Mobile Productivity Feed

What’s the best blogging platform?

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What’s the best blogging platform? I’m asked that question with genuine expectation of revealing the holy grail. Some times it’s for reassurance that they have the right one it seems, for others what they really mean is ‘What platform will write my blog for me?’

There are options I tell them.

There is of course the blogging facility built into your existing website’s CMS (content management system) Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix and Weebly for example.

There are article posting platforms where the facility to post long form enables friends, followers, connections or in newsletter and blog terms, subscribers provide tools and distribution within a closed ecosphere. LinkedIn and Facebook for example.

Where are your audience I will inevitably enquire.

There are article posting platforms with audiences of their own. Medium and YouTube are examples. Blogging doesn’t necessarily have to be text based.

And there is the dedicated blog with RSS subscription which loops back round to the first option, the existing CMS. In this category I also place platforms that extend to enable a blog presence.

The two I’m favouring right now at the dawn of 2022, Typepad and Postach.io fall into this category. I’m always looking for the path of least resistance. Mapping, observing and following cyberspace desire lines. Both platforms have the post by email facility.

These paths of least resistance out in the world are delightfully named Desire Lines. If you haven’t come across the notion they are the worn routes in the grass that rebel against the fixed outlined path of an authority or architect’s intent.

I want to write, post, proof and publish with the least fuss and constraint.

In 2021 I used Typepad as the platform, composing my posts in Apple Note before sending the final draft with an image by email to Typepad, set to draft where I proof read, tagged, added an extract, published and distributed sporadically to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn or Meduim.

I also intermittently posted to Postach.io

Postach.io is platform extender that uses Evernote as its CMS. If you are an Evernote fan you will adore Postach.io

It’s free. On sign up it will ask you to assign an Evernote Notebook to contain your posts. A note tagged ‘published’ will post to your postach.io presence. There are some simple mark up instructions to enhance formatting if required but at its most basic it provides an independent presence online for you. I have a domain name it points to www.socialmediawomble.co.uk and connects to Google analytics to monitor activity. It also generates a RSS feed.

The default url is pcmcreative.pistachio.io

Being able to compose posts away from my desk and easily publish from my mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop is important for my workflow.

For me Apple Note is accessible on all my devises and provides a place to build up a repository of blog post ideas and progressive drafts. I title notes with a month and day date for notes I’ll consider for blog posts. This year I’m prefixing with 22 for 2022 and a number to count the posts published. Last year I didn’t have an identification on ideas posted to separate from posts waiting to be written.

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It’s important to have a method in your workflow. When you drop the routine (I daily blogged in 2021 to the end of April) it makes it so much easier to start again. This mindset process, workflow and containment encompassing prep to post to publication arose from a desire to blog but a hurdle that not doing it frustrated me. The notorious condition I have heard references as ‘Bloggers Guilt’.

So here are my tips to get you blogging.

Top 5 tips to start you blogging in 2022

1. Its all about the workflow
2. Path of least resistance
3. Log your ideas
4. Your place, your space
5. Understand your cycle

As a social technology consultant and mentor I offer 30 min free video call sessions. Give me a call, I’m pcmcreative on Twitter.

Uncredited found photo in header - source


Mulling IT Over 2 - starting in Oban a 3wk unboxing

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Over next few weeks I’m unpicking and sharing my mobile media capture, making, production and publishing process.

I use what I have to hand in the budget I can afford. Low cost is key for first timers too. Its the output practice. The workflow.

The journey to get here is the beginning. This annual holiday is about the unraveling and release of my internal dialogue. I get to examine my media making kit, I review my assistive tech. I try and make media I don’t get the chance to when doing projects for others. I try and write the eBooks that complete projects but never were required to sign off on the deliverable that got me paid. I let my mind roan the ponder.

I’ve got a body cam I’m experimenting with. This blog via email process. I have a box of tech which I thought essential to this vacation.

Let’s see.


For your hybrid and blended audience and event solutions... this way please.

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A lot of the kit arrived today for the next PCM TechBox. Testing & unboxing heaven! Each commissioned TechBox is bespoke to the requirement of the client following discussions about the media the company or organisation need to make. This current box is a triple threat box! vlogging, video conferencing, media making. #ExtendTheAudience

This PCM TechBox is for the @UNESCO UK site Cromford Mills. 

The TechBoxes I build contains everything a marketing team, event or theatre company need to boss their video media making and live streaming as lockdown lifts. It is an all in one solution in a literal box. It includes a consultation, content creation strategy, set up and basic video/film making training. This intermediate package costs £4,500

This kit is compiled to splits into 3 parts. It is multipurpose multi-media.

