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All About Blellow: A Productivity Microblog for Professionals

posted by Jane on March 29th, 2010
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What does the word “Blellow” mean?
It’s a term that was invented in one episode of the 2005 hit show “Malcolm in the Middle”. In that episode, Reese says: “I invented a new color…I mixed blue and yellow and got…blellow!”. Since then, the definition of blellow has been expanded a bit by some non-mainstream sources. From the Unword Dictionary, Blellow is “The color produced when mixing blue and yellow, when green is just too mundane a word.”

What is Blellow, the social network?
For Mandi Leman, Blellow’s creator, the name blellow aptly describes the concept of creating something new using known elements. After years of freelancing as an independent art director and interaction designer and founding a small online ad agency called MediaRich.net, Mandi became acutely aware of the challenges that freelancers and entrepreneurs face when they work alone, usually at home. Everyone can use a second set of eyes or additional ideas from their peers or professionals like themselves. Knowledge is meant to be shared. While there are many tools for learning, our best resources are each other.

How will Blellow help me?
Blellow uses the idea of a microblog that is kind of like Twitter, a bit like Facebook, and as John Biggs pointed out in his article on Techcrunch, throw in LinkedIn and Yammer in the mix. Mashable and the Huffington Post writers agree that Blellow is a “better microblog” that is designed specifically for productivity and getting work done.

I already use Twitter and Facebook. Why would I use Blellow too?

The answer is that if you don’t need a network for pro to pro communication, then you probably don’t need to use Blellow too. But if you could use getting advice from entrepreneurs or creative or tech pros, Blellow’s main purpose is to do exactly that. The way it is structured and its user base make it entirely unique. While Twitter and Facebook have many more members, they are both networks that are used predominately for keeping socially connected with a wide range of people and usually for work reasons as an aside rather than as a primary purpose. Blellow is made up of around 7500 creative and technical entrepreneurs, freelancers, as well as corporate professionals who are all there to collaborate, solve problems and help each other work on projects. Blellow is structured into groups, both private and public, and because of that, pros can communicate with groups of people based on skills and interests that help them with their work. They can direct posts, get better answers to questions, relevant feedback, and can engage in conversations that they are most interested in because of groups. They can also share all kinds of files, which Twitter doesn’t support at all and Facebook only allows people to share pictures or videos. Pros can opt in to receiving messages from groups that they belong to and can create private groups. Private groups can be used to share files and communicate with clients or with other professionals you are working with.

What are some Blellow success stories?
You can see Blellow success stories taking place every day. These don’t need to be big game changers, but they comprise of the things that professional people need every day. Things like getting quick answers to work questions, people helping you collaborate on projects, getting non-biased feedback from pros, and sharing helpful industry-related info & resources. It’s free to post project and job leads and most members get leads by just joining in the conversation.

How Blellow Can Help You.

Mandi Leman, Blellow’s founder: “When you work alone as a freelancer, you don’t have a group of people at your fingertips to help you figure things out.”. “You can’t just stop someone in the hall to ask a question. That’s why Blellow is so important: It’s a way to get instantaneous advice from the right people, who have the expertise you need at that very moment.”

Today’s economic climate makes Blellow even more of a necessity. “As full-time jobs disappear, more and more people are looking for contract work and making the transition to freelancing. Being able to reach out to professional networks is more important than ever before.”

Featured Blellow Freelancers: Available for Contracted Projects!

posted by Jane on June 19th, 2009
2,931 views  |  Comments

Artists, Designers, Illustrators

Jerlyn
Thomas,
NYC
I’m a senior interactive graphic designer at the 2nd largest advertising agency in the world. I am a hybrid: Designer/Developer. I love constantly learning and love being busy, looking to network with people who love to create :-)!

