The conversation with a co-worker was simple enough. Knowing that I’m more than a digital-dabbler, she posed the question, “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital”. I rattled off a few resources then said I’ll send you a list.

When I really started pondering it, the list [...]]]>

The conversation with a co-worker was simple enough. Knowing that I’m more than a digital-dabbler, she posed the question, “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital”. I rattled off a few resources then said I’ll send you a list.

When I really started pondering it, the list just kept growing and growing.

It includes online publications, websites, blogs, people. I’ll detail a number of them here in a future post for your reference.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I kept coming back to the simplest of answers. When asked the question “where do you go to keep up to date on the latest in digital?” What I should have said then and am definitely saying now is, “I go to the latest in digital.”

You can read and intellectually digest all you want around the latest digital developments (and I certainly encourage you to do so), but the real learning, the intimate knowledge, the true understanding comes from actually using these tools.  Trying them on for size, going through the growing pains of determining what they can and can’t do, seeing how they connect, what happens in the background, coming up with your own ideas on how to improve them or finding new uses for them is where the real learning happens.

I wholeheartedly believe that to gain a real understanding (and vast appreciation for) digital tools you have to jump in, roll up your sleeves, observe a little, play a lot and learn even more. Like most things in life, you can only learn so much from sitting on the sidelines.

So, if you want to learn the digital basics on through to the latest in digital developments, you’re going to have to “do digital”.

Questions of the day:

What digital tools have you tried lately? What have been your observations? What would you recommend trying and why?

My shiny red ipod seems to accompany me everywhere these days. I’ll pop it on the walk to the post office, the train ride to the city or even when I’m vacuuming. This tiny rectangle contains weeks of  eclectic education covering marketing, technology, business, [...]]]> To be honest, I think mine screams I’m a girl geek.

My shiny red ipod seems to accompany me everywhere these days. I’ll pop it on the walk to the post office, the train ride to the city or even when I’m vacuuming. This tiny rectangle contains weeks of  eclectic education covering marketing, technology, business, communication, public relations, personal development, inspiration and fiction writing. As my list continues to grow, I try to share those that become favourties.

Mignon Fogarty’s weekly Grammar Girl podcast is near the top of the list. It’s short, powerful and bursting with grammar tips, hints, explanations and clear examples. If you’re in communications, it’s definitely one worth adding to your library.

A few more that are right up there are Leo Laporte’s  This Week in Tech (TWiT, for short), Net@Night with Leo and Amber MacArthur , Managing the Gray with C.C. Chapman and Six Pixels of Separation, by Montreal’s Mitch Joel. And, as you might suspect, IABC’s Shel and Neville’s FIR, For Immediate Release, the Hobson and Holtz Report.

What does your podcast library say about you? What titles would I find if I took a peek?

My beloved little red rectangle isn’t quite full yet, and I do have some long flights ahead, so let me know what you suggest.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Question of the Day

What podcasts would  you recommend?