Sometimes it’s OK not to know.

It really is better to be honest, stick to the facts and resist the temptation to spin stories around those facts when there’s no evidence to support them.

If others are to be courageous enough to admit they don’t know we in turn must not mock them. We should never condemn someone for being honest.

What needs condemning is bullshit and spin.

I don’t believe our Government has any idea how to get us out of the current economic mire. All they have is a bunch of out dated theories and models, that are no longer relevant in these days where none of the old rules seem to apply. Far better they were honest. Admit they don’t know but let us know what they are trying. Involve us and get us to support their efforts. Don’t spin and lie and pretend everything is getting better when clearly it isn’t.

Our Meteorological Office recently issued a longer range forecast in which they confessed to being uncertain. The comments left for them were quite shocking in the ignorance they revealed. My personal view was simply ‘Hallelujah!’. With a force of nature, especially one we are meddling with, this ought to be the state at least 50% of the time. (There’s no scientific basis for quoting 50% – just a gut feeling). The Met boys (and girls) needed congratulating for their candour not condemning.

The Great British press pick up on theories and press releases and publish them as absolute truths whilst voicing their moral outrage. Whether it’s a banking sector story, a medical news item or something to do with policing – all the subjects that are likely to invoke a fear response – poverty, health, crime. By the time reporters have finished their articles it’s hard to recognise the original report. It seems the truth doesn’t sell newspapers. Spin, speculation and specious prose is what sells.

Hey, let’s not allow the truth to get in the way of a good story!

I find that incredibly disappointing and more than a little depressing.

Perhaps this is why such a large proportion of the population appears to live in a permanent state of apathy. They’ve heard it all before and most of it has proven to be a crock of the proverbial.

My great grandmother’s death was reported in the London Evening Standard back in 1958. Front page news. A simple article reporting the fact that she had collapsed and died, suddenly, at home.

Imagine that same event occurring today. Chances are it would never have been picked up and reported at all, such is the level of violence in our society a late middle aged woman dying at home is hardly news. But if it were to be reported there would undoubtedly be innuendos about her husband or perhaps her two grown, bachelor sons who lived at home.

There may have been some suggestion about my great grandmother’s character. The story would include reference to the fact that her neighbour was a man known for his violent outbursts.

No, today, if such an event were to be reported it would not be enough to stick to the simple facts and admit that nothing more was known. A full 500 words would be required to embellish and polish a simple but sad event and most of those words would be untrue.

There are so many important things going on at the moment, that have the potential to affect us all, and yet very few of us care.

The trafficking of women and children for the sex trade receives very little media attention yet many more of us would be interested if it was our daughter who was taken. (Did anyone see that film – absolutely terrifying).

There’s rampant confusion, in my opinion, about the effects of global warming, carbon emissions and fossil fuels and a lot of this confusion has been caused by irresponsible and inaccurate reporting by the media. It’s caused by theories being touted as absolute truths only to then be disproved. Experts contradict each other. Nobody holds up their hand and admits to the fact that we don’t know for sure. We are uncertain but the likelihood is……….. And because of this, apathy rules in the greater proportion of the public.

And of course we have the current recession which in large part has been triggered by greed and fraud in the finance sector. Those very institutions we are supposed to trust with our life savings are those that have been fleecing us. (That statement is my opinion based on what I have read – if anyone has evidence to the contrary I am more than happy to discuss and see another point of view).

Speaking to clients and friends their is total confusion about whether we are really in a recession, what it actually means to be in a recession and how we get out of it if we are.

Despite the confusion and uncertainty there’s no apparent desire to find out more to better understand where we are placed. There’s just apathy and a blind trust that the Government will fix things. I think that’s a very dangerous assumption to make – I wish I had such confidence in our politicians and civil servants.

Now, politics is a very personal matter and I have no intention of debating it here. All I would say about politicians in general is that they need to start telling the truth, sticking to the facts and acting with the same honesty and integrity they want from the rest of us. There cannot be one rule of law for them, with all misdemeanours covered by Parliamentary Privilege, whilst the rest of us are declared miscreants for the smallest of transgressions.

