Archives for July 2011

Awhile back, in an apartment building where I lived, I saw something very strange. A person had a living green plant situated outside their door in our windowless hallway. It sat there for days. Then, as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed something even stranger. The person had added a little plaster column outside their door and had put the plant on there as if it was a little porch. It looked really pretty, and it almost seemed like a good idea, but eventually the column and the plant disappeared, probably because the person realized that plants need sun, not just fluorescent light, to thrive.

This has been on my mind of late because I too had an idea that I thought was really good, but lately I’m being proven wrong. As I’ve mentioned here before, I hand-pick who I follow back and who I don’t. There are a few things I look for.

1. Do you have a picture of a human being, or do you look like an egg? I can’t assure myself that the person in the picture is you, but a picture is much more encouraging than a pastel egg.

2. Do you have your bio filled out? I’ve learned to distinguish between fake bios and real bios, so don’t think you’ll fool me that way.

3. What are your last few tweets like? Are they all RTs of your own stuff? Are they all tweets of your own blog posts? Or are you talking to people?

For many months now – a year in fact – these methodologies have really done well for me. But, much like a super virus, spammers always seem to get smarter, and I readily admit, I’ve been fooled by a few of them.

But I still didn’t follow YOU back.

Now what’s that all about?

[Read more…] about I’m following spam bots but not you

After the Battle of Chancellorsville ended in the American Civil War, it actually looked like the impossible was going to happen. It looked like the Confederacy might win their independence as a separate country from the United States. But the South only had a couple of days to celebrate. Shortly after the battle, their great hero, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died.

See, Jackson had had a really successful day of battle, but he had started late, so he hadn’t been able to finish up the job. He went out at night between the lines to scout things out. He was actually contemplating some fighting at night. As he rode back to his own line, his skiddish men fired on him. His two aides died instantly. Jackson was shot twice in the arm, had to have the arm amputated, and eventually died of pneumonia.

I always wonder about those men who essentially killed Jackson. Were they beaten up after their mistake was discovered? Did they live with that moment for years after? One thing is clear. The men were too quick to act and not quick enough when it came to thinking through what they were about to do. You could learn a lot from them when it comes to online engagement.

[Read more…] about What we can learn from the death of Stonewall Jackson

So, I woke up this morning, bright eyed and bushytailed…I have a tail in the mornings, part of a lifelong curse. Anyway…I was awake. Being the savvy Social Media NinGuDi (that’s Ninja/Guru/Jedi all mixed in together…you can use it. You know you want to) that I am, I decided I’d check in to the new and exciting world of Google Plus while my coffee was brewing. You know, Google Plus, that place where everything is bright and shiny and new and different.

So, I was scrolling along and there was a post by Chris Brogan regarding a webinar he’ll be offering soon covering Google+. I scanned through the numerous comments and saw that there were a handful of people who were using their time to take absolutely pointless little picky shots at Chris Brogan.

Yep, you can’t see that on any other social media platform. Wait, this just in…you can see that anywhere in the online world.

So, before you roll your eyes and say, “Oh geeze, another person saying that big names can’t be criticized,” understand that you should read the rest of the post. Because I’m not saying that anyone is perfect. Personally, I agree with the idea that it might be a bit too soon to roll out a webinar about Google+. Then again, I haven’t been at the top of the social media game for like, a decade.

The issue I have with these exchanges is that they kind of make me nauseous, and I really don’t appreciate that. How can I enjoy my delicious summer salad if I feel sick? And the reason these exchanges make me feel sick is because the criticizers are not really talking constructively about the concept. They’re taking personal shots at another person. It makes THEM look bad. Then the big name responds, because no one likes being insulted, and that makes the big name look jerky too. So you end up with a big pile of people who aren’t really jerks but who kind of seem like it.

[Read more…] about OMG, You Disagree with Chris Brogan?!? I don’t care.

Once upon a time, there lived two great chiefs. One of the chiefs, who was very very powerful, had proven himself over the years. When he said it would rain, it rained. When he said the buffalo were coming, they came. When he said hard times were coming, they came too. It got to the point where the people would believe just about anything he said because he had always been right before, again and again. They would follow him wherever he went, do what he recommended, and believe in his visions of the future.

This chief was loved by everyone, but he also cherished his privacy, so people couldn’t talk directly to him very often. His teepee was on the very edge of the village, sort of away from everyone. When someone would come by to speak to him, a family member or one inside his circle would relay the message. Very seldom would he talk to someone directly or help someone directly. Doing so would show favoritism, he felt, and he didn’t want to create a stir, nor did he want to be bothered with petty complaints on matters like that.

Now, in the same village, there lived another chief. He was not as tried and true. There had not been any big battles during his lifetime, at least not yet, so he hadn’t gotten to prove his courage and bravery, even though a lot of people had confidence that he would do well when battle did come. This chief had also established himself to be a chief the people could trust and believe in. He had good ideas, and sometimes he said things before the other chief said them. He was not wrong very often either, but he hadn’t been right over a long enough period to earn the same stature as the other chief.

[Read more…] about A Tale of Two Chiefs: You Finish This Post

You know that scene in Broadcast News Network (thanks Rich & Marianne) where everyone starts yelling out their windows, “I’m mad as hell and I just can’t take it anymore?”

Well, after watching all of the goings-on on Google+ this week, and after doing my best to give it a reasonably fair shot, that’s kind of what I want to yell out to the online world.

Here’s the thing. When news first came out about Google+, I thought, “Hmm, ok, so another platform that may go away as quickly as Wave and Buzz did.” Then I saw all of the action Google+ was getting from the males in the online world, and what some of those males were saying, and I thought, “Hmm, sounds like maybe women will have a rough time making it over there.”

When I finally got in to Google Plus, I thought, “Well, at least I’m coming into this with a fair amount of Social Media experience under my belt. I’ve established myself as a credible blogger and a credible tweeter. I have a chance of getting to do some neat things early on in this new Google+ world.”

[Read more…] about When do folks like me get a fair chance?

Have you ever watched the movie The Jerk, starring Steve Martin? There are too many scenes that are brilliantly funny for me to say I have one favorite scene, but there is a particular scene that I want to draw your attention to. And it’s right …. here.

In case you didn’t watch, it’s the “that’s all I need” scene. Martin’s character (the jerk) is leaving his mansion, his wife, and all of his possessions. Well, all of his possessions except for his paddle ball game. And his matches. And his remote control…and…well, you get the idea.

This scene popped into my head because of what’s going on between my brain and the social media world in which I live. Let me explain.

[Read more…] about Oh Google Plus, Don’t Make Me A Jerk