Motorcycle Misadventures

Today, help small biz, artist, innovators. Say no to corporate control of the internet

Strike Against SOPA & PIPA - This is important for me a small (teeny tiny!) business. The Internet is the only playing field I have and I don't think that corporations should control them. We, the public, has already lost control of our airwaves (television, radio) to corporations even though we are supposed to own them, so let's not let it happen here, too. Help small business, artists, and innovators by going all out today and letting your representatives know that this is not okay. Just fill in the blanks below, and if you can, make a phone call or two. And forward this info to everyone you know, and blog. This is the day!

Today, we are striking against censorship. Join the largest online protest in history: tell Congress to stop this bill now!

Write Congress Now!

Not In The US? Petition The State Department.

I am writing to you as a voter in your district. I urge you to oppose the Senate version of S. 968, the PROTECT IP Act. The PROTECT IP Act is dangerous, ineffective, and short-sighted. The House version -- just introduced by Rep. Goodlatte -- is far worse. Over coming days you'll be hearing from the many businesses, advocacy organizations, and ordinary Americans who oppose this legislation because of the myriad ways in which it will stifle free speech and innovation. We hope you'll take our concerns to heart and oppose this legislation.

Join The Strike! and add this to your site

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Learn More: Watch the video · American Censorship page · View the Infographic
Read SOPA on OpenCongress · Read PIPA on OpenCongress

The three most definitive articles on SOPA and PIPA: Free Speech, Problems, Security

Fight for the Future is a non-profit organization fighting for people's freedoms in a new digital age.

I'm teaching in an "online success" seminar, deadline for enrollment is midnight

I was honored to be asked to teach the publishing segment of Be The Media's BOSS webinar series Blockbuster Online Success System. The webinar is designed for media creators, entrepreneurs,and other  professionals looking to earn or supplement a livable income without giving your time, money, and intellectual rights to a major corporation, label, publisher, or any other gatekeeper.

Through 16 virtual sessions, you'll learn how to build a successful online presence and income-earning business. It's a serious series, and costs $1499.00. Sign up here.

Experts include Wired's Kevin Kelly, Chicken Soup for the Soul's Janet Switzer, HARO's Peter Shankman and a bunch of other successful online businesspeople.

The deadline for enrollment is midnight tonight to join BOSS’s 16 virtual sessions on online success. ENROLL HERE

Topics are:

• 1000 true fans
• Builsing a responsive customer list
• Self-Publishing
• Teleseminars
• Video and film
• Twitter
• Publicity
• Facebook
• Outsourcing: Get the job done with VA's
• Packaging your product
• Planning out your website
• The indy media renaissance
• Repurposing: How experts build empires
• Money-making websites and blogs
• Audio and Music
• Licensing
• Linked-In

ENROLL

And here's the list of experts:

• Kevin Kelly
• Janet Switzer
• Bob Baker
• Dan Beck
• Peter Broderick
• Elizabeth Bryan
• Christopher Buttner
• Jaci Clement
• Joel Comm
• Jason Deitch
• Bernadette Doyle
• Charles Fisher
• Kathleen Gage
• Susan Harrow
• Christina Hills
• Lewis Howes
• Mickey Huff
• Jeanne Hurlbert
• Dan Janal
• Nancy Juetten
• Carla King
• Mike Koenigs
• Robert Laughlin
• Alan Levy
• Lisa Manyon
• Jennifer Rai
• Tara Reed
• Laura Robinson
• Peter Shankman
• Derek Sivers
• Joan Stewart
• Warren Whitlock

ENROLL HERE

It's an interactive webinar, and there's a 60-day money back guarantee.

I hope to meet you there.

Carla

Post Motorcycling for Women: Beginner Bikes, in your site or blog, via Scribd

As an author, web content developer, and social media consultant, I like to experiment with all the new tools for publishing. So I just uploaded my pdf ebook Motorcycling for Women: Beginner Bikes,  to Scribd. Now this is too cool. I made it a free download, and anyone can go to Scribd and grab the code to display the book on their sites and blogs. I want to share this ebook and so I invite you to do that. I've embedded the HTML here, in this blog, so you can see what it'll look like. Site visitors can page through the ebook right from your blog or web page. Yeah. It's too cool. Have fun!

The Future of the Social Web for Motorcycle Travelers and Beyond...

