So there is a lot of information available on the internet. There is a ton of information available about hooping. New articles are posted every day. Until recently I had only two primary sources: Hooping.org and Tribe.net. I decided that I wanted more direct access to information and I didn’t want anyone else determining what I see. So I set out to find the tools to create my own resources.
Hooping.org is a great way to get information about hooping around the world. It remains one of my primary resources. Here’s the thing though, if Hooping.org is your sole resource, then hooping.org decides what information you receive. This relinquishes an incredible amount of power to one organization. It’s up to each of us to decide whether we are comfortable with that but my feeling is this: hooping.org is a great primary source for information, but I want my own resources as well.
Tribe, oh tribe, ever unstable, and as a friend described, if you’re looking for hooping related conversation, tribe is like “sucking on a firehose.” Tribe has more going on than you can digest. The tools listed below can be used in conjunction with Tribe. You can use these tools to filter that proverbial fire hose.
Using these tools, it’s possible to keep track of much more information. Here is my list of tools:
RSS Readers:
If you aren’t using an RSS reader yet, you need to get one. This is the single most valuable tool I can recommend. RSS reshaped my relationship to internet. Dbug recommended NetNewsWire which is what I use. Google Reader is also an excellent choice. The concept takes a second to digest but watch this video:
Blogs:
Follow your favorite hooper’s blogs with your new RSS reader. Every-time they post something new, you will know. You can start here following Isopop. After you’ve installed an RSS reader, click here or click “Subscribe to our feed via RSS.” I’d also take a minute to check out and possibly subscribe to some of my friends, listed on the side. I follow many more hooper blogs from around the world than listed here.
Google Alerts:
Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:
* monitoring a developing news story
* keeping current on a competitor or industry
* getting the latest on a celebrity or event
* keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams
I have google alerts setup for “Isopop”, “+Rich +hoop -basketball” and so fourth. Every time something new is posted online with any of those results, as soon as google finds it, I know. I get daily updates for about a dozen searches including the names of friends hooping companies, friends, “hula hoop”, etc.
Twitter:
Many hooper’s are on Twitter now. I love twitter! It is harder to explain than it is to use. It takes seconds to signup. After you get an account, you can find me here. Twitter is a great way to follow what friends are doing. I’m primarily following hoopers from around the world.
Many of these tools can be used together. For example, I receive an RSS feed on NetNewsWire for the search term “Hula Hoop” on Twitter. Every time someone tweets Hula Hoop, I get a message. I also use my RSS reader to follow tribes on tribe.net. Every time a new video arrives in the Hooping Video Tribe, I get sent a link in my RSS Reader.