When Pet Officer Snoopy isn’t out adventuring, he busies himself at home in his self-appointed capacity is Vice President of Global Communications for Mina2 Expeditions Inc. Just before I left to rejoin Mina2, he came into my office, gave me a smart salute and said “Skip, I’ve been meaning to have a word with you in my capacity as VP-GC. From the sounds of it, your cruise this year may be somewhat lacking in grit. In fact it may seem just a bit like a holiday. But whatever you do, do NOT blog holiday-like stuff”.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Well, for starters” said Snoops “nobody is in the least bit interested in hearing about someone lounging around in the sun all day for months on end whilst they’re here in Blighty suffering the miseries of winter. It just sounds like showing off and it simply irritates people. In the same way that almost nobody is interested in 99.5% of all tweets and Facebook postings. Secondly, it will blow your credibility as one of the country’s foremost adventurers. No longer will the Royal Geographical Society be pestering you to accept an Honorary Fellowship. No longer will Her Maj continue begging you to accept that Knighthood [www.blog.mailasail.com/mina2/40]. Bookings for your talks on the international lecture circuit will dry up overnight.You would be letting Mina2 down, letting your blogfans down but, most of all Skip, you would be letting yourself down. If it doesn’t entertain or inform – then don’t write it”. With that, Snoopy turned on his tail and stomped out.
Sound advice, and that is why you haven’t heard from me recently. If the situation changes you will be first to know.
Tim Barker is a sailor and occasional adventurer. Since 2004, Mina2, his Oyster 485 yacht, and he (with the Downstairs Skipper and a wonderful bunch of friends) have sailed from the Arctic to the Antarctic and many places in between. Come join their adventures and read Tim's award winning blogs and journals from the comfort of your own computer screen.
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