Comments on: Vague consultants and how-to articles are annoying http://trinaisakson.com/2009/08/vague-consultants-and-how-to-articles-are-annoying/ nonprofit capacity, community development, engaged citizenship, education Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: plommec http://trinaisakson.com/2009/08/vague-consultants-and-how-to-articles-are-annoying/#comment-29 plommec Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:45:44 +0000 http://trinaisakson.wordpress.com/?p=193#comment-29 Read your article, "Extroverts vs. Introverts" at Brazen and decided to take a look see at your blog. Liked the rant here. I have similar gripes with "How-To" article and see a lot of them as a waste because of vagueness and duh-ness. I also think that if people use their own good judgement and try something unknown to them instead of reading how-to articles outcomes will be similar to if an "expert" is used. Plus you gain confidence in your own abilities when you do things yourself. I have a blog post about this: http://is.gd/4CP3w Read your article, “Extroverts vs. Introverts” at Brazen and decided to take a look see at your blog. Liked the rant here. I have similar gripes with “How-To” article and see a lot of them as a waste because of vagueness and duh-ness. I also think that if people use their own good judgement and try something unknown to them instead of reading how-to articles outcomes will be similar to if an “expert” is used. Plus you gain confidence in your own abilities when you do things yourself. I have a blog post about this: http://is.gd/4CP3w

]]> By: Trina Isakson http://trinaisakson.com/2009/08/vague-consultants-and-how-to-articles-are-annoying/#comment-28 Trina Isakson Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:05:27 +0000 http://trinaisakson.wordpress.com/?p=193#comment-28 Definitely some downsides. I try to only tweet or RT things that I have read and found valuable enough to save for later reference. The speed with which some people RT stuff to me says that they are trusting in the text of the original tweet (or the authority of the original tweeter) without a critical read of the actual link content. The thing is that I think it's easy to buy into "top 5 lists". They're like self help books or books on "leadership". They make you feel good and inspired and ready to take on the world. For a few days. And then reality sinks in -- how will your life really change until you can transfer the vague tips to real, behavioural goals that allow you to DO? Definitely some downsides.

I try to only tweet or RT things that I have read and found valuable enough to save for later reference.

The speed with which some people RT stuff to me says that they are trusting in the text of the original tweet (or the authority of the original tweeter) without a critical read of the actual link content.

The thing is that I think it’s easy to buy into “top 5 lists”. They’re like self help books or books on “leadership”. They make you feel good and inspired and ready to take on the world. For a few days. And then reality sinks in — how will your life really change until you can transfer the vague tips to real, behavioural goals that allow you to DO?

]]> By: April http://trinaisakson.com/2009/08/vague-consultants-and-how-to-articles-are-annoying/#comment-27 April Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:27:38 +0000 http://trinaisakson.wordpress.com/?p=193#comment-27 I often wonder if Twitter is contributing to increasingly weaker blog writing. When you start Twittering you're told to add value - not talk about what you had for lunch). This is a good advice, but interpreted by many as just posting links to anything related to their personal Twitter brand. On top of that you have businesses and spammers who use blogs/Twitter just to draw traffic... Everyone knows that a "Five Things" list will draw attention (Cosmo, I'm looking at you) and I often wonder if the combination of these factors if driving increasingly lamer blogs and useless Top Ten lists. I often wonder if Twitter is contributing to increasingly weaker blog writing.

When you start Twittering you’re told to add value – not talk about what you had for lunch).
This is a good advice, but interpreted by many as just posting links to anything related to their personal Twitter brand. On top of that you have businesses and spammers who use blogs/Twitter just to draw traffic…

Everyone knows that a “Five Things” list will draw attention (Cosmo, I’m looking at you) and I often wonder if the combination of these factors if driving increasingly lamer blogs and useless Top Ten lists.

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