Group Dynamics

As 2009 winds down, there is so much to consider. It's easy enough to let the holiday madness swallow me up, but more often than not I find my thoughts turning to...dogs of course! I have to admit that being immersed in dog culture - the blogs, the people, the dogs themselves - is completely addictive. I simply can't get enough.

That said, many of you have heard me espouse the virtues of  Facebook more than once. I'm a big fan. I love visiting blogs and catching snippets of what is happening with our friends. But there is only so much one can make room for in a blog post, and it's impossible to find time to track down hundreds of bloggers individually to have meaningful conversations that go beyond what we are able to convey in comments. In other words, it's not easy getting to know all of these fantastic people that we visit hundreds of times each year. That sucks.

Of course, many of you have been on Facebook for some time or have found it in the last year. It's been so much fun to see some of our blogging friends joining and getting completely hooked. In some cases, it would seem that blogging has actually taken a back seat to Facebook interaction. There are so many dogs and dog lovers that you can lose yourself for days just taking it all in. It's tremendous fun. What impresses me most is the sense of community. It is not uncommon to see dog lovers unite for the sake of causes, and to see such acts of kindness on a daily basis is inspiring beyond description.

I'll stop flogging this and get to the point. As much as I love blogging, there is no substitute for interacting with the great people behind the blogs. It has been a privilege getting to know so many of you this year, and in an effort to facilitate more (and better) interaction between us, I have developed a new Dog Bloggers group here. If you are on Facebook and are not comfortable connecting your personal profile to those of us you do not know, this group will allow for dynamic interaction while letting you decide what level of privacy you wish to maintain. In other words, you don't have to connect to my profile.

Feel free to breathe a sigh of relief. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm considered by many to be a nut job. : p

In addition to social interaction, the new groups plus platform is great. It is adware free, virus free, and feature rich. There is a calendar for group members to add events to - anything you like. Fundraisers, reunions, dog birthdays...you name it. There is a poll generator, so we can tap in to group opinions for important issues. Files can be uploaded. Find a great dog related resource in a PDF? Just upload it! The same goes for links, pictures and videos. There is a discussion forum and the ability to PM other members as well.

So why join? Well, for starters, seventy or so of us have done so in the past two days alone. My expectation is that this group will be robust and relevant. In addition to being able to communicate on an entirely different level, there is another giant benefit: exposure. I invite you to "pimp your blog" so to speak. In other words, the art of shameless self promotion is appreciated. That's what the wall is for. If you have a post that you are dying to share, or happen across something you think the rest of us should see, this is the perfect place to shout about it. Another benefit: the group is now listed in the Facebook directory, so more Facebook members will find it as they search for dog groups.

There are millions of dog lovers on Facebook, and many of them are dog blog readers. This is a great place for them to discover you. Join us as we usher in 2010 with a few new tricks up our proverbial sleeves. I'll do my best to promote the group, create an exciting environment, help you with blogging questions, and get you more readers. The rest is in your paws.