One of the great things about the internet, particularly what is known as Web 2.0–the second wave of digital technology that has made the internet a far more social and participatory place– is that fresh discoveries are always possible. Its potential seems so limitless that it can make trailblazers of us all, if we can simply find our niche.

There potentially remain many firsts yet to claim, within our reach, even here in the conflict resolution field. Consider these examples:

• Bill Warters, Campus-ADR Tech Tools: first blog ever on ADR and conflict resolution
• Perry Itkin, Florida Mediator, world’s first mediation blog
• Miquel Tort, Blog Solomediacion.com, world’s first Spanish language blog
• Dina Beach Lynch, Mediation Mensch, first African-American to blog about mediation and first person to use a blog to coach mediators
• Josh Weiss, Negotiating Tip of the Week, world’s first negotiation podcast
• Me, World Directory of ADR Blogs, another first

You get the picture.

Now another conflict resolution professional is blazing a brand-new trail.

Tammy Lenski, who somehow finds time to publish not just one but two blogs, “I Can’t Say That” and “Mediation Marketing from Mediator Tech“, is doing something that no other mediator has done. She is writing a book on marketing for mediators, using her blog Mediator Tech as the publishing platform. Visitors to Mediator Tech see “Making Mediation Your Day Job” unfold, chapter by chapter. As writer, Tammy benefits from readers’ feedback. Readers of course benefit as well from Tammy’s experience.

The good news is that there’s still plenty of room for you to be a pioneer yourself in cyberspace. Not all the great ideas have been taken. (In fact, I can’t wait to tell you about another first for the mediation field. However, like a good mediator, I’ve promised to keep it confidential. At least for now. I think the wraps come off this week, so check back soon.)

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 22nd, 2006 at 11:34 am and is filed under Blogs and Bloggers, Careers in Mediation, Tech and Business Tips for Mediators. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.