Curtis
McHale,
Chilliwack
BC
Web designer and developer. HTML, CSS, jQuery, javascript, wordpress, design, frontend coder, Ruby on Rails designer

Frontend coder working hard to find some exciting design/dev work. http://www.curtismchale.ca/

Allan
Knopp,
Essex, UK

Graphic design, Illustration, Artwork, Giclee prints, Large format prints, Canvas prints, Watercolour prints. Freelance, providing a full service including design, artwork, visuals, and various styles of illustration from graphs to 3D modelling. I also supply wide format prints on canvas and a variety of other materials

Zak
Morris,
St Louis,
Missouri
Drawing, digital graphics, webdesign and consultation, user experience A chaotic creative with perfectionist expectations. Facinated by all things techy-sporty-webby-human..y. Always looking to collaborate and network. Portfolio

Will Guy,
San Francisco, CA

cartooning, illustration, flash art creation, unusual, irreverent, when theres no other word for it but goopy

Krisztian Szilagyi,
Budapest, Hungary
Web, motion and dream design.

Ohh wadda beautyfull life. It’s like lickin’ honey off the knife..! http://pegazoo.hu/

Jamey
Miller,
Atlanta, GA
Roanoke,
VA
Hey, Im Jamey, I have about 8 years experience in Graphic Design and Web Design. I have done a lot of logos and web sites but can also do wordpress themes and myspace. I am available for full time or freelance in the Atlanta, GA area or Roanoke, VA areas. Check me out. www.jameymiller.com

April
Baird,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
Canada
Hey, I’m April. I am an Artist of all sorts. I mainly focus on illustration and graphic design work. I do play around with photography from time to time. I also do a lot of crafty stuff. I’m from Halifax NS. Check me out @
www.aprilmdesigns.com

Nik Hurwood,
Kent, UK
Web and print designer, writer..
You can tell a story many ways, I choose to tell it with other peoples imaginations. http://bloglander.co.uk/

Samuel John Klein,
Portland,
Oregon

Digital layout, illustration, writing. Portfolio

Leslie
&
Mauricio
Los Angeles,
CA
lmd_port
Mauricio and Leslie own a partnership in a design firm Land Mind Design (LMD) and we are always open to projects, along with inspiration! We specialize in print design but also dab in web design, illustration, and motion graphics. We are in the Los Angeles area, but are looking to expand.

Melinda
Stanley
Halifax,
Nova Scotia,
Canada
bears
Melinda, Halifax, NS - I’m an illustrator, graphic designer and in another lifetime—photographer. I also design for the web and I’m currently learning Drupal and Joomla. Since January, much of my attention has been on illustration; research, marketing, and expanding my portfolio.

Ren Rieskamp
Northern Illinois
Print design, print publishing, prepress, illustration.

I’m a fun-loving graphic artist in the greater Chicago area, specializng in print!

Don David Vera ,
Bogotá D.C
Hi! I’m dondavidvera.com now working full time as UI Designer… but able to do some freelance projects… greetings! Experience with flash websites, actionscript 3.0, social media marketing, e-cards, microsites, flash components, cms, html websites, blogs, seo, illustration.

Mariya
writehere
i’m mariya. working as art director and designer at templatemonster.com for 6 years. freelancer, always seeking interesting projects, open to work. owner of arriba.cc online magazine.

Martin Maruša,
Bratislava, Slovakia
So hello, i’m Martin, from Bratislava, Slovakia (Europe ;) I’m a student and starting freelancer in web design and web programming, I’m open to new projects. Graphic Designer and Web Designer available for hire. http://mattonik.deviantart.com/

Pierre Pradal,
Romans-sur-Isère
Hi to all. I’m Pierre. I’m an experienced Game Designer, Multimedia Author and Project Manager currently working on various video game and serious game project. I’m french and available as freelance. Will be happy to provide help on any project. http://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrepradal

Andrea
Cutler,
USA
I am Andrea Cutler, a graphic designer, looking for projects. I do logos, identity collateral, packaging, poster design, and front end web. I am available for freelance work.

