Have you ever been in a conversation with someone at a networking event and been struck by the fact that they seemed taut and alert to everything...but you! Fidgeting half-smiles and darting eyes belie the fact that they're they're eager to make a connection with....the NEXT person, more important than you are. And as soon as they think they've spotted them...OFF they go.

People like this are actually involved with three conversations. The FIRST with themselves...omnipresent and all important in their own minds. The SECOND being the current half engagement within the conversation at hand, and the THIRD conversation, well it's the one they intend to have as soon as they're finished with you.

There's a part of me that has to give grudging admiration to these network operators. They get it. A networking event is not about communing on deep, intimate levels, it's about making the largest number of connections within a short period of time. Some of which may eventually pan out to significant contacts in the future. I personally dislike networking events because I prefer deeply engaging conversation. But a networking event is not a success if you deeply connect with the 3 people you already knew before you arrived!

It occurs to me that there are some similarities with the world of the blogosphere. Millions of blogs published everyday prove that many of us have absolutely no problem having extensive cconversations within our OWN minds. We're all eager to share our mental machinations through our blogs. Hopefully, someone stops by or sticks around long enough to engage us for a bit. But, that's over usually within 24 hours. In-fact the conversation on the blogosphere is now stripping to it's most minimal reality in the twitter.

As the conversation within a blog eeks out it's last splutters of comments, we jump click...anxious to engage the next thought flitting through the cyber universe. The flirtation with the next newest idea or barely re-worked old one is picked up until something just a tad more titillating comes along. And what ultimately comes of this? Usually, not too much.

But, with the thousands of hits and views, a third level of conversation somehow manages to nab even the networkers. Unexpectedly, a chance encounter resonates at a core level of engagement. Sometimes the spark is instant, sometimes culled over several encounters. This is where magic appears. And it's often unanticipated.

Magic is conversations with people which seem strangely effortless. Magic is shared understanding and respect and admiration. Magic is when a chance encounter meets an irresistible force called Connection. This is the Third Conversation...and perhaps, the only that really matters. It stands to reason that in the world of real estate blogging, those who create Magic will ultimately make Money.

Understanding this frees me to appreciate the fact that all three levels of conversation have their place and I can enjoy them at the level which they are without expecting them to deliver something which they cannot.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

I just completed a search to see what was popular on the topic real estate on digg. I am preplexed that so many real estate submissions on this network have such an incredibly low rate of diggs. (Diggs are votes cast about the popularity or relevance of a article/blog post.)

With the Exception of an article on "Real Estate in Dubai" which had over 1400 diggs, most other blog posts on real estate looked a little lonely and forlorn...1-2 diggs.

And...the guy who wrote the fascinating article on Dubai is NOT even a real estate agent. It seems like we may be missing a huge opportunity to get our own stories out! What do you think? Do you Digg?

If you're perplexed by all the DIGGING going on...read Elizabeth Chris Griffin's article and the comment thread about feeling as though she was suddenly being digged to death!

Other Digg Notable Mentions about Real Estate

New Commercial Real Estate Web 2.0 Start-up - 11 diggs

Article by RIS Media on Launch of Zolve.com - 2 diggs - I found this low number surprising as RIS is a major Internet media outlet. Digg obviously has different rules about what is considered popular and worth reading. But the fact remains, this medium is shaping the context of the conversation about a number of topics...real estate included.

After going through page after page of real estate related digg submissions...there were more than 500 in all with 1,2 or 3 diggs...it became depressing. I'm wondering, why aren't real estate professionals supporting ourselves on this forum, yet we continue to submit articles. It seems to me that we've chosen to allow other people to tell our story on a forum which has tremendous amplification potential.

The photo in this post is from my experimentation with a new photoshop program. It's unfinished. Is this what we're doing by submitting hundreds of articles to digg without supporting other real estate writers...particularly bloggers who we know write good stuff from Active Rain? To me it feels like we're posting an unfinished picture...not entirely committed to what it will take to be truly relevant in a Web 2.0 world. Hey, I'd digg your thoughts...

