Ideas on how to use your blog/social network to add value to your travels, save money, make friends, contribute to the place you are traveling to and have a good time generally.
6. how to get local intelligence?
i find knowing local issues, news, buzz is more important
than knowing local language
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7. globalvoicesonline.org world’s best blog aggregation
service, helps you discover local blogs and find out what
are the hottest issues that locals care about
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8. use google’s blogsearch service. once you find interesting
blogs, leave comments. comments help you make friends.
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9. find local flickr users. complement their photos.
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10. some ideas on meeting locals
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11. meetup.com has information on local meetings. Usual
groups are based on travel, books, language learning,
entrepreneurship etc.
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13. organize blogger/twiterrer meetups. email local bloggers/
twitterers. tell them that you are in their city and want to
have a gathering. interview them from your blog or
podcasts.
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14. barcamps are best place to meet locals. barcamp.org has list
of all barcamps happening around the world.
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15. join a barcamp, offer to speak, most barcamp organisers
make space for foreign guests
mostly tech topics but you can speak about books, how-to,
music, tech, love etc.
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17. contact local universities, schools and offer to speak about
your region. Find the relevant school/department. offer to
conduct workshop on something, everyone is a expert on
something. email teachers directly and not the
administrators.
document previous talks on your blog. use that as
reference for future cold calls.
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19. everyone blogs about known stuff, I try to blog about
rarer, lesser known things. provide clear instructions and
directions.
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20. rarer topics get you top google search spot
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24. no bickering/less bickering rule: if I find something is
not working, I would provide alternatives, positive tips
to my readers rather than just write a complaint/
negative post
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29. do random things,
you never know who is a blogger (or future blogger) maybe
write about you
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30. other web services of interest
dopplr.com - list your travels and track your friends travels
couchsurfing.com - stay with locals
Saturday, March 7, 2009