I actually had a spare 15 minutes this morning, and after reading the latest review of Ning on Tech Crunch, I decided to go back and see what was new. The result? If you’re ever passing through my town, you can now find a good place to eat.

I can’t believe how absolutely simple that was, and how much potential there is in being able create things like this so easily. Tim has this all down, of course, and I envy him. I don’t have much of a programming gene, so for me to be able to clone someone’s else’s work and make it relevant is just way too cool. Now, as always, all I need is the time.

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(This is the last title in the theme, I promise.) So I just have to point to “my” bloggers at Seton Hall once again as they are really getting pretty inspired and inspiring. One of them is now suggesting they try to collaboratively write an article for Educational Leadership magazine about their blogging experiences.

In a few days we will have been bloggers for three months! As I look back over this experience, I realize that I have learned a lot about the possibilities of this tool, about what’s being discussed and debated in the well-established blogs I’ve subscribed to through Bloglines, and most importantly, I’ve gained even more respect for my fellow members of Cohort IX. The depth and variety of the posts in the Seton Hall Weblog stretch my thinking, challenge my opinions, lead me to make connections and inspire me to try new things.

How cool is that? And I have to tell you, I haven’t been doing a very good job of tending that blog garden, of synthesizing their work in the “mother blog” or commenting back to their work in much more than rapid fire response. They’ve been slowly gaining momentum on their own, and of late, more and more have been joining the conversation, finding the time to post, understanding the benefits of reading and sharing. Now this group has been together for over a year, which I’m sure has something to do with it, and they have more than a year left in their program. It’s an interesting dynamic.

There is energy in what they are doing, and I’ve been really pleased to see the extent to which many of them have taken part. As always, I’m sure they would love to hear from benevolent outsiders with encouragement or ideas.
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It turns out, my host flipped the wrong switch and was blocking the Bloglines crawlers from the site. Thanks to the many of you who took the time to send me copies of what you were getting from your own inquiries at Bloglines, which actually led to the solution. I’m awed by the scope and sincerety of your assistance.

Have I mentioned lately how lucky I feel to be a part of this community?

Ok…time to get back to our regularly scheduled blogging topics.
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