Living in the Twitterverse

Another Everest

2009-03-11T14:43:00.002-04:00

An Everest is a term I use to describe something on my grand list of Lifelong To Dos. It’s a large goal, something I’ve always wanted to achieve, either personally, academically, professionally or physically. I call them Everests because from far away they seem daunting, insurmountable. But as I get closer, and plow on, taking one step at a time, before I know it I’ve reached the summit—I’ve accomplished something I never thought I could or would or should, etc …. And there’s no greater thrill than the moment when you stand on top of your mountain, looking around at you’ve done. I’ve conquered a handful of Everests. By definition, it has to be a feat large enough that your sense of fulfillment upon completion far outweighs the anxiety or work that preceded it.

In the back of my mind I knew I’d start a blog … one day. I’ve wanted to for years—though “one day” didn’t seem to get any closer until it was just upon me. But timing is a funny thing. If I hadn’t had all of this time, who knows when the right time would have come along. I’m impossibly stubborn—if I’m not good and ready to do something (re: my personal life), I just big fat won’t do it. It’s involuntary. So I patiently waited for my light bulb blog moment—and it finally came while I was reading a post on TwiTip.com. The heavens parted, the stars aligned, Lawrence Taylor danced the Cha-Cha-Cha on live TV. There was no mistaking the signs—after all, I already know how awesome I am at not blogging. It was time I tried something new—it was time I joined the blogosphere.

Here are some of my favorite go-to excuses for why I procrastinated for so long. Incidentally, these can be readily applied to many things in life, not just blogging. I’ve included them here, not because the make me look good (clearly, they don’t!) but because I have a hunch that other folks might identify with them too.

And my top 3 reasons for waiting so long to start a blog are:
*drumroll*
1. I have extraordinarily high content standards, i.e., I’d have to overcome the immense (self-inflicted!) pressure to write something that will amount to more than an on-screen inner monologue. I didn’t share my diary in middle school—why would I start now?
2. On top of content standards, add the commitment factor. “I just don’t have the time right now—and blogging is a real time commitment.” HA! Moot!
3. Next up, the ever popular fear of writer’s block, i.e., the slightly minor (if occasionally rampant) sense of self-doubt that comes with the territory. How am I going to think of anything to say that will compete with the eleventymillion other bloggers who’ve been doing this since everyone else has been blogging? It’s like the Clever Olympics out there. [Note: This one is a work in progress. *sigh*]

Traffic Jam

2009-03-10T16:14:00.012-04:00

I've gotten this page twice today. It's a little annoying, but it can only mean good things for the Twitterverse.

The Conversation Continues

2009-03-10T11:14:00.014-04:00

I found this really interesting post in the Daily Media News Feed, suggesting that the honeymoon may be ending for Twitter: we're still in love, but we're starting to see some faults.

(Side note, the Daily Media News Feed is an e-newsletter I subscribe to from Mediabistro.com. If you want to receive any of their e-newsletters via email, register for a free account at Mediabistro.com, then select the content you're interested in under the Login & E-mail Lists option under Personal Settings in your account. They have a ton of great stuff.)

Aaaand, we're back in.

This collective conversation should sound familiar—we've had it every time we've adopted a new medium or technology. What's the best, and most appropriate way to use it? And where to we draw the line?

So we're talking about Twitter facing praise and criticism, though in this article, it's largely about the criticism. I still think the whole there's-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity theory applies here. It says, "Twitter reports that its number of active users grew by 900% last year, now totaling anywhere from 4 million to 6 million people." 900% is no joke. But the question isn't, has it caught on, but where do you draw the line between broadcasting/reporting and decency.

I'm sure it won't be long before the cries about first amendment rights echo through the cyberhills, but I think this is bigger than that. In a time when ideals are shifting and priorities have flip-flopped back to the basics, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to trend back to a higher standard of behavior. Just because we have a right to do something doesn't mean we should do it.

Is it an awesome sign of the times that governments are twitterering to the people? Hell yes, it is. The Israeli Consulate decided to tweet an international press conference. For me personally, since the peanut recall hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, I follow the FDA's recall tweets. It's pretty handy, and relatively uncontroversial. But what about live, micro-blogging a funeral? I ask myself who could possibly think it necessary, or even appropriate, to reduce such an intimately painful family/community experience to a series of play-by-plays. Clearly, common sense eluded one Colorado reporter the day he twittered the burial of a three-year-old.

Let's keep the conversation going until we all figure it out.

Well, Since Time Keeps on Slippin', Slippin', Slippin'

2009-03-10T09:59:00.010-04:00

Life after getting laid off is all about time (mis)management. Suddenly, time is either a great source of power or a big ugly chunk of Kryponite strapped to your back. Having all kinds of free time becomes a rollercoaster of motivation and devastation. It’s equal parts introspective journey through self-awareness and self-indulgent pity party; maniacal resume writing and compulsive Scramble playing; social networking and hiding under the covers. The highs and lows are dizzying. Meanwhile … my fascination with Twitter has grown faster than Russell Brand’s list of followers so I’ve decided to use my new power for good, not evil.

The Twitterverse, as it turns out, is about much more than mini-communication feeds and updates in 140 characters or less on Twitter.com. (more on that later) And while I’d usually trust a groundhog’s predictions of the future before my own prognostications, there’s no denying that tweets and the twittering twitterers who twrite them are forcing the discussion. Businesses and individuals alike must think about this social networking tool and find ways to optimize it.

We’ve already seen the ripple effect that sites like Friendster, Facebook, Myspace, Hi5, LinkedIn, BrightFuse and Going can have on our personal and professional lives. Quick confession: I was a little slow on the uptake with many of those. I didn't really start using Facebook until this past summer and it was several months before I'd familiarized myself with it. For reasons that are still a mystery to me, some of my friends openly resist hopping on this most recent bandwagon. These same people were tearing through Friendster and Myspace before I'd even heard of those sites.

Now, I'm not out to convert people—that's a little crazy—I just want to explore the benefits of using this service for my own education. It's still fairly new and unfamiliar—even to the early adopters—so if others find some useful info here too, even better. All I know is, for the first time it matters to me to not be the last in the know.

Where's a Damn Lighthouse When You Need One?

2009-03-09T21:33:00.011-04:00

Join me as I dive into the hive mind and navigate the Twitterverse. Along the way I'll learn the lingo and adopt a new twexicon, advance-search tweets, identify trends, follow tweople and find some twools to organize it all.

Aaaaand ... I figured while I'm at it, might as well take a peak in my own mind and see what's cookin'. My voyage through the uncharted waters of Lake Laid Off began in November '08. I can't believe it's March '09. It took a little time (more on that later) to start jotting everything down. Some days it’s smooth sailing, others I’m just trying to stay afloat. But everyday I strive to make sense of where I’m heading and how I’ll get there, hoping to make (at least some!) smart decisions along the way.