Social, Social

The Random Misadventures of The Viral Fairy: Origin Story | by Judi Cutrone

Rob Gould — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:57:50 GMT

Today marks to debut of Social Social’s first guest post. I’m fortunate to be able to offer you words of wisdom from the illustrious Judi Cutrone, senior social media strategist with The VIA Agency, here in Portland. I met Judi at last year’s Agents of Change conference and have had the great pleasure of working with her over the last few weeks on a project I am engaged with at VIA.

Most important, Judi has agreed to provide me with guest posts on a regular basis so you can look forward to hearing from her again soon. In the meantime, you can find Judi on Twitter at @judicutrone and please check out her fantastic post below.

When it comes up that I had a viral video in 2007, the first thing everyone wants to know is, “How many views did it get?” Even before they ask what the video actually is, they want to know how popular it was. Sometimes I think they’re using the number to vet me so they don’t have to get needlessly invested in my small talk. “Yeah, if it’s anything less than 2 million views, I am walking away from this conversation. I have better things to do. Charlie Bit My Finger is here and he’s not going to interview himself, you know."

It was less than 2 million views. But just barely. Wait, don’t go!

Here’s the part of the anecdote where I quickly interject, “But that was a lot of views in 2007.” And it’s true; in the summer of 2007, 2 million YouTube views was impressive. And it happened so fast! We got the idea at work on a lark. I emailed a guy for the original video file, I spent two minutes editing it with a song, I put it up on YouTube and I emailed every blogger I could think of who might be interested in seeing it. Some people posted it and then more people posted it and then Perez happened; he linked to the video on his site on a Sunday night and suddenly it was everywhere. From the beginning to the end, it took one week for the video to reach its full viral potential.

Our little video swept through the Internet and consumed everything in its path. For a few glorious days, it was everywhere- everywhere you looked, someone had linked to it (well, our video and that dramatic chipmunk, that damned chipmunk). It made the news in New Zealand. It reached late night television (okay, it was Last Call with Carson Daly during his creepy thin years but whatever, it counts!) It got so big that my father, who until now thought that anything with the word viral needed to be treated with prescription medication, began monitoring YouTube comments daily with glee (he quickly realized this was a huge mistake).

It was so widespread that it was actually emailed back to me and let me just go ahead and declare this right now without a shred of remaining self-respect; I have not walked down the aisle; I have not birthed children; and I have never cradled a dozing Corgis puppy in my arms but even if I did all of those things, nothing could possibly compare to the pure animal joy of opening an email from a distant relative that reads, “Check it out!” and in that email is a link to the video that you made yourself.

It’s like Christmas. Narcissist Christmas.

And then, it died. Of course it did. These little bursts of light aren’t meant to shine forever. We light the match, we hope someone doused the place in kerosene and then we stand back and warm our hands until the flames die down. I tucked away the mp3 of my little interview on NPR (nerd victory!) and went about my life.

The epilogue to this story is somewhat strange because there were ripple effects from the adventure that I just did not anticipate. Probably the most significant one for me personally was that I started to make the transition from copywriter to social media marketing. From writing taglines to writing a Twitter account for a spokesdog! Living the dream!

The other ripple is way more interesting; in 2008, my video was reborn. It crawled out of the ashes and found a second life; I named the phoenix Beyonce. Thanks to her, I now cannot attend a wedding and hear this song without getting pulled out onto the dance floor, most often by my father, who will still tell anyone willing to listen about his little viral fairy. Interestingly, he always mentions the view numbers right away. He doesn’t realize how slight they are now- he’s still pretty proud of them.

Photo Credit: Scott Willis

Tweets of the Week | Mother's Day Tweets | Your Mom has been tweeting and you didn't even know it.

Rob Gould — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:27:02 GMT

Man, the tweets were just flying yesterday in honor of Mother's Day. I seemed to notice a trend of young women, without children, aggressively complaining about being wished a "Happy Mother's Day!" I suppose I can't blame them. But they were a dime a dozen so I haven't included any of those here.

As an obsessive Twitter user (I'll admit to it being my favorite social media channel), every week I notice at least a handful of tweets that grab my attention for a variety of reasons. They might be funny or insightful or, on occasion, even smart. What follows are some of my favorite Mother's Day tweets, either directly or indirectly referencing this special day.

This effort would be infinitely more interesting if I heard from you about what tweets you like and why. Send them to me on Twitter at @bobbbyg and I'll consider them for the next Tweets of the Week.

Here we go again ... tweet, tweet.

Today's themes are: Family dysfunction, Facebook-induced nausea, and Sister Christian

Social Media: Just the Facts | Moms and Social Media. Uh oh ... | Happy Mother's Day!

Rob Gould — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:52:45 GMT

So, my mom isn't on Facebook. I'm ok with that. Really. I mean, I love my mom but I'm totally ok with her not seeing me whine about my love life and my chocolate addiction. It's bad enough that she looks at my Tumblr blog daily, leading to concerned phone calls. I know you're reading this mom. I'm ok. I swear. It's just my schtick.

With all of that said, lots of moms are on Facebook and all sorts of other social networks. They're "tweeting" and "liking" and "pinning" and "checking in" all over the place. Apparently, some of them are even really stressed out about it. Don't stress moms, it's just Pinterest.

Anyway, in honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd leave you with some facts about moms and social media. And, with a photo of me and my mom. She is, without a doubt, the woman I love more than any other in the world. Easily. Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you.

