OKPrProf

Wadda Ya Think

I love hanging out with thinkers (doers as well but that's another entry). There are knowers in the world and they play a vital role because they know the answers - is it "allright" or "all right?"  A knower will tell you. But thinkers - critical thinkers, philosophical thinkers, long-term thinkers, etc. they are the ones that push us forward, cause us to think and rethink our thoughts - what we held to be valuable knowledge may lose or increase its value due to a thinker.

I find thinkers everywhere. Some are just that way. We can call them "active thinkers." Others are not so active and usually think as a result of an outside force. We can call them "reluctant thinkers." Both have value and one's thoughts aren't necessarily any better or worse than another's.

Here is the difference though. Active thinkers enjoy the conversations brought on by their and your thoughts. It isn't any fun to think alone, not for a long time anyway. Active thinkers need others to bounce ideas off, question their thoughts, which requires additional thinking on behalf of both parties, etc. The best part is a thinker can have this conversation with another thinker or even a knower. The knower may tell them the answer or that they are wrong but that doesn't matter to the active thinker. They are just thinking. There is no win or lose with thinkers, just progression.

I have been working with a group of thinkers all semester. Their most recent thoughts about the future of public relations can be found here. Whether you are a thinker, a knower or a doer, I hope you will engage them in a conversation. They need it. It's no fun thinking alone.

By the way, I am looking for a name for this blog. Its purpose is to create an environment for OSU JB/PR students to blog about, among other things, public relations, journalism, broadcasting, current events, etc. I hope it will evolve into larger efforts but this is a start. Wadda ya think?

Answering my question

Thanks to everyone who participated! Here are the results:

Why I blog: Professional presence -- it's a more authentic, more credible and more SEO-friendly web presence than a traditional, static web site.Plus, I like to help people. And, you know, I like the sound of my own voice. :)

Don't I have a life? That's debatable. :) However, when I look at the amount of time twentysomethings spend on IM and texting, I think to myself, "well, I spend less time on blogging than it looks like many people spend on that, and my time's spent with a one-to-many channel rather than a one-to-one
channel. An economist (albeit probably a drunk one) would tell you that I'm being more efficient with my resource (time) by blogging.

Does it really make a difference? That depends on the difference you're trying to make. The VA hospital scandal? A story broken by bloggers. Other major news stories as well. Assuming you're not trying to break major news, the question becomes one of "well, what do I want to get out of this?" Bloggers of all stripes can lay objective claim to:

-- Better visibility for their business
-- Increased professional credibility
-- New friendships and professional relationshps
-- Widespread (or focused) attention on an issue of personal or professional importance

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hi all,
since I am leaving this list (at least temporarily) here is a link to my personal blog:
http://tarartrat.blogspot.com/

And to answer "why do you blog?" well, -why do we talk? Why do we write emails? why do we read? watch films? communicate? blogging is another step towards a worldwide collective consciousness- I know that sounds cheezy, but I believe it is. there doesn't need to be a reason for it.
;p
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Why do these people blog?

I think Paul alluded to the real reasons why so many people blog – to maintain a sense of community.

1. Blogs satisfy our innate desire for fellowship.  We desire to gather, congregate, assemble, meet up, etc.  Blogs are merely virtual forms of our physical assemblies, fraternities, churches, lodges, etc. The Internet has enabled us to have a global community.  Blogs allow neighborhoods to form with those communities.

2. There is relative anonymity with blogs.  I can create a site evoted to my love affair with Swedish Fish, and find other Swedish Fish worshippers, without the judgment of my peer groups.  No meetings, blood sample, or real names are necessary; merely a desire to share consistently.

1. I'd like to think that there is also an innate human desire to serve.  Helping another seemingly solidifies our worth and purpose in the world; it's our "good deed".

I have 2 blogs.

