Happy Social Media Day – Day 142
June 30th, 2010
How many of you actually knew that today was Social Media Day?
I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have known this day even existed if it weren’t for Nat Finn and the NWI Tweetup people pimping out a meetup today at Pepe’s. It was nice to get together with some prominent social media voices in the area, eating enchiladas, and just shooting the shit. I didn’t go to the last tweetup, so I needed my fix.
On the train yesterday, Rahsaan pointed out to me (via his ever-handy iPhone) that Steve Dalton put together a sort-of roundup post featuring NW Indiana bloggers. I was on the list, even if he doesn’t “quite get Jinked.” Maybe it’s because I’m one of the few personal bloggers in the area, or that I really don’t have a niche I’m writing for. Sometimes I don’t even know what Jinked is all about myself, but I think it’s for that reason the name fits. I jink all over the place, from topic to topic to oh look something shiny!
I’d love to follow and meet more personal bloggers from the area. Sadly, I’ve only met a few, but it’s those kinds of blogs I crave. I was a part of the time when teen personal domains ruled pretty much everything in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those were all personal websites filled with thoughts, pictures, stories and poetry. Domains like hollowmind.net, soulsynth.net, deadmans-party.org, gunblade.nu, kurai.com, I loved them all. I remember thinking it was a big deal to have my site hosted on saucybard.com in 1999. Even the name of my website I still use, illvision.net, was purchased in 2002. Why did sites like these exist? Because services like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter didn’t.
I’ve been blogging for a long time, guys; since 1999 when I was a senior in high school. I remember learning HTML just so I could have a website filled with angsty teenage thoughts. I remember the launch of Blogger. I remember how in the early 2000s a lot of people migrated to Livejournal because of the privacy features. I remember when the web was more personal than it was commercial.
I wish we could go back to those days sometimes. When I see all the cookie-cutter blogs filled with sales pitches and get-rich-quick schemes, it makes me long for the internet of my youth. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I’m just stuck in the past. Who knows.
But to all you personal, Creative bloggers out there: make yourself known! I want to read your stuff. I want to meet you and collaborate and make something beautiful. I want to change the world with you, even if it’s just in a small way right here in Northwest Indiana.
Personal bloggers UNITE!
Its hard to think that ’90′s and early 2000 is considered “back in the day” Time is slipping by quickly, even more in the social media/internet world. Ahhh… the good ole days.
PS. love the creativity in your site. :^)
Yeah, time goes by way too fast, especially in when technology is involved. But yes, the good ol’ days… how I long for them sometimes.
And thanks! You’re making me blush.
Even though I was never a big internet guy, I can relate to how you feel. I don’t really like reading the clean, washed over blogs that most of the companies have. I don’t relate to that or care for what they are trying to do. It seems that everyone wants to sell.
I like reading about people’s lives. Not about tips on how to get your blog more hits.
We may be a different breed of internet user, one outside the realm of total commercialism.
Nichole, Don’t feel bad -Steve didn’t really get my blog, either, LOL. I like your blog because I never know what I am going to get: sometimes serious, sometimes funny, sometimes it’s a video game or music from one, sometimes it is a rant. I love the variety and the uniqueness.
I don’t know if I would call myself a personal blogger, as I blog about things that aren’t really personal. But they don’t fit a niche either. For me that is an important part of the creative process – no limits or preconceptions.
Keep up the great work! Is it okay if I link to your blog from mine?
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one puzzling Steve here! I like that you have recipes. I’m always looking for new ones, so I will have to check those out more.
And sure! Feel free to link away!
I’m with you on the personal blogs! I love it and i think its great that you do that! I wish i had a) the time to blog each night and b) the ability to talk about my day with ease like you do! lol
I had a blog back when it was an “online diary” in 98 and into journals etc through the 2000′s… it kinda died out when college got crazy and work picked up but i wish i had the time to go back to it.
We definitely need more personal blogs back!
There was a time late in college when my blogging time was eaten up by study time, but that only lasted about a year. Hee.
I kind of view blogging as getting the gumption to go to the gym. I know I can give 20 minutes at some point out of the day to do it. It’s just a matter of being motivated. Sometimes I’m not, but when I’m done with my whole writing journey and living the not-so-starving artist life, I think it will be nice to look back and see what went on during the time I was without a steady 9 to 5.
Did you have your blog through Diaryland? I remember that being one of the earliest “blogging” services. I think typepad was an early contender as well.
Ah, let me flesh out a few of my thoughts here. First, when I said I didn’t get Jinked, that didn’t mean I didn’t know Nichole … we have met and she in an integral part of the cool new media world in our area.
I too like personal blogs, and write on a few which have a steady flow of perhaps 2 readers a day. And that’s fine by me, it’s just the writing there that counts. Kristy left me a comment that we need more creative activity online, I agree with that too. Sometimes creative is harder to engage though, tough to leave a comment on a photo of a wedding or sunrise. So although I like the expressions of creativity, I’m not sure how to engage or encourage others to do so.
As for this specific blog, Nichole you’ve caught me off guard a couple times. I read every post, or at least the excerpt in my feed reader … and sometimes you are very personal … so much so I feel a bit uncomfortable. That’s no reflection on your style or abilities but my own boundaries and comforts. Keep it up.
I hope you didn’t think I was attacking you! I was just trying to have a little fun. :)
Creative is harder to engage. I don’t want to say that creative content isn’t valuable, because it is, just in a different way than say an article about a specific problem, solution or niche that people are really into. Personal blogs aren’t resources for information; they’re reflections of heart.
I’m glad to catch you off guard or make you feel uncomfortable once in awhile. It’s not because I’m a sadist, but more so because to me it means I’m not always stuck in the ruts I think I may be. I’m still adventurous.
I still know how to jink. :)