Everybody seems to have a web presence these days, even if it's just on Facebook. But wow, is it getting scattered! I just consolidated my own websites -- my author site, all of my various motorcycle travel websites, and my Miss Adventuring podcast under one single brand: Carla King. Yep. That's my name and I'm sticking to it!

Whether you're just starting to think about designing your personal web presence, blog, or Facebook page, or you're in charge of a website for a large company, it's worth considering a social media strategy now. Brands take years and years to build, and social media threatens to dilute it -- unless you have a solid strategy for integration. I like Jeremiah Owyan's advice... he's a real pro.

• The Future of the Social Web: In Five Eras - Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang

This is just an excerpt:

How Brands Should Prepare
What’s interesting isn’t this vision for the future, but what it holds in store for brands, as a result, companies should prepare by:

• Don’t Hesitate: These changes are coming at a rapid pace, and we’re in three of these eras by end of year. Brands should prepare by factoring in these eras into their near term plans. Don’t be left behind and let competitors connect with your community before you do.
• Prepare For Transparency:  People will be able to surf the web with their friends, as a result you must have a plan.  Prepare for every webpage and product to be reviewed by your customers and seen by prospects –even if you choose not to participate.  
• Connect with Advocates: Focus on customer advocates, they will sway over prospects, and could defend against detractors. Their opinion is trusted more than yours, and when the power shifts to community, and they start to define what products should be, they become more important than ever.
• Evolve your Enterprise Systems: Your enterprise systems will need to connect to the social web. Social networks and their partners are quickly becoming a source of customer information and lead generation beyond your CRM system.  CMS systems will need to inherit social features –pressure your vendors to offer this, or find a community platform.
• Shatter your Corporate Website: In the most radical future, content will come to consumers –rather than them chasing it– prepare to fragment your corporate website and let it distribute to the social web. Let the most important information go and spread to communities where they exist; fish where the fish are.

Why did I not follow you, or unfollow you, on twitter?

I tweet, and I follow a lot of twits. But I unfollow every day. Why? Because I, like most people, value small info bytes that help me with my work, or informs me in some other valuable area, or entertains me. I won't follow you if you ask me to if I only see FOLLOW ME FOLLOW ME FOLLOW ME in your list of tweets. I will follow you if I see tweets that interest me, on topic, and with links (and not just to your own site). Remember, it's a conversation. Here's a list of examples of what I think are good and bad tweets.

BAD

• Follow me on twitter and facebook and contact me if you're interested.
• I hate spreadsheets!
• REALLY need to upload a photo. Still havent found my usb cord though.
• Going for lunch, back shortly.
• Going for coffee, back shortly.
• Thanks for the #ff shoutout! you guys are awesome! :)
• Thanks for the RTs. You guys are awesome! :)
• Hey, how's Twitterville treating you? 
• Never drink black coffee at lunch; it will keep you awake all afternoon.
  
• Hey if any of you use itunes, you can get songs for free! check out my URL :D
• Thanks for the #FollowFriday #ff @... and have a great weekend!   
•  What up biker dudes and babes!?
• I love this Iphone Case. It comes in 10 different colors!
• Have a safe and wonderful weekend everyone!

You get the picture. So, you ask, what's a good tweet?

GOOD

• Good article on packing 4 round-the-world trip-6 surprising essentials w/link 2 complete list http://tinyurl.com/mmabnt
• RT @ANight_in_Paris: Fabulous interactive metro map for Paris - love it! http://bit.ly/3VCYWE #paris
• Bike rental delivery & pickup right to your door! Sorry, they don't have any Harleys! http://bit.ly/ZVuQ2
• Outside: The Road Trip Is Back Four of our favorite nomads share tales of http://tinyurl.com/o46qjh Full http://tinyurl.com/2ukrhs
• Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle primes for its Best Buy debut http://bit.ly/iXqoU
• TCX Sunray Boots for women with Gore-Tex and plenty of pr http://tinyurl.com/p9whdw Full http://tinyurl.com/qtabl
• One sort of surprising thing about the Suzuki TU250X is that it's fuel-injected. http://bit.ly/MK5ab
• Round up of HOT #travel deals from the NY Post, including @azulbeach, a Karisma Resort: http://bit.ly/474k3V
  

You get the picture. We crave information, conversation, interaction. So if I'm not following you yet, or if you see I've unfollowed you, please don't take it personally. Or do, and start tweeting smart.

Miss Adventuring on Twitter