"American moms use social media frequently, with nearly three out of four moms visiting Facebook during March 2012. When using social media, moms are 38 percent more likely to become a fan of or follow a brand online, and moms who blog are more than twice as likely to follow brands and celebrities compared to the online average."

"Moms visit blogs more often, and are 27 percent more likely to visit Blogger and 26 percent more likely to visit Wordpress.com than the general online population. In fact about one in three bloggers are moms, and 52 percent of bloggers are parents with kids under 18 in their household." (MORE)

Source: Nielsen

"Social media: It's not just for college kids anymore. Families use Facebook to stay in touch across generations. Friends well into middle age share photos on Instagram. There's even an 80-year-old grandmother on a quest for 80,000 Twitter followers."

"But how does social media's widening reach affect the family unit? The brand-engagement firm GMR Marketing recently polled about 1,000 moms and kids to see how social media has penetrated family life and affected mother and child relationships."

"More families have three generations on social media than just one, according to GMR's findings, speaking again to its increasing ubiquity. But there is a certain awkwardness in having so many family members online."

"While more than three-quarters of moms said they'd "definitely" accept a friend request from their child, just 43% of kids said they'd do the same. And twice as many kids and moms — 18% to 9% — said they'd have to hide some photos or other information before making things official on Facebook." (MORE)

Source: Mashable

"As Mother's Day approaches, 1 in 3 mothers are connected with their teens over Facebook, according to the social networking giant's review of how users self-identify."

"Parenting expert Susan Newman recommends that mothers wait until their children are independent adults before friending them."

"'Being a friend with your son or daughter on Facebook, to me is synonymous with reading your teenager's diary," she says. "Adolescents are trying to develop an identity and they have so much hovering and helicopter parenting going on, Facebook adds another layer that seems to be very intrusive.'" (MORE)

Source: Associated Press

"Social media anxiety disorder may not be a recognized mental health issue (yet), but for some moms, social network-inflicted stress has added considerable pressure to parenthood."

"Pinterest in particular is stressing out close to half of moms, according to a TODAY Moms survey of over 7,000 mothers across the country. A whopping 42 percent of respondents said that the image-sharing site has caused them anxiety."

"Pinterest culture can generate feelings of inadequacy by creating a pressure to throw elaborate birthday parties, attempt intimidating DIYs and bake picture-perfect cupcakes. Comparing the less pristine reality of motherhood to the polished sheen of online images may cause moms to worry about falling short if their culinary or crafting skills don't seem to measure up." (MORE)

Source: Huffington Post

Lastly, if you're late to the game in the Mother's Day gift department, check out the "Momtract" created by the ad agency, Mother NYC. As you might guess, this holiday is pretty important to them.

"Sometimes it takes a little boost to be better to your mother. It takes a legally binding contract. Luckily, that's exactly what Mother New York has come up with to celebrate Mother's Day—the one holiday when this ad agency is particularly pressed to deliver the goods. In the video below, learn about the "Momtract," a legal agreement in which you give control over one aspect of your life back to your mother—like the old days." (MORE)

Source: AdFreak/Adweek

Social Media in the News - or - It's Tuesday and it's early. Help me.

Rob Gould — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:47:05 GMT

Marital dissatisfaction, cyberparenting, and the truth about Reddit.

It's Tuesday and it's really early and I'm awake. This is a horrible combination. My least favorite. Except for anything combined with Clamato. Especially Bud Light. That's just disgusting. But, I digress. And, I'm clearly delusional due to being awake at this ungodly hour. Anyway, the combination of the first three things has resulted in another lazy edition of Social Media in the News

I spend a large part of every day looking at news about social media via desktop, laptop, tablet and phone‚ much news on many screens. I thought I would share a few of the recent highlights just in case some of you might find them interesting. And, I'm awake at 5:30 a.m. thinking about a Bud Light Chelada. At this point, news is a welcome distraction.

On the plus side, I'm in the process of setting up many cool interviews, which you will be seeing over the next few weeks. I'll be venturing outside of Maine again, as well as continuing to bring you cool insights from Vacationland. Just to get you excited, you can plan to hear from, Cary "BookTalk" Barbor in NYC, Sarah "Maine Law" Schindler, Andrew "USM resident assistant" Cantillo, and many more.

As always, I love getting feedback. If you have suggestions regarding topics, interview subjects or just what you've liked or disliked, please leave them here in the comments section or get me directly on Twitter at @bobbbyg

Now I'll leave you with the real news from the real journalists ...

"Michael Chertoff and Dallas Lawrence: Investigating Terror in the Age of Twitter," The Wall Street Journal

"In an incredibly short span of five days last week, America went from a nation under attack by terrorists to one made proud as law-enforcement agencies quickly identified the suspected Boston bombers and tracked them down. The attack, the investigation, the manhunt and the swift resolution were unprecedented. So too was the way that law enforcement employed digital tools to do its job."

"A dozen years ago when the terrorists struck on 9/11, there was no Facebook or Twitter or i-anything on the market. Cellphones were relatively common, but when cell networks collapsed in 2001, many people were left disconnected and wanting for immediate answers. Last week in Boston, when mobile networks became overloaded following the bombings, the social-media-savvy Boston Police Department turned to Twitter, using the platform as a makeshift newsroom to alert media and concerned citizens to breaking news." (MORE)

"Social Media Use Can Cause Marital Dissatisfaction," Erik Sass, The Social Graf

"While social media offers obvious benefits in terms of meeting potential spouses, it can also pose a threat to marital stability, according to a study of 24,000 married people by the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford."

