Wednesday 26 July 2017

Follow the Adventure.

It has to be said that I have not been social media's greatest advocate.  The day job throws up too many instances of how in the hands of brutal, callous and quite frankly stupid people it can be such a destructive force.  That said the cosy corner of the Blogosphere that '28mm Victorian Warfare' inhabits has been nothing but a joy.  My hobby has flourished with the support of its followers and I have made genuine friendships along the way.  This has prompted me to explore other avenues, but as is always the way I seem to lack the impetus to maintain the initial enthusiasm and so they have fallen into disuse, gradually buried under a shroud of virtual dust.

As a result, I have decided to use the summer holiday as an opportunity to explore and experiment with a couple of different platforms, whilst dusting off some existing ones.  Now I used to have a Facebook profile, but decided that this wasn't for me.  I am, at heart, a very private person and so while I am happy to share my hobby progress or hobby related visits, I wasn't sure the world was ready for my extended wisdom, extolling the virtues of the J. D. Wetherspoon's traditional breakfast whilst waiting for one's dry cleaners to open. 
Similarly I had already set up a Twitter account, although I am ashamed to say three years ago now, so have dusted this off.  Twitter is a curious thing that I have to confess that I don't fully understand, but I have subsequently followed a couple of the companies that I use and can instantly see how product updates and customer galleries could prove enriching.  Fear not, good reader, as I am not about to hang on every tweet of @POTUS or start engaging in the politically biased banter* that seems to proliferate today's society.  That said, I can see a genuine benefit to my hobbying world so happy to give it another go over the summer.
*A word that makes me cringe overtime I hear it used as an excuse for shameful humiliation of others.
Pinterest has always intrigued me and will be another platform that I intend to investigate in more detail.  I use a lot of web based research when it comes to painting my miniatures and more often than not save these to 'my photos' on my computer to use at a later date.  Of course this means that I have no end of random images interspersed with holiday snaps making locating them, when needed, often time consuming.  The idea of dedicated 'pin' boards to relevant subjects makes perfect sense, especially when we consider that they also credit and link to the original hosting.
More recently, I was taken with the way that some of my pupils were using Instagram as a creative tool to log progress with their ongoing projects and this has inspired me to give it a go myself.  I like the idea that progress can be shown through a trail of individual images, forming chapters in a project's development, that and it has some rather fun filters to play with!  

Now, let's be clear this is not some great conversion to the instant gratification of social media and I certainly don't envisage a raft of posts, tweets or pins documenting my every move or paint stroke, but I will certainly look to explore, over the coming month, whether or not these 'tools', as I like to think of them, will further benefit my enjoyment of this most wholesome of hobbies.

The first tentative steps along the road to media enlightenment have seen me redesign the appropriate icons to something more befitting the dusty halls of '28mm Victorian Warfare'.  These, in turn, have been linked, after a considerable amount of research and the occasional blue word, to their respective site and our now safely located on the right sidebar of this humble weblog, do feel free to follow the adventure.



35 comments:

  1. I recently started to use Instagram as sort of a miniblog/project log for mostly my non-hobby related interests. I look forward to seeing how you use this platform as well!

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  2. Good luck with this renewed interest in "All things technical", much of it is beyond my own expertise or desire.

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  3. I know virtually nothing about social media, except that apparently you can get that internet thing on computers now!!

    Cheers Roger.

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  4. Pinterest is pretty good (although the autocorrect is pint erect). Facebook genearly full of... well dicks, but good for organising. Rest no clue

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  5. Having been up at the sharp end of a certain recent presidential campaign I can certainly understand your views on social media, especially FaceAche. Several times I've come close to jacking that particular account in, but retain it since my British wargames club has a page and it's nice to see their games from 3,000 miles away. (For those with FB accounts who're interested look up New Buckenham Historical Wargamers).

    Pinterest is a joy for me, a nice change from all the sturm-und-drang of other media. I've found a lot of useful images for gaming/modelling on it.

