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• The Democrats and Liberals bloggers have had a virtual monopoly until very recently in Indiana. The advent of Hooser Access and it's member blogs has changed this somewhat during 2008.
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• Barack Obama, represented on the panel while John McCain's campaign didn't even respond to requests, has maximized the social medias for getting the word out, recruiting grass roots, and fundraising. They have also needed to use this tool to combat news items attacking Barack for lack of experience, racism at his home church, his original position against and now for oil drilling, and a host of issues surrounding the release of the book Obamanation. (See Hoosiers for McCain for our representation from John McCain, although not an official campaign site)
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• Compendium Software was the title sponsor with a package that encourages companies to use blogs to dramatically increase their SEO by cross-posting the same post across multiple topic driven sites at once. Although pretty heavily "sold" as a presentation, the idea raised some interesting questions about SEO and redundant posting. Update: I've been chided in the comments by Doug Karr and told more information about the presenter's abilities and committment to the technology world, duly noted. I found the presentation very helpful, and was interested in checking out Compendium's platoform.
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• I skipped the last sessions and spent some follow-up time with bloggers, mainly political, from Blue Indiana and Hoosier Access. General consensus was a good event, raising some issues for follow-up. The political bloggers for the most part got along quite well, with little of the problematic attacking that epitomizes talk shows on TV.

That's it for now. More later.

I will be attending today and tomorrow, and who knows we may all learn a lot about our blogging community.

If you are not able to attend but have questions for the speakers or panels, please email them to me Steve (at) greenptdev (dot) com

I'll have my blackberry, will be able to ask questions and then reply.

Team Hammond, a tax payer right group in NW Indiana, has been posting a ton lately some recent posts:

Team Hammond Leader Exonerated

We've Heard it all Before

Maximum Sentence for Jewell Harris

It's the accountability stupid


Great work Team Hammond, keep it up.

Chris Hedges found a new photo blog here in NW Indiana from Jonathon Thomas.

Sunsets over Valparaiso, dog on the Dunes, and midwest thunderstorm rolling across Porter County. Well worth a stop over.

Today I'm trying out Google's newest adventure, Knol, and setting up my bio. Let me know if you are are Knol and I'll make sure to comment on your bio.

Steve Dalton

I am working with Cender and Company in Merrillville, to build an online presence from scratch.

From zero searchability, no website, no online presence ... with a goal to attain number one in our targeted search terms within 90 days, publish an interactive site, and obtain our first client. It's a goal!

I'm setting up some content specific blogs, no ads for now, to drive SEO and traffic to the site that won't even be up for another 30 days. Sound backward?

Cender and Company - Municipal Finance and Planning Consultant on wordpress

Cender and Company - Indiana cities and towns bond and fiscal consultant on blogger

I'll add in some widgets and features, but for now content is king! Subscribe if you get a chance today so you can follow along with the experiment.

Well, all in all, the meeting was a bust.

Only three of us showed, and we were already on the same page for the 219.com rollout.

I have sent emails to some of you, and feel free to leave comments here if you want, when would work for a meeting that everyone, or a lot more than 3 people, could attend?

NW Indiana Bloggers Meeting

I know many of you have already put this meeting on your schedules for tomorrow:

6 p.m. at On Site Computers in Crown Point
Northwest Indiana Bloggers

First time, that I know of at least, that bloggers from multiple niches are getting together to discuss ways to work together. The owners of 219.com will also be there to propose that we write on their site too, to increase traffic and conversations about our Region.

If you can make it, it would be great to meet in person.

Recently I was able to spend some time with the owners of the long-heralded NW Indiana site, www.219.com and talk about web 2.0 for our Region.

I'd love to grab some input from the rest of you who frequent NW Indiana blogs and sites about the Region. I'd like to see a strong portal for NW Indiana bloggers, one where we can write and comment and build visibility together. I'd like to see a whole host of great features and services ...

I'll keep the rest to myself for now, what would you like to see?

One site that I really like and have always admired as geographically ground-breaking is and was The Rain City Guide in Seattle. Now of course Seattle boast a high level of internet savvy and technology is second nature to many of the professionals there. But as all things go, the midwest eventually follows. The Rain City Guide initially featured almost exclusively real estate posts from tech savvy real estate professionals. Obviously some used the site to gain business, notoreity, and even launched their own successful blogs.

