Social Media and the Pea

Crafts Ideas for "Days with Frog and Toad" on eHow.com

2011-04-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

New article up on eHow to help parents and teachers engage their children in the learning process while reading "Days with Frog and Toad."

http://www.ehow.com/info-tip_8267525_crafts-days-frog-toad.html

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

2011-02-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

American football field. image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com

Read more: How to Use Statistical Analysis in Fantasy Football | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7948278_use-statistical-analysis-fantasy-football.html#ixzz1EFGYaS00

I have a new article up on eHow.com. If you are interested in fantasy football, give it a look!

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

iStudiez Pro - Get Organized for the School Year

2010-10-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

http://istudentpro.com/index.html

If you are like me, the school year impacts you in one way or another. You are a student. You are the parent of a student. You are a grandparent. You are a teacher. You know someone who fits in one of these categories. Somehow it seems like everyone is touched by the school year being in progress. No matter how you look at it, someone in your life could benefit from getting a more effective grasp on how to get organized for school. The new iPhone application iStudiez Pro allows students of all ages, parents, and teachers to get organized and keep assignments, class information (including teacher contact information), and other calendar items all in one place!
   For those made timid by the excruciating price of $2.99 (come on, real students live on dry Ramen noodles and the free coffee at Les Schwab Tires), a "lite" = free version is available in the iTunes App Store. But for you adventurous types, like me, who are willing to throw caution to the wind and pay for an actual application, this was a worthy and sound (no wild and crazy life on the edge here) investment. iStudiez Pro takes a "whole-life" approach to class and assignment organization, understanding that your work has to get done while integrating the other responsibilities and aspects of your life. No one lives a life of singularity, and a calendar application that incorporates the personal, professional, and education responsibilities and aspects into one place can only make it easier.
   Push notifications and color coding help to keep it all organized. Integration of the iPhone or iPad iCalendar keep all the necessary dates in one location. Since the one-view-fits-all approach isn't usually correct, iStudiez has given the use of multiple displays (daily, weekly, list) to help you keep track. The Planner allows for you to organize by semester, making it easy to refer back to previous classes and courses or look ahead, and then drill down to courses, classes, and exams. Courses can be tailored to include labs and study group information and show schedules which might occur on varying days of the week and at various meeting times. For those of you who live your life from holiday to holiday and vacation to vacation, you can enter all that data, as well, and keep track of your busy social life (or days to sleep in).
   Assignment views are available to let you see what is coming up, when it is due, what the assignment's priority is, a partner and his/her information can also be added, and track completed assignments for your records. And, finally, the almighty grade, for you GPA conscious people: iStudiez will help you keep track of your grades, keep track of assignments' point value and weight, and calculate your grade point to help make sure you are on the right path towards keeping that scholarship or avoiding sports ineligibility.
   The days of the large notebook-size student calendar are coming to a close: for me, I never could remember where I left it anyway. But my phone is always with me. And now my school calendar is too.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Free Webinar on Social Media by Mario Armstrong and AT&T

2010-08-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Check out tech guru Mario Armstrong's new on-demand and FREE webinar on Social Media Training for Small Businesses offered by AT&T. He shares his insights and knowledge on how to use Social Media to promote your organization for improved sales and service.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Warning: "Dislike Button" for Facebook is a Fake!

2010-08-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

Check out the following story from USA Today on the fake Facebook Dislike Button:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-08-16-facebook-dislike-fake_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Is Texting "Impaired Driving"?

2010-08-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

As seen in Impaired Driving Update:

Traditionally, impaired driving has been limited to someone under the influence of a substance, which has had a negative or potentially negative impact on their driving. Impaired Driving curricula are usually focused on those “operating under the influence” of alcohol, illegal and or prescription drugs. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines Impaired Driving as “operating a motor vehicle while: affected by alcohol, affected by illegal or legal drugs, too sleepy or distracted, such as using a cell phone or texting, or having a medical condition which affects your driving.”

While texting in and of itself is innocent enough, states are making it illegal to text while driving because the distracting behavior impairs the driver’s ability to react quickly enough to make sound decisions and keep proper focus on the road. The issue, simply put, is that if your eyes are on your phone, they are not assessing what is going on around them. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association:

30 states, D.C. and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers. 11

of these laws were enacted in 2010. 26 states, D.C., and Guam

have primary enforcement. In the other four, texting bans are

secondary. Novice Drivers: An additional 8 states prohibit text

messaging by novice drivers. School Bus Drivers: 2 states restrict

school bus drivers from texting while driving. (http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html, 2010).

