Fraters Libertas

Takin' What They're Giving 'Cause I'm Blogging For A Livin'

Yesterday the Minneapolis Star Tribune had an article on a few local folks who are using blogs to help their businesses:

Norman Butler immediately tells his customers what's going on at his two Northfield restaurants, the Contented Cow and Chapati.

Chuck Olsen is trying to get financing for a documentary, "Blogumentary," from people all over the world.

They do this without leaving their office chairs.

Butler and Olsen keep weblogs or blogs, Internet journals that usually are updated daily or at least several times a week. They are stocked with a variety of content that includes text, photos and links to other Web sites.

Links to other web sites you say? What a novel idea. Perhaps one day in the future the Strib's web site might even include such revolutionary concepts.

I find it hard to believe that in an online story about blogs the Strib wouldn't think to include links to the blogs they were discussing. For those of you interested you can check out Chuck Olsen's blog here and the Blogumentary site here.

Consultants have also appeared to help businesses run blogs:

Griff Wigley, owner of Wigley & Associates of Northfield, has taught several Minnesota companies to run blogs. He said blogs enable people to see a human side to a company.

"You have to be aware what's on your mind, what's interesting to you, and write from your heart about it in a cogent way," Wigley said. "It reinforces your own values and makes it typically interesting to read by other people because they know it's coming from you."

And in fashion typical of consultants they seem to have managed to milk the opportunity for all it is worth:

In his business, Wigley spends several weeks teaching company owners the basics, which include writing entries, changing text style and adding links and pictures.

Several weeks? Pardon my skepticism but what exactly is it about blogging that requires SEVERAL WEEKS of training? Is it the pointing or the clicking that eats up most of time at these training sessions?

Perhaps my cynicism stems from the fact that here at Fraters Libertas our new employee blogging training consists of a tersely worded e-mail with a link that essentially says:

Go here. Follow instructions. If you have questions don't bother us. If you can't figure it out on your own you must have the brain power of retarded squirrel and would not be a good fit for our organization. Good day.