Free blog, great searchability rankings on google, keyword stuffed naturally because the site is all about the community, networking with other web savvy entrepreneurs, and obviously the friendships that ensued.

Do we need something similar in NW Indiana? More? What could we really use to launch to the next level here?

Let’s Not Forget!!!

Blogger Chris Sloan is using his site this week to post videos as a tribute to America, patriotism and the Fourth of July. Head over and watch the first one now (a tribute to 9/11) and keep an eye open for the rest this week.

My favorite image is that of the Boston Tea Party. Infuriated by taxes, a government that cared more about itself than its constituents, and elimination of freedoms ... they made a point, albeit illegal according to British Law, that Americans stand for freedom. (that is unless you're Hispanic and then we change the rules - sorry had to say that)

"The tea destroyed was contained in three ships, lying near each other at what was called at that time Griffin's wharf, and were surrounded by armed ships of war, the commanders of which had publicly declared that if the rebels, as they were pleased to style the Bostonians, should not withdraw their opposition to the landing of the tea before a certain day, the 17th day of December, 1773, they should on that day force it on shore, under the cover of their cannon's mouth.

"On the day preceding the seventeenth, there was a meeting of the citizens of the county of Suffolk, convened at one of the churches in Boston, for the purpose of consulting on what measures might be considered expedient to prevent the landing of the tea, or secure the people from the collection of the duty. At that meeting a committee was appointed to wait on Governor Hutchinson, and request him to inform them whether he would take any measures to satisfy the people on the object of the meeting. "To the first application of this committee, the Governor told them he would give them a definite answer by five o'clock in the afternoon. At the hour appointed, the committee again repaired to the Governor's house, and on inquiry found he had gone to his country seat at Milton, a distance of about six miles. When the committee returned and informed the meeting of the absence of the Governor, there was a confused murmur among the members, and the meeting was immediately dissolved, many of them crying out, "Let every man do his duty, and be true to his country"; and there was a general huzza for Griffin's wharf.

"It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination.

"When we arrived at the wharf, there were three of our number who assumed an authority to direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided us into three parties, for the purpose of boarding the three ships which contained the tea at the same time. The name of him who commanded the division to which I was assigned was Leonard Pitt. The names of the other commanders I never knew.

"We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders to board all the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship appointed me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys to the hatches and a dozen candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles; but requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging.

"We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the water.

In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship, while those in the other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt was made to resist us.

"We then quietly retired to our several places of residence, without having any conversation with each other, or taking any measures to discover who were our associates; nor do I recollect of our having had the knowledge of the name of a single individual concerned in that affair, except that of Leonard Pitt, the commander of my division, whom I have mentioned. There appeared to be an understanding that each individual should volunteer his services, keep his own secret, and risk the consequence for himself. No disorder took place during that transaction, and it was observed at that time that the stillest night ensued that Boston had enjoyed for many months.

"During the time we were throwing the tea overboard, there were several attempts made by some of the citizens of Boston and its vicinity to carry off small quantities of it for their family use. To effect that object, they would watch their opportunity to snatch up a handful from the deck, where it became plentifully scattered, and put it into their pockets.

"One Captain O'Connor, whom I well knew, came on board for that purpose, and when he supposed he was not noticed, filled his pockets, and also the lining of his coat. But I had detected him and gave information to the captain of what he was doing. We were ordered to take him into custody, and just as he was stepping from the vessel, I seized him by the skirt of his coat, and in attempting to pull him back, I tore it off; but, springing forward, by a rapid effort he made his escape. He had, however, to run a gauntlet through the crowd upon the wharf nine each one, as he passed, giving him a kick or a stroke.

"Another attempt was made to save a little tea from the ruins of the cargo by a tall, aged man who wore a large cocked hat and white wig, which was fashionable at that time. He had sleightly slipped a little into his pocket, but being detected, they seized him and, taking his hat and wig from his head, threw them, together with the tea, of which they had emptied his pockets, into the water. In consideration of his advanced age, he was permitted to escape, with now and then a slight kick.

"The next morning, after we had cleared the ships of the tea, it was discovered that very considerable quantities of it were floating upon the surface of the water; and to prevent the possibility of any of its being saved for use, a number of small boats were manned by sailors and citizens, who rowed them into those parts of the harbor wherever the tea was visible, and by beating it with oars and paddles so thoroughly drenched it as to render its entire destruction inevitable."

---- George Hewes, an eyewitness