  1. Mobile vlogging, social media and vox-pops.
  2. YouTube and podcast studio set up.
  3. Video conferencing and livestreaming.

Everything, including a laptop and the box it all goes in. Wondering how you blend or extend your audience after lockdown? Wondering how you livestream on a budget?

Whatever the output I provide a most current technology centred solution that can grow, scale and be augmented as your media making confidence is established. I'll help with workflow too so the content you capture makes it online.

So far

  • Stabilising hand-held gimbal with mobile phone and GoPro brackets
  • Mini shotgun mic (mobile and video camera jack cables)
  • Pocket video lightGoPro with waterproof housing
  • Cold shoe handheld rig for mobile and GoPro
  • 4K video camera (for capture and streaming)
  • Tripod
  • X2 table top dimming fill lights
  • Power ext with x4 13amp and x6 USB sockets
  • X2 Wireless lavelier mics (mobile and video camera jack cables)
  • Conferencing speaker with 360 mic pick-upCables & Accessories case

Items remaining will be determined based on the inter gratin of the tech acquired so far.

  • Projector (to view remote audience in the physical venue)
  • Screen Laptop (with video and audio editing software installed)
  • Tablet / Monitor / SwitcherStorage / Flight case
  • Portable power pack
  • Power extension Mobile WiFi

For a theatre company, events agency looking to explore hybrid opportunities there is not a better place to begin than a conversation with PCM.


Livescribe - Lonely in Lockdown

Prior to Covid my most trusty and assistive piece of technology was my Livescribe Pen. I have an eBay search running looking for pens on sale I buy for colleagues and clients when compiling essential tech and media making kit boxes.

During lockdown along with my mobile power packs my livescribe pens have sat idol.

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In lockdown I have spent all my working from my desktop computer. My magic notebook has been set aside. 

Analogue pen and pen, digital transcription with audio accompanying. Searchable digital version. Handwriting to text. But it needs sound in the room to capture.

During lockdown for most of my meetings I have worn headphones. So I’d have a lot of one sided conversations! A year or so ago I discovered Otter. It was for its dictation but it really blossomed when it’s Zoom integration emerged. I was looking into closed captions and top of the list popped Otter.

The connection transcribes my Zoom calls to text as well as storing a copy of the audio without having to remember to hit record.

It’s dyslexic peace of mind. The big bonus is that is affords me the concentration of future recall without having to take full notes.

Plus Otter augments into Zoom’s CC api. I’ve been so impressed by Otters development during Covid. Accessibility has become priority with the events and productions I have supported.

Providing remote access can now be fully accessible too.

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On our way

categories: 2020, Moblogging, Mobile Productivity, Practice what you preach

Arrived at Scotch Corner for bacon, sausage and omelette bap from Greggs. So far so potato! Then...

Recovered...

Vid 1 - Tow be or not Tow be! *dyslexic giggle*

Treshnish 2020 nearly ended before reaching the ferry port! Little Lupo is sitting this one out. Thank you Eden Garage for saving the day.



Photo 1 - Lupo


Photo 2 - Hire Car

I now have car tech to play with. Onwards to Oban

Video 2 - Blue Sky

Mainland stop over. Hugs and laughter and masks. Fish and Chips, ending the day with an internet 'click and collect' Tesco food shop.

I want to drop in a random PCM side note on each post. Today's is...
I discovered DICE thanks to tweet from James Whatley. Diversity & Inclusion at Conferences and Events certification - https://www.getdice.co.uk/dicecharter

NOTE:
Had to log in to manually resize photos and add to categories
Videos I attached were too large for Gmail to send.


Keep in Super Simple


categories: 2020, Moblogging, Mobile Productivity, Practice what you preach

Blogging by email is very easy. It’s literally sending an email to your blog. Email address, the blog’s. Subject, the blog title. Email Body becomes the blog text.

I like to simplify but planning and prep can be the downfall of grassroots simplicity.

Generally moblogging will post EVERYTHING in the email body so removing the signature or making it blog post compatible is a must. I’m just clearing the email body so only the blog post is in the email.

The process should be, compose, post, check. The first time post check is important to make sure the post is as expected. Once happy with the result checking might not be immediately possible is live blogging ‘on the ground’.

Now, my blog is hosted on Typepad. Typepad does provide me with an email for this purpose.

It does instruct how to categorise the post but that bit isn’t behaving as I expected. Categories can we linked and produce auto updating feeds. Using action trigger services such as Zapier or IFTTT open up other distribution and cross posting opportunities. What to know more about that let me know in the comments.

I over complicated things by composing in iOS Note. Included photos, Vidio clips and links only to find I couldn’t copy to paste from the mobile version of the app with media and links inserted. 