"The study examined the impact of “media multiplexity,” or the ability for individuals to communicate via multiple platforms, on married relationships. The theory holds that the more ways people have to communicate, the stronger their relationships should be. However the study discovered a contradictory phenomenon, as additional communication channels not only failed to correlate with greater marital satisfaction, but actually seemed to correlate with dissatisfaction." (MORE)

"The Truth About Reddit," Simon Dumenco, Advertising Age

"1. Reddit has become, simply put, mainstream media.

As noted in Ad Age recently, Reddit closed out 2012 with more than 37 billion page views and 400 million unique visitors. Even people who don't check the so-called social-news site regularly -- or at all -- constantly experience the Reddit Effect because ... "

"2. The mainstream blog media is almost ridiculously (even pathetically) dependent on Reddit.

Reddit has a state-of-the-art-circa-1998, text-centric user interface, but its critical mass and core upvote/downvote system has allowed it to become a sort of real-time cultural Zeitgeistometer. A post that captures the imagination of Reddit readers (aka Redditors) gets upvoted and then speeds to Reddit's home page (and/or the home pages of Reddit's major topical verticals, e.g., reddit.com/r/worldnews, reddit.com/r/funny, etc.)." (MORE)

"Cyberparenting and the Risk of T.M.I.," Pamela Paul, The New York Times

"It may be a timeless curse of parenthood to know simultaneously too much about one’s teenager and yet never access the information one actually wants. But the unruly morass of today’s social media and cellphone-infested landscape seems to have made both aspects of the curse worse."

"Nowadays, if you are the parent of a 14-year-old, you can see him guzzle beer, flirt with a girl who squeezes her bosom in every “selfie” she posts on Instagram, and describe a fellow ninth grader in language saltier than any you ever used at that age." (MORE)

"When The World Already Has Facebook, Does It Need NextDoor?" Catharine P. Taylor, Social Media Insider

"As regular readers of this column are painfully aware, I’m a student of how, and whether, social networks are being used by the normal people who make up my non-work life. You know who they are. The people who don’t know what Facebook Exchange or Promoted Trends are – and don’t hang on Mark Zuckerberg’s every word – but actually do real-world things, like go for a bike ride or weed the garden."

"In other words, people who are very unlike you and me."

"So I was curious when a guy who lives a few blocks away asked me in late March to join NextDoor, a social networking start-up that pledges to unite people online based on their geography, in private online communities. Of course, I signed up, not out of any urgency to get to know my neighbors better, but to study it. It has places to post items you’re giving away or selling; a classifieds section; a recommendations section primarily for local businesses; a crime and safety section; and so forth. It’s quite hyperlocal at a time when hyperlocal is all the rage. But my kneejerk reaction to all this – proven out in the near-term, by the lack of activity on NextDoor – is that for all its neat features, it just isn’t necessary." ,(MORE)

"15 Stats Retailers Should Know About Pinterest," Giselle Abramovich, Digiday

"Pinterest has been the belle of the social media ball for some retailers, who are seeing nice traffic referrals from the social sharing site."

"Unlike many social platforms, Pinterest has two things going for it: it isn’t just a bunch of early adopters on the coasts and it leads to actual sales. Here’s 15 stats that retailer’s should know about Pinterest." (MORE)

Cary Barbor, host and producer, BookTalk, NYC

Rob Gould — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:07:40 GMT

BookTalk is a new podcast which features intelligent, candid conversations with leading authors about their new books. There’s a new episode every week.

Cary Barbor is a seasoned arts producer, based in NYC, who has worked on such public radio shows as "The Leonard Lopate Show" and "Studio 360." She hosted her own popular show, also known as "BookTalk," on SiriusXM. Also a writer of fiction and nonfiction, Cary’s work has been published in New York magazine, Salon, More, and many others.

Facebook as a gateway drug, disconnection heaven, and the serendipity of Twitter.

As with most of my interviews, what you'll read here is a greatly condensed version of our conversation.

What was your first experience with social media?

"I suppose Facebook was my gateway drug. I dipped my toe in very gingerly to social media. I’m very private, so the thought of broadcasting my intimate thoughts and activities horrified me. It still does. Also, I could foresee how it would be a giant waste of time. But as I got the hang of it, I began to see how it could also be fun and useful."

What do you like about social media?

"I really like the “in the know” feeling I get from Twitter. There is so much great information to be had on there. I fell in love with Twitter during the Arab Spring. I feel very attached to Egypt -- my in-laws live in Cairo and I have visited many times – so I was following that story obsessively. And I was tremendously grateful for the accurate and timely information I got from reporters like Evan Hill (@evanchill) and Ben Wedeman (@bencnn). It truly gave me a picture of what was happening on the ground in Tahrir Square and around the city. The newspaper reports supplied good overviews but there was nothing like the thrill of an instant tweet from someone in the thick of it. The same thing happened after the Boston Marathon Bombing, when the reporter Seth Mnookin (@sethmnookin) happened to be standing in Watertown, tweeting what was going on with the manhunt, right in front of his eyes."

"I also love the access that Twitter allows. I have had some short exchanges with writers I love and admire, so there is that “fangirl” aspect of it that is also exciting. I used to write snail mail fan letters to writers. I hope I don’t stop doing that."

