Remember the Information Superhighway? Hundreds of TV channels. Thousands of radio stations. The world at your fingertips through a telephone line. Information any time, any where, any how. It was a promise of things to come, and it came. With a vengeance. 10 years after the vision of the Info Highway was created, it’s now ingrained in just about every aspect of our lives and culture. We are connected in ways we never thought possible. Amazing things are happening because of these connections. We have access to any information we want, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We don’t just have one or two sources anymore. We have hundreds of thousands, millions of ways to receive information. It’s wonderful, and as both a media producer and a media consumer, every day I am more amazed and more excited about the possibilities that new media holds. 500 TV channels, 1000 stations on satellite radio, and millions of web sites all vie for a piece of our attention. Compare this to just 35 years ago, when I lived in a place that had one – count ’em – ONE – television channel, and on a good day, one radio station. Granted, I was in a small, isolated town, but I know that I am not too far off the mark when I say that we live in an era where information has absolutely exploded. I honestly think that the information revolution is a really good thing. We are more aware, more connected, and more tuned in than ever before. I wouldn’t have made media my career if I wasn’t genuinely excited about where it’s going. However, all this ready access to information has one serious by-product. There’s a whole lotta noise. Ever flip through your 500 TV channels and find absolutely nothing you want to watch? I’m sure the same thing happens with your satellite radio, or the 100 podcasts you have downloaded on your player. Add that to the flood of emails in your inbox, the steady stream of Instant Messages, tweets, Facebook updates, and the 1000+ blogs you have yet to read in your Google Reader, and all of a sudden, all that wonderful information starts to become a royal pain in the butt. The easy solution is to just turn it off, go read a book or spend some time with your kids. But the more you turn off, the more the channels just fill up and fill up. It’s like that pot of potatoes you left simmering on the stove. It’s boiling away, gentle, manageable, then all of a sudden it boils over, and the only thing you can do is rush over and save it before it makes a giant mess. In other words, it’s not so easy for us to turn it off. These days, we all have a ton of inbound information, and many of us spew out our own fair share as well. The problem is that the more inbound information we have, the more noise gets jammed in there. We feel a sudden urge to purge our friends and followers lists, delete all but about 10 of our favourite blogs, and cancel our cable TV. But we percieve a big problem with doing that. We might miss something. WE MIGHT MISS SOMETHING. Heaven forbid, if we miss that oh so clever tweet from Mr. or Ms. Popular that everyone else found so amusing. Shame on us if we aren’t hung on every discussion about the Obama inauguration. Gosh golly gee whiz if we don’t see the link to the latest, biggest news event the INSTANT everyone else does. Our human nature makes us prone to distraught feelings if we are left out of something. We always desire to be “in the loop”, “up on the latest”, or “fully informed”. That’s why we get copied on so many inane email trails and our inboxes are bursting. It’s why we have cable TV with 500 channels. It’s why we check our social networks ALL the time. The more we are afraid we are going to miss something, the more we get sucked into the noise. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle. I have a solution for you. It’s really simple, like most good solutions are. You ready? YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OF IT. People often ask me how I manage to follow nearly 1,700 people on Twitter and subscribe to over 200 blogs (and I’m small potatoes compared to some). They want to know how I can read all those tweets and blog posts every day, and still have time to actually do work. Well, for starters, I don’t read every post and every tweet. There are only 24 hours in MY day too! I have perfected the art of skimming. I scan my feeds when I have time, and if something catches my attention I read it. If I’m so inspired, I post a comment or reply. Sometimes I get into conversations. Many times I don’t, because I’m too busy doing other things. As for my inbox, I am so heavily filtered now that only about 30% of the total email I receive goes into my actual inbox. The noise is put aside until I have the time to pay attention to it. This is an amazing time in which we live. Information is everywhere, and it’s mostly a good thing. But it can get the best of us, if we don’t know how to use it. Ulitmately, it’s up to you what information you choose to consume and what noise you choose to filter. But stop being afraid you’re going to miss something. Because if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that if you remain open and focused, the information you need will come to you just about right when you need it. And at the end of the day, you’ll be firmly in the loop in just the way you need to be.