In a June 2009 study, Car and Driver Magazine (Michael Austin, “Texting While Driving: How Dangerous is it?,” Car and Driver Magazine, (June, 2009).) looked at the impairment of texting compared to driving under the influence of alcohol and found reading and texting both had higher reaction times and extra distances traveled over the impaired by alcohol trials. A Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project study shows that 27 percent of the 2,252 American adults surveyed text while driving.

17 percent of “cell-toting adults say they have been so distracted

while talking or texting that they have bumped into another person or object,” according to the report’s overview. “That amounts to 14

[percent] of all American adults who have been so engrossed in

talking, texting or otherwise using their cell phones that they bumped

into something or someone.” On top of that, “49 percent of adults say

they have been passengers in a car when the driver was sending or reading text messages on their cell phone,” and 44 percent said they

had been passengers “of drivers who used the cell phone in a way

that put themselves or others in danger.” (Nicholas Kolakowski, “Texting While Driving Common Among Adults, Says Study,” Eweek: Enterprise Mobility (June, 21, 2010).)

A CNBC look at texting while driving suggested that the way to correct the situation is education (Phil LeBeau, “Texting and Driving Worse Than Drinking and Driving,” CNBC: Behind the Wheel, (June 25, 2009).) However, time and experience have shown that simply having knowledge does not result in a decrease in substance affected driving incidents. Studies like Stein and Lebeau-Craven’s (L.A.R. Stein and R. Lebeau-Craven. “Motivational Interviewing and Relapse Prevention for DWI: A Pilot Study.” Journal of Drug Issues, 1051-1070. (2002).) show individuals need to be given motivators for changing behavior and need to be given assistance in developing coping skills to deal with situations leading up to decision making. Simply knowing that a behavior is inappropriate or that something is wrong is not enough to change the behavior. Texters, just like alcohol users, will need to be given the necessary tools to make better decisions about their activities behind the wheel of a car.

Research currently underway suggests that increasing knowledge

does not necessarily translate into motivation or intent to change. In

order to better combat recidivism, behavioral change-based

interventions focusing on recovery from dependence may be a more effective option for alcohol dependent offenders than would traditional

education programs. (Norman Hoffmann, Ashton Southard, Alice Ann Williams, “The Nature of Alcohol Use Disorder Indications From a Brief Structured Interview,” Impaired Driving Update, (Spring, 2009).)

Those who have trouble making the decision not to text while driving will have to develop plans for helping to stop the problem before it happens. Drivers need to hear practical applications and tips such as leaving their cell phone in the back seat or inside a bag in the trunk while driving, leaving the phone in their back hip pocket so it is not accessible during a commute, etc. Impaired driving programs have integrated evidence-based practices and work to encourage participants to make better decisions regarding their use of substances in relationship to driving. If texting is going to be considered “impaired driving”, offenders need to be included in the same programs for substance abusers so they can receive the benefits of working with trained professionals. Best practices for impaired driving such as Motivational Interviewing, cognitive-behavioral strategies, journaling, and role playing would allow offenders to work on their decision making skills prior to the temptations of picking of the phone while driving. Texters need to receive the same mix of education and application for dealing with their impairment that those abusing a substance and driving receive after a violation.

If education alone worked, telling all drivers license holders not to text while driving because it impairs their ability to be safe on the road would be enough. However, if almost half of the adult drivers are texting and driving even though they know it is not safe, then education alone is obviously not the answer. Impaired driving programs are where all impaired drivers need to be to receive proper assistance. Drivers need more than understanding that something is dangerous, they need to be given options on how to most effectively protect themselves from falling back into previous behaviors and patterns.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Politics Meets Social Media?

2010-07-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

If you have spent any time on Facebook, Twitter, or almost anywhere on the Internet, you have - undoubtedly - run into information from politicians, campaigners, or groups advocating for their party and their message. While many might say social media has been usurped by politics, I am finding one new and innovative use of social media to be very intriguing. No matter what your political disposition, this concept is interesting.

