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Jun 01
2011
Gini Dietrich

A Blog Post About Nothing

I’m looking at a blank screen this morning, wondering what I’m going to write about today. It’s 6:06 am and inspiration hasn’t hit yet. This is unusual.

You see, what I really want to write about, what I really want to get out of my system, is how embarrassed I am at the uproar caused by Danny Brown and me having to change the title of our BlogWorld session. The uproar that continued well after the conference ended.

But I am over the conference. I don’t want to talk about it anymore, no matter how insane it’s making me not to put it in writing (or maybe I’ll write it and it’ll just sit in my drafts folder forever). It’s one of those things I just need to put behind me.

I could write about the Twitter follow button that is now available, but that’s not very engaging. Sure, it’s newsworthy and you should definitely go check it out. But it won’t make you say, “Oh! I want to leave a comment right this second.”

I could write about how hard it is to launch an ecommerce site (cough, Spin Sucks Pro, cough). Harder than even I expected. But that’s so consuming my time right now that I want an escape.

I could write about PR and ethics in the battle to obtain data from location-based users. But I’m just not feeling it today.

Nothing has inspired me today; none of the usual suspects. I’ve checked out my favorite, Harvard Business Review. I’ve read my top 10 favorite bloggers. I’ve thumbed through a few of the galley copy books I have sitting here on my desk.

I guess I’ll write about nothing. Because inspiration still hasn’t hit. I think I’ll go ride my bike.

While I’m gone, perhaps you can help. Where do you go for inspiration? What would you like to see covered here in the coming days and weeks? How lame is this blog post (very)??

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RababKhan 44 pts

A post about nothing! Wow! How could I have missed it? Maybe because I was so busy doing my own "nothing" thing. :D

Inspiration? Hmm, judging by the comments on here, I'm guessing "nothing" does quite well as inspiration. Who'd've thunk! :)

ginidietrich 5279 pts

RababKhan Who'd've thunk is right! I'm pretty sure it will never again be replicated.

Steve Birkett 66 pts

Though you may have had nothing for the blog post, the comments alone should give you something to pitch to NBC. Well, nothing, yet something. You know, just in case this whole "PR" bubble bursts.... :-)

ginidietrich 5279 pts

Steve Birkett That'd be hilarious! We have a story for you...the Seinfeld of blog posts, so to speak.

KevinVandever 43 pts

Happy Saturday everyone! I just went grocery shopping at Ralph's and discovered that the Good & Plenty candy in the plastic bag is way fresher than the Good & Plenty candy in the box.

ginidietrich 5279 pts

KevinVandever OMG! I love Good & Plenty! I discovered yesterday that the Sour Patch Kids in a bag at Target are more fresh than the ones at the candy store out of the bin.

MrArment 6 pts

I can't believe this crap is what passes for PR nowadays. Whatever happened to the noble profession to which I dedicated my entire career?

Jmodio 18 pts

MrArment I blame the interwebs

ginidietrich 5279 pts

MrArment Alright Sean McGinnis . Very funny.

MrArment 6 pts

ginidietrich Sean McGinnis Ghosts of Christmas past coming back to haunt you Mrs. Dietrich? What have you done to my life's work?

DHLasker 14 pts

MrArment ginidietrich Sean McGinnis I was beginning to think that MrArment was the Remington Steele of ArmetDietrich. :)

ginidietrich 5279 pts

DHLasker MrArment IS the Remington Steele.

CristerDelaCruz 58 pts

MrArment No disrespect, but it took you THIS LONG to comment? And not just on this blog... but on ANY blog? (I'm rolling my eyes here!). Come on now, sir!

MrArment 6 pts

CristerDelaCruz Well, coming back from the grave is no easy task Miss DeLaCruz. Welcome to the team, by the way. Glad to have you aboard. If you hear any creaks over by the front desk, that's just me sharpening my pencils...

ParkRidgeDDS 63 pts

You are amazing!!! 310!!! AWESOMENESS!!!

ginidietrich 5279 pts

ParkRidgeDDS Actually YOU guys are the amazing ones. Freaking hilarious!

adamtoporek 445 pts

I think this is 309 or so. Congrats!

I remember the good old days (2days ago!) when I was impressed that a blog post about nothing had 30 comments. Now, it feels like I am part of a movement, a true grassroots coalition of likeminded individuals dedicated doing nothing and saying nothing! Viva la inertia! :)

TheJackB 1486 pts

adamtoporek I blogged about this post and said that it would have 300. Of course it probably would have made it without my help, but I learned from Donald Trump to take credit for anything and everything.