Checking in on Your 2009 Goals
We’re three weeks in to the new year, and how are you doing with your goals? This is usually the time when things start to fall off the rails. The gym visits become less frequent, the junk food sneaks back in, the time management takes a back seat, and that money-saving? Too many post-holiday sales made that one hard to keep up, too. It doesn’t have to be all for naught. Sometimes all you need is a little kick in the pants. More importantly, sometimes what’s needed are a few tips and tricks to keep you on track. So I thought today I’d throw a few of my own tips your way, some things that have helped me to keep on target. Livestrong and Your Healthy Lifestyle. A few years ago, I dropped 40lbs and 6 sizes. I did it by changing how I look at food. Putting unrealistic restrictions on what you eat (cut out the carbs! 0 fat! Eat only cabbage soup!) is a sure fire way to fail a weight loss program. Not only do diet restrictions up your chances that you are going to cheat, when you go off the program and start eating regular food again, you typically gain the weight back in record time. The #1 best way to lose weight is to count calories. That’s it. There is no other magic solution. I lost weight by limiting myself to a certain number of calories a day, and essentially being able to eat what I wanted within the calories I’d been given. That meant, if I wanted to splurge on some chicken wings, I could, as long as I balanced that out with other healthy choices throughout the day. Exercise was a big component too, and I would get bonus calories for going on a 40 minute walk or doing some yoga. Over the past year or so, my weight has crept back up a bit (I’ve gained a size) and I decided it’s time to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control again. I was searching through the iPhone App Store one day and I came across Livestrong. Livestrong is a calorie tracking tool that allows you to enter and track your weight, and it contains a database of every kind of food you can imagine, and the associated calories for that food. At the beginning you enter a few details like your current weight and you weight loss goal, and throughout the day, you enter what you eat and what exercise you’ve done. Livestrong keeps track of how many calories you have left, so you know exactly where you stand at all times. The first week I was on it I lost 3 lbs, and I’ve averaged a healthy 2lbs per week since I started using it. It’s convenient, free, and most importantly, it works! If you are serious about losing weight and being healthier (and have an iPhone), give the Livestrong a try. If you don’t have an iPhone, feel free to leave links to other online calorie trackers in the comments. Also check out the web site (Livestrong is Lance Armstrong’s foundation, incidentally) because there are some great healthy lifestyle tips. Saving Money. I don’t have a lot of money saving tips, and there are plenty of other people out there who are far more educated about money than I am. But for me, one of the key ways I save money is by thrift store shopping. Now, I am no fashionista, to be sure. I enjoy nice clothes and accessories as much as the next girl, but I am not really that in to designer stuff. That said, a girlfriend generously gave me a beautiful little Coach purse for Christmas which I love – not because it’s Coach, but because it’s so damn cute. Perhaps it’s because of my thrifty Scottish roots, but I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes. I think most clothing is way overpriced for the quality you get, and I also hate malls and big box stores. Sure, online shopping is an option, but by the time I pay the U.S. dollar conversions and the shipping, I might as well give up on my budget entirely. Years ago, I discovered the glorious thrift store (thanks to the same friend who bought me the Coach purse, incidentally). Since then, I have become a thrift store junky, spending hours combing the racks for stuff. I estimate now that about 80% of my clothes are thrift store finds. Here’s an example of what I got on a weekend jaunt to my local Value Village: 3 pairs of brand name jeans 1 turtlneck sweater (also brand name) 1 zip up wool blend sweater 1 pair of black leather boots 1 t-shirt I estmate the total cost, had I bought these all brand new in a mall, would be over $500. The stuff I bought was all practically brand new, and mostly name brand. My total cost? $67 (taxes in). If you want to get really serious about saving money, then take a look at how much you spend on clothing. Got kids? Why would you EVER go to a brand name store to spend $60 on a pair of jeans for your toddler that they are going to grow out of in 3 months? Kids consignment and 2nd hand stores abound, and the best part about these is you can trade in your kids’ old stuff for store credit. Oh, and if you still MUST have that $400 designer purse or $300 pair of boots? The money you save by buying stuff at thrift stores will more than pay for those things. By the way, the trick to successful thrift store shopping is to have plenty of time to do it. Block yourself a good hour or even two to comb the racks. There’s a lot of junk in these stores, but plenty of great stuff too. You just need
Is Your Network a Collection? Or an Accumulation?