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

Two articles in Newsweek Magazine literally grabbed my attention.  Blogging is rapidly transforming our world!  In some other parts of the world, Bloggers are so intimidating to the "powers that be" that they are being sent to jail!  Would you be willing to go to Jail for the Content You Write in Your Blog?

I initially read the print version of Dan Ephron's Newsweek magazine article (June 11, 2007) entitled "Unwanted Attention."  The issue that was highlighted was the efforts of Arab dissidents using blogging as a means of political protest.  One Syrian Blogger, Ammar Abdulhamid, now in exile is confined to blogging about the events in his country and other parts of the Arab world from his home in Washington DC.  The article indicates that Abdulhamid  has "watched as regimes from Tunisia to Iran jailed bloggers and intimidated others into ditching their keyboards."

According the Ephron, it is just recently that governments in the Middle East have begun to understand  the power that influential bloggers can have on affairs of  State.  And they're not necessarily pleased with what they perceive...hence jail or severe censure for some blog writers who threaten to upset the status quo with their opinions.

This angst is not limited to the Arab world.China is also monitoring Bloggers much more assiduously.  According to an on-line article by Newsweek writer Sarah Schafer, entitled "Blogger Nation", there are now 1 Million Active Bloggers in China.  Although this number is small  in comparison to the percentage of registered Bloggers which number 30 Million, it is a HUGE increase within the past couple of years.  By comparison, the United States has between 15 Million to 30 Million active Bloggers.

So, why is it a big deal?  Well, this is a Big Deal because in some of the world's most populous nations, the individual voice has historically been severely curtailed.  When it was heard, if at all...it spoke in muted whispers, cloaked in fear & wary of being singled out or intimidated.  Most of the time, the individual voice was smothered in TOTAL silence, despairing of ever being heard in totalitarian systems that oppressed people and deprived them of basic human rights.  Blogging has given the individual back his voice...with a ROAR that could not have been anticipated or easily silenced.

It's been a two edged sword, an unconventional weapon of warfare defined by the  rapid fire of posts typed with staccato clicks onto a keyboard & then launched into the world.  The blogger's post has succeeded masterfully in evading the slow detection methods of the Government Censors to blast open conventions & norms that had been impregnable fortresses for centuries.  All this in 24 Months....

The democratization of such a potent force is an inherent strategic challenge to most power structures.  The power of Blogs to communicate with authority & influence can be likened to the difficulty a nation state has to fighting guerrilla warfare.  How does an organized batallion of infantry defend against an enemy of One?  How do you quickly identify the enemy combatant who slips in & out of uniform or never wears it at all, merely merging into the population when expedient? 

Similarly, how do you police the content of a medium in which millions sign up and contribute just one post before disappearing into the vacuous ethers of the blogosphere never to be heard from again?  How do you monitor everything that's being said by everyone at anytime?  On what basis do you Create the Rules?  Who Will Enforce Them?  And How?

This discussion is not merely occurring overseas.  It is a topic which is rapidly emerging as a focal point at the National level for the real estate industry.  Recently at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) convention, Blogging was briefly addressed & then tabled until November according to a blog post by Real Estate Trainer, Monika McGillicuddy in which she described her participation in the Professional Standards Committee meeting. Among the issues which Monika refers to in her post, "NAR Looking at Blogs" are:

1.  Realtors responsibility for monitoring & editing their blogs and the blogs of those licensed to them

2.  Realtors posting anonymous or unflattering (but true) comments to other Realtor's blogs

3.  Issues with the delay in Blog Comment Postings...Disclosure regarding whether a Blog is run on "Real Time"

One quote from the blog post made me pause in sober reflection;  Monika, referring to her experience at a National Forum for real estate professionals writes:

"One thing I learned while in DC is that there are many-many people who have no clue what blogging is and surprisingly people in important positions who do not see any merit in blogging and will not encourage their sales associates to blog!"

As I reflect on this statement, I wonder if we flatter ourselves somewhat in thinking we far more progressive than governments across the world who are reacting rather than responding the the challenges of this New Age.  They too are responding to the challenges of dealing with a world in cyberspace that they do not understand or refuse to acknowledge.  In this new arena, the implications of not understanding the impact of this medium does not bode well for the creation of policy to protect and enhance the welfare of our organization.  Blogging is a powerful tool!  The essential elements of it's practical implications must be fully grasped if we are to effectively grapple with the scope of issues which are transforming the politics of conversation. 

