Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 |
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Social Desire will be featuring
Guest Posts for the next few weeks. Today’s Featured Guest Post is
by Mark Dykeman.
Image by Steve
& Jemma Copley
Everyone’s got a Top Ten list, an 8 step guide, or some other how-to post to
succeeding in social media.
This isn’t one of those posts. Not exactly. Not really.
OK, maybe a little bit.
What I’ve done is to take each letter of the alphabet and try to find one or
two words that can be used to describe social media. I’ve tried to cover many
of the important points and aspects of social media that I’ve picked up through
my own activities. I hope you enjoy and find it useful.
The A – Z listing for social media
Ask/Acquire – social media is a place where we can ask
questions and acquire knowledge; there are tons of great resources out there.
Bold – push yourself and test your limits. Try things
that might have scared you in the past, either due to lack of confidence or
experience. Be bold!
Communicate – it’s all about the conversations.
Demonstrate – show people what you know; help educate
them. (note: I was very tempted to use the word "desire" here…
)
Evaluate – absorb everything you can, but keep a critical
eye open. As you meet different people you’ll gradually get a sense of who knows
their stuff and who doesn’t. Don’t accept advice blindly – think it over
and make up your own mind.
Friend – "friend" has become a verb in social
media, where you give or are given permission to share stuff with other people.
It’s a key component of social media, hence the word "social".
Give – contribute to the body of knowledge with your
own thoughts, ideas, tips, tricks, critiques, and others. It’s not valuable
if you keep it to yourself.
Help – as per give, take the time to do favors for other
people. Answer their questions; show examples. You get a lot back from this,
even if it doesn’t happen immediately.
Ideas – social media contains some of the coolest parts
of higher education – the discussion and refinement of ideas.
Join – if you’re going to be social, join groups that
interest you. It’s all about relationships.
Knowledge/Learn – this K and L go together like peanut
butter and jelly; learn stuff, increase your knowledge.
Mentor – help a beginner and you could have a good friend
for life.
Name – names are important, doubly so in social media.
Meet people, remember their names. They’ll do the same for you!
Open – be as transparent as you can. Consider different
points of view, as well. Speak respectfully, but freely.
Passion – that burning sensation isn’t an, um, infection,
it’s the power of love and desire when you discover something that you love
to do.
Question – questions drive social media. Why? Because
we all want to find answers!
Reveal – tell the world about yourself to the extent
that you feel comfortable to do so. People want to know something about their
follow social mediaites!
Share – as with giving, sharing means doing things that
don’t just benefit yourself, they benefit other people as well. Give credit
where credit is due and share the rewards!
Teach – again, show people what you know and we all
benefit.
Understand – this is critical, because language is an
imperfect means of communication. It can be very easy to misinterpret someone
else’s writing, especially if it hits an emotional hot button. Make sure your
reactions are tempered by understanding so that you know what was really meant
within a communication.
Vigor – show some life there, sparky!
World – it’s a big world out there and social media
will expose you to places that you never knew existed.
X-Ray – look inside and see what’s really happening.
Don’t be fooled by exteriors or pretenses. Get the real story.
Yearn – satisfy those self- actual cravings, at least
temporarily, through social media participation. But stay hungry – there’s
always more.
Zen – practice, be mindful, and learn constantly as
a path to enlightenment (of sorts). You might not become a spiritual master,
but these principles can still lead to fulfillment in social media.
Social media from A – Z – there it is. I hope you were paying attention
because there’s a test coming up!
(Of course, the test never ends… )
If you enjoyed this post check out more of Mark Dykeman’s work at Broadcasting
Brain, his blog about communication and social media.
Posted in Blogging, Guest Posts, Humor, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Tips and Tutorials, Uncategorized, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 |
This Featured Guest Post is by James Duthie of Online Marketing Banter
Image by dmax3270
Do onto others as you would do to yourself. It’s a fine philosophy to
live by. The laws of karma state that our personal actions & behaviour influence
future experiences. In other words, we’re responsible for our own destinies
and the ultimate happiness & success we achieve. I can’t think of
any other environment in which karma is more relevant than social media…
Free is the new currency of the Internet. Social media is a perfect example.
How many people make real money from blogging? Very few. Yet every day millions
of bloggers produce content for free distribution. Why? Because they believe
in karma. They believe that giving their content away will lead to positive
future outcomes, whether they be business or personal.
Social news communities such as Digg and Sphinn are even better examples of
karma in action. A selfless attitude is expected within social news communities.
Good karma can only be earned by dedicating free time to positive community
activities such as:
- Submitting content that the community values
- Creating relationships with other community members
- Contributing to blogs of community members via comments & guest posts
- Reading and voting for your friends’ content
- Adding meaningful insights to conversations within the community
- Asking for nothing in turn for your positive contributions
People who succeed in social media embrace the principles of good karma. They
don’t ask for support from the community, but they receive it anyway because
of the positive contribution they make.
