Archive for the ‘Twitter’ Category
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 |
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
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 »
Friday, May 2nd, 2008 |
Image by BdwayDiva1
Are Texting & Social Media Platforms causing teens to lack in Interpersonal
Communicative Skills?
I received a text from my oldest son last week that was very disturbing. He
was obviously too freaked out to discuss the topic with me face-to-face and
instead chose to tell me this uncomfortable piece of information via text messaging.
I feel I’m a very "with it" mom when it comes to
these things. Especially since being involved in Social Media is pretty much what
I specialize in. But, after this particular text I was left wondering….
“Are teens today lacking in Interpersonal and Communicative Skills?”
Generations have been dealing with the change in Technology for Decades…
- Rock-n-Roll
- Television
- Record Players
- VCR’s
- Telephones
- Computer’s
- Internet
- eMail
- Cell phones
- Web 2.0
- etc…
I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for any generation to make the transition and
today’s generation is no exception. I use text myself, but I don’t use it to
replace normal everyday conversation, but it appears that many of our teens
do. Many of
my friends and
colleagues I spend
time with
online have
children and
I’m very curious
of their thoughts on this…
Is Mobile Technology and Social Media taking away what our Children
should be learning during face-to-face Communication?
When I was a teen growing up I was forced to discuss things with my parents
face-to-face….. even the uncomfortable discussions. And, through each of these
discussions, as difficult as they were, they each were a learning experience.
Could Instant Messaging and Text be robbing our children from learning
some social skills?
Teens are breaking up with boyfriends and girlfriends over text…. and this
is completely normal. These uncomfortable discussions that all of us hated to
have were all a learning experience for me. Mostly, I learned tact and empathy.
Are our children growing up more selfish & cold because they can
avoid these conversations entirely?
I was never an overly brave teen. I didn’t have as much confidence in myself
as others and this made confrontation much more difficult for me. If I had social
media platforms and mobile devices available to me back then I’m positive I
would have been using them instead of how I had to deal with things.
Maybe I wouldn’t have succumb to peer pressure. Maybe I would have been braver
in what I told my peers…. in saying, "No!!". Or, maybe I would have
dealt with confrontation in ways that maybe teens are dealing with it now…
"text and Instant Messaging".
This might not sound like a major issue, but after the text from my oldest
son I’m not so sure about that.
I believe that many of the uncomfortable situations and confrontations I dealt
with growing up taught me many things and made me into the person I am now.
Who knows…. maybe I’m reading too much into this. But, I really don’t think so.
Teen Crushes
As I mentioned earlier I lacked a certain amount of confidence growing up,
so certain things were especially difficult for me. For example, telling a boy
I liked him. I remember having crushes growing up and the boy never knew. By
the time I was in Junior High I was still extremely nervous to tell a boy I
liked him, but I would try very hard to push through the fear. Making a point
to talk to him, pausing by his locker, dropping something nearby to see if he
would pick it up, and dialing the phone to call him. I say dialing the phone
because unless one of my friends was calling for me I don’t think I ever stayed
on the phone long enough to talk to the boy. Most of the time I would dial the
phone number and once someone answered I would hand up. Thank Goodness this
was before *69…. otherwise, I would have been busted for sure.
How would Texting & Social Media changed this process?
Well, I wouldn’t have had to be brave and start a discussion… Simple texts
are so much easier than real words. I would no long have to worry about blushing
in front of a boy. He wouldn’t even have to know how nervous I was. There is no
way via text he could hear my shaky voice, see my knees tap together from nerves
or see me blush from fear. This fact would have given me the confidence to flirt
via text.
What learning experience would I have missed out on? Over
the years of pushing through my fear of talking to guys I built confidence.
I learned what worked for me and what didn’t work for me. I realized that guys
thought I was sweet when I blushed. Actually, over the years I wasn’t nervous
to talk to most guys at all. My confidence increased enough that I could easily
talk to a guy. Would teen develop this confidence if they were doing all interaction
between themselves and guys via digital methods?
Breaking up with a guy
Okay, if telling a guy I liked him wasn’t bad enough….. breaking up with
him was so much worse!! I hated making someone unhappy or feel bad about themselves.
I am still horrible at that, but disappointment is a fact of life and dealing
with it is part of it. Break ups can be some of the most difficult conversations
to have, but to move to the next relationship… break-ups must be done.
Many of my friends were broken up with by notes in school. I was mortified
by this and fortunate enough that this never happened to me. However, in High
School I was in the middle of a long distance relationship, so all of our communication
was via phone and "snail mail". We would see each other only on weekends.
How would a Break-up have been different if I had text or Social Media Platforms?
What makes a break-up so difficult is the confrontation. It’s
usually not an easy conversation because many times the other person feels a
bit under attack or defensive. Texting a break-up (which let me just state….
is cowardly and never okay in my book) erases any face-to-face contact. No confrontation.
As a matter of fact you don’t have to answer any further calls or texts. This
is an easy way out. There is something to be said about "closure",
people!! How the heck do you get closure from a text or instant message? Unless,
of course, the entire relationship was done via text or Instant Message then
a break up should NOT be done in this fashion. I couldn’t imagine
sending a text like….
"Have I told you just now how much I’m in love with U???
No??
Chew on it, have a nice life… "
Check out these other "Break-up
Texts" . They are unreal!!
