Jer979's Blog: FOJ Blogger Meet-up...and Hardcore Feedback

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

FOJ Blogger Meet-up...and Hardcore Feedback

One of the unexpected side benefits of my sister's wedding weekend was the opportunity to meet up with some of the most loyal and dedicated FOJ blog readers.

Jamie (aka Internet soul sister and of the Thank You note saga), her husband Jonathan, and Annie spent about an hour with me offering up their suggestions, feedback, and criticism of my blogging style.

Jamie took issue with my calling them "movie reviews." The movies are multiple years old, so it's not new information. Call them "impressions from the movie" or something, but given the way my Netflix queue works, by the time I see a movie, all of you have already seen it. Point well taken.
Lose the ego. Annie pointed out that for a while, I was trying to pass myself off as the guy who found all the "cool sites" and technology, when in fact, that wasn't the case. They've said I've become more humble, however, and instead, I should just focus on telling the stories of how I use technology to its maximum potential, when I do find it.
According to Jamie, I punish my most loyal fans when I send my quarterly email updates and all I do is link back to the blog. I have to give them something new. Ok, I'm in!
Along the lines of the recent Obama spats and Trickle Down Economics, it isn't so fair that I control the post/blog and that those who disagree with me have to make their case in the comments (with Jonathan doesn't read, for example). In effect, I am censuring. Her point: give those people some equal opportunity and don't twist their words. [Hmmmm...the fairness doctrine?]
Jonathan likes the posts on my family observations. I always wonder about whether those have meaning, but for Jonathan, at least, they do.
Don't afraid to be controversial. Be respectful, but continue to ask the tough questions (at least that's what I heard!)

That pretty much does it, I think. Ladies-let me know if I missed anything.

Jamie took issue with my calling them "movie reviews." The movies are multiple years old, so it's not new information. Call them "impressions from the movie" or something, but given the way my Netflix queue works, by the time I see a movie, all of you have already seen it. Point well taken.
Lose the ego. Annie pointed out that for a while, I was trying to pass myself off as the guy who found all the "cool sites" and technology, when in fact, that wasn't the case. They've said I've become more humble, however, and instead, I should just focus on telling the stories of how I use technology to its maximum potential, when I do find it.
According to Jamie, I punish my most loyal fans when I send my quarterly email updates and all I do is link back to the blog. I have to give them something new. Ok, I'm in!
Along the lines of the recent Obama spats and Trickle Down Economics, it isn't so fair that I control the post/blog and that those who disagree with me have to make their case in the comments (with Jonathan doesn't read, for example). In effect, I am censuring. Her point: give those people some equal opportunity and don't twist their words. [Hmmmm...the fairness doctrine?]
Jonathan likes the posts on my family observations. I always wonder about whether those have meaning, but for Jonathan, at least, they do.
Don't afraid to be controversial. Be respectful, but continue to ask the tough questions (at least that's what I heard!)

That pretty much does it, I think. Ladies-let me know if I missed anything.