Newbies in particular need to display the strongest faith in social media karma,
because the karmic circle takes time to turn. In my case it has taken months
of participation within Sphinn before the good karma returned some personal
rewards. But good things come to those who wait…
Social media karma in action
About a month ago I crossed paths with a blogger named Robin Cannon. Robin
manages Fog of Eternity,
a blog dedicated to web design, social media and online marketing. Like me Robin
is fairly new to the game, and is still establishing his blog and audience.
I liked Robin’s work and quickly subscribed to his blog. I also began
to submit his work to Sphinn and StumbleUpon because his stuff was well written
and deserved a broader audience.
According to Robin, it was my social media support that helped give his blog
the kick start it needed. A number of my Stumbles helped him generated thousands
of visitors a day (who ever knew my Stumbles were so powerful…?). Before
long that momentum grew and he was averaging over a thousand visits a week.
In fact, in just a couple of weeks he had far surpassed my own traffic levels.
Robin has thanked me a number of times for the social media love I gave him.
He didn’t need to. After all, social media submission also shines the
limelight on the submitter if it goes hot… But despite that, Robin made me
a special offer recently. Noticing that my own blog design was a little uninspired,
Robin offered his design skills to help give it a little spark. As someone without
an iota of design experience or skill, this offer was like gold to me!
And that, my friends, is the circle of social media karma in action.
Robin never asked me for social media support, but I gave it anyway because
his work was great quality. I would never have dreamed of asking Robin to redesign
my blog, but he offered anyway out of goodwill.
If you’re not succeeding in social media, perhaps you should take a look
at your own behaviour… Are you exuding an aura of good karma…?
Author Bio:
James Duthie is an Australian
digital marketing expert. He writes on all things social media, blogging,
SEO & digital marketing at his blog - Online Marketing Banter. Subscribe
to hear more of his ramblings here.
Posted in Blogging, Guest Posts, Social Media, Social Networking, Sphinn | 13 Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2008 |
Social Desire will be featuring
Guest Posts for the next few weeks. Today’s Featured Guest Post is by Chris Estes. He is a Frequent blogster at SEO by Chris
When I set out to help Shana I couldn’t come up with a topic. Topic block
or writers block plagues lots of bloggers. If you are like me you want to write
something people want to read or add value to the subject. That is often hard
to do. I had a manager
that was always asking “how does this add value?” Not all post add
value, like this post, sometimes it is about the status quo.
A while back problogger posted “How
to have a Constant Stream of Blogging Ideas”. In the article the authors
acknowledge that everyday print newspapers aren’t filled with exciting
or breaking news. The difference between bloggers and newspapers is typically
bloggers are lone writers and do not have a staff to write articles like newspapers.
So occasionally a generic blog post is necessary.
Problogger talks about setting up a blogging plan. On your calendar put two
headings. 1. Post topic 2. Topic title. The topic title should be something
that you can write about at any given time, generic topics if you will. Then
follow the schedule and write it. But what about the breaking news and other
off plan topics? Write them too and post them but still stick with the blogging
calendar. Don’t substitute trade or move your calendar around. Post the
planned topics on the days you plan and make the other breaking news flashes
bonus post.
When setting up your calendar the topics can be hard to come up with. Do what
I do. Pick one of your friends that aren’t tech savvy, my parents make
good partners for me, and bounce Ideas off of them. The less tech savvy seem
to always have an interesting take on your subject material. I get more of my
posting ideas from explaining what I do than what they suggest to write about.
I hope you enjoyed the post and follow more of my post at Search
Engine Optimization by Chris. I wanted to speak to Shana’s heart felt
story about keeping her illness private and away from public view. I understand
her situation with conditions of my own. Since I get to use SocialDesire.com
as my own for a post I would like to give the greatest gift of charity we can
do as marketers with a link. Because it will benefit me personally I charity
link to the American
Sleep Association (ASA).
See now you have A blog post Idea. Post a snippet of information about your
charity and why you are giving them this link. Then once you put the post up
come back and comment about it and share the link to your post. Giving back
will only take you a couple seconds and plus it makes you look good.
Happy blogging!
The author Chris Estes is a Frequent blogster at SEO
by Chris and has started a new business in Birmingham, AL – Birmingham
Search Engine Optimization
Posted in Blogging, Guest Posts, Link Love, Social Media | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 |
Social Desire will be featuring
Guest Posts for the next few weeks. Today’s Featured Guest Post is by Peter
Newsome of SiteMost.
Image by Lady-bug
Offline Reality Online
When I catch-up with friends we’ll usually talk about the highlights
of our week, we’ll have a whinge about the things that got under our skin
and we will vocalise our opinions some of the current events that we feel strongly
about.
Take away the face-to-face interaction, convert the speech to text (although
not in every case thanks to how easy it is to create and share audio and video
content) and you have a blog.
