introspective snapshots

TTC Etiquette Campaign

Shey — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:26:09 +0000

Just came across this National Post article on a new TTC etiquette campaign. HILARIOUS! You can see the posters here but click through to the article for links to print-ready versions.

See the article for print-ready versions: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/04/23/a-ttc-etiquette-campaign-the-ttc-doesn-t-know-about-with-printable-posters.aspx

TTC Etiquette Campaign Tags: etiquette, Toronto, transit, ttc

CSS Naked Day

Shey — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:47:14 +0000

What happened to the design?

It’s CSS Naked Day!

The idea behind this event is to promote Web Standards. Plain and simple.
This includes proper use of (x)html, semantic markup, a good hierarchy structure,
and of course, a good ‘ol play on words. It’s time to show off your .

To know more about why styles are disabled on this website visit the

Annual CSS Naked Day website for more information.

CSS Naked Day Tags: css, web design, xhtml

Things People Say When I Write With My Left Hand

Shey — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:48:14 +0000

Things People Say When I Write With My Left Hand Tags: funny, graph, humour

5 Reasons You Should Switch to Gmail

Shey — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:13:16 +0000

Having used Gmail (Google Mail) for the past 5 years, I can’t image why more people don’t use it. It’s simply the best email service out there. Here are 5 short videos that help prove why.

Google Mail conversation chains

Offline Google Mail

Google Mail Spam Protection

Google Mail Themes

Google Mail Voice and Video Chat

(via google.co.uk/googlemailvideos)

5 Reasons You Should Switch to Gmail Tags: email, gmail, google, video

Hey Toronto, Want To Reduce Traffic? Invest In Telecommuting

Shey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:31:09 +0000

According to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), traffic congestion in the Toronto region costs Canada $3.3-billion in lost productivity a year. The news is reporting that the OECD is suggesting Toronto add congestion tolls, new taxes (parking and fuel) as well as high occupancy toll lanes in a move to reduce traffic on GTA (Greater Toronto Area) highways.

But will tax increases ever be enough? What we need is a smarter solution to this, and the answer is telecommuting.

So you want less cars on the roads in Toronto? Well, how do you want folks to get to work? I guess you expect them to take the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission or fondly known as Take The Car)?

Ha!

Try taking the Yonge line downtown in the morning and let me know how many trains you have let pass you because they are too full. Try waiting on a bus in the winter and count how many unfrozen toes you have left when you finally get on a bus with enough space. And fares are going up, again.

Telecommuting is the perfect solution to Toronto’s congestion issues. We’ll reduce traffic congestion, increase worker productivity through the reduction/elimination of travel time, and have a potentially profound positive impact on the environment. Hey, we might even be able to fit riders on a subway car in the mornings. There are plenty of other benefits, including increased work/family balance, increased job satisfaction, and reduced stress.

I’m sure there are many ways Toronto can encourage companies to adopt telecommuting as a standard way of operating their business, either through tax cuts or other incentives. It would just take a little creativity instead of just taking the easy way out by just taxing more and more.

If you drive, would you pay added tolls or taxes and continue to drive to work? What do you think about the idea of working from home?

Tags: environment, stress, Tech, telecommuting, Toronto, traffic

Sorry FriendFeed, But I Agree With Robert Scoble

Shey — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:50:08 +0000

I’ve been with Friendfeed since February 2008 and I still love it, but I admit, probably not as much as I used to. There have been lots of ups and downs but mostly ups. It was very exciting seeing new faces and watching the site grow and gain popularity. But over time, something changed. What was it?

What I’ve noticed:

Things got cliquey. Unpopular opinions were quickly and combatively damned. There’s nothing wrong with having a different opinion, even if it’s wrong. But tolerance for diverse viewpoints is no longer a strong point for Friendfeed, as it was at its peak.

Those who agree with me will admit they’ve held back opinions and participation because of this. I believe this is a big contributor to the decrease of interaction in Friendfeed. Where have the political discussions gone? What about the important conversations about race, world issues, etc. And I mean real discussions, not just a thread full of affirmations. This has been a real loss for Friendfeed as it has affected the number of interactions on all threads. And what we’re left with is what Scoble is troubled by, which, more or less, I agree with.

