever commented on a blog? Anything exciting happen?

What Makes Eurovision Excellent?

Context.

These totally absurd performances would be irritating anywhere else, or at least embarrassing, but we expected Eurovision 2011 to be over-hyped, over-coloured, and over-acted. So we love it. And by we, I mean I. And my college-aged hipster-wanabee music-nerd friends. But it's fantastic!

For an example, check out this year's winner, Azerbaijan's "Ell and Nikki." The song has some beautiful phrases and some moving harmonies, but I'd skip right past it if I heard it on the radio. However! The context makes it one of the most unforgettable songs of the year. Because of a careful use of context, Ell and Nikki are now international stars and national heroes, having won Azerbaijan the right to host the MAJOR Eurovision 2012 contest.

Maybe you're not as geographically ignorant as me, but I've been practicing all night and I still can't pronounce Azerbaijan. The right move at the right time will now bring this little-known European nation millions of dollars worth of international marketing and exposure.

You literally cannot buy the kind of airtime Azerbaijan will now get.

What is the secret? Make sure you're offering a product (performance) which is actually good, then just make sure you're presenting it to people who actually want to hear about it. And make sure to catch them at a time when they want to hear about it. Not in the middle of a busy work day, and NOT in the middle of their dinner.

Do You Believe in the Magic?

We like to believe the magic. I've seen this in two movies so far (and quite a few conversations)...

I'm half-way through Mansfield Park, and Fanny is desperate for that magic love she felt once. She can't accept anything else, even if she risks living alone in poverty forever.

Similarly, in The Adjustment Bureau, the protagonist feels something once, and he's hooked for life. Why do we do this? Should we?

I feel this same feeling when it comes to shopping. I'm serious. I spent an hour shopping online for a travel bag which would make me feel 'magical.' I looked at wheeled duffles, because Chris Brogan loved one; I looked at Dianne Von Fustenberg, because I remembered a reference to her in Life From Scratch; I tried the cheap-o bags, because my dad likes to live sans-frills.

In the end, I chose a bag which is no more functional or beautiful than any other... but it was the one my heart first settled on.

Advertisers try to convince people that this product will give them the 'magic' feeling or they'll get that 'magic' result, but I want to be the kind of marketer who helps a customer access that thing their heart first settled on.

What does that mean? I'm not sure... What would I do? I don't know... But I do know it doesn't include false promises or convincing or hyping. It does honesty.

$5 Prize for Correct Guesses

WHAT are you reading?

It's a blog. Right?

Thank you for playing this game, if I guessed correctly, I win the prize!
Please send $5 to PO Box 888, SYDNEY Australia.

I am kidding, but in all seriousness, I am going to blog about blogs. This is my most hated blog topic, but let's get metaphysical.

Blogs fill the void between War and Peace and Archie Comics. Blogs are personal, so they make us feel connected in the metallic world of cyberspace, and they're instant, so they fulfill our need to have the latest information RIGHT NOW.

Blogs are also varied. If you've been watching this blog, you've already seen 3 of my favorite bloggers, and you've seen just how different these three are. Seth is a marketing guru, Nie Nie is a stay-at-home Mormon Mommy, and Monet is a baker with the soul of a poet with the soul of an artist with the soul of a baker.

Whatever your interest is, there is a blog to tell you what you want to know. But, like all the communications tools I've mentioned here, use blogs with caution. The benefit of a blog is that ANYONE can get published. The problem with blogs is that ANYONE can get published.

Would you listen to some guy on the street telling you the top ten best ways to make a million or fall in love? I hope not. Bloggers are like that random guy. The internet is deceptive because we can construct the image we would like to portray, whereas real life is more honest. A blog might look authoritative, but unless you know who the author is, or you know his/her professional affiliations, assume he is just another kid like you, sitting at his computer, spitting out the first idea he thinks of.

Don't take blog authors too seriously. Not even me.

Do Facial Expression Increase Attraction?

How do you feel when I say:

You are just the smartest person I ever met.

Now, imagine you can see me roll my eyes while I say that.

Now, imagine you can see my twirl my hair and bat my eyelashes while I say that.

Well, now you don't have ton wonder what my face is doing while I compliment you; welcome to Skype.
What difference does it make to my meaning when you can see my face? It makes ALL the difference. Expression is our physical cue to the other person, to explain to them how we intend for them to interpret our message. Our words include a message, but our expressions and tone are the keys to unlocking that message.

