OK, so, I'm busy.

Things have been quiet here but I'm still blogging, still busy...

I'm very fortunate to be part of a crisis communications webinar for PR News, where I'll focus on the role of social media.

I've always been interested in political speeches.  In 2008 I collected some of the best speeches of that presidential campaign, and this year I wrote a post analyzing the more prominent political convention speeches for Virtual Vantage Points.

I'm also looking at the challenges the science community has interacting with life's decision makers - big thanks to Brenna Burke, who inspired this post at VVP's Healthscope. I'm really looking forward to #scio13 and to co-moderating a panel with Emily Willingham.

Speaking of science, I'm still chipping in the occasional "Blogs Worth Cheering For" post at Science Cheerleader.  Here's the latest.

A lot has been going on - I'm having a lot of "off the record" conversations with bloggers about their ambitions and how they're trying to evolve at the pace of digital media.  It's a real challenge for many of the early adopters.  I'm also starting to piece a manifesto of sorts - it may be a while before it materializes, but I've seen a lot from people I respect about how journalists, brands and bloggers interact and the sometimes uneasy relationship between transparency and truth.

I've also seen a lot of people really bare all online in terms of personal challenges, and I've thought about how that can impact one's professional life.  I don't share much in terms of personal details online - the nature of my work is such that over-sharing is instant the moment you get personal - but I think I understand why so many people do it. Maybe some of it is just narcissism, but that's not the whole story.

I think some of it has to do with the strength of the relationships people build online, to individuals and to an identified community.  It's something I know people in my line of work really want to tap - but that's not possible unless you're willing to share something of yourself in the process, become somewhat vulnerable.  It's a lot easier if you're a legitimate member of the online community that receives your outreach.  As a man who reaches out to online moms, and as a lay person who reaches out to science writers, it's a real challenge.  It takes a lot of time.  But I do think I've made some progress and I'm noodling what happens next.