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  6. Your blog are perfect for me to follow all your stunning wargaming projects that are full of inspiration!

    My self i have always just used My blog but for the last 6 month i Also started to use My Facebook Account to, but only for wargaming and historical/Military posts.

    Good luck with your exploring of the social media world ;)

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  7. Michael, mind me not that I watch safely from the shore of older technologies as you wade into the unknown. My wife & I are still for the most part Non-Cell phone users. We have them with us, but never on unless an emergency should require it. As for Facebook, it provides a momentary link to those I served in the forces with & alas many of the gaming companies are now using it as a forum of their own. As well our games club has a facebook page. Otherwise I rarely peruse its offerings of rude people, food...really? What's next a photo showing the food after digested? And of course the political tripe which is exactly what's been digested. So I will happily watch your adventure safe in the confines of your blog 8D

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    1. >>>My wife & I are still for the most part Non-Cell phone users<<<

      My husband and I are exactly the same. We own one mobile phone between us, which is an old dinosaur of the thing (but just keeps going). We never have any money topped up on it, and it must ring about twice a month.. usually the kids to say they are visiting.

      Delete
  8. I have an FB account which I rarely post our hobby related stuff. I stumbled upon Pinterest and created an account, mainly images of armor and such. Otherwise, my blog is my outlet for our hobby. I have never done Twitter or Instagram.

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  9. I have an FB account which I rarely post our hobby related stuff. I stumbled upon Pinterest and created an account, mainly images of armor and such. Otherwise, my blog is my outlet for our hobby. I have never done Twitter or Instagram.

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  10. I have only recently joined FB, but strictly for hobby related groups - no friend or family stuff. It is so very different from good blog, like this one, and I'm not sure I really like it.

    Frank
    http://adventuresinlead.blogspot.com.au/

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  11. I love the images you've chosen for each of your platforms - very inventive. I have a Facebook account, but only joined to see if I could contact some of my old gaming group who dispersed across the country. I subsequently discovered that those who were on Facebook have left our esteemed hobby behind and have become 'muggles'. Twitter I do use, both for keeping updated on my interests, such as Doctor Who and the Marvel movies, but also to post the occasional "witticism" that isn't suitable for my blog.

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    1. we have a sign outside says "Any 'muggles' found here will be captured and eaten".

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  12. I enjoy your blog - obviously very popular as sometimes your posts have 70 or 80 comments before I even notice.

    It's all good stuff, please keep it up.

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  13. Very good post, Michael; I have a number of social media outlets, but my blogging is (at present) pretty much dead in the water. My painting almost non- existent and my focus fading fast; I want to game etc, but just can't get past the gawping at all the gaming distractions out there - bah! I, too, will use the summer break to re-org. Tally-ho!

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  14. Well good for you.......I find blogging is enough for me I do have apinrest but use this mainly for uniform guides which are great. Facebook I hate but it is the only way to communicate with my son 😀 I m not sure I need anymore technology at the moment.....oh but I do love listening to podcasts.

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  15. Enjoy! I'm brain dead when it coms to enterprises like you are entering into.

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  16. Enjoy your new adventures. I enjoy the blogosphere and that's where I like to stay. I do have FB, but that's mostly for the sake of my family... but there are some miniatures groups I have found on there as well that have made it more tolerable.

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  17. What a coincidence; I have a couple of dodos sitting on my painting desk right now (pewter miniatures).

    I don't use much social media, nor even know what most of it is useful for. Pinterest sounds one of the few ones that I could see myself using - for the reasons you and others mentioned. As it is, I also have folders of pics for inspiration and reference, but not well-organized.

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  18. Each social media has its own uses - facebook is great for clubs and groups to interact (my Blood & Iron is facebook based for organising games), while I like Twitter the most, even though I have never tweeted anything - just find the right mix of people to follow and inspire you to do more hobby.

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  19. I totally agree with you Michael and FB is nothing for me.I was forced to make a FB-account when I was working on a professional project but I also want to stay more private.I really like your blog and for me it is a very personal one on a hobby-level. :) Keep up the work.