The Wiki-leaks furore is a scandal, again in my opinion. Married to someone in the Armed Forces I don’t like to think of the damage that could have been done by these leaks. But, I have a but.

These things should not have been happening. The facts of what went on are a shameful embarrassment and now there’s a mission to shoot the messenger. A lot of what Wiki-leaks has done appears to have backfired, focusing attention on their organisation rather than rogue Governments, politicians and servicemen. It’s been a very clever manipulation – that’s an emotive word, perhaps it would be better to call it a shift of our focus.

I don’t condone the release of secret documents. I very definitely don’t condone what they revealed and I think the ensuing witch hunt is the beginning of the end for freedom of information. But, in among all of this there’s a young man rotting in a jail cell somewhere, almost certainly going to be denied a fair trial – if the legal process to date is anything to go by – and not very many people seem to be concerned about that.

Apathy again.

Let’s hope it’s not your teenage son who is next on the extradition list for downloading something he shouldn’t via the Internet.

We have to start taking an interest, establishing the facts for ourselves (as our media has proven itself to be a disingenuous storyteller). We have to start caring about what is going on, shake off this mindless apathy that seems to have infected so many of us.

I believe we have to start calling out journalists, media companies and individuals who spin stories until there’s no grain of truth left in them.

Don’t wait until it’s you who is accused of being complicit in the abduction of your very young daughter from a foreign holiday resort. Don’t leave it until you are tried and condemned by the media for having murdered the very pretty tenant who lived upstairs.

We have to start asking for evidence when assertions are made, in fact we should demand it. We have to stop swallowing stories hook line and sinker and ask for the facts. Just the facts. And, if that means someone somewhere has to admit that they simply don’t know, we have to be OK with that, for the time being.

And whilst I am in full flow about this I suggest we also seek stronger penalties for those who obfuscate the facts and conceal the truth. Those who falsify or misrepresent evidence that doesn’t support what they want us to believe. Pharmaceutical companies, finance sector and others. It may be easier to do what ever you like and apologise afterwards. It is not ethical.

And that’s the rub really. Living in uncertainty with integrity and honesty and choosing to give a damn is hard. Many of us choose apathy because it is easy – at least until it is one of our own loved ones who is embroiled in one of these man-made messes.

As for uncertainty, we may mock, despise and fear it but it’s a fact of life. We may use stories and assumptions to block it out but the truth is everything is uncertain. It’s a permanent state, no matter what colour we paint it or how we dress it up.

We should never despise or condemn those who are willing to admit to being uncertain. They are simply being honest.

I’ve let the dust settle before posting this.

To catch everyone up, just before the last Formula1 race in Germany, the BBC announced they had ‘done a deal’ with Sky for 2012 onwards and would only be showing half the race season, live, on ‘regular’ television.

F1 fans who want to watch the whole season, live, will be forced to line the pockets of the Murdoch empire.

It seems the news, when it was announced, was just as much of a surprise to the BBC team, who present each race, as it was to Joe Public. A lovely way for them to find out that their livelihoods were in jeopardy.

Despite the announcement, and the adverse public attention it attracted, Jake, Martin and their buddies behaved impeccably throughout the weekend. There were no public tantrums, no snide remarks. There was a refreshing transparency from them that is rarely seen in the modern-day media. Watching them over that weekend, during the various broadcasts from the Germany Grand Prix, I could feel stirrings of the old British spirit – it was difficult not to admire the way they were handling an unpleasant situation.

And what about the fans? Well, there have been petitions, blog posts, indignant tweets and I’m sure there is probably a Facebook page lurking somewhere – all condemning the BBC and bemoaning the loss of, what is for many, an exciting and compelling sports fixture. I jumped on that same bandwagon for a while. I pay a licence fee for the BBC/television service every year and the Grand Prix series is the only thing I watch. I have even given up on the news, disgusted at the standard of ‘journalism’ employed. I confess to feelings of indignation – I was more than a little cross!

Of course, the BBC has brought about such violent opposition simply because it has shaken up the televising of F1. Viewer numbers have increased simply because of the good job the presenters do. F1 has become available to everyone – even though it is probably the most elitist of sports. If the BBC productions had been crap, I don’t suppose for a moment that anyone would have been bothered.