TheJackB 1486 pts

ginidietrich See what happens when you grow up with 4,987 sisters. You learn a few tricks.

ginidietrich 5279 pts

adamtoporek A true movement of nothing. HAHAHAHA! This has been super fun. Now if I could just get postrank credit for all of the comments!

ginidietrich 5279 pts

OMG! OMG! I think we're going to do it. 300 comments here we come!

KDillabough 1071 pts

ginidietrich Ta dah! I'm breaking out jennwhinnem blue horn and the golden vuvuzelas! Parade...party...cake! Cheers! Kaarina

jennwhinnem 284 pts

KDillabough ginidietrich HILARIOUS! I keep it in my car for passengers to use at will.

KDillabough 1071 pts

jennwhinnem ginidietrich I like you even more now! I envision stoplight musical chairs with the blue horn accompaniement. Can I be a passenger?

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Jmodio 18 pts

Wow, I'm thinking to myself if this the best thing I've read today. This or the fact that it's National Donut Day. You should've written about donuts.

Jmodio 18 pts

Just realized this was a few days ago. My bad

TheJackB 1486 pts

ginidietrich I asked the donut fairy to bring me an apple fritter- but it didn't happen. Nor did the massage fairy bring me a massage. I am filing a complaint with the damn fairy union.Jmodio

Jmodio 18 pts

TheJackB ginidietrich My sincere apologies on behalf of fairies everywhere. Did you at least get your free donut today?

TheJackB 1486 pts

Jmodio Nope, in dire need of it. Must take a nap first and write 10,000 words.ginidietrich

Jmodio 18 pts

TheJackB ginidietrich Sounds like you need coffee or some sort of motivational booster.

TheJackB 1486 pts

Jmodio Yep, I can agree with that. ginidietrich

ginidietrich 5279 pts

TheJackB Jmodio I don't think an apple fritter counts as a donut, therefore the donut fairies did not deliver.

DHLasker 14 pts

How is it possible to discontinue saying "nothing" about nothing? Perhaps if the cool kids in the corner Sean McGinnis jeanniecw HowieSPM DHLasker banded together, again, we could collectively corner the creative commenting to reach Gertrude's goal of 300+ comments.

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ginidietrich 5279 pts

Sean McGinnis As much as I hate you, you pushed us past 300 today. Thank you.

KevinVandever 43 pts

Sean McGinnis DHLasker jeanniecw HowieSPM I agree...500. It's still early here on the west coast!

Dhara Mistry 198 pts

Considering this blog post is on roll and the comments are exploding like crazy, I wouldn't call it lame at all! :) And there are so many interesting comments to read here.

ginidietrich 5279 pts

Dhara Mistry I think people are crazy, that's what I think! :)

Dhara Mistry 198 pts

ginidietrich Not at all Gini! Great to see whole of your community participating in this conversation. Awesomeness :)

ginidietrich 5279 pts

Dhara Mistry Awesomeness...and craziness. :)

JoeDeGiorgio 6 pts

Hi Gini---

Many is the time where I say, "I've got nothing". I feel for you. Awesome comment string though. Looks like lots of people are quite interested in nothing.

ginidietrich 5279 pts

JoeDeGiorgio It's the Seinfeld of blog posts...on accident!

MimiMeredith 190 pts

I'm back. I'm really here just to give you a number boost. And, as I already told Lisa Gerber via Twitter, I'm suffering from a major case of ENVY!

Having launched my new site (on Friday the 13th...maybe that wasn't so smart...I think you have an image of me sitting in a hotel hallway with my laptop trying to sort out site issues on that very day!) and migrating three years worth of posts, I am feeling a really burned out by the idea of blogging and site maintenance. Neither livefyre nor feedburner seem to be working for me right now...can I just say that it's sort of difficult to build community if you can't have a conversation!? Anyway, I'm back to your comments just to move you closer to 300 and to whine mindlessly...because your post gives me license to say, "nothing is working for me this week and it kinda sucks."

ginidietrich 5279 pts

MimiMeredith (Psssst...I can help you)

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MimiMeredith 190 pts

Sean McGinnis ginidietrich I do! I do! I do believe!! An email will be forthcoming with more specifics and less whining!

ChrisTucker 10 pts

This post isn't lame at all - one of the reasons I read your blog is because you're honest:) I've enjoyed reading the comments from other bloggers too because being new to blogging I have similar "inspirational" issues. Thanks for posting - closer to 300 now!

Conversation from Twitter

ExtremelyAvg
ExtremelyAvg

ModernSauce Thanks for telling your twitter folks about my guest blahg silliness over at Spin Sucks. You Rock!

ModernSauce
ModernSauce

extremelyavg My pleasure! Always love reading your guest blahgs! They tickle my camel/wizard fancy.

Trackbacks

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