Blogs and Feeds

Live on Webmaster Radio

On Monday, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Webmaster Radio show of Jeff and Bryan Eisenberg, the Wizards of Web. Jeff and Bryan from Future Now, Inc., asked me to discuss some of the findings that are going to be published in the new book, Business Blogs: A Practical Guide that I've just completed with Bill Ives.

The book is in final production. The 70 interviews that we did for the book provide insights into how businesses and proffessionals are using blogs to promote themselves and their businesses.

Webmaster radio is an interactive experience with listeners using online chat able to ask questions and get immediate responses. Call in radio without the annoying phone calls/callers. It was a really cool experience.

Hackers and Painters Is a Must Read

Last week during the usual lively dinner discussion that follows a typical Berkman Thursday meeting I was urged by Mike Walsh and Shimon Rura to read the work of Paul Graham the author of Hackers and Painters.

This author has placed on his site some of the most entertaining and insightful essays that I have read in years. His insights into "Why Nerds are Unpopular" is uplifting. Anyone who was among the "gifted" or "talented" in high school should read this essay. You will find yourself here -- too busy with other things to think about than to do the work of being popular.

In high school, I was busy writing, observing the natural phenomena of the world (botany was my passion), learning dead languages and, of course, reading entire sections of the school library. The bad news for nerds is that we never lose our nerdiness -- it just manifests itself in other ways now.

Riding the Limoliner

This audioblog is about a two-minute description of myexperience riding the Limoliner, the luxury bus from Boston to New York. It truly is not an oxymoron -- luxury bus and the experience was so positve that I will use it again in the future. Listen to join the bus trip.

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SES NYC -- Getting Psyched

Getting excited about next week's Search Engine Strategies conference in NYC. I do hope that I can carve out a few moments to get a chance to see the Gates of New York installation. Thus far I've had to be satisfied with a Web tour of the Gates of Somerville. Here are the stunning Feeding Gates. Christo eat your heart out. A site has been set up for a  free for all critique of the Gates of NY project. It is interesting reading.

Web Feeds, Blogs & Search: Search Engine Strategies, NYC

From February 28-March 3, there will be another search industry pow-wow in NYC. The Search Engine Strategies Conferences have become not to be missed events. Whether it is in New York in March, San Jose in August or even cold Chicago in December, there is always something new to learn at these conferences.

Danny Sullivan, who organizes the event, has a gift for developing an array of sessions that will interest not only the long time pro but also those who are just trying to get their grip on the fast-moving search space.

On March 1, I will be speaking on the panel: Web Feeds, Blogs & Search. It should be interesting. This is the third time that I will be giving this talk. I debuted it at the August SES in San Jose, California, revised/revamped it for Chicago and will be delivering a new version at this show. It is a challenge to make sure to have new stuff for each event. In San Jose, I was pleasantly surprised at how rapidly the session appeared on blogs and at how thoroughly it was covered.

Looking forward to New York . . .

Business Blogs: A Practical Guide Almost Finished

This has been a very busy period, which could account for why I have not been keeping this blog up to date. That is about to change. 2005 has brought many changes for me. After a year of limited professional activity, I am suddenly very busy. The good part has been working on a new book on blogging. Bill Ives, a knowledge management expert and I have been working on it for several months. The book is entitled Business Blogs: A Practical Guide. We expect to finish the last bits and pieces this next week or so and then . . . For the book we have interviewed well over 60 bloggers, ranging from well-known A-list bloggers to independent businesses using this medium to promote their own businesses. As we get closer to the actual publication date, I'll be adding more of our findings and how to get copies of the book.