What I Learned From… Community
Howdy y’all, and welcome to the 24th Edition of What I Learned From… group writing project! Yep; it’s the GWP that asks the question, “So… what did you learn from that?”
Now, if you’ve contributed to WILF before, then thanks a herd for comin’ back! On the other hand, if you’ve never taken part in WILF, then no worries; it’s really easy! Just read on…
This month, in honor of SOBCon09 (the biz/blogging conference I just returned from) the topic is (sound of drumroll)… COMMUNITY.
OK; here’s the question: Are you part of a community?
I bet if you think about it (sound of grinding gears), you’ll realize you’re probably a part of quite a few communities – particularly if you’re a blogger. Let’s see… there’s your own blog’s community (remember, size don’t matter here), every social media site under the sun, Flickr or some other photo-sharing site… I’m tellin’ ya; the list goes on and on, doesn’t it?
The truth is, we learn a lot from the folks in our communities, don’t we? Therefore, our challenge this month is simple: tell us something you’ve learned from your community!
Free! Free! Free!
Once again, thanks to the generosity of Internet Superstar and all-around fellow Bubba, Chris Garrett, I have yet another copy of his and Darren Rowse’s book, Problogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six-figure Income to give away (sound of more cheering). So grab the writing instrument of your choice, folks, ‘cause here’s what you do:
How to Participate
What should I write, you ask? Excellent question!
The fact is you can write pretty much anything you like, as long as it relates to the topic. A story, a soliloquy, a poem; hey, you get to choose! There’s no limits or restrictions on length, either. In fact, there’s already been a couple of one- and two-word entries, so by all means, be as brief – or as eloquent – as you like. OR (should you feel particularly prolific), you can also write more than one entry – thereby improving your chances to win the free book! Not bad, eh?
Entries will be accepted from now through Sunday, May 10, at midnight, CST (-6 GMT), so you have plenty of time!
Here’s all you have to do:
- Write one or more new post(s) on your blog. As I said, feel free to be as eloquent (or concise) as you like. C’mon; show off for us, why don’cha?
- Include a link to THIS POST (uh, the one you’re reading now).
- Send me an email (rhruzek@sbcglobal.net) containing your name, the title of your post, and the permalink of the post. (This is just to make sure I don’t miss it.)
That’s all there is to it! (See? I told you it was easy!) On Monday, May 11, I will post the entire list of entries right here at the Middle Zone, so be sure and drop by to check ‘em all out. (By the way, that list will also have a permanent spot in the WILF archive page.)
Oh, and (just to prolong the suspense) the winner of the Problogger book will be announced on Tuesday, May 12. Just so ya know.
As always, groupwrite projects are open to anyone (you don’t even have to have a blog to enter – just send it to me as a guest post). Please remember, we only have two simple rules around here:
- For the sake of the general blogging audience, please keep it G-Rated. (Also please note: this is a request, not a demand, since after all it’s your blog and you can do what you want. Fair warning, though: I reserve the right to link to you – or not.)
- Be nice.
All right, ladies and gentlemen; you know what to do! Grab the writing instrument of your choice and go for it!
[Further note from the Proprietor - I realize it takes time to write your entries (ordinarily, I announce our topics a week ahead of kickoff day), but would you mind too terribly not waiting until midnight on Sunday night to notify me? When everyone waits to the last minute (you know who you are!) it sometimes gets a little difficult to get them all compiled by Monday's 6 am post time. I surely thank you, and as a token of my appreciation - have yourself a cookie!]
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“Community” image created with the help of a clever little application called Spell with Flickr, by Erik Kastner
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17 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Hey Robert! Welcome back! Community is a rich topic from which to draw inspiration. It’s also one that enforces my gratitude as I think about it. Hmmm, I’ll need coffee and a few days but by golly I think I can come up with something!
[...] Link to the announcement post on Middle Zone Musings. [...]
[...] once again (Yay!) for Robert Hruzek’s monthly WILF on Middle Zone Musings. This month’s subject is all about community. So, in keeping with the [...]
@Karen – I can already hear the gears grinding…
Yup. This is right up my alley.
The topic is very nice.
I think this will encourage people who have been very passive also to be active in their respective communities because it will not only help them, there’s a greater chance also that they’ll be helping the other members of the community. Thank you for sharing this.
[...] is a contribution to the What I learned from Community group writing project at [...]
@Marcus – Thought it might be, Marcus!
Robert, congratulations on two years of WILF!
This is only my second time entering, but I love the concept already. Well done for not only creating a brilliant concept, but also having it run for so very long!
Matt
[...] High school performances, sporting events, academic competitions, and service projects build youth confidence and contribute to the community at large. But have the days of singing in the streets to whip-up a crowd been replaced by Facebook and Twitter? The need for community support has not changed. (Honest Disclosure: I’m going to talk about high school musicals today as an excuse for a ‘proud papa’ moment as well as to participate in a Middle Zone Muzings project.) [...]
[...] feed. Thanks, and a tip o’ the hat to ya![Note from the proprietor: This post is an entry for the What I Learned From... groupwrite project. Our topic this month is community, and we'd love for you to join us! Just click [...]
[...] post is also my entry for Robert Hruzek’s May group project, What I Learned From Community. There’s still time to enter. Related Posts:Off to SOBCon09Online Marketing Is Creepy7-1/2 [...]
[...] a tip o’ the hat to ya![Note from the Proprietor - This is a pointer to my entry for this month's What I Learned From... groupwrite project - which happens to be published as a guest post somewhere else this time. The [...]
[...] And thank you Robert for the invitation to write about what I learned from community. [...]
[...] This discussion represents my contribution to Robert Hruzek’s group writing project: “What I learned from .. Communities”) [...]
[...] month, Robert Hruzek at Middle Zone Musings has challenged us to write about What I Learned From… Community for his monthly group writing project. Compared to most bloggers, I’m a social media dud. [...]
[...] What I Learned From… Community (middlezonemusings.com) [...]