Help for Facebook Pages

It’s about time.

Ever since I started using Facebook the interface for Pages has mystified me. Specifically, why can’t I (as in me) post a message on the Page that I created? Facebook only lets me post as the page.

If you’re not familiar here’s a dime store rundown- the feature known as Pages are Facebook’s answer to a business presence. The main idea is people have friends and pages have fans. It might be a pizza shop or a website or a local restaurant. If you’re wanting people on Facebook to follow the exploits of your entity you need to create a Page.

But when you create a page for your business you’ll suddenly learn that you can only interact with people on that page as the business. This applies to anyone who either creates or is assigned as an administrator to a page. In other words, you can’t be… well, you.

Until now.

Facebook has recently rolled out an upgrade to pages. Allowing you to be you is only one small part of this upgrade- in fact it’s barely touched on in their little tour. And like many Facebook features it’s harder than hell to find. Here’s how…

My (New) Settings
As an example let’s say I have a page for a blog called Oklahoma Modern. If I visit the upgraded Facebook page I created for this fun and fascinating blog I’ll see an Edit Page link along the right-hand side. Click on Edit Page, then click on Your Settings and it should look like this (click to enlarge):

My Recommendation
Uncheck the top box so you can be you when you visit this page. Now if I post a comment on Oklahoma Modern the post will be from Rex Brown- not Oklahoma Modern.

Say what?

What if I do want to post something as Oklahoma Modern?

No problem. The upgraded interface has a nifty option along the right-hand side that says “Use Facebook as Oklahoma Modern.” If I click that link my actions will be posted from Oklahoma Modern instead of Rex Brown. You’ll also find a similar link under Account dropdown.

The cool/scary part is that applies to any of your activity on Facebook- not just interactions on your own pages. So be careful!

As always, your mileage may vary.

Vote for Okie Bloggers

The voting has begun for the latest round of the Okie Blog Awards.

There are 24 different categories, two of my blogs are on the ballot this year. Our mod building site, Oklahoma Modern, is up for Best Culture Blog and Two Wheel Oklahoma was nominated for best Single Topic Blog. And there are a ton of other great sites in between. As they say, Vote early- Vote often!


There is no form available to cast your ballot, you must email it to [email protected].
Deadline is midnight on Sunday, February 14, 2010. You must vote in at least 12 of the 24 categories for your ballot to be counted (yikes!). You’ll also need to include the address of YOUR OKLAHOMA BLOG because only OKLAHOMA BLOGGERS are eligible to vote.

Here’s the list of nominees for the 2009 Okie Blog Awards:

Best Overall Blog
BatesLine
Chic Galleria
Drawing the Motmot
Goodbye Tulsa
Miss Wisabus
The Art of Manliness
The Lost Ogle
The Pioneer Woman
Scissor Tales
Small Biz Survival

Best Arts/Crafts Blog
Design Crush
Drawing the Motmot
Gather Ye Roses
Greedy Girl
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition
Sarah Atlee Makes Pictures
SewChic
Tater Tots and Fire Hoses
Thimbly Things
Tulsa Brick X Brick
Tulsa Craft Mafia

Best Audio/Podcast Blog
Blog Oklahoma
Godly Gals
Goodbye Tulsa
Little Tiny Brain
The Daily Bitch
Tulsa Police Department
Tyson Wynn
Wander Radio
Mainstream Baptist

Best Business-Related Blog
Blogging4Jobs
BrandedMatters.
James Dalman
Merchant Metrix Blog
Central OKC
Oklahoma City University Law Blog
Oklahoma Dental Foundation Soundbites
Oklahoma Per Square Foot
Oklahoma Small Business Development Center Blog
Smal Biz Suvival
Third Degree Creative

Best Culture Blog
Aurea
Doug Dawg
Faust the Comic
From the Faraway Nearby
Mixtape Jones
Oklahoma Modern
Oklahoma Rock
Static Blog
Tasha Does Tulsa
The Apache House

Best Blog Design
Ad Brad
Chic Galleria
Design Crush
Erin Conrad Photography
Greedy Girl
In Search of Design
Jeremy and Kathleen
On the Line
The Pioneer Woman
Zach Nash

