I walk away from the feed reader for a few days and the next thing you know, Beth Kanter is giving me a "Bloggers Who Build Community" Award! Along with Amy Sample Ward and Beth Dunn, I'm honored by this, as this is one of my key blogging goals, so thank you Beth!
With the honor comes some responsibility--to pass it along. So here are my three picks for Bloggers Who Build Community:
Sue Waters of Mobile Technology in TAFE is one of the most incredibly helpful bloggers around. Not only does she build community through her own blog, she spends seemingly unlimited amounts of time surfing the web to assist others, making masterful use of her co-comments account to follow conversations and dispense helpful advice.
Danielle B, who I met during the 31 Day Challenge, blogs about what it means to be bipolar at The Bipolar Diaries. She takes what is a very difficult and sensitive subject--mood disorders--and makes the experience accessible to others. Suddenly, you're not alone in the world. And you can tell by the comments how much that's appreciated by her readers.
Tony Karrer of eLearning Technology always seems to have lively conversations going in comments, often because he asks a provocative question that gets people thinking. This piece on small group break-out sessions at conferences is a good example.
To me, all three of these bloggers do great things with community on their sites, encouraging comments and making themselves accessible to their readers. They're great role models for me.
You certainly are worthy of the honor with the many things you do to encourage conversation and comments and community in all the many places in which you do that!
Posted by: Cammy Bean | January 03, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Michele:
Great to see you back!!
Posted by: Beth Kanter | January 03, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Congratulations and happy new year Michele!
Posted by: Kate Foy | January 03, 2008 at 09:35 PM
Building community by helping us all be our best. Congratulations! You deserve this award!
Posted by: John Powers | January 03, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Congratulations!! As someone who has benefited greatly from the community that you have built here on the world wide web, I have experienced first hand how deserving you are of this award. I thank you for graciously passing it along to me. However, I must in all honesty, clarify that if it wasn't for your kind, objective, and heartfelt responses to my questions regarding the direction of The Bipolar Diaries...it would not be what it is. I thank you for that also. I'm off to write my acceptance speech ;) Thank you!
Posted by: Danielle Blogging for Balance | January 04, 2008 at 05:47 AM
Thank you everyone--I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts! Honestly, though, if it wasn't for your willingness to keep reading and participating, even when I'm in one of my "slumps," I wouldn't be anywhere. You guys really make this blog what it is and I'm in your debt for that. Thank you.
Posted by: Michele Martin | January 05, 2008 at 06:49 AM
Michele, I just realized I left a congrats message for you on Beth's blog but not your own! eek, apologies!
I hope you saw it there, for you and Beth and Britt have ALL inspired me as a fledgling nonprofit that sometimes fights 'founder flameout' and feels the heat of churn trying to keep the passionista balance with the icy cold hard cash reality of trying to make ends meet...bleh.
Just not enough hours in the day. Start ups are hard though, so I look to your leadership and wisdom that you all share so freely...you've been my guiding lights...so generous with your tips and topics that I just need time to implement all I've learned so far! Onward!
Posted by: Shaping Youth | January 06, 2008 at 12:37 AM
I love the idea of this award! And I concur with the other commenters, your blogs belong on the list as well!
Posted by: Robin Reagler | January 08, 2008 at 11:26 AM
My apologies Michele for not popping past sooner to congratulate you for achieving the Blogger Who Build Community Award. Well done -- you deserve it so much. I, like so many, have gained so much from your guidance and assistance. Thank you for picking me as a recipient for the award; though I have to admit the responsibility of the honor is what has slowed me down because it is such a big responsibility and decisions not to be taken lightly.
Posted by: Sue Waters | January 12, 2008 at 04:26 AM
Congratulations Michele! You certainly deserve it... you give hope, insight and spread enthusiasm across the net to others!
Posted by: Laura Whitehead | January 12, 2008 at 06:53 AM