I originally wrote this post on my father's blog back in June of 2008- now look and see how far we have come since then.
An update:
Through close to three years of experience creating LSU, I have come to understand how much blogging may not seem very useful to the common land surveyor. For that very reason, all blogs on LSU are referred to as "articles."Nevertheless, by now all of us have at least heard about what a blog is. Today I am going to explain to you how blogging is a lot like land surveying and introduce a great service to those of you who actually may be maintaining a blog.Original Post:
If you are serious about blogging and getting your word out (whatever that may be), RSShugger is a new blog networking tool that may help you out. Blogging is all about time, energy and content. Its just one of those activities that you can either be serious about (because you have stuff to share) or it can be something one uses to pass the time and experiment with a virtual environment. Its a lot like surveying in many respects. You have those who play with a total station out on their new piece of land, turning angles while cracking beers and then there are those who live to stay on top of the newest technologies and techniques in order to further perfect their craft and career.
Surveyors , I've found are a difficult breed to reach out to,in many ways, and even harder to touch. Why? In a nutshell, it boils down to time constraints, lack of access to a computer during peak blogging times (when new information is coming out across the net) and a marginal lack of enthusiasm for web based technologies. Hey, i don't blame you. If I spent all day trying to figure out a busted data collector in the woods or a total station with zero instruction I'd be pretty tapped on learning energy too. I won't go into all of the reasons why surveyors have a hard time engaging with Web 2.0- that's exactly why I have built a whole social network for you to find the info you need (look no further than Land Surveyors United to find the answer to many questions you may be seeking answers to). I can't wait until the day (and oh yes, it is coming) when surveyors at large begin to realize the benefits of social networking with others in the industry, start reading and sharing news from many sources, comment on other's blogs, share their knowledge and ultimately network to create a better industry for all. It will happen and I'm sure of it. In 2005-2006, I was on the virtual front lines when real estate professionals in NYC (and around the world) first began to discover the power of blogging. Today, the real estate industry bloggers are among some of the most followed publishers on the web. Just jump in and speak your piece...believe me it becomes addictive.
If you are serious about blogging and getting your word out (whatever that may be), RSShugger is a new blog networking tool that may help you out. Blogging is all about time, energy and content. Its just one of those activities that you can either be serious about (because you have stuff to share) or it can be something one uses to pass the time and experiment with a virtual environment. Its a lot like surveying in many respects. You have those who play with a total station out on their new piece of land, turning angles while cracking beers and then there are those who live to stay on top of the newest technologies and techniques in order to further perfect their craft and career.
Surveyors , I've found are a difficult breed to reach out to,in many ways, and even harder to touch. Why? In a nutshell, it boils down to time constraints, lack of access to a computer during peak blogging times (when new information is coming out across the net) and a marginal lack of enthusiasm for web based technologies. Hey, i don't blame you. If I spent all day trying to figure out a busted data collector in the woods or a total station with zero instruction I'd be pretty tapped on learning energy too. I won't go into all of the reasons why surveyors have a hard time engaging with Web 2.0- that's exactly why I have built a whole social network for you to find the info you need (look no further than Land Surveyors United to find the answer to many questions you may be seeking answers to). I can't wait until the day (and oh yes, it is coming) when surveyors at large begin to realize the benefits of social networking with others in the industry, start reading and sharing news from many sources, comment on other's blogs, share their knowledge and ultimately network to create a better industry for all. It will happen and I'm sure of it. In 2005-2006, I was on the virtual front lines when real estate professionals in NYC (and around the world) first began to discover the power of blogging. Today, the real estate industry bloggers are among some of the most followed publishers on the web. Just jump in and speak your piece...believe me it becomes addictive.
Just remember that blogging is an activity that shares a lot of similarities with surveying. You don't have to be an expert, just interested in the changes occurring in the world in respect to those things which you are most passionate about. If, in fact you are interested in starting or improving your blog, I will leave you with just one more hint: RSS is now the backbone of all news everywhere, so you might want to "hug" it, so to speak. It is the structure and method by which all information stands up and walks around. There are a gazillion ways to embrace the power of RSS (yes, even for surveyors) out there and RSShugger is just one of those which make thespreadof your word possible.
Experiment a little-don't be afraid!
We'll get that damn data collector working in one way or another, together. I guarantee it!
Thoughts
very true..