YouCut is a "project of the economic recovery group" and is run by the Republican Whip, Eric Cantor. The concept: allow the American public to watch a video posted on the Internet and then express their opinion via text message or online about how money should be or should not be spent. YouCut posts various expenditures and gives participants the ability to express their opinion on which deserve government funding.

While you may or may not be a Republican or be interested in spending cuts, the idea of being able to express your opinion to Capital Hill should be one of interest. Since our country is truly a republic and not a democracy, the concept of being able to send our opinions, one text message at a time, versus having our representatives make assumptions on how we want our tax dollars spent, is much more representative of the government we say we have. The more say we have, the more freedom we have. This is an example of Freedom of Speech at its best.

You can find YouCut on the Internet at http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Social Media and Impaired Driving

2010-06-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Social Media and Impaired Driving" by A.A. Williams

as appeared in Impaired Driving Update, Summer, 2010

Social media has permeated society. It no longer serves as merely a way to connect with family and friends. It is now a marketing medium, a business resource, and a way to encourage better decision-making regarding alcohol consumption and driving while under the influence.

Facebook.com, one of the leaders in the social media trend, has over 220 pages dedicated to impaired or drunk driving, not including the businesses and professionals who have pages about their facility or organization. Apple’s iTunes has over 35 applications for their iPhone or iTouch regarding alcohol usage including drink and consumption trackers, laws, and “tips”. While many of these pages and applications do not give real solutions to a real problem, some groups are on the cutting edge of using technology to improve the safety of our streets and to help those in need of assistance – the end user - to get help.

For example, in Mary Elizabeth Hurn’s article, “Ad Council, Transportation Department launch drunk driving PSAs targeting women” (2009, www.dmnews.com), she describes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s update on their prevention efforts:

Social media is a main element of the campaign. The initiative includes a Facebook application, which informs consumers about the latest drunk driving statistics, as well as a presence on Twitter. These elements drive users to buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org, where they can play an interactive game called “Spot the Difference” and sign a pledge not to drive buzzed. The PSAs can also be seen on YouTube.

Last year, Max Levchin, the co-founder of PayPal, spoke to Caroline McCarthy of CNET about social media being used for the greater good and “an Alcoholics Anonymous app on Facebook.” (2008, news.cnet.com). His vision:

"If you're trying to recover as an alcoholic, there's no easy way for you to join an anonymous group on Facebook. So creating an anonymous group type on Facebook for something that people have to get off their chest but don't really want to reveal their identity (in doing so)...it's pretty utilitarian."

While social media could never remove the need for face-to-face contact and group processing, the concept to connect with individuals to encourage, motivate, reduce feelings of isolation, and give resources and tools to make successful decisions can only enhance the process of reaching out to this high-risk population. The easier and more accessible information is to the end-user, the more likely it will be used when needed.

SADD National’s Facebook page is connecting more than 4,300 people to “provide students with the best prevention tools possible to deal with the issues of underage drinking, other drug use, impaired driving, and other destructive decisions.” With each page or status update, they send a reminder to all 4,300 members of the importance of clear decision-making, planning ahead, and the possible impact decisions might have on self and others. 12-step approach, iPhone applications like DBJApps’ “Steps Away – Locate Worldwide 12 Step Meetings”, which gives information regarding local resources, meetings, contacts, and maps to service locations, and Falesafe Consulting, Inc.’s Friend of Bill, which promotes sobriety and easily connects an individual with his or her sponsor, could be used as examples of what impaired driving programs could create to put additional resources in clients’ hands. Social media and phone applications could be designed to provide numbers for transportation, guidelines for decision-making, consumption information, and a place for users to record his/her plan for getting home without driving. For individuals in a government or treatment program, the application could also include required meeting times, emergency staff contact information, and probation officer contact information.

If used appropriately and creatively, social media can add an additional cost-effective and wide-reaching method of promoting responsible behavior and reducing impaired driving incidents. Social media technology is moving from just marketing and entertainment into the realm of teaching and reaching. A feeling of community, positive peer pressure, easy to access information, tools for permanent life-change, and means of obtaining assistance could be as easy as accessing a social networking site the individual may already be familiar with or one that is simple to learn. Social media can be harnessed to not only be an effective tool for communication and marketing, it can be used to help those in need. It can also help protect the unknowing who might otherwise be driving in the lane next to someone who got behind the wheel impaired.