When I get home from work, I’ll look through the cupboards and fridge
and work-out what I’m going to make for dinner. Once I’ve made a
decision, I’ll usually vocalise this to myself - “Tonight I’m
going to make spaghetti bolognese!” (yes, I know that talking to yourself
is the first sign of insanity and a lot of my friends already think I am a little
insane).
I’ll also continue talking to myself as I prepare the meal “a little
bit of oregano, a dash of wine…” and as the TV is usually on in
the other room, I’ll often make comments about the day’s stories
“Interest rates are up again, there’s still conflict in the Middle
East and Britney Spears did what?!?”
The above examples of small conversations that we have with ourselves everyday
could easily be seen by having a quick skim through Twitter logs.
When you’re at school, the more friends you have, the ‘cooler’
you are – aka MySpace, Facebook
etc. etc.
Take away the cheesy voice-over and Benny Hill music from ‘Funniest Home
Videos’ and I’ve just described at least a third of YouTube’s
content.
My mother sticks little yellow Post-It notes on the side of her computer monitor
listing websites she’s found and wants to remember how to get back to
them – if she understood what I was talking about when I tried to teach
her about del.icio.us
For your daily dose of tabloid news in an online format you don’t need
to look much further than Digg.
And just like you’ll need Amy Winehouse throwing-up on your shoes if you
want your pic in the tabloids, you’ll also need some Social
Media Celebrity Endorsement if you want your articles to appear on the front-page
of Digg.
So as you can see, most online social media has been inspired by something
offline (even if the inspiration was far from the examples above, you still
get the general idea). The only problem is that there is still a very big disconnect
between the real and the virtual worlds.
It’s like comparing reality TV with actual reality. I don’t know
who’s reality it is, but I can’t recall the last time someone locked
me in a house with a bunch of strangers and recorded my every move whilst making
me perform challenges like eating worms or pouring spiders on my head, or watched
me painfully sing karaoke, or become a model, or survive on a desert island
or made me lose half my body weight etc. etc.
Sure, it might be entertaining, but it certainly isn’t what happens to
you and I on a daily basis.
I’ve met bloggers that write well, seem quite entertaining and have hundreds
of subscribers but in person they are very shy and introverted or waaaay over
the top and are incredibly annoying to have a conversation with.
Whereas other bloggers that only have a handful of regular readers have been
charming, interesting and insightful when I’ve met them face-to-face.
There was a guy I went to school with who still lives with his parents, works
for the local government in an accounting role, hasn’t changed one little
bit from the weedy, nerdy, annoying guy from senior school… but his Facebook
page says he has 300+ friends.
Now I’m not trying to say that one’s online persona is inversely
proportional to how popular they are offline… there are some really great
people that I’ve met who are very popular both online and offline.
Although I think that we should observe how the online world has taken most
of its inspiration from the real world and as it continues to do this, there
will become a requirement for social media mavens to genuinely be as interesting
and insightful in reality as they are online. Otherwise they may find that the
virtual reputation they’ve worked so hard to build won’t hold-up
as the two worlds (offline and online) become one.
If you enjoyed this Guest Post you can check out more of Peter’s work at SiteMost.
And, while you are at it subscribe to the SiteMost
Feed.
Posted in Blogging, Guest Posts, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 26th, 2008 |
Image by gruntzooki
A couple of months ago I
briefly mentioned that I had a Chronic Illness. It was something that was
very difficult for me to do as I was afraid that mentioning it would make me
look weak. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but if you have ever met me or
if we ever spoke for any length of time you would understand why. I am a perfectionist…..
an over achiever. Showing this side of me is not an easy thing for me to do.
Would I feel any less about anybody else if I heard they had a chronic
illness?? Of course not. Why then am I so hard on myself?? That answer, my friends,
is a whole other story.
Not too long ago a
friend of mine told me to ask for help. My response was, "I just
can’t. It’s way too difficult." He told me that not asking
people for help was a selfish thing to do.
What?? How could this be? In my mind not asking for help was me
being tough…. me being selfless. How would anyone think that me "toughing
it out" be selfish??
It took me a couple months into my Lupus Flair, two months of "toughing
it out", to realize what Edward meant when he said that I was being
selfish for not asking for help. But, I believe I have figured it out
and I’m ready to no longer be selfish.
In the next few days you will notice Guest Posts on Social Desire. As painful
as it was for me to ask, I posted a Tweet requesting guest blog posts about
Social Media and Web 2.0. I was thrilled to find quite a few bloggers ready
and willing to help me out.
Please bear with me as I rest a bit longer. God willing I will be heading back
into my Lupus Remission shortly and I will be back "full force". In
the meantime, please enjoy Social Desire’s guest posts. And, if you would like
to be featured as a Guest Blogger on Social Desire please contact
me.
Posted in Blogging, Guest Posts, Social Media, Twitter, Web 2.0 | 11 Comments »
Thursday, April 17th, 2008 |
Image by Miky
Jpeg
I have been a little disappointed in Facebook lately. Well, maybe not Facebook directly, but instead some of the people that I have agreed to Facebook Friendships. And, due to the tactics these people are using on Facebook to pass the word about things they feel strongly about has caused me to not spend as much time on FaceBook in general.