Now, it’s not all bad. I appreciate all the random stuff that pops up on Friendfeed. I just wish there was more balance. It’s easy for anyone to speak up when they know most of the people around support their view. However, if we don’t encourage diversity of opinions, all we encourage is the echo chamber effect.

This is not to say that I’m done with Friendfeed, because I still find it very useful and rewarding. I just don’t use it as often or for the same purposes. Do I think Friendfeed is doomed? No, definitely not. However, I think there needs to be a change in mentality of the community.

What’s been your experience with Friendfeed lately?

Tags: community, echo chamber, friendfeed

My Twitter Friends Mosaic

Shey — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:15:26 +0000

This is really cool. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while but kept forgetting. Check it out, and create your twitter mosaic here.

Tags: community, Social Media, twitter

Hey, PCs: Will you upgrade to Windows 7?

Shey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:07:53 +0000

With much anticipation from nerds like myself, Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 7, is due to be officially launched on October 22, 2009. To sweeten the deal, Microsoft is also offering a 50% discount for pre-orders!.

Until July 11, people running Windows XP or Vista can pre-order upgrades to the home version of Windows 7 at $64.99 instead of $129.95 and the professional version for $124.99 instead of $279.95 “while quantities last.”

With sweet new features and an improved user interface, I have to admit I’m tempted to jump on this and pre-order.

Tags: microsoft, pc, poll, windows7

Some Of My Favourite Tweets

Shey — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:04:17 +0000

Inspired by Hutch, here are some tweets I’ve favourited for your viewing pleasure:

@ccarmichael
My youngest just frenched a dolphin in the bathtub… I don’t think we’ll go to SeaWorld this year…
7:49 PM May 6th, 2008 from web

@courtenay
“The Third Jesus” by Deepak Chopra. . . uh, I didn’t know there was a second Jesus.
7:52 PM May 7th, 2008 from twhirl

@theelusivefish
no choice but to save @zoeDisco from the doughnut. SAVE YOURSELF ZOE >heroic leap at box<
1:23 PM May 9th, 2008 from im

@shey
Why didn’t the alarm bells go off when I decided to wear a white shirt the day I’m having KFC for lunch? [Yes, I favourite my own tweets sometimes ]
12:54 PM May 12th, 2008 from web

@lesliecarbone
wishing I could take as many naps as twitter does
7:30 PM May 19th, 2008 from web

@jpostman
Client is sending me 300 MB file. Maybe they’re teletransporting someone by FTP?
4:04 PM Jun 4th, 2008 from web

@hsojeel
I am pretty [sure] that if Jesus had the choice he would have turned water into beer.
12:07 AM Jun 18th, 2008 from web

@mashable
Every year, hundreds of people die of Twitter addiction. Don’t be the next victim. (I’m FriendFeed and I approve this message)
4:35 PM Jul 2nd, 2008 from web

@JaysonFlint
I just saw Santa Claus in shorts and a white T, or maybe that was Kenny Rogers…oh well
1:28 PM Jul 7th, 2008 from HelloTxt

@corvida
Here’s how to pitch me: Send me a blog post about your service so that I can copy/paste it . I’m kidding lol
6:51 PM Jul 9th, 2008 from twhirl

@itafroma
You know, this Jason Calacanis newsletter is like a bad blog that I can’t comment on to tell the blogger how bad it is.
6:22 PM Jul 17th, 2008 from web

Tags: favourite, tweets, twitter

1 Year Already?

Shey — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:28:20 +0000

Hard to believe but I started this blog one year ago almost to the day. It may pale in comparison to other veteran bloggers but I’m happy I’ve been able to keep it going (albeit somewhat inconsistent).

I’d like to thank all who’ve participated in discussions (even if you’ve disagreed with me – I’ve probably learned more from you than anyone else) and to those who continue to visit and share. You’ve made it all very much worth it and have given me way more attention than I deserve.

