An argument for Twitter

So the professor of my court administration class was introduced to twitter by an article that was entirely negative and obviously written by someone who did not understand the phenomenon. I responded briefly that it was too bad that article was her first impression of Twitter because it was actually an interesting and evolving tool that can be adapted to many uses - social, professional, or otherwise. Here's the rest. I'm interested to know what you guys think.

"... And I don’t see how twitter can be used as a social network if there’s a limit of 140 words!!!??? L"

My response:

Re Twitter: Here in Fresno, the local Twitter “community” has grown such that when you join, if you take advantage of being able to “follow” other users, you can learn who is involved in what projects, whether they are professional or social (for instance, many real estate agents are using it as a marketing tool, and the arts community is using it as a way to market projects, Pecha-Kucha Nights, etc.). It has evolved into a tool, not just updating your friends on whether the sky is blue today or not. Its easy to look at it from an outside perspective and think, well, why would I participate in that, but once you’re involved, you can begin to imagine lots of other uses.

From my experience, I think the reason its different from other online or social networking tools like Facebook, etc., is that you are not limited to only befriending people that you already know – it is very acceptable to “follow” someone that you don’t know in order to see what they have to offer. For instance, I “followed” a local restaurateur because he posts his daily lunch specials. When I went to his nearby café, I introduced myself and now we are not only familiar, but he pointed me towards other people I wouldn’t have known, like a member of the “downtown association” who was putting together questions for the mayor’s forum that afternoon, or a guy who roasts coffee beans and sells them, even though his café is not open. Its just networking, and its attracting mostly Gen X & Y like crazy.

So it may lead to a business deal, or a friendship, or a conversation about the sky being blue, or nothing at all. But right now it doesn’t have that “stalker” or “predator” stigma that those other sites do. Yet. It will go out of favor when the next one comes along, whatever that is! Have you heard of Poken? I just read about this – it’s an electronic “business” card of sorts… Oh, technology. That’s my take, anyway.

An integrated life

Living an integrated life - profiles everywhere - transition from social to quasi professional - is this really what I (we) mean to do? Do I want to integrate all aspects of my life? Do I have a choice anymore?

Myspace was purely social. It was your life as you designed it - AWAY from work. So I'm a thirty-something professional. So what? My Myspace will play you the song thats in my head and display silly pictures of Jenny and I imitating statues at Disneyland. I can tell my friends what I've been up to and "blog" about the concert last weekend. I won't get too graphic though because my 14-year old cousin friended me. Thats great though! How else would I ever have a relationship with her besides random family weddings and funerals?

But wait. I just remembered - I'm a thirty-something professional. So in the real world I re-join FLYP. My dad, a business owner and professional salesman by trade, always encouraged me to do some professional networking and join Rotary Club or something. So FLYP is the Gen X Rotary-type organization, and I did. And I met some interesting people that were interested in drinking beer and promoting their whatever-they-promotes. My career, however, doesn't require much networking at the moment. But I'd like to think that I have something to offer if only in the social sense - I know some people, right? So if I meet you and you're looking for this type of network, I can recommend old so-and-so because he's looking for the same thing. But that only goes so far, doesn't it?

But wait. Facebook is the new Myspace. Everybody who's anybody is all about Facebook. On facebook you can send your friends pretend Starbucks and join "organizations" that show everyone how politically savvy you are because you signed a petition to stop cutting down trees in the Arctic - great. Okay, so its not all ridiculous - it does have some nice features that notify you about your friends updates and such. But it is conspicuously less juvenile in appearance and aaaaaalmost more professional. Oh, no, did I just say professional? Crap, I'd better take down that picture of all of us with a bunch of empty cocktail glasses! LOL right?

Then along comes Twitter. Well, Twitter's been there and bloggers like E had been tweeting and the idea of such connectivity had been kind of a turnoff until, of course I joined and connected with a bunch of amazing people - local and otherwise, but mostly local. But in joining this other type of network I am now introduced to the bazillions of ways that various groups socialize online in addition to the "norms" I was familiar with.

But with the many circles of influence coming together, now there's a consolidation movement. First lets connect Twitter to Facebook automatically. No, we collectively changed our minds - lets do it selectively. Wait, which online profile should I point my Twitter followers toward? Are they social? (Myspace, Facebook, LiveJournal, etc.) Are they networky? (LinkedIn, etc.) Are they bloggy? Oh, no, I created a Blogger but because I'm not actually all that interesting, who cares about just my blog unless its part of one of the other sites that has pictures and music and stupid Starbucks that people gave me? Better make a decision! What will it be? Quick - make some time in your busy busy schedule to actually sit down and think about what you want your online profile to say about you to new people that you are now "networking" with.

