Building Community

So remember the other day when I said there were a ton of reasons why I blog?

Well, in the very beginning, 4 years ago, which is like eons ago in technology years, this blog was just a diary for me. Plain and simple. But it has grown to so much more than that. It’s a community. I connect with you here, on your blogs, via email, via Twitter, via Facebook, sometimes real life, and a million other places.

I love that.

And if you watch the trends, people are adding communities to blogs to connect with each other in new ways, that are – frankly – quite old. I may be a not-so-early adopter in terms of blogging (when you think of those brave souls who started in the early aughts) – but I *did* jump on the message board and forum bandwagon quite early. I am *still* part of a few mommy boards that helped me through pregnancy when I was flailing around in a perpetual state of panic, although we have moved on to the perpetual panic that comes to raising elementary aged kids. There are several ladies sprung from those message boards who I now jokingly call my “Life Management Team” because I can’t go to the bathroom without asking them what kind of toilet paper I should use. You think I am joking, but I am not. (Hi Teresa, Anne and Christina! I love the Angel Soft, thanks!)

My point is, I dig community. The sharing. The give and take.

So, when Savvy Source approached me to add Greeblemonkey to their burgeoning social network system, I jumped at the chance. I like that it’s part of a bigger whole, where other bloggers also have their communities, and we’re all under the Savvy Source umbrella. Which, if you have seen my sidebar, I am kinda familiar with. I also like that their network inspires conversation, but also has areas for us to share our favorite books, toys and activities for kids. A concrete place to get concrete advice – which is why I turned to message boards in the first place.

So, will you join us? Come over to the Greeblemonkey group, say hi – and also check out the other cool features.

I can’t wait to hear about what kind of toilet paper YOU use.

This article has 9 comments

  1. zipper

    great idea!

  2. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Shuey – no worries!

    It is kind of confusing, huh? I think of it as another gathering place. So, if you guys DON’T NEED yet another gathering place, I get it. 😉 The umbrella is Savvy Source, which started as a preschool rating site, expanded into local recommendation info for things to do in cities across the country – and recently launched the “My Savvy” section – which is a social network attached to the rest that I mentioned above.

    In the My Savvy area, you can connect with others, but the part I really like is you can get rec’s for boots, toys and activities from people you know and trust, plus chat about anything you want to. You can set up and join groups based on your interests – for example, I have a Denver Parents group on there too – and use all the features of the umbrella site.

    The groups you are seeing pop up today are related to specific blogs, where you can go there and talk to us more one-on-one about issues we post there, or things you want to post yourself. And the cool thing is, once you have a Savvy Source login (you can use Facebook Connect, so it’s easy) – you could join all three of the groups you mentions – IF YOU WANT. Or none. Totally up to you.

    I hope that helps!
    Aimee

  3. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    ha BOOKS – not boots. 😉

  4. Anonymous

    lovely post – m

  5. shuey6

    this is the 3rd group I’ve been invited to and I still don’t get it. do I copy/paste my relevant posts over there, write totally separate posts over there, message boards, friend requests, aaaaahhhhh.

    so confuzzled.

  6. Deb

    Our midcentury house insists on Scotts.

  7. shuey6

    that sounded cranky. didn’t mean it to be. um, cool idea/thanks!

  8. mamabirdsblog

    Glad I came back to this post. Still trying to figure Savvy Source out too. Your explanation helps. Hope to give it more of my attention than I have, and part of that means not being intimidated by it. Getting your SS updates helps me to dip my toe in more and more. Thanks for keeping us in the know!

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