Of course the other spike in the whole sorry tale was the association with the Murdoch business stable. It has been hard to avoid the media coverage of their dirty deeds and I’m sure I am not alone in not wanting to send a single penny in Mr Murdoch’s direction – even if that means there is an element of noses being cut off to spite faces.

And my point is?

A lot of people feel hurt, let down and resentful because of a perceived loss (the reality is that all races will still be available to watch on the BBC it’s just that some of them won’t be broadcast live) and the whole situation reminds me of a client and a spot she got herself into.

As a sole trader my client was her business. Such was the excellence of her services demand increased and outstripped what she could supply in the same 168 hours a week we all have. So, she began to outsource some of the work – it was either that or turn business away. Immediately there was a client backlash. Her customers wanted her and her work – not the product of an anonymous contractor. The relationships she had worked so hard to create came back to bite her. Hard.

I know many of the readers of this blog are solo entrepreneurs and writers and I am wondering how you manage the expectation of your clients? How you separate your business from yourself? How you avoid becoming a victim of your own success – just like the BBC did?

Reading is an ability we take for granted – we don’t even call it a skill or a talent.

There is an assumption that those we meet in everyday life can read.

But, pausing to challenge that assumption, we remember the newspaper reports we’ve read about adult illiteracy levels and we begin to appreciate that we are amongst the lucky ones. The ones who weren’t failed by parents, teachers, carers and education systems.

The fact that I am writing this and you are reading it demonstrates clearly that we have an ability, perhaps one that we take for granted.

Some people love to read and are always found with a book about their person. These people enjoy the whole process – from choosing a book to turning the pages whilst digesting the contents. Reading for them is a form of relaxation. They swirl the words around in their mind savouring the syntax and meaning.

For others, reading is a chore, something to be gotten through, a means to an end. They find it difficult to concentrate on the written word, skim pages and end up clueless about the content. Their own story running through their head whilst they read, making it impossible for the writer’s words to make any impact.

The point I want to make is that there is more to reading than recognising groups of letters.

Reading allows us to tap into the wisdom and learning of others. It doesn’t matter whether they are dead or alive – their words remain in perpetuity.

Reading makes it possible for us to learn, share experiences, expand our horizons – all without leaving home.

Reading is actually an opportunity to have a conversation with the writer – someone with whom we wouldn’t perhaps have an opportunity to to talk.

As a writer it saddens me that that the magic and delight in reading is lost to some, and I want to offer a way for reading to become more than a chore.

Rather than treating the experience of reading as a lecture, where you the reader sit amongst others in orderly rows whilst the author talks at you, try having an intimate tête a tête with the writer.

When you settle down to read, get into the mindset that this is an intimate meeting of just the two of you. Prepare yourself to read. Use the power of your imagination. Whether you ‘meet’ with the writer on your couch or over a coffee, know you are having a conversation between the two of you.

Look at the book and think about why it’s in the format it’s in. Why certain colours have been used. This is the equivalent of seeing the writer walk towards you. This is where you make your snap judgements!

Read the piece about the author and the blurb on the back cover. This is the formal introduction and hand shaking.

In a non-fiction book, take a look at the bibliography. This is your chance to see who you both ‘know’.

When the writer wrote he brought to the writing his story. He cannot help but be influenced by his upbringing, his values and his relationships – these have all twisted themselves together to become his life tapestry.

What we have to remember before we start reading is that our story will be different. Yes, there may be similarities between reader and writer, shared concerns that have brought the two together, but there will be differences too.

There are so many variables that make us the individuals we are – no two can be the same.

Our personal stories create the space in which we live our lives and experience the world. Reading is an opportunity for us to weave a different coloured thread into the tapestry of our own life. It’s a chance to open ourselves up to the ideas and stories of others – the writers whose words we choose to read.

We bring our own concerns and worries to our reading, whether we mean to or not.

Our choice of reading matter may be to provide entertainment, to allow escape from our own world for a while. Or, we may choose to read something that we hope holds a solution.