Matt Quirk,
Tempe,
Arizona

Hey all! I’m open for projects on a weak deadline. I work full time @ TwitterBackgrounds.com creating Free and Custom Twitter backgrounds. I’m looking for some extra work on the side to beef up my portfolio: logo design, layouts, print collateral, etc. Located in the Phoenix area. =)

Daniel
Luciani,
Tuscany,
Italy

:D I’m an illustrator and comic artist from Italy! Open to collaborations also in multimedia field..

Sruli
Broocker,
Pittsburgh,
PA

3D Character Animation (Maya), 2D Character Animation (Flash, Anime Studio Pro), Concept Design, Freelance Animator, Designer.

Cam
Marshall,
Kelowna,
BC

Hey yo! I’m Cam and I’m an interactive web designer from British Columbia, Canada. I’m open to working on mixed-media projects of all types. I have experience in the markerting/advertising and web design/development industries…

http://www.cammarshall.ca/

Michael
Cohen,
Vancouver,
BC

I’m Michael, and I’m an Illustrator and Graphic Designer in Vancouver, British Columbia. Open for projects in print/web/brand identity. Currently looking for a kick butt web developer to work with, as well as a great copy writer to add value to my graphic design company, http://www.awscreative.com/

Nicholas
Jackson,
Bemidji,
MN

Graphics, Illustration

Dane Stevens
I’m Dane, a Web and Graphics Designer. I do mostly front-end design and a little bit of back-end. I am currently working on a social networking site as my first real back-end project. (It’s always good to have some extra work.) XHTML/CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Photoshop, Web & Graphics Design Professional
http://www.dsmedia.ca/portfolio/

Ricardo Gimenes,
São Paulo,

Brazil

Cartoonist, Illustrator

Marc,
Aotearoa
Hi there everyone! I’m Marc and I’m a graphic and Identity designer. After graduating University with a Masters, I’ve been plying my trade with various clothing and print companies. I work for myself as a graphic & strategic designer.
http://artisticbloom.blogspot.com/

Photographers

Frederique
Porter,
NYC
fred
Hello, I’m Frederique. I’m a freelance photographer based in NYC. I’m open to projects, networking and sharing ideas. I love creating art with my images and adding text!

Chad Wright,
Austin, Texas
Photography, Design, Ideas

I’m a husband and father living in Austin, Texas and hustling every day to help others.

Matthew Hoffman,
New Hampshire
Digital and Film Photography, Graphic Design and Typesetting

Adventurer with a camera in tow.

Printers

Jim Dittmer,
Portland,
Oregon
Photoshop-Social Media- Color Management-Printing Geek! http://www.jdapdx.com/

Coders and Developers

Josh
Salverda,
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada
I am a freelance Web Developer currently located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have been designing web sites for the past three years and have worked for a few different web development companies. http://www.joshsalverda.com/

Jason
Peltier,
Houstonish,
Texas
I’m Jason Peltier. I’m a freelance/contract developer working mainly in PSD2HTML/CSS projects. I’ve just started with an iPhone dev group in Houston and will be doing their graphics. I’ve developed a few Wordpress sites in different roles and am moving my online portfolio to WP right now. Focused on front-end development. Interested in all things web. http://www.mesmerlab.com

Paul
Stewart,
Chicago,
Illinois
Arck Interactive: We are engineers who develop web-based solutions that help your organization make money, save time, increase productivity and improve internal/external communication. We make programming sexy.. http://arckinteractive.com

Brian J. King,
Bowling Green, OH
Flash Media Server, OS X Server Management, UI, AdWords, Social Media, E-Commerce, Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Marketing, Management,

New media marketer & designer striving to change the world. http://brianjking.com/

Kim
Beasley
WordPress, Drupal, Membership websites, Training, Custom Templates, and business consulting

Create membership websites using WordPress or Drupal. Love blogging, singing and writing books. http://promembershipservices.com/

Anne
Cossette,
Flagstaff &
Phoenix,
Arizona
Hello I’m Anne, a user-experience (front-end or user-interface) site designer & developer. I specialize in front end coding & web development and do some graphic design, tho’ my strength is def. coding and development (usability + content architecture), and SEO too. http://dewlillydesign.com/

