Blogging For Blondes

Definition: Online Social Networking is about making and keeping friends for both business and pleasure via the Internet, rather than having them come into your home and polishing off the last of your favourite malt whisky.

TECHY BLONDES ARE COOL

Overwhelm

Darlings, it was just TOO much. Enthralled and excited by my first venture into online social networking, I started to discover a wealth of information and fun in the form of other people’s blogs, and began to gather them up like manna from Heaven, stacking them up in my Bookmarks and Favourites, requesting email notifications by the dozen - until turning on my computer became the equivalent of opening my front door on a winter’s morning, to be greeted by a wall of impenetrable ice. I was snowed in.

Rescue

Desperate for help, I tried to call out to the Universe for guidance, but the email inbox counter kept rolling ever higher and opening my Bookmarks was like throwing a ball of string out of the Empire State Building. I pulled myself up from my ersatz tiger skin rug, wiped the tears from my eyes, and determined that you don’t use a teaspoon to dig your way out of a snow drift. It was time to call in a Geek.

Getting hold of people

Luckily, Geeks are not like plumbers. You can find them in an emergency and luckily I had my phone enabled for Twitter. The solution to my drowning in other people’s blogs? A wonderful invention, called an RSS Reader. My lovelies you will just ADORE these wonderful new toys. They are like a filing cabinet with big drawers to put in your blogs, news feeds, and anything else that possesses an RSS feed (you remember those squashed oranges I mentioned last time?). And since Geeks can often leave you smiling politely and wondering if they have answered your question or, inadvertently told you how to make a hydrogen bomb, I suggest darlings that when it comes to finding out the nitty gritty you watch a video called RSS in plain English and all will become clear. Halleluyah! A JCB has dug through the snowdrift and I can see daylight again!

GEEK CHIC

People will think I am dumb

This is the feeble excuse that some of you make when I ask - “Why don’t you join in some conversations online?” Sweeties it really isn’t anything like going to a cocktail party full of Oxford Dons. Just because you don’t always understand everything that everyone is saying (especially the Geeks), you WILL find people talking about wonderful things that they do. Only this morning, I read Tweets from @BlondeByDesign who is putting together care packages for Kandahar (yes, not everyone on the Internet is a Geek) so why not start by finding groups on Facebook who run charitable causes, or get involved with a Social Enterprise site like Network 2012?

Proud to be a social networking ‘blonde’

On behalf of my fellow non-geeks who are venturing into this new world of online discourse, I salute all the clever and helpful angels who have commented on the first Blogging For Blondes and provided so much great advice and help. Some of those helpful people can be found in my blogroll which smart blondes will make good use of. You are part of a community now, and will be astounded by how generous and helpful other people - even really clever ones - can be.

`LET’S BITCH’ – BLOGGING IS FUN

Photo credit: @scottthephoto (he’s a genius!)

Help me out here…

I claimed in my last blog that I would say something about creating an online profile, but this blog is already too long (brevity is something I still struggle with), so why not my GORGEOUS readers share with us all some of your experiences on what an online profile should be?

PLEASE ARGUE WITH ME: POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW……

An online profile is an outrageous attempt to give yourself some credibility amongst a group of unsuspecting strangers. Discuss.

I’m waiting……