The H&R Digital Guinea Pig (That's Me)
Though it is not my official title at Horse&Rider, I could be considered the Staff Digital Guinea Pig.
I started writing this blog because some chiefs at the magazine volunteered me as the person to learn how to do it. The only thing I knew about blogging at the time was what the word "blog" meant. I had never actually read a blog, gone looking for one, or had one pointed out to me before I started fumbling along with Blogger.
And now here we are with that. Blogging is mainstream beyond belief, and it's occurred in about the same time that it takes to breed a mare and raise the foal to riding age. I may have been a reluctant digital Darwinism experiment animal, but in the process of surviving, I've definitely learned a great deal about the whole subject of blogging, and its role in modern media.
Now we've come to the next experiment for the H&R Staff Digital Guinea Pig:
Twitter. Where I made myself open an account for JuliThorson--just to see what happens, and to learn for myself whether it can be a tool with any effect for Horse&Rider.
From a personal standpoint, I'm not looking for any more digital tethers and reasons to not be out riding my horse instead of typing at a keypad. In fact, my April H&R column, "The Thief of Time," is about that exact same subject. I'm not sure that MORE time online every day is positive thing for the human component of the horse world.
But we shall see. I'm probably at the edge of yet another slippery digital slope.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 11:07 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Juli,
It's so great to see you have a blog! I have been following your editorial for years -- ever since I started reading H&R back in 1992. I even wrote you once, and received a letter back. Your kind words inspired me to become a journalist myself. I don't have my dream job yet (editor of any animal-related magazine), but I'm trying my hardest to get there!
Thanks, Amanda. Great to hear from you and to know you were inspired!
Good Luck Amanda!
About Twitter...sadly, I don't get it. I have tried. There seemed to be some fun in having a twitter feed linked to my blog. But I couldn't get the program to work. I bet you'll hear much more positive feedback from a younger set of horse people. Or it may be a fad. Then again, let's see...how could it be truly useful, in classic H&R style? How about twittering a live feed from some interesting event or activity. Like a horse show or clinic or interview?
I agree, Horseypants. I don't really get the point of Twitter either (and I'm a Web person!). I have a Facebook account, and it's hard enough to come up with status updates for that--Twitter just seems like constant status updates. Once or twice a week, or from an event to say who won would be cool, but... I'm open to it, just gotta learn more!
The only reason I'm interested in blogs is that they would be a free website... not the best solution for my business, but free.
Blogs have, in the last few months of my research about what they are, become "The Thieves of My Time". So much so that I am deleting from my favorites at least one or two from the over 100 that I found interesting.
As my dad would have said: "Twitter, Schmitter. Who needs it"... I certainly don't see the use of it for me or you. Horseypants and Kate are right, it is of limited use.
In the same category of "Thieves" are Myspace, Facebook, etc. They may be good for some, but not for me. And I was a mainframe computer programmer and project manager for 30 yrs!
But I have to have my time outdoors like many of your readers. No Juli, I am not deleting you from my blog list... you are too interesting. But I won't be following you or anyone on Twitter or any of the other sites that would steal my time.
That's my two cents, spend it wisely.
Sincerely,
Garlic Man
Circle P Farm and Ranch
Jacksboro, TX
Trust me, Garlic Man, I'd be right there with you if I didn't work in media--a field in which people are now expected to be online, all the time, and to be at least somewhat adept at using the tools.
In J-school, I had to learn how to use a camera (and make darkroom prints!...for an idea of how long ago THAT was). Today, I'm learning to use another tool of the trade. Except it's digital, instead of analog.
If it were just personal, and not professional, I wouldn't care to play.
Which is why my fantasized "next career" is as an unplugged gardener.
I used to think that Twitter was only for kids who text, but it's got more features than that.
Twitter isn't really about "what are you doing?" It's more about news bulletins or sharing tips (links to interesting or useful things.)
I've gotten story ideas over things I've seen come over Twitter.
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