Hope for One - Social Networking to Help Those with Porn and Sex Addiction

2010-06-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.onlinemba.com

So often there are topics that when we discuss them, we drop our voices to a whisper because of the perceived shame and guilt that comes with them. By doing so, whom are we helping? And while I would agree that pornography and sexual addiction are not topics that I feel are appropriate dinner table conversation with children or - for that matter - my mother, not dealing with issues is much more damaging than addressing them.

H.A.L.T. is an acronym for four of the most common triggers for an addict: being hungry, angry, lonely, and tired can take a person from a state of recovery to a state of relapse or from a state of sobriety to backsliding. But do we always know where to turn for assistance when we feel these things? For a sexual addict, many live a life of shame or in a constant state of denial. With 12% of all internet sites being pornography (www.onlinemba.com), being alone in the privacy of one's home can be a dangerous place for someone struggling. But if you aren't in treatment and don't have a sponsor, whom can one turn to help hold his or herself accountable?

Hopeforone.com is an online social community for those impacted by pornography and sexual addition. It is a community designed to let others know they are not alone. "The members of our online community understand how difficult your struggle is. Join our online community today for the hope and support you are looking for...If you are affected by the addiction of a family member or friend, we want to support you too."

The Hope for One's website, iPhone, and Adroid applications provide not only resources and contacts for individuals and families who are suffering, but provide social networking groups to allow for interaction and connectivity. They provide a safe place to be vulnerable.

Member pages: Create your own personal page, and share your story through blog postings, photos, audio, and videos. You can also communicate with other members by commenting on their pages or sending them direct messages.

Group pages: These pages are focused on specific groups of members within the community. For example, if you're a married man struggling with pornography, you can find a group page for other married men going through the same experience. Group pages are an excellent way to easily find other members to start talking to.

Participation in the groups is anonymous but allow individuals to share, process, be open, and see that others have the same difficulties. Individuals are encouraged to share their own stories so readers can learn from them, share successes and admit challenges. Additionally, information on local counselors, meetings, and programs are also available for those willing to take the next step in getting help.

For those wanting to take an active role on the site, discussion boards for posting topics are available to drive communication and generate feedback. Accountability tools are provided to help individuals take an active role in behavior change including downloads and site blockers. Blogs, a Facebook page, and message boards allow community members to share information, post current news and media stories, and to discuss their pain and their road to recovery. By removing a layer of the stigma and by bringing individuals together to remove the loneliness, sufferers can start working to develop successful coping skills and action plans for dealing with triggers and situations.

Thanks to the Internet - the very same tool that can cause us to stumble - and social networking (which most of us think of as an entertainment and marketing tool), men and women can seek comfort, encouragement and empowerment from both professionals and peers. The same technology that brings them guilt and pain can also bring a world of promise and hope to their computer or their smart phone.

For more information, visit www.hopeforone.com/psa.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Wishing all of you a very Happy Father's Day! Remember, social media is a great tool but before the day ends, go the extra mile today to pick up the phone and tell someone you love him.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

The Example of Grandmama: A Tale of Larry Johnson

2010-06-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

In the fall of '89, a family friend took me to an UNLV Runnin' Rebel's basketball practice. It was there I met a young man named Larry Johnson. As a 14 year old, I was in awe of his immense size. He seemed larger than life, but it was when this gentle giant sat down and drank a Coca-Cola with me that his true magic emerged.

We discussed his home town, and that I, too, had family there. We talked about Las Vegas, his new home and the place I had grown up. We talked about Dallas Cowboys' football, and the big UNR and UNLV rivalry. But it was him asking me where I wanted to go to college and what I wanted to be that made the largest impact that day. This warrior on the court, this local hero, this star in the paint seemed to care about me and my dreams. With real interest he listened to the ramblings of a child, and then said, "I'm sure you can do it. Focus on school."

Maybe they teach all starting Forwards to make that kind of lasting impact when they talk to children or maybe that was just one kid trying to mentor another that day, whatever it was, it stayed with me. A Pro career for him and two Masters degrees later for me, I got the honor and privilege of buying a Coca-Cola for Mr. Johnson last week at a Nike Fundraiser, while Mr. Johnson made a public appearance. He spoke to my own child as gently and genuinely as he had spoken to me so many years before. And I realized how powerful and lasting words and intent can be on someone.

