5 posts tagged “twitter”
This weekend, I was flying on air. I had an extremely productive day in the studio, throwing mugs (on the wheel not at people's heads) and ramping up to share the exciting new website with friends and family). The director of the gallery suggested it was time to start featuring some of my work in the gallery. This would be the equivalent of Ghandi coming down from the heavens and telling you that you are officially enlightened.
I came home and basked in the glow with my friends and loved ones and ended what was a good weekend on a very bright note.
I woke up on Monday and decided to work from a cafe downtown. With my sister in tow, we headed downtown on a sunny Austin Monday morning and set up shop. Somewhere around 12pm, I started getting a real sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I hate that feeling because it brings on malaise and I know something is coming but I'm not sure from which direction. I told her I needed to get out of there and we packed up and headed back to my place.
When I logged in again to my work server, there was the delivery of that foreboding. An email from my boss saying that despite all of his efforts to juggle the budget, he had no choice but to....
...and you know how the rest of that goes, in these economic times.
I've never been in the position to have to seek employment. I do not say this with any ego attached. I'm just sharing the realization. Jobs have always come to me, luring and inviting me to step up to a greater challenge. Just at the right time when I might be open to a new horizon. This was the first time I was pretty comfortable with the challenges and rewards of this position when the 'change' came.
So now, all the career coaching and advisement I've offered to others turns to me. Now it is my time to face some fears, challenge myself and find the gift. Oddly enough, I know there is one. In fact, I'm fairly sure there are several.
In the meantime, I've got a few projects I can sink my teeth into. And, I'm open to new projects as well. So if you know someone looking for a marketing/communications consultant with a ridiculously cute pitbull and a penchant for playing in the dirt...you know where to send them.
Oh and the website? Stay tuned for more details on that. I dare not attach it to this post. However, if you are interested in learning more about sibbotery (my pottery adventure)...feel free to add me on twitter.
Other titles in progress included:
And You Wanna Know Why I'm Paranoid.
You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Slap.
Do I Look Like I'm Amused?
Okay so, hi. I know I know. I've been completely out of the blog loop. I offer no excuses. Especially not now because I'm up to my ears in stress and a little Internet foolishness sent me careening over the .
And you know what happens then, right? Two things. I snark and I slap.
All around my world this week and last, the topics of Internet privacy and social media habits or accepted guidelines have been hot fire topics. Actually, it's been like that since SXSW concluded last month. Cecily offers timely advice to the twitter lost in her reasons why she's not following you. J offered some quick tweeves that made total sense. Tiffany initiated a really interesting discussion on privacy and entitlement that fascinated me. Basically, everyone I know lately has been especially passionate about the topics of privacy and twitter or more specifically, "who gets to tell who about how to use the Internet?"
I'm the first one to get offended by my space being infringed upon. I hate Facebook (they don't need my link), but I have an account out of professional obligation. Myspace (they don't need my link) I just flat out refused after toe dipping in the cesspool for approximately 1 month several years ago. Friendfeed I like, but just can't seem to develop any real desire to consistently leverage it and they seem hellbent on telling users how they should want their experience to be. I love that we have these lovely tools and apps and creative and inspiring ways to remain connected, communicative and engaged.
All that being said?
I'm going to need you to mind some rules about "getting to know me."
Rule One:
If I Haven't Authorized The "Adjustments" DO NOT MAKE THEM.
Do not ever do shit like this. Like. Ever.
In case you are confused by the image, let me explain. Someone who follow(ed) me on twitter, decided to take my avatar image, retouch it to his tastes, then offered to sell it back to me, for $5. That's obnoxious enough. But the image he retouched, was posted to his twitpic account, for public view. My image, with his services listed at the bottom of the image. All without so much as a polite tap on the shoulder for clearance from me.
I would never think I'd need to explain to someone why this might be inappropriate. But apparently, I do. And that freaks me out so badly I'm tempted to lock up every social media account I have with medieval chastity belts. So, I assumed I didn't need to say this...but Rule One:
If I Haven't Authorized The "Adjustments" DO NOT MAKE THEM.
Rule Two:
Please Take A Moment To Review My Content Prior To Adding Me
If you are highly religious, I find no fault with you. In fact, in many ways, I admire you. My spiritual beliefs are involved, layered and deeply personal to me. I also tend towards potty mouth from time to time, for reasons unbeknownst to me. If this is going to offend you...I'd rather you not add me, then add me and then attempt to censor me. I have parents. They did their jobs. They don't require substitutes. The beauty of the Internet is to a large extent you truly can control the company you keep. Exercise your right to company management anytime you wish.
This also applies to people who feature content that is starkly in contrast to what I post, how I think, how I express myself and the company I keep. If you're a card carrying "insert any hate monger here" who loathes brown people or despises pit bulls or Austin or little blue dots or clay or whatever the hell I spend my time rambling about...then just don't add me. You know...kinda like I never added you?
