Mud Creative inc. Clarity in a world of rich communications

On our third day in Athens, we decide to make our way to Delphi, the magnificent site of the Delphic Oracle and the sanctuary of Apollo. So significant to the Greeks is Delphi that they refer to it as the omphalos (belly button) of the earth. It is the place on earth where man is closest to the Gods.

Delphi is a three-hour bus ride from Athens, but along the way we soak up the splendid countryside passing fields of cotton, and grape, almond and olive trees. We drive through the mountains that surround Athens, and enter lush terrain. The bus climbs and climbs. Suddenly we are inching our way through a charming little ski resort with streets that are surely half the width of the bus! Our driver miraculously negotiates the lanes and we are able to look down (if we dare) and see the deep valleys. The view is so breathtaking, I almost forget that it feels like the bus is teetering on the edge.

We reach Delphi on the side of Mount Parnassos and step onto this sacred ground. Immediately I can feel the history seeping out of the earth - or is it the relentless heat melting the soles of my shoes? Whatever it is, I know that I am so glad we made the trip up here. It is so beautiful and overwhelming. The expansive ruins - remnants of a temple, a stadium, a theatre, and a treasury house - seem to rise up naturally out of the mountainside like they were always meant to be here.

We are standing at the oracle, the site where pilgrams once flocked to seek the guidance of Apollo on critical matters. Questions were asked to the priestess who, after inhaling some “suspicious” fumes, was able to channel the spirit of Apollo. In her toxic stupor, she spoke in riddles and the priests of the temple would relay her answers to the pilgrims. The messages were always cryptic and vague like “know thyself,” leaving it up to the recipients to decide for themselves how they wanted to interpret the answers.

Delphi is also the site of the Phythian Games, which were held every four years in Apollo’s honour. Athletes would descend upon the theatre and stadium to compete for the victor’s laurel crown. The Phythian Games was the precursor to the Olympic Games.

A quick trip to the incredible Delphi museum and it’s lunch time. We stop in the town of Delphi where we are treated to some local fare before starting the long trek back to Athens. As it happens, today the Athenians have decided to protest the high cost of living and there is a rally near the core. And so we return to a city in chaos - well, more chaotic than usual. Just another day in Athens.

On the morning of June 16, after a nine and a half hour flight from Toronto, my husband and I found ourselves searching for coffee in the city of Athens, Greece. This was the start of a trip we had talked about for five years or more, and the day had finally arrived!

Named after the goddess, Athena, Athens is crowded, hurried and frenetic. Scooters and mopeds own the narrow streets - or so they think - darting in and out of traffic, and parking wherever they please. At an intersection, when the light turns red, the scooters zoom out in front of the cars and buses to get a head start as if in a race. Marble, so precious to us in North America, is as ubiquitous as concrete. (They mine the stuff.) In sharp contrast, graffiti seems to be the wall colour of choice.

You can buy and drink beer on the streets, and pretty much everyone smokes - even the waitress taking our order has a cigarette in her mouth. I think it was the Greeks who invented the outdoor living room, now so popular in our side of the world. Outdoor cafes are everywhere with beautiful loungers, coffee tables and umbrellas that I wish I could stuff in my suitcase for my still-bare back deck. Despite the flurry of activity that seems to pervade Athens, there’s no rush when you’re enjoying a cold beer or iced coffee at a cafe. People seem to linger for hours visiting or playing backgammon - apparently a game played by the ancient Greeks for thousands of years.

A blend of reality and myth, Athen’s past has been adopted into the present. As you might expect, modern day life is punctuated by the presence of gods, warriors and ancient philosophers. In the maze of streets, modern and neo-classic buildings, metropolitan shops, restaurants and outdoor cafes, it’s not uncommon to happen upon a preserved site of architectural ruins or a place of ancient worship. In fact, you couldn’t avoid them if you tried.