Stop the press, though, because I don't have a Poken yet. What? Pokemon? No, silly, its the digital card - not a business card, though, a personal card - that provides your online profile information to whoever you meet that also has a Poken. See, if you have a Poken and I have a Poken and we meet, we put are digital cards together and they have some digital Poken sex and exchange all of our information. So we've just met and instead of taking personal time and getting to know someone by talking to them and meeting their friends, we are able to explore each others details without any pesky interaction. Oh, I feel like the world is moving backward sometimes...

Anyway, I just remembered that I'm a thirty-something professional. So I'd better be careful now that I'm actually networking instead of just playing online catchup with my actual friends. If this is how new people are going to see me, how should I integrate all of these things? Should I edit my Myspace page that I so carefully have crafted to contain exactly what I wanted my friends to know about me so that now it is safe for certain strangers to learn these things about me also? If I join the ridiculous save the whatever group on Facebook is it going to prompt an unwanted political conversation about fencing railroad land? I don't really want to save the whatevers, I really don't care.

I guess the bottom line is that at this point it would be irresponsible of us all to ignore the fact that our online / real life / professional / social / personal lives are all very real and we'd (okay, I'd) better spend some time editing before I die.

And with that, I'll leave you with this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29681926/

Offense

I'm pretty sure that if I haven't offended all of you by now I will probably do so in the near future - it seems I'm on a roll. The roll thus far includes candle parties, kids day newspaper sales, failed downtown revitalization efforts and communists who don't watch 24 and are down on valley small towns. I'm sure there are more because of my typically unpopular opinions on a variety of subjects. In case you would like my opinion on your idea in order that I can run my big mouth about it and you can be on my official "offended" list, just ask.

Is it the economy?

Or is it just the lame-o lame-ness of every business and event planned in Fresno???? We are consumers that have money which we would like to exchange for goods and services, but the businesses we solicit for such exchange can't seem to figure out how to cooperate.

So the Rogue Festival is in full swing this weekend and there are shows starting practically every hour at a number of Tower District venues. So why was it so effing impossible to find a place to have lunch today or a drink in the afternoon???!!! Seriously! Jenny and I wanted to make the Rent show at Severance on Wishon at 1pm. So we thought we'd lunch at Mr. Sushi at noon. Wrong, Mr. Sushi was closed. Oh, well, we'll walk down to Million Elephant. Which, by the way, we will now pronounce "MILLON" (sans the i) like in Slumdog Millionaire. Closed! So we walked across the street to the Chicken Pie Shop which is usually a great choice for a Sat morning greasefest, but you need time to eat there. So we finally got served at 12:45 and figured, well, we won't make Rent, so we'll go to Ed's art showing at Ashtree Studio at 2:30. So we left lunch (which was actually breakfast mmmmbreakfast), walked past the ice cream shop, which was also closed, btw, which is stupid because it was a beautiful warm sunny day and tons of people out and about probably would have loved to sample some local Fresno State or Superior Dairy ice cream...anyway, we shopped around the hippie store (Brass Unicorn) (where I signed up for belly dancing again) and Karen's Keepsakes (where Jenny was able to at least purchase a birthday card for Carrie) and then thought, well, we have about 30 more min to kill - where to go? How about a chardonnay at Vini's? They're bound to be open, right? They are a Rogue venue and are in between shows, plus there is obviously something going on outside on the patio. Wrong again! Not open. They have a private party on the patio and the bar is closed. There is even a Rogue booth out front and the door open, but the bar is not open.

Seriously, Fresno?? The only time when people from all over town and even from out of town come down to this area and every business we attempt to support is closed??? Aaaaack!

I will also call to reference the failure of Fulton Plaza Thursdays. What a great idea, right? Lets take a depressed mall that has nothing but nostalgia on its side and bring people with money to spend to it. We'll have a beergarden and a band and some taco booths. Great. Are any of the stores open????? No. The stores have not stayed open past 5 or 6pm for years. Its too dangerous. So even if I wanted to shop at the zapateria or buy an 18k gold Raiders necklace, I can't. So this time, lets try it on Kern Street - maybe if we put some multi-millon dollar lights in the trees, it will work. Maybe.

So, way to go, Fresno. Way to work with the businesses and would-be consumers to encourage the local economy. And yes, I used the word "encourage" rather than the word "stimulate." Hahaha stimulate.