Here are some stats that you may or may not find interesting:

Traffic

Total Pageviews: 19,661
United States: 61.91%
Canada: 10.85%
United Kingdom: 7.00%
Australia: 2.09%
India: 1.45%
Germany: 1.39%
Philippines: 0.77%
Netherlands: 0.75%
Turkey: 0.72%
France: 0.67%

Sources
google / organic: 26.61%
friendfeed.com: 18.52%
stumbleupon.com: 9.01%
twitter.com: 5.28%

Most Popular Posts

20 Obscure People You Can Follow on Twitter and FriendFeed and Not Get Bored

25 Things You May Not Know About Me

5 Interesting Ways to Use FriendFeed

18 Firefox 3 Addons for Pixel Pimps and Social Media Skanks

The Truth of Race is a Lie

FriendFeed Participation Levels

Social Media Narcissism

My Rant on Loren Feldman

Posts

57 posts

579 blog comments

18 categories

~150 Feedburner subscribers

42 MyBlogLog members

Thanks once again for the great interactions, I hope we’ll have many more in the upcoming year

Tags: Blogging, statistics, weekcap

On Social Media, Are You a Type X or Type Y Thinker?

Shey — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:12:08 +0000

As sites like Twitter and Friendfeed continue to increase in popularity on the web, so does the potential for users to extract value from these communities. However, while there are many people who love to be at the forefront of it all, others are only there because they have to.

I’ve found there are [VERY] generally, two schools of thought on Social Media and it’s future. There are the skeptics who I call Type X thinkers, and the believers who I call Type Y thinkers.

Type X (Skeptics or Pessimists):

This school of thought sees Social Media as a big, never-ending popularity contest rife with narcissism: “Look at me, I’ve got 5,000 followers, I’m awesome!”

Skeptics also adopt the idea that Social Media has no real ROI and if it does, there’s no standard way of quantifying it. Some base it on page stats, while others base it on influence via network size but most find it hard to tie it back to $$$, market share, etc.

Even though the most hardcore of skeptics cannot deny the existence of the growing phenomenon that is Social Media, most are cautious about taking it too seriously.

Type Y (Believers or Kool-aid drinkers):

Type Y thinkers see Social Media as the incumbent future of interaction on the web. They are avid tutors for those still stuck in Web 1.0 and yearn for the mainstream adoption of Social Media. Contrary to the skeptics, they believe that Social Media ROI can be measured effectively; while being linked to revenue, market share, and other corporate benchmarks.

In addition, the Believers foresee more to Social Media than just revenue. They see an opportunity for real world social change through activism, community building, and awareness.

I’m not trying to label you

I’m sure no one fits perfectly into either description; I consider myself a Type Y thinker, I’d really love to see Steven Hodson’s impossible dream of social technology come to life. On the other hand, I’m still a little skeptical about Social Media ROI.

How do you see Social Media?

Tags: community, Social Media

Confessions of a Freelance Web Designer

Shey — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:23:52 +0000

I’ve found, on a daily basis, that many people have misconceptions, or are totally ignorant about, the process of getting a web site designed. Many of you know what I’m talking about and the rest of you are probably still in the dark. For those of you who already know what I mean, we should get together and write a book someday. The rest of you, keep reading; I have some confessions that may help you on your next web design project.

Web design is harder than you think.

I don’t just move pretty pictures around in ~~Photoshop~~ Fireworks — there’s a lot of thought, consideration, and a certain amount of instinct involved in everything I do.

I’ll spend more hours on your project than you think.

The outcome of your final project is a reflection of myself — I’ll need to make sure it’s up to my own standards in addition to yours.

When you say you want a “basic” website, I don’t believe you.

You want a few pages of content that doesn’t change over time? That’s basic.

I do not, in any form or circumstance or by any amount of persuasion, want to be a business partner in your venture.

You might want to try going to people who have money and are willing to invest in your business, I’m not a venture capitalist.

If you’re a first time customer, I’m not interested in discounting my quote because you promise to give me more projects in the future.

But if you are a repeat customer, you will definitely get discount anyway.

I truly believe the content you incorporate on your site is more important than any “fantastic” design I create.

You worry about the content, let me worry about the design; with some minor crossover of course.

If I get input on your content, you get input on design.

