The essential @dougpete

Dear Doug,

I was feeling low too, after reading your blog post about #BIT15. Your blog has meant so much to me and so many others, that I find any derogatory comments simply inexplicable. I understand that you must feel hurt, but hopefully you will cheer up after hearing from others that your blog is not only essential reading, but the best source of interesting news and views that I can think of.

Thinking back on the first time I ever heard of you – and probably saw you, without meeting – was at the landmark “First Will Richardson” event sponsored by OTF.

By the “Second Will Richardson” event less than a year later, he had already updated his ideas to, “It’s not about the tool,” – a novel concept at the time!

But at that first event I and everyone else had our heads exploding from tool overload. Imagine, until then, I had not heard of Twitter or Diigo, two tools that have changed and enriched my personal and professional lives immeasurably. In present-day terms that one day turned me into a "Connected Educator."

My world beyond a rural northern home, and a small school in Burks Falls, suddenly opened up to include educators and others from all corners of the globe, posting their ideas and articles and chat opportunities.

I count myself extremely fortunate to have actually met you and many more of these influential people in person, too, thanks to the ECOO conferences.

But back to Will Richardson – at one point he said, “Heck, if you follow @dougpete from right here in Ontario, you don’t even have to do your own research, he does it all for you!”

That was my introduction to "The Essential Doug Peterson"!

From that day forward, I have been a devoted reader. As I am unfortunately not a devoted commenter, you wouldn’t necessarily know this:)

So, as you said in response to others on Twitter – keep on pleasing yourself and I am sure you will continue to please the rest of your many readers and fans.

Anne