21 Things I Learned From My 21 Days In The Scavenger Hunt

Last Updated on: June 4th, 2017

I was recently involved in The Firepole Marketing Scavenger Hunt. I was really excited to be a part of this event and, during my 3 weeks of participation, many things happened. In no particular order, here are 21 things that I learned (and did) as a result of my willingness to put myself “out there”:

1. I made some online “friends” and learned a little bit about a lot of things. 

2. I joined Goodreads, Quora, and Pinterest. I had already joined Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. I don’t know a lot about any of these social mediums, but I am learning.

3. I learned how to put pictures in my blog posts. Apparently, people and search engines like pictures! Who knew?

4. I learned a bit about Tumblr. I created a blog there, as did my fellow “scavenger hunters”, since we needed a place to post proof that we did the challenges.

5. I learned a very small bit about making a Slideshare presentation. I made one here just for fun.

6. I learned how to make a survey for my blog. I made three short, simple ones. I still need to figure out how to post one here, for my readers to take, to figure out what kind of topics are appealing. I do not yet know how to collate and interpret the results. This is on my “things to do” list!

7. I visited a bunch of blogs and websites that I otherwise would not have visited. Consequently, I read a lot. Some of it was good, some of it was great, and some of it sucked. I was surprised to learn that many people do not have a good grasp of the English language. As a former English teacher, I could probably teach them a lot! But how do you criticize someone else’s inability? (Especially when I am not perfect myself?)

8. I learned how to take a screenshot with my computer. As I mentioned earlier, I was required to provide “proof” of what I was doing. A screenshot is a picture the computer takes of what is on your computer screen. There is no better proof than a screenshot!

9. I learned how to use the Snipping Tool, which is related to a screenshot, but enables you to take a “picture” of a specific area on your computer screen.

10. I learned how to use the program Paint, which came with my computer. This program is needed to  open snips and screenshots. It has other features, too. Using this program, I learned how to caption a photo. I also used it to create some “art”. I actually created my Twitter profile background using Paint.

11. I learned how to find images/pictures that I can use on my blog from other websites without penalty. It is always a good idea to say where the picture originated from. This has to do with copyright laws, following them and crediting the original owner. I am not a lawyer, nor do I have a legal mind, but I think it is common sense to give credit where credit is due!

12. I learned a bit about creating infographics. I found them tough to create. I made two simple ones. They are on my Tumblr blog. (link above)

13. I learned a bit about Skyping. Yes, this is a verb. Skype is a neat program that has many features. It allows people to connect in real-time, through voice and/or video, and allows people to share screens, which is useful for showing someone how to do something on their computer. I helped another “scavenger” with some editing on his website. He was the one who instructed me of the steps to take to get it installed on my computer. Skype is a downloadable, free program, but will charge you to make calls to phones, although these charges are cheaper than calling phone-to-phone.

14. I learned a bit about Facebook groups, and how individual commentators can build morale within a group. Groups can be open or closed. The “Help” feature on Facebook is pretty handy. Using “help”, I learned how to make a Facebook business page. Although I do not really have a business, I suppose I could have one if I tried. My Facebook business page says that I offer writing and editing services. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the bloggers who wrote articles that could benefit from some corrections!

15. I learned a bit about Twitter and how to be a better tweeter. I also gained some followers!

16. I learned how to put a video that I made on YouTube. I dressed up and did my makeup and hair just  and wrote a poem just for this video, which took a lot of time, but I think the end result was worth it. Watch it!

17. I learned how to transfer pictures and videos from my cell phone to my computer. This process differs from person to person, I think, depending on the type of cell phone and computer that you have. In my case, my phone has a little “memory card” that can be removed and inserted into a “memory card adapter”, which then can be inserted into a slot in my laptop. Once everything is inserted properly, a screen automatically comes up, and whatever is on the card can be copied to a  specified location on the computer. I found this process to be interesting and easy.

18. I learned how to transfer these same pictures from my computer to the internet.

My inspirational list of what to do when I first turn on my computer ~ to be used in April 2013 when I participate in the 30-Day Writing Challenge!

19. I guest posted on Credible Copyrighting. The article that was published there is “Investing In Yourself: Why Surfing the Web is Necessary”. I originally wrote this to see if I could write something

• 1. following SEO guidelines and practices
• 2. adhering to a length limitation (I can be verbose at times), and
• 3. incorporating my personal take on this topic while also
• 4. showing support from another source. I achieved this, too! Have a look!

20. I guest posted at An Untold Story, and learned a lot from Sue Mitchell (the owner). We are jointly participating in The 30-Day Writing Challenge in April (next month) and are excited about this venture! Visit us at the link I just provided to get involved! (Or just to read my post there, if you want… the choice is yours)

21. I made a really good friend, Pamela Dale, who may be guest posting here next month! (Yes, also in April.) She is an awesome woman, and someone with whom I have a lot in common. We share  many similarities with respect to our life stories. We were both pregnant at age 17, we both left home, we both got involved with Spanish guys, we both taught English, we both enjoy a good  laugh, and we both use ellipses a lot in our online chats! I know she is laughing right now, too, as she read this!

Overall, I would have to say that I learned a lot from participating in the scavenger hunt. I am sure that I learned even more that these 21 things, but these are the ones that I can think of, off the top of my head. I generally write what I feel, and mean every word. I long ago learned to believe that “honesty is the best policy” and as such, try to keep my integrity intact.