The sheer numbers of published self help books demonstrates how many of us take our worries to a writer BUT do we then have a conversation with that writer or do we simply expect them to solve our problems for us?

Back to our ‘meeting’ with the author.

By treating this as an opportunity to ask questions we have the chance to enter into a different relationship with the words on the page.

Think about why you have chosen to read the book. What is going in your life story? There is a  reason for you choosing to read that book, right now, in much the same way there is a reason why you choose to get in touch with a friend or colleague at any given time. You have a purpose, even if you’re not fully conscious of it.

Flush out into the open what expectations you have of the author and their book; what opinions you already hold about them. Our stories can and do filter our experience of life allowing us to notice only that which validates us and fits our personal reality. By becoming aware of our stories before we read, we have a better chance of not only seeing the words through our usual eyes but also lifting those mental sunglasses for a while to open up the possibility of a different view.

As you read, don’t be a passive swallower of the words on the page. Don’t bolt through the pages scanning for those words and sentences that match your world view – that’s like going to dine at a Michelin star restaurant and ordering your usual burger and chips.

Give the reading the attention it deserves, just as you would if you were really meeting the author in person.

Bring comfort to your body whilst you read so you are not distracted by physical concerns. Open your mind as you read and see what new ideas and views set seed.

Read, pause and reflect. Chew on the words as you would a tasty morsel. Don’t be in a rush to move on to the next course. Make notes, capture what is meaningful and allow that to generate more questions.

By making our reading into a conversation, we can extract so much more than the bald meaning provided by words and sentences. We have an opportunity to engage with the writer, to challenge, to disagree, to be persuaded, to laugh and cry together. We can take the writer’s hand and be transported by their story – but this takes a willingness to participate in the process.

If you have read this far, well done. Do feel free to continue our conversation in the comments below.

For those who are wondering what the hell I am going on about, the synopsis is this. I am simply expressing a personal concern that so much potential from reading is overlooked, opportunities are being missed and the joy of experiencing the written word is being lost.

It’s hard to avoid the stream of chat surrounding the new Google+. The social network offered by Google that is something of a cross between Twitter and Facebook.

Whilst both of the older, more established sites have offered groups and lists and ways of sorting those you follow, I have to say that the Google version of this – Circles – is stunning in its simplicity. Easy to set up. Easy to add people (and remove them). Easy to spend time appropriately in what has always been, for me at least, a time sink.

I can avoid the streams and chat of friends and family until out of work hours. I can focus exclusively on the streams that are relevant to work, when I am working.

Another really useful feature is Sparks. These are like Google alerts. There are some general interest sparks pre-formed and you can add your own. Fantastic for monitoring a niche, all from what is, in effect, your Google dashboard.

There are also Hangouts. The nearest service I can liken Hangouts to is Skype.  I haven’t used this function yet but can see where it would be extremely useful. Hangouts can be started by anyone who has a Google+ account and they can make it available to all or any of their Circles.

So that’s a very quick overview of Google+, in case you were wondering.

A few months ago I mooted the possibility of starting a book club in a post here. A variety of responses saw the idea being put to one side for the time being. It occurs to me that with the functionality and connectivity offered by Google+ the idea can be resurrected. Creating a Circle for a particular book and creating discussion groups is now very easy and in a place where you might well be hanging out anyway. And on the subject of hanging out, Hangouts could be used if there was enthusiasm for video chat about the book.

It’s just a thought, which may go nowhere, but having played with Google+ for a couple of weeks, I can see possibilities. You can let me know what you think.

Oh, and if you haven’t managed to access Google+ yet please do let me know and I’ll send you an invitation.

We understand the concept of physical obesity. It occurs when we regularly consume more calories than we need to survive (yes, that’s a simplistic definition but it will do for now).

When we continue ingesting food, even though we are sated, our bodies lose the ability to process and eliminate the additional calories and, instead of being used for energy, they are converted to and stored as fat. The resulting obese body becomes sluggish. Every physical action becomes more difficult. Movements become slower and, in extreme cases, immobility can ensue.

It occurs to me that mental obesity is not so very different.

