Eight Weeks

Today marks the eight week anniversary of my very first post at EyeJunkie.com.  Congratulations to me! The whole premise of my site has been that the act of “paying attention” is an investment of my time, my thoughts, and my self — commodities that have precious little to spare with the growing “loves” of my life.  I want to make sure that I get the highest return for my investment.  So, my indoctrination into the Citizen Media corp has me thinking about Blogging and my part in it.  After evaluating my experience over the last two months, I have settled on a few personal “rules”for blogging.

EyeJunkie proves its value if it helps me:

Think.
I don’t want to blog to get people to read.  It’s more honest, more transparent, more successful when I write from what I think, not from what I think others want to read — no matter how disjointed my thoughts might seem in the tag and category lists.

Earn.
Not money, but readers.  I don’t want to blog to make money.  I don’t object to generating a little extra income if that happens, but I don’t want EyeJunkie to become about meeting a financial need.  That would compromise what I can write.  See “Think.”  I want to earn readers the old fashioned way — by meaningful communication.  I recognize that time is a scarce commodity for most people just like it is for me.  I want the time fellow bloggers and readers choose to spend on EyeJunkie to be worth it.

Enjoy.
Not that writing always has to be fun.  Sometimes things just need to be said, but the process of composing or even the theme might be troublesome.  But, I don’t want EyeJunkie to become an obligation — post every day, get my blog rating up, get more diggs, etc.  Creativity won’t thrive as an obligation.

Say.
Having something to say is a good thing.  It means I’ve formed an opinion.  I’m engaged in what I experience.  By saying it, I have the opportunity to influence — even if it’s just one person.  But, isn’t person to person influence the most powerful?  Mass communication influences, to be sure, but usually on a more surface and temporary level.  The influence of one individual to another individual can be more life-reaching.

Understand.
Blogging helps me clarify my own thoughts.  I gain a better understanding of myself and my own opinions when I strive to translate what’s in my mind in such a way that another reader will understand it.

Create.
EyeJunkie allows me an outlet for expressing creativity.  In a hectic period of change, my life needs a reminder to create and a vehicle to encourage the expression of that creativity.  Although I want to maintain the freedom to write and post whatever I think without any arbitrary constraints, I also sometimes need that little bit of boundary so that creativity can really flourish.  Posting categories I’ve established for myself like ABCs and CultureSpeak or WordPictures and EyeCandy give me just enough of a requirement to force my creative hand.

Believe.
I have determined to use my blog as an outlet for sharing thoughts about my faith in Jesus.  My goal is not to “preach,” but to share my own efforts to open up the Scripture in my own life — to give it meaning for me beyond tradition or legalism.  I’ve found that writing the posts and articulating the Bible applications has actually boosted my faith, and increased my hope. 

See.
Participation in the global Citizen Media corp offers unique opportunities to “know” people and perspectives I wouldn’t otherwise encounter.  Granted, I may only “know” someone from their avatar and a 300 character description.  But, insights, experiences, photos, and even links shared are a window into another’s real life — even if it’s a life lived on the other side of the world.

Shut Down.
An unexpected byproduct of my blogging experience so far is that it has, at times, encouraged me to shut down the computer and close the desk.  For all the great friendships that are available in the cyber scene, none should distract me from the glorious gifts I have in my own home — and the blessings of my other face to face relationships.  When I write about mommy experiences in Gift Tags or use my own family examples in Verse Views, I am reminded how precious time is with them.  As rewarding as blogging is, the fact remains.  Profile to profile experiences are really fueled by face to face experiences.  So, sometimes the computer just begs to be shut down.

I’m glad I started this adventure, and I hope you find some inspiration in it as well.

“Citizen Media”

Cultural Context:  The term used to describe media content or forms produced by private citizens who are not professional journalists.  One of those forms of content is the weblog.  A Global Voices Citizen Media Summit was recently held in Budapest, Hungary highlighting issues related to citizen blogging.  Global Voices is a non-profit advocacy group that seeks to highlight significant conversations arising from existing worldwide citizen media, facilitate new citizen media outlets and foster global freedom of expression.

My first exposure to the term was reading an article last week about the Summit that wrapped up in Budapest on June 28.  I’d never heard it phrased that way (although, I’m a little behind — it even has a Wikipedia entry!) and I was shocked to realize that I am actually a member of the Citizen Media trend that has been growing across the globe.  Who knew?

