Weekend read: My weekly share on Twitter, with favorites

This weekend, I'm leaving the praying mantises in charge of my garden and heading to the mountains and woods for a break. I hope you'll get a chance to recharge your communicator batteries this weekend, perhaps scanning this list of the best articles, tips and finds I shared on Twitter, where I'm @dontgetcaught.. (And if you are still looking for a way into Google+, please email me at info[at]dontgetcaught[dot]biz with your Gmail address and I'll send you an invite.) Here's what caught my eye this week:

• Archival maps galore: The U.S. Geological Survey is releasing all of its maps to the public.
• Should you chime in? This ProBlogger post looks at the downside of jumping on and discussing the latest news on your blog (and this goes for other content as well).
• Infographics and data visualization just got easier: Visual.ly is a new option for putting your data into visually appealing form. A cool new tool with promise, and lots of examples to ogle.
• And speaking of visuals: AP had to remind its staff about its rules on manipulating photos and other images.
• Motherlode, part I:  Terry Heaton's blog is always a thoughtful read, but this week, two pieces are worth a long look: Will broadcasters suffer the same fate as newspapers? looks past all those hopeful data the networks have been putting out about audience growth in the social media era to give you a real look at what's likely to happen. A great planning read. And Making money with new media begins with new thinking follows the money. Also good to have in mind as we all lurch forward.
• Motherlode, local edition: BIA/Kelsey's Local Media Watch blog is a great source of data on the hyperlocal world, and its new report looks at the second act for local deal sites like Groupon.

A few favorites, put aside for my own weekend reading:

• Government Tumblrs: I got frustrated with a skimpy "report" on U.S. government agencies on Tumblr that had no sources, so I asked Mark Coatney, Tumblr's media evangelist. He pointed me to this list of government Tumblr sites, via Jed Sundwall, who's actually keeping track. Send any missing one straight to him.
• The private network: There's a new network in town, and Google+ has already been touted as the site that really got it right when it comes to privacy settings. So this post on Google+ Privacy: 5 Settings You Should Know couldn't be far behind....

Finally, a new professional development opportunity: I'm debuting a new workshop for communicators and others who work with experts on August 24. Anyone can register, though it will be most useful for communicators, fundraisers and government relations folks who work with smart people, and want to know how to be more effective in coaching them for public and media appearances. Please pass this on to colleagues or register yourself and your team! You can register and find out more about "Be an Expert on Working with Experts" here.

Enjoy your weekend, and thanks, as always, for reading and sharing what you find here.

Use the Evernote clip button, above, to save this post in an Evernote notebook or start an Evernote account. Subscribe to For Communications Directors, my free monthly newsletter, which features content before it appears here on the blog.