Tech

Links: Independence Day 2009 Edition

Happy 4th to Americans and Happy belated Canada Day.

Email going around with this. “At 5 minutes and 6 seconds after 4 a.m.,on the 8th of July, this year, the time and date will be:

04:05:06am on 07-08-09

“This will not happen again until the year 3009.” You can say the same for the ones coming in the next three years:

05:06:07am on 08-09-10 (2010)
06:07:08am on 09-10-11 (2011)
07:08:09am on 10-11-12 (2012)

It’d be cool to have one of these birthdays.

• 7 Ways to Build Your Author Brand Online
• My Favorite Book Covers of 2008: Fabulous list. Can’t begin to pick one.
• LinkedIn: 22 Ways to Dominate: Link with me, if you haven’t already.
• How to Succeed (or Survive) as a Writer: PDF slidepack of F+W Media Editorial Director Jane Friedman’s two most popular talks from 2008-2009, plus a handout on surviving publishing in the 21st century.
• 10 Books for Mothers Who Write: I read Letters to a Young Poet when I took art in college. I don’t even remember the book — just that I read it. Maybe it’ll resonate more with me now.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Buildings don’t always fall down. They fall over.
• 10 Life Lessons from Star Trek presentation
• The Sea Pig [Link: shelleyryan]
• Collection of Independence Day covers from New Yorker
• When fireworks go wrong. Proof that fireworks aren’t toys.

Links: 26 June 2009

• Easy on the Hooptedoodle: How to be invisible when writing a book. You know… show instead of tell. [Link: The Blood-Red Pencil]
• Exposing Some Myths About Blogging Pay Rates
• 7 Ways to Rediscover Your Dreams
• Book Marketing 2.0: 5 ways you can use Web 2.0 tools to promote your book
• Namechk: See if a user name is available across many social networks.
• Twitter Logo Generator [Link: Crenk]

• Best Sites for Used Cars: Daughter has driver’s permit. Not gonna get her a new car. If anything, she’ll inherit hubby’s car once he gets a replacement.
• Star Trek does opera: Khannnnn! in Italian.
• Emo Babies: Not emo as in wearing black, but showing their feelings and emotions. Very cute.
• Wanna See a Kindle 2?

How to Run a Successful Twitter Chat

Image credit Flávio Takemoto

I love participating in Twitter chats. These bring together intelligent individuals with a common interest yet each one adds something unique to the conversation. I’ve already covered how to join Twitter chats. This post looks at the process of participating in the chat.

#journchat set many of the standards that other chats have adopted. While official standards don’t exist, it becomes clear what works and what doesn’t work after you participate in enough chats. These guidelines capture the practices that lead to productive and fun chats.

1. Let participants know how to submit questions: Some moderators ask for questions before the chat, during the chat or both. Different moderators have different submission preferences. It helps to receive questions in private rather than during the chat because people might start answering.
2. Announce topic before chat: Most Twitter chats have a topic for the conversation. This keeps everyone on the same page. Tweet the topic before the chat so everyone knows.
3. Announce guests before chat: Guests add to the chat by sharing their expertise. Letting participants know about the guest allows them to watch for them and follow them. Some twitter apps like Tweetchat let you enter a Twitter ID to highlight that person’s tweets.
4. Tweet chat reminder: People get busy and forget. It’s OK to tweet reminders along with the topic and guest ID. It helps grow your list, too.
5. Begin chat with rules: New chatters join, experienced chatters forget. It keeps everyone on same page.
6. Identify who chat targets: #Editorchat, for example, is for editors and those who work with them. It doesn’t mean you can’t join if you don’t fit, you can observe.
7. Start with introductions: Moderator can encourage specific information such as “Tell us who you are and what you do.”
8. Stay on topic: Of course, it’s OK to laugh and make a joke about a comment. In fact, Timberry said, “A wise competitor once said: I don’t care if you stand beside me on the pier fishing. There are plenty of fish.” adarowski followed up with, “You didn’t push him, did you? :)” Gave us all a big laugh.
9. Play nice: Accept it’s OK to have a difference of opinion, just be nice and courteous about it. If we all agreed all the time, it’d be a boring conversation.
10. Listen: Moderators and guests take the lead. We all have something to contribute. Listening ensures you stay on track and avoid dominating the conversation.
11. Block spammers: Several spammers invaded Twitter chats. Everyone blocked them and stopped it. While this rule could say “Don’t spam,” generally the spammers aren’t really part of the conversation.
12. Begin questions and answers with Q1, Q2, etc.: This helps people connect the answer with the question. I admit it — I forgot a couple of times.
13. Add the chat name to tweet: If you use Tweetchat or Tweetgrid, it will automatically add it for you. Otherwise, add the name with # or else the group will miss your comment.
14. Watch the pitching and promoting: Several chats ask to save the pitches for the last five minutes of the conversation.
15. Take unrelated tweets out of chat: Go to the Twitter browser or DM the person. It’s hard enough to follow a chat without having irrelevant and personal comments cluttering the stream.
16. Warn friends: Some people don’t like it when their twitter stream fills up with a bunch of tweets from a person participating in a chat. Many folks enter a chat saying, “About to join chat. You might want to put me on www.twittersnooze.com.”