I love being inspired by other people’s blog posts. Speaking of inspirational, have you met Jon Swanson? I’ve been a fan of Jon’s for well over a year. His blog, Levite Chronicles, is one of the first blogs I go to every morning. Jon blogs about life, faith, family, work, new media…really, a bit of everything. What I love about Jon is how he so thoughtfully and carefully crafts each post, in a way that leaves you with a sense of clarity and plenty to ponder. This morning, he wrote a wonderful post called “Accumulate or Collect”. It’s required reading for my post so go read it now. I’ll wait. Great, you’re back. Jon describes his enjoyment of coffee (we are kindred spirits that way) and the many coffee mugs he has as a result. Despite having vast quantities of mugs adorning the shelves of his office, he considers himself an “accumulator” of mugs as opposed to a “collector”. He goes on to cleverly point out that a collector “has discernment”, whereas an accumulator has none. Collectors are meticulous about what they collect, how they categorize and label things, and how they track the value of their collections. My brother collects coins. It’s obvious that it’s a collection because it’s all perfectly labelled, organized and tracked. He knows what he has and how much it’s worth to him. In other words, he isn’t just accumulating a random pile of coins on a shelf in his office. Accumulators, on the other hand, may like the things they have accumulated very much, but they don’t necessarily have a rhyme or reason for it. Jon accumulates coffee mugs. I accumulate fridge magnets. I don’t really care where they come from, as long as I get them while I’m visiting a place, or they are given to me by someone who has been there. They aren’t labelled, they are just stuck on my fridge, willy nilly. They are an accumulation. Jon’s article teaches a great lesson about how we deal with the information that comes at us. We can just accumulate all this stuff in our heads, and not really put much thought into it, or, we can start to really collect that information – meaning sort it, discern it, get rid of what doesn’t work, make use of what does. And that brings me, naturally, to social media. Followers, followees, friends and fans. Anyone who is in to social media has some combination of all of these. It’s the foundation of this vast online community we’re in, for without that two-way connection none of this would be effective. Have you ever really sat down to think if your base of connections is a collection or an accumulation? If you put it in context of Jon’s definitions, then an “accumulation” of connections is just that. It’s not thought out, not categorized. It’s just a whole lot of numbers. If your goal on any of the social media tools is to just have the most friends or followers on your list, then you’re missing the point. If you are simply accumulating numbers, then you aren’t making real connections. If you are sitting around, tracking (and caring) if your numbers are growing steadily or if you are in steep decline, then you are missing the point. If you are complaining to every person that unfollows you, you are missing the point. Collections are what it’s all about. I can pretty well categorize my social media connections. I have business connections, friendship connections, people I just joke around with, people who I am fans of, and people who I learn from. I have categories for subjects, too. There are people I talk to about music, entrepreneurship, books, tech gadgets, video, or pets. Do people fall into more than one category? To be sure! I suppose, if I wanted to get really fancy about it, I could map my connections, see how it’s all linked. What’s important with a collection is that even though each item in the collection may have a different purpose, they must all do one thing – provide value. If I collect postage stamps, I’m not going to have a big pack of regular stamps that you put on a letter in my collection. They are noise to my collection. I am going to seek out the unique, interesting stamps though. The ones with stories. The ones with something to contribute to my collection. My networks are the same way. If I follow or friend someone who only contributes noise to my conversations, then I don’t find value there. It’s nothing personal. I may not see the value, simply because the content of that person’s stream is not aligned with my interests. Someone else may find tremendous value in the same person. The people I welcome into my network are the ones that are providing me with something unique, interesting, entertaining, and valuable. To me. It doesn’t mean it has to be valuable to you. It’s my collection. The beauty of collections, because they are meticulously put together the way you want them to be, is they become uniquely your own. So, to accumulate or collect? It’s a provocative question. Look around your network. Is your collection something you’d be proud to show off? But more importantly, is your collection providing you with value?