But, texts like the one above are being sent to innocent
(or not so innocent) boys and girls everyday.
What I have learned from having to break up in a face-to-face
way…
- Break-ups hurt
- Break-ups are an end to something that you might not be ready for
- tact
- empathy
- sensitivity
Dealing with Friends and Social Life in High School
I know that Social Life in High School means a lot to teens. It meant a lot
to me and still means a lot to kids. But, I also know that the peer pressure
and saying, "No" can be a sticky situation. I would never want to
go back and do high school over again due to the peer pressure I experienced.
I dealt with the peer pressure the face-to-face way, but how are the kids dealing
with it now-a-days?
Teens are using Social Media Platforms to deal with Peer Pressure.
They use text and instant messaging to say what’s on their minds. It not as
confrontational. Sounds less threatening, right? Nope!! To get revenge these
teens sometimes are using malicious ways to deal with their anger such as YouTube
videos, MySpace & Facebook public messages, non-private instant messaging
and other embarrassing ways. My thoughts are that because of the convenience
of social media ways of dealing that these same platforms are giving teens a
convenient & easy way to get revenge. This is making Peer Pressure tons
worse than it was when I was growing up.
What I have learned from dealing with Peer pressure face-to-face?
- knowing you have to deal with them face-to-face makes you be choosy who
is your friend
- Over time I realized what/who makes me happy
- I don’t always have to say, "Yes" to everything
- Could shut down the peer voices after school…. with text, Instant Messaging
& other Social Media platforms this is much more difficult.
I’m wondering if the lack of closure causes a teen’s need for revenge?
Could it be that communicating verbally face-to-face with someone forces closure?
Maybe with text and instant message there is no "end".
Telling Parents Bad News
I would like to think that conversations with parents hasn’t changed much since
I was growing up. But, even I know that’s not the case. I already admitted that
my son text me a message that he should have talked to me about in person. Why
did he do this? Because he felt it would be easier.
Was it? Well, probably. Temporarily anyway. And, probably by the time he approached
me in person I calmed down quite a bit. Did he learn as much from the whole
experience…. I’m not so sure.
And, I have some fond memories of when I was growing up of conversations with
my mother. I also have some memories of scary conversations with my mom. But,
bottom line…. they were face-to-face conversations. They were banter back
and forth that I believe made a difference in my life. Not only did I learn
something from it, but I also bonded with my mom. And, there is one other thing
that it left me with… something I can smile at later. Embarrassing situations
that I can smile at because I survived. Something I can laugh at by myself or
conversing with my sister.
I look back on those moments with my mom fondly…. now. However,
had I had the opportunity to get out of a sticky situation in an easier fashion
I totally would have.
Which brings to me back to the question, " Are teens today lacking
interpersonal communicative skills?"
What do teens have a fear of??
- Confrontation
- Rejection
- Disappointment
- Failure
- Embarrassment
What are they missing out learning??
- tact
- sensitivity
- empathy
- respect
- anger management
- communication skills
I asked the following question to my friends on Twitter, "What would have
been different 4 you had you had text & IM as teen? How would Break-ups,
dating, peer pressure been different?" This were some of the answer I received:
Click on the image to see in full size & with Profile Links
What are your thoughts? Are teens today lacking interpersonal communicative
skills?
Posted in Facebook, Parenting, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics | 21 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 »
Thursday, January 24th, 2008 |
A while back I wrote a post about how I just didn’t get Twitter. At that
time, It didn’t make sense to me to hear people rave about Twitter. But,
I must say….. Twitter is another Social Media Activity that I am really
enjoying. As a matter of fact, it is one of my top three favorite Social Networking
Sites.
Yes, I’m aware in my last Twitter post that I complained about the 140 Character
limit, but I found that for the most part the 140 characters that I am limited
to is perfect. It is just enough space to say what I have to say and I’m
done.
On Twitter the major players come out to play. They talk to their followers.
Not only do they talk to their followers, but many times they ask their followers
questions that will appear on future posts.
You can make Twitter as personal or business like as you would like. But, I
must say that I am enjoying the personal side of it. And, frankly, I see nothing
wrong with Business being Personal anyway. At least for me. I spend the majority
of my waking hours working…. Damn right, it is personal for me. And, being
personal with people and learning about them makes me happy. Me being happy
makes me a better business person. Blah, blah, blah …. Comes full circle.
You get it.
Some of the many, many reasons I love Twitter
Eavesdropping on other Twitters conversation is not only allowed,
but it is the norm on Twitter.
Tons of fun & plenty to laugh at.
Website Help.
If someone tries to communicate with me on Twitter I can ignore people
until later… they don’t have to know I’m there at that moment.
Plenty of Advice from one Twitter to the Next.
Efficient - Gotta love efficiency.
Blogging Ideas.
Travel Destinations - Great Restaurants, Site seeing Ideas
& the best hotels.
Vent - If you are feeling a bit irritated about this or that
vent on Twitter. Someone is always willing to listen or offer there own opinion.
140 Character Limit - Because I love short & sweet….
Get to the Point!!
The concept in incredibly simple - Did you ever hear of the
saying, "Keep it Simple, Stupid?" Well, it just makes sense.
Life & Death - I have read about baby’s being born and
people passing away. Reality, people.