Nathan
Williams,
Rancho
Cucamonga,
California
I’m Nathan. I am a Web Developer from Southern California. I have been coding php, html, css, javascript, actionscript for over ten years and within the past year have been developing in Ruby on Rails and iPhone. I have a full-time position but I also work part-time freelancing. Ruby on Rails, PHP, CSS, XHTML, Actionscript, and iPhone Dev

Sean K. Stewart,
Winder,
Georgi
a

Front-end Web Development, CMS Customizer, UX Design, CSS/XHTML, SEO

I’m a web developing audiophile… let’s rock and roll

http://www.clubwinder.com/portfolio

Paul
Rule,
Sydney,
Australia
Hi, I’m Paul, and I’m primarily a java based web app developer based in Sydney, Australia. I work across the board with html, css, javascript and Java/JEE. Personally working with Grails and Groovy these days. http://javathinking.com/

Chris
Charabaruk
Toronto,
Canada
I’m Chris. I am currently developing an online task manager called Taskerrific. I’ve been a programmer for almost four fifths of my life and I’m interested in breaking into social media consulting. C++, C#, Drupal, application development, web development, Programmer and social media geek. Available for hire for short-term work.I’m from the Toronto area (in Canada). http://coldacid.net/resume

John
Wright,
Southern
California
Hi Everyone, I’m John Wright and I’m mostly a backend programmer type doing all the nuts, bolts and functionality of an app. My programming background includes work in .NET, LAMP, Java, C++ and many other libraries, tools etc. Currently I use LAMP. I’m good with XHTML, CSS, and jQuery also. http://wrightlabs.net/

Jon
Park,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
UK
Hi, I’m Jon in Newcastle, UK. I’m an all round web developer of 6 years. My favourite area at the moment is in HTML/CSS and JS (I love jQuery), though am a fully-competent PHP programmer too.

Cesare,
Italy
I am Cesare, from Italy. I am an interaction designer. I design and develop Rich Internet Applications. Recently focusing on mobile user experience. Always considering kick ass projects. If interested drop me a line.

Robbie Spencer,
Columbus, Ohio
I’m Robbie Spencer and I specialize in internet startups and digital art. I’m currently running three different projects, specifically one dealing with Blellow and another with Twitter. If you have experience with Windows Mobile, iPhone, or Front end web design, drop me a line! Web Design (XHTML, CSS), Graphic Editing, Customer Service, Administration, Investments. Social Media Addict who seeks to use the Internet in new and creative ways. http://linkedin.com/in/robbiespencer

Social Media, Internet Marketing, Sales

Mark
Sherrick,
Connecticut
I’m Mark Sherrick. My experience is in sales, customer service, CRM, market research, marketing, advertising, sales, motivation, brainstorming, creative consulting, general design, and R&D. I’m in Connecticut and I’m looking for work. http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksherrick

Ruhani
Rabin,
Malaysia
Hi I’m Ruhani Rabin, Living in Malaysia. Currently working as Chief Tech Architect of one of the leading Interactive Media agencies. Almost 11 years experience with software, networking and web development. Focused on Web 2.0/SocialMedia/UX for clients. Available for quick Wordpress based projects or open source products, installations etc. http://www.linkedin.com/in/ruhanirabin

Bo
Cable,
Orlando,
Florida
Hi I’m Bo Cable. I live in the Orlando area. I am an iMedia Coach. I teach and train corporations, small businesses and individuals how to leverage the internet for profit. Otherwise known as an Internet Marketing & Conversion Strategist. I am always looking for opportunities to work with others. http://www.bocable.com/

Damien
Robinson,
Jacksonville,
Florida
New Media, User Interface Design, SEO, Web and Database Development, PHP, mySQL, XML. I’m looking for business executives, entrepreneurs or community leaders who seek to implement social media into their organization. I’m the Managing Partner and Vice Pres. of Technology & New Media with a brand development & technology company located in Jacksonville, Florida. http://www.cime4.com/

Craig
Childs,
San Antonio,
Texas
I help people create and market their brand. http://www.onlinebricks.com/

Music, Audio Engineers

Dan Mazal,
San Antonio,
TX
México DF
Music/audio production and postproduction. Sound design. Copywriting and editing. Marketing. Advertising. English/Spanish translation.