Never in the history of our species has there been so much information available to us; such a variety of tempting nuggets and morsels for our minds to consume. All the things we didn’t know we didn’t know.

Gone are the days when we were unconscious of our ignorance. Now we are able to consider and think about anything and everything.

Information beckons to us in tempting ways – a tantalising headline, a stray comment that starts a thought train, a problem to be solved. And, like the physical over-eater, we move through life cramming our poor minds with more than they can process.

We cause mental obesity by stuffing our brains to a point of discomfort and this causes us to become sluggish, unfocused, distracted, unable to function.

Wherever and whatever you read, it’s hard not to come across tips, tricks and strategies to better cope with the mountains of information we try to consume each day. We read about time management, self management, email management and how to overcome procrastination. In fact an enormous industry has been born out of our need to deal with information.

The silly thing is, there is a simple answer.

Just say no.

Say no to receiving email newsletters.

Say no to continuing to subscribe to RSS feeds that have failed to provide anything useful for longer than you can remember.

Say no to being on call 24/7 by switching off mobile and cell phones for at least part of the day.

Whilst the answer may be simple, implementing it is not so easy.

Like the reluctant dieter addicted to carbs, many of us have become info addicts. We have become addicted to the hormone rush offered by the distracted lifestyle we adopt in order to consume more and more lovely information. Terrified we might miss something, we have computers and mobile devices feeding our addiction throughout the day – and night. We set up alerts, reminders and subscriptions without really then considering what value they bring to our lives.

In much the same way that many foodstuffs provide empty calories – they simply make us fat without providing any beneficial nutrients – so can low grade information provide an empty experience – but not before it has robbed us of our valuable time.

The beauty of the world we now live in is that information isn’t going anywhere. Once Google has its hooks into even the smallest nugget it remains for posterity. None of us have to grab at everything that comes along. It will still be there if and when we ever need it in the future.

We know maintaining a healthy physical weight is good for us. We know about the benefits we will experience if we resist overindulgence – even if we choose to ignore them.

I put it to you that there are similar health benefits to be gained by going on an information diet too. You can choose to select only the highest quality ‘nutrients’ for your mind. Be discerning. Avoid the junk, empty ‘calories’ to be found in your feed reader and inbox.

I believe your quality of life will improve beyond measure………….mine has!

Before getting into what I want to say here, it’s important to clearly state that I have no personal axe to grind.

I was brought up in a Christian family but in adulthood subscribe to no organised religion. I have friends who are Christians, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists. I have friends who are pagans and nothing in particular – like myself.

I have gay friends, heterosexual friends and friends who have yet to make up their mind. I have friends who have undergone surgery to change their sex.

I may not agree with some of thier individual beliefs but I would defend their rights to express and live them, provided they weren’t causing harm to anyone else.

So, what is my concern?

Some months ago there was a court case in the UK. Briefly, a gay couple were denied access to a previously booked double room in a small, privately run hotel owned by a Christian couple. Separate rooms were offered to the guests but refused. The men took their case to court and it was upheld that their rights had been breached and compensation was awarded.

England was once a Christian country – the name of the established church, The Church of England, gives a clue as to the culture and heritage of the Country. Yet, despite this fact, the rights of Christians have been almost totally eroded. As a nation we have put ourselves through hoops to defend the rights of other faiths whilst ignoring those that belong to the territory.

The Christian church has done little to help itself. The Holy Bible, the credo for Christianity is ignored if its requirements don’t fit current political agendas. Perhaps I am blind, but I don’t see this happening with other religious tenets.

It is surely hard for Christians here to start claiming ‘rights’ because of their faith when their own Church chooses to ignore the teachings of The Bible, apparently to suit itself.

Of course there’s a strong argument that times change and modernisation of thoughts and beliefs is a good thing but it has to be recognised that cherry picking what you want to discard from The Bible weakens the faith it underpins.

Now, I don’t want to start a debate with anyone. I write about this as it has been niggling at me since I read about the court case. The point of this post is to articulate my personal confusion and resulting cynicism about ‘rights’ – be they individual or societal.

What right does anyone have to make another wrong over matters such as religion and sexual preference?

