I’ve Looked At Blogs From Both Sides Now

April 25, 2013August 29, 2018 / Ally Bean / 25 Comments

A few weeks ago I wrote about having been around the blogosphere for nine years. As I said then, I’ve seen and experienced many good things during my blogging career. But as you can imagine there have been weird things that have happened to me, also.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, and as I have nothing else I really want to talk about today, I thought that I’d share some of the less-than-friendly experiences I’ve had while blogging.

Life ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, now is it?

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1. Years ago a woman with a public blog asked me to remove her blog from my blogroll because she did not know me in real life. She told me that she only allowed people who she knew in real life to put her blog on their blogroll. I did as she asked and sent her an email apologizing for any distress my connection might have caused her.

To this day I have to wonder how she’s doing at keeping strangers from connecting with her. If you don’t want people to take an interest in your life, then don’t keep a public blog. Seems logical to me, but then I’m a pragmatic person, so what do I know?

Kind of trippy, that one.

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2. I’ve always included some photos in my blogs. At one point someone liked my photos so much that he or she set up a Flickr account using a version of my name. Then he or she stole some of my photos off my blog, and placed them in this account. Under my name.

This was one of those “to what end?” experiences. I was given credit for my work– which was good. The account was public– which was good. However, I never determined why someone would do this. Was it supposed to be flattery? I don’t know. It was harmless, but really?

Just a little too weird, if you ask me.

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3. As many of you know, I like to leave comments on other people’s blogs. I only comment if I have something to add to the conversation. Never anything rude or disruptive. So one day I read a post, complete with a photo, that spoke to me. Consequently, I left a short heartfelt comment based on experiences in my life.

I returned to the blog a few days later to see if this blogger had responded to my comment, only to find that she had taken down the photo that had sparked my comment. And that she had deleted my kind, non-confrontational, positive comment. I was shocked at first. But then it slowly dawned on me that this woman was a diva and she might have felt that my comment upstaged her [?], so she got rid of the photo– and me.

Flip city, huh?

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So, tell me, what weirdnesses have you experienced while using social media? I know everyone has a story to tell– and what better place and time than here and now?

Hmmm? ‘Fess up.

The Point Where Compassion And Mispronunciation Meet

March 27, 2013May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 24 Comments

I’ll tell you straight up that I did not correct this young woman’s pronunciation.

The whole conversation happened so quickly, and I was so slow to understand what she was talking about, that the chance never came in the moment for me to tell her: “that’s not how you say it.”

Plus she was so happy about what she was telling me that I didn’t want to rain on her parade, so I said nothing even after I figured it out.

I’ll also tell you that this young woman is a high school graduate from one of the better high schools in the region. And that she speaks using perfect grammar + polysyllabic words. And that she is quite bright about the logic of things.

But here’s the thing, the situation that I found myself in, where I did not know what to do.

She was talking about her vacation plans, in detail. She had found a deal on airfare by watching the prices online. When she saw that she could travel to her western destination with just one stopover in the midwest, she jumped on that ticket because the price was right.

As she had never been to that part of the midwest [and I guess that she missed school the days when the teacher talked about it], she was mispronouncing this city’s name. At first I didn’t understand where she was going, and then when I did it was– well, re-read my second paragraph.

So here is what she said to me. She was going to change flights in: my knee A poe Lis.

Care to guess where she was going? And any suggestions about how to handle a similar situation should it arise in my lifetime again?

I await your comments below.

Of Salesmanship And Sequestration

February 20, 2013 / Ally Bean / 14 Comments

Did you know that at one point in my life I worked as a sales representative for a greeting card company?

That’s right, the woman who would prefer to be at home grooving to her own beat had a job dragging samples and order forms around her three-state territory convincing store owners to buy the products that she represented.

In spite of the job being a lousy fit for my personality and energy level, I was moderately successful at sales. Early on in my career as a sales rep I figured out a few basic principles that helped me focus on what mattered– that is, getting things done.

Here is what I learned:

Getting buyers to feel comfortable with their decisions requires the insight of a family therapist, the explanatory powers of a college professor & the enthusiasm of a family dog.
No one gets everything that they want. That is why dealmaking requires negotiation– which requires stepping outside your comfort zone and adapting to each unique situation.
Details make it happen. Chit-chat and generalities, while pleasant, are pointless when it comes time to sign the contract.
Every person you meet could be your next lead, so be polite and listen actively, at least for a little while, to everyone.
Say “thank you” to the buyer no matter what happens.

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Why, oh why, am I thinking about this topic today?

Well, it is because as I watch Washington NOT find a way to make reasonable deals about managing national finances, I am taken back to my days when my paycheck was tied to my ability to get things done. Sell more cards, make more money.

Very simple.

And while I was not always enthusiastic about all the deals that I made when I worked in sales, I did make deals. Lots of them. Because I knew that was what was expected of me. It was part of the job.

Very simple.

So as a way to help our poor [overpaid] Senators and Representatives learn how to focus on what matters and start making sensible deals that are not tied to unrealistic party lines, I have shared my five principles of salesmanship.

Perhaps if all of these Washington jackweasels would apply my principles to their discussions about the impending sequestration they would be moderately successful at their jobs. And get some things done that benefit all of us… not just their oversized egos.

Very simple.

Please & Thank You

November 23, 2012August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 12 Comments

Thank You is the bookend to Please. Much happens in-between the two.

Please is a Magic Word. I know that because when I was a girl in Brownies we were made to write all sorts of pithy advice on some paper keys. Then all the various keys were tied together with a piece of yarn.

Of course, one of the other keys reminded us to: Always Say Thank You. Be grateful, appreciative. Express this sentiment loudly and often.

Funny how often times in today’s world people do not say thank you. I think this is a shame because if no one says “thank you” to you, then how are you going to say “you’re welcome” back to him or her?

Heaven knows that this world would run more smoothly if everyone, everywhere was a bit more welcoming– and a bit less judgmental.

Is this not so? I thank you to think about this.

And to be grateful for those people who still know how to say “thank you.”

{ This is a writing exercise hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker, aka Gypsy Mama. To read more about it, click on the button below. Perhaps you’d like to join in, too. }