I don’t want to be your copy writer and I don’t want to be your Human Photoshop Brush — the project will just flow smoother if we’re both a little flexible.

No, I will not design your logo for $50.

Your logo will often be the first piece of communication between your business and a potential customer. Why wouldn’t you want to invest appropriately in that?

I have, on occasion, wanted to fire a client.

Many reasons for this, some of which I have already listed here.

Still not sure if this post was a good idea or not.

I think many people, especially non-techie [ultra-] small business startups, really have no experience in web design projects or really any kind of design project and kinda make it up as they go along. Patience is key in these situations. I’ve found that even the most inexperienced clients are willing to learn from and listen to you if you can empathize with them.

As a client or a designer, what confessions do you have?

Tags: Business, clients, freelance, process, web design

How to Get out of Your Blogging Hiatus, Funk, Sabbatical, or Whatever You Decided to Call It

Shey — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:26:22 +0000

Even though I’ve written before about social media narcissism and the echo chamber and how they lead to blogger burnout, I still found myself wanting to take a break from blogging (on a regular basis). But the blogging itch never went away; I just got really busy and never really found the time to get back into it. Now I’ve decided to ramp it up again; here are some ideas that helped me and may help you too.

Go back and read some of your old posts

Sometimes you’d be surprised at the discussions your blog has generated or even how one of your ideas has spread across the blogosphere. This is a good exercise to rebuild any lost self-confidence so you can get right back on that horse.

Start reading your RSS feeds again

Chances are you’ve not only stopped blogging, but you’ve stopped reading RSS feeds too. Catching up with your blogging acquaintances is a great way to get inspired and catch up with the latest ideas.

Join discussions

…on blog posts, Friendfeed, SocialMedian, etc. Get engaged again and throw your opinions out there on Twitter. See what folks are saying about your favourite topics on social news sites and ~~rant~~ chat away!

Summarize your time off

You probably reorganized some life priorities while you were away. How did you spend your time usually slotted for blogging? Let folks know how your real life is going.

Respond to a hot topic

…with a fresh perspective! Try not to re-enter the echo chamber.

Setup drafts

Have an idea for a post? Create a draft and add thoughts little by little as they enter your head. As time goes by, string them together and mold them into a bigger thought that flows well.

Set realistic goals for blogging in the future

How often do you really need to blog? What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? Louis Gray reminds me that you don’t really have to blog everyday unless you’re being paid to do so.

So here I am, trying to follow my own advice. I’ve taken these steps in hopes of not only blogging on a more regular basis, but having more realistic expectations. I’ve gone back and read some of my old posts and I still can’t figure out why people are so interested in what I have to say, but I am grateful for it.

Have you recently overcome a blogging hiatus, funk, sabbatical, or whatever?

Tags: Blogging, burnout, conversation, echo chamber, friendfeed, hiatus, socialmedian

25 Things You May Not Know About Me

Shey — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Enjoy

I love to sing, like in choirs and quartets. I sing pretty high too, I’m a tenor. And, in fact, I can sing higher than my wife who sings alto. Some say I’m a freak, I say it’s a blessing.
I can crack nearly every joint in my body. Neck, back (upper and lower), fingers, toes, knees, elbows, wrist (yup!), ankles. Except the shoulders – haven’t figured that one out yet.
There are photos of me dressed up as a woman in a robe, with makeup on. I pray they haven’t hit the interwebz yet.

