Wednesday 22 August 2012

Blogging On

With six months of blogging under my belt both here and on my ivo blog I feel that I am an expert and can tell you all how to do it!

Well not exactly…

But I strongly feel that more Volunteer Managers should be blogging and reacting to blogs by sharing and commenting (not just within the VM community) so I would like to use this Thoughtful Thursday’s chat (#ttvolmgrs on Twitter) to share our experiences and introduce more VMs to the blogosphere to illustrate how helpful it can be. I hope we can demonstrate how this democratised medium is not daunting, not the domain of wordy academics or geeky nerds and is a form that should be more widely used in the VM community. It is a call to arms for those already blogging to share their experiences and for those on the edge to get a step-up and the confidence to try it.

Each week one blog posted on a Wednesday evening sparks a day of international discussion on topics particularly aimed at VMs so the power of blogging should be clear to anyone reading this. Blogging is a wonderful tool for us to discuss current issues, gain almost instant feedback and forms part of our professional development online. Even before you publish a blog it can be a great way to focus your thoughts, to thoroughly examine a topic and find out what you really think about the subject. Once it is posted people can then respond and it may take you in directions you had never imagined (or cause you to question things you were once certain of!). You might even find that your words echo what is being thought by many and act as a springboard for change.

We all know that VMs are lovely folk and I have personal experience to back me that if you do take the plunge and start blogging there a plenty of kind people who will share and give feedback if you ask nicely! Here are some of the things for people to think about when blogging:      

You don’t have to be Dickens!
Let’s get this out the way first. People worry that they are not good enough to write for others, they dropped English at school because their spelling was rubbish and they didn’t know what a split infinitive is. Here’s my dirty little secret; SPELLCHECK (and while we’re at it I have a friend who got a Distinction for their Masters in English who still doesn’t know where to put commas!). This format is wonderfully informal and lends itself to a style that isn’t starched with grammatical convention and is driven by the desire to share information.

Good readers make good writers!
This was a great piece of advice given to me a long time ago and it counts double for VM blogging. Firstly read other blogs to get inspiration and an idea of how they work as well as providing valuable information relevant to your profession. Secondly blogging works well in communities and actively engaging (reading and commenting) will embed you in the VM community and give you a new voice. 

Know your audience!
Understand what your readers are interested in and what the hot topics are. Take stock of the writing already out there and avoid duplication of existing discussion unless you have something new to say. Stay up-to-date through ivo and Twitter links to online articles (there have been plenty that have prompted spirited responses recently surrounding Gamesmakers at the Olympics).  

Write about what you know!
Pick a subject or event that interests you but be sure to take a step back occasionally. This will ensure that you are putting yourself into it and conveying the human side of any given subject in balance, we work in a field that is emotive and it needs to be recognised as such in this forum. It also allows you to find your voice and show some humour which will draw a reader to your subject through your individual style. Personally I’m a fan of putting thoughts and asides in brackets (along with exclamation marks it’s kind of my thing!). 

Hook them in!
 We have all seen a witty or intriguing headline we couldn’t ignore and this counts for blogs too. Is it any wonder that ‘The Best Advice you Never Had’ garnered 5 likes and 5 comments on ivo in a day whereas ‘EYV11 Opening Doors to Volunteering showcase initiatives’ didn’t. Once they have clicked, keep them with a brief opening that tells them what it will be about and offers something engaging or challenging to stimulate their interest.

Be controversial!
Don’t be afraid to rock the boat, sometimes by playing devil’s advocate you can shake people out of apathy. Honest and open debate is healthy and allows us all to gain fuller understanding of issues, but make it respectful and productive. Expect others to respond though and don’t be put off if someone disagrees or challenges back. If you want to see a master at work check out UC on ivo

Find a buddy!
Get someone you trust to look over it. Nothing I write goes to print without a fresh pair of eyes making sure there are no glaring errors. I find it useful if that person is a little removed from the subject matter too as you can never assume they know something.

Shameless tricks
A quick list of sneaky tactics to get you in the game:

Mention names and link to other key blogs/sites as they will then be eager to read your blog and maybe even signpost it for others.

