I have never been one to enjoy choosing either/or when both/and is a possibility. Almost a year ago, I wrote about my initial experience using RockMelt, which is an attempt to bring together the best of browsing (built on chromium) and social media (allowing for significant user customization). At that time, I had used the beta version for just one day. In the year since, the browser was released and has been enhanced on several occasions. I have gone from a curious Read More …
Social Media
Reflecting on 365 Days of Daily Blogging (#0519)
I launched this blog in June of 2009, and started posting on a daily basis a year ago. Over the last 365 days I have learned a great deal, including: writing blog content is different from all other writing creating and using a standard template for each type of post (e.g., book reviews) provides helpful structure timely topics attract readers, especially those in the current news cycle posts with the greatest hit counts are, almost exclusively, those shared by others via social Read More …
Reconnecting (#0518)
It used to be very unusual for me to hear from someone I had not communicated with in years. Now, it occurs on a somewhat regular basis. More often than not, these contacts occur because of (and often through) social media. It is easier than ever to reconnect with someone you lost touch with some time ago and for whom you no longer have accurate contact information. The ease of finding and contacting someone means that some will leverage this opportunity for something Read More …
Twitter – Religious Leaders & Religious Content (#0515)
Claire Diaz Ortiz - leader of social innovation, philanthropy, and causes for Twitter - attended Catalyst's recent Be Present conference to network with the speakers and many of the 13,000 attendees. This appeal is a part of a larger effort by Twitter to reach out to religious leaders. So What? In her article on this story, Sarah Pulliam Bailey quoted Diaz Ortiz: It's about relationships and social media is about relationships. A lot of companies don't understand that. They Read More …
From Social Media to Silence (#0512)
Each year a theme is selected for the Catholic Church’s World Social Communications Day: 2011: “Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age" 2012: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization” So What? While many found the pope's message this year to be progressive and thoughtful, next year's topic is the sort that could have been selected for any of the prior years in the day's forty-five year history. However, according to a Catholic News Agency Read More …
Do Church Members View Your Website? (#0508)
In the July/August 2011 edition of Presbyterians Today, Joelle Anderson and Ida Smith-Williams wrote an article about trends in how Presbyterian congregations communicate digitally. They reported on research that shows a significant increase, between 2001 and 2008, in the percentage of congregations who use e-mail and websites to communicate with members. So What? While congregations have moved toward websites, perhaps congregants have moved beyond them. More specifically, Read More …
Is the New Facebook too Complicated? (#0504)
Two days ago, Chris Taylor wrote an intriguing opinion piece on Mashable suggesting that the new Facebook is too complicated. He suggests that feature creep has made the once simple interface increasingly and unnecessarily complex. The following are among the latest changes that he considers as support for his argument: Addition of a ticker Redesign of user profiles via timeline Shift from a like button to gestures that will allow users to [any verb] a [any noun] Read More …
Reflecting on 500 Blog Posts (#0499)
In 2009, I moved from an observer to a participant in the growing world known as social media. In January, I joined Facebook. Within a few months, I was logging in to Facebook several times a day. In May, I secured a domain name. In June, I launched this blog. Initially, I wrote a few posts a week In September, I joined Twitter. Within a few months, I was tweeting several times a day. As I wind down my third year in social media, I recognize that statistics tell a Read More …
Review of Cognitive Surplus (#0498)
Meet the Author Clay Shirky teaches at New York University where he has a joint appointment as Arts Professor at the graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program in the Tisch School of the Arts, and as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in the Faculty of Arts and Science. He is best known for his work with the "social and cultural effects of the internet and mobile phones, particularly where they allow for amateur access to Read More …
Social Media Tools for Churches 101 (#0497)
Alys Drake, communications manager for Howell Marketing Strategies, recently wrote a guest commentary in the Commercial Appeal that provides churches with a "social media primer." She includes six basics: Blogs Twitter Flickr and Tumblr Facebook Geolocation (e.g. Foursquare) Other (YouTube, Ustream, Vimeo, podcasting, QR codes, Google+) So What? In the article, Drake states, "Information is spread at lightning speed via social networks like Facebook and Twitter in a way Read More …