Remember the girl from SNL who liked to scratch and sniff her armpits? I do that with my ears. Ugh, should have kept that one to myself huh?
I once buffed my nails with a huge metal file in my high school shop class because I was bored. Overkill much.
I started balding at 19.
When I first came to Canada, the kids used to tease me because I didn’t think there was anything wrong with picking my nose in public.
I started school when I was 2. And was reading at 3. I read encyclopedias for fun.
I sweat very easily.
I cried the first time I experienced freezing rain. I was 9.
I LOVE going on roller coasters, the more twisted and sadistic the better. But I’ll never do bungee jumping, skydiving, or any of that other crazy stuff.
I believe there’s nothing I can’t do with preparation and training.
Like Spidra, I can wiggle my ears and flare my nostrils at will.
Bugs creep me out. Like make-me-scream type creepy.
I’ve had 5 teeth pulled, but still have my wisdom teeth.
I love going out at night. Especially to explore.
I don’t like horror movies because the images stick in my head. That’s what I get for watching Carrie when I was 6. (The hand sticking out of the ground haunts me to this day).
I LOVE LOVE LOVE road trips. Our last two trips to Myrtle Beach, I’ve driven the whole way, and back (24 hrs).
My left eye is lighter than my right.
If someone tells me I can’t do something, I’ll usually end up doing it just to prove them wrong, no matter how long it takes.
I have a mole on my tummy.
I’ve shaved my chest twice, and Seinfeld was right – the itch of it growing back is horrific.
The one superpower I want is to be able to clear up bad breath from anyone around me.
I do not trim my eyebrows.
I LOVE thunderstorms.
I never thought I could find 25 semi-interesting things about myself, I’m surprised I got this done.

Tags: friendfeed, stuff

10 Top Tech and Social Media Blogs I’d Like to See Redesigned in 2009

Shey — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:21:15 +0000

There are some great blogs out there with killer content and a vast audience. Unfortunately, the design of some of these blogs aren’t of the same caliber as their content.

I had TechCrunch and Scobleizer on the list but their recent redesigns look great!

Hopefully, without sounding like another design snob, I’d like to list some popular blogs that I hope get a redesign in 2009.

In no specific order:

1) Lifehacker

Really its not just Lifehacker but all the Gawker Media blogs.

2) LouisGray.com

Louis Gray has a great blog with some of the most interesting thoughts and topics out there, and a fresh design would be a great complement.

3) Techipedia

So much potential here, would love to see a design that incorporates the logo well.

4) Read Write Web

Read Write Web is one of my favourite blogs and the layout and typography isn’t really that horrible. It’s mostly the header and logo that bug me.

5) ProBlogger

I used to like ProBlogger’s design — not sure what happened. Maybe it was the increase in ads or maybe I got tired of reading Helvetica in such small font sizes (one of my web pet peeves).

6) The Last Podcast

Frederic runs a great blog here as well, but this template needs to go.

7) ChrisBrogan.com

I don’t actually have any real beef with his current design, personally I just loved the previous one so much more. Bring it back Chris!

8) Performancing

Very helpful blog but I’m not a fan of fluid width layouts plus it really could use a refresh. Not friendly with 17” monitors either.

9) Web Strategy by Jeremiah

Earlier this year, Jeremiah asked what he could do to improve the way his blog looks. I suggested he change the background to white instead of light gray. But now, I’m asking for more

10) Micro Persuasion

Not sure how flexible Typepad is, but I’d love to see what could be done here.

Now, before I get anyone lashing back at me, please consider that my intentions are not to be critical of these blogs as a whole. I just think the visual aspects warrant some improvement.

Do you agree or disagree? What sites would you add to this list?

Tags: Blogging, blogs, Design, redesign, Social Media, Tech, web design

Health and Social Class

Shey — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:48:16 +0000

In today’s society, health has become a central issue; good health practices prolong life expectancy and greatly improve one’s quality of life. Poor health practices, on the other hand, can be linked to a myriad of diseases and a decrease in life expectancy. Naturally, good health is very important in any society.

Read the rest here on my guest post at PulseAndSignal.com.

Tags: Health, poverty, Society

Having fun with the baby [not mine] (Flickr Meme)

Shey — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:56:20 +0000

Having fun with the baby, originally uploaded by Sweetsop.

“It works like this: if you use Flickr, go to the sixth page of your photostream and pick the sixth picture there, then post it to your blog.

Location: Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Date Taken: October 16, 2008
Camera: Canon Powershot S80
Exposure: 1/60 second
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8mm

No tag for this post.

6 Reasons Why I Love My Zune

Shey — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:49:01 +0000

Today I came across a post by Steven Hodson letting out the secret that he wants a Zune. After commenting on his post, Abby asked me: “Shey- why do you love your Zune? And why a Zune over an iPod?”.

