Meerkat Communications

I have become a bit of a podcast addict recently, and am even contemplating learning to do these myself, but I’ve been thinking a lot about something I was listening to on The Nerdist. Chris Hardwicke was interviewing his life long friend Wil Weaton AKA Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation and was talking about how he has always engaged with new technologies as soon as they come out and they were laughing about how there have been explosions of social media douchebags who talk about “how to do Twitter properly” and what a ridiculous notion this is.

It got me thinking., yes, if you want to monetize (blegh, I hate these kinds of poncey terms) or advertise or draw in clients using social media, then there are things to do and things to avoid with social media, but for someone like Wil Wheaton, is there really a wrong way to do it?

And really, who cares?

I do believe you need to be sensible when using social media – the list of stories of people getting fired or getting into trouble is now endless, but you have to be pretty careless and quite frankly, a little dumb, to get caught, but beyond that, if you are running your own social media profiles and your main intent is to connect with people, share knowledge and perhaps gain clients, is it really that complex a system? And what designates someone a “social media maven” (besides them calling themselves that)? I’m often surprised too when I read the tweets of all the so-called ‘Twitterati’ (both locally in Vancouver and elsewhere). They’re very often boring, bland, or just plain arbitrary, and I wonder – how did they make it big and become ‘the’ person to follow?

Take Guy Kawasaki. I get he’s some kind of guru or something (self proclaimed?), but very often his tweets are incredibly boring and yet there is a flurry of retweets and everyone oohs and aahs. Granted, although the same thing seems to happen with the Mashable tweets, I do actually find these very interesting and ahead of the game with tech news etc, and often the links posted are informative and point to quality articles and posts. Sometimes, however, particularly with local Vancouver tweeters, I read what they’ve posted and the interactions they have with others and I think ‘remind me why I’m following you?!’

Now of course I am by no means claiming that I am some champion tweeter or that what I have to say is brilliant or life changing, and I do get the fact that I don’t have to follow these people or even engage on Twitter, but I really feel that if I stop and think about something and realise it has no appeal to anyone, or really is just for the sake of it, I tend not to post, and rather spend some time listening instead to what others are saying (the old adage about not having something nice to say and all that….). I also have never proclaimed to be a social media guru/maven/expert or any other bold title out there. I am a social media enthusiast and advocate, but let’s put it in perspective. It’s really not rocket science.

Live long and prosper, Wesley.

Geraldine

Do you remember the early days of the internet and email?  (yes! there was life before all this madness!) We all got a handout with tips for “Netiquette” – don’t use ALL CAPS, avoiding flaming people, in general keep it friendly. Somewhere along the line, though, it feels like our technology expanded more quickly and aggressively than we could develop the necessary etiquette to cope. Unless I just missed the latest handout?

Think about how many times you give out personal information online without blinking. Or have a private conversation on a cell phone on the bus. Or make comments on someone’s photo on Facebook. Should we even be concerned about these things? What is the impact on those around us? And what is the impact on people’s perceptions of us?

I was challenged by a friend when I complained about not wanting to hear someone’s personal conversations loudly discussed on their cells in public. She asked me if I would feel the same way if they were talking to their friend face to face. I have mulled it over and I believe I still would, but what makes the cell conversation more annoying is that it is usually carried on at top volume in public spaces!. The other thing people tend to forget is that you never know who is paying attention. There are so many stories about online disasters (The “Cisco Fatty” fail on Twitter, for example).

It is hard to say whether technology is a symptom or a cause. I firmly believe that people are being brought up with very few manners these days (just ride public transit and note how few teenagers get up for the elderly or disabled) but it seems to be exacerbated by people being plugged into iPods, cell phones etc. People play their music so loudly it is a wonder they can hear at all. [I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but it does always seem to be people with bad music taste that play theirs the loudest.] I have also had the wondrous experience of someone answering their cell phone during a movie, and when they were shushed, they just spoke a little quieter… All this communication technology seems to have cut people off from one another and made them feel like they are moving about in a sound proof bubble.