A Word on Partnerships
I woke up this morning thinking about something that fascinates me about social media. Yesterday in Denis B Hancock’s great blog post on tipping points, I made the comment that social media is the great leveler. It gives anyone with an Internet connection and something to say an equal opportunity to be a blogger, a podcaster, a contributor. As a result, I am fortunate to have the musings of hundreds of bloggers, dozens of podcasters, and thousands of Twitterers at my disposal at any given time. It’s enriched my life and opened my eyes to many new ideas and experiences that I may not have otherwise had. It’s not just about making friends out here. I have been fortunate to partner up with several of the people I’ve met through social media in a variety of exciting projects. I find it fascinating, at least in the circles of bloggers and podcasters and Twitterers that I am involved with, that we aren’t more competitive. After all, many of us are out there, trying to do the same things. A lot of us are in the same business, be it PR or marketing or video production or web design, and yet, we all seem to get along. Not only that, but we’re sharing experiences, about what works for our businesses and what doesn’t, and even helping each other find opportunities. We are technically each others’ competition, but we don’t seem to be competing. The great leveler. This got me thinking about partnerships. They can be tricky. When you take that step with someone, from just being acquaintances or friends, to actually doing business together, it can be a wonderful thing. But it can also go horribly wrong very quickly if you aren’t careful. I feel the difference between having a strong business and having a struggling one is fully dependent on the strength of the partnerships you have. Building solid partnerships takes time and energy. But it’s the foundation of any good business. Here’s some of what I have learned about partnerships over the past several years. It’s a myth that you can’t be partners with your friends. I have been friends with my business partner for 16 years. We met at a bar/restaurant she worked at in 1992, got to know each other, and eventually became very close. People have actually mistaken us for sisters in the past. She’s the one girlfriend I tell everything to, and she’s one of the few people I trust more than anything. 7 years ago we decided to start our business together. People warned us against it – “it will ruin your friendship!” – “you’ll end up not speaking to each other!” and so on. We didn’t listen to the naysayers and did it anyway. Today, our business is thriving and we are closer than ever. It hasn’t always been easy but I can safely say we’ve never had a fight. Argued? Of course. Disagreed? Definitely. But we always work it out and more importantly, we move on. Being business partners with your friends doesn’t always work. But it definitely CAN work, and work well. The fact that we know each other so well is actually an advantage. We know what the other is thinking, we finish each others’ sentences, and we have different strengths. Put that together and there’s really no end to what we can accomplish. A good partnership demands good communication. The key to good partnerships is ALWAYS communication. You must be honest with each other. You must not be afraid to say you don’t know something. You must be clear in what you need. You must talk to your partner if you have an issue with something they have done or said. You MUST leave your ego at the door. Don’t be inseparable. One of the reasons my partnership works so well is that my partner and I, even though we are close friends, tend to travel in very different circles when we’re not together. I’m the geek of the pair, so I’m online, doing the tech and social media thing, and also have certain face to face social circles that differ greatly from my partner’s. Since my partner is, among many other things, a television host, she has interviewed someone from just about any industry you can think of. Therefore, she has connections for just about everything. Between the two of us, we can find resources for almost every subject you can think of. Don’t be joined at the hip with your partner. Do different things. Certainly make appearances together at events and of course meetings. But build your own relationships separately and you will be stronger in the end. Partnerships are all around us. When I talk about partnerships, it goes beyond just my partnership with the person I run my company with. I am seeking out new partnerships all the time. I look around me, and every day I see so many terrific, talented people. You never know when you are going to hit just the right stride with someone, when their needs and what you have to offer (or vice versa) somehow sync up and there’s a way you can start working together. Always be on the lookout for this, but don’t force it. Partnerships cannot be pushed into existence. They need to be allowed to just happen as the opportunity presents itself. Keep your eyes open to what’s going on around you. Find out how you can fit with others. And then don’t be afraid to explore the possibilities. And now, over to you. What are some of your experiences with partnerships? The good, the bad and the ugly. What did you learn? How do you make your partnerships work. Have a go in the comments…
What AwayFind Has Taught Me About Managing Email