My personal blog houses my rantings, musings, thoughts, etc; all for the benefit of friends, family, and fans :-)  They get an "inside" look into my brain, learn of my perks and quirks, and hopefully chuckle enough to leave a comment and to return.  Maybe a smidge narcissistic, but aren't we all, even just a little bit?

Additionally, I love my writing.  I love rereading thoughts form yesteryear, reliving experiences, and getting a chuckle about how much something bothered me way back when.  It serves as a source of self -analysis as well.  My personal blog is as colorful as a photo album and as detailed as a journal.  It's an anthology of my life.  If it were any more detailed, it would be a vlog.

My philanthropic blog was born from a cause that I am VERY passionate.  This blog is part of a network of other like blogs, and we educate, encourage, support, pool money for the cause, and share resources.  My network includes bloggers from USA and Canada to Hong Kong and Germany; are united in anonymity for a cause that affects us all.

Don't they have a life?

I blog EVERYDAY.  On my philanthropic blog, I usually blog 3 -5 times/ day. I've written as much as 108 blogs a month.  However, when you love writing as much as I do, you're blogging 24-7 in your head anyway.  I usually have 2-3 blogs written during my commutes alone!

I have a life; a very busy one.  "However, the adage is true: people make time for what they want to make time for."

Does it really make a difference or are you all (bloggers) just yelling from a mountain top - with all the other bloggers?

I do receive an ego "fix" each time someone leaves a comment for me on my personal blog.  It's nice to know that people not only agree with your thoughts, but care enough to leave a comment and to return.

My philanthropic blog has saved lives, continues to offer much needed support and satisfies all of the above – community, anonymity, service.

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It was interesting to read the other responses posted.. and I agree that I have more blogs in my head than I can possibly post. I write because I am a fashion, beauty, lifestyle writer/editor in print/online and this is another avenue/venue to get my content out there.

I have 2 blogs plus 2 websites where I contribute. LA-Story.com is my personal blog. coolpicking.com is another blog and I have contributed to 3 other blogs in a specific blog group: FashionWeek commentary, lifestyle, and a blog (on hiatus) where several women post about things/events with a personal feminine perspective that "pushes the envelope" of sex & the city. I have contributed to Mediabistro's Fishbowl LA -- several things have run on a variety of topics from celeb swag suites to movie & promotion gaffes.

I see blogs as stream of consciousness, an extension of a persona and/or about a specific topic that drives the blog (already mentioned are the philanthropic blog plus there are topics about linux, economy,celebrity politics, media, fashion topics, food, chocolate and family)

For me it's about creating an outlet for content that I know has a place for savvy women and men who want to read about fashion, beauty, lifestyle content that hits both coasts because-- despite the title--it's beyond the ken of an LA location but about a lifestyle, attitude and state of mind.

I present new products, brands, events, and people that I find that particular thing interesting. Unlike what I write for print and online sites, the blog voice is different-- and better-- because it offers a more personal "just chatting with a bff" feel. My podcasts are similar-- as if you were sitting there at the table having coffee with my subject and me.

Payoff:
I am branding me,
Am recognized as an expert in several segments (several related to LA),building my readership.
advertising.
While I have been blogging for over 2 years, I recently took my blog solo and my visibility has risen. Why ? The blog was buried within a blog group, not well promoted and very generic in graphic prseentation. The new presentation has gotten me a lot of attention-- (interviews by magazines, and inclusion in specialized topic books (fashion) plus people remember me-- my business cards reflect that same graphic.

Bloggers have lives-- if you read my blog you see that I do and when you see the events sections (or my rants, raves or interview/podcasts), I do have a life-- it's busy and there's a lot going on. I am a multi-tasker, serial career person who is evolving her career into something that keeps me from being locked in an office; will document my travels across LA and across the country. (a recent NYC trip needs to hit the blogs-- see the Cocoa Bar blog)

Bloggers have their audiences-- just like tv shows. You don't watch what I watch and I probably don't watch the shows you do. It's about voice, presentation and audience.

