Posts Tagged social networking
Who I follow on Twitter, and why
Posted by Bev Barnett in Social Networking on December 2, 2008
A few months ago I blogged about Twitter - part social networking, part blogging, part virtual water cooler.
The Twitter community, or Twitterverse, can be an amazing thing. Just in the past few days, I've discovered a delightfully funny Presbyterian minister in Tennessee who is on a mission to make the Presbyterian church more inclusive, and I've discovered the source of my favorite quote from a most unlikely Twitter friend – Harvard Professor Andrew McAfee, who writes and blogs about Enterprise 2.0.
Now, writer and blogger David Niall Wilson has launched a project encouraging those on Twitter to write about those who they follow, and why, then post the blog to Twitter and tag it so we can all see each others lists. So here's mine.
David asked for three, but my following habits are best described in five categories:
1 Friends and co-workers – this is the virtual water cooler part. I'm self employed and work two-days on site with a client, and three days a week from home. Twitter helps me stay in touch with people. It fills that gap that I used to hate about working alone.
Tie for favorite friend/co-worker goes to @idarose and @larissagaston
2 Technology business contacts – Working in PR and social media, Twitter is the best place to keep up to date about what's new and hot.
My favorite business contact to follow is Ann Handley, aka @marketingprofs
3 Music business resources – also being an independent musician, I've appreciated finding lots of great resources on Twitter for informational blogs, tips, new ideas, who's doing what, etc.
My favorite music resource contact to follow is @artistshouse
4 Interesting people with interesting viewpoints – I've recently started branching out, checking out Twemes to see who has something interesting to say. This has been the most fun. I found John Shuck on the Twitter of Faith tweme, #TOF, which asks what you believe in 140 characters or less.
My favorite interesting person to follow is John Shuck, aka @shuckandjive
5 News Sources – I am addicted to my "Crackberry." I check email, Twitter and Facebook status updates before getting out of bed in the morning. One of the things I like is getting news headlines via Twitter. I admit though that when I'm not in the mood for news, its easy to skip over their distinctive red logo.
My favorite news headline service to follow is @BreakingNewsOn
And I'll add another category that David didn't ask for – one that may get me in trouble.
Tie for most prolific, over exposed tweeters who I tend to gloss over but still can't completely ignore goes to … @chrisbrogan and @guykawasaki
I may burn in social media hell for that last one, but at least I'm being honest!
Do you engage in the the conversation on Twitter, and have you found it useful?
Web 2.0 is my hairdresser and I just blew it.
Posted by Bev Barnett in Social Networking on November 17, 2008
I've created a monster and his name is Greg Newlon.
It started so innocently. My husband said he might like to try Twitter, after seeing me constantly on my Blackberry. It was one of those "teachable moments" that we cherish with our children. He was intrigued, I set him up, downloaded Twitterberry for him and he officially entered the Twitterverse.
Only problem was, while I was working over the weekend and he was at the hardware store, I tweeted about being distracted by the squirrels in the backyard… and he tweeted back that at least the squirrels were being productive. Busted.
Then I got this hair brained idea to start a Facebook Group called "Bring Greg Newlon to Facebook." It was a social networking petition of sorts. I set up the group, sent invitations to all my friends that know Greg, teased them with the promise of old band promo pictures from 1967 and they rallied around the cause. Within 24 hours we had 57 members and Greg had acquiesced. The profile went up, along with some pictures to make it interesting, and in no time he was writing on walls, joining comment conversations and generally engaging in the time suck that is Facebook.
Then this afternoon, after I'd told him I had too much work to do to help him, I posted a video on a friend's Facebook wall and I heard from downstairs… "if you have time to post videos on people's walls then you have time to come help me!"
It reminds me of a sitcom rerun we saw the other night where the husband starts going to his wife's hairdresser (played by David Hasselhoff) who gives great neck rubs and listens to all his client's problems. But then the hairdresser ends up siding with the husband when she comes in and complains about him not helping with the kids.
I think maybe Web 2.0 was my hairdresser and I just blew it.
The Blender Brain
Welcome to Bev's Blender Brain, the Web home of singer, songwriter and technology communications consultant Bev Barnett. Left and right brain thinking blend as I explore changes in technology and how we communicate - as well as presenting ideas and tips for how creative individuals can break through the stigma and fear of marketing to embrace the practice of finding, nurturing and building an audience. The answers aren't always black or white.