I have a confession to make. I like getting email. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer. And a reader. I actually enjoy peering into my inbox, seeing who is reaching out to me, what new opportunities might be there, or just checking to see if I’ve heard from a friend. I actually find it kind of fun. However, over the past couple of years, since becoming self-employed full time, getting involved in many social networks, and now as a college professor with between 30 and 80 students at any given time, the amount of email I get has expanded to sometimes unmanageable proportions. I knew I had to start to think about email differently. It was getting to the point where I wasn’t liking it so much anymore. A couple of months ago, I discovered an interesting tool called AwayFind. As I explored it more and more, I thought it was a great idea. You see, one of my major issues with email was that I found myself checking it far too often. It was the major way that people were contacting me, and I found that if I didn’t check it often enough, I’d miss urgent stuff. Then I’d be spending time late into the evening dealing with all of that urgent stuff that I’d missed. So to ensure I wouldn’t miss anything, I was checking all the time. It simply wasn’t productive. AwayFind had a solution to this. It was simple – I sign up to the service (free for a basic account), and put a tag line at the bottom of my email, directing anyone who needs to reach me urgently to click a link, and be redirected to a simple form where they can leave their message. This message then gets sent to my phone as an SMS text message, and I see it right away. I thought it was a great idea, so I set it up, and was telling lots of people in my networks about it. Then suddenly, I got a message from Jared Goralnick, founder of AwayFind, thanking me for the promotion. I told him I’d be happy to post a review on my blog at some point, and he kindly set me up with a pro account to try. (The pro account offers more very useful customization features and is pretty cheap at just $50 US a year). I’ve had the service for a few months now, and I’ve discovered something interesting. Nobody has used it. But that is totally okay. Because, I feel as if I’ve got a new peace of mind when it comes to my email. I know that I’ve given people a method to route urgent messages to me if they need to. So if I go half a day or even a whole day without reading email, I feel pretty confident that I’m not missing anything that can’t be handled in the regular manner. It’s great! Jared is not just pimping his tool, either. He has a complete package. If you sign up for the Pro plan, you get access to his terrific, free eBook entitled “The Guide to NOT Checking Email”. It provides lots of great useful tips for how to manage your email. Over the past several months, I’ve totally revamped the way I deal with email. It’s in part thanks to Jared and AwayFind, and the tips I learned in his e-Book. It’s also just about finding the way things work for me. Here are a few things I’ve learned: Consolidate. For a long time, I used a desktop tool to manage my email. Sometimes it was Outlook. I became a fan of Thunderbird too. I had a Gmail account for personal email, but I only used it for that account. I have three email accounts I use regularly. My work email, for all my Jester stuff, my Gmail account, which is my personal account and the one that is linked to all my social media profiles, and my college account, for my communications with my students. About a year ago, I started forwarding my college email and work email to my Gmail inbox. Having everything in one place AND having it web based means I log in once to see everything. I can access it all from my iPhone or any web browser. Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Because i have an iPhone, I have access to my email wherever I am. This can be a blessing AND a curse. It can become a bit of nuisance to be notified every time a new message is received. So first, I turned off the email notification sound. But I still found that everytime I opened up my phone, that big red number representing new emails was staring me in the face. Even with my AwayFind notification service, I couldn’t resist the temptation to check. So I moved my mail icon to the 2nd page of applications in my phone. Now, it’s not on my home screen anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t have an iPhone? At least turn off your notifications. That includes flashing lights. You’ll check WAY less often. Use Filters. Gmail is great because of its labeling and filtering features. I’ve got multiple categories set up, and many filters applied. All of my college email flies right past my inbox into a special folder and I only check it twice a week. My students know this, so they have an expectation of when they will get a reply from me. All of my Twitter DMs and new follow notifications also filter directly to a folder, so I can check these when I have time. Even my work voicemail goes to its own folder. With all of my filters and labels in place, the amount of email that actually goes in my inbox each day has been significantly reduced. Honestly, setting up labels and filters may take a bit of time, but it will be your biggest time
Who Are You Missing by Staying Inside the Bubble?
The other night I went to a party. There were probably about 40 people in and out of the place the whole night. Oddly, I knew only about 6 or 7 of them (unusual for this particular circle). We had lots of fun, the wine was flowing, the food was delicious, and our hostess with the mostest was gracious as always. At one point, I stood back in the corner to observe the scene, as I often like to do at such minglings. Something very odd struck me. Not one person was reading their Blackberry. Not one person was checking their iPhone. Nobody had a Bluetooth headset sticking out of their ear. And there certainly wasn’t a MacBook to be found in the place. Lately, I’ve been going to a lot of social gatherings with other techno-geeky types. At these types of parties, the technology flows as plentiful as the wine. People are texting, Twittering, taking digital photos and posting them to Flickr, and of course, laptops abound. It’s just part of our culture. We’d never do these things in mixed company (well, most of us wouldn’t), but don’t consider it rude or antisocial when we’re around each other. It’s not that the people at this party were not computer folk – quite the contrary. I met IT specialists, communications and PR people, and programmers. It’s just that