[I'm participating in Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Blog Challenge, in case you're all like, what's with the theme?]

photo by Hector R.
Social web moment. Did you meet someone you used to only know from her blog? Did you discover Twitter?
[UPDATE! This very day, I had to add one more bullet point. See bold text.] Not only was 2009 defined by its learning experiences; it was also defined by social web moments. Here, a partial list.
- Interviewing Daniel Pink on my previous blog. That was pretty cool.
- People I coerced guided into social media: Hector R., Tammy Izbicki, my mom, Bob Brasier.
- People I met via Twitter with whom I’ve since collaborated (or have plans to collaborate) on various projects: Kelly Sims, Tamara Komuniecki, Warwick Merry, Mark McGuinness, Sarah Bray, Michelle Ward, Randi Buckley, Daniel Thurston, Kay Ballard.
- People I met via Twitter, and then in real life, whose work I’d admired for a couple of years from afar: Cheryl Sorg
- People I met via Twitter who encourage unhealthy celebrity obsessions: Patti Digh [re: Craig Ferguson] and Fake Nick Cave [re: the real Nick Cave].
- Faux-siblings I’ve discovered via Twitter: Daniel Thurston and the great mastermind behind Fake Nick Cave
- That one time that Kevin Spacey addressed me on Twitter? That was a great fangirl moment.
- That other time that William Gibson re-Tweeted some smart-ass comment I made? Also a pretty good fangirl moment. And then today we exchanged a couple of Tweets. Right on, I say. (Sadly, I made a right idiot of myself, but it turned out okay.)
- People I met after having followed their blogs: Colleen Wainwright (again, technically 2008, but it kickstarted 2009 for me),Danielle LaPorte, Dyana Valentine, Marianne Elliot, Stacy de la Rosa, Christine Mason Miller, Pamela Slim.
- And let’s not forget the many, many other cool, kind and interesting people I’ve met and continue to meet.
All of which is why I love this social media thing. Love, love, love it. It’s absolutely changed my life for the better.



I think you’ll have to come all the way to Australia and twist my arm to get me on Twitter! But I do appreciate your efforts.
E — I tried! But I know better than to argue with a busy Supermother of three who could also kick my ass with one hand tied behind her back.
You’re one of my fave social web moments too, lady! So glad we’ve “met”
Me too, Michelle. And soon maybe we can MEET-meet.