Nate
Trier,
Connecticut
Hi! I’m Nate Trier, I live in eastern CT (no, not the part with all the yachts ;) I’m a musician, music teacher and audio engineer. I’m also a writer and editor (I also slice and dice!). I’m currently getting into e-learning and online content delivery (a must for any indie musician). http://www.triermusic.com/

Robb
Blatt,
Brooklyn,
NY
Audio and Video Production, WordPress customization,

An Emmy and Oscar award winning audio engineer and podcaster
http://blattcaveproductions.com/

Film, Video, Broadcast

Marcos
Horacio,
Rio de Janeiro
Hi, I’m Marcos Horacio and I’m a film editor / filmmaker. I live in Rio de Janeiro, where I own a trailer editing company and freelance as well, but I’m moving back to the US over the next year. Film, TV and video Editing, Motion Graphics, After Effects, Photoshop, expert in trailer and TV spot editing with experience in documentary work as well. http://www.marcosh.com/marcosh.html

Kamaur
Bonfield,
New Jersey
Hello my name is Kamaur. I’m open to doing projects that makes me think. I work doing broadcast motion graphics. I live in New Jersey, USA. I’m open to collaborate on projects.

Matthew Balthrop,
NoVA
HI EVERYBODY! I’m Dr. Nick!…No, wait. i’m Matthew. I’m a Creative Director and I work with companies nationwide on their marketing and branding campaigns. My focus is in the effective implementation of video into campaigns and creating that content at a reasonable cost. www.g14media.tv Creative Director, Broadcast Producer/Director, New Media Creator, FCS/Avid Editor

Shaun,
Las Vegas,
Nevada

My name is Shaun. I live in Las Vegas. I have been in talk radio for 12 years. Local radio and internet radio experience. I was the guy that started the nuts campaign to CBS in 2007 that saved the TV series JERICHO. I am still talking TV on my radio show/podcast TV TALK.
http://shrinkify.com/ic6

Writing

Guy Cross,
UK,
Scotland
Blogger, writer, product evangelism, community manager, ideas, facilitation -

a nice guy who works hard

Deborah Aldridge,
South
Florida
I’m Deborah, and I write about mostly green living and gardening. I’m published online on Associated Content, Suite 101, Bright Hub, Examiner, and eHow. I also have a personal blog and two others, one on gardening and one on Urban Homesteading. I’m available for private writing assignments. http://greenlasagna.com/

Erin
New Jersey
Writer, editor, virtual assistant services. Music/art loving freelancer available for contract work.

Social Media Rockstar-In-Training

giovanni2009mediumIf you had asked me two years ago what social media was, I probably would have guessed it was a decked-out kegger party bus of full of fun-loving journalists traveling about the country. But thanks to a great freelance job working for MediaRich, a web development and marketing company owned by our same favorite CEO, Mandi Leman, I was launched in to this wonderland of tweets and unconferences. Slowly but surely this thing called social media finally started to make some sense, but every day is still a learning process.

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to become a social-media-rock-star-in-training by attending a Social Media Workshop hosted by Giovanni Galluci. I am including in this post some high level highlights of things that really stuck with me after the workshop. Hopefully I’ll give you just enough to whet your social media whistle and encourage you to jump at the opportunity to attend one of his workshops.

Meeting Gern Blanston

From the very beginning, I knew it was going to be a great workshop thanks to a quick introduction to Gern Blanston. You can check him out on Twitter and once you figure out why he made it into Giovanni’s workshop, you’ll gain a whole new perspective into this beast we call social media.

