"Thanks AmyD for the sweet scarf I won from Ryan!"
An interesting thing has been happening in my online circles as of late. People are holding contests and giving out prizes. Why are contests and prizes interesting? Well, in this case it is because the people giving them away are doing so primarily for altruistic reasons.
Jeff Johnson of Urban Infill is giving away a months COTA bus pass as a way of promoting local public transit. He doesn’t work for COTA, he is merely interested in giving someone else a chance at using (and thus growing) the public transit system here in Columbus. Ryan Morgan, an insurance specialist, has taken it upon himself to gather various local made gifts which he is giving away via Twitter trivia contests. He doesn’t work for the businesses he’s promoting, he just thinks it is important that we support local business. Alvin Borromeo raffled off tickets to COSI, similarly he doesn’t work for COSI he just thought it would be nice to support a local organization. He’s yet another blogger doing something good for the community.
Now I’m not naive enough to believe that these contests weren’t also going to raise the profile of these individuals and their own projects but I don’t think that matters in this case. The prizes that they were offering are specific; they relate to building, supporting, sustaining the kind of community they believe in. When McDonald’s has their Monopoly Game every year they aren’t trying to promote community, they’re merely looking for increased sales. Bloggers could surely do something similar, and certainly they have at times, but instead of focusing only on increasing site visits these folks are focused on making a change.
Gandhi is famous for saying “Be the change you wish to see” (sorry, paraphrasing) and while I hardly want to elevate every blogger to Gandhi like status I think that is essentially what drives most solo bloggers. This desire to try and shape the digital world in the way that is most pleasing to us. For some of us we are now finding a way to extend that to our analog world as well. For some of us there is no difference between analog and digital worlds.
So what does this mean for you?
Making the local connection « The Columbus Social Media Cafe
on Dec 18th, 2008
@ 9:40 pm:
[...] the local connection Posted on December 18, 2008 by Andrew Reposted from Andrew-Miller.com "Thanks AmyD for the sweet scarf I won from [...]
Ryan
on Dec 20th, 2008
@ 12:56 pm:
Damn you look fetching in that scarf.
What’s interesting about this is I don’t think of myself as an ‘insurance specialist’ any more than I think of myself as a ‘blogger’ — though indeed, technically, I suppose I’m both.
Maybe it’s just that (I feel) neither sufficiently defines me. *Insurance specialist* certainly doesn’t [puke].
No, here’s what it is: both are just parts of a much larger Big Picture project that ties together EVERYTHING I do. And you captured it above: building community. Or — another way of putting it: helping to build a local economy that sustains itself, our community, and a healthy environment, too.
For me, that ALL fits under the title of Evangelist for Columbus. That’s how I think of myself. And I’m just one of many (including yourself).
Last note re: digital and analog worlds: this takes us back to the talk you lead at Independents’ Day. The true power of the social media lies in taking these connections and relationships we’re building online and turning it into offline action. People who are using these tools well move effortlessly between the two.
Glad to be working side-by-side with you towards the same common-good goals. Thanks for EVERYTHING you do!
Andrew
on Dec 22nd, 2008
@ 9:26 am:
Ryan- Sorry, I am the same way about being called a “young professional” because I think it is way too narrow (and sad) of a definition of my life. I was trying to think of some way to include your Brilliant connection.
That said, to anyone reading this, Ryan is WAY more than just this one part of his life and to turn the tables I would like to say that Ryan inspires me and is the kind of person that keeps me getting up in the morning.
All I can say is you should keep track of Ryan and figure out how you might contribute to the work he’s doing, expand upon it, whatever. Columbus is going to be an even greater city thanks to Ryan, believe me.
Ryan
on Dec 22nd, 2008
@ 11:53 am:
No apology necessary, Andrew! Shoot I should be thanking YOU (if I didn’t already, I am now)! I appreciate the love!
I just think of insurance as one of the tools I happen to be currently using in order to fulfill a larger purpose, is all.
Reminds me of that first interview I did with Elizabeth Lessner back in the day for offbeatcolumbus.com — ‘restaurateur does not define me.’ It just so happens that kick-ass food joints are one of the tools through which she fulfills a much larger purpose, too.
(Incidentally, ANY halfway good idea I’ve ever had w/r/t brilliant is due DIRECTLY to the example of clients like her; great clients inspire great service.)