Hello. I’m a freelance web copywriter and editor. I create concise, accessible copy in plain English. Nice to meet you.
Events and conferences are a great way to network and top up your knowledge. As a freelancer, I know these are important but still have to get to one (the benefits have to be significant to justify the cost). Read the rest of this entry »
New Media Age (NMA) has a free webinar coming up that might be of interest to anyone working with content. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re a web copywriter, web manager, web editor or in any way involved with web content, this webinar may interest you. ‘Are you content strategy material?’ is being hosted by Rahel Bailie and Scott Abel at 6pm GMT on Friday 15 April 2011. Read the rest of this entry »
The CS Forum has just launched its website for its London event, 5-7 September 2011. It’s aimed at content strategists, writers, web designers, developers, entrepreneurs and basically anyone with an interest in what goes into websites.
Speakers confirmed to date include web-content expert Gerry McGovern and usability/IA/UX guru Karen McGrane.
The first CS Forum ran in 2010 in Paris and was the “first public conference solely dedicated to content strategy”. The organisers aim to make it an annual European event for learning, sharing and networking.
It sounds like a brilliant event and I was planning to go. But the truth is, at the moment I feel that the price is a bit steep and inflexible (especially for freelancers) at 549 GBP for a two-day conference (no one-day options) without any workshops!
I know it’s really important to network and develop new skills, so I’ll have to think about it… Watch this space.
Last Wednesday I pottered into lovely Palma de Mallorca to be part of Mashable’s Social Media Day. There’s not a very big local networking scene locally (except for TwittPalma) so I thought I should make the most of it.
Of course, it was a Spanish event that also attracted some English speakers like myself. And herein lies the problem with lots of networking events – it’s scary speaking to new people. And if they speak a different language you’re not fluent in? Even more so.
I’m not really a fan of networking; it all feels a bit unnatural and, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a necessary evil. But conversely, I love meeting new people and talking with them. But not about work. And especially not in a forced way…
So, as often happens, people kept to the groups (of very lovely people, of course) that they knew. Next time, I think the ‘social’ aspect of the event should be harnessed, maybe in a ‘speed dating’ way.
Everyone who attends receives a number. Then they pick a number out of a hat and have to speak to that person for five minutes, at the same time swapping Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook details. Repeat…
After maybe 30 minutes of this, everyone will have met 6 people and, hopefully, have enough people to speak to for the rest of the evening.
Check out this brilliant timelapse video of the event – can you spot me? I’m in a blue shirt and jeans, and am stood for quite a while on the right-hand side of the frame…
Accessibility 2.0 is a one-day conference looking at practical solutions to accessibility problems in Web 2.0 applications. It is being held in London on Friday 25 April, 2008.
The event is being held by AbilityNet, a charity that helps disabled people use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology.
The day will cover areas such as user-generated content, tools to watch or avoid and assistive technologies.
There is also a session looking at how to build a social network for disabled users. It will use the Disability Information Portal (DIP) as a case study. This is a Web 2.0 site for disabled people, developed by Leonard Cheshire Disability.
It sounds like a very interesting day – registration closes at 3pm on Wednesday 23 April, so book soon if you want to attend.