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  20. FB..I got myself deleted from thier dreadfull Money making tosh. Twitter.. I´ve got an account but seeing as I changed my PC years back and forgot the Password, that´s gone as well. I never really understood it anyway.
    Google+? Same as Twitter, I really don´t get it. I press the G+ button on my and other Blogs but what does it do? It seems they´ve changed the Format recently anyway.
    Pinterest? I´ve got most of my pics sorted into appropiate folders on a USB stick, that´s if I want to look at my Collection of Pictures with no meaningfull Labels or context. Same goes for Instagram.
    Just Keep Blogging mate, don´t dilute the Sauce

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    1. Sauce = Source ? :-P
      I know...terrible really, not even a pun but I don´t get paid for this...or at least that´s what my Agent tells me.

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    2. PS; Instagram is part of FB...!!! YUK!!!
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram

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  21. This is just a post to covertly tell us you are proceeding upon a Cthulu like project right? You and social media, what utter baldrrdash and poppycock! ;-)

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  22. Bah Humbug! All this Technical jiggery pokery has passed me by.

    And in my closed narrow minded view I am happy that it has.

    IF it turns out to be worthwhile kindly let me know. But my blog is (at present) as technical as I want to get.

    I for now will stick to parchment and my trusty abacus!

    (Ok I wish you well in all your endeavours. But please do not forget us mere mortals!)

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  23. my facebook account is used only for toy soldiers and model kits.

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  24. Great post Michael. I've been using Twitter to do small posts on what I'm working on and to follow others' activities. There are a surprising amount of hobbyists on Twitter now and it's very active. Though I like it, and it's a great way to keep in touch with other people, I find that it's a poor substitute for a blog as tweets provide no real narrative and very little depth.

    I also have an instagram account, but I'm having a difficult time getting any traction with it.

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  25. Colonel Bill said to me when I was signing up, "Why do you use a fake surname?" My answer was, "So nobody who I went to school with, who I couldn't stand then, never mind now, can't find me on Facebook and want to be 'Friends'." True story that.

    I have Facebook. Useful to find out about when my local GW store is closed for the day, and I need paints, and any wargaming news such as sales or discounted preorders. I just use it for the hobby, electing to not follow 'Friend's' posts as there normally about Politics or animal sob stories.

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  26. Outside of Facebook (Which I do use for hobby/gaming purposes through their "Groups" function, but more to keep in contact with my family, ALL who are overseas.) I don't dare tip my toe into other social media venues. I really don't understand how to use them to be honest and the idea of how much of a time sink the internet is in general means I think I "should" get lots more hobbying done than otherwise. "should".

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  27. I see most of these social media as things which mostly consume time and not really helpful. I even steer away from FB as I don't trust the company.

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  28. Welcome to the social media :) Pinterest can be really handy for reference images and sources of inspiration. I've been using it for a few years now, but it starts to be a bit counterproductive at times as I've ended up with some folders that have hundreds of images which make finding what I'm looking for quite a chore again. I apparently need more precise subject so that they can be split into smaller groups ;)

    I gave up on instagram quite fast after the wife had forced me to try it. Not much that would interest me and nothing I wouldn't see through other channels as well.

    Facebook and hobby groups are quite handy for trading stuff, but I've more or less given up on any reasonable discussion there outside of my clubs page. People don't seem to be able to distinguish any sort of sarcasm or humor from posts and most threads just get sidetracked and seem to degenerate into flame wars.

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  29. I think the Instagram format does indeed provide a suitable platform for our hobby postings. It's just that I can barely find time to paint and blog as it is. But it's something to explore for sure!

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  30. Your blog is perfect just at it is.

    There's no need to start on Facebook if you don't feel to. My hockey fellows dragged me onto that and I'm happy to share things to special groups of people. Usually I don't share anything puplically.

    Anyway those modern social media offer so many possibilities that everyone can chose whatever he like.

    Your choice, my friend, looks utterly well to me.

    Cheers
    Stefan

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