Liz Strauss started a conversation regarding blogging as a metaphor. So just what is a blog? You start to explain it and non-bloggers’ eyes start to glaze over.
Some time ago I gave a presentation to a key officer of a multimillion dollar organization. I took it for granted that he knew what a blog was. Big mistake, one I hopefully will not be making again. I tried to shift gears, grasping for some great metaphor to condense my half hour “what is a blog” speech into ten seconds. It was too late. It was like pitching a cell phone to a Golden Retriever. Before I could find my metaphor, I had lost him. That unfortunate encounter gave me some time to consider the metaphor I sought so desperately that day in front of the CEO.
I finally found it: A blog is a bullhorn.
Used correctly, a blog can amplify your voice ten, one hundred, one thousand fold. Whether you use your bullhorn to help people or hurt people, or maybe just to contrast how much smarter you seemed before you voiced your opinion, the world will listen and decide how loud your bullhorn should be.
Say magical things, help people out, develop and solidify relationships and your bullhorn becomes very loud. Use it selfishly or maliciously and you will find it very very quiet, very quickly.
Oh yeah, that CEO? He’s now saying magical things through a very loud bullhorn of his own.
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