...and a close 2nd to "Mom-Style".
Consumers, Practitioners, and Other Industry-Professionals ... Lend Me Your Ears!
I joined ActiveRain on March 14th, knowing nothing of blogging and not much more about the ins-and-outs of 
how the web operated beyond double-clicking the IE icon and typing in an address. In these 4-5 short weeks, mixed in among tags and spiders and foreign terms like SEO's, I have quietly sat in awe at the generous nature of countless educational opportunities, provided so freely by so many.
Continuing to acknowledge every quality blog by offering a comment of positive feedback and/or a well-deserved ranking, although sincere, risks being perceived as nothing more than a quest for points ... in addition to presenting a Herculean task, based on the sheer number of quality posts out here. Of course, a blanket "thank you" - beyond the lacking point incentive - can also appear wanting for sincerity and cliche.
Resigning myself to the fact that there simply aren't enough hours in a day to read every one, but also knowing that "thank you" seemed so Hallmark, I sifted through a handful of blogs that I had found valuable enough to bookmark - along with several members' blogs that I'd subscribed to - and decided to acknowledge a select few of these unwitting mentors of mine who are, undoubtedly, mentors to others as well. If any readers of this post don't actually participate in this phenomenal, online-networking forum (AR) on a regular basis, you really need to. In fact, here's 6 shining examples as to why. Although a very small sampling of the many resources available here, each plays an integral part in all our successes, and represents my personal "Featured Members"!
- IMHO, this man is a technical genius yet (thankfully) also willing to share much of what he knows with all of us. When compared to my current "comfort zone" out here in cyber-space, the technological limitations I brought w/me to AR make me wonder what it was I used to accomplish each time I sat at a computer? About 2-weeks ago, our friend Mr. Turner was kind enough to present a site to all of us where we could obtain Free Photos at the Flickr of a Mouse. This is, of course, just one of many "Must Read" blogs. As I've learned since joining though, links like these will help in getting you there! This "technical-genius", by the way, has a soft side too. Click on his name to view his full bio (6 children!), and yet he still has time to mentor all of us through posts that aren't entirely technical. In It's Not About S.E.O. It's About Y.E.O. he reminds us of the important roll played by computers and blogging while, at the same time, reminding us of the subordinate position these tools play to that of engaging people directly. Did I mention the fact that he's also mentoring Julie Ferenzi in ActiveRain's Project Blogger competition?
- This dedication, of sorts, will be significantly shorter than the preceding behemoth. As a matter of fact, my apologies to everyone in advance, as my writing has been defined as the "Short-Story-Turned-Novel" style up here in our little corner of the world. The reasoning behind keeping Karen's entry shorter is rather simple actually: much like my suggestion (above) to participate as often as possible in AR - and with regular frequency - when it comes to our friend Mrs. George and her blogs ... "you really need to" applies there as well! Karen is the member responsible for helping me to understand all those foreign-terms (and then some!) in my opening paragraph! You would be well-served to subscribe to her blog and bookmark several key posts for future reference! Simply click on her name, as there's far too many good-reads to list them all here.
- Yet another AR "wow" man (sorry ladies, wow person)! Bryant Tutas has managed to keep all of us sharp by pushing us to think more. Through his ever-insightful blogs, he encourages active-participation by other AR members (see Broker Bryant's Advice. Sound or Foolish? ), allowing for us to act as both student and teacher at the same time. He constantly reminds us that, by keeping our lines of communication open, not only do we create a much smoother work-environment for everyone involved, but - in the process - we make an environment that is conducive to the sharing of thoughts and ideas, allowing still further for each of us to teach and learn, one from another. Mr. Tutas also has a flair for reminding us that success requires a strong work-ethic, saturated in the highest of integrity, with just a dash of Humble-Pie! Keep in mind, readers, that although a "tongue-in-cheek" description, my admiration for his posts has placed him within my own "Featured Members" list.
- Much gratitude for the wealth of "able-to-put-to-immediate-use" information Ms. Kulikowski provides for all of us! My personal favorite is her recent, back-to-basics reminder blog How to Become the Expert in an Area. This post had a profound personal effect on me, as it re-awakened a multitude of character-traits feared dead-and-gone not too long ago. Because this personal favorite of mine is designated as a Members Only post, any visitors out there reading this are strongly-advised to visit Colleen's Blog where you can brush-up on everything from the Media vs. Blogging to the importance of the Personal-Touch to Business to Flat Stanley!
- Many, many thanks to Gena for not only having established the Listings by Address group, but also for making herself available to address the questions, comments, and/or concerns voiced by those who join it. For all those members who are technically-challenged (as I am), although Ms. Riede's instructional blogs are concise, well-written and clearly-detailed, if you still can not seem to grasp their content, don't hesitate in letting her know. Gena takes immense pride & interest in whatever she does, as evidenced by the coast-to-coast phone calls and multiple e-mails we shared as the initial fear of all this technology subsided. As if her unwavering assistance in helping to overcome that (in my case) lingering "learning-curve" wasn't enough, she walked me through building My First Listing with AR!
- A fellow AR member from New Hampshire, Mr. McGillicuddy is one of just two New Hampshire members
I've had the privilege to speak with from this open forum. Jay is also responsible for my having been able to work on this blog, from multiple terminals at multiple locations, by having referred me to Google Docs (my whole-hearted thanks, Jay!). My home is in a different geographic location, significantly farther north in New Hampshire, so we've never had the need and/or opportunity to meet face-to-face. By simply glancing through some of Jay's Blogs however, one can readily see that he is well-versed and articulate. Much like the profound effect that Colleen Kulikowski's blog-post provided me, Jay has unwittingly caused a change-for-the-better too. Mr. McGillicuddy's recent Active Rain Way Too Active in NH post - in which he shares how the effects of Monday's Nor'easter to our area caused a wide-spread, natural-disaster - has given me the incentive to hurry along and finish this post so that I can wrap-up my next blog. Spent some long-overdue, quality time w/my wife playing "amateur storm-chasers" on Monday - w/digital camera in tow - for just that purpose.
Again Jay, many thanks for lighting that proverbial fire!
Realize, readers, that I hold each and every member of this entire AR group in the same, high regard as the six (6) I've highlighted above. Again, please do not mistake this for favoritism in any way. These members in particular, although each an ideal candidate for the title of "mentor" in their own area of expertise, just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help "prop me up" when I needed it. I fully-expect to shower my thanks upon many, many others as I grow with this group and - in time - give back as much, if not more, than I receive!
* Photos Courtesy of:
1) Leadership/Forest - 2757
2) Leadership/Dog & Leadership/Ski - Thorne Entrprises
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