It’s funny how that expression is incomplete - as in, it should include, error and error, then success! As long as you continue the trials, you may expect to arrive at the desired result.
Such has been my experience with blogging platforms. Tumblr is one of a handful I’ve tried and I owe my readers a review of my experience.
For now, let me say that because Tumblr is not fed by HootSuite and because Tumblr does not support importing content from other blog platforms, if falls short of my needs. You’ll learn more about that when I produce my report and spout off about my use of HootSuite to feed other Social Media sites.
For now, if you want to follow what is most current content from me, have a look at http://www.brianrouley.com/ and http://rouzell.wordpress.com/ where I’ve found a very good CMS and blogging platform and where I’ve been blogging for years, respectively. These days, I write new content on the first one, then use HootSuite to feed the other one, and Facebook and Twitter. If I could feed Tumblr with HootSuite, I would continue to use this service…. Alas!
Brian Rouley
Determined to create some semblance of new content daily, I offer this:
My new site, on WordPress, with the Socrates theme, will be all about blogging for seniors. This is the beginning of a new mission. The hope is to encourage young people to work with our elders, to provide gentle instruction on the art of blogging, posting of photos, etc., so we can capture the history locked in the minds and photo albums of this precious human resource.
That’s all for tonight. I’m too tired to go on. But, God willing, I get to try again tomorrow!
Good night.
BR
It is interesting to notice that if you have to describe blogging and recommend a site for beginners, something as feature rich as Tumblr might be a bit too much for an aspiring blogger. Especially for those who are newer to computing in general; although the use of those giant icons may appear obvious to the experienced user, they may not be so easy for the novice to negotiate.
This is probably a good example of the need for a usability study. It would be fascinating to put this platform in front of seniors, to see what they would do and how they would learn to navigate here.
I’ll be back to expand on this later, as I gather more results of this study. My goal is to get some of my clients, many of them senior citizens, to start blogging.
Naturally, Blogger would be a good choice for Gmail users and there may be compelling reasons to use Blog.com, or Tumblr, or other platforms, but I am just beginning my own analysis, so the jury is still out on this question. Perhaps a jury is a better choice and I’ll put this questions out to some of my peers for input.
Yesterday, capitalizing on another opportunity to espouse my philosophy, I told my client that to simplify her approach to her new iPad, she would have to behave like a child. Kids have no fear, because they have no memories of failure or self-inflicted pain of feeling stupid with gadgets. They simply play - “Let’s see what happens if I do this”, as they press buttons and touch things, as long as some limiting factor, like an adult, doesn’t thwart their exploratory creativity.
Older, wiser people, should take a lesson. See the buttons, press the buttons, observe the change. If you don’t get what you want, press buttons, observe changes. Lather, rinse, repeat - until you get what you want. Record the steps if you must, take notes, or back out and come back in - whatever helps you remember the process of getting the newfangled device to do your bidding.
As of this writing, I do not own an iPad. You are welcome to send one to me, if you are feeling charitable. Still, if someone asks me to show them how to work with an iPad, I’m going to follow my own advice. I’ll see the buttons, press the buttons, observe the results and write down the steps for my students. Truly, this is child’s play - fun for me. I’ll gladly accept a Droid based tablet as a suitable substitute.
Soon enough, I’m sure someone will provide a hand-me-down, as they upgrade to the latest model. Or, I’ll get the funding I need to launch my whole new program, with young people and our elderly playing nice together with gadgets.