What else works or doesn’t work when it comes to chatting through twitter?

ShortURL to this post: http://tr.im/twitterguidelines

Links: Juneteenth 2009 Edition

• Social Media and “The Flight Attendant Effect”: Excellent analogy that makes great sense. [Link: Scott Blitstein
• Five Levels Of Social Media Responses [Link: Dawn Foster]
• Children’s book writing month at Tumblemoose: Lots of advice, articles, videos and guests.
• Tweeting for profits: How retailers and other businesses are taking advantage of Twitter.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Darth McVader: This link is in memory of my dear friend Glenn.
• The Stapler Caper: Adorable wordless children’s book that encourages children to write the story. YouTube video tells more. Disclaimer: Creator is a dear friend of mine. Heard great story about a kid who hated writing. He actually produced an incredible story using this book as a tool. Wow.
• Tilt-shift Photos of London: Just makes me wanna get there ASAP! I love the UK and am eager to visit there as one of my first stops on the other side of the world.

Links: 20th Wedding Anniversary 2009 Edition

Yesterday was my 20th wedding anniversary. Wow. Two decades of marriage. I’m very lucky to have Paul as a partner in life, parenting and silliness. Yes, I’m up for many more! I just hope he can handle me!

• What books do people proselytize about?
• 10 steps to get your e-mail inbox to zero every day [Link: Aliza Sherman]
• How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live: I watched #tonys on Twitter last Sunday and it was quite an experience different than what I am used to on Twitter.
• Social Networking Medial ROI Calculator

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• 40 Fantastic Sand Sculptures
• How to Plan a Vacation Using Social Media: Note to self… remember this when I finally manage to plan one.
• Guess the Logo: Love these games.
• 8 Weird and Wacky Items Sold on Amazon.com

Links: June Is Busting out All Over 2009 Edition

More fun reads than biz reads as I recover from surgery and can barely handle the heavy-duty thinking.

• 10 Golden Lessons from Steve Jobs [Link: Pamela Poole]
• Series of articles on how people use a computer with different disabilities (look to the right for more) [Link: Laura Carlson]

• Test My Brain
• RunPee: OK, admit it. You find yourself needing to go in the middle of a good movie, but can’t decide whether to suffer a little longer or go now. Wonder no more. Next time you go to the movies, check RunPee to find out the best times to go.
• Top 10 BBQ Blogs: What kind of Texan would I be if I didn’t mention this? [Link: Michael Kogon]
• 9 Video Games That Went Too Far
• The 10 Commandments, in TXT Spk: #3: No OMGs [Link: RaToTheBec]

Links: Mud Pie Day 2009 Edition

My youngest, a kindergartener, had Mud Pie Day today (they do bubbles, throw footballs, play Frisbee, eat pudding, mess with sand and much more.

• 99 Essential Twitter Tools: Yikes! Sounds to me more like 99 ways to get sucked in twitter some more…
• 72 Stunning Business Cards That Will Blow You Away: Consider me blown.
• Alternative to expensive software: Don’t need to spend $$$ in Photoshop or need all of its power features? You can see a list of alternatives and filter them by license such as free, open source and commercial, by platform and by tag.
• 25 logos with hidden message: Cool stuff.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Amazing photographs from a high point of view
• You Can’t Please Everyone: One star Amazon reviews of movies, music and literature.
• Cards of Change: What people do to their business cards when they no longer work for the company on the card.
• Award winning stop motion: Do it again: Wow! Talk about patience!