Have the gay couple not done to the Christian couple what was done to them in the first place? And as we know, two wrongs never make a right.

In fact, in this case, I can’t help but think that two ‘rights’ have made a wrong.

I get a lot of email and queries sent through websites, asking for advice on the easiest way to become a writer.

The word ‘easy’ features heavily in these requests.

There’s nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.

~Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith

The first thing worth exploring is what, for you, defines a ‘writer’?

Is a writer someone who simply puts pen to paper on a regular basis or does his work have to be published before a writer can hang up his sign?

For me, a writer writes. That’s all.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

~Sylvia Plath

Someone who aspires to be a good writer will practice every day – by writing.

The writing is often easier than the sitting down to write.

In my view, we put so much pressure on ourselves to write something profound or witty, we are so focused on the end result, we don’t allow ourselves to enjoy the process of writing. We lose our curiosity about where our writing might take us. We lose our playfulness, becoming ‘significant’ and heavy.

Every writer I know has trouble writing.  ~Joseph Heller

We sit for as long as we can spare in front of a blank screen or notebook. We either chase the words tumbling through our minds and forget to cature them, or we spend the time looking for words in a brain that has become nothing more than a ghost town, lacking even the dried bush being blown down the main street by the wind.

I love being a writer.  What I can’t stand is the paperwork.  ~Peter De Vries

Being willing to write makes you a writer. That’s where it begins. Don’t wait for the novel idea (play on words intended) – just write. Keep what you write and every now and then re-read it. Extract the clusters of words that spark ideas and offer promise. You won’t see them straight away. There’s something about leaving what you have written that gives you, the writer, a fresh perspective. So put your work away and come back to it another day.

Writers are not just people who sit down and write.  They hazard themselves.  Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.

~E.L. Doctorow

You cannot become a published writer until you become a writer. Sounds obvious, but it’s astonishing to me how many aspiring writers want to get straight to the published bit without putting in the time to first become a writer. You cannot become a soloist until you become a singer…..the principle is the same.

I love writing.  I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.

~James Michener

If you want to become a writer start today. Don’t wait, it won’t get any easier and there’s no point putting it off any longer. Just write.

It is impossible to discourage the real writers – they don’t give a damn what you say, they’re going to write.  ~Sinclair Lewis

Living in a very, very rural area facilities are limited and I find myself using the Internet for more and more of the activities I used to undertake face-to-face.

I read a lot and it occurred to me that there might be other readers out there who would welcome the opportunity to get together in a virtual sense to read and discuss books.

My thoughts haven’t consolidated into a plan. Yet. Perhaps a discussion forum, a chat room, a telephone conference call or chat on Skype?

Fiction or non-fiction or a mixture of both?

Perhaps a couple of book choices each month to keep everyone happy?

I’d be happy to host the technology but don’t have time to police it so it would be behind a membership screen to keep out trolls and spammers. No fees or charges but everyone is responsible for sourcing their own copy of the books to be read.

Perhaps individuals recommending books and taking the lead in starting and stewarding the discussion?

Is there any interest or appetite for this?

Or, perhaps you know of a good online reading group already that I might be welcome to join?

Either leave your thoughts in a comment or make use of the contact form.

I shall be interested to know what you think.

Our family lost a very dear friend recently. A much loved member of our small family who is missed – I can’t begin to describe the pain of his passing.

Reflecting on his life I couldn’t help but remember how wise he was and how much he taught us. I wanted to share some of his wisdom here.