In case you aren’t aware…. it was only a few months back that I was
singing my praises about Facebook. I spent a lot of time there. I was able
to do my social networking in ways that I couldn’t do in other Social Media
arenas. I love Social Networking in all different ways, but what is so cool
about Facebook is some of the very
cool Applications that Facebook has. Some of these applications helped me
interact with fellow marketers and bloggers that I didn’t know too well before facebook,
but due to the fun networking via these applications caused me to take a closer
look at their websites and blogs. But, recently something has started to happen
that has not happened to me in this last year of using Facebook until recently….
"Chain Messages."
I’m not sure if Chain Messages is what this "thing" is actually called.
But, this is what I’m going to call it. Chain Messages reminds me of a chain
mail, but is is done through Facebook Applications. These Chain Messages are
rude, forceful and threatening and I’m more than a little bit irritated that
they have entered my
Facebook space.
Here is an example of a message I received earlier today that has me so upset.
I have removed a couple things from this screen shot. I removed the name of
the person who sent me this FunWall post. I have also removed the name of my
Facebook Friends from the "forward to:" section.
Now, this isn’t the first Chain Message I received, but this one really has
me bothered. I’ll get into the reasons why this particular Chain Message has
me irked, but in the meantime let me list what makes a Chain Letter a Chain
Letter, so we can compare the Old Fashioned Chain Letter to this Chain Letter
2.0.
Wikipedia tells me
that a Chain Letter is…
"A typical chain letter consists of a message that attempts to induce
the recipient to make a number of copies of the letter and then pass them
on to as many recipients as possible… Common methods used in chain letters
include emotionally manipulative stories, get-rich-quick pyramid schemes,
and the exploitation of superstition to threaten the recipient with bad luck
or even physical violence or death if he or she "breaks the chain"
and refuses to adhere to the conditions set out in the letter."
Wow, that definition sounds very much like the FunWall Post I received above.
Let’s check out another. The following is from FraudBureau.com.
Here they explain the Anatomy of a Chain Letter.
"Every chain letter is comprised of three components:
* The hook. The letter will try to grab your attention so
that you will read the rest of it. Some common themes are "Get Rich Quick",
to appeal to our desire to make money or "Virus Alert" to hook us
by arousing our fears.
* The threat. Once you are hooked, the letter arouses your
fears by telling you about the terrible things that will happen if you do
not continue to keep the chain in tact. The threat is usually realistic enough
to get you to continue the chain.
* The request. The request is usually the demand to distribute
the letter to as many individuals as possible. "
Ahhh, so there are three components to every chain Letter. Very interesting.
Well, Let’s see if there are three components to this Facebook Chain Message…
The Hook - "Someone will either call you
or talk to you and tell you that they love you."
Not a get rich scheme, but definitely something that many people are
desperately looking for.
The Threat - "I better not see anyone breaking this one or
see deleted." Well, I know this is not a specific threat,
but it is an empty threat at least. It is playing on the fear of many people
with social networking…. not having other’s support.
The Request - "These are ribbons for Soldiers fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Pass it on to everyone and Pray." Definitely
works on the emotions of many.
Hmmmm…. very interesting. Seems like this FunWall Post has all the makings
of a Chain Letter to me. Dress it up whatever way you want to, but it is what
it is… a chain letter.
What has me so upset about this particular Chain Message is the fact that it
plays on the emotions of many people. We all know and love someone who is helping
fight wars in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. And, this message is using our emotions
to get us to do what they want us to do.
You know what really gets me is that I might have helped passing around the
support ribbons to my Facebook friends had I not felt threatened. But, after
reading the entire FunWall post I didn’t want any part of it. I wonder how many
others who received this same FunWall post felt the same way I did and didn’t
forward the message to their Facebook friends as well.
And, that brings us to another topic which I won’t delve to far into at this
time….. friends made online. Should they have the same qualities of real life
friends? OF COURSE!!! The social skills and etiquette
that your mother and father taught you should still apply online. No parent
in their right mind would teach their children the skills of threatening their
friends. So, if you wouldn’t treat your friends in the real world with
threats then don’t do it online.
You want to be my friend online?? Stop threatening me!!
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Networking, Web 2.0 | 15 Comments »
Monday, March 17th, 2008 |
I have been tagged by Julie Joyce, one of my favorite SEO Chicks, to do the Meme,
"
8
Random things About Me". Being a huge fan of all the SEO Chicks I was
more than a little excited about participating in this Meme. So, here are 8 Random
things about Me.
8 Random things you didn’t Know about Me
- I have a HUGE fear of failure. And, it appears that in
worrying constantly about failing I rarely, if ever, enjoy the rewards of
success.
