Back in 2007 I published a list of top ten blogging moments – times I felt blogging resulted in something fun or interesting. I got numerous notes from friends who found it fun to read (though some were not fans) so I’m giving it another go. Even without these moments it has been rewarding, but it is nice to reflect on them to understand why spending so many hours, often late at night, trying to post 4 times a week can give you something back that no paycheck can offer. Moreover, this is a chance to celebrate some good fortune and link to people who’ve made this project a little more fun. So here we go…

Eaves.ca Blogging Moment #6 (2009 Edition): Fun Invites & Outcomes

A bunch of exciting things happened as a result of blogging (and other work like public speaking and consulting). Some of them include

• In March, as the debate around the collapse of the newspaper model went into overdrive Jay Rosen cited my piece “The Death of Journalism?” as one of the top twelve pieces on the subject in his blog post Rosen’s Flying Seminar in the Future of News (traffic ensues). During a brief layover in NYC I share a beer with him and discover he’s as smart and engaging online as offline. Plus, he doesn’t let anyone get away with BS.
• Someone at the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation reads my blog, likes my writing and work and so invites me to sit on one of their Loran Award selection committees. I spend a day meeting some of the most amazing young people in BC. A Saturday well spent and deeply fulfilling.
• Google launches its first Local Experts page outside the United States and asks me to be one of nine celebrity local experts to share a map of my 10 important sites in Vancouver. (Not sure I qualify as a celebrity, but it was fun to be included among luminaries like Bif Naked and Gordon Campbell.) Pure fun and a chance to showcase what makes Vancouver special and important – from Moderne Burger to the Insite Injection Site.
• Blogging about open source community management and especially about the need to reach out to and include more women gets me an invite to a SXSWi panel. First step: think about how I can apply the thinking from those posts to my work with Mozilla Drumbeat.
• John Ibbitson made a nice reference to some of my thinking on public service sector renewal in his book “Open and Shut” (and I ended up helping edit the chapter – also lots of fun)