Tell me about your Blog?

Web2 and More is aimed at the self employed and small to medium sized enterprises who want to get to know how to use Web 2.0 and cloud computing technologies to improve the way they work and to enhance the service they provide to their clients.  Many people in this sector have read that unless they jump on the social media bandwagon they are screwed, but they need guidance. Web2 and More aims to be a resource and guide map to help them through the early stages. It all stems from a European Commission project I was involved in in the mid 90s

What was your first blog?

It was a personal view about life 800 feet up a Cumbrian Fell and I think I got bored with it before the readers did so I sort of took it out and shot it to put it out of its misery.

What is the biggest tip you would give to a newbie blogger?

Do not underestimate the amount of time it takes to build a successful blog. Also, do as much research as you can into the niche you are entering to see where the challenges lie.

Where do you see growth in the blogging field?

I think collaboration is going to be the way forward. In the past people have set up their blogs as islands and I don’t think that is the way to go. Work with instead of against others in your niche, strike up strategic alliances, get other bloggers to do guest posts on your blog and reciprocate. Blogging can be lonely but if you strike up virtual friendships you can count on these people for help and support. Darren Rowse has just started problogger.com as a subscription based forum for support and collaboration and I am also a member of a smaller group called Twitter12 which also provides a support structure.

What new ideas are advertisers coming up with to take advantage of new trends?

I only have a handful of affiliate click through sites on my blog so I don’t follow what everyone else is doing with AdSense etc. Interestingly enough, Internet advertising in the UK passed TV advertising in the last month or so, maybe I need to look at advertising in a bit more detail.

What do you do to improve the world?

Be honest. It doesn’t always sit well with some people who would prefer to be lied to than face the truth, but that’s their problem. Life’s too short to piss about with people’s sensibilities!

What do you do that is green?

Lots of recycling – glass, tins, plastic all go to specialist centres and anything that can go into my compost bin does. It’s been going for three years and I have never had any compost out of it. The level of the stuff in there keeps going down so I guess it’s going to a parallel universe where some poor devil wonders why he is being dumped on with decomposed vegetable matter!

What is one thing about you that not many people know?

That I once had hair!

What’s your favourite book?

A toss up between Terry Pratchett and Tom Robbins but I think Robbins edges it with Jitterbug Perfume.

What is on your iPod?

My life! Everything from hippy days like the Byrds, Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead through to more contemporary stuff and a fair smattering of jazzy stuff by Pat Metheney, Miles Davis.

What are your contact details (email, company, blog, facebook, myspace, forums, etc)?

kevin.tea@(no spam)web2andmore.net
http://web2andmore.net
www.facebook.com/kevincumbria
Twitter @kevincumbria

What events do you go to?

Generally anything that involves food and drink and gets me away from this damn computer! I love cooking and finding out about the history and culture of food from different cultures. It’s the perfect antidote to being surgically attached to a PC.

How do you prefer to communicate?

Face to face or email, I am not a great fan of the telephone.

Who would you recommend, and why?

Twitter contacts
@mikecj – very open, honest and good fun to work with
@gordie_rogers who’s a Kiwi teaching in China and who is changing his whole lifestyle to being a full time blogger – he will make it
@robertbravery in South Africa who has a great sense of humour
@chrisLdowning who is always upbeat and inspirational
@jimijones who wears me out with his exuberance
@nhangen, Nathan is a life changer, very bright and focused
@zemalf, Antti makes the most obscure techie stuff very understandable
@iculpin, Ian and I go back years to a joint European Commission project – my liver has just recovered!
@keykate, a great bubbly Canadian who knows her way around the Web 2.0 jungle
@chrisbrogan – how the heck does the guy keep going
@cragnet, totally obsessed with mobile technology and can break a mobile phone faster than anyone I know!

What is one thing people can do for you?

Be honest. I can take criticism but I cannot stand bullshitters