"For my podcast, I love that Twitter allows me to find fans and readers whom I normally wouldn’t run across, because they’re far away or our worlds are otherwise separated. I have been able to gather a great and ever-growing book-loving cohort—readers, agents, booksellers, critics, writers—on my Twitter feed."

What do you dislike about social media?

"The main thing I dislike is how overwhelming it is. How do I withstand the tsunami of content without drowning? How do I pick out what is useful without wasting time and brainpower on the things that aren’t? I struggle with that every day. Sometimes I avoid it for days at a time because of that feeling of overwhelm."

"Social media also implants in my brain a feeling that I am always missing something. Which I am. And I have a love-hate relationship with the serendipity of it. If I don’t happen to be online when a certain tweet comes through, I miss something important. But it works the other way too – I have found things out because I just happened to be online at that moment."

"I don’t like the lack of discernment. A great, thoughtful writer gets the same real estate online as someone who can’t even spell. I very often miss the gatekeepers of traditional media. Again it’s a love-hate. It’s great that everyone can publish, but I like when smart, sophisticated editors pick out great things to publish. I value that. And I continue to be very skittish about the lack of privacy."

"Shall I continue ranting? I am not sure if this is social media’s fault but I am very alarmed at the parents I see who are ignoring their kids and gazing into their smartphones or tablets. I almost ran over a toddler on my bike the other day because the nanny was completely engaged with her phone and ignoring the kid. There is a generation being raised by people who are not paying attention."

What would it be like for you to disconnect from social media for six months?

"Honestly, that would be heaven. I feel like I would get a lot of brain cells back. There’s a new study out of Carnegie Mellon that shows that all these interruptions are making us dumber. We knew that, right? I suppose I might feel lonelier without it, because it is a great way to stay in touch with people. But I might not. In some ways it’s like junk food – the more I eat, the more I want. But once I cut the junk food habit, I don’t miss it. And I get better nutrition. You can see I am very conflicted about the whole social media thing. Disconnecting would undoubtedly be bad for my business, though, because it’s the primary way I get the word out."

If you could only use three words to describe social media, what would they be?

"Overwhelming. Serendipitous. Insider."

Is there a person or brand that you think uses social media effectively?

"@tkcuny, which is the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY. They have a finger on the pulse of what people are doing in this brave new world of journalism, newsgathering, storytelling – whatever you want to call it. They send out very relevant articles and links and they also have great events. I like that they walk the talk. They’re teaching it and also doing it well on their own behalf."

"Oh, and @HonestToddler of course. Her twitter and blog posts make me laugh out loud."

I want to thank Cary for taking the time to talk with me about her opinions on, and experience with, social media.

You can find BookTalk on Twitter at: @booktalkradio

You can find BookTalk on Facebook at: BookTalk Radio

Subscribe on iTunes

bktalkradio.com

Tweets of the Week | Hilarious Local Twitterers | And, '80s Don Draper. Because, everything is better with a little Don.

Rob Gould — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:10:11 GMT

There are some very funny people on Twitter in Maine. And, then there's '80s Don Draper. The man. That's all I'm saying.

As an obsessive Twitter user (I'll admit to it being my favorite social media channel), every week I notice at least a handful of tweets that grab my attention for a variety of reasons. They might be funny or insightful or, on occasion, even smart. What follows are some of the funniest local tweets I came across from the past week. And Don Draper. Him.

This effort would be infinitely more interesting if I heard from you about what tweets you like and why. Send them to me on Twitter at @bobbbyg and I'll consider them for the next Tweets of the Week.

Here we go again ... tweet, tweet.

Today's themes are: Dirty sweatpants, Daryl Hall, and the Prince of May.

The Social Sharing of Priceless Art | 'The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism' at the Portland Museum of Art

Rob Gould — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:45 GMT

Henri Matisse (France, 1869–1954), Seated Woman with a Vase of Amaryllis, 1941, oil on canvas, 13 x 16 1/8 inches. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The William S. Paley Collection. © The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The William S. Paley Collection.

Anyone who has been to a museum has seen the signs, "NO PHOTOGRAPHY." Maybe you've even broken the rules, only to be asked by security to please refrain. Such are the stipulations put on many exhibitions of priceless (and not-so-priceless) art that travel the country, generously on loan from the museums that own them.

I'm happy to report that this will not be the case with The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism on view May 2 (today) through September 8, 2013 at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA). Featuring 62 works from the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) William S. Paley collection, the exhibition showcases many of the key movements and figures that revolutionized art and culture in the late 19th and 20th centuries. And, YOU CAN TAKE AS MANY PHOTOS AS YOU WANT! The only stipulation is that you not use your flash. In fact, the PMA and MoMA would like to encourage guests to take photos and to share them via social media. Yup, I'm totally serious. I'm not even trying to get anyone arrested. Although, that could be kind of funny. As long as I'm not the one going to jail. Again.

Imagine having your photo snapped while standing next to priceless artwork. I mean, it's almost like hanging out in Bill Paley's living room. Minus Babe and servants, of course. Best of all, you can let everyone know how cultured you are by sharing your photos all over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and anywhere else your heart desires. The PMA would especially like to hear from you. So share your favorites on their Facebook wall or give them a shout (or a tweet) on Twitter @ptldmuseumofart or Instagram @ptldmuseumofart.

PMA Director Mark H.C. Bessire and Bernardo Laniado-Romero, director of the Museum Picasso in Barcelona, Spain in front of Pablo Picasso's Boy Leading a Horse.