Best Family Blog
918 Coupon Queen
But I Digress
Crash Test Mommy
David in Progress
Dawn’s Diversions
Decisionally Challenged
Hiccups
Kellyology
Miss Wisabus
Rob O’Hara
Rocks in My Dryer
Sorta Crunchy
Yogi’s Den

Best Food Blog
Corner Booth
Dishin’ and Dishes
Eat Around OKC
FoodDude
Frugality Online
Island Dreaming in Oklahoma
Joe’s Burger Search
Mama Foodie
Small Bites
The Pioneer Woman
Tulsa Food Blog

Most Humorous Blog
All Along The Hightower
And So She Blogs
Chad and Joel Has a Blog
Inalienable Wright
Irritated Tulsan
Living the Good Life
LOOKatOKC
Miss Wisabus
Re-Ramblings
The Lost Ogle

Most Inspirational Blog
Angela and Luke
Big is the New Small
Carleta.org
Drawing the Motmot
Friar’s Fires
Life is Real
Napkin Dad
Ramblings of a Creative Mind Unleashed
Red Fork Hippie
Rocks in My Dryer

Best Kept Secret
Blogging4Jobs
Book End Babes
Chic Galleria
Drawing the Motmot
It’s in the Details
Jeremy and Kathleen
what’s going “on.”
Scissor Tales
Sleep New Mommy
Xenia Blog

Best New Blog of 2009
Alan Danielson
Book End Babes
Carless in Tulsa
Coffee with Clark
Fitness Guinea Pig
FOI Oklahoma
Goodbye Tulsa
Jeremy and Kathleen
Okie Creative
The Untrained Housewife

Best Oklahoma City Blog
Bam’s Blog
Doug Dawg
Downtown on the Range
Dustbury
Eat Around OKC
Friday Playdate
OKC Central
Oklahoma Women
Static Blog
The Lost Ogle

Best Photography Blog
77 Counties
Alternate Crop
Dishy Girls
Erin Conrad Photography
From the Faraway Nearby
Light Smith Photography Photo of the Day
IconOklahoma
Melinda Brookshire Photography
Photo Finish
The Pioneer Woman
Zach Nash Photography

Best Political Blog (Conservative)
BatesLine
Bob Waldrop
Dutch, Reformed
McCarville Report
Miss Wisabus
Okie Pundit
Political Realities
Tyson Wynn

Best Political Blog (Liberal Leaning)
Alternative Tulsa
Conium
Erudite Redneck
Lawyer and Engineer
Mainstream Baptist
Okie Funk
Peace Arena
Progress on the Prairie
Progressive Okie
Red Dirt Blog From a Blue State of Mind
The Lost Ogle

Best Representation of Oklahoma
77 Counties
All Trails Lead Home
Bam’s Blog
Barrelhouse Beat
Blog Oklahoma
Brit Gal in the USA
OKC Central
Oklahome
Tasha Does Tulsa
The Pioneer Woman

Best Rural Blog
Another Chance Ranch
Blog Oklahoma US
Brit Gal in the USA
Muskogee Politco
OklaCookiemaker Quilts
Straight Shooter
The Pioneer Woman
The Prairie Maid
The Redneck Diva
Turtle Rock Farm Blog

Best Single Topic Blog
Berry Tramel
Bookgasm
BPD in OKC
Daily Thunder
Free Lantz Sports
Neither Here Nor There
Nick’s Law
Oklahoma Writers and Authors
Older Girl Beauty
Red Dirt Rambling
Trans Missippian
Two Wheel Oklahoma

Best Tech Blog
Blogging Basics 101
Cory Miller
Fowler Inc. Reviews
Jim Calloway Law Practice Tips
STF | PR New Media Now
Oklahoma Tech Prep
Ping FM
Roemerman on Record
Web Design Blog

Best Tulsa Blog
Barrelhouse Beat
BatesLine
Bounded Rationality
Contemplative Tulsan
Goodbye Tulsa
Irritated Tulsan
The Tulsa Initiative
Tasha Does Tulsa
That’s Baloney!
Tulsa Gal

Best Veteran Blogger (5+Years)
Audience of 1
BatesLine
Cory Miller
Dustbury
Hologram Thoughts
Malena Writes On
McCarville Report
Miss Wisabus
Rocks in My Dryer
Static Blog

Best Writing
Angela England
Big Ass Belle
Blithe Revival
Cari-Okie
Coffee with Clark
Incurable Insomniac
Irritated Tulsan
Okay City
Okie Life
Scissor Tales
The Lost Ogle

Blogging, Sans Computer

A couple of weeks ago I played around with a Google’s Blogger Mobile feature. It’s an option available to anyone using Blogger and allows you to post a message using your cell phone.