- I love puzzles. I don’t have much time to enjoy them these
days, but I really love a challenging Jigsaw puzzle. I love them so much that
once I start one I can’t stand ANYONE touching them. This is probably because I want
to say that I completed it myself. One time I noticed someone had touched
my puzzle… I immediately went out and bought two huge shopping bags of jigsaw
puzzles. I had toddler puzzles all the way up to challenging adult puzzles.
This way there was no need for anyone to touch my puzzle…. they can easily
find their own puzzle to put together without touching mine.
- I love making people smile - Truly…. I love it!! I would
rather make people smile than doing something for myself. It gives me such
a good feeling to see a smile on someone’s face and knowing that I have the
ability to make someone happy.
- Tennis is my Sport of Choice - I love to play tennis!!
Am I any good? I think so…. But, even if I wasn’t I wouldn’t care. That’s how
much I love it… I just want to be playing. Last summer I bought my 11 year
old all the supplies he needed to play tennis. Did he ask for them? No. But,
this way I could have a tennis player available whenever I was ready to play. Good thing
he loves to play too.
- My Best Friend is my Younger Sister - And, she is one of
the most talented
and beautiful people that I know. I credit her for my online success as
she is the one who introduced me to Web Design years ago. Plus, she is one
of the few people that on a very difficult day could make me laugh till I
cry or pee my pants…. whatever comes first.
My sister Rachel, my father, and myself. I was six.
- I give birth to Monster Babies - No lie. My largest baby
was my daughter. Hannah weighed 11 pounds 12
1/4 ounces and she was born the
OLD FASHIONED WAY a week earlier than planned. The doctors had no idea how
large she was until she was born. It reminds me how amazing the human body is.
My daughter at a couple minutes old. 11 lbs. 12.25 oz.
- I love Musicals!! - They are amazing to watch and I leave
feeling totally satisfied. Musicals are filled with multi-talented people
and I love watching that. It reminds me of the wonderful times I would spend
with my Grandma. Her and I would sit and watch old movies together. You know,
the movies with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. I loved watching movies with her.
- I have a Chronic Illness - Up until this point only a very
few people know about this fact. I got very sick in July of 2006 and finally
in August of 2007 I was diagnosed with Systemic
Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of
the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain.
My immune system is overactive and attacks my own body parts. Unfortunately,
the form of Lupus I have is the most severe…. my immune system is attacking
my Central
Nervous System and Brain. The diagnosis is still quite new and I am trying
to deal with how my life has changed and will continue to change. I continue
to morn the person I was prior to diagnosis and that is one of the hardest
things I had to go through thus far. Some days I feel quite well while other
days it is so difficult just to get out of the bed in the morning.
So, there you go…. 8 random things about me. Some you might not have known
and others you might wish you still didn’t know about me. But, like it or not……
it’s me.
Thank you so much Julie for tagging me for this meme. I am tagging the following three for this Meme:
Social Media Mom
, Taylor Pratt &
Sean Maney
Shana-Albert, social-media, meme, Julie-Joyce
Posted in Blogging, Interviews, Link Love, Meme | 27 Comments »
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 |
I have a little secret…. I’m the tooth fairy. It’s true. And, guess what
else?! I’m also Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny, and Cupid.
Last week my 6 year old daughter, Hannah lost one of her front teeth and just
yesterday she lost the other front tooth. She is missing both of her front teeth
and as I stare at her beautiful face and her cute smile I realize how special this time is for her…. and for me for that matter. I haven’t seen her gums like this since she was an infant. And, it reminds me that she is growing up and how quickly the time goes.
So, as I do with all of my children when they lose a tooth I become the tooth
fairy. I grab my wings, tiara and wand from my "special closet". These
items sit next to my Santa, Easter Bunny, Cupid as they do for most parents.
These are roles that I am proud to hold and it got me thinking….
How has the introduction of Web 2.0 changed these Special Days for the Kids?
How Web 2.0 adds Pizzazz to our Children’s Holidays
Tooth Fairy
Easter & the Easter Bunny
St. Valentine’s Day & Cupid
- Try and Catch
Cupid
- St. Valentine’s Online
Kissing Game - I virtually kissed a frog to find out if I will spend my
days in the castle…. I found out that the frog turned into a gross gator.
YUK!!
- Kids can ask The Love
Duck questions and get answers.
- Kids can make a Virtual
Valentine’s Cake for their Friends or for their Parents.
Christmas & Santa Claus
Web 2.0 isn’t going to change the fact that usually around 8 years of age children
start wondering if these characters are real or not. It’s sad, but it’s true…..
children will figure it out. I actually had this discussion on Twitter
earlier today and found some interesting
ways that children found out that these Holiday Characters weren’t who they
thought they were. They were, in fact, their parents. There is no interactive
website that will change this fact. The only thing we can do is help our children
believe in the imaginary for as long as we can.
All of the above amazing Web 2.0 methods for kids to enjoy the Holidays doesn’t
change the fact that Parents will remain involved in helping their children
believe in the "Imaginary". But, I believe that these sites add a
bit to the excitement of the holidays. And, it doesn’t mean that as a parent
I am not going to stick to tradition…. I enjoy my many roles as a Mom. And,
my dress-up clothes are not going anywhere!! I loved dressing up as a child
and I still love dressing as an adult…. I wouldn’t change that for the World.