Now for a little more info on the exhibition itself. Some of the most important artists of the period, including Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon, are among the 24 artists whose paintings, sculpture, and works on paper are featured. The PMA is the only New England venue for this important exhibition.

William S. Paley (1901-1990), the media titan who built the CBS broadcasting empire, was a passionate collector and a committed philanthopist. He began collecting European art in the 1930s and amassed an incredible collection of modern art. Paley also became a force at MoMA, serving over time as a patron, trustee, president and board chairman from 1937 until his death. In one of his final and greatest acts of philanthropy, he donated his personal collection to MoMA.

We are so fortunate to have this incredible exhibition with us here in Portland through the summer months. The North American tour (2012-2014) for The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism includes: de Young Museum, San Francisco (September 15-December 30, 2012); the Portland Museum of Art (May 2-September 8, 2013); the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (October 10, 2013-January 5, 2014); and The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (February-April 2014).

The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism is organized by Lilian Tone, Assistant Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition at the PMA is curated by Margaret Burgess, the Susan Donnell and Harry Konkel Associate Curator of European Art.

Advance reservations for the exhibition are recommended. There is a $5 special exhibition surcharge added to each adult admission (total cost $17). Admission is free for PMA members.

And don't forget to share your photos. Be social!

www.portlandmuseum.org

Emily Hanley, retail marketing analyst

Rob Gould — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:28:45 GMT

Emily lives in Portland, Maine and works in the area as a retail marketing analyst. She acts as the Facebook administrator for the AMC Three Mile Island Camp, her favorite place on earth, where she spends time each summer. She is a graduate of Colby College.

I first met Emily at a Super Bowl party where she was a very enthusiastic fan of Beyonce. Somehow, we have still managed to become friends. Miracles never cease.

AOL "Kids Only," Foursquare scavenger hunts, and on being "emmiemarie."

As with most of my interviews, what you'll read here is a greatly condensed version of our conversation.

What was your first experience with social media?

"Taking a step back from Facebook which came into my life when they opened it up to high school students, really I think my first social media was AOL. I had AOL 'Kids Only' when I was 7. We had just gotten a fancy new computer and the Internet with dial-up. They only let kids on and they only let kids access certain things. I had email, some sort of social zone for kids—like a chat room—before they realized that was a big mistake, games, and some sort of educational something. My mom made my screen name and it was 'emmiemarie.' I didn't really do all that much but I was fascinated by the Internet and the clanky noises that it made to do the dial-up."

"Next was AOL Instant Messenger. I liked that. I mean, you got home from school, logged on, and everyone was immediately there. Very important conversations would occur. I got asked out by a boy on IM when I was 13. I said no, because he capitalized the first letter of the sentence, 'Will you go out with me?" I was like, why are you capitalizing that?! NO ONE capitalized things. It was so uncool. Which I think is fascinating, because at that time no one was really on IM except for 13 year olds. So, 13 year olds created the language of the Internet as we know it today, like LOL and TTYL. And, that was just us just being lazy and dumb."

"I never had MySpace or Friendster. I thought they were both lame. I did have a LiveJournal. When I moved to Amherst, MA, all these cool kids in my class were on LiveJournal and I thought, 'I can get behind this.' A lot of it was questionares. I loved answering questions about myself, because I was a self-centered teenager. I recently looked at my LiveJournal and it was so sad. It was so sad because it was totally whiny and self-centered. But, it was also sad because there was a lot of stuff I would still say today. Don't tell anyone. Oh ... well, I guess it's too late for that. Oh my God, I haven't progressed at all! I'm still a whiny, self-absorbed high school student."

"In 2005 they opened up Facebook to high school students and I was one of the first ones on there. You know, because I had an older sister. But, quickly everyone was on there. It hasn't changed that much, but it kind of has. I remember photos starting to happen and comments starting to happen and 'liking' starting to happen. At first it was just like wall posts and your profile info. And, your profile was a lot more important because you weren't that far from the 'deep quotes' of the AOL IM days. I just immediately loved Facebook because college kids were on it."

What do you like about social media?

"I think one of my favorite things about Facebook is that you can see what's going on in lots of peoples' lives and have that little interaction of 'liking' or commenting on something without having to make the larger effort of talking on the phone or visiting with someone. It basically says, "Hey, you're someone that I care about." I'm not talking about my close friends but people that I otherwise might not have any contact with."

"I still use Foursquare. It doesn't seem like that many people do anymore. The reason I like Foursquare is it turns the world into a massive scavenger hunt. For points."

What do you dislike about social media?

"Social media can give people the impression that you're always available. I don't like that at all. I'd rather that people think I'm never available."

"I know a lot about how data gets used and I think that people aren't fully aware of it, but, honestly, they have to know. When I think about the future and what's it's going to be like, I think there is going to be a backlash and people are going to restrict more of their information. And, I think that's a good thing. Information is power and I know I don't want all of my information in the hands of someone else."

"One of the things that I've come to terms with is that my family is now on Facebook. I remember when they first got on, I thought I was going to have to censor myself so much. And, maybe it was just the timing of it, but I haven't had to censor myself that much at all. It coincided with me graduating from college, so it's possible that I just coincidentally became more mature. You know, became an adult."

What would it be like for you to disconnect from social media for six months?

"I disconnect all of the time. Six months? I think it would be great. Whenever I lose my cell pone, which I do from time to time, I sleep better and I'm generally happier and have more positive interactions with the people around me. If it was for six months, the things that would have to change would be so minimal that I don't think it would negatively impact my life in any way. I would love it. I'd be happier. I might get a little antsy after a while because everyone else would be using it, but I'd still love it. In fact, this conversation has inspired me to disconnect even more."

