Tag: Social Media

The options and uses for social media continue to explode.   One piece of advise I’ve found useful from the start is to have fun, but not dive into every new app that comes along.   I’ve never quite found a place for Pinterest for example.  I’m not sure exactly who (or what) I’d want to Snapchat about.   And although I have a Google+ account – I find it seldom used.

Flipboard looks interesting.   I’ve set up an account and created a couple “magazines”.   Time will tell if I’ll be committed enough to curate valuable content on a regular basis.   And you can find me here on Twitter.   It’s been the most fun of all the sites for me so far.

Hopefully 2014 will be a year of new friends and connections in a variety of real and virtual environments.

The internet is an amazing place – bringing the world closer together and sharing ideas and information in ways that would not have been possible only a few years ago.  I’m currently taking an informal online course.   I not only exercise learning skills that I use too seldom, but also get to exchange ideas with people from around the world.  The downside is that every opportunity attracts more than a few tactless rubes.   Thieves and crooks are a breed of their own, but here are a few less obvious folks that could use a manners refresher:

Facebook Philosophers – it’s great that you are passionate, but post something positive about your own idea – don’t disparage mine.  We may disagree – but no need to blast what are – at least in theory – your “friends”.

Fake Followers – didn’t this go out in 2009?  I’m amazed that are there are still legitimate businesses that would follow someone in hopes of a follow-back; only to unfollow after the goal is accomplished.  It’s no way to grow your network and those that you do keep will surely see through you eventually.

Cranky Commenters – similar to Facebook Philosophers, but something about commenting on websites either anonymously or under a nickname makes too many people juvenile and mean spirited.

I’m hoping that as the internet and technology become ubiquitous that the users behind the screen names remember the civility they learned in kindergarten.  In the meantime….

Be kind.  Have fun.