Another symptom of a lack of “techiquette” seems to come from email, and the phenomenon of social networking sites, as well as cell phones. People expect you to be instantly available. They want you to answer your phone, answer your email and respond instantly. And with that immediacy comes, in my experience, a drop in the standards of communication. When people wrote real letters, they would have to put thought and effort into it, knowing it would take a while to get to the recipient.

These days it is so easy to pop off an email and expect a response immediately. We get impatient when we have to wait. And people don’t seem to give as much thought and energy into their correspondence as they used to. Business emails are dashed off in a matter of seconds and “send” is pressed without a second thought. If you are at the receiving end, it can be frustrating and sometimes off-putting as the person comes across as unprofessional and slapdash. Grammar and spelling and proper sentence construction also fly out the window, which can be equally as damaging to one’s reputation.

So what is the cure? I don’t know if there is one, but there are certain things people can do to develop their “techiquette”. There are a lot of ways technology can work in a positive way for you (see an article I wrote for Suite101.com entitled: How to Use Social Networking Sites) and it isn’t too hard to redeem yourself.

Think about what you want to say and draft your email in Word beforehand. Only answer your email at certain times of the day or days of the week to avoid being overloaded. Write someone a real letter once in a while. And remember there are other people around you, sharing a public space and they may not have the same interest in your personal life that you do, plus you never know who is listening.

Geraldine

I’ve been wanting to follow up on my previous post about Twitter after the overwhelming response I got via LinkedIn and Twitter and the comments on the post too, and today’s news got me to sit down and put finger to keyboard, so to speak.

The Twitterverse is All Abuzz

Today Michael Jackson died at age 50. Now as surprising as that news was, what was more shocking to me was the speed of the news disseminating through Twitter. I heard about his heart attack and within a short while, I heard he was dead (all via Twitter) before Yahoo News was even reporting it (my usual quick dose of news when I log onto my email). I’ve witnessed an outpouring of sympathy as well as the predictable early jokes. And what is interesting, too, is that there has been an aggressive backlash against celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who earlier today posted a pic of Jackson and distasteful (his forté) comments that accused Jackson of faking the heart attack to get out of what would have been his comeback tour. Twitterers are calling for a boycott of Perez and are urging people to unfollow him.

@mashable has written an interesting post (including the offensive Perez blunder) in which he comments on the damage this might do to the blogging community. An interesting observation, though I think perhaps not totally true? Perez Hilton is offensive, that’s how he got famous and I am sure he realises, much to his dismay, that he has just made a terrible terrible mistake and will feel the repercussions, but I don’t see exactly how this will impact negatively on bloggers or Social Media in general.

Some Tweets on the topic:

hbgoddard: Perez Hilton should have died instead of Michael Jackson!

MamaNats: Perez Hilton is a true scumbag.

luckygnahhh: ‘Perez Hilton is a blemish on humanity. If you give him a voice, he cannot seem to use it for anything good.’ Best quote ever.

SmittnbyBritain: RT @mashable Perez Hilton‘s Despicable Michael Jackson Coverage Creates Backlash – http://bit.ly/URmTz  #unfollowperez

nonifan: Please retweet: just signed petition ‘Remove Perez Hilton as Teen Choice 2009 Nominee’ – http://301.to/24q

As of yet, I haven’t seen any posts supporting Hilton, just a lot of hate.

Heard it Through the Grapevine

Along with the Perez scandal, another strange development today was the rumour of Jeff Goldblum’s death that was spreading like wildfire on Social Media channels. And perhaps this is where @mashable’s comments on the tarnishing of Social Media’s image comes in – sometimes the grapevine is not the best source of news! Rumours have abound that the actor died on set in New Zealand and there are numerous tweets from people confirming his death, denying it, asking if it’s true.  I even saw a retweet of Kevin Spacey’s confirming that it was NOT in fact true.

Social media is powerful – I have been impressed with the support and news about the Iranian protests – but sometimes the speed of information sharing can lead to rumours and mishaps. There are so many ways to use Social Media platforms effectively, but as many ways to mess up and get yourself into trouble! I often talk to students in Communcation class about how technology has effected communication – particularly its speed. Compare writing a letter to someone that you know will only get it in a month to a text message or an email that they’ll get immediately. One thing I always warn them about is taking the time to THINK, PLAN and REVISE before they send off an email.