Blogging has released the power of a Single Voice in much the same way that the splitting of the atom released the awesome & fearful specter of nuclear energy in the atomic bomb.  There is reason to be cautious  and deliberate about determining the best way to move forward.  It is a force that can be ignited for tremendous good...it is also capable of bringing out the worst in us.  There is also wisdom in the knowledge that we cannot go back...this genie has shattered the bottle from which it escaped!

Real Estate Blogging Seminar in Grand Rapids, Michigan...A Great Success!

Notos Old World Style Italian Restaurant was the setting for the 1st Ever Blogging Seminar for Real Estate Professionals.  The event, was well attended inspite of a severe winter storm that surprised everyone in the middle of April! The seminar sparked a lot of interest and discussion about the implications of this revolutionary new technology for marketing and networking.  Most attendees had little or no prior experience with blogging. 

The 2 hour presentation included a wonderful meal served with excellence by the staff of Notos.  Tony Noto, the owner was personally on hand to ensure that no detail was missed. This beautiful, newly renovated world class facility has the capacity to cater to groups of up to 700 but can also provide small intimate arch coved gathering rooms for groups as small as 2-4!  It was a superbly fitting setting for this historic event!

Lola Audu was introduced by Ethan Dozeman of Platinum Realty Group who also shared the incredible success he has experienced in 30 days of blogging on Active Rain.  A multi-media presentation which linked to the Internet for participants to see "real time" search enging results demonstrated to attendees the power of Blogging to increase search engine optimization & significantly expand the results of marketing efforts. 

Lola's presentation provided seminar participants with easy to follow steps to get started on blogging and precise information about Blogging Do's & Don'ts.  The Seminar was Sponsored by First American Title Company, America's Preferred Home Warranty Company &First Horizons Home Loans.  One lucky winner won the GPS Global Navigational System...an appropriate prize for an event which is providing Michigan Real Estate Agents & other Related Professionals associated with the Housing industy with Positive New Innovative Options to Navigate & Succeed in a challenging market. 

Seminar participants filled out detailed surveys of their impressions of the event.  The response was overwhelmingly positive with many indicating a desire for a follow-up.  Here are some of the responses received from today's seminar.  All quotes are used with permission.

Margaret Kass- Real Estate Agent: " This gave me a good taste of the future.  Although this seminar pushed my tech limits, it is a good start!"

Bill Pearl - Real Estate Broker:  "All very good & clear.  This demystifies websites and Blogging.  I had no idea that Bloggin could be used for business.  I thought it was just social."

Scot Kellogg - Real Estate Agent/Builder:  When asked if he would recommend this seminar to a friend, " Yes, this is Very Relevant."

Renee Rothenthaler- Real Estate Agent remarked:  " Blogging is the New Information Pipeline for customers & ourselves."

Donna Batdorff - Real Estate Agent & Current President of Grand Rapids Chapter of Women's Council of Realtors:  "Absolutely Excellent Presentation!  Material was great but I think the presentation of it was very effective."

Jay Spencer - Real Estate Broker:  " This was very well laid out & thought out.  Everyone can take something from this!"

Penny Nowakowski - Interior Designer & Stager:  "I'm grateful to know ways to market myself that are effective with today's prospects!"

Tracy Greenman - Current Member of Active Rain Community Network: "If utilized, this will take your business to the next level!"

Kathy Thayer - Mortgage Loan Originator:  " Yes, this was very informative & interesting!  I had NO idea about blogging for marketing.  Lola did a great job!

Sarah Baar - Mortgage loan Officer:  "This helped me with the first step."

All Seminar participants who indicated a desire to do so will be invited to join Real Town Blogs and/or Active Rain!  We are very excited about the launch of this program and the impact it will have within the real estate professional community!  To View a Show Featuring Highlights of the Seminar, Click on any of the Pictures or here.