Part of me is surprised that your students weren't blogging but then part of me wasn't either.. because I know from my extreme range of contacts on the web (and I am a known quantity on the web going back about 10 years in women's content-- back in the days before ivillage existed and there was little out there for women on the web) that most people are afraid of the technical aspects, don't want to keep up with it daily and might find it easier to just live vicariously through other's lives and adventures. And that's the reason I started blogging-- assignments I had covering LA events, people and "stuff" would also end up as posts in certain high traffic online forums, groups etc and people would respond positively and stated that it
had a "you are there" feel.

I don't have a clue about Eskimo Joe's but based on what I saw on the website-- I would personally prefer to hang out a my local Peets or creperie --thank you so much

SW
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Hello Bill how are you? I was reading my email as always and found your email to be very interesting.  As a PR graduate from Ferris State University's Public Relations program (2005) and MBA graduate, I was suprised to hear that your students think of blogging in such a way that it isn't a good idea. The mere  thought that blogging is time wasted or that we don't have lives is so far from the truth! In fact, as you are probably already aware, we have very busy lives as PR professionals and we are very very busy, but blogging helps.

So here's what we learn from blogging:
1. It's an information superhighway. If you want to know something or learn about a particular subject, blogging is very effective. In fact, we are able to share our experiences and values with others and if this opens up one person's eyes and they can see our perspective, we are on our way to a positive change. As you know change takes time... Personal opinions are very hard to change, blogging however has been helpful many times in my career in helping someone see the value of PR and overcome the harsh opinions about PR being a horrible and worthless field.

2. Sharing thoughts and opinions enables others to voice theirs and to enhance our learning. What this means is that since we aren't in a classroom setting, we are able to voice our thoughts and opinions and gain valuable feedback from one another. While this is similar to what you learn in the classroom, you are dealing with real world issues and experiences. There is no comparison to the real world! You have to be in it and experience it yourself.

3. Blogging helps me to feel as if I am not so alone in this field. When I have a problem or concern or even if I just need guidance, I know that I can count on my friends and fellow PR pro's to help me through it. I can blog about the issue, ask advice, gain valuable feedback and support.

4. Blogs are big business right now. If you want to know how someone feels about a product or service, you can look on the web for comments and opinions about particular topics. This doesn't mean that we all believe everything we read. As with anything you read on the web, you must verify the validity of the subject matter and the advice or what's written. The fact of the matter is that there is a lot of information blogged improperly which provides very little value. Peter Shankman has a tremendous amount of information on his blog, but it is very valuable and eye opening from time to time. Check out his blog sometime!

5. Exposure: You are the product being marketed, if you write well others will read your blog and increase readership over time. It is great for your professional career and for increased exposure to other topics and issues. The more people read your blogs, the better they will understand your viewpoints on topics and the more likely they are to write back and or present stories to you. It can also increase professional contacts and build new networks for you professionally, socially and academically.

Does blogging make a difference or are we yelling from the mountaintops?

Yes, blogging makes a difference. I use blogging to gain information that might help me understand a particular subject matter. I also blog on my myspace page to discuss issues or concerns that I have from time to time. There is nothing wrong with doing this, but make sure that it reflects positively on you as the internet is become a very valuable resource in terms of finding a job, finding out information about your potential employees and opinions about you are formed from what is blogged... so don't ever blog something you wouldn't want an employer to know about you!

Blogging is often misused as is internet communications. I'm sure your professor has told you that email was never created for writing long letters and huge communications. It was to simply pass a small note to and from and receive feedback in a rapid manner. So use it as a resource and make it your resource too.

Personally regarding Eskimo Joe's I would rather go to a PRSA Networking night or meet up with some other professionals in my field for a drink or social event. These are a lot more fun and sometimes very beneficial to your future. Just like college your career is what you make out of the experience... So learn a lot, take note that your perspectives are your own and you will be heard and we will take notice!

Good luck in the future! Enjoy blogging... If any of you want me to check out your blog, let me know via email at <snip>

Have a great day!