Archive for the ‘Forums’ Category

I’ve been blogging for almost a year now and have had the pleasure of people making comments on my blog.  I also read other blogs and comment on them.

Sometimes it is a simple comment and sometimes, based upon the topic, I may recommend a place where I got help or found more info etc.  I never blatantly say – “check me out or I can do that – go here”, it’s not my style.

This month a comment I made on someone’s blog got edited. A first experience for me. My policy is don’t edit, but don’t hide from criticism either.  If the comment is unprofessional, I don’t approve it and my spam catcher does good work too.  If someone takes the time to make a valid comment – not a spam one – then I feel I approve it all or not.  If it had one section that was not appropriate, I would contact them to ask permission to edit. For example, I had a client who had a blog comment make reference to another line of work she had been in, she wanted to edit that but instead we emailed the person, explained the reasons and asked if she could remove that one part. Reasonable action and the other person fully understood.

The editing of my comment bothered me because I took the time to participate with someone else on their blog, and the sites (two) I was recommending were not competition for the blogger just a recommendation to get more info from.

Now I wonder if others commonly edit comments or not? What is your policy?

Technorati Tags: Blogging, networking

Well… here it is Tuesday and I am all packed and ready to go to my first ever conference with fellow virtual assistants.

I am heading to Niagara Falls, Canada for the Forum on Virtual Assistance (FoVA) to learn and share and connect with many people in the VA industry.

I have been networking online for almost a year now at VAnetworking, CVAC and several other places. I have also been working with, or creating friendships with, other VAs that I met online.

Networking online can be scary for some people but I love it.  In fact, in my banking days, I had several jobs that had me connecting with others via telephone – and really it is the same principle, even if it was in the days before cell phones or email. I encountered these people daily in my job, but never face to face.  I met my husband from a  friend I worked with ‘virtually’ in 1988.  She and I finally met, a friendship was created that still exists today; and her fiancé introduced me to my husband. If I had never taken the time to meet her at the bank function for all the departments, my life would have been very different.

My favourite aspect of online or telephone networking is when the time comes that you finally have an opportunity to meet those people in person – face-to-face. I find this really solidifies any online or remote relationship and takes it to another level.

So, my bags are ready, the family is kicking off school early to drive me to the airport and I cannot wait to get there and meet all my ‘friends’.

Watch out FoVA here I come!

Technorati Tags: event, forum, networking, virtual assistant

It’s a comment I hear a lot lately, people are getting ‘grouped out’ on Facebook.  Personally, I don’t see the issue and there is a simple solution.

Let’s look at the problem first.  What happens when you join a group or page?

Well.. for starters, you are now connected to many more people through the group.  hmmm… that was kind of the point in ‘working’ Facebook for your business wasn’t it?

Then you start to receive updates or invites to events.  Let’s see… if you respond, your update goes out to all the members… again, your name in front of many.

Now, when someone posts a note, wall post or link, on any of the groups or pages; their post will show on your wall.  Which also means, if you make a comment on another group’s wall or page, your comment will be seen by all the group members or fans. Wow, so many people you are talking to.

The issue everyone seems to have is when they start to RECEIVE all these notes, invites, links and more on your Facebook homepage…that’s when most people become overwhelmed and stop joining anything.

Well… if you are like me, and have more than 100 friends on Facebook, you probably have lots of stuff already being posted on your wall from actual friends – not to mention the flower gardens, butterflies, IQ challenge tests, TV quizzes etc, etc, etc.  Do you read all those?  Probably not… that’s why everyone skim-reads now.  Way too much to take in. You skim and only look further into items that catch your eye.

So… long before you joined any groups you had trouble brewing already.  How do you deal with it and still remain connected to all the groups and pages? Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: facebook, Social Media, social networking, Time Management

Many of my friends have no idea what I am talking about when I refer to Twitter, and honestly in Halifax-Dartmouth when I mention it only a few people know what it is.  They may have heard the term Twitter, but have no idea what it is. So,  I feel I should do a little educating here…I tend to describe Twitter as somewhat similar to Facebook, but without all the extra applications, that (sorry friends!) I find annoying and time wasters (you know the aquariums, gardens etc).

Twitter is a micro-blog, what you do is post updates of your life/business and you only have up to 140 characters to do this (just as you do in Facebook, for those who use that). You “follow” others and they follow you, sounds kind of  “stalker-like” but you can have control on both sides.

I post some personal things and some business, probably a mix of 35/60 and the other 5% I try to promote my business in a stronger manner.  How can this be useful?

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: facebook, mortgage broker, twitter, virtual assistant

My favourite networking forum, VAnetworking, is planning some great things for this December.  They have a December Advent Calendar event arranged as part of their 5th Anniversary/Birthday celebrations.

At last count they have over $5,000 in prizes that will be given away during the month of December. $5,000! That’s a lot of stuff!  I am not certain of the prizes, but one thing I am certain of is that many types of businesses will be able to put some of these prizes to use.  Not just Virtual Assistants! Many of the members of VAnetworking are not VAs but other business owners as well – this site has info and resources relevant to many types of businesses.

Anyone can sign up for this Birthday Bash event and I really recommend it if you are looking at a type of work from home business, or becoming, or working with, a Virtual Assistant.

Sign up today, the December Advent Calandar event starts tomorrow!

Technorati Tags: advent, contest, VAnetworking, virtual assistant