Surprise, You Had No Idea Who I Was

While you can and should develop a plan on who and how to target your message, sometimes a person you least expect to have influence can be the catalyst to getting your message to gain momentum. Giovanni presented a couple of great case studies for his client Viewzy, a visual search engine. It seems almost unreal how a simple tweet can get you on CNN, but it happens. So, talk to everyone and assume nothing.

SEO, You Know What it Means. How Do You Do It?

Giovanni took some time to dig in a little to SEO. If you are like me, it’s something you know about and could rattle off vocabulary words like key word saturation and anchor text. But do you really know how they work to get you found by search engines? For those of you who don’t, just remember 5-7% keyword density is optimal, and for those of you who do, a good refresher now and then is always good!

Where to Promote and Wearing a Gray Hat

One of the things that has made Giovanni so successful is his willingness to toe the line and challenge the expected norm. Understanding to what extent some “gray hat” techniques can be used is important if you want to adopt an aggressive online strategy. I won’t give away the secrets he revealed about where that line is when it comes to Facebook promotions and using Linked In, but it was certainly (dare I don my own gray hat) insightful and potentially very useful.

We’re Off to See the Twitter

Twitter is the social media beast I am the most familiar with, after Blellow of course, but I still took away some great tips on how to use it more effectively. Ultimately, Twitter is a powerful tool. If you are willing to squint and blur the edges of what “normal” behavior is, it can be one of the most powerful ways to market your idea, product, or service.

Sow Your Oats

If you want to be searchable and gain some notoriety for what you do, you have to be willing to go out and sow the field with things that are going to lead people back to you. Giovanni gives great advice on how to use blogging and commenting, social media bookmarking, and news aggregation sites like Digg to help you to “plant” your name and product/service in many different places.

Be Seen & Be Heard

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, so if you are not currently using audio, video and imagery as part of your marketing strategy, you should be. But there is more to it than just uploading your video or photos. During this session of the workshop, you learn how to use these sites to their maximum advantage.

Less Work, Same Benefit

Is it possible to exist as a marketing rock star without working your fingers to the bone 24/7? Using some of these marketing methods can be time consuming. You actually have to do the work, but there are some tools out there that can help you do it faster and more efficiently; places like Friend Feed, FeedBurner, and Ping.fm. If you are not already using these tools, you should be. Gio gives great advice on how to use these sites to save you time and effort but still achieve great results.

Other Tools & Measuring Success

And last but not least, there is a whole slew of other software and tools that you can utilize to just be better at this thing we call social media. A couple that I know personally that have made things easier for me are Tweetdeck and Twitterhawk.

And in this business, it can be a little bit harder to step up and put your money where your mouth is. I sat in awe during this session as Giovanni explained his method for putting a value on what social media marketing can mean. He shares an awesome case study of a campaign he worked on with Will Hurley that shows how two days worth of work earned the equivalent of $850k worth of more traditional marketing methods. Holy cow, Batman, I think I see a rockstar!

Here is a link to his site and schedule of upcoming events. You’ll never meet a more humble, down-to-earth guy who is willing to share so many great insights and techniques with you. I left his workshop fired up and motivated and ready to take what I had learned and apply it. So, whether you are just getting started or are a seasoned SM professional, take a day and sit in this workshop.   You could be the next social media rockstar!

Summer In Full Color

Weather report this morning said it is going to be 100 degrees on Thursday, and in my book that means it’s summertime. But besides the heat, summer for me has always meant enjoying nature and time outside. I hope you enjoy this collection of colorful images that remind me of summer.

(Click on any image to see the full size source, and give these photographers kudos for taking such beautiful pictures!)

Red Rose Red Tomatoes Red Umbrellas
Orange Flipflops Orange Fireworks Orange Flower
Yellow Boat Yellow Flower Yellow Sun
Green Grass Green Limes Green Shack
Blue Water Blue Balloon Blueberries
Purple Heron Purple Berries Purple Flowers
pinkhibiscus pinksky pinkflamingos

Are you a photographer? We have a photography group on Blellow and we would love to have you as a member. Come check it out!

