Changing focus: things that begin with C

It’s been a bit quiet here. Sorry. Behind the scenes, I’ve been
thinking about blogging. Would I continue to blog? If so, what would I
talk about?

I’m now working in community management which means that although I’m
still passionate about social media and the latest communication
trends, I’ve shifted my professional focus.

Before, I was managing several channels of communication, developing campaigns and copywriting. Now, I’m learning about growing, maintaining, moderating and managing one large, thriving support community.

Popping over to Google+ (which is yet to come into its own IMO), I
spotted my profile bio: community manager, cakelover, christian. Then
I remembered a passionate conversation with a close friend where we
spoke about how important it is to critique and engage with the
cultures around us.

Then I realised, the things I’m passionate about seem to begin with C:

• Community
• Culture
• Christianity
• Communication
• Cupcakes

So, that’s what I’m going to blog about from now on. Over the coming
weeks you’ll notice the categories and blogroll will change to reflect
this.

As always, please feel free to comment or tweet with your thoughts and
feedback.

Serena

PS the aforementioned rule also means I get to talk about Christmas.
Wonder if I should apologise in advance…

Tags: about the blog, communication, community, culture, cupcakes

Round the campfire, telling stories

Sitting round the campfire, telling stories is the true nature of community according to Patrick O’Keefe. He argues that community is the cornerstone of our civilization.

Patrick, known as @iFroggy on twitter, has written a book called ‘Managing Online Forums’ which has an overwhelming amount of positive feedback online and is described as “a true experience on how to build a real, lasting community.” High Praise!

I have a shiny new copy on my desk. Thoughts so far:

You know you’re reading a great book when you nod knowingly at the epigraph.

Then you flick to the contents and start a checklist of which sections you’ll be reading and rereading over the coming weeks.

At least one of the content headings makes you laugh out loud. Then you flick straight there to read the advice.

Already, I can tell I’ll be dipping in and out of this book for some time.

Thanks Patrick

Tags: book review, community management, forums, ifroggy, managing online forums, patrick o keefe, social media

Ten ways to spend your day…

Nice trip to the beach? Leisurely hours in a spa? A full retail onslaught at Bluewater?

WaterAid has revealed some startling comparisons between the time the UK population spends on things like watching football, planning a wedding, and surfing social networking sites, and the time people in the world’s poorest countries spend fetching water.

The comparisons have been drawn to mark UN World Water Day (this week) – an international day to celebrate and focus international attention on fresh water. Across Africa, the average amount of time spent fetching water is three hours a day, resulting in the loss of 40 billion working hours every year.

The revealing comparisons include:

On track: The average daily commute in the UK takes 47 minutes and 48 seconds (TUC). It might feel like 47 minutes too many, but it’s still less than a third of the time it takes to collect water in many developing countries.

Let’s get social: In the UK, people spend an average of five hours 48 minutes on social networking sites per week (comScore). In Africa, that’s two trips to collect water. What would you rather be doing?

Break a sweat: The average adult exercises just 50 minutes a week (WeightWatchers) – less than a third of one trip to collect 20kg of water.

I say! The average man will spend five hours a week staring at women (Kodak Lens Vision Centres). In one week, the average woman in a developing country would have spent 21 hours collecting water.

Check out the full list on the WaterAid website and pass it on, it’s really staggering stuff.

Today’s the day… to Get Lippy!

What day is it today?

It’s International Women’s Day – people across the planet are celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women; past, present and future.

Today, many women in the world will be subjected to untold suffering, injustice and pain.

If we aren’t equal everywhere, we aren’t equal anywhere.

Action Aid’s Get Lippy campaign has sought to raise awareness of women across the globe who experience horrific abuse and poverty.

So watch their shocking, heartbreaking and inspiring stories from women fighting injustice around the world, then GET LIPPY for International Women’s Day

Famous lips get in on the action

Then watch these lovely celebrities getting a bit lippy too:

Your turn to Get Lippy

Send a message of support to women who are suffering by visiting ActionAid’s website <here>

Tags: action aid, annie mac, equality, get lippy, human rights, international women's day, joanna lumley, kathy burke, miranda richardson, sophie ellis bextor

Social networking: past, present and future

These three articles are really interesting and useful

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/03/social-networking-past

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/04/social-networking-present

http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/05/social-networking-future

Also, if you have time, check out Rory Cellan Jones’s excellent podcasts on the Secret History of Social Networking – it all started in a record store in Berkeley…

PS If you spot any other interesting summaries, please comment below

Tags: facebook, history of social media, rory cellan jones, social media, summaries, techcrunch, twitter. sxsw

I’m going to get lippy…

This is Nazziwa.

photo credit: Jenny Matthews/Action Aid

She’s 19 and she hopes to become a doctor. In November she was mutilated by her husband, who attacked her and cut off her hands in front of her mother and her baby daughter.

Her father  (whose quick thinking saved Nazziwa’s life) said the police would only act if they received money from the family.

He was only taken into custody earlier this month after development agency ActionAid gave the local police force money to pay for the petrol to go to the area and arrest him. ActionAid also supported Nazziwa in bringing the case against her husband.

Activists say that the police have no budget to tackle domestic violence cases, which are widespread in Uganda. According to a 2006 government survey 68 per cent of Ugandan women had suffered physical violence within the home within the previous twelve months.

You can see Nazziwa’s story here:

Get Lippy!

Please join me as I Get Lippy for Action Aid. You can find out more at the website here or on twitter by following the #getlippy hashtag

Tags: #getlippy, action aid, international women's day, mutiliation, women's rights

Social media secrets…

Three years of thinking in one word document: my mini guide to managing social media

You can download it here

Let me know what you think…

Tags: facebook, guidance, how tos, manual, social media, twitter