Monday, June 22nd 2009
As it happens, as life happens, recent events have lured me into to other places, doing new and exciting things and therefore leaving little time to write here. I’m sure I’ll get into a better rhythm with it all but for right now I’m perseverating in several areas. As usual, I’m a sharer.
The first of which are these:
I can’t stop taking pictures of the cats.
Now you think I’ve completely flown the coop, right?
No, wait…I got a new lens and it’s so delicious (as are my kitties). So there’s that.
Also, I’m substituting at a different Jazzercise center this week which means I know no one and it’s scary. And I have to be perfect. PERFECT.
And next week, my lovely friend Susan has asked me to be a speaker at her summer writing camp. My topic? Blogging.
What the HELL am I going to say?
I could always show them my kitty pictures…
If you were going to speak to a group of teens about blogging,
what is one thing you would be sure to mention?
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To a group of teens? Making sure they understand that everything they post is online forevermore. And future employers WILL find it.
Personally I love the kitty pics. It’s pretty neat to watch you turn into a cat person.
I get to be first? Well, I’d tell them that anything they put out there can be used against them…
Also, it’s a wonderful way to connect with people who feel and think the same way they do.
Well you DO take VERY good cat pictures.
I think that by taking over 400 pictures a year of my cats for the last few years, I have burnt out… they are so over the camera and simply refuse to pose without half open eyes and bits of fuzz all over their heads.
But, if I knew what kind of lens this is.. it is really nice…. perhaps you might tell us.
Of course, since I have siamese and ragdoll who have BLUE eyes.. I long for a Russian blue or rescue kitty of some kind with big deep GREEN eyes. Isn’t that typical… we always want what we can’t have.
Lovely pictures… willing subject… nice kitty!
If I were to speak with teens about blogging the one thing I would be sure to mention is privacy and why it’s important. It scares me to think that people can find these kids and hunt them down because of information they posted about themselves online.
Yes. What everyone else said. Privacy and discretion above all else. Also: remind them that although a blog can be a place to “vent,” if they vent too much they will just seem like big whiners/complainers and no one will want to read them. (Hmmm. Must go check my own blog right now and make sure that I am not complaining too much.)
Your cats are SO CUTE!!!
Teens – anonymity.
Cats – adorable.
Lens – details???
Agree with above.
Also – discretion. Mentioning the boyfriend and the horrible things that led to the breakup or the misadventures of a Saturday night – hmmmm – isn’t there a saying about not sending out anything you would not want your granmother reading on the front page of the newspaper??
And- brevity! Who wants to read an endless account of a she said-and then she said- and then I said – ad infinitum.
I was going to say everything the ladies before me have said. Everything you post on line is permenent. Yes, you can change your mind and take it down but you can’t erase it from your readers eyes. The funny “look at how drunk I am”, booty and boobalishous, flipping off the camera shots are best to be put in your own personal scrap book.
And they also need to know that everything they write will be scrutinized and possibly even criticized. Sometimes it takes a thick skin to be a blogger.
Oh, dear Lord – we’ve completely abandoned our little class, haven’t we? I feel completely out of place too – I’m hanging out on campus at GMU this week! Talk about needing to be perfect! I stick out like the sore thumb that I am (not to mention my sore tootsies – stylish, yes – blisterless, not so much!)
See ya next week – xoxo
Love the kittehs. New camera toys are the best
Tell the teen bloggers to blog for themselves first, and not to gauge success in the number of followers / comments. Quantity does not always equal quality. Creating the blog and feeling good about what you post should be satisfying regardless of the size of the audience. Getting to share it with the rest of us is the bonus!
ps.. you will be an awesome role model for them
The cat poses so well! You take excellent cat pictures.
I want to snuggle with those cats.
I guess once I talked about privacy and such to teens, I’d talk about community and the importance of being a good person even in a community that seems as anonymous as the internet sometimes seems. Don’t leave mean anonymous comments. If you disagree with someone, be polite and just mention explain yourself.
Good luck!
Pretty nice post. I just found your site and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you post again soon!
In total agreement with above people – discretion, privacy – possibly think about running it by a parental editor before posting? And determine what it is you’re blogging; not just an online diary, but what are you going to SAY? Will you have interactive things going on (polls, contests, etc.)?
Sounds interesting – I think you’re bound to be impressed by what you hear from the kids too. Keep us posted on what happens!
I shudder to think what I would’ve done if I’d have been blogging back in the 80’s….(or had I gotten into photography back then, for that matter! I guess that’s what I would’ve blogged about.)
love the kitties too, btw. did you get the 50mm?
Good advise here. I would stress being discreet. Have you cruised MySpace??? How do you tell them in a nice way no X-rated photos?
I just bought a camera yesterday. Can suggestions for a good zoom lens? Natalie is in soccer camp this week and I don’t want to miss a kick!
Aviva,
Yes, I purchased the 50mm along with many other things you suggested. Your advice and guidance have been incredibly illuminating. I truly can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your wisdom!
Chrissy,
What kind of camera did you get?
And Natalie is in soccer camp??? How did she grow that fast?
Funny story: Yesterday I went to the dentist and the hygienist struck up a conversation. Turns out she’s from PG County. Was married to a PG Co. cop (now divorced) and one of her best friends went to tschool with my mother. AND she had just cleaned your cousin’s teeth the day before.
Weird (and very small world) huh?
Agree with everyone else. Assume that everything you write on the internet will be read by EVERYONE. You are no anonymous, even if you think you have a tiny blog with no readers, your work can find it and fire you because of it.
What’s wrong with taking a million pictures of the cats? I do the same thing. It’s just, you know, they tolerate me better than my husband does when I point the camera in their direction.
My husband runs off screaming something about a goldfish calling him.
Anyway, to a group of teens, I’d mention that while blogging is a great way to connect (when you are not too lazy to connect, which seems to be my overall problem of late), the Internet has a vicious memory. Sure, you wrote all those wonderful posts and plugged all those charities, but that one time that you said something nasty about your mother?
That’s going to be the one time your mother READS your blog and it’s also going to be the one post that never dies.
I think if you take good cat photos then that means you are very talented. Because cats are very hard to photograph, I think.
They’re beautiful photos—and cats.