Today's hectic craziness

Today was hectic craziness at work!! I was self help at the courthouse and today was unofficially bring-your-snotty-wailing-soggy-cracker-bearing-screaming-children-to-court day - emphasis on the snotty, wailing, soggy crackers, and screaming. In addition it was also my-problem-is-way-more-complicated-than-I-originally-made-it-sound day. Oh, you didn't mention about the restraining order. Yes, it matters. Oh, the children have different fathers. Yes, it matters. Oh, you're not divorced. Yes, it matters. Oh, you got remarried but you didnt finish your first divorce. Yes, it matters. Oh, you have a restraining order. No, you can't go to her house and talk to her. Aack. And by the way, this is not legal advice. Only an attorney can provide legal advice and strategy. I can explain about your case but I cannot tell you what you should or shouldn't do. I can provide options but I can't tell you which one to choose. Thats right, I'm the jerk that made your case so complicated. Its all me. Aack.

So I was lamenting the fact that I don't have any beer in my refrigerator when I realized that I have wine, which goes better with my salami and cheese plate anyway! But now that its 6:30 I've accomplished only the cheese plate with salami and wine, but not figured out any actual dinner.

Okay it is now 7 and I opted for toaster waffles with butter and blackberry honey and a big glass of milk. In fact, I think I'll have another. So dinner was good. A little classy, a little trashy, but what can I say? I'm just not that creative.

Also, now that its 7:15 its officially homework time since I have an assignment due tomorrow that truth be told I'm not even sure what it is and I haven't done the reading for either. Great. Here goes!

Oh, before I go - just heard that Jess has appendicitis - oh no! I hope the surgery goes smoothly!

My Mai Tai Evening (kind of)

Well, it wasn't really mine - I was DD it seems - which is fine, since I wasn't even really planning on going out Sat night and I'd already flaked on one friend but since Mason is only in town on occasion these days and he was in my 'hood I figured I'd better go! So there was some crazy band playing at Starline and there were a ton of pierced spiky-looking kids hanging around outside (pretty standard for the venue LOL) and I'd heard some dudes at Save Mart talking about this show...anyway! So I get there and its Mason and Jimmy and a couple other big-burly-biker-bouncer-type dudes whose names escape me (even though one of them even had a name patch on his jacket) and what are they drinking? Mai Tais. Now, I held off commenting for as long as I could, but finally I had to say something ... lets just say it didn't go over real well! I wanted to call up the girl-drink-drunk kid in the hall, but I think they really wouldn't have like that. My amusement counts for nothing I guess. And maybe you had to be there. Oh snap, I hate to tell you had to be there stories, but look I just did. Sorry. To make up for it, here's the girl drink drunk.

Rogue schedule!

So because of my homework situation I figure I'd better get organized and plan the next couple of weeks as if I'm one of those people that plans things according to a set schedule. There's a first time for everything, right? Every time I think its a good idea to use a purse calendar or email based type thing it just doesn't work - if I'm not thinking about the event right now because its tomorrow, I will likely forget. But not this time! So these are the Rogue shows that I definitely want to see, and also some shows that I'd like to see but won't die if I don't:

1. The Rap Guide to Evolution. This is the guy that did the Rap Canterbury Tales last year - which I missed, but J said it was fantastic. So this one is at the top of my list. I'm thinking the Friday 6pm show. http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=109

2. Abigail Nolte. I think she's great. Maybe I can catch this Saturday's show before the unveiling of Chad's home-brewing adventures! http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=179 http://www.myspace.com/abigailnolte

3. Rent. I heart Rent! Doesn't everyone?? Plus the tunes are so catchy! Sat 1pm at Severance - http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=96

4. Bipolarity of Life. Everybody's always talking about this guy and I've seen him around at local events but haven't had a chance to actually meet him - I think he was one of us at the Tweet-up and at Palomino's last night but still no meet. Anyway, would like to see this show. http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=131 Wednesday the 4th would be the only date I could go, but if I procrastinate too much (if, right) I may not make it. Sigh.

5. Looks Good, Fresno. http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=208 Ed's show - a talented and insightful guy. For this one I'll try to make it to the Rogue-Hop show on Thurs night. My class always prevents me from going ArtHopping so I totally wanna Rogue-Hop! Now, if Sarah and Carolyn will go, we'll pack some bubbly in our purses and ... well, I'm sure you'll hear about the rest!

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Porno Factory - Oh holy shit I wasn't even going to notice this except that I was looking through the venue site ... anyway, this is one of my dad's old friends (watch out!) and I'm wondering how its going to go when he sees me (and hopefully my dad) in the audience ... LOL this should be great. Friday night at Vini's: http://roguefestival.com/rogue09/?p=136 You know, on second thought, I probably shouldn't bring my dad, and maybe I should wear a wig and be incognito. Yikes! Then again, I'm sure I could stop by Tom's Trains any day or Revue early in the morning and hear the stories, oh, the stories!

Well, this is probably more Rogue than I've made it to in years, but I hope I can catch these at least!! Over and out! And if you think I should add any to the list, let me know!