I’m back in Toronto after spending the last few days at WordCamp Dallas. I have to say that the conference was much more informative than I expected. I found the presenters and the tips they gave to be very intuitive and now I can better apply what I learned to my own blog. When speaking with the organizers and other participants at WordCamp, I mentioned that my company would be interested in hosting a WordCamp: Toronto. I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the other participants, which made me even more excited to get started on this project. I will start putting the word out and in a few months there very well could be a WordCamp in T.O. 
Dallas to Pass the Torch to Toronto? March 31, 2008
Becoming Geek Savvy: WordCamp So Far March 30, 2008
WordCamp Dallas is off to a good start. Already I have learned how to be more influential, how to keep track of who is reading my blog, better podcasting and webcasting techniques and met interesting people from around the U.S. The conference began with a seminar from WordPress creator and blogging rock star, Matt Mullenweg. I was told he is only 23 years-old but has already accomplished so much. I was excited to learn about all the great things the soon to be unveiled WordPress 2.5 can do. This new version is not only faster and more efficient but will have mobile blogging abilities, have more room for additional plug ins, have a blogging directory of other users and will be more podcast-friendly. Lunch included authentic Texas food like brisket, sausage, sweet tea and corn bread, all very delicious might I add. After lunch, we attended a few more seminars, which included very useful tips from successful bloggers and podcasters. I can’t wait to attend day two tomorrow. For now we are off to the Irish pub in Frisco, more updates to follow.
WordCamp Dallas: Day One March 29, 2008
I’ve arrived in Dallas, despite almost missing the flight and taking a few wrong turns on the highway to get to the hotel.
WordCamp officially kicks off tomorrow morning at around 9:00 a.m. in Frisco, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas. I’m excited to meet the other participants in the morning, since we missed the meet and greet at the nearby Dave and Busters tonight.
Tomorrow’s first session starts off with an introduction from the creator of WordPress, which should be interesting. I will have more to report from WordCamp later on in the day tomorrow, until then goodnight from Dallas.
A Little Goes A Long Way March 27, 2008
This Saturday millions of people from around the world are going to turn off their lights, shut down their computers and start conserving energy. This will only be for one hour but at the very least we will be saving on our electricity bills and raising awareness about the important subject of climate change.
Some people who have chosen not to participate are against the idea of turning off their lights but think about when the power does really go out and we do not have any of the luxuries we take for granted. This Saturday may be a mock black out but it will teach us a lesson in conserving energy and show us how much we do rely on electricity, so we shouldn’t be wasting it.
Watch this video on Earth Hour.
Only 5 Days Till WordCamp Dallas March 24, 2008
There is less than a week to go before I fly down to Texas to soak up everything I can learn about business blogging. The two-day conference is organized by the developers of this very site. If I manage to attend all the seminars, I will absorb a lot of useful information about how to be a better blogger and incorporate it into my work.
My boss who is travelling with me, decided it would be a good idea to host a WordCamp in Toronto, so another reason for going is to see how such an event is organized.
If we find WordCamp Dallas to be beneficial then look for a WordCamp Toronto near the end of summer ‘08.
Even with Mounting Student Debt Students Should Consider Putting Money Into the Tax-Free Savings Account March 19, 2008
As the Communications Coordinator at my work, part of my job is to promote initiatives to students that will be beneficial to them. When the Federal government announced the Tax-Free Savings Account, I thought about what a great opportunity it would be for young people to put money aside now in order to save for bigger purchases later in life.
The problem in promoting this idea to students is many are more concerned with short-term priorities like paying off student loans. My suggestion to students is to invest even $50 or $100 of your monthly income into the TFSA when it opens in January ‘09. By putting money into the account now, you are earning money from doing absolutely nothing. It may be hard to conceptualize saving money when you are swimming in pools of debt but in five to ten years you will have more money to pay off student loans if you invest it now.
For more information about the TFSA visit this site http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2008/pdf/tax-free-savings-account.pdf
I may have found the best value meal in the city March 14, 2008
Last night at my monthy “Thirsty Thursday” young PR professionals meetup, I ordered what may be the best bang for your buck meal in all of Toronto. Not only was my meal very inexpensive, but everything on the menu was reasonably priced. Not since my days in Waterloo at Mel’s Diner have I found dirt cheap food options with actually good tasting food.
I was so impressed with my stuffed french toast, which included ham and melted cheese between two thick slices of french toast along with a side of home fries and a side salad with balsamic vinegar, all for the very affordable price of $4.50! Red Room was the name of the restaurant/bar that we met at last night, a place frequented by many students. If you are ever looking for some late night eats, with many options like pad thai, pastas, sandwiches, burgers, vegetarian options and more, this place is worth checking out because the kitchen is open till 2:00 a.m. on the weekends.
Hello world! March 13, 2008
While not new to blogging (this is my first official blog), I have written on other blogs for work and for pleasure. This being my first personal blog, I am quite excited to get started. I am not entirely sure in which direction I want to take this blog, but I will try to keep up with posting comments on friends’ blogs and comment on the things that I think are interesting; music, current affairs, social media, pr and pop culture.Melissa