So this... composed in Gmail on my mobile, photo attached with categories at the start as instructed (not expecting that to work it needs investigating) but I wanted to get a post out.

Simple often has its own minimalist complexion - don’t add complication. Simple is as simple does!

... and post

Made it to Mull

NOTE:

  • Categories had to be manually added later.
  • Photo size has to be manually reduced. Will optimise images before attaching in future.

Moblogging... mobile blogging

So it has been a while since I was blogging by mobile. A while since I serious blogged at all. Its time to fly. I have some great projects on the cards, topics I'm researching and hurdles I'm jumping, journeys I'm embarking upon, mountains I'm climbing. All that, I want to reflect on. Oh, and the 100k aspiration. That is quite exhilarating if a tad daunting.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy!


What's in a Stage Manager’s digital tool box?

I have on occasion been referred to as Mary Poppins, one time when a friend was asked at a party I was also a guest at ‘You don’t happen to have, xxx do you? My friend replied, well I don’t but I expect CJ does! I opened my kit bag and yes I had a whistle! I was visiting friends in York at the time but a stage manager is never truly off duty! It’s deep in our psyche.

MaryPopins-Astonishment

The revelation of the whistle about my person prompted - wow you are like Mary Poppins. The word had got around! Yes, I can’t go anywhere without a tool kit and a myriad of items that one day might come in handy.

So what about my digital ‘carpet bag’? Before sharing what’s in it I think a definition of the structure of the ‘digital carpet bag’!

Working on the move the apps you use, how you connect to them and the smoothest transition from desk to devices is important. That is the toolkit for this article.

Continue reading "What's in a Stage Manager’s digital tool box?" »


Rocketbook - Dyslexics & Scribblers, you need one of these.

Potentially, the only notebook you will ever need to buy, ever again. I kid you not. You don't need a special tech pen, but you do need to use Pilot Frixion pens. I can't wait to get mine. 

"Rocketbook allows people to enjoy the pleasure of writing in a traditional paper and pen notebook, while digitizing all notes and sending them to the cloud, without introducing any special electronics." says the campaign page.

image from images.indiegogo.com

 Cool or what?

Go check it out

image from images.indiegogo.com

A microsite solution for your events - Twoppy

When is an app not an app? When its a mobile optimised dedicated miro-site. Twoppy sits perfectly on most web enabled mobile devises. No multi-platform designing necessary just a few more steps to install than the one click 'install' command app store users are familiar with.

twoppy® was founded in 2009 and is based in Leusden en Leiden, The Netherlands. With every event you organise the possibility to offer an easy to use and affordable mobile event guide is a reality. twoppy® can be used for festivals, exhibitions, conferences, amusement parks, zoos, sporting events and more... check out the Twoppy "Dream Team"

The New Technologies for New Audiences has a Twoppy event guide. The Audience or attending delegates use the event guides for free, to modify the branding as CultuurNet Flanders has done requires a basic upgrade at a cost of £152.27 for a year. The intention of this post is to get the New Technologies for New Audiences event guide on to your devise for you to get great added value when you attend next week's events. The method my vary from devise to devise. These screenshots are from an iPhone.

This is the event guide once installed.

ETM_ghent twoppy 1Program: Lists the programmed sessions scheduled with date and times. When multiple sessions are taking place at one time the event guide enabled you to indicate 'wanna go' and builds a personal itinerary for you. Brilliant!

Speakers: Tells you who is speaking, what session they are presenting and the 'wanna go' button adds the session to your personal itinerary.

Map: Plots on a local map of the event area the venue, hotels and near by establishment the organiser wants to hi-light.

Wanna Go: This is where your personal session schedule is created and stored for a quick glace showing only the sessions you selected to attend.

Information: Everything you need to know about the event itself.

Visitors: Who is attending which sessions and doubles as a checkin service to indicate who was there.

Tweets: All the hash-tagged tweets without having to go to twitter or even have a twitter account.

Partners: Who has made the event possible? Who has supported the project? Local organisation or businesses with special offers to delegates. This is an acknowledgements board.

Here is how.

Open your mobile devise's browser and enter the URL m.twoppy.com but don't follow the instructions immediately.

Scroll down the list without cancelling the pop up box and tap the New Technologies for New Audiences event icon before carrying out the instructions starting by tapping the button indicated and 'Add to Home Screen'

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Next you add the text to appear beneath the icon when it appears as the app on your devise. Tap return!

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Locate the icon on your devise. Explore the Event Guide enjoy the New Technologies for Audience event. If you are in Ghent find me, tweet. If you are unable to attend join me on the live-stream, there is direct chat on the livestream viewer and there will be a chat room running on the Audiences Europe Network.

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