Links: Memorial Day Weekend 2009 Edition

(moment of silence) Thank you, soldiers.

• The Role of Get Rich Quick Merchants: Complete with fab New Yorker cartoon.
• Best Entrepreneur Books That You Never Expected
• Useful Tools: Straight out reviews of web apps and tools without the editorial or anything else.
• How Freelancers Might Save Publishing
• Why People Don’t Follow Back on Twitter: Are you breaking these Twitter Commandments? [Disclosure: I wrote it]

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Awkward Family Photos: No ’splanation needed.
• Wireless Keyboard Wall Graphics: Ah, geek art.
• Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest: Ah, dizzy art.
• Research Paper Glossary
• Top 10 Movie Misquotes
• Incredible photo of the sun… not just the sun…

Links: Field Day 2009 Edition

I have the fondest memories of field day in elementary school. All the classrooms would have their own shirts with their teacher’s name and a mascot. I’ve been a Haines Hound, Vickers Viking and Strickland Spartan. We competed against other homerooms in the same grade levels and won ribbons at the end of the day. I still have my good sportsmanship ribbon from first grade. Probably the only time I ever deserved it

Imagine my surprise when I went to field day at our main elementary school when my daughter was in first grade (she’s in ninth now). The whole school wears one t-shirt (there may be color variations) and there are no ribbons or anything. Just a fun day with lots of group activities ending with a teacher’s tug-of-war. I think it’s a wonderful way to emphasize good sportsmanship and having fun while exercising.

• Tips for Usability Professionals in a Down Economy (applies in an up one, too).
• Social PR Survey II: Continued disconnect between clients, agencies
• Ten Twitter Mythconceptions
• 31 Ways to Get Inspired
• Industry-specific Twitter Guides by Profession
• Styling your Lists: 20+ Brilliant How tos and Best Practices
• The Ultimate Collection of The Best Light Swirl Photoshop Brushes

• 11 Geeky Mouse Pads: I have the color code, but don’t use it as a mousepad (not enough traction).
• Invisible cat door
• *PEW PEW*, NOM NOM: An AT-AT Cake
• If Microsoft ruled the world

How to Manage Your Time with Social Networks

Photo credit Scouts Caslu

Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. MySpace. Social Median. FriendFeed. Friendster. Ryze. Blogs. It’s never-ending. Those of us who work to keep up with social media as a marketing and publicity tool feel like we’re drowning in a pool of “Be my friend,” “Join my group” and “Update me.”

It’s like tangled cables. You have all these resources that connect you to a network of many, but the tangles drive you crazy.

• Tell yourself that no one can keep up with it all. Well, maybe the one person who can make it a full-time job to do it without worrying about money.
• Create a profile at all the reputable sites. I said create a profile, not go there every day.
• Pick three to use on a regular basis. Generally, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Connect other sites with your Twitter and Facebook feeds. Many sites now let you update them through Twitter and Facebook. This way it looks like you’re active, which you are — just not at that specific site.

Fascinating Twitter conversations with just 140 characters and the addicting Facebook applications can engulf you. Here’s how I control my social networking cravings so they don’t get in the way of my work:

• Create a folder called “social media” or “social network” and filter everything from twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. etc. into that folder. Check it once or twice a day. This made the biggest difference.
• Avoid using applications like Tweetdeck. With Tweetdeck putting a lot of features in your control, it’s easy to get carried away. Twitter and Facebook almost never have slow times.
• Multitask. I try to participate in two twitter chats every week. On those days, I tend not to sign in twitter until those chats start and catch up then using tabs and multiple monitors.
• Stay off when you’re most effective. I do my best work in the morning. So no social networking in the morning. Instead, I write and write.
• Use monitoring tools. If you have to know when someone mentions your company, you or something else, let the monitors do the job for you. I know some don’t do a perfect job as I use several that haven’t been consistent in reporting. Read this great article at Web Worker Daily on mining twitter.

Don’t let social networking overwhelm you. You’re the boss of your time and very few can be all over the place on a regular basis. Instead, take a step back and prioritize. Having a profile is better than nothing. Besides, you can point to where people can find you.

How do you manage your social networking activities?