The Wild Wild West of Social Media

istock_000006405472xsmallA couple of months ago, Mandi and I had the opportunity to attend an AMA event in Austin titled the Wild Wild West of Social Media. There, the three distinct minds of Erica O’Grady, Giovanni Galluci, and Dave Evans gave us their take on how to use social media effectively. And ever since that night, the idea that social media is a new frontier of sorts for many folks has really stuck in my head. And now that I am leaving the great state of Texas, home of the Cowboys, Stetson hats and Black Angus beef, for the great state of California, it only seems right to put on some sepia-toned glasses, so to speak, and take a look at this new frontier called social media.

The Boom Towns
If you’re looking to make a move to the Social Media Frontier then your best bet is to take up residence in places like Twitter-ville and Facebook-ington. There you’ll find plenty of folks to learn from and network with. They are literally thriving metropolises where it is easy to find people you have something in common with, but equally as easy to get lost in the crowd.

The Trains
Just as it was in the middle of the 19th century, to get anywhere in social media you have to ride the train. All aboard the Tweetdeck and Friendfeed Express and get your message to its final destination as quick as a speeding locomotive.

The Telegraph
But trains aren’t the only way to be heard by your network. Thanks to the great telegraph companies like Ping.fm, one message can be sent to dozens of recipients all at the same time.

The General Store
Something for everyone and something when you need it, most folks visit the Digg & Delicious general store every so often. Great place to meet knew folks, swap stories with friends, and get a 10-pound sack of tutorial links or a barrel of the latest industry news.

The People
But as it is in any town, the people are really what make social media happen. And just like the fearless pioneers who set off to make their way in the wild world that was, social media has its pioneers and townsfolk as well.

The Gold Miners
They work their craft like miners with their pan and tenaciously and meticulously use every social media tool out there to spread their message. They revel in the small nuggets called connections and every once in a while hit the mother lode by writing a great blog post or passing along that one link that sets their network abuzz with excitement and discussion.

The Cowboys
Just plain fun to be around and listen too, these hard-working, trail blazing social media types are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. They can be hard to get to know, but once you make friends, you have a loyal companion for life to help you spread the word and rock solid sources of great advice.

The Gunslingers
These social media bandits use every creative idea they can think of to spread their message. These guys aren’t necessarily dangerous, but definitely toe the line when it comes to breaking the social media interaction laws. These fearless, headstrong pioneers dare to challenge the accepted norm and if nothing else, provide the Mashable & TechCrunch Gazettes with excellent gossip.

The Traveling Medicine Shows
These charlatans arrive with a cleverly crafted message that sounds like a cure to what ails you. But upon closer inspection, you discover they’re selling you and every other person they can get their sticky fingers on, bottles of  the very same dehydrated water with a mysterious SPAM label on the bottle.

The Sheriffs
Every community needs a peacekeeper and social media sheriffs do their part to keep the peace when necessary. They wear badges like “Community Manager” and “Social Media Coach”, work to make sure everyone understands what the rules are and are quick on the draw to let you know if you’ve crossed the line.

And for the most part, life in Social Media town is peaceful with folks going about their business, connecting, networking, and discussing. But everyone once in a while, usually when a Sheriff and a Gunslinger disagree, it’s all bets off and the Open Forum & Blog Comment Corral is full up with tension and the lively gunshot-like prattle of a social media showdown.

Blellow Town
Now where does Blellow fit into this scene of a western landscape? We’re a brand new settlement, not yet connected to the depot but laying down tracks to make it easier for folks to come visit. We’ve got big plans for our little town with the industry of sharing knowledge and experience driving our every move.

Yessiree, the social media landscape sure does have an old west feel to it, but like those that conquered a new and dangerous territory, we are now embarking on that same kind of adventure. Full of dangers and trials, but in the end, we know it will have been worth all the struggles and hard work.

We have a great Social Media group on Blellow. If social and media are two words you can’t live with out, come join in the conversation. We’ll see you there, partner!