An article about a document produced by Global Voices’ Rising Voices initiative called An Introduction to Citizen Media highlights the phenomenon:

“Everyday citizens across the world are increasingly using blogs, podcasts, online video, and digital photography to engage in an unmediated conversation which transcends borders, cultures, and differing languages.”

This phenomena of media has been greatly spurred by technology and the growth of the internet.  The unique perspectives and grass roots access to newsworthy situations or disaster-ridden areas provided by Citizen Media have found their place even in professional media outlets in the form of IReports, UReports, etc.

I’ll admit.  I once thought of blogging as a waste of time, or self-absorption or even arrogance  — until I decided to try it.  Now, through my own short experience in the Citizen Media corp, I have seen for myself the various perspectives of those I never would have had the opportunity to read or share my writings with.  Even a simple, uneventful account of the daily life of another broadens my world in a way that CNN never could.

Today marks the eight-week anniversary of my first post on EyeJunkie.com.  As I’ve been thinking about and evaluating my experience so far, I have prepared another post that contains some of my own personal “rules” for blogging.  But, knowing the chorus of global voices that are joining me, the pursuit is somehow larger than it was before.

Day Job: SEO

The infamous Search Engine Optimization — a continual elusive pursuit for some!  Here’s my eHow article with tips for preliminary do-it-yourself SEO.  Click and comment!

How to Add SEO Techniques to Your Website

Advertising Curiosity

Because I work at an advertising agency, I’m always interested in advertising/design issues, opportunities and curiosities that present themselves in media.  As I was looking at the LA Times website this morning, one such curiosity made its presence known: boxes labeled throughout the site as “Google Advertising.”  I assume these links are part of the ever elusive Google AdWords program. 

The task of understanding and managing campaigns with Google AdWords  is daunting in my limited experience.  However, I see Google ads EVERYWHERE.  They are literally all over the internet in both business and personal websites. The lure of getting paid puts Google ads on lots of blog sites just like this one.

Probably the most curious aspect of Google advertising is how the content specific ads are selected.  I’m sure there is some complicated algorithm that governs the selections, explaining why it completely eludes me.  But, as I noticed some of the actual ad postings in my wandering through latimes.com, I have to wonder…

Is Google the great tally sheet for bottom-lining a web page’s content?

Is Google the great filtering system where dust-laden extra words are trapped, allowing only the essential to heat and cool the visitor?

Is Google the great pot in which content is boiled down to it’s essence?

Scary.

I have to hope and believe that my carefully turned phrases are more than the sum of their content network impressions.  At least, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.  Regardless, I saw some interesting (and maybe telling) content matched ads at LAT:

• On the Entertainment page –
  Plastic surgery, stomach fat and anti-aging abound.  Hmmm…
  The most interesting were “Plastic Surgery in Mexico” (is that advisable?) and “10 Rules for Stomach Fat” (fatloss4idiots.com, no less).
  Just a note — That one for fatloss4idiots.com is everywhere.  Apparently no matter what news stories you’re interested in, you can always benefit from dropping 9 lbs every 11 days.
   
• With an article about Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open – 
  The most notable was “Tortured Philly Fan Shirt.”  In case that golf thing doesn’t work out. The website says it all: drunkenbleachers.com
   
• On the World page – 
  Again with the ads about plastic surgery, tummy tucks and the infamous “10 Rules for Stomach Fat.”  Is the whole world really looking for a nip and a tuck?
   
• On the Environment page – 
  “Forensic Science School” offers “plenty of good deals on a variety of products.”  I don’t even want to know.  Also, right behind the opportunity to “Run your car on water,” you can get another “10 Rules for Stomach Fat.”  I guess that’s for literally reducing your carbon footprint.
   
• With an article about Leiberman endorsing McCain – 
  We have “Fortunes from the Web,” “TV ads Win Elections,” and my favorites, “Work at Home and Love It” and “Retire Early.”  So, just what is Google trying to say about McCain’s chances?

Interesting Articles from “Thinkers”

I recently joined a posting group on BlogCatalog called My Life Thinking.  It offers posts from all kinds of different perspectives.  Check out this post on the moderator’s blog with links to some of the current favorites.  I posted my Human Writes article to the discussion.

Also, check out the moderator’s post on the “Gaza Holocaust” and the website link.  I need to look and think through the site a little.  I’m not very familiar with the Palestinian perspective. But, it’s powerful, and I know God is grieved by this situation.
Disclaimer:  The Gaza site has some very disturbing images.  Squeamish beware.