Skype is a simple program a computer user can install in their laptop, internet-capable phone, or desktop computer. All the user needs is a webcam, microphone, and speakers, and s/he can start using Skype. Of course, it also helps if the user has friends who are similarly connected to Skype, but that's a gamble we'll have to take.

Skype uses video and audio to conduct a face-to-face call between two users. These individuals can be separated by as many miles or oceans as they like; Skype (thanks to our god friend, the internet) can cross them all.

I have personally used Skype regularly since 2004 and I love it. I love that awkward feeling I get when I see an old friend for the first time in months or years and I feel the urge to hug them, but can't. I love that there's no way I can hide my surprise when she shares that she's finally decided to quit shaving her legs and move to a commune. I love seeing her tear up when we laugh hysterically about the good old days. Skype brings communication to life, including our awkward moments and our beautiful experiences.

Skype is a tool, just like any other, which helps communication, but it also presents unique challenges. Users have to find ways to work around the awkward moments when they aren't able to physically move or touch one another. We also have to be comfortable with seeing our own image reflected back to us on the screen.

For all the challenges it presents, Skype allows a deeper feeling of connection between communicators. Anything that increases feelings of love and connection in this world is worth using. I fully encourage Skype usage.

eBooks: The Way of the Future or a Step Backwards?

Raise your hand if you have purchased an eBook to help complete your online degree.

Now put it down real quick, before someone starts to wonder about your sanity. You look silly, but if you're smart, you have purchased an eBook at some point in your progress towards your B.A.

Why would you have purchased an eBook? Because they're:

• Convenient - eBooks can be purchased from anywhere by anyone. All you need is internet access, a credit card, and a device which reads eBooks (laptop/Kindle/iPhone/iPad/etc).
  

• Cost Effective - there are no printing costs involved in producing an eBook, there are no shipping costs, and (most importantly) the publisher doesn't have to worry about a pile of leftover books that might never sell. These three factors drive up the costs of traditional books and leave the market for eBooks wide open.
  

• Cool - one of the most popular, influential men in the world is a 26-year-old computer nerd. Technology is in and it's not going anywhere. The latest fad is to be totally online. eBooks are the new college cool.

Since the invention of the Amazon Kindle, almost every modern bestselling book has been digitized and sold as an eBook. This bodes well for adult literacy in the USA. Now, busy adults can always have a full library on hand. It is easier than ever to read quality literature.

However, what are eBooks doing to literature in general? Is this immediate-gratification version of reading turning books into just another consumable? Literature is taught at the most prestigious universities in Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate programs, but classic texts are available for digestion while shoppers swipe coupons and buckle seat belts. 

I appreciate that eBooks have made reading more feasible for us all, just like recordable storybooks have made it easier for children to listen to their favorite tales, but I have to wonder: what is this doing to our appreciation of literature as an art form?

Would you view the Venus de Milo while clipping your nails or paying a bill? 

There is a necessary reverence we need to feel when we're interacting with great works of art. I fear that the disposability and convenience of eBooks is encouraging us to treat literature with less respect and attention than it deserves. eBooks achieve great things for communication, but there is also a cost: the easier it is to communicate, the less we value the interaction.

Are Storybooks the Easiest Way to Educate Your Children?

I'm taking a break from my top 5 bloggers to bring you this week's assignment:

Recordable Storybooks.

Imagine the setting: you're sitting by the fire, a glass of aromatic red wine in one hand, the latest NY Times bestseller. You're discovering that butler did NOT do it, but that it was... (Well, I can't ruin it for you, can I?)...

Where is your two-year-old?

He's resting quietly in bed, listening to his nightly story; but who's reading to him? It's a recordable storybook! Last week, you realized he only ever wants to hear Kiss Goodnight over and over, so you read it to him once, and let the book do the rest of the work. Now your voice is there, immortalized in those precious pages for him to hear... over and over... and over and over.

How wonderful is modern technology? You get to enjoy a few moments of guilt-free relaxation while your son gets his comforting story read to him by the person he loves most: you.

These books are perfect for all types of parents, whether they are in the next room or in another country. Parents who are in the military value the connection they can make with their children through these books. The child gets to hear their parent's voice and feel the closeness of their love, regardless of the distance between them.

The beauty of these books is the connections they establish: voices make us feel connected and close. These books also promote literary education. It's vital that young children get to see words as they hear them, but modern parents don't always have the time to sit and read to their children for long periods of time. Technology has helped bridged this gap between what we want to do and what we need to do.