Day: January 23, 2008

What I’ll Be Doing at Northern Voice 2008

Canada's Blogging and Social Media ConferenceOhh, goody, Northern Voice is just over a month away, Feb 21 – 23. I’m excited. Here is what I’m doing from a scheduled perspective on the main day (Saturday.) Still cooking ideas for Friday’s Moose Camp. Dave are we still doing something with Improv? Oh, and don’t forget Thursday night’s party!

First I’m hosting a session at 10:45 on Saturday (up against Marc Canter – drat), “Why I slowed down blogging and started drawing on walls.” The gist? How can drawing, doodling and other visual practices make a difference in our blogging and in other parts of our lives? Blogging really helped me find my writing voice. Now, what is my visual voice? How can drawing, doodling and other visual practices make a difference in our blogging and in other parts of our lives? (Please bring paper, pens and such, but leave your inner censor at the door.)

Right after than Chris Lott foolishly asked me to sit in on his panel, The Blog is Dead! Long live bloggers. I have no idea what we are doing and that sounds fun to me.

Most of all, I’m looking forward to hanging out with folks, old friends and new. NorthernVoice always has this friendly vibe where I feel comfortable. I have the ability to act extroverted, but conferences usually trigger my inner introvert. So I appreciate the NV vibe and especially the people.

So, what will YOU be doing at Northernvoice 08?

Bathrooms, Blogs and Sister-in-Laws

Sometimes I think the rest of my family believes I’m this crazy alien who lives an odd, online life. My son used to tell Skip to the Loohis friends I my job was to overthrow small countries. It was easier than explaining what I do. So it was with joy to see my sister in law, Linda Wright, take the plunge and create an online adjunct to her new book, Skip to the Loo| Build Business with Better Bathrooms.

Wait, you say… better bathrooms build business? Well if you are a retail business with female customers, Linda has made the case that yes, it does. And she has written a readable, full-of-practical-suggestions book that you can pick up today and create results tomorrow. You can buy it here.

Linda (with the help, I understand, of my bro, Randy) have created a companion site with a blog, pictures of “stalls of fame and shame,” “potty talk” discussions, downloads of tools offered in the book, as well as information about Linda and the book. It is pretty sweet! (It looks like Drupal. Am I right?)

As is my practice, I welcome Linda to the Blogosphere. I’m going to tickle a few of my blog friends who might find Linda’s work of interest. Christopher Carfi do ya appreciate Linda’s focus on customer relationships? Toby Bloomberg at Diva Marketing, what do you think from the “marketing to women” perspective? Elana, there has to be a humor angle here?

Social Network Analysis – KM4DevWiki

I love the KM4Dev community – it is one of my “homes.” Over the last 10 days there was a great thread on the email list about social network analysis tools. The community came up with great suggestions and one of our members, Nynke Kruiderink, created a summary on our community wiki. Social Network Analysis – KM4DevWiki. Nynke noted in her email to the list about the new page that she has found it helpful to have past summaries on the wiki, so she created this one as a gift back.

Marie Crossing




Marie Crossing

Originally uploaded by Choconancy1

I learned yesterday that one of my wonderful online friends, Marie Jasinski of Australia passed away. I feel like I have known Marie for most of my online life, probably coming into contact around 1999 or 2000. She amazed me with her natural facilitation gifts, her curiosity to move beyond the “same old same old” and her innovation with games as a central part of learning and being together, especially online.

In 2006 I got to meet Marie F2F in her hometown of Adelaid. We got to go out to dinner and have a “girlfriends” night out. We talked about our work, our lives and of course, about food. On the way to dinner, I took this picture of Marie, mid street, mid sentence. I entitled it “Marie Crossing.”

Now Marie has crossed out of our physical world. Her light and energy, her insistence on pushing our learning forward, her love for the people around her will leave a big hole in our worlds, online and offline.

Marie, thank you for everything you brought into my life and into my worlds. Marty, and all of Marie’s closest, I’m sending massive love beams to see you through this crossing.

Update Jan 24 – More memories, a wiki to share your thoughts and see the comment below for an online memorial gathering tonight 9pm PST for those of us in the nothern hemisphere.