Jobs - People find employment and employment finds people
on Twitter.. Including myself. I was contacted by someone on twitter looking
for help with Social Media Marketing…. and I was ultimately hired by that
person.
Discussing Politics.
Met Twitters in my Region.
Found out about events going on in my area.
Who needs Feed Readers anymore?? I can find out most of my
favorite Bloggers updates on Twitter. However, I do still use a Feed Reader,
but honestly it’s much less often.
Increase in Traffic.
Application Ideas.
New Blog Readers - Even someone that YOU
are a fan of.
Have a question…. any question!! Ask your Twitter followers.
You are bound to get many different answers.
So much less interrupting than standard IM’s. - People
can send me a quick message that is direct and to the point and I’m good.
Know what your friends are doing. It’s really cool to know
what the friends you have been networking with are doing every once and a while.
Makes their physical distance from you seen a little less far. And, many of
the friends I have been networking with on Twitter live very, very far away.
No popular crowd . Even the "Major Players" on my
Twitter Following list seem to participate a lot!! They converse with everyone
it seems. I do come across a few that seem to keep to keep to themselves or
talk amongst a smaller crowd. But, everyone has their own method of using Twitter,
so I won’t judge them. Whatever works for them.
Quick Direct Messages to followers. Direct Messages are perfect
if the topic is a bit more private and I don’t want it on the Public Timeline.
Time Management Ideas from Many. All of the Time Management
advice has been brilliant. And, once I try to apply them to my life…. they
probably even work.
A following in no time - There is something very “Rock
Star” about that.
Those are just some of my many reasons I am going to stick with Twitter. I
adore it and it is going to be part of my daily Social Media activity for a
long time.
Still, unsure about Twitter…
…here are 26 links to fabulous articles and posts that explain in
many different and unique ways why you should be using Twitter regularly. And,
how to use Twitter in the most productive and lucrative ways possible.
Twitter Guides
How
to Use Twitter - Tips for Bloggers - Darren of ProBlogger has been writing
a lot about Twitter in the last week…. and it is really amazing stuff. This
post Darren gets very detailed in this "How to Use Twitter" post.
Newbie’s
guide to Twitter - Rafe Needleman of Webware offers a very basic guide for
Newbies on using Twitter.
Mobile
Instant Messaging Meets Social Networking: Twitter - A Beginner’s Guide
- MasterNewMedia.org puts together a detailed Guide to Twitter for Beginner’s.
Your
Guide to Micro-Blogging and Twitter - Mark Glaser at Media Shift writes
his guide to Twitter and Micro-Blogging in general.
The
12-Minute Definitive Guide to Twitter - Fred Stutzman of AOL Developer Network
writes a general guide to Twitter. The 12-minute part has nothing to do with
the Guide’s length or the amount of time to read it. Fred just titled the article
using the 12-minute time to coincide with Twitter’s short 140 character limitations…
short and sweet. Hence, 12-minute Twitter Guide…. short and sweet.
Advanced
Twitter: Don’t Tweet Like A n00b - Brian Oberkirch offers some friendly
usage guidelines:
Twitter for Professionals (Marketing, Business)
Twitter: More Than
Messaging, It Can Generate Traffic - Neil Patel shows you how Twitter can
be used to generate traffic to your site.
Guide
to Twitter as a Tool for Marketing and PR - Lee Odden puts together some
thoughts on using Twitter as a Marketing Tools. Plus, Lee includes Tips from
Twitters themselves.
17
Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Beginners, Marketers and Business Owner
- You can always count on Maki of DoshDosh to put together an amazing Guide….
and here he doesn’t let me down Check out Maki’s Twitter Guide to use Twitter
for Marketing.
The
Big Juicy Twitter Guide - Caroline Middlebrook put together this amazing
Twitter Guide….. This guide is well known all over the Blogosphere for explaining
how to use Twitter successfully for Marketing purposes.
Eight
Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally - Anne Zelenka of WebWorkerDaily explains
8 ways that you can use Twitter Professionally.
Web
Strategy: What the Web Strategist should know about Twitter - Jeremiah Owyang
of Web-Strategist.com wrote this amazing post that will serve as a guide to
come up with a Web Strategy using Twitter.
A
Few Non-boring Ways to Use Twitter For Marketing - Rohit of Influential
Marketing Blog comes up with some non-boring ways to use Twitter for Marketing.
7
Ways Marketers Can Use Twitter - Ann Handley writes this post for Marketing
Profs Daily Fix in regards to how Twitter has a real use for media companies
and social-media-savvy brands.
Using
Twitter as a Marketing Tool - Carlos Granier-Phelps explains how you can
immediately reach your clients with breaking news at zero cost by using Twitter.
Twitter Tips
Twitter:
Use it Productively - Sometimes it can be difficult to see how to use Twitter
productively. Here Craig Childs gives you tips how to be productive using Twitter.
The
Several Habits of Wildly Successful Twitter Users - Bren from SlackerManager
offers some Twitter tips and advice.
The
10 ways I learned to use Twitter in 2007… (aka Why and How I use Twitter)
- Dan York of Disruptive Conversations gives 10 of his best tips he learned
in 2007…. trust me, they will still work in 2008.
