Thursday, November 08, 2007

Icons, Badges, And Buttons - Oh My!

You may have noticed a little more clutter in my right side bar recently. I've found two wonderful sites (groups? what exactly is the right blog word for these eddies in the ether stream?) I may have to move my blogroll (and I sure as heck need to update it!) so I have room for these other ways to connect. I have enjoyed surfing other people's blogrolls but recently I've been finding myself clicking on their button affiliations more often. I'd love to hear what works for other people. Do you zing around on your own? Do you follow links (blinks or blogrolls)? Do you like buttons and badges better? Comment at me! :D


Now here's what I've found:
The first new gem is my "Passionate Blog" badge. It connects to Magpie Girl's Small is Beautiful manifesto which starts by saying, "We believe stories are valuable, no matter how matter how many people read them." How can you not like that?? If you have time, check out their blog roll or their Saturday prompts. I found this just when I was needing some reaffirmation about baby steps. I took a few steps ignoring whether I was being watched (evaluated, judged) or not and now my training plan is zipping along and I have some sketches for my quilt project. Sometimes it takes a nudge here and there!

The second delight is the "Wishcasting" icon. I loves me some magic. Her concept? To provide a safe space to launch wishes. She encourages you to be a magic maker and a wish tender by inviting you to offer up your own wish and to support someone else's. Communal wishing! Fantastico! (*I'm not sure why social bookmarking strikes me as silly but communal wishing thrills me down to my taproots. If I were consistent, I'd be boring.) Check it out. Send a wish into the world - and hey, while you're there, look for my wish and give it some oomph in the comments. Easy, fun, magical, brilliant.

The third thing (which lest you think (again) that I can't count, isn't really considered new since I already told you to look for it) is my NaBlo button. I am having gobs o' fun with NaBloPoMo! Click my badge over there and see. It's connectivity with zero pressure. I've added a dozen interesting blogs to my "I want to read more of THIS" list and I've met several new friends. Me! Anxious, tentative, bag of self-doubts me - making friends out of strangers. Cool, creative, insightful, fascinating strangers, no less! It is absolutely a testament to how telling our stories (e.g. blogging) can bring us together - which I didn't know when I started nearly two years ago. (Hey - blogversary coming up on the 26th! Can you believe it?)

Recap:
Talk to me today! Tell me about your linking, surfing, blog winnowing habits. (<--This is known throughout the (blogging) world as "begging for comments" and it's considered a tad bit unsavory so don't make me take it to the next level, my dearest internetters.)
Admire my icons. *preens* Make a wish. Think Small, be inspired.
Venture forth to NaBlo.
And as always,
Peace.

4 comments:

Trisha said...

Hi! From NaBloPoMo. To answer your question, I don't really follow too many links, whatever their form, from other people's blogs. Which doesn't explain why I put them on my own blog, lol. It's just that people seem to follow soooo many blogs that it would take forever to look through them all. Know what I mean? If I had to pick, I'd say go with buttons because they stick out more.

Anonymous said...

*laughs* 'begging for comments', well who could resist after that?

I really like the passionate blog/wishcasting ideas. Almost afraid to click, I've got so many new reads now. I tend to stay in the community I've established (so much to read) and venture forth every couple months through links and blog searches to find new people to read. So many blogs, so little time... but I kinda think of my blogroll as fluid instead of static. Some people quit, move on, or start leaning in a direction I'm not much into (one of my favorite blogs went uber-political a few months back. It was a bummer) So the reads do change, gradually.

I added you to my blogroll, btw... hope you don't mind.

Suzie Ridler said...

I have fun coming up with this week's wish at Wishcasting! Me in my silly hat. I love the sound of the passionate blog idea, I'm all about that.

Turtleheart said...

Isn't Wishcasting so cool? I love the whole concept. I haven't yet actually made a wish, but I like reading others' wishes and sending energy their way.