But before the iPod fanboys and fangirls and Microsoft haters start getting on my case, keep in mind that these are my preferences, you aren’t going convince me to go get an iPod, k?

So here are my top reasons why.

Wireless sync
The Zune software is way better (in my opinion) than iTunes or Windows Media Player
The value is great for the features you get
It’s really easy to use and I have no issues with the types of files I sync
It can store music, videos, photos, and now games
I also think Zune Social is pretty cool

So fellow Zune lovers, what else do you love about your Zune?

Tags: apple, media, microsoft, mp3 player, music, zune

Blog Action Day: Organizations Fighting Poverty in Toronto

Shey — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:33:01 +0000

In participation of Blog Action Day 2008, I’ve compiled a list of a few organizations that are fighting the battle against poverty in Toronto. Take a look at each of these and learn more about what they do and how you can contribute to their causes.

United Way, Toronto
United Way Toronto improves the lives of women, children, youth, seniors and newcomers, just to name a few. Your donation to the United Way Toronto means strengthened lives and stronger neighbourhoods across our city. By giving to United Way’s Community Fund, your donation can be directed to where it will have the greatest impact.

National Anti-Poverty Organization
The mission of the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) is to eradicate poverty in Canada by promoting income and social security for all Canadians, and by promoting poverty eradication as a human rights obligation.

Daily Bread Food Bank
Providing food and resources for hungry people; mobilizing greater support, involvement and action; Creating social change to reduce poverty through research, education and advocacy.

North York Harvest Food Bank
The North York Harvest Food Bank works towards the relief of hunger in communities throughout northern Toronto. The Food Bank supports emergency food programs, partners with perinatal programs, advocates for change on issues affecting food bank use and works with like-minded organizations to develop innovative and respectful ways for our clients to access culturally appropriate and personally acceptable food at no cost.

Tags: charities, poverty, Society, Toronto

Shey’s MonthCap – 09/08

Shey — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:59:23 +0000

Yes, I’m still alive — I’ve just been overloaded with many projects recently so my blogging has been non-existent for the past 4 weeks. To be honest, it will probably be another 3 weeks before I get back on it as I’ll be going a way for a couple weeks in October.

However, that doesn’t mean I stopped reading! To make up for my absence, I’m including links to some key articles I’ve read in the past month so you can read them too. Hope you find them as interesting as I did!

Bloggers Need To Learn To Respect Some Traditions

FriendFeed Is Growing Nicely Regardless Of What Scoble Says

I’m Doubling Down My Subscriptions Because of FriendFeed Lists

The social media bubble that wasted your time

With FriendFeed Lists, I Start to Organize the Noise

FriendFeed’s Progress Out of the A-Listers’ Garage

Introducing Twitter to Your Non-Geeky Family

My Social Media Mission 2008: Collecting Genuine Relationships

FriendFeed is not killing blogging [Time Management 101]

What would FriendFeed look like in a Zombie Attack?

Our Social Media behavior smothers discussion

What does getting smarter really mean?

The Politics of Lining Up (for a Bus)

Enjoy!

Tags: community, conversation, friendfeed, Social Media, twitter, weekcap

Blog Day 2008: 5 Blogs I Read and You Should Too

Shey — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:04:12 +0000

In accordance with Blog Day 2008, here are 5 blogs I’m reading that I recommend you read as well:

One Little Cog
Blog of Ehren Cheung, web marketing & data coordinator at the Dundurn Group.

Shannon Whitley
Blog of developer/systems admin, Shannon Whitley.

Pulse and Signal
Commentary on the impact and potential usefulness, of technology (social media, consumer/emerging web tech) on health communication and social marketing.

Rick Mahn
Exploration of social media & web 2.0’s strengths and failings.

Jeffrey Simms Photography
Blog of photographer, Jeffrey Simms.