they aren’t necessarily as IN to all this social media stuff as I am. As you might be. As I struck up conversations with people and got around to the inevitable “what do you do?” part of the conversation, people were interested in what I do with Web and video. I mentioned some video podcast projects we are working on. Another friend mentioned a social media consulting gig I’m working on with her. I got a variety of reactions, from the “Hey cool, we need to talk” to the sort of blank stare, polite, “oh, that’s neat”. It made me realize something really important, talking to all of these people. I’ve talked about the social media bubble here before. I firmly believe that we get so caught up in all this social media stuff that we forget that there is a vast portion of the population that has no idea what we are talking about. It’s not through any fault of their own – in fact, it’s probably partly OUR fault that they don’t know more about it, or care more about it. Here’s a couple of interesting observations I made through the conversations I had that night: Social Media Ain’t for Everyone. One group of people got to talking about Twitter that evening (at no prompting from me, I might add!). One of the members of the group said “Twitter? Yah I’ve heard of it. I have no use for something like that.” She made an interesting point. Social media isn’t for everyone. And because it isn’t for everyone, we still need multiple channels to talk to everyone. And that, my friends, is the reason why things like TV and newspaper aren’t really on death’s doorstep as much as people inside the bubble like to imagine them to be. Social Media is Still a Mystery. Of the people I had conversations with about technology and communications, several of them were interested in finding out more about how all this stuff works. The truth is, a lot of people out there still only use the Web for email and to find company web sites, and MAYBE some online shopping. Heck, I talked to one person who still uses dial-up because she “wasn’t online enough to justify the cost of high speed”. Not online enough? Does that still happen? 😉 My point is, if you are IN to technology, then social networks and blogs and podcasting and Twittering and such is second nature. You can’t imagine life without it. Truth is, life DOES exist without these things. This online community stuff is still a mystery to a lot of people. Does it mean that we need to go out there and evangelize till we’re blue in the face, “converting” everyone we meet? (Grasshoppa, follow me…I will show you the ways of the Interwebz…) Absolutely not. What it DOES mean, is we need to have REAL conversations with people about the things that matter to them. Then, and only then, will we see if any of this social media stuff would be beneficial to helping them to meet their goals. If I go to a party and an insurance salesman comes up to me and starts to immediately sell me insurance that I don’t need, I’m not going to spend much time talking to him. Same holds true for me. If I walk up to everyone I know and start pimping social media as the must-have, be all and end all of existence, I’m not going to make a lot of friends. Don’t ever assume that everyone is going to care about social media. Some may very well care, and if helping people with social media is part of your business, you’ll definitely want to find another time to connect with those people on that level. But the truth is, some may not really care at all. But that’s okay too. You can still be friends. Because there’s more to life than social media. And those “offline” friends you have just might help to open your eyes to some things you’ve never noticed from your cozy spot inside the bubble.
The Truth is Out There – and It's in the Comments
I was directed by Chuck Peters to a thought-provoking article on Fred Wilson’s blog A VC called “Avoiding the Big Yellow Taxi Moment.” The article discusses what some people call “the death of journalism” and the “rise of the blogger”. Fred makes some very interesting points about the evolution of the microjournalist and if there is in fact, a business model to be found anywhere in the blogosphere. There are a number of great comments on the article, from journalists and bloggers alike, and they are well worth perusing as well. One of the main arguments when it comes to blogging vs. journalism is that true journalism is seen as being based on the journalist’s efforts digging into the story, connecting with people inovlved on both sides, and delivering a balanced, unbiased representation of the facts. On the other hand, blogging is all about one person’s (or a group of peoples’) opinion. Since it’s entirely opinion, then I, as a blogger, am not considered a journalist. But, I am providing information – like a journalist does. I am telling at least, my part of the story. When I write here, I am writing what I think about things. Do I do research? Absolutely, when I am stating facts. If I don’t know something, I provide a link to the person who does. That’s the way, in MY opinion, that I think bloggers stay credible. Does that then make me similar to a journalist? That’s where the line starts to blur. I’m not here to say that blogging and journalism are the same thing. They are not. But in the comments of Fred Wilson’s article, Jeffrey McManus makes a really compelling point: So rather than asking the question “What can we do to preserve journalism as it is today,” it may be more correct to ask the question “What can we do to hasten the demise of journalism as it is today so we can start over with something better?” As Dylan so eloquently observed, the times they are a’ changin’. Online communities, social media, social networks, heck, the World Wide Web itself – has fundamentally changed the way people tell stories. Forever. So, perhaps, as Jeffrey McManus points out, it’s time to mourn the so called “death” of traditional journalism as we know it. Why? because, until now, I’ve never had this much access to information. And