Networking. A word that depending on which hat I’m wearing can elicit small murmurs of geeky joy or loud groans of unmitigated pain.
The geeky joy comes when networking is used to describe setting up computers on a network. I probably like it so much because it’s pretty logical, it either works or it doesn’t and if it doesn’t the trouble shooting process of elimination, whilst sometimes long and protracted, usually always results in the desired outcome. With this sort of networking I have a tanker ship worth of patience that a Somalian pirate probably dreams of hijacking.
When networking involves mingling in a room of people, usually strangers, I die a little inside. I’m not sure why that is as I can usually talk the veritable hind legs off a donkey but stick me in a room of people with whom I share a tenuous link and I’m often hovering either at the bar or at the back of the room behind the potted plant or very often I stop at the bar, stock up on alcohol and then seek out the potted plant. At least I know I’m not alone in this, go to the back of any networking event and you’ll usually see an array of individuals gulping down Dutch Courage muttering that they’ll mingle after one more drink.
It therefore says something that, having resolved not to consume alcohol during 2009, I voluntarily started attending the monthly London Bloggers Meetups (LBM). It made sense really, I blog (yes, that’s what I call it!) and very often bemoan the lonely existence and as they have guest speakers and sponsors it’s a way of gaining some tips and advice from other seasoned bloggers as well as enjoying a few drinks, nibbles and very often the chance of coming away with a prize from the sponsor.
And so it was that on Wednesday I attended the January meetup with Chris, who has a nose for a freebie and who has also just started blogging properly. This was a pretty popular event, especially given that a lot of people were snowed in. However I have a feeling that the good turn out was perhaps related to the main sponsor, Vodafone, who were giving away a shiny Apple iPhone. Needless to say I didn’t win it but their entertainment budget extended to more than a few drinks which I was able to take advantage of this time round as the self imposed drinking ban was lifted. The other speaker was from electricpig.co.uk who was there to explain the joys of live blogging. Not much use for me but I could see it’s potential and like a geek I went off to have a read about it anyway.
I’m enjoying the LBMs and at each one I meet a few new people and expand not only my horizons but shock! horror! my social network! I did however have to chuckle, quite loudly I admit, when the winner of the iPhone gave the audience her sage SEO advice. If you are going to blog about Grey Goose Vodka, make sure you mention Grey Goose Vodka. 2 days on and I’m still trying to figure out how you could blog about it without mentioning it?! Maybe that’s why I’m not an SEO consultant, tho it’s probably not for nothing that the word con is in there ;)