10
Ways Twitter Can Boost Your Social News Profile - Dan Zarrella writes a
Guest Post for ReadWriteWeb about the 10 ways you can boost Social Networking
Profiles using Twitter.
5
Ways to Use Twitter for Good - Chris Brogran writes this great post on LifeHack.org
on different ways to productively use Twitter.
Confessions of
a Twitter Convert - Adam C. Engst of TidBits Networking writes a post confessing
his feelings on Twittter and tips on how it works.
Twitter
is Paying My Rent - Marshall Kirkpatrick writes this post giving you pointers
on using Twitter…. keep in mind that Marshall states that Twitter pays his
rent. So, I would totally recommend you follow these tips!!
How
Twitter Made My Website Better - Guy Kawasaki answer’s Chris Brogan’s Request
by writing this post on how Twitter made his Website Better.
Using
Twitter to Help Communities - Nate Ritter explains how non-profits could
best put Twitter to good use. Very Cool!!
Twitter
Me This: Brainstorming Potential Educational Uses for Twitter - Christopher
D. Sessums comes up with uses for Twitter in Educational Settings.
35
Twitter Tips from 35 Twitter Users - Darren asks he Twitter Followers for
Twitter tips and he was now let down. Here are 35 Twitter Tips from 35 of his
Twitter Followers.
Make sure to
follow me on Twitter.
Added after Post was Published:
200+
Internet Marketing Gurus on Twitter - Brian Chappell wrote this post for
MarketingPilgrim where he put together a comprehensive list of Internet Marketers
that use Twitter.
Technorati Tags:twitter, social media, blogging, social networking, web 2.0, social media marketing, online marketing, internet marketing
Posted in Blogging, Link Love, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics | 21 Comments »
Friday, December 28th, 2007 |
Photo by luc legay
2007 will be ending in the next few days and 2008 will be beginning. It has
been an amazing year for me. It was In 2007 I became very involved in Social
Media Activity. I am looking forward to 2008 and everything that it has to offer,
but before I can simply say Hello to 2008 and Goodbye to 2007 I wanted to list
my favorite posts from all of my favorite Social Networking sites…. StumbleUpon,
Sphinn, Twitter, and Facebook. *Keep in mind that these posts are my favorites
and nothing official.*
Favorite StumbleUpon Posts of 2007
StumbleRank - Ranks the
Top StumbleUpon Users.
A
Comprehensive Guide to StumbleUpon: How to Build Massive Traffic to Your Website
- Maki of DoshDosh wrote this mini guide on StumbleUpon because he thought StumbleUpon
has enormous potential in maximizing brand exposure while fitting nicely with
a long term site building strategy.
How
to Use StumbleUpon for Your Business: The Definitive Guide - Tamar writes
this great post for 10e20.com.
The
Why, How and Who of Marketing in StumbleUpon - Garrett French writes this
very in depth post regarding StumbeUpon and using it for Marketing purposes.
Building
Your Blog With StumbleUpon - A ProBlogger Guest post by Skellie showing
how to use StumbleUpon to increase your Blog Traffic.
Stumbleupon
mathematics for stumblers - Tim Nash gives us his thoughts on how he believes
the StumbleUpon algorithm works.
How
to Use StumbleUpon to Promote - David Risley of WebbyOnline explains in
detail how to Use StumbleUpon.
StumbleUpon
Will Love Us Even When Google Doesn’t - Brian Wallace writes about
the effectiveness of StumbleUpon.
5 Tactics
For Driving Traffic From StumbleUpon - Cameron Olthuis writes for Search
Engine Land showing you how StumbleUpon is a great way to bring large amounts
of traffic to your site…. at times even bringing more traffic than digg.
How
to Set Up a Domino Effect of Traffic - Vandelay Design writes how he greatly
increased his traffic by setting up a Domino Effect with StumbleUpon.
25
Reasons You Get Thumbs Up - Andy Beard comes up with a list of 25 reasons
why you might get a Thumbs Up on StumbleUpon.
Analysis:
StumbleUpon’s Top 50 Stumblers - Glen Allsopp felt there wasn’t a
lot of information on StumbleUpon on how to become a Top Stumbler. Glen researched
and posted his findings.
6
Reasons to Love StumbleUpon - Marty tells us the 6 reasons he loves StumbleUpon.
Writing
for StumbleUpon: High Impact Content “Above the Scroll” in Four
Easy Steps - Muhammad Saleem points out that with StumbleUpon having your
important content above the scroll is extremely important.
How
Important is StumbleUpon? - Rose Sylvia shows us how to use StumbleUpon
to its fullest.
Favorite Sphinn Posts of 2007
Sphinn
- The Social News Site Every Search Marketer Should Be Using - Rand writes
in detail 10 reasons why Every Search Marketer should be using Sphinn.
Please
Don’t Ask Me to Sphinn Your Stories (and How to Use Sphinn and Similar
Social News Websites) - Tamar writes this excellent post about Social Networking
Etiquotte.
Why
Sphinn Needs a Dumbass Button - Digg has a "bury it" button….
Greg Boser suggests a "Dumbass Button" for Sphinn.
Fool Proof
Sphinn-Bait Tactics to Reach the Front Page - Kelvin Newman writes in detail
how to reach the front page of Sphinn.
A
5 Pack Of Sphinn Interviews - Todd Mintz Interviews 5 members of the Sphinn
Community.