not only that, I’ve never had so much ability to interact with those that are providing the information. And therein lies the difference. If I read an article on the web site or in the newspaper of any major news outlet, or watch a news story on TV, or listen on the radio (I am speaking for Canadian news outlets here), I have a certain level of confidence that the story is going to be well researched, fact checked, and show somewhat of a balance. In my country, things like the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) exist to help facilitate this kind of fair, balanced journalism. Note I said “facilitate”, not “ensure”. In my opinion, unbiased and balanced journalism may be strived for, but these things are not always guaranteed. (Feel free to disagree with me in the comments on that one if you like.) If I read an article on a blog, I am subjecting myself to that blogger’s opinion. Most bloggers (even the ones who are, or have been, journalists), make no qualms about the fact that what they are saying is their own view. Sure, many bloggers do research. Many bloggers check their facts. But, many don’t. And it’s up to me, as the reader, to determine the authenticity of their claims. There’s no CBSC for bloggers. But here’s the kicker. Let’s say I read someone’s blog, and I KNOW something they’ve said to be untrue. Let’s say I decide that they’ve only told one side of the story. I now hold the power in my fingertips to immediately and completely react. Within seconds, I’m writing a comment. I’m stating either what I (in my opinion!) know to be untrue, or I’m telling my side of the story. And, other people can comment too, and tell their truths, their sides of the story. See what’s happening here? The blogger may have been one-sided. They may have not gotten their facts 100% straight. But, the commenters ensure that the whole story gets told. Tell me that you haven’t ever had the feeling that the comments on a blog post were more relevant and valid than the post itself? This…THIS, is how journalism is going to change in the 21st century. Of course, the million dollar question is, how do we build business models around a bunch of people’s opinions? If journalists adapt, what happens to standards? Well, I agree with Fred Wilson when he says: I am not sure that anyone has the answer to this question and that’s why it’s bothering so many people right now. I’m an optimist and I think we’ll work it out. Maybe that sounds like kind of a Polyanna attitude, but I honestly don’t think we’re far enough along in the evolution of the Web yet to have it figured out. We’ve got mostly the thirty and forty-somethings and some of the boomers dominating the social media space right now. We forget that we have a whole other generation coming up behind us that have very different habits in terms of how they get their news. They have very different opinions on what constitutes journalism. The dust will settle eventually. A new era of journalism will arrive, just like it arrived hundreds of years ago with Gutenberg, and just like it arrived again when radio, and then television came along. The new era of journalism is not going to look like the old ones. It can’t. As with any type of change, it’s frightening. Some will win. Many will lose. Its those who are prepared to roll with the punches, innovate and overcome that
12 for 12k Featured on CityNews
CityNews in Toronto did a great story on the 12for12k project last night, featuring none other than creator Danny Brown – check it out here, and don’t forget to head on over to 12for12k.org to get involved! CityNews Online 12for12k story
Suzemuse's Magic Healing Soup
I have been sick this week. Some horrible virus has wreaked havoc on my immune system, and I’ve been taken down for the count in more ways than one. I do not take well to being stuck in bed, day after day, but this is the kind of bug that leaves me with no other choice but to do just that. I haven’t even had the energy to blog until now. The other night, I had a momentary burst of energy, and with no canned soup in the house, decided to make some healthy soup that would carry me through the next few days. It turned out delicious, and several people have asked me for the recipe. So, here it is, my Magic Healing soup. Let’s hope it kicks in for me in the next day or so…I can’t take much more of this housebound stuff. Disclaimer: I make no guarantees that this soup is either healing or magic. I just like calling it that. I do, however, believe that if you eat this soup, you will at least feel comforted and be getting some much needed nutrition at the same time. Suzemuse’s Magic Healing Soup The best part about this soup is you can adapt it to your own preferences. I made it with some frozen tilapia fillets I had on hand, but if you don’t like fish, or are vegetarian, you could use any kind of protien. But use some kind of protien! It’s important to good healing soups. It’s super easy to make this soup, which means if you have to drag yourself out of bed to make it yourself it’s not going to be too taxing – you don’t even have to chop anything, really. The good stuff about this soup? Chicken broth is known for its healing properties. It’s full of protein from the meat, beans and corn, which is important to keeping your energy up. Spinach is high in vitamins including vitamin C and the fibre in the beans and spinach will keep you…well, you know. Fennel, cumin, turmeric and lemon juice all have astringent and antiseptic qualities, to flush those bad things right out of you. Ingredients: 3 tilapia fillets cut into cubes (or 2 chicken breasts cubed, or a few cups of shrimp) 1 1/2 cups navy beans (soaked overnight) or 1 can of lentils 3 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 can peaches and cream corn 1 teaspon fennel seeds 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Put all ingredients in a pot. Pour in water and chicken broth. Simmer for approximately 40 minutes. Pour into bowl and enjoy. Feel better soon!