So, as I hang up my Tooth Fairy Wings, Tiara and Wand until the next missing
tooth in my household I am already dusting off my Easter Bunny Suit, pulling
out the plastic eggs, baskets and easter grass from the closet. But, I can guarantee
that a little Easter 2.0 will be on the way too…. nothing like a good Online
Easter Egg Hung to prepare the Kids for the real thing.
web 2.0 holidays kids children holiday fun games activities tooth+fairy easter valentines easter+bunny
Posted in Blogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 |
Photo by chbradshaw
When I was a kid I would walk 6 miles to school in snow that was up to
here (points to his shoulders).
I remember as a young girl my Grandfather telling me stories like this. And,
when he would say this to me I would be thinking, "Thank G-d I wasn’t born
in the "old days"…. I would have had to walk to school for miles
and miles in snow up passed my head!!"
But, you know what? I think we were all born "in the old days".
I believe we all rolled our eyes at our Grandparent’s stories and we were all
pleased that we weren’t born in the "old days" and that our lives
were easier than our elders…. and, yet in time we all will become elders.
It was just yesterday I was talking with my 11 year old about writing a report.
My son was explaining to me what is involved in the 6th grade when you have
to do research for writing a report. And, I heard myself say,
"When I was in the Junior High (yes, it’s true…. they didn’t call
it Middle School back then) and I was learning how to research and write reports
we didn’t have the internet to do our research. We had to do our research
in a Library. We used a Card Catalog to determine where to find information
regarding what we were doing a report on. The Card Catalog told us what Encyclopedia,
Book, Magazine, Newspaper or Microfiche to find it in. Research took much
longer than the report itself. All my research was written out on index cards,
which was then hand written out on paper, spell checked with a dictionary
and typed out with a typewriter. The typewritten report was then double checked
and all typographical errors cleaned up with white-out and manually fixed."
My son just rolled his eyes at me. It was just at that moment it occurred to
me that I am one of them!! I am a Story Teller from
the "Olden Days".
Just like everything else from then to now…. Education has changed. The World
Wide Web changed education in the 90’s. And, Web 2.0 and Social Media has
Changed Education with the new Millennium. We now have what I’d like to call
Education 2.0.
How Web 2.0 has changed Education
Education
|
Education 2.0
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- Homework - The teacher wrote homework assignments
on the board. The student would copy the homework assignments into her
daily journal to remember when she got home.
|
- Homework 2.0- The teacher still writes homework assignments
on the board.
- Student uses his Cell phone to text the homework assignment to
himself to remind him later.
- Student pulls up his homework assignments on the school website
when he gets home.
|
- Parents - Parents check homework. Because it has
been a long time since the parent has learned these materials herself
she reads the chapter in the textbook or goes over the child’s subject
notes.
|
|
- Studying -
- Students used their notes, text books and Study guides to study
for an upcoming test.
- Rewrite notes to help absorb the information.
- Fellow Students pass their notebooks around with classmates to
make sure they all have the correct notes.
- Study Groups.
|
- Studying 2.0 - Teachers still provide Study Guides
and textbooks to study. However, students don’t have to share notes
taken in class on notebook paper.
- Student rewrites notes to help absorb the information. But, rewrites
their notes online using a social platform, so that classmates can
share the notes…see mynoteIT
- Students chat via Instant Message to study.
- Study via school chat rooms
|
- Reports -
- Go to the Library to do research.
- Card Catalog to find out where they can locate the facts and information.
- Encyclopedias, Books, Magazines, Newspapers and Microfiche.
- Make notes on Index Cards.
- Hand write report and spell check using a Dictionary.
- Type report using a Typewriter or Word Processor (90’s).
- Putting together a report from research to end takes a very long
time…. students would know a month or more in advance.
|
- Report 2.0 -
- Students can do their research at home.
- Students have access to a world of information at the fingertips
via the Web.
- Podcasts, Wikis, Blogs, Vlogs, Picture and Video Sharing.
- Students have tons of software to choose from to put together
their reports…. all software has spell check to easily check the
student’s spelling without the need for a dictionary.
- Putting together a report from research to end takes a fraction
of the time as it once did.
|
- Oral Reports / Public Speaking -
- Research would be the same as above (look at Reports)
- Visuals that you would want to use for your oral report would
probably be hand made using poster board, markers, glue, and anything
else a student would need to make a point using visual stimulation.
Visuals would be time using imagination and materials.
|
- Oral Reports 2.0 / Public Speaking 2.0 -
- Research would be the same as above (look at Report 2.0).
- Students could get their visuals using social Media and Web 2.0
as well.