Bet Perez Hilton wishes someone had given him that advice!

Geraldine

I’m sure a lot of people are beyond sick of hearing about Twitter (although it makes a welcome distraction from talking about the recession 🙂 ) When people ask me about it, their first comment always seem to be “I don’t get it. Isn’t totally boring and pointless?”. I’ve also participated in discussions about this very topic on LinkedIn with other professionals and even on Twitter itself and there definitely seems to be mixed reactions.

So, should you jump on the bandwagon?

Well first the basics:

What is Twitter?

Good question. Twitter is a social networking site, but unlike Facebook, LinkedIn etc, you are only allowed 140 character posts (answering the question: “What are you doing?”). Your profile consists of a thumbnail pic, short description, location and web address. Your posts appear in a stream form and to see other people’s posts, you need to follow them. Unless you have your privacy settings set to approve, you can follow anyone and they don’t have to follow you back (this includes popular celebrity tweeters like Ellen Degeneres, Ashton Kutcher and Oprah).

Each user gets a username that starts with an @, so if anyone wants to direct their message to you, they merely start their post with, for example, @geraldineeliot (my Twitter username). This will still appear in the stream so everyone can read it, but I will know it is for me. You can also send private (direct) messages to someone that won’t appear on the stream, but again these are limited to 140 characters. There are lots of different conventions and terms that have sprung up, and of course people have developed plenty of different applications so you can post pictures, songs, add backgrounds, manage multiple accounts etc. (For a more in-depth look at Common Twitter Terms, please feel free to take a look at a recent article I wrote on the topic for Suite101.com) but in general it is a lot more simplified than other networking sites.

SO What’s The Point?

This is where I get a bit vague with people, precisely because Twitter is one of those things that really isn’t for everyone. Personally, I find it a great networking and marketing tool for my business, for making connections with other Vancouverites in the tech/media scene, and also for gathering news, interesting articles and insights, and keeping up with any new trends in the market. I am selective, however, in who I choose to follow and unlike many users, go for QUALITY not QUANTITY. I don’t want to sift through thousands of updates – I just don’t have the time.

I un-follow anyone who I feel does not add value – especially if they fill my page with meaningless posts about what they had for breakfast. I always look at someone’s updates and their follow to follower ratio before I follow them to ensure they will add something of value to me. Even then, I often find the volume of information overwhelming and sometimes have to take a break. But I have made valuable work connections, gathered information, got the word out about my articles and services, and have been recommended by a follower to a third party, so I would absolutely say it has its benefits.

There are also plenty of job opportunities advertised, chances to meet up with people you follow at Tweet-Ups (real life meet ups), and to share interesting information. There are already some famous Twitter stories including Lance Armstrong getting his stolen bike back through tweeting about it and Ashton Kutcher taking on CNN for the first to reach a million followers. On a more serious note, currently the Iranian Election crisis has stirred up a storm of tweets. As media is silenced in the country, Tweeters are spreading news to the outside world as well as urging other users to change their location to Tehran to confuse censors. The US Government has also convinced Twitter to delay maintenance downtime so that election news can get through via Twitter.  Perhaps this illustrates the power of Twitter is growing?

Should I bother?

I would say that Twitter is essential for anyone:

1. Running their own business

2. Trying to gain exposure

3. Looking to network with people in the same industry

4. Interested in connecting to people all over the world

5. Into instant gratification 😉

6. Looking for jobs

7. Selling a product

8. Promoting their work

BUT it is not for you if you merely want to keep in touch with friends – rather use Facebook (or here’s a novel idea, pick up the phone!). And if you can’t express yourself in 140 characters, don’t go there!

Like any trend, there will always be those who hop on and proclaim it as the next best thing, but the trick always is how smart a user you are, not necessarily how smart the tool is. You have to decide how you are going to use social networking sites to your advantage, no matter the format, but bear in mind they also take a lot of time and effort to maintain and to really add value to your life.

Ready to take the plunge?

Follow me!