Your 2009 To Do List
The decorations are put away, the Christmas sweets are all consumed, even the leftover turkey soup is probably on its way out. Tomorrow, millions of people will head back to regular life and work patterns, and as a result, millions of New Year’s resolutions will go by the wayside. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions for that very reason. What I do, is make a “To Do List”. I LOVE lists. Have all kinds of them. Lists of phone calls to make, emails to send, and tasks to accomplish. I make lists in my head of blog posts I want to write. I make grocery lists, edit decision lists, and lists of books I want to read. You get the idea. But, you may ask, what does one write on a 2009 To Do list? It could get very long and intensive. Well, it doesn’t have to be extensive. I’ve broken it in to three simple items. Make an Effort to Connect with Your Online Network in Different Ways I had a crazy realization the other day. I was about to jump on a conference call with my co-creative partners in the 12for12k Challenge, Danny Brown and Kathryn Jennex, when I realized that until that point, my entire friendship with Danny had been through text (I’d spoken to Kathryn at another point a few weeks back). In the 6 or so months we’ve been consipiring collaborating, we’d never spoken once in person! We’ve written blog posts together, he’s interviewed me for his blog, and we’d been working on 12for12k for weeks up till that point. It’s not to say that text-based connections can’t work. After all, Danny and I have been able to not only accomplish a lot, but get to know each other as friends in the process. What I am saying is, it’s important, at some point in your relationship with others, to actually connect in person. This is not always possible because of geography. After our call that day, I felt even MORE of a connection with Danny and Kathryn. So, in 2009, try to connect with some of your online network in different ways. Instead of Twitter or email, try a Skype call or Gmail Video Chat. It’s really amazing when you get to finally put a voice or face to a name. Maybe try to attend a couple of events or conferences. I have plans to go to Podcamp Toronto this year, and wild fantasies of going to SXSW. The very prospect of meeting some of my online friends face to face finally is very exciting to me! Can’t make it to a conference, or no time to schedule a call? Try a video blog. That’s right, set up your web cam and just press “record”. Say your next blog post instead of writing it. You’ll make a whole new level of connection with your audience. (Newsflash: Look for more video posts from yours truly this year!) Find a Way to Make a Difference I have a confession to make. I don’t really watch the news anymore. It’s too upsetting. I know, some people frown on folks like me who ignore the tragedies that are occurring in the Gaza strip, or the natural disasters that are occurring around the world, or the state of the economic crisis. But I just can’t accept that amount of negativity in my life. I read enough and hear enough to have a sense of what’s going on around me, what the underlying issues are. But I can’t stare hour after hour at images of bloodshed and heartache and worry. It’s not productive for me. If you find yourself getting wrapped up in the problems of the world, I suggest taking a more proactive approach. Turn off the TV. Close the news web sites. And then, focus your energy on what you can do to make a difference. There are so many great charities and causes out there, so many ways you can help, from being a foster parent (I am), to working with the homeless, to giving of your time and money to any organization that means something to you. If you are worried about the innocent children being affected by the atrocities of war, don’t feed into the negativity by watching endless news coverage. Go to War Child. Make a donation. Volunteer. Instead of making yourself sick with worry about those kids, do something that might just make a difference in their lives. Not sure where to begin? What cause to choose? I invite you to check out 12for12k.org. We’re doing something really special over there, and it doesn’t take much to get involved. No matter what cause you end up choosing the most important thing is to choose to make a difference. Positive Thinking Works Magic Okay, well you are probably thinking – oh my, she’s really gone off the deep end now. We’re about to get a lecture on positive thinking and laws of attraction and yadda yadda yadda. Well, before you reach for that unsubscribe button, hear me out. There are times when I get really wrapped up in negative thoughts. I’m a lot better than I used to be, but it’s something I still struggle with, especially when I’m over tired, haven’t been eating well, or have been overly stressed. Here’s the problem with negative thinking, in my experience. It makes EVERYTHING worse. If I’m in a pissy mood, then everything becomes 10 times more frustrating. My computer crashes. My car won’t start. All my bills arrive in the mailbox on the same day. And it all just escalates. However, if I stay focused and present and don’t spend all my mental energy thinking and worrying about thing that have happened in the past or might happen in the future, it’s like magic. I get the new contract. My mailbox has cheques in it. I get that email I’ve been waiting for. My morning coffee is extra-delicious. I have amazing conversations. This year,