While that interaction took place face to face, I would like you to think about social media for a moment - keeping that story in your mind. Who is your audience? Sometimes we don't really know. Mr. Johnson could have no way of knowing the impact of his words twenty-one years ago nor could he know they would be written about in the future. Could someone impressionable be reading your blog, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or Gather postings? Might they be taking in your comments and locking them away? And if they are, what impression are you leaving? What "footprint" are you making with your typed words?

We will not always make the right decisions, but if we consciously think about things before we print and post them, we might find our influence to be like that of a man they call "Grandmama" - a man that I simply call "an example".

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Tips from SmallBizGoMobile.com

2010-06-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Mario Armstrong has launched a new website for small business advice called www.SmallBizGoMobile.com and has also done his first webisode on social media advice for businesses. Take a few moments to watch it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcqC8J7rt0M - it's an excellent five minute investment.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

"It's What You Do That Defines You"

2010-05-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

While we would like to think that everyone understands our motives, emotions, and "true self", the Warner Bros' movie, Batman Begins says this is not always the case. As Rachel Dawes was so kind to remind us, "...It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you." Who we are perceived to be and the impressions we have left along the way may or may not be what we intended. While we've been taught that "we can't please all of the people all of the time", we would certainly like to think that most people would look back fondly on working with us.

However, what would people say about you and me if they could talk openly about our professional performance without having to give their identity. Does total anonymity and an online, unlimited audience give individuals an open door to praise or slam you? And are people full of enough honesty and integrity to give constructive feedback and true commendation without using this as a format to degrade, demean, and harm? http://www.getunvarnished.com is testing these very waters.

According to their website:

"What is Unvarnished?

Unvarnished is an online resource for building, managing, and researching professional reputation, using community-contributed, professional reviews. Unvarnished reviews help you get the inside scoop on other business professionals, providing candid assessments of coworkers, potential hires, business partners, and more. By contributing Unvarnished reviews, you can share your knowledge of other professionals, giving credit where credit is due, and valuable feedback where needed. Lastly, your own Unvarnished profile, which you may create yourself or claim one that has been created for you, helps you take control of and build your own professional reputation. Get recognition for your accomplishments and actively manage your career growth."

Getunvarnished.com says, even though identities are hidden, because reviewers can also be scored on the accuracy of their posting, there is a checks and balances system to make sure the individuals being reviewed are being treated fairly and comments are accurate. However, the general public is not able to access this website to see if they are on it and manage their reputation. Anyone interested must contact Getunvarnished.com and ask to join their website. Requests are then added to a waiting list, and individuals are contacted when an "opening" becomes available. Which begs the question, how do we protect ourselves if we are not always given access to what is being said about us? The answer is we just keep checking and trying.

According to a recent study by Pew Internet, we take our reputation and what is said about us online very seriously. "More than half (57%) of adult internet users say they have used a search engine to look up their name and see what information was available about them online, up from 47% who did so in 2006. Young adults, far from being indifferent about their digital footprints, are the most active online reputation managers in several dimensions. For example, more than two-thirds (71%) of social networking users ages 18-29 have changed the privacy settings on their profile to limit what they share with others online

(http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Reputation-Management.aspx)."

We need to think about what our employers and associates have access to reading about us online – from what we post about ourselves to what others post about us. In an AP article today on this very subject, it states:

...young people also are at a point in their lives where... they're looking for work and just starting to develop a name for themselves. Consider also that the study found that a quarter of online adults said their employers now have policies about how they portray themselves online. 'Young adults have, in many ways, been forced to become experts in their own form of social revision,' Madden says. They're also an extremely "brand conscious" generation, says Fred Stutzman, a doctoral candidate at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina who co-founded ClaimID.com, a free online identity management service that he now uses as a research project. 'Increasingly, it's the advice that young people get from counselors and elsewhere: `You need to have your own brand and you have to watch that brand,'” Stutzman says. Simply put, we need to monitor what we post about ourselves, what others post about us, and what we post about others.