And for good measure, be sure to subscribe to one more…mine

introspective snapshots

Tags: blogday2008, blogs, community, recommendations

5 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Shaving Your Head

Shey — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:30:15 +0000

The first 3 are from me:

The next 2 are from Kevin Spidel:

Tags: motivation, Self-Improvement, video

Social Media Narcissism

Shey — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:16:03 +0000

When going through the process of adding / friending / following in social media, we often look for a common characteristic in our ‘friends’. These characteristics can be anything, from the love of tech, design, political affiliation or religion or any other type of culture. Why do we do this? It’s an attempt in the perpetual battle of finding the the signal amongst the noise, but on that journey, are we falling prey to too much narcissism?

Here’s my concern:

If we only encourage interactions with people who are like ourselves by religion, politics, language, industry, etc., and shy away from everything else, will that not enclose us in a bubble?

Some Effects of the Bubble

One effect is that we end up with groupthink and an increasingly larger echo chamber. A false reality is created by the purposeless regurgitation of ideas, everyone sheepishly agreeing with everyone else, and the ensuing lack of perspective due to isolation from the rest of the space. Being open-minded isn’t enough. What good is it being open-minded if there aren’t encounters with other perspectives?

Another effect is a related to the echo chamber: just pure boredom. Hearing about the same old topics over and over again can result in social media fatigue and blogger burnout. Personally, I’d rather comment on someone else’s post rather than perpetuating a worn-out topic. Sometimes, a comment can be just as meaningful as a post. (Heck, Disqus even thinks comments are blog posts)

Other effects include the suppression of different points of view which pushes folks to hold back on their level of engagement; and the isolation of those who dare to share all of the topics they like.

My Advice

Diversify your friend subscriptions
Encourage constructive discussion
Backup your opinions with facts
Empathize so you can be open-minded to see other viewpoints — you will learn more and appreciate others, and have others appreciate you for understanding them
Being open-minded also involves welcoming a variety of topics from unexpected sources
Be patient, you may have to endure some noise to gain more signal

In the end I think this will help you have more meaningful interactions, bring an added excitement to learning, and achieve greater satisfaction in your social media journey.

Is following a diverse group of people important to you?

Tags: community, conversation, echo chamber, Politics, Religion, Social Media

My 2008 Fantasy Football Team

Shey — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:33:30 +0000

Our fantasy football league had our draft today; here are my picks and draft order for the 2008 season.

It’s a head-to-head league with 10 teams, with 8 showing up for the Live Draft.

Here’s my starting roster:

QB Tony Romo (Dal – QB)
WR Wes Welker (NE – WR)
WR Bernard Berrian (Min – WR)
RB LaDainian Tomlinson (SD – RB)
RB Jamal Lewis (Cle – RB)
TE Kellen Winslow (SD – RB)
W/T Jerricho Cotchery (NYJ – WR)
W/R Thomas Jones (NYJ – RB)
K Adam Vinatieri (Ind – WR)
D Terrence McGee (Buf – DB)
DB Nate Clements (SF – DB)
DB Leigh Bodden (Det – DB)
DL James Harrison (Pit – DL)
DL E.J. Henderson (Min – DL)

On the bench:

Donald Driver (GB – WR)
Brett Favre (NYJ – QB)
Chester Taylor (Min – RB)
Joey Galloway (TB – WR)
Jon Kitna (Det – QB)
Devin Hester (Chi – WR)

And here’s my draft order (in brackets is the overall pick #):

1. (2) LaDainian Tomlinson
2. (19) Jamal Lewis
3. (22) Tony Romo
4. (39) Thomas Jones
5. (42) Wes Welker
6. (59) Kellen Winslow
7. (62) Bernard Berrian
8. (79) Jerricho Cotchery
9. (82) Adam Vinatieri
10. (99) Terrence McGee
11. (102) Donald Driver
12. (119) James Harrison
13. (122) Nate Clements
14. (139) Brett Favre
15. (142) Will Witherspoon
16. (159) Chester Taylor
17. (162) Leigh Bodden
18. (179) Joey Galloway
19. (182) Jon Kitna
20. (199) E.J. Henderson
21. (202) Ernie Sims
22. (219) Devin Hester
23. (222) Mason Crosby

Tags: football, Sports

I Have A Webcam!

Shey — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:54:56 +0000

I have a webcam!

http://www.seesmic.com/shey

Tags: logitech, seesmic, video, webcam

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