I’ve known this tool was available, but never had any need or inclination to use it. My phone takes pretty mediocre pictures at best, and texting more than a few words constitutes outright torture in my book. I still blog mostly with a “desktop computer.” Call me old fashioned.

Ben and the 40 year old turtle.But recently I’ve been getting all these text messages from my buddy, Ben. They usually include a photo, and sometimes a line or two of cryptic text. I often told him he should share these with the World. But get this: Ben doesn’t have a computer.

It’s true.

But not to be dissuaded- or deprive the world of zany words and images from Ben- I explored the bold new world of mobile blogging! I called it simply: Photos from Ben.

Turns out Blogger offers two very simple ways to transmit from your phone to the Internet.

One is a simple email address that posts to your blog. You choose the name of this special address and share (or not) with whomever you’d care to give access. Anything sent to this “secret” address is either posted immediately or saved as a draft for future moderation/publishing. Quick and easy. If your phone can send Multimedia Messages then you can publish words and photos.

Mobile Blogging on Blogger
The second option requires you to “link” your phone to your blog. Blogger spits out a code, sort of a PIN number, that you have to spit back at them. If the codes match then Blogger links your mobile device to your blog. Once that’s done you can post using the more common SMS message format.

They’re both easy to get started with and seem to work quite well. While there are obvious drawbacks, the convenience of blogging without a computer is pretty darn cool.

To learn more or get started with mobile blogging visit www.blogger.com/mobile-start.g

Strange Twists of the New Media

Trivia question: Martha Stewart’s web site recently had its busiest day ever. What site linked to Martha on that day to generate all this traffic?

If you’re thinking New York Times or CNN you’re not even close. And it’s not Google or Yahoo.

The media giant that slammed Martha Stewart and Omnimedia’s web servers:

Cute Overload

This blog has grown into a media powerhouse with pictures of cuddly mammals and clever commentary. Although I do not frequent Cute Overload, that does not keep me from seeing the latest kitten sleeping on a German Shepard or newspaper-reading otter. In fact I’m exposed to it constantly each time I walk into my wife’s workroom. It’s rare to pass through that part of the house without a COM (or Cute Overload Moment).

The site was started by a couple who ironically have no pets of their own (she’s allergic to cats and he is allergic to dogs). Wanting to share some photos of cute animals they started the blog. The rest is history.

But unlike the sticky sweet glurge that so often clogs our inboxes, Cute Overload offer clever and witty commentary along with the cuddly creatures. In fact, an insider jargon has even evolved to describe recurring themes, such as “prosh” combining precious and posh, or “baroo?” to describe a dog tilting its head as if trying to comprehend. Even this jargon itself has earned the name “cutecabulary.”

What fascinates me about the site is the magical way it has grown into such a hugely popular media property. Meg, the site’s founder, is frequently seen on daytime TV. And now, as Martha Stewart recently found out, a link posted on the site guarantees you a tsunami of web traffic. Pretty impressive considering it all started as a place to post some pictures.

Places 2 Ride, meet NY Times. NY Times…

My website, Places 2 Ride, was mentioned in the New York Times last week. In a strange turn of events involving luxury scooters, proselytizing bikers and clowns.

Turns out the Times has a blog called Wheels that occasionally does a roundup of headlines and blog rants from across the Internet. Last Thursday’s involved motorcycles, and they happened to pick up a review on riding jeans I had just published.

Scariest of All? Clowns on Motorcycles: Read All About It

It’s the second bullet point. Just in case you overlook it. See… there, right before the Popular Science thing.