Integrity must start with the power of one. Each one of us will have to commit to using technology correctly to treat individuals the way we would want to be treated: to uplift, support, and critique appropriately without slander and malice. We must guard our reputation online as closely as we would in public. We need to think about the ramifications of our actions prior to the actual action because how others view us is truly based on what we do not our intention. And as the Information Super Highway gets wider and goes farther, remember to keep your eyes on your reputation so it doesn’t get run over in the process and always "keep your Twitter clothes on".

Facebook Privacy - Use ReclaimPrivacy.org

2010-05-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Privacy. Protection. Peace of Mind. Making sure information about our family, friends, whereabouts, and statuses are safe and secure is on the minds of the majority of Facebook users. But how do we know if we've protected ourselves? How do we know if all of our settings are as secure as they can be?

ReclaimPrivacy.org is designed to provide users with an "independent and open tool for scanning your Facebook privacy settings." By using Reclaim Privacy while also using Facebook, Reclaim Privacy will run multiple scans on your privacy settings to make sure you are the "most secure." If there are areas that need to be adjusted, Reclaim Privacy will either ask if you want them to adjust those settings on your behalf or will let you know where you need to go to make those corrections yourself. By then running a rescan, you can determine if you have corrected the issues, need to make more changes, or determine that you have the level of security you want and leave particular items alone.

Privacy issues are broken down into several categories so you can tailor your desired level of security. For example, I left my setting that anyone can find me and send me a Facebook friend request, which left my scan result at a "caution" level. However, I felt confident making this decision knowing that I made that choice versus Facebook making it for me, giving me another level of control over my page.

I have also opted to join ReclaimPrivacy.org's newsletter so I am notified when there are updates. The newsletter also acts as a good reminder to rerun Reclaim's program every so often to keep my security up to date. Since there are plenty of individuals interested in stealing my identity and using my information against me, it is nice to find a program on my side to help me protect myself.

Simple and easy to use, Reclaim Privacy takes only a couple of minutes and is well worth it. It has come recommended by industry leaders such as CNN's Mario Armstrong, and what could be better than free security? Visit their site to start protecting yourself now.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

LinkedIn: The Social Media Account You Need

2010-05-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you could only choose one social networking site, which should it be? Not an easy question because not everyone has the same priorities; however, one that should be on your "must have" list is a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is not a very pretty or fancy website: there are no games, contests, or meaningless groups about toothpaste preferences to join. The purpose of LinkedIn is a simple one: professional networking.

LinkedIn provides a way to connect with your professional contacts and reconnect with those from the past - colleagues, classmates, and associates; give and request recommendations; list your current business activities; share your resume; and join groups and associations. Networking and relationship building open doors for new business ventures, professional development opportunities, employment, business to business connectivity, and other professional resources. Providing an environment for sharing information and marketing both one's self and one's business, LinkedIn is the business person's Facebook. Groups can share information regarding their organizations with members. Colleagues and coworkers can share upcoming event information, career news, and have professional chats and online discussions.

The more active and engaged a participant is in the use of LinkedIn, the more beneficial the site. Active members can promote their skill sets, look for freelancing and job opportunities, develop new clientele, and ask for introductions to others to create new networking opportunities.

As with anything, the more information you share and more you are willing to put in, the more you will receive. By giving recommendations, you are more likely to get recommendations or feel more comfortable asking for them. Additionally, by offering to introduce your connections with each other, you are creating the opportunity for others to want to introduce you, and you are increasing your value by being a resource to others.

Like any other commodity, you are a valuable resource, and LinkedIn is perfect place to show that worth!

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Read our Article in Impaired Driving Update

2010-05-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Social Media and the Pea has an article on Social Media and Impaired Driving in the summer volume of Civic Research Institute's Impaired Driving Update. The Summer Edition will be available in June!

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Your 15 Minutes of Fame: YouTube's 5th Birthday

2010-05-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

www.youtube.com

96 million of us go to YouTube everyday, according to CBS news; however, longevity-wise, YouTube.com is a relative baby: less than one month ago, they celebrated their fifth birthday. The now social media giant, originally started out as a one man video about a trip to the zoo. Now it is both a marketing and media mogul and an open mic night all rolled into one. From wellness centers, like the Fountain of Youth, to jewelers, like West Coast, to CNET, and Train, and everything in between including River Dancing Monkeys, YouTube offers everyone the opportunity to star in their own video and get their own message out.