How
to Dominate Sphinn in 4 Easy Steps - David Harry comes up with the Sphinn
Domination Plan.
The
First (un)Official Sphinn Awards - Day 1 - Jeff Quipp at Search Engine People
offers days 1 of the (un)Official Sphinn Awards…. freakin hilarious.
The
(un)Official Sphinn Awards Part 2 - David Harry Holds Part II of the Sphinn
Awards at his site and it is equally as funny as Day 1.
A
Very Beginner’s Guide to the Sphinn Network : Tips and Tricks - Mack
offers up some tips to New User’s of Sphinn.
Sphinn:
In Depth Traffic Analysis And Advice - Matt Jones did his research and offers
his traffic analysis and some Sphinning tips.
20
Top Sphinners You Should Know - Here is a list of 20 Sphinners and their
sites that you might not know, but should.
Sphinn Google Gadget
- As if I didn’t adore Pat of SEOish enough he comes up with this amazing Sphinn
Google Gadget.
Favorite Twitter Posts of 2007
The Big Juicy
Twitter Guide - Caroline Middlebrook puts together a very detailed guide
to Using Twitter for Marketing.
Guide
to Twitter as a Tool for Marketing and PR - Lee Odden puts together a great
post with tips on using Twitter as a Marketing Tool. Lee’s community offers
tons of wonderful Twitter Tips!!
The
Several Habits of Wildly Successful Twitter Users - Bren at Slacker Manager
offers tips and advice for Successful Twitter Wanna-be’s.
Eight
Ways Twitter is Useful Professionally - Anne Zelenka offers 8 ways to use
Twitter Professionally.
Use
Twitter To Boost Your Marketing Strategy, No Really - Chris Bennett offers
his ideas to user Twitter as part of a Marketing Strategy.
The
Top 5 Ways Smart People Use Twitter - Sharon Sarmiento suggests focusing
on these 5 smart uses of Twitter to keep from falling into the Twitter abyss.
Is
Twitter TOO good? - Kathy Sierra writes this post showing her struggle with
Twitter…. In this post you can see her struggle with Twitter being a waste
of time and the rest of the world chanting Twitter’s wonderful goodness.
Twitter
vs. Pownce: Who Pwns? - Tamar takes a close look at Twitter and Pownce and
compares the two.
Twitter is Paying
My Rent - Marshall Kirkpatrick writes how he uses Twitter to come up with
stories to blog about. At the time of this post 6 out of his 7 last posts wint
to the front page of Digg… the same stories he came up with thanks to Twitter.
Twitter
CAN be Useful! Who Knew? - Due to Twitter coverage of the fires back in
October Jennifer Laycock saw an incredibly useful way to use Twitter….. Her
brother and his wife were able to subscribe to the Twitter Feed and quick and
easy access to instant updates as they drove across the country safely.
Favorite Facebook Posts of 2007
The
Facebook Marketing Bible: 24 Ways to Market Your Brand, Company, Product, or
Service Inside Facebook - If you are looking on exactly how to Market on
Facebook this is a "Must Read" by Justin Smith.
12
Ways to Use Facebook Professionally - Judi Sohn explains why Facebook can
be a great addition to your web working toolbox.
How
to use Facebook to Promote your Blog - Brian Wallace compliles some tips
on how to promote your blog using Facebook.
Not
many people know this, but I invented Facebook - Lyndon says, Let us all
rise up and shout, “I INVENTED FACEBOOK.”
Your
Private Facebook Info Isn’t So Private - Lisa Barone shows why adjusting
your Facebook privacy settings may not be enough to keep people from seeing
inside your Facebook Windows.
Seven
Steps to Graphing Your Facebook Strategy - Dave McClure offers an indepth
look at Facebook. This is a great post for anyone new to Facebook.
A
Successful Facebook Marketing Campaign - Social-Media-Optimization.com compares
a successful Facebook campaign (Target) with an unsuccessful campaign (Walmart).
How
to Develop a Hit Facebook App: 29 Essential Tools and Tutorials - SoftwareDeveloper.com
comes up with Resources to help you build a successful Facebook app that users
will love.
You
too might be a Facebookaholic, if: - Dave McClure gives us 17 hints that
we might be a Facebookaholic.
Who
needs Google? Facebook’s stealth ad system - ValleyWag
gives us the details on Facebook’s Ad System.
Mash
Pets, SuperPokes, Vampires, or Zombies? What are Your Social Network Ice Breakers?
- Mark Laymon shows us how he uses certain Facebook applications to "Break
the Ice".
A
Girl’s First Time….. being Poked - Ok, this post is one of mine.
Sorry, I just crack myself up. 
Is
The Horde At Facebooks Walls? - Tim Nash writes this post for Clicks.ws.
on the how-to’s of Advertising on Facebook.
Web
Strategy: What the Web Strategist should know about Facebook - Jeremiah
Owyang tells us what we need to know about Facebook as a strategic marketing
channel.