If you could only use three words to describe social media, what would they be?

"Connections. Overwhelming. Friends." "Overwhelming friend connections."

I want to thank Emily for taking the time to talk with me about her opinions on, and experience with, social media.

You can find Emily on Twitter at: @emhanley

You can find Emily on Instagram at: @emeraldine

You can find AMC Three Mile Island Camp on Facebook at: Three Mile Island Camp

Tweets of the Week | Politics, politics, politics | If you don't laugh, you'll cry

Rob Gould — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:05:28 GMT

Our elected officials (and hangers-on) in Washington D.C. provide a wealth of material on a weekly basis. So, I thought it was about time I gave #politics a Tweets of the Week edition of its own. Laugh or cry, the choice is yours.

As an obsessive Twitter user (I'll admit to it being my favorite social media channel), every week I notice at least a handful of tweets that grab my attention for a variety of reasons. They might be funny or insightful or, on occasion, even smart. What follows are some of the political tweets that caught my attention in the past week.

Here we go again ... tweet, tweet.

Today's themes are: The White House Correspondents Dinner #WHCD, Bubba Tweets and Happy Earth Day.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Don't worry Governor Palin, I'm sure your invitation just got lost in the mail.

Rumor has it, Earth Day is Governor Palin's Christmas.

Thank you Ms. McCain.

BUBBA TWEETS!

April #metweetup! | April 25, 2013 | Little Tap House, Portland, Maine

Rob Gould — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:44:38 GMT

@jamers00 and @alexsteed of @knackfactory showing me some love at last night's Maine Tweet Up(#metweetup)

What do you love about #metweetup?

@alexsteed - "I was just saying that I've been coming to these since March of 2009 and every single time I've met five new people that I have some background with, or sometimes no background with, and really every time learned a whole new thing that people are doing, or a new job that someone has or whatever. It's really fascinating. And, it's a good way to stay close to people that I theoretically know on the Internet."

@jaimers00 - "This is my second Tweetup and I have to say that it exposes me to people so outside of my usual professional circle. I really get the benefit of meeting the brightest and best of Portland. It's an awesome collection of people."

tweetup

A gathering of users brought together via Twitter.

A monthly, formally organized Tweetup, Maine Tweetup (#metweetup), has been taking place in Portland for years. I hadn't attended a #metweetup in many months, so I was very happy to to be able to make an appearance last night. #metweetup is a great place to connect in real life (IRL) with people you have only previously been digitally acquainted with, via Twitter, of course. It's also a great way to reconnect with old friends.

I saw some friends, I took some photos, I asked some questions, I ate some cheese, and someone grabbed my ass. All-in-all it was a very successful evening.

Huge thanks to Rich Brooks @therichbrooks and Joan Woodbrey Crocker @joanwoodbrey of Flyte New Media, @flytenewmedia, for organizing these events on a monthly basis.

Another big thank you to Little Tap House, @littletaphouse, for hosting us this month. You should go there. They have beer.

If you'd like more information about #metweetup you can join the Facebook group and follow the hash tag #metweetup on Twitter.

Hope to see you next month! Tweet. Tweet.

#metweetup organizers @joanwoodbrey and @therichbrooks both of @flytenewmedia

Why did you start #metweetup?

@therichbrooks - "I just thought it was an interesting way of kind of speed-dating for some of the creatives in town. It really actually did work out because I've met some of the most interesting and creative people in the world right here in Portland. And, I'm not saying that I never would have met them, but the bottom line is I met them faster than any other way I could have. There are so many amazing people in terms of creative design and illustration and photography and search and social and advertising and writing and blogging that come to these events. That's really been my greatest take-away. There is so much talent right here in Portland and greater Portland."

What makes a good #metweetup?

@joanwoodbrey - "Good drinks. Fun people. And, free food."

@jackie_ward and @bernieme both of @WCSH6

What do you love about #metweetup?

@jackie_ward - "Hi! #metweetup just seems to bring a lot of unique individuals together. On Twitter, you already feel like you know these people, so when you meet them in real life it's not that awkward. It's still kind of sketchy that you've met them through an Internet "thing," but it's way less sketchy when you start talking about the things in real life that you talk about on Twitter every day."

Do you still think I'm sketchy?

@jackie_ward - "Yes. Still. Definitely."

@griffinclubmerv

What do you love about #metweetup?

@griffinclubmerv - "One of the things I really love about #metweetup is it brings together a wide range of ages. We've got young professionals here in their early twenties. And, we've got more established professionals who are using social media in very dynamic ways. All these people come together to talk about similar interests and experiences. I think everyone benefits from that."

@obobme and @missbumptious

What do you love about #metweetup?

@missbumptious - "What I love about #metweetup are the orgies that take place afterwards. They're incredible."

@obobme - "What I love about #metweetup is that my wife does not follow @missbumptious."

@keithcarsonWCSH and @bernieme both of @WCSH6

Josh Christie, freelance writer, author, and indie bookseller

Rob Gould — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:49:32 GMT

Josh is a freelance writer, author, and bookseller based in Yarmouth, Maine. He runs the website, Brews and Books, which runs news, reviews, and other editorial content covering the worlds of books and craft beer. He's also the co-host of the Bookrageous podcast, a twice-monthly audio podcast "about books and why they're awesome." Josh shares writing duties on the Sunday Telegram's "Skiing in Maine" and "Worth the Trip" outdoors columns, which cover recreation in the Maine outdoors. Josh also serves on the boards of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and the New England Independent Booksellers Association. His first book, Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland, comes out on May 7th.