Rule Three:
If We're Going To Disagree, Can You Leave Your Ape Suit Offline?
Let's get something clear. I love a good debate. I don't love being insulted. I love passionate discourse. I do not love passionate dickheads. Whether directed at me, or someone I'm friends with or even someone I barely know...if I want to witness a scene, there's plenty of reality tv on VH1 to keep me properly amused. Show the class your Momma intended. And if you can't...fake it til you make it. Offline.
Rule Four:
Keep Your Circus On Your Own Stage.
One of the things that has always made me uneasy about Facebook was my inability to be accessible, but still allow my inner control freak to flourish. I am still struggling with this one.
As I mentioned earlier, I keep my FB page for professional activity. Now, my friends leave me love notes and family drops by to share their stuff as well. I welcome it. But if you're contemplating leaving a message on my wall about the guy you woke up in bed with after that crazy party...I'm gonna ask you to actually LOOK AT MY CONTENT and then think about me. I probably wouldn't want to know that in general conversation. Why would I want to know that in front of prospective clients and coworkers? Can you do me a favor and buy a clue? I have enough anxiety in my life. And if you're not interested in buying a clue, at least don't be offended when I politely ask you to exit the sandox entirely, or at least take a seat on the bench for a quarter.
Okay...I'm feeling the blood leaving my face now. We're all good. Whew.
The Tweet Commandments
Thou shall not use twitter solely to let the world know you
are posting, preparing to post something, reading something you posted or
anything of that sort.
Thou shall not link to bad music.
Thou shall not advise, instruct or otherwise command your neighborhood to add or remove people from their neighborhoods.
Thou shall not offer individual shout outs to all 300 people in your neighborhood each day.
Thou shall not monopolize thy tweet stream of conversation.
Thou shall not have ugly and potentially embarrassing melt-downs that render your neighborhood speechless and uncomfortable.
Thou shall not harass people who “unfollow” you.
Thou shall not use twitter for what clearly qualifies as an IM conversation.
Thou shall not tweet and drive.
Thou shall not covet they neighbors tweet. (I don’t know what it means, either)
Twitter has become a regular part of my life, casually glancing off to the bar on the left and seeing what my pals in the internet world are doing throughout the course of their day. Using this sort of social media is not at all unlike instant messaging in that your experience can be made joyous or annoying depending on the company you keep, and how you plan to use the tool.
Like Facebook, like the "Space I do not speak of" and a variety of other toys, monitoring your privacy is the chief concern...the second easily for me becomes keeping my friend list manageable and meaningful. This means, if I haven't met you virtually or otherwise by reading your work or interacting with you somewhere else, I won't add you. if I don't find what you do on the internet specifically relevant to my own interests or in the range of what I find entertaining or meaningful, I won't add you. If I wouldn't be inclined to sit in a cafe and chat with you, I won't add you.
Lately I've found myself whittling again. My rule of thumb has become, if you make me audibly sigh, or roll my eyes into my head and even grimace more than five times within one week...I have to ask myself if what you bring to the social medium is in alignment with information I find humorous, enlightening, informative or just plain thought provoking. It's not a mark against the person (I say this partially tongue in cheek recalling my own personal offense to being blocked without knowing why). It's just reserving the right to experience the internet as I like. Based on my preferences.
Twitter is the perfect example of putting my internet information guidelines to the test. And by default, my living guidelines for my personal information, anywhere. Twitter used to be a space I loved for it's ability to create communities of conversation. IM in a virtual cafe. Cool. By default, you begin adding the people you normally roam about the internets with...and maybe some additional folks that might be..."on the bubble." And sometimes those "on the bubble" ones can throw your experience out of whack. I, in particular, have a thing about TMI. There are things I don't go into excessive detail about, regarding my life. Wrong or right, I like what I see, to mirror that. Is it being closed-minded, pretentious or haughty to want to guard the sanctity of my eyes and ears? After all, who am I to judge what is newsworthy and what is not? What are the "TMI guidelines?" I would imagine they vary, person to person...but I'll take a stab at telling you mine. I will use twitter as my social media example.
I won't go into intimate details about my relationships. If I am seeing someone, you may know that. Details about them, minutiae about our everyday interactions or updates on our current agreements or disagreements? That belongs exclusively to me. if I do make mention of something, I try to do so in a manner that protects the privacy of the other party. And only if might in someway share something relevant to all of us.
Obviously, I won't divulge excessive details about my career, my company, my job or other people affiliated with my company. This does not include the occasional "vent" which will and should be handled with the same reverence regarding privacy of the other party.
- Oh, and about minutiae. We all like to share it, especially when it's amusing or unusual. But every little thing done in the course of your day from the moment you wake to the moment you sleep does not constitute amusing or unusual or amusing. I have a cap on what I want to know about each and every person I've known and cared for. If you feel a need to tell me every thought that has ever manifested itself in your brain...you can expect I'm going to get bored, or annoyed, very quickly.