- Flickr
- Google Image Search
- Students can enter exactly what kind of visual they are trying
to put together into search to find how to make it. For example,
if you are doing an oral report on the Solar System you might enter
"how
to make the solar system" into search. Here you will find
plenty of choices of projects on how to build a solar system perfect
to use as a visual for your oral report.
|
- Tutoring - If the Student’s parents felt that she
was falling behind on her studies a parent would call the teacher or
Guidance Counselor so they could locate a Tutor to help study with the
Student at School or at home.
|
- Tutoring 2.0 - Tutoring no longer has to be done
at school at all. It can completely be done at home in several manners.
Tutoring 2.0 can be done via:
- Instant Message with the Tutor
- School Website during a tutoring chat one on one with tutor or
tutor with an entire Study Group.
- Online with one of the many online
tutoring groups.
|
- Cheating - Unfortunately, cheating was there then
and remains in education now.
- Write answers to Quiz / Test questions on hands, jeans or soles
of shoes.
- Get a copy of the Quiz / Test.
- Pass homework around to others to see.
- Get Cliff notes of a book (instead of reading the book) to study
for a test or to do a Report.
|
- Cheating 2.0 - Cheating remains, but it goes to a
whole new level of cheating.
- Text Message answers to friends
- Pre-written reports and essays found online.
- Using music players to record information
- uploading information to memory sticks.
- Emailing homework assignments to fellow classmates.
|
*I do not agree with cheating. It is listed here because whether we like it
or not…. some student’s cheat. I’m simply showing how cheating has changed with
the addition of Web 2.0.
My child rolls his eyes at me as I use to roll my eyes at my parents and grandparents.
I’m sure my children will experience the same thing with their children as well.
Technology has changed so much in the 30 some years I have been around…..
how much do you think it will change in the next 30?
Technorati Tags:web 2.0, social media, education, parenting, family, kids, children
Posted in Blogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Vlogging, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics, Websites | 21 Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2008 |
Photo by *sean
The People Pleaser 2.0
We have all come across a People Pleaser at one point or another. People Pleasers
love making people happy. They seem to become happier themselves by making others
happy. They are super nice…. almost too nice, some might say.
If you have ever have been a People Pleaser yourself your life isn’t as happy
as it might appear to others. You appear happy on the outside, but on the inside
you are extremely unhappy. In order to not feel the pain you are feeling inside
you go above and beyond making others happy and ignoring the pain you are having
inside. The People Pleaser is usually over worked and under appreciated. The
People Pleaser will rarely speak up if they are feeling unappreciated. As a
matter of fact, they will continue helping others and saying "yes"
to things they shouldn’t just to make others happy. What you might not be aware
of is that the People Pleaser is probably very bitter
on the inside. They want to say "No" (and they should say "No"),
but they want so badly to be accepted and liked that they rarely, if ever, say
"No". Usually to the detriment of her/himself.
Being a People Pleaser in the real World is extremely difficult. But, what
do you think it is like to be a People Pleaser in the virtual World… where
online community is so prevalent? For the rest of this post I’m going to call
the People Pleasers on the internet People Pleasers 2.0.
The Pattern
below is associated with the People Pleaser, by Jay Earley, PhD
- I try to be who someone wants me to be.
- I am afraid to rock the boat.
- It is hard for me to know what I want.
- I avoid speaking my mind.
- I find it easier to go along with what someone wants or with their opinion.
- I fantasize about a strong person taking over my life and making it work.
- It is hard for me to express my feelings when they are different from someone
I’m close to.
- It is difficult for me to say No.
- I avoid getting angry.
- It is hard for me to take initiative.
- I try to be nice rather than expressing how I really feel.
- I want everyone to get along.
What happens when these people are involved with Social Media? What
is it like for the People Pleaser 2.0?
Anyone who has spent anytime reading this blog knows that I am extremely involved
in Social Media. But, what you might not know about me already is that 10+ years
ago I had some major People Pleaser issues. I did all I could to make everyone
around me happy only to find that I was extremely unhappy and unfulfilled. Over
the years, and much therapy later… I have greatly improved. But, I do have
to admit that with the addition of Social Media activities in my daily life
that at some points over the past few months I have felt those past issues and insecurities
creep back a bit. I can sense when these feelings kick in and for the most part can
overcome the feelings associated with the people pleaser. But, If I am feeling
this way I wonder if there are others feeling this way as well. Others who might
not realize that there are tactics to overcome these feelings.
Below, I have put together what I believe are the symptoms of being a People
Pleaser 2.0. These are not medical symptoms, but these are what I believe, through
my own experience, what being a People Pleaser in Web 2.0 would be like.
People Pleaser 2.0 Symptoms:
- Voting up on all requests from Friends, but you never ask for the favor
to be returned.
- Going through Friend’s submits on Social News Voting sites and voting all
up without even reading the posts first.
- Before naturally voting something up looking to see who else voted it up
first. Not having enough faith in your own opinions to vote anything up before
noticing if others agree too.
