As promised, here's some non technical definitions of RSS. More technical stuff later.

• RSS is technology that allows you to make your own online newspaper.
• RSS is a signal to search engines and subscribers that your site has updated.
• RSS is a technology that enables you to subscribe to website updates.
• RSS is the carrier for  blogging, podcasts, videoblogs and increasingly normal website content and content from knowledge worker and industrial processes.
  

The attached presentation was the basis for the "Online Community Primer" talk I gave on Wednesday December 7th at Blogs-n-Dogs.

Valerie Gregory of BCIT on fear of technology and I share my fear of cars (1.7 MB MP3 file, 3 minutes 44 seconds).

The third and final podcast of the evening... check out Robert Scales, Will Pate, Hal Josephson, and Eric Rice in an America versus Canada battle royale.

Zen. Yoga. Spirituality.

Sarah Pullman, Len Edgerly, Val Gregory, and Nick Erly chat about how they maintain their focus and sanity in our fast paced, techno schizophrenic, modern wired lives.

Read Sarah's post on the whole experience.

Lee Lefever, Satchi Lefever, Travis Smith and Monique Trottier discuss technology and travel at the pub here in Banff @ Blogs N Dogs.

Tonight I got peer-pressured into participating in my first-ever BeerCast. :) I was really darn tired and was heading to bed, but in the end a change in venue to somewhere closer persuaded me to at least put in an appearance. After all, I've never been in a REAL podcast before. Just some cute little ones of the ODEO variety.

As it turned out, it was awesome! Kris hooked up a group of four of us to continue a conversation that Len and I had started earlier in the van on the way to the dogsledding... kind of about meditation and spiritual practice as an antidote to the crazy tech-induced ADD I blogged about yesterday. And it was really great for me to get to engage in the evening's activity from a place that feels meaningful to me. I suppose it gave me hope that there really are ways for me to draw together all the things I've been engaged in -- from geekery to yoga and spirituality to social change. Who knew that pod/beercasting could be so soul-affirming?

What a day!

Finally, day two of blogs n dogs, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Since my original conversation with Slav, back in August of this yeah, when we first spoke about doing this event and she suggested to go do dog sledding (we were trying to find something that rim with blogs). I've been looking forward to this day!

Today, 24 participants and faculty members of "blogsndogs" went on a two-hour dog sled tour with the fine people of the Howling Dog Tours outfit out of Canmore, Alberta (about 20 minutes drive from Banff).

Our guide, Sidney, also the manager of the company told us she's been doing this for 6 years. Howling Dog Tours currently have over 200 dogs. They do on average 4 trip per day. Each trip cover a distance of approximatly 10kms, it takes just about 2 hours with a fun hot chocolate, jerky and dried fruits break. The cost of the tour is $125 per person, and you can have up to 3 person per sled. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even take a turn guiding the sled! One more item off my 43 things list.

Eric Rice, was filming and podcasting during the sledding for his next installment of his Backstaging show from Banff. Check out the flickr tags on "blogsledding" to see some of the pictures taken today.

Technorati Tags: blogsndogs, robertscales, raincitystudios, eMarketing

I've uploaded my slides from the talk on Monday here, but probably the most pertinent item is the list of strategic reasons for blogging:

• search engine marketing

• direct communication
  
• brand building
  
• competitive differentiation
  
• relational marketing
  
• exploit the niches
  
• media & public relations
  
• reputation management
  
• position expert status
  
• build up trust

Tomorrow afternoon's Blogging for Business session gives us another chance to really focus on this topic. Help us tailor the session to you by leaving a comment d

Another fine sunny day in beautiful Banff, Alberta. Day two of blogsndogs is underway. I woke up early and had myself a big breakfast!

Kris Krug and I are geeking out, podcasting and getting ready to go dog sled.. I am so excited, I barely slept.

"blogsndogs" is on the current and the past week hot tags on flickr