A tour of the city takes us to the highlights so we can orient ourselves: the Panathenaid Stadium - restored in 1895 where the very first modern Olympics were held. More recently, the stadium was the end point for a marathon event in the 2004 Olympics. Marble pillars at the front honour Greece’s gold and silver Olympic medalists; the Roman Agora (place of assembly), built between 19 and 11 BC with donations from Julius and Octavian Caesar. A nearly intact entrance gate and remaining columns bear testament to what was once a major meeting place for ancient Athenians.

Rising up in the centre of the city is the famed Acropolis, the highest point of Athens. On top of it is the Temple of Athena Parthenos, also known as the Parthenon, built in the 5th century BC. From the very humbling site of the Acropolis, one can see the extent of Athens. Nearly half of Greece’s population of 11 million resides in Athens, and the city stretches on for miles and miles. Because Greece is a seismic country and thus prone to earthquakes, the buildings can be no higher than eight stories, so instead of building up, they build out. We saw no single family dwellings in the city.

In the afternoon, we make our way to the Plaka, a market area with throngs of people and scores of small stores, tavernas and souvenir shops in a labyrinth of streets. We notice that the streets seem to be “themed.” There’s the “shoe stores” street, the “textiles” street, the “bead stores” street, and here’s one for you…the “fur coat” street! Imagine, selling fur coats in a city that has smothering 40 degree temperatures!

A recent transplant in Calgary, I have started networking with organizations and individuals who share my passion for the web and search engine optimization.

Recently, I attended a WHO meeting, where I found myself in a very different type of group. WHO stands for Women in a Home Office. It’s an amazing Canada-wide organization founded by Anne Stone. I met published authors, accomplished professional coaches, wellness consultants, and the list goes on. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed with the calibre of members, and most of all with their desire to support and help each other.

At the end of the meeting, I was inundated with business cards and questions about the web and SEO. I realized that while I have been immersed in SEO for several years, I often take it for granted that everyone else just “gets it.” In actual fact, to many people the web and SEO is still a huge question mark.

While feeding off the energy and insight of others in our industry is important, sometimes we simply need to go back to basics. Listening to questions from those who don’t live and breathe our work like we do, and answering in a way that “turns the light on” can introduce us to a wealth of new prospects.

Shortly after posting the article on “Blogging. An excuse for poor communication?,” I came across an excellent article by Robin Nobles at Search Engine Workshops called The top ten grammar errors that haunt Web pages. Robin points out that “our websites are our online storefronts, and if our sites are full of errors, what does that say about our professional image?”

In this frank discussion about grammar, Robin talks about many of the more common mistakes people make as well as some spelling issues that are specific to the web world. It’s well worth a read for anyone who is confused about web site vs. website or e-mail vs. email. And what’s the plural of e-mail anyway? You may be surprised!

The wonderful thing about blogging is it provides an open forum for musings, information sharing, and conversation between people with similar interests. Not to mention that it adds fresh content to a website, which is good for SEO rankings and link generation.

But often blogging, especially commenting on blogs, is done when the mood to say something strikes. And more often than not, people who blog aren’t professional writers or communicators. Does that mean it’s forgivable to construct a cloudy message or make the odd spelling error?

Credibility is important to your business. A carefully written and constructed blog will go a long way toward upholding your reputation. So taking a little extra time to ensure that your blog message is clear and purposeful would be prudent.

Tips for blogging to say what you mean

Write your blog posting in a text document first. Composing on a blank piece of paper comes easier than trying to write within a template with distracting links and instructions.

When your blog posting is complete, walk away before publishing it. Taking a break rests your eyes and your brain.

When you come back to your blog post, read through it again. Then, read it backwards to spot any spelling or grammatical errors. Reading copy backwards stops the tendency to skip words.

Ask a colleague to read your blog to be sure that, aside from it containing errors, your message is clear and understood by other readers.

Posting a blog comment

Posting a comment to a blog is a little different because you’re writing in an environment other than your own. How many times have you followed a thread where several responses were from the same individuals trying to fix their errors or explain what they meant in the first place?

Take your time to respond. Read your posting over forward and backwards. Ask someone in the room to give it a quick once-over to ensure it makes sense. Then, you’re ready to submit it, knowing with confidence that you won’t have to apologize, correct a mistake or clarify something you said later.