Teaching and Technology Learning Conference
Today I’ll be in Rolla at a tech conference. Perks to this:
- It’s close enough to drive there and back in one day comfortably
- The conference is free
- I don’t have to monitor the student workers again all day (we’re paying extra close attention due to recent changes in our phone systems)
- I get to hang out with Brenda
There are downsides, though:
- I will certainly have more work to do on Friday, leaving me stressed
- …
So… yeah. Should be a good time 
For occasional updates about the goings-on, be sure to check out our work Twitter @msuhelp.
Making a custom Twitter background
Like most everyone I know, I wasn’t sure what to make of Twitter when I first began using it. I didn’t know anyone on it, and I wasn’t sure I’d really use it all that much… and now I’ve sent well over 4000 messages through it, it’s my only means of communication with PAXers, and I’m not sure I could survive without it.
What’s more, Twitter has become an extension of my website. Whenever I publish a blog entry, it pops onto Twitter. It’s primarily through Twitter that I keep in touch with people from PAX, and for many, it is only through Twitter that they know me. Like my site, it ought to reflect my personality a bit more than a stock background, and perhaps more to the point, it ought to match up with my site.
I’ve written before about the importance of branding, so even though I don’t run Twitter, I should put my personal stamp on it. The first place I turned for help was Google, and it led me to the article Make a Good Impression with a Custom Twitter Background on Twitip. This article has some excellent advice, so if you’re looking to make a custom Twitter background, this is pretty much all you need.
I would offer one additional tidbit, though: Darren writes about the potential screen resolution your visitors will be at, and how that can affect your Twitter background–while taking this into account, also take a look at your Google Analytics results (which you ought to have set up) where you can see what resolution visitors to your site are using (see screenshot). I ended up going with a 200px wide branding spot; 120px was simply too narrow, and I think it’ll work for enough people to be worthwhile.
First encounter with the Springfield Blogger’s Association
Though I had visited the Springfield Blogger’s Association a couple of years ago with Ryan (it’s crazy to think that much time has passed!), I’ve never made it to another meeting. It seems like I’ve always got something going on Monday nights, or at least I’m exhausted from a hard Monday at work, but I went tonight. Since I no longer have class on Tuesday/Wednesday nights, I didn’t feel as pressured to have Monday night off, and with the topic of discussion this month being statistics and analytics, I thought I might have something to add to the conversation.
It was a great two and a half hours of talk about stats and the means to gather them, how traffic will affect site performance, different content management systems one might use, genealogy, and food. Talking about it, not eating–we were at Patton Alley Pub, and while they have some great stuff, I settled for just a Bass and the good company.
I enjoyed finally meeting Sarah Jo and Teresa, who I’ve seen on Twitter and elsewhere in the last two years but never met in person, as well as some new people I hope to speak more with in the future such as Nigel. Looking forward to next month’s meeting and some new additions to my RSS feed!
Spiritual Warfare Recap: Spiritual Warfare Is Similar to Miracles
This entry is part of the series Spiritual Warfare»
After reading a recent article at Alternet (I incorrectly site it as being in the New Yorker in the podcast–not sure why, and I questioned myself internally immediately after I said it because I knew the style of writing was nothing like the New Yorker and there’s no way that publication would have an article like this) titled Heads Up: Prayer Warriors and Sarah Palin Are Organizing Spiritual Warfare to Take Over America, I began thinking about the nature of spiritual warfare and what it meant that my experience didn’t match up with what the New Apostolic Reformation apparently teaches. Listen in to hear more.
Spiritual Warfare Recap
Weekly recap of recent events, what I’ve found in my studies, or some thoughts on spiritual warfare. My aim is to approach this topic practically and realistically–a lot of what’s out there on spiritual warfare is ambiguous at best, and completely ignorant at worst, so I’m hoping to establish something better for the benefit of the Church.
Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or via the standard RSS. You can also receive an email for each new podcast if that’s how you prefer to roll.
Entries in this series:
- Lighting a Signal Fire
- Fear is the Beginning of Wisdom
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Armor Bearers
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Battling Ourselves
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Newspaper Definition
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Devils and Demons
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Verifying Facts, Finding Truth
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Psychic Vampires
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Holy Water
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Foundations
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: The Truth About Discernment
- Spiritual Warfare Recap: Spiritual Warfare Is Similar to Miracles
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