... About a week ago, Donna (Email from the Embassy) was minding her own business, not doing anything much in particular, when Shannon (Cyberbones) totally came out of NOWHERE, tackled her, held a venomous serpent over her, and forced her to commit to doing the State Department Weekly Blog RoundUp this week. Seriously! I watched the whole thing unfold on Facebook!
But the rest of us are the winners here, for Donna's loss of free time is our gain. Professional published author Donna did the RoundUp this week - yay! Way to go, Shannon!
Okay, okay... in all seriousness, now....
It's highly likely that no one has signed up for very many upcoming RoundUps yet because, let's all be honest, it's a rather labor-intensive project. Seriously. Combing the internet for blogs - even if one uses Digger's awesome sidebars or the Blogregator - is mega work. Donna herself even came out a few days ago asking for help/input in advance of the writing of the RoundUp.
Back in January of 2010, when I started the RoundUp, I started it with the hope that it could morph into what the medical blogging community does every week with their medical-type RoundUp, called "Grand Rounds." They have a calendar that keeps up with who will be hosting, etc., and they never lack for blog host volunteers.
You see, their form of the RoundUp is much different than ours in a variety of ways... and these differences, I would imagine, make it MUCH easier for the hosting blogger to put the thing together... which would make people more likely to agree to host.
For example, take a look at this blog. It will be hosting the next medical blogger RoundUp. It:
1.) Assigned a theme (but not all medical blogs do this) to help with writer's block, and then (the next part is the most important...)
2.) Bloggers came back, after they blogged, and emailed links to their blogs or left comments pointing back to their blogs so the RoundUp author could include them in the RoundUp automatically.
Suddenly, with this format, the burden on the host blogger is about 1,000% less than what we have going on now with the State Department RoundUp. All the medical host blogger has to do is take the information he/she's been voluntarily provided and form it into a coherent blog post. HUGE difference between having to go out and harvest all the information and then write about it from scratch!
In the hopes that following something like this would really make the State Department RoundUp easier for a host blogger, and therefore make more people able to host (since hosting should then be much less of a time commitment), I will be attempting this new RoundUp format RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. And I'll be the guinea pig.
I volunteer to do next week's RoundUp with this new format.
Therefore, State Department bloggers, if you are in need of a writer's-block-helping theme, here is your topic for next week:
"When I/we _________, I Wish I'd/We'd Known..."
You can use that for anything, right? You can talk about the job... or not. Or, if you're an applicant, you can talk about the application marathon... or not. I tried to make it open-ended enough that ANYONE can take part. It could be:
When I (applied for this job), I Wish I'd Known...
When I (bid for this post), I Wish I'd Known...
When I (packed out my stuff), I Wish I'd Known...
etc.
I'll also GLADLY take submissions/nominations (just like I used to!) from anyone who would like to nominate any State blog post for inclusion in the RoundUp, whether it follows the theme or not. Because lots and lots of great stuff out there this week won't have anything to do with that theme!
Bloggers, DON'T BE SHY. I will write this next week's RoundUp and include ONLY the blog posts provided to me by either email (a_daring_adventure@yahoo.com) or by leaving a comment. And if no one sends me anything, then the RoundUp will be EMPTY.
In summary, this week's RoundUp rules:
1.) There's a theme if you want to use it... but you certainly don't have to - I'll include any blog post on any topic, BUT...
2.) I will ONLY include blog posts that are submitted/emailed to me by blog authors, readers, etc. I WILL NOT be going out and choosing blog posts myself. (Again, I am doing this to make the burden less on the weekly RoundUp author.)
Happy writing this next week, and PLEASE PLEASE don't be shy. My goal, quite simply, is to try to get the RoundUp to where it's easy for someone to volunteer to host it and where it includes posts from every active State blogger out there!!
Oooooh! Great idea! And great theme. . .
Posted by: TulipGirl | 09/24/2010 at 06:04 PM
When I (volunteered to write the RoundUp), I wish I'd known (you were about to come up with an easier way to do it).
Posted by: Donna | 09/24/2010 at 10:46 PM
Have you considered just using a Mister Linky widget? (http://www.misterlinky.net/) Or Simply Linked service? (http://www.simply-linked.com/) That way anyone who wants to play along can just add their blog link in your post automatically. It is used in lots of places, an example is here on Delicious Baby's Photo Friday posts: http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2010/sep/24/photo-friday-little-surfer/
Posted by: Heather | 09/25/2010 at 05:22 AM
Hello, ladies!
Thanks, TG... let's hope it works!