Release it when people have time to read it. If you tell me about your blog on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon I am far less likely to have the time to engage with it.

Promote it through a number of forums and maximise your readership. Link it in from ivo, Facebook and Twitter for people to see and share with colleagues and friends who may have an interest.

Remember that on many sites like ivo the more likes and comments a post gets the more prominently it is featured. Share it as part of a network so others will keep the momentum.

For me there are two main questions today:
What can VMs learn from blogging?
What are your hints and tips to successful blogging?


But you might also like to share:
Where do you blog?
Who should VMs follow?
How do you come up with ideas?
What are you afraid of?
What do you want to write about?




Wednesday 15 August 2012

A Cut Below?

So here we have another of “my” blogs, not a hint of volunteer management anywhere- you have been warned!  

This blog originated from a conversation had after work over a drink (where the best stories start). Goodness only knows how we got around to it but talk turned to male grooming. Now this isn’t the stubble debate, nor Beckham’s latest hairstyle or what metrosexuality actually means but a conversation about what I shall call “male intimate grooming”. I would by no means consider myself naïve but I hadn’t a clue just how common it seems to be! The only other man at the table said, quite frankly, that he “trimmed regularly” as if it was as normal as brushing one’s teeth in the morning. In response to this one of the women piped up that her partner does too and another said rather emphatically that she “insists her partner do it”. So how commonplace was this practice and where had it come from? I knew someone who regularly extolled the virtues of a shorn scrotum (not the words he used) but I thought by the reaction it received it was generally accepted this was not the norm. Had something completely passed me by? 

After some of my usual methodologically sound SUPER-SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION I have established that nether-topiary for men seems to have one distinct rule (an opinion generally shared by men and women); neat is good but shaved is weird and a bit porn-y! On top of this I know that for many men the daily ritual of shaving our faces is a little too much (and razor blades are bloody expensive) so it is unlikely we will make even more work for ourselves any time soon. But most of what I was hearing was leaning towards a view that this was commonplace and natural. I was on shaky ground here because I usually feel uneasy about pubic hair debates. They are generally aimed at women and almost always negative, but this was easy and conversations were relaxed. In this case we blokes seem to once again avoid such scrutiny and get the easy life, which might be why I haven’t felt the power of the advertising media compelling me to coiffure my bush! I didn’t feel pressure but instead there was intrigue and the rather amusing “I don’t want a bush tucker trial if I’m with a guy and I go down there” attitude from one woman that did make me wonder how important people thought it was. Other people’s opinions out of the way, why should I find it odd that men choose to do this? I go to a hairdresser for a haircut, clip my nails, shave and what facial hair I retain is styled, but some 17 or so years since my body decided to start sprouting fuzz I have generally let it be.

Stood over the bath, mirror strategically placed and trimmer in hand I felt at a point of no return, driven not by media or peer pressure but by genuine curiosity and the knowledge that if something went wrong at least it would grow back. Not really knowing where to start I went for it and everything seemed to be going ok. I was then reminded that symmetry is not easily achieved when back to front and the wrong way up. Numerous rounds of “evening up” followed (complete with a moment of panic when the trimmer ran out of charge). This being said I was pleased with the result, as a debutant at any activity might be with a job well done, and there was certainly no going back.

So how does this story end (or what was the bloody point of me sharing this with the world)? Well I think I can say I’m now a convert! A mown man-muff seems to be the way forward for me. It is easier to maintain, quicker to dry, aesthetically more appealing and (dare I say it) the wonders of perspective and framing have had a positive side-effect visually! I have been able to assess my options, make a decision free from pressure or judgement and when it comes down to it I’m the one who has to live with my body. If anything, this silly experiment has provided a stark reminder of the contrasting attitudes and pressures faced by women when it comes to body hair. I hope that in reading my “emotional journey” it might prompt some other chaps to give it a try, but more importantly to recognise that we live in a culture which denies women freedom from scrutiny and judgement in what should be personal choices.