Technorati Tags:social networking, social bookmarking, stumbleupon, sphinn, twitter, facebook, 2007, social media, social media marketing
Posted in Facebook, Humor, Link Love, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Sphinn, StumbleUpon, Twitter | 18 Comments »
Monday, December 17th, 2007 |
Photo by Fabbio
I love you so much I hate you!! Or, I hate you so much I love you!! Oh boy,
is my head Sphinning!! I keep
Stumbling over things
and getting Mixxed up because
my head is totally in the Social Media clouds. Let me explain my battle a bit…
I love you, Social Media…. Let me Count the Ways:
- People – I have met
so many people from
all over World.
Many of these
people I would consider a dear
friend and/or Colleague.
- Traffic - With the correct Social Media Marketing Strategies
you can bring a lot of amazing traffic to your site.
- This is Work?? - I can call Social Media part of my job,
but yet it is so much fun.
- Voyeurism - I can be a Voyeur and it’s okay….
Watching where my friends have been and what they did while they were there.
(StumbleUpon,
MyBlogLog,
etc…)
- Conversations - Conversations via blog comments, Instant
Messaging, blog posts, facebook,
twitter, blah,
blah, blah.
- De-Stresser - Take my mind off of my Stressful Work / Life.
- Not all about Google - No longer have to rely on Major
Search Engines for all of my traffic.
- Keep Updated - Easy to keep up with new and updated information
on the topics that interest me. RSS Feeds
- Link Building - Building Links is fairly easy with Social
Media and a lot of fun. No more emailing for link exchanges.
- Creativity - I feel More Creative now than I ever was.
- Sweet Dreams - I love Social Media so much I even dream
about it at night while I’m sleeping.
- Opportunities - Joined in on projects
with fellow colleagues I have met online
- Standing Out - Social Media Activities can make you Stand
Out - A successful Article or Blog Post can do very well on Social Networking
Sites which can make you stand-out in your Niche.
- Social Media Fame - Having a Blog with a Readership can
make you feel like a Superstar.
I hate you, Social Media… Let me Count the Ways:
- Pressure of keeping up the Pace - Feeling if I slow down
I will get lost and no one will be able to find me.
- Inevitable that someone will be unhappy - This is very
difficult for a people pleaser such as myself. Unable to make everyone happy.
If you make someone unhappy you might hear about it in a follow-up post or
a blog comment.
- Voyeurism - Just like I can watch other people travel through
the Blogosphere, people can watch me too. Knowing this makes me feel a bit
weary about popping on to someone’s blog or StumbleUpon Profile too many times
in a row. Not sure why, but it does.
- This is Work!! - Social Media is very time consuming. And,
even though it is a lot of fun it is so much work!!
- People - Most people that I have met online have been wonderful!!
But, not everyone is as nice. Some people pretend to be your friend because
ultimately they want something from you. Don’t use me!! I hate that!!
- RSS Feed Reader is Too Full - As I mentioned in #8 above I use
a RSS Feed Reader to keep updated. However, my Feed Reader has become so full
that lately I have been missing important posts. Because my Reader is so full
I tend to read the Titles of the Posts to see what sounds interesting enough
to read and landed up missing some really wonderful posts.
- Poor Time Management - What little Time Management Skills
I have had in the past have totally went down the toilet since I added Social
Media Activity to my To-do list. UGH!! I think I’ve already complained
about this in the past, huh?!
- Productivity - Productivity on some of my other duties
has begun to slip.
- Sleepless Nights - Don’t get enough Sleep. Even my
dreams are overcome by Social Media Activities.
- Social Media Pressure - The pressure to achieve a certain
Social Media Status or keep this status is incredibly intense. Sometimes it
is hard to enjoy the fame due to the constant fear of losing it.
I will be following this post up with other posts detailing the specifics on
each of these Love/Hate dilemmas.
Technorati Tags:social media, social networking, social bookmarking, sphinn, stumbleupon, social media marketing, blogging
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Humor, Mixx, Social Bookmarking, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Time Management, Twitter, Web 2.0 | 20 Comments »
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 |
If you are a Small Business Owner the thought of Social Media Marketing can be
very overwhelming. There are so many options out there for Social Media Marketing
that the already very busy Business Owner might shy away from Social Media all
together.
Since Social
Media is so important to see the true potential of your Web Business I want
to show you some some ways that a Small Business Owner can start getting their
feel wet to Social Media Marketing without taking a huge plunge.
Add Social Networking Buttons to your static Webpages
There is no reason that only Blogs should enjoy the benefits of Social Bookmarking
buttons. Static Websites can benefit from this social media marketing activity
as well. Social Bookmarking is a way that users can tag their favorite sites
with different keywords which help them to organize the content. Tags help others
find your content and to help search engines see your content.
Adding Social Bookmarking Buttons to a Web Page will make it very easy for
someone to bookmark an article or product from your website. When a page from
your website is bookmarked it makes it very easy for your webpage to be shared
with others on the web. Plus, it is another way for search engines find a link
to one of your webpages and spider your site.
Check
out these Social Bookmarks. Choose which Social Bookmarks fit your Website’s
content best.
Start Commenting on Blogs
Commenting on Blogs is a great way to get Incoming links to your Website. The
more links you have coming in to your Website not only brings in new potential
customers and clients, but it can also move you up in the search engines.
Making comments on Blogs is a great way to not only increase incoming links
to your website, but it is also a way to get the attention of the readers reading
the blog post and the blogger himself. If done correctly and often enough you
might even become a known expert in your field or niche. Check out Lifehacker’s
guide to weblog comments for lots of great Comment Tips.
