Tim Bursch

There is so much great content to consume out there. I’m constantly clipping to Evernote, reading, starring, and bookmarking. The rub? The more I consume, the less I’m connecting with people.

Over the last month I’ve been trying to practice Tac Anderson’s challenge and here’s what I’ve discovered:

• Friendships can be built in the comments - Most people that I interact with online I will never meet face-to-face. But I’ve become connected by taking the extra step of commenting or starting a conversation on Twitter. You gain context, share interests and a mutual admiration happens.
• Comments are like tipping your server or clapping for a good artist. When someone takes the time to share a valuable resource or make me think in new ways, I want to let them know.
• Consumption is easy. Connection takes work and time. However, consuming massive amounts of content leaves me feeling like I ate a whole pizza. While I still skim for my job, I’m trying to find a few good pieces of content to give some time and thought to, and then to comment. The nutritious content is slow reading.

How do you consume and connect? What’s working for you? What’s not?

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I set out with big goals in 2010 to post daily. With life and work changes, that didn’t pan out, but you showed up and paid attention to thoughts and ideas that I care about.

This year, I’m not going to make a public promise. I will tell you where I’m hoping to take this blog.

So, what’s next? What can you expect here in 2011?

I’m going to keep writing about things that I care about. Watch for:

• Community- part of my work is focused on community development and management. I’ll share what I’m learning and what I think is working
• Ideas- I’m going to keep giving away my knowledge and network
• Social- marketing, media, business - it’s all about connections

Bonus-  I’m going to launch some extra content in the next months sharing some of the best stuff I’m finding and my analysis. Stay tuned.

Photo by: eioua

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Happy New Year!

I’m taking a small time out here. Not to create another resolution or list, but to refine and simplify.

Last year, I said I would blog more. And I did.

I said I would do crazy things like beta testing. Yeah, not happening yet.

I’ve got ideas for 2011. But they might be about less.

I really appreciate your attention and hope you will stop back soon!

Photo credit: stevendepolo

Tags: goals.

Have you read a great article or blog post recently? If it was valuable, I bet you shared it.

How did you share? Facebook, Twitter, email, or the share button.

I think we will see more and more sites focus on fewer networks and possibly ditch the share button.

Facebook and Twitter are already the first choices for share buttons. A few websites I visit have made this shift.

I’ve never shared an article to Yahoo or Reddit. We share with our active networks.

What do you think? Does anyone use the share button on your site? How do you share?

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Call me crazy, but I’m setting up a blog for my 2 kids. Why you ask?

I want to help them think out loud.

I want to help them become good writers and communicators.

I want to help them express themselves.

I want them to learn to ship as Seth says.

I want to try some new shiny tools.

And most importantly, they’ve been asking for months. They want to create, build, write, share, and learn.

[Really have to give credit to my wife. Mostly her idea.]

Will you help your kids (or friends, or grandma, or neighbor) blog? Why?

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Don’t start a blog.
Unless you are going to be persistent.
Unless you can generate interesting content.
Unless you have a goal or a clear target you’re aiming for.
Unless you are willing to put time into building a real asset that will grow your business.
Unless you want to stand out from your competition.
Don’t do it. Or really do it.

Picture by: net_efekt

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There is so much information available today. I could seriously read for hours on end and still have more to read.

I’m reading, well maybe scanning, over 100 blogs a day as part of my job. I do learn a lot.
The challenge is I’m spending so much time consuming content that I don’t take time to create content.

I need to be selfishly generous and guard my creation time.

Some ideas I have to be more selfish:

• Wait to check email, blogs, and Twitter until I write something
• Block my time better–If I was planning on 30 minutes of blog reading or Twitter checking, stay in that time block
• Music. I sometimes create better with music. Put the plugs in and make something.
• Practice. Plan on 30 minutes every day to write something whether I share it or not. Just do it.

Other resources here and here.

How do handle the information firehouse today? Does your blog miss you? Are you being selfish?

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1. Get your voice out there. If you are not using your voice you will not be heard, or maybe even ignored.
2. Connections. You will find people that want to connect with your story.
3. Thinking. Blogging challenges your thinking and in the end that can help you think more clear.
4. On the record. What do you want to leave behind? A blog can be a place to record your thoughts and stories.
5. Looking for business? A blog is a place to stand out and be remarkable, to start a conversation with customers.
6. Action. When you blog and write you are taking an action. You are no longer just watching. Get in the game.

What would you add?

Image credit: *clairity*

Tags: thinking, voice, writing.

I was looking at draft posts and thinking about what makes the cut.

Here are some posts that won’t see the light of day:

-What are your listening practices? (Yawn)

-5 Ways to Start Building Your Personal Brand (overdone!)

-What will you do about poverty? (umm, I need to look at what I’m doing)

-Behavior change and community (interesting, but it needs to stew)

How do you decide what to share with the world? Is is all about giving away value. Sometimes.

Here are some of the things I think through:

Will this add value? What am I giving to my reader? Am I wasting someone’s attention? Does this just need to be said?

What about you? How do you decide?

Image by:miemo

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So, we read more today than ever before. If you are like me you get most of your information and news online. And more and more from blogs.

Reading is great. You can learn a lot. You can hear new voices and discover different paradigms. But here’s the deal, if you are only reading, you might be missing out on a conversation.

More content being created today is not just out there with the hopes of being read. Not only is that one-way, it is just plain dull. We all want comments. We want to be heard and have it reflected back to us or challenged.

I have personally made some new connections and met awesome people through commenting and engaging in the conversation.

So, next time you read a blog, try sharing a comment. No, it doesn’t have to be ego-stroking or a pat on the back. Just be honest. Use your voice. Connect. We need you in the conversation.

Image by: Emborg

Tags: comments.