Heather, that is a wonderful device- thank you so much for bringing it to my attention- and if things need to be simplified even further, I will totally look into it. For the moment, I'm sort of hoping that people will still want to personalize the RoundUp on their own blogs, though, in a written/narrative format... but if that doesn't work out long term, then I'm thrilled to know that this exists!
Donna, I'm going to re-post what I said to you on Facebook so that other people can read it, too:
Last week, I watched as poor Shannon did the RoundUp with low speed internet and not a whole lot of time. She, like you, is at a new post, etc, and has recently moved (etc....which you know, I'm just saying).
Then this week, I knew you were trying to do the RoundUp and I know you have a full plate! (To say the least.) Gourmet dinners for multiple guests, brand-new post, new school for the children... and I've been trying so hard to think of a way to make the RoundUp easier and more fun for all.
Last night, after I read your great RoundUp, I researched the medical blogosphere's way of doing things and tried to make some helpful changes (going forward). I'm sorry I didn't catch this in time to help you, though. But I'm so grateful you did it this week!
Posted by: A Daring Adventure | 09/25/2010 at 08:35 AM
You. Are. Awesome.
Posted by: Camille | 09/25/2010 at 11:57 AM
I really love this idea. I think it will make it far less intimidating to host.
Brilliant. Although, I am not very good at directed writings, which I am sure will disappoint everyone.
Posted by: Emily | 09/25/2010 at 10:33 PM
Why don't you take it one step further and have people write the sentence or two that describes the link they sent you to their blog. This way the weekly author doesn't have to come up with something pithy.
Also - one more idea ... because the way I write my blog, I wouldn't ever write a post about a specific FS topic... how about coming up with some very general themes where people can decide what links to post on the round up.
Themes like ... comings and goings (those who are new to the FS, those who are departing post, going on R&R, who's been assigned where ...)
And pictures ... where people can post links to great photos they put on their blog
And Travels ... who has gone where
And a section about kids or animals or couples or families
And a section about highlights of the week ... and lowlights too.
Just trying to throw some ideas out there that would potentially help in the future. I think that some people are discouraged to write it because it's not only labor intensive, but some people may feel like they're not going to be as creative as the previous author or as funny or post as many links. If the round up is transformed into a blog format that is the same from week to week, it may help alleviate fears and get more people to agree to host it.
And your idea about people submitting their own stuff is great - enough people know about the round up now that if they want their post in, they'll send in a link. And if not, then there's always next week.
Posted by: Jill | 09/25/2010 at 11:10 PM
Oh my gosh, Jill - those were some absolutely excellent ideas. Quite frankly, almost none of them had ever occurred to me!
(Okay, I will admit wholeheartedly to one: MUST I DO THE NEXT ROUNDUP AFTER DONNA?!?!? DONNA OF ALL PEOPLE, DEAR GOD!?!?)
I'm hoping to really drive the point home that different blog authors can do whatever they like with the RoundUp when they have it. If someone were to have it one week, and that person really likes the idea of having each person submit a few sentences or a blurb already written for inclusion, I think that is an excellent idea.
Quite frankly, my initial goal is: audience participation!! If I can just, at this moment, get other blog authors to submit material for the weekly RoundUp, I will feel like this has all been successful! Once I secure audience participation, then the sky's the limit! But I would have never thought of most of the points that you made. But, then again, you are a MUCH more experienced State blogger than I am!
@Camille & @Emily- you ladies are too sweet!
Posted by: A Daring Adventure | 09/27/2010 at 05:00 AM
Hi, I'm Lydia. We're State Department in Manama, Bahrain right now! I would love to participate! My blog is:
Here, There and Everywhere at
www.penrodpostings.blogspot.com
contact me at: lydia.penrod@gmail.com
Posted by: Lydia Penrod | 09/27/2010 at 06:43 AM
Kolbi!
This isn't really a "What I wish I'd known" thing, but it is something I wish TO know (Does that count?) - anyway - is there anyway to ask for a little advice from the round-up folks on friday? I just received a "Class 2" med clearance and the rest of the family is worldwide available. Is this going to be seriously detrimental to my husbands career? Are the only countries that I am going to be able to go first world countries? Does anybody out there know?
Baaaaaaaaa! Frustration.
Also, I tried (and miserably failed) to get my kid to be as cute for Emily's birthday as you got your kids to. Haha. No worries, I took pictures. And blogged it :)
Posted by: Camille | 09/29/2010 at 10:33 PM
Super awesome idea. Too cool.
Posted by: 8 weeks pregnant | 10/02/2010 at 06:37 PM