• Be pleased to see everyone, even those who haven’t always treated you well
• Spend time outdoors everyday – but it’s OK not to enjoy walking in the rain
• Know that the kitchen is the heart of the home
• Sing-a-long to music and never worry whether you can sing in tune – just do it because you can
• Don’t bear grudges but equally learn to love the people and things that are good for you
• Never pass a puddle without splashing in it
• Make friends quickly and enemies slowly
• Be sensitive to the moods and emotions of others and be ready to offer a quiet gesture of empathy
• Make the best of difficult situations and assume that everything will come out right in the end
• Never stop learning – you CAN teach old dogs new tricks
• Whatever you do, do it whole heartedly because that’s where the fun is
• Always follow the sunbeam
• Make time to play every day
• Know that some are leaders and some are followers and both have their strengths – be what is right for you
• Focus on others rather than yourself
• Just be a good friend. That’s enough – being there
• People are strange, inconsistent and unreliable – be at peace with that
• When you come across someone who doesn’t like you, leave them be. It’s their loss
• Be brave and when you have to do the things that scare you, make lots of noise
• Make your wishes known by making clear requests
• Never pass up the opportunity to have a hug
• Never pass up the opportunity to have a pee
• Do things just for the hell of it, for the joy of being alive
• Accept newcomers, show them the ropes and set clear boundaries so everyone knows where they stand
• Be persistent
• Adapt what you have to meet your needs
• Never skip a meal
• Be flexible and accepting of the changes in your life
• People come and people go. Make the most of the time you have with the person you are with

In memory of Jack.

Jack 2 Mar 2001 - 18 Feb 2011

This is the first of a series of posts about the tools and services I use as a writer and a consultant.

It’s hard to spend any time in the world of the Internet without hearing mention of WordPress. This incredibly clever software has made it possible for the least technical to have a web presence.

The very active WordPress community continues to produce an abundance of add ins and options to extend the functionality of the core software, making WordPress very versatile.

BUT, it is the sheer volume of WordPress ‘stuff’ that can cause confusion and overwhelm. Which are the best WordPress plugins to use? Which WordPress themes? Who offers the best support? Who offers any support?

Then there’s the debate about premium services – those WordPress addons that are not free.

WPMU.org offers a membership service which gives access to a lot of premium services and that’s what I want to discuss here.

The WPMU name harks back to a time when it was possible to install a slightly different version of WordPress on your server in order to run multiple blogs from the one location (I am sure the tecchies will throw up their hands in horror at that description but this is not a technical post). A recent upgrade to WordPress has embraced that functionality within the core product, again making it possible for the least technical to benefit from this facility.

Many of the themes and plugins offered by WPMU, it seems to me at least, were originally developed with this multi-site function in mind BUT that doesn’t mean they can’t be used on a single site. Indeed they can.

The themes are clean and attractive (this site makes use of one of them) and my only minor grouse would be that documentation regarding theme tweaks, which allow personalisation of themes, is a little thin. It’s a case of the user poking around and trying the different options.

I think the real strength of the membership for me is with the plugins. There are over a hundred of the things (don’t rush out and install them all – you don’t need them all!) and they cover just about every web site type you can imagine. A few examples:

• Membership Management
• Content Management
• Turn your WordPress into a Wiki, a Directory or a CMS
• Affiliate Management
• Split Testing Themes
• Classified Ads
• E-Commerce
• Community Building
• Advertising Solutions
• A Pay-to-Blog system
• A Support Desk

I haven’t yet failed to find just the help I needed.

There is a strong support community and the plugins and themes are all updated regularly to keep on top of security issues.

Like everyone, I have to be sure I am extracting value for money from all investments I make for my business. Having ‘tried’ WPMU for a couple of months I have just committed to a year’s membership, to take advantage of the significant discount that represented, simply because this is one of the few tools that has saved me money – already.

It’s well worth dipping your toe in the water and trying a month’s membership to see what’s under the cover. You are free to continue to use the premium downloads if you decide not to renew BUT you won’t be able to download the upgrades when they become available – which seems reasonable.

For me WPMU has made it easier to get WordPress to become a multi-functional platform. What used to be a straightforward blogging tool can now be used to run the wide variety of sites I own or manage. In addition, some of the ideas that were simmering on the ‘too-hard-to-do-list’ can now be dusted down as WPMU has provided the additional technology I needed, at the right price, to shift them to the ‘now-possible-list’.

For good order’s sake, know that if you follow links to WPMU from this post and then go on to purchase a subscription,  there is a chance I will benefit. That’s not the sole intention of this post! I want more people to realise that WPMU has come of age and what was perhaps previously associated with multi-site installations can also be used with single sites (if I was the only person labouring under that misapprehension I apologise!)

If anyone else has experience of WPMU or if they have a favourite plugin I hope they’ll share below.