- It's morning. Yes. Can we just say, "goodmorning all"...and be done with it? I'm all for individualized greetings if there is something additional that needs to be said to that party...but, running down a tweet list of eighty people all saying goodmorning to each other feels a bit like the Waltons. I was raised in a family of five. That means five good mornings are my limit.
- You picking your toes and using the evidence to mortar bricks together? I'm pretty sure that qualifies. If it isn't something you'd want a lover, or coworker to know...please rest assured I didn't want to know either.
- Do you love your spouse? Think they are especially hot, sexy, smart, annoying, gifted whatever? That is great. Tell them a hundred times a day, not me.
- Do you love yourself? Think you are especially hot, sexy, smart, powerful, inspired, god-like? That is great. Tell yourself in the mirror a hundred times a day, not me.
- Wanna argue with someone? Either take it offline and actually face your conflict and the other person, or spar with them through instant messenger, or email...hell fight them in an online game room...just, don't assume I want to be the audience for your debate.
- You tweetin' 20 times an hour? Rest assured that half of what you just said (unless covering a major news story, or recounting your experience making love to an alien in a Starbucks bathroom) will be qualified as TMI.
- Shaving? Using the rest room? Farting excessively? Conducting a breast self examination? Darning a sock? If you are doing all of these things simultaneously that might be news. If not...you might be teetering into the TMI zone.
Sometimes, everyday stuff is amusing, ironic, humorous, even significant. The problem is...some of us don't understand that just because we can 'think out loud' all day long...doesn't necessarily mean we should. Give it some thought, after all...
You are what you tweet.
Twitter. Such an interesting little piece of social software. Wildly popular and debated, folks are using it for all sorts of reasons that have been explained, analyzed reviewed and posted all over the web. I am not a technical mastermind, and you won't ever see me pretend to be, nor try to create any illusions about it. This will not be a "look at me I'm all technical and shit"...post. I'll spare you.
What I do find fascinating about twitter is the way in which people use it. Moreover, the way twitter usage and the usage of other social software tools and technologies can give you even greater insight into what makes people tick. Well duh, you might say. Isn't that what's it's supposed to do? Give us new, faster, broader ways to connect with each other?
I love when people lambast others for how they use twitter. Like there is a right and wrong way to decide what you wish to say out loud. Like any of us really are the Gods of Tweet. I can point the finger at myself for all the times I've rolled my eyes to the heavens and uttered the words, "why does _____ think anyone really gives a SHIT about that?" And then I laugh...because I know someone out there in the wide world that is even marginally curious to know what makes me tick, might be thinking the same thing of me.
What's too much, what's too little. What is "tweet-worthy" what is just a blatant misuse of expressive space. All argued, all debated. All valuable discourse. All relative to what's going on with the user.
Twitter for me is another exercise in social psychology. I love watching the tweets roll in on my friends and family and the folks I am getting to know over time. I don't accept requests from strangers and my tweets are not public, because I like to know who's listening to me blabber. Especially there, where I am apt to say things that won't mean a thing to you unless you know me in some way. I'm not reviewing any new great and powerful tools (nor do I think myself a subject matter expert on anything but lil old me). I'm not giving up to the minute news flashes on anything life altering. Most times, I'm just blurting the random thoughts that pop into my head. And most times, so are others. And that's...what makes it so alluring.
People I know to be knowledge thirsty, politically charged and satirical...tend to be in their tweets. People who are reflective, passionate or reserved...tend to be in their tweets. But on a deeper level, you get to see layers (especially late night or early morning) that people may not normally give. One person shows you a sense of humor you may have missed otherwise. Another person shares with you a skill you might not have ever known they possessed. You find others are even more self involved than you originally suspected. You find people you wished would tweet a lot more...and those you wish would tweet a lot less.
If you're currently using twitter...think of five people you "follow." Think about what you've learned about them since. Think about how your perspectives on them have changed. For the better. For the worse.
And that, is the value of social software that to me, remains priceless.
In fact, I'd love to create a twitter probationary period. For any new friends or people entering your life, I think it would be great to be able to "follow" them for awhile. See what they choose to talk about. See what they find relevant to share with you in 140 characters or less. See what goes on in their world. Where they go. What they think about on their travels. Now wouldn't that give you something to think about...
If you followed me, you might think I was a terribly snarky, highly opinionated sap who spends way too much time lost on her own sauce.
And you'd be right.
PS...on an extremely humorous note, I was chatting with my name/family twin that the term "tweet" was North Florida slang for the infamous "wedgie" back in the day. So...I basically asked you all to take a good look into my wedgie. Not sure I can ever say, "tweetin'" again without chuckling.