Josh is someone I have "known" on Twitter from the day I started using it. When I held this interview, it was the first time I had the opportunity to actually meet him. A great bonus as I'm a fan of both Josh and books. Over the years, Josh has been a huge social media resource, recommending many great books for me and others. I know he also regularly makes valuable recommendations for beer-lovers in the Twitterverse. Hit him up. You won't be sorry. And, don't forget to buy his book when it comes out next month.

Books, beer, Twitter journalists and Reddit detectives.

As with most of my interviews, what you'll read here is a greatly condensed version of our conversation.

What was your first experience with social media?

"In the early, early days of my using the Internet, which would have been the mid-nineties, there were bulletin boards and I know I posted on them about video games. But, I don't remember what any of them were. I know that when I started high school there was LiveJournal, and I know I used that. I started using it for daily public diary entries. I was a typical high school student, so I'm so glad I've lost the address for those posts. I'm sure they were miserable. LiveJournal really puts in sharp relief my whole experience with social media. There were other people in my high school that read it, so I loved having an audience. At some point when I was a junior or senior I had my first anonymous negative comments. It was brutal. So, I had my first experiences with both fans and trolls—all of social media already experienced when I was just 16."

"When I was in high school I had no real idea about how much of myself I was putting out there for public consumption. So, it's probably good that LiveJournal ended when it did. No, it's definitely good. There was, and often is, a false sense of privacy associated with social media."

"Twitter came along for me sometime right after college. Late 2008 or early 2009. When I got started it was great because there was still a very small Twitter community in Maine. It was easy to connect with people who were really helpful. For example, other independent booksellers. It also allowed me to post links to my websites which really helped me build an audience."

What do you like about social media?

"The way I always think of it, it's like the way your group of friends expands from high school to college. In high school your friends are determined by geography. It's who you grew up with, and you're forced to be with those people everyday. In college you have the chance to develop friendships based on actual common interests and liking each other. This is how it is with social media. You can easily find people with common interests and they can live anywhere. And, these people become real friends. For instance, there were people at my wedding I had met on Twitter."

"It gives everyone a platform and social media can level the playing field for an indie bookseller and an Amazon, for instance. Or, for an small, independent brewery and Budweiser. So, the great thing about it is that everyone has a platform. Although, sometimes that can be a bad thing too."

What do you dislike about social media?

"Personally, I think it can be a lot of noise sometimes. There is a tendency for people, and I'm not excepting myself, to be fairly narcissistic on social media. It's your platform to talk about yourself, so of course it's narcissistic. There can be a lot of 'me, me, me' going on out there."

"It also can be just another avenue, like email and direct mail, for spam. I don't like that at all. You know, sometimes someone has got a bullhorn and they're aiming that bullhorn right at your face. That's unpleasant. It can also lead to interesting things. When people 'cold call' me using social media they're definitely taking their chances."

"Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for disseminating information. That means it's also a powerful tool for disseminating false information. So, if you're not discerning about what you post you could really do some damage. I mean, a Reddit account does not turn you into a detective and a Twitter account does not turn you into a journalist. Think about what you're posting before you post it. Think about where the information came from. Just because it's on social media doesn't mean it's true. It doesn't make it a fact."

What would it be like for you to disconnect from social media for six months?

"It would be tough. Six months is a long time. I've built a lot of actual friendships on social media and I wouldn't be able to interact with those people."

"It would probably also be good to disconnect from the noise for a while. I already intentionally don't have a smartphone and I do disconnect regularly for short periods. Like, when I'm writing outdoors stuff, or hiking or skiing for fun, and other things like that. In those cases I don't really have the ability to be connected and it can be nice. It's good for me."

"One of the great things about regularly disconnecting is it helps me to realize what I really miss and what's just noise. That's really valuable perspective."

"Six months is a really long-time. Could I get a digest at the end of each week?"

If you could only use three words to describe social media, what would they be?

"Incredibly useful chaos."

Is there a person or brand that you think uses social media effectively?

"A couple of my favorite local Twitter folks to follow are @alexsteed and @therichbrooks, who both use the platform to post interesting content and actually engage with their followers."

"Sugarloaf does as good a job with social media as any ski area in the country. I love following The Blue Room, which aggregates Sugarloaf-related content from places like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo."

"Greg down at Bier Cellar posts tasting notes on practically every beer and wine that arrives using the store's Facebook page. It's invaluable when you're hoping to discover new stuff. He even recently recommended a bottle of wine for me. I never drink wine and never would have tried this if it weren't for him."

"Also in the world of beer and social media, Maine is lucky enough to have a bunch of stellar beer writers - folks who don't just bang out tasting notes, but really write good content. My favorites are James Sanborn, Carla Companion, The Beer Babe, and Chad Lothian."

"My favorite independent bookstore to follow online is WORD, by a huge margin. Their Tumblr in particular is always full of great book recommendation and other fun stuff."

I want to thank Josh for taking the time to talk with me about his opinions on, and experience with, social media.