- These people never want to rock the boat in the social communities. So,
they tend to keep all of their opinions to themselves until they begin to
hear other opinions. They tend to side with other people’s opinions.
- People Pleasers tend to be frightened every time they publish a post. They
are afraid of other people’s thoughts on their posts because a People Pleaser
bases their feelings on how others feel.
- Comments on their blog is enough to make or break them. They feel elated
and happy when their posts receive good comments, but these people are coming
undone on the inside with each of the negative comments.
Learning how to say "No" to others and trusting your own opinions
enough to state them is so important to being happy. I am learning that myself.
Social Media is wonderful!! I love it, but I also know that with dealing with
people brings the pressures of making some happy and disappointing
others. It’s impossible to make everyone happy and if you are worried
about making everyone happy, who is making you happy?
More on overcoming being a People Pleaser and feeling confident enough
to say, "No".
How to Stop Being a People Pleaser
How
to Stop Being a People Pleaser - wikiHow gives you steps and tips on how
to stop being a people pleaser.
The
People Pleaser Pattern - Jay Earley, PhD highlights the People Pleaser Pattern,
sometimes known as compliance.
"People Pleasers"
Pay a High Price - Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D writes why people pleasers pay
a high price.
3
Reasons To Stop Being A People Pleaser - Journal-a-Day gives the readers
3 reasons that you being a People Pleaser must end!!
Being
Nice Can Be Hazardous to Your Health - Can being a People Pleaser actually
be making you sick? Yes, it can.
How
To Stand Up For Yourself - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen shows you How to Practice
Being Assertive.
How
to Know the Right Thing to Do - srichinmoybio.co.uk shows you how to do
the right thing for you (not for others).
5
Ways to Develop Independent Thought - Tom O’Leary at PickTheBrain
writes a post on how to think independently.
How to Say No
8
Essential Strategies to Saying “No” - Leo Babauta offers a few
practical strategies For those who have trouble saying “no".
The
Gentle Art of Saying No - Here are the Top 10 tips LifeHack.org writes about
for learning the Gentle Art of Saying No.
How
to Say No and Stay Friends - Marco Adragna shows you how you can say no
to a friend without losing the friendship.
4
Quick, Easy Ways to Say No to People Who Take You for Granted - Jake Sim
offers these 4 great ways to stand up for yourself and say No.
How
to say NO and have people respect you for it - Say No and get the genuine
and lasting result you need to put in authentic effort and respect.
The Art
of No - Powazek explains the art of saying,
"No" for a Graphic Designer’s perspective.
4
Tips for Saying No: Take Control of Your Time - Here are some tips that
can help to bring some clarity and lighten up your mental ‘load’
when you want to say no. ThinkSimpleNow.com
How to
say "no" without feeling badly - Dawna Sinclair shares with us
how she got over feeling badly when she had to say "No".
Stop
being a People Pleaser - passou pela mente offers some steps on how to stop
being a people pleaser.
7
steps to start saying ‘No’ - The Birmingham News offers a very precise 7
step process to saying "No".
How to
Say No Respectfully - wikiHow gives you steps and tips to saying "No"
respectfully.
Say No But Say It
With Finesse - Can you say no to your boss, neighbor, child, friend or coworker?
If not you are not alone. Vannie Ryanes shows you how to say, "No"
with style.
Saying No at Work
The
time I learned to say “No” at work - ChiefHappinessOfficer shows
you that if you can’t say "No" at work then your "Yes" is
meaningless.
How
to say no to extra work without feeling guilty - Mitch McCrimmon posts some
practical tips for saying no on the job.
Getting
to No - Hannah Clark writes this excellent post on learning to say no you
need to start by identifying why you always say yes.
How
to say ‘no’ to overtime - MothersWhoWork writes this terrific
post directed towards mothers. She points out ways to say "No" to
overtime.
When
to Say No to Work - Geoff Williams shows you how to turn down projects.
Say
no to free work! - CreativeBits explains that even if someone is a friend….
say "No" for working for free.
Saying NO to Good
Opportunities! - Kimberly Stevens writes how you need to learn to say "no"
to good opportunities, so you could say "yes" to the great ones.
Saying No in Business - Clients / Customers
Freelance
Writers: How to Say No to Clients - The People’s Media Company shows you
how to now allow yourself to become overwhelmed by clients or projects.
Increasing
Your Marketing Agency’s Revenues by Saying "No" to Clients
- Andy Beal shows you why saying “no” to a client is often good
for business.
How
to Say "No" to a Customer or Client - Kori Rodley Irons offers
some little tidbits on saying "No to customers or clients.
When
Is It OK To Say No to a Customer? - Silvana Buljan offers suggestions as
to how to know when it is OK to say No to a customer.
How
to Say No to Clients You Want to Keep - Finding creative ways to saying
"No" to a client means that you can say "No" and keep the
client as well.
Technorati Tags:web 2.0, social media, social networking, social bookmarking, self improvement, saying no, people pleaser
Posted in Blogging, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics | 18 Comments »
