They are called “social medias”: Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ etc. – the media aspect is quite clear, but why social? In my almost two years of writing blogs and being on Twitter I think I have realized, what is social about it. If you want to be a “member” of one of those social medias you have to be active and inter-active.
Imagine a real room with some real people in it. If you just stand there and don’t do anything, you are not part of the group and you might get bored pretty fast. I don’t know if this would stand an academic discussion but isn’t a “social group” something where at least some people interact with each other? It’s not an interaction if someone just talks and never listens or just wants to sell his or her own stuff.
This is exactly what I experience with Twitter or Google+, if someone just floods the timeline with their posts (or only re-posted things) I remove them from my groups pretty fast. On the other hand, people who never “say” a thing go unnoticed. I like the ones, where some kind of interaction works: I comment on their posts, I re-tweet their tweets and vice versa – that’s the way I get to know them a little. Not in the same way as sitting face to face and talk of course. Anyway, I don’t think it’s possible that the social media can replace the real social. It is something else and that’s very OK.
But how do I get the interaction going?
A way to get some interaction for example on your blog is “Blog Carnival”, “Blog Festivals” or “memes”. (I have to admit that I have no idea what “meme” means, but they seem to work the same way 
)
I have learnt about this from my birding peeps. When I found my first Carnival I didn’t know what this was all about. But @kolibrix explained it and I was very glad he did.
A Carnival or whatever it’s called, is bringing together different bloggers: one hosts the Carnival and writes one post with links to all the other posts submitted by other bloggers. (I have read some very creative ways and stories of putting all those links together, not just a list.) Then you read that one post, open all the links and leave a comment on all the other posts. That’s how you get to know other bloggers with similar interests and they come visit your blog. Sometimes it’s only someone hosting, but getting the interaction works the same.
I know some great festivals on birding and nature topics:
Some have started with lots of enthusiasm and it looks like they have stopped (An inordinate Fondness and The Moth and Me)
But what about cooking or writing or anything else – if you happen to know of any, I’d be happy to know.
Happy festivals and carnivals!
P.S. On Twitter and Google+ there are topics like #SongbirdSaturday or #MacroMonday and people post their fitting photos with this tag. There are a lot of other topics, just hang around or search and you’ll find one that fits your interest.
