In a word: Yes.

Yes, for sure. Over the course of this past year, I think many ActiveRain Bloggers have stepped up to another level in the quality of their posts.  The intellectual challenges of writing good posts are actually part of the fun of Blogging.

Sarah,

I knew you were You the first day I read your blog.  You have a natural gift.  Your thoughts & ideas just flow.  I can only aspire to improve the level of my writing in this medium.

Bruce,

It has been a challenge for me to write posts that connect with members of the AR community, and the general public as well. Some of my first posts were about as exciting watching the grass grow.   I have been having fun blogging, but I want to improve my skills as writer. 

Robert

 We have found with all of our agents that the more you write the better you get.  We find we keep challenging ourselves to be better writers and to attract the type of buyers or sellers we want to hire our services.  If we look back on our posts from over a year ago, they are substantially different than the ones we write today.  Some of our agents did hire writing coaches and others were just natural at it.  Like any skill, it takes development and constant attention for improvement.

Harold, MWA!!!  :o)

Sarah,

I am not "up" on my text-speak...MWA???   TTFN...

MWA =cyber kiss.  MWA!!!!  (Just like the sound.)

Sarah,

Now I get it!!!  Just a little slow on the uptake. 

I had to have it explained to me, too.  :o)

Wow, what a courageous and brave man you are.  Too go through so much and make the difficult decisions you had to make then to share your story.

To answer your question:  Not completely.  What you see on AR is a watered down version of me simply because I am not a Realtor but an Assistant and I represent someone else so I try to keep myself in check and not say or do anything that would look bad on the people I work for.  I do this out of respect for them and for myself.  It actually helps me to think twice and slow down regarding my thoughts and opinions.

I think the personality still comes through though.  Y'all see a bit of the sarcasm and humor, I hope. hehe

I'm also fairly new to AR so still getting my feet wet, so to speak.

Diana,

Whether it's watered down or the real deal, when I read someone's blog, I want to get a sense of who they are.  I want to be moved, angered, entertained, and informed.  I want people to be real & honest.  When I meet these people in the real world, I want them to be exactly as their online persona.

It takes courage to "put yourself out there" in the blogosphere.  Not everyone can do what we do here in Active Rain or any other blog platform.

I read your blog, and I liked what you had to say.  Whether you are newbie or a seasoned pro, we all just need to be ourselves. 

Well to be honest what you see is what you get.  It's not much, but I too am learning and growing with this whole "Blog" thing! :)

Jason,

Same here, what you see is what you get.  Don't sell yourself short, be true to yourself and say what you have to say.  Everything else will fall into place.

HAROLD:  You did a great job in the contest, and this was another great one.  It's important to let people know who you are if you are here to generate business.  People do business with people that they like and trust.  This goes for referrals and consumers alike.  I use my blog to let people know who I am, and how I do business.  The members only stuff is where I bond with the other agents on both real estate and non-real estate topics.  Nice job on this one, Harold.

Adam,

Thank you so much for your kind words.  The Inspired By Song contest you created helped to expand my horizons as a writer.  I amazed how many great writers there are in Active Rain, and how I can & learn from the experience I gain by reading these well-written words of wisdom.

Harold - I gotta say, for better or worse, you are most definately seeing the real me in my posts.  I am really starting to love your contributions here on Active-Rain as well!

Jason,

I had no doubt that I was seeing the real Sardi when I read your posts.  You don't pull any punches, and you make me laugh with some of your writings.  You have a way with words.  Keep up the excellent work!! 

Great thoughts here, Harold.  I'm a full disclosure blogger.  If we only write about the positive experiences or our astounding abilities and knowledge without addressing our failures, the audience won't believe us. Each one of us has frailties of the human condition, so what good does it do to hide them?  Tell me everything there is to know about Real Estate, but you better show me yourself too or I will just tune it out. How can you weigh the information with being comfortable with the source? You did a magnificent job in the contest with laying it out there for others to see.  It makes the rest of your blog that much more trustworthy.  Great job.

Paul,

Thank you for your comments.  I can get a sense of a person from their writings, and I keep coming back to your blog for more of your wit & humor.  It takes a special writer to make me roll on the floor with laughter!!  Have a great week.

Harold ~ in many ways it would seem like an obvious question wouldn't it?   I know of nothing different.  I type what I feel, and say it as it emerges from my fingertips to the key board (or lips to the ear)- many years ago, I worked with a woman who used to call me "Short Stuff" - (I'm under 5' and that's all I will say about that) but she had a dry wit and a sense of humor that made you love her as soon as she entered the room.   Whenever she asked me something I simply spoke the truth.  It never occurred to me to offer something different.  So one day, she said to me "Short Stuff, I'm going to give you some advice.   You are way too honest to survive through life the way you are - so if you remember nothing, remember this -'admit nothing, deny everything, and call and attorney.' "   While I have always remembered those words, I have maintained my true essence.  Sometimes, I feel awfully naive', don't think quickly on my feet to offer something less than the truth and have no regrets.   Having said, that, there is a lot to be said for those who do think quickly on their feet - sometimes it's called a finesse.   But hopefully, here on AR, what you see is what you get.  I like to think I'm not all that unique.

I'm looking forward to purusing you other posts.

Linda,

Thank you for your insightful comments.  Blogging is such a new medium for me, that Im still learning the ropes as I go along.

I read your post, Impressions of AR from a newbie.  I liked what you had to say.  A bride is still a newlywed for nearly a year, so Im a still a newbie after a year because I am still learning?  Like you said, we all have to jump in feet first.  Have a great day.