Have you ever received a backhanded compliment and wondered how to respond?  You're not sure whether to say thank you or bug off.  Well, in the Blogosphere, Hijacking a Blog Post is rapidly becoming an issue that every Blogger must be aware of.  When search engine results for Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate Agents  began to consistently rank my Blog on the first page, some of my Blog Posts were hijacked!  In it's most benign form, hijacking can be construed to be the on-line version of a back handed compliment.  In it's malignant form, it is just plain THEFT. 

As a very new Blogger,  I was not anticipating this type of problem.  But as more of my posts became indexed on search engines, I began to notice links to sites that I did not recognize. Initially these links re-directed the search to my original post but more recently, I have noticed a more deceptive, malicious form of redirection.  Taking my title and even the initial first few phrases of my Blog Post, these thieves would then create a link which would re-direct my Blog Post to their own website or whatever they were trying to sell.  In my case...flip-this-house-.com and  oogleclick.com are using my on-line resume and teaching course schedule to re-direct searches to their websites.

I find this very disturbing.  There is no means of contacting a live person by telephone and the e-mail path is so convoluted  that I wonder if anyone would ever respond to my "cease & desist" order.  Fortunately, I am a member of Active Rain.  It occurred to me that this may have happened to someone else, so I did a search and literally put in the words: "hijacked blog".  To my utter amazement , an excellent post by the Harper Team popped up entitled "Help, Stop Your Posts From Being Hijacked". 

As a result of reading the Harper Team post, I now understand that there are at least 2 types of re-directs that can happen to a blog post on-line.  Both are SPAM by nature; one is a form of a back handed compliment and the other is outright THEFT of your idea, name, article, copyright, and legitimate search engine postion.  The former may or may not be worth the time to pursue, as the re-direct is still coming back to you as the original author. But when someone actually steals your content and puports it to be their own, it must be reported. 

To View an Example of  On-Line Out-right Theft vs. a  Simple Redirect on a Spam Blog, you can Click on this link to a Google Search for Blogs with my name Lola Audu.  The 4th entry with the Sticky About Lola is actually a Stolen Blog Post by flip-this-house-.com and also the 5th entry by oogle.com.  According to Oogle, my on-line resume will help you to figure out "What your real Value is" ....perhaps they can take a bit of their own advice by starting with the word  REAL and removing FALSE links.   It is important to check from time to time to see if this is being done with material you are posting.  It has been said that "evil thrives when good men do nothing".

Google does take this seriously. The Harper Team post has a link to the Google Spam Report to report offenders.  This type of activity pollutes the integrity of search engine results for everyone.

According to Google: " We work hard to return the most relevant results for every search we conduct. To that end, we encourage site managers to make their content straightforward and easily understood by users and search engines alike. Unfortunately, not all websites have users' best interests at heart. Trying to deceive (spam) our web crawler by means of hidden text, deceptive cloaking or doorway pages compromises the quality of our results and degrades the search experience for everyone." 

When you experience this scenario, take heart...it probably means you're good enough to warrant some attention.  After, you've calmed down, take the appropriate measures to correct the situation. This is an area in which we must all take personal responsibility. If you can find a number or e-mail, inform the Spammer that they need to cease and desisit from the inappriate use of you name and material.  Next, contact Google or your search engine administrator to report the problem.

I was heartened to see that Laurie Manny's Post on the Active Rain Network that was originally mentioned in the Harper Team Blog has been deactivated. This works!

Here are links to some Excellent Posts that can assist you in dealing with these issues:

• Help, Stop Your Posts From Being Hijacked...by the Harper Team
• Excellent article by David Kyle, The Skinny on Blogging in Relation to SEO which gives BACKGROUND about why some of this type of activity is occuring.
• Stopping Spam...by Jacqulyn Richey
• Grand Theft Blog...by Maureen McCabe.  Also, the post following is highlighted in one of her comments.
• Help, I've Been Hijacked...interesting blog post by Kevin Boer of 3 Oceans Real Estate...he describes a situation in which during a transfer of domain names, someone was able to hijack his blog address.
• Top Ranking in Google GUARANTEED, Jay & Francy Thompson shed light on Scammers who use deceptive and sometimes costly techniques to do a lot of damage.

These excellent resources are worth more than their weight in gold....Education like this is hard to find.  Thank you Active Rain Community.  Membership has truly Rained In many Benefits!