This is the third in a series of 10 posts aimed at giving tribute to people that I enjoy reading, inspire me in real life, and I consider friends. The idea is to write a post in their “voice.” I hope I get it right. This post is for Chris Brogan.

This blog is a collaborative community. You are as much a part of its success as the posts that I write. I can write about dozens of different topics, but the ones that mean the most are the ones that the community selects as most important to them.

Success means more than just being part of the community. Success means contributing to that community.

Success Means Contributing To Your Community

1. Comment on a post.
2. Present new ideas.
3. Engage in the debate.
4. Attend a meetup.
5. Give something of yourself.

Success Means Growing Your Community

1. Follow someone on Twitter that follows someone else
2. Link to a new blog.
3. Take someone’s phone call.
4. Make a phone to someone new.
5. Connect to new communities that share similar interests.

Success Means Understanding Your Community

1. Listen
2. Listen some more
3. Ask questions
4. Ask some more
5. Welcome criticism and feedback

The Tribute Posts 10 is a project by Micah Baldwin dedicated to writing 10 tribute blog posts in a row about the people he admires, considers friends, and learns from every day. Swing by [learntoduck.com] for more posts in the series, and if you have tribute ideas, feel free to share them, as this is a group project, and your opinion matters.

Get the entire series by subscribing to this blog, and please let the person who this tribute is for how much you appreciate him.

Photo Credit, CC Chapman

This is the second in a series of 10 posts aimed at giving tribute to people that I enjoy reading, inspire me in real life, and I consider friends. The idea is to write a post in their “voice.” I hope I get it right. This post is for Erin Kotecki Vest.

I have always been a bit of a loud mouth.

Stop nodding. Its not that funny.

I often think long and hard about things that matter the most to me. Then, my passion begins to take over, and I will try and convince anyone I to share my passion and join in my cause.

I speak.

People listen.

And it scares the shit out of me.

I would like to think that the difference between myself and other highly passionate people is that I try to temper my passion with thought. Well, as much as I can.

I listen.

People share.

And it empowers me.

I wish that big brands and the political parties would understand the power of a guy that writes on a blog, occasionally stirring up trouble over on Twitter, and generally using social media to make a point.

The blogosphere in 2008 is not just some fringe group of mommies, geeks, writers and other (as the kids say) “cutting edge” extremists.

You may not want to listen. But our voices demand you listen.

The folks in the blogosphere collectively are able to do what singularly one person cannot.

We can hold our candidates accountable. We can bring light to corporate activities that we dont agree with.

In 2008, you have to listen.

Or we just might make you swear.

Micah Baldwin is usually over at Learn To Duck causing trouble. Or behaving. Depending.

This is the first in a series of 10 posts aimed at giving tribute to people that I enjoy reading, inspire me in real life, and I consider friends. The idea is to write a post in their “voice.” I hope I get it right. This post is for Meg Fowler.

I spent most of the day today thinking and talking about LOVE.

People I LOVE. Things I LOVE. Ideas I LOVE.

I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could express that love in a purely manly non-creepy way, and came up with the following:

What if I was to write a series of blog posts in the style of those I admire as an expression of that LOVE?

So, here goes (see if you can guess who I pay tribute to):

THINGS I LOVE:
Writing about people I admire, because it makes me think of them.
My dogs, both of them, equally, except when Taylor is annoying.
My cats, yes all three of them.
Yerbe Mate Tea – Lemon Ginger
Lijit, for the people
Lijit, for the challenge
Songs that remind me of people
Short Hair
Creepy Mustaches
Made up names that mean everything to one person
Food delivered to my house
waffles
Flip Flops
Gadgets aplenty
Music that makes me cry from its beauty
Bands that make me want to wear their tshirts on the way home
Words that make my tongue stumble
Each of my tattoos, especially the one on my chest
The excitement of my friends when they succeed
When I have helped in that success
My backyard
My backyard when its filled with dogs running around
Absolute quiet, both inside and outside my mind
When my sisters do better than me
Singing and dancing in front of the mirror in my bathroom
Assuming no one knows that I sing and dance in my bathroom
A simple smile

And you?