Blogging Workshop

Let us note from the outset: RantWoman did NOT over-prepare for her workshop on blogging at the Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology Conference . In fact, well, RantWoman FORGOT that she had included in her registration info an offer to present such. RantWoman not only forgot about her offer, while up to her eyeballs in info from the registration database, RantWoman's offer never even flickered across her mind until the workshop coordinator contacted RantWoman.

RantWoman admits, she has a lot of dang nerve being the one, in presence of several other bloggers with much tighter writing and better visuals to put herself forward in the way of a blogging conversation.

Nevertheless, between God and RantWoman, a lively participatory event was enjoyed by all. Below is the outline RantWoman scrawled on the flipchart in the workshop space. RantWoman got extra points for scrawling in large enough scale for everyone but RantWoman to read. Interspersed are editorial comments.

Blogging Workshop

Silence: the workshop was right after a very powerful, moving plenary about young adult Friends. RantWoman will write of themes from that workshop separately. The point here is that everyone including RantWoman was just wired from the energy of the plenary we had all just come from and we needed to center and shift gears and open ourselves to use the time we had.

Introductions.

your average go-around with a couple digressions of the moment.


Geekery
Who uses the internet how?

1 person uses dialup

No one admits to reading blogs at the library, a community center, or internet cafe. RantWoman will rephrase the questions about this topic she asks at any future events. RantWoman specifically used the term broadband like cable modem, DSL, or clearwire. RantWoman got no verbal response. For some reason RantWoman does not want to make any assumptions.

Terms people might have questions about:

address bar

blog roll

trackback

RSS Feed

search engine

search bar

clicking on links

tagging
(RantWoman has no memory of what Friends actually asked about but does note it was a pretty novice crowd)

Favorite Blogs (often with additional interesting links in blog roll or otherwise)

http://holychildofgod.blogspot.com/

http://sillypoorgospel.blogspot.com/

http://gatheringinlight.com/

http://aquakerwitch.blogspot.com/

http://quakerpagan.blogspot.com/

http://hystery.blogspot.com/

http://badquaker.wordpress.com/

http://questforadequacy.blogspot.com/

http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/

http://bloggerbyconvincement.blogspot.com/

http://thegoodraisedup.blogspot.com/

http://quakerclass.blogspot.com/

http://tapeflags.blogspot.com/

http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/





Issues and Choices
RantWoman explained about her use of affectionate pseudonyms and opined that in some cases using only first names and first letters of last names can be confusing. Plus if people's Quakerism is part of their identity there may be a good case for just using a name one is comfortable or even specifically interested in having appear in search engines. No one argued.


Blogs and Quaker Community:

Resounding and remaining query: why put the life of your community into a blog in the first place? This from a very seasoned Friend and gifted writer. RantWoman spoke of several Meetings she reads about online where themes from community life play out in different members' blogs. RantWoman also noted in a later plenary that someone mentioned a blog that is only extracts from different newsletters from Meetings around the west and how much news this newsletter excerpt blog carries of such matters. To be honest, the fact that someone is already doing the community news piece online is another piece of evidence that there is value in this kind of internet presence.

RantWoman especially thanks one Friend in attendance for saying so many engaged and energetic things that RantWoman remembered her during some public discernment during Meeting for Business