Blogging for a purpose - how to create a diverse community that connects!

1. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Why Blog?
Make Connections
but with who?
Family & Friends?
Like-Minded People?
Diverse people?

2. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Reasons to Connect
Strengthen Family or Community
Empower or Build Community
Create New Diverse Community
Blog on Purpose
(you can take that several ways at once)

3. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
It’s not all about you.
It’s just not that kind of party.

4. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
The Cause
What are you trying to achieve?
How do you advance your goal?
Leadership = Passion + Truth

5. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
SpinSucks.com Gini Dietrich
ADCMinnesota.org
Hussein Samatar

6. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
(Not exactly in the same category
of leadership, but it’s mine)
Politics: Not just the games of elections & power
1) The art & science of human interaction (eg, “Office Politics”,
“Domestic Politics”)
2) The operating system of a Democratic-Republic
USA
5% 12%
UK
21% Liberal 7% Canada
46%
56% Conservative 3% Australia
23% 9% Germany
Moderate
18% Brasil
Other

7. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Building a Diverse Community

8. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
On Cleverness
Dao De Ching 45 。 静 大 大 大
(Peter Merel translation) 胜 直 盈 成
躁 若 若 若
Great perfection seems incomplete, ， 屈 冲 缺
But does not decay. 寒 ， ， ，
Great abundance seems empty, 大 其 其
胜
But does not fail. 巧 用 用
热 若 不 不
Great truth seems contradictory, 。 拙 穷 弊
Great cleverness seems stupid, 清 ， 。 。
Great eloquence seems awkward. 静 大
为 辩
As spring overcomes the cold, 天 若
And autumn overcomes the heat. 下 讷
So calm and quiet overcome the world. 正 。

9. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Don’t Be Afraid of Being Wrong!
A real leader listens – and can admit when they
are wrong. A strong community builds when
everyone has something to add. Sometimes,
that’s schooling you.

10. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Building Community
The best writing is just like social activism:
There is something for heart and arm and brain.
Appeal to the heart with passion,
Convince the brain with facts,
Develop a strong course of action.
Nothing builds community better
than shared work!
Stan Rogers

11. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Connection Theory
The Final Piece
“Technology advances when all the
bits and pieces are lying around and someone,
anyone really, connects them in a way that is
new and useful.”
This is what Burke called “The Trigger Effect”
And it works for much more than technology!
James Burke (BBC)

12. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
More Than Just Your Blog
Reductionism: Breaking a system down to its individual components.
Holism: Examining a system as a whole and observing its function.
Connectionism: Observing how the components interact to make a whole.
A successful blog is a connected blog, part of a greater whole.
Functionally – through other social media
Socially – across a diverse audience
Philosophically – is part of a bigger movement
Pay more attention to the connections than to the pieces!

13. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Building a Connected Blog
Understand the Cause – More than just you
Leadership – Passion and Truth
Decency – Respect and Humility
Understand the Whole – More than your blog
And make use of all forms of social media to build your audience!

14. Connecting
Blogging for a Strong & Diverse Community
Summary
Blogging, like all writing, can be a tool for empowerment.
A crazy world in the throes of change needs leadership!
Connect, especially with those you don’t agree with
(you may be amazed what you learn!)
Blog on Purpose – the rest will follow.
John Steinbeck