You can find Josh on Twitter at: @jchristie

You can find Josh on LinkedIn at: Josh Christie

You can pre-order his book, Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland, here

Brews and Books

The Bookrageous Podcast

Annie Heckenberger, VP community trailblazer, Red Tettemer + Partners, Philadelphia

Rob Gould — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:44:35 GMT

Annie Heckenberger, VP, community trailblazer at Philadelphia–based indie advertising agency, Red Tettemer + Partners, leads the agency’s social media & PR divisions. Annie has nearly two decades of advertising, branding, marketing, and PR agency experience. She believes that the best marketing is integrated, viral is not a style but a social phenomenon, and everyone should work in an agency for at least a year.

Annie is my favorite person who I’ve never met. In fact, until we began working on this piece together we had never even talked on the phone. Before that, our friendship had been strictly confined to social media. She also happens to be one of the funniest people I know and I highly recommend following her on Twitter if you like to laugh. I affectionately refer to her as “Twitter Royalty,” because she’s such a good Twitterer. With all of that said, I should give you fair warning that she does not suffer fools gladly. Beware.

Annie has also now promised to pay a visit to Portland in the not-too-distant future. I’m looking forward to laughing with her in person.

This interview marks the first time I have reached outside of Maine for an interview subject. I can promise you it will not be the last time. There will be many more to come. Due to the long distance nature of the interviews it took place over a variety of mediums including phone, email, text message and, of course, Twitter.

Echo NY, old school bulletin boards and on being Twitter Royalty.

As with most of my interviews, what you'll read here is a greatly condensed version of our emails, text messages, phone conversations and Tweets.

What was your first experience with social media?

"If I were to answer this truthfully, I would say bulletin boards at the local supermarket when I was a kid. That was a place where anyone could publish and everyone gathered for information – babysitters, tutors, furniture for sale, you name it. Craig's List and Facebook's Marketplace are just virtual social applications of that same bulletin board from 30 years ago. Most of social media is a virtual representation of things we've done in person for years."

"My first online social media experiences were Echo NY, a forum we used to connect and share information in NYC in the late 90s, and Diaryland, one of the first "blogging" platforms. I think I started writing on Diaryland in 1998 or 1999."

What do you like about social media?

"My favorite thing about social media is the nonstop aggregation of news. I've always been a news junkie. Now, I'm exposed to coverage and stories from all over the world at any time of the day or night. And, because I've spent time finding & following likeminded people with similar interests, they are sharing with me a tremendous amount of content I'm interested in reading."

"Social media has been terrific to me personally. I've met people around the world and forged friendships that geographically, I simply would not have been able to do without it. Complete strangers that have connected with me online, provided comfort and compassion when my father died by sending me flowers, baked goods, and books." Social media has been a real education for me. Beyond teaching me something new each day through news/content, it's taught me about humanity and compassion and empathy. Movements like The Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring, organized and reported using social media, expanded my world view and are a constant reminder of the power social media can wield for a common cause. Likewise, the outpouring of compassion and anguish during tragedies like Newtown and the Boston Marathon are comforting reminders that the world is not all bad, in fact, it might be more good than bad, and we are not alone. These things are the best of social media. They are the best aspects of the human experience."

What do you dislike about social media?

"I dislike the 'keeping up with the Jones' aspect of social. The perfect side of life that so many people tend to present on social. All of the wins and none of the losses. I tend to prefer to follow people who show both sides of the coin, without going too deep into woe-is-me territory."

"Much like what I love about social, is what I dislike. I don't care for the airing of petty grievances, of shaming people on it."

"At times social media can feel overwhelming, the speed and consistency that news is broken and spread on it can be compelling and fatiguing all at once. It can feel hard to keep up."

"For the most part, the things I dislike are also things I have the power to change by speaking out against them. That's a great opportunity for everyone. Don't like it? Change it."

What would it be like for you to disconnect from social media for six months?

"I'm sorry, what? How? Huh? I can't even imagine disconnecting from social for 6 days, let alone six months. That's just cray."

How does it make you feel when I refer to you as Twitter Royalty?

"It makes me wonder when my Cartier tiara will arrive? When I get it I'll be sure to Instagram it for you."

If you could only use three words to describe social media, what would they be?

So. Much. Content.

Is there a person or brand that you think uses social media effectively?

"One of the most inspiring and personally rewarding social programs that I've worked on is Under Armour Women's 'What's Beautiful,' a competition to redefine the female athlete. The women who participated just blew us away. Here's a quick look. 'What's Beautiful' is now an ongoing community hosted by Under Armour and our next competition will kick off in a few weeks."

"Newark Mayor Cory Booker @CoryBooker is a great civic example of doing social well – and responding to the good and the bad."

"Comcast has essentially reinvented the customer service model with their @comcastcares initiative."

"The agencies for Oreo have done a great job reinvigorating that brand by leveraging pop culture to make content that surprises and delights – and gets people talking." Oreo's Facebook page.

"And I love how J&J's OB brand flipped a consumer problem by using social creatively."

I want to thank Annie for taking the time to talk with me about her opinions on, and experience with, social media.

You can find Annie on Twitter at: @Anniemal

You can find Red Tettemer on Twitter at: @redtettemer

You can find Red Tettemer on Facebook at: Red Tettemer + Partners

Red Tettemer + Partners

Tweets of the Week | Funny people | I think we can all use a laugh

Rob Gould — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:07:26 GMT

These people are funny. After last week, I think we can all use a little funny, especially our friends in Boston. So, hopefully this edition will have you laughing.

Here we go again ... tweet, tweet.

Today's themes are: Moon-dried tomotoes, Laura Linney and punching snowflakes.