A valuable historical piece of land was threatened by a big box retail store early in 2008. As a result of the threat, I got involved in an advocacy project to save the property, but I couldn’t get print media to cover the story. After trying for months, while watching the situation deteriorate, I turned to a practical alternative, a blog called Someone Noticed. All at once I’d become a blogger with a cause.
The weblog served its purpose by creating far more attention on the proposal than I would have ever have been able to create in a newspaper. I’m now happy to report that the property is no longer at risk since the the town has stopped persuing the development interest.
From that experience, as well as my other blogging activities for courses and publishing historical pieces, I’ve developed a new workshop called “Blogging for a cause” In this one to three hour program, I share this real world experience with participants. It takes participants through the process of using this medium, with comprehensive discussions ranging from the basic technical concepts to how to leverage this web 2.0 product for community advocacy. It also examines how to create a compelling site, as well as how to strategize and leverage resources to serve as an effective advocate.