Participate in Answer Sites
Participating in Answer Sites, such as Yahoo!
Answers and Answers.com,
is not only an excellent way to get links coming in to your site, but it is
another wonderful way to become known as an expert in your field. Make a point
to spend some time on one of the major answer sites and answer the questions
that you know you have the correct answers to. Place a link to your site in
your Profile and you will find not only will people look towards you for their
answers, but they might even become frequent visitors to your site. This form
of social media marketing is excellent if you are a service based small business.
Choose an Answer site that you want to work with and spend at least an hour
or two there each week to reap the true benefits of this type of Social Media
Marketing.
For more information check out Yahoo!
Answers, Answers.com,
Social Networking
Social Networking is a way of interacting with other people in a web community
setting. These web communities can be niche specific (professional,
dating, pets,
friends to name a very
few) or the communities can be very broad (StumbleUpon,
Digg, MySpace).
The whole point of any of these Social Networking Sites is to help form relationships
between people with a common interest from all over the world.
For a Small Business Owner utilizing a Professional Social Networking site,
such as LinkedIn, is
so important. With Professional Social Networking sites you will be able to
create your Business Profile which summarizes your professional accomplishments.
Within your Social Networking Community you will be able to locate clients,
find Business opportunities, search for jobs, discover connections, locate former
colleagues, clients, and partners and locate other professionals with the same
interests as you. It is very similar to Business Networking in your Local Community,
but you are not limited to location. You will be networking with professional
people from all over the world.
Check out some Other
Social Networks not Mentioned above.
Have Customers Review you Online
The major search engines have come a long way when it comes to local search.
Google supports searching by IP address. Which means that Google can target
according to the geographical locale of the searcher’s IP address. This
is great news for small businesses who make their living by selling items or
services to people in their community or surrounding communities. If Google
and the other major search engines have your Business in the local search engine
directory it could bring you to the top of the search engines in your area for
your keyphrase or niche.
To make sure that your business will appear in the local search for your area
make sure to go to the following links and submit your Business address, phone
number and other business information. Many people no longer use phone books
to locate local businesses, they use the Web to find them. Make sure they can
find you too. Click on the following links to Local Search Engines, Directories
and Yellow Pages and enter your Business’s information.
While you are adding your Business listing to the above Local Search Engines,
Directories and yellow pages do a bit more research to see which of these also
offer reviews. Once you have done that follow the simple steps below to have
your customers review your business.
- Go through the listings above to see which have review capability.
- On a Postcard or Index card simply ask your customers if they would like
to review your business. Make sure to include a link to one of the Local Search
Review sites on the card. You can even offer them a coupon or discount off
a future purchase for your review.
- Send these Review Cards out to your Customers.
Many of the above Search Engines, Directories and Yellow Pages will show your
reviews next to your Business Listing. If you have great reviews this could
bring you a lot of extra business.
Twitter
If the thought of starting a Blog seems frightening at this point, but you
wanted to participate in something that lets you stay in touch with your customers
or clients… maybe Twitter is for you.
You don’t have to be a wiz at writing to use Twitter as you will only have
140 characters to get your point across. But with a bit of Networking on Twitter
to find the right followers it might be the perfect place to announce sales,
new products, or services. For more information on using Twitter as a Marketing
Tool check out The
Big Juicy Twitter Guide. Here Caroline offers you detailed information on
how to use Twitter.
All of these Social Media Marketing Ideas are a wonderful way to get your business
name out there, increase your incoming links, and increase traffic and sales.
All of these Social Media Activities take some work. However, if your time is
limited or you feel apprehensive about jumping head first into all the Social
Media Activities that are out there, just try one of them and see how it goes.
Get a taste of it. If you find you enjoyed it and it brought you increased traffic
and/or sales maybe add another Social Media activity. You can do as little or
as much as you would like. No need to feel intimidated by Social Media…. do
it at your own pace.
Technorati Tags:social media, social media marketing, social networking, social bookmarking, small business
Posted in SEM, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Twitter, Websites | 17 Comments »
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 |
Social Media is an important part of my daily routine. Since I started adding
Social Media to my Daily Schedule I’ve seen an increase in daily traffic,
incoming links, sales on my Preschool
Curriculum eCommerce site and I’ve met the most amazing, brilliant
people that enjoy the same interests as I do.
It sounds wonderful, right? Well, up until last Friday I would have said an
energetic, “YES!!” Now, I’m not so sure.
Last Friday I was comparing what my goals were for that week and what I actually
accomplished. I was horrified to see that I fell short on many of my goals for
that week. For me, that rarely happens. I am ridiculously structured. I need
to be… I run a business out of my home while taking care of three children.
Schedules and "To-Do" Lists are what helps keep my crazy busy life
a bit more sane. So, when I saw my list having tons of items not crossed off
I was determined to see where all of my time was going. This is what I came
up with:
The following times aren’t exact, but gives you a rough idea of the
time I spend doing particular daily duties.
7:30 am
- Get up and start getting my 5 year old ready for School and make sure my
11 year old is awake and getting himself ready for school.
8:30 am
- Feed 4 year old Breakfast.
- Check email
- Print off ABC Home Preschool orders for the last 24 hours
- Process all Credit Card transactions
- Email Customers with their ship dates.
9:30 am
- Use my Feed Reader to check out the new Posts on my Favorite Blogs
- Stumble
and Sphinn posts appropriately.
- Comment on any Posts that I feel I can contribute to.
- Bookmark posts to come back
to later.
10:30 am
- Check out what’s new on Sphinn. Sphinn items I find interesting
- Stumble and/or Bookmark items I find interesting from Sphinn.
- Comment on Sphinn items.
- Check what’s new on FaceBook.
Respond to FaceBook messages and Notifications.
11:30 am
- Quick Stop at MyBlogLog
to see who stopped by my Profile
- Reply to Messages
- Quick Thank-you emails for Stopping by.
- Check what pages StumbleUpon friends sent me to check out…. Respond to
each.
12:30 pm
- Lunch for 4 year old and myself.
- Work-out and Shower.
2:30 pm
- Finish Writing a Post for one of my Blogs
4:00 - 9:00 pm
- Dinner, Homework and Family Time (Trust me, this time is not a break….
I’m sure you Mommies and Daddies know what I’m talking about.)
9:00 pm
- Begin online research on the next days post.
- Make Notes on the direction I want to go with post and any outbound
links I want to use
10:30 pm
- Process orders for ABC Home Preschool
- Package Orders for tomorrow’s shipment
12:00 am
- Go through Feed Reader once again
- Make Posts and Comments on other Blogs
- Sphinn / Stumble Posts
- Go thru Sphinn once again
- Stumble a bit
- Twitter
- Try to finish catching up on emails
Bedtime is between 1 am and 3 am. Lately it is closer to 3 am.
Keep in mind a few things about the above generalized schedule:
- Nowhere did I mention any interaction or quality time with my children.
I have a 4 year old who spends his days with me. So, the work I mentioned
above is done around my time with him during the day.
- I mentioned nothing about extracurricular activities for my children which
happens at least 3 times a week in which I also attend.
- In addition to this blog I have many
other sites that I work on.
- On a daily basis I speak and / or chat with the people I network with online. This
must be squeezed into my daily schedule.
- Daily tweaks and article writing for my static websites
The above schedule was just to give you a very rough idea of how my basic work
day goes. And, how much time, at a minimum, I work on Social Media. My plate
was full before Social Media entered my life. Today my plate is over flowing.
I love Social Media I just need to learn how to manage my time with it better.
If I attempt to keep going at this pace with a schedule like this I’m
sure Social Media will take my life. I am determined to come up with a Time
Management Plan for Social Media that works for me. As it is something that
is not only working for my business, but that I love very much.
During my research in the past couple of days I came across three wonderful
posts that offer some time management skills when it comes to Social Media.
- My
Half Hour Social Networking Plan - In this three part series Kevin Palmer
gives us the details of his 30 minute Social Networking Plan. Kevine breaks
his plan down into three posts 1. The
First Ten Minutes 2.
The Second Ten Minutes 3. The
Final Ten Minutes
- The
10-Minute Daily Guide to Building Your Social Media Profile - Ben Yoskovitz
offers some of his amazing Time Management Tips for Social Networking.
- 7
Ways to Own Social Media Before it Owns You - Brian
Wallace explains that Instead of suffering from social media overload,
look at a few other disciplines and tips for help.
So, please…. please Help Me!! Social Media is trying to take my life….
Do you have any suggestions? I would love to hear them.
Technorati Tags:social media, time management, social networking
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Time Management, Twitter, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Basics, Websites | 21 Comments »
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 |
Twitter, I just don’t get you. I hear
people talking all the time about how wonderful you are. I hear them saying
how you are not only a fun Social Networking site, but that you can also be
a great Marketing Tool. But, I don’t see you that way. So far you have been
a complete waste of my time.
Maybe I haven’t given you a chance. It could be I hear you, but I’m
not really listening. Honestly, I’m not sure you are listening to me either.
I have a lot to say…. Why do you stop listening after 140 characters?
Many years ago, I decided to start cutting out the things in my life that were
not good for me. You know, the things in life that take and take, but don’t
give back. Twitter, you appear to be one of those things to me.
You keep asking me the same question over and over again!! Over the past year
I have answered you so many times. Yet every time I answer you all I get
back is the same annoying question, “What are you doing?” I answered
you honestly and I got nothing. I fibbed and told you things that I thought
you wanted to hear and still nothing…. Just the same freakin question.
I was just about to give up on you when I read Caroline Middlebook’s
The
Big Juicy Twitter Guide. She wrote how you can be an incredibly powerful
marketing tool. At first, I thought she had gone crazy. After all, she was a
blogger that I think very highly of. How could she feel this way about you,
Twitter? How could a person market anything in 140 characters? But, by the time
I got to the end of her Twitter Guide Series it appeared that she could be on
to something. It made complete sense.
Caroline broke her guide into 7 parts:
Things between you and I are about to change, Twitter. So, go ahead and ask
me again, "What are you doing?" Because, thanks to Caroline, the next
time you ask me I’ll be prepared.
I will be following up with a post about my Twitter results next month.
For any of you who would like to follow me on Twitter you can do so at Twitter.com/TheNanny612
.
Technorati Tags:twitter, social media, social media marketing, online marketing
Posted in SEM, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Twitter, Web 2.0 | 13 Comments »