If your message isn't on YouTube, you're missing out on a large audience. An audience to the tune of 96 million, and even if only a fraction of that are exposed to your organization, that's a fraction of the market that you didn't have before.

As the owner of a videography business, we have created professional videos for organizations and companies to use online. However, YouTube allows anyone with a webcam or a camera that takes video to upload their footage to share with the world. Businesses can:

showcase their products
introduce their staff
demonstrate their community involvement
promote specials
create instructional videos
broadcast training sessions
show commercials
have customers give testimonials
etc.

The uses for video - and specifically YouTube - can be endless, easy, and lucrative. As has been discussed in previous posts, the medium of video is one of the most engaging resources that can be used for communicating with potential customers and current clients. Make sure your content is appropriate. Think about how your video represents your company. Keep your content suited for your audience, and then use this free site to connect with people in a whole new way. Create an account, upload your video, add titles that give clear descriptions of what will be viewed, mark the video public, and you are on your way to your 15 minutes of fame!

YouTube has revolutionized the way we share information. Keep in mind you are creating a professional image, and the old adage is true: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Before you share your video, make sure it conveys the message you really want to send.

And make sure to wish them a "Happy birthday!" All together now! "Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear YouTube! Happy Birthday to you!"

(Please tell me you got that? Did anyone have their camera ready? You mean no one got that?)

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

All Facebook's Article: Facebook Becomes Largest Display Advertiser

2010-05-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Facebook Becomes Largest Display Advertiser: One more reason your company should be on Facebook.
All Facebook's article by Nick O'Neill.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Verizon and the Kin: Poor Marketing Promotes Dangerous Behavior

2010-05-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

http://png.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles

Dear Verizon and Microsoft,

I would like to say that I have taken the time to appreciate your newest device, the Kin; however, I have been so troubled by your inappropriate marketing of the product that I can say the uniqueness of the phone itself is no longer of any interest to me.

Originally there was the controversy over the "sexting" commercial which appeared to be Verizon and Microsoft's promotion and encouragement of youth taking sexually explicit pictures and sending them via MMS or email. It appears the negative publicity you received was enough to discourage you from running the commercial further because it was pulled. I cannot dictate what consenting adults do with their telephones: they have to reap their own consequences. However encouraging youth to do it is utterly irresponsible.

Now, Verizon and Microsoft, you've done it again. During primetime television last night, a commercial for the Verizon Kin ran which blatantly encouraged dangerous and ill-thought through activity. The commercial speaks of a young woman "friending" someone she doesn't know on Facebook. Facebook, themselves, have stated this is a dangerous and potentially troubling activity. Yet this commercial seems to not only make the statement that it's fun to connect with people you don't know through Facebook, but then you can set up a place, date and time to meet up.

In the commercial, two young girls go to the home of this "Facebook friend" only to find out he's 20 years older than his picture indicates. In the commercial, the girls have a good laugh about it and send out a text to all their friends letting them know he's a faker. In real life this scenario could have resulted in a much different ending: ask Ashleigh Hall, oh, you can't because she died this way.

This is simply poor marketing. Having seen plenty of Microsoft and Verizon commercials in the past which have been funny, entertaining, and engaging, I would assume there has been a change in marketing direction that was not clearly thought through. If adults want to make poor decisions about how to handle their personal safety, let them do it on their own without your encouragement. Whoever the intended audience for this commercial is - it targets young people, and it sends a disturbing message. In a world where children get abducted after meeting people online, where a college student gets abducted off a couch in a home and gets raped and killed, and where cyber bullying takes place and at times results in death, what favor is Verizon and Microsoft doing by advertising their product this way? And whoever their ad agency is isn't doing them any favors either.

Until we, as consumers, stand up against such inappropriate marketing, it will continue. However, if we choose to speak up with both our mouths and our dollars - which is our right as much as it is theirs to air this ad - they will be forced to chance their strategy. You can choose to say nothing but remember, if it weren't an issue, there wouldn't be related topics already in the news talking about how deadly this behavior can be.

Hey, Verizon - "Can you hear me now?"

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

TweetDeck - Organized and Online

2010-05-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

"Say hello to my little friend" - ok maybe not. Maybe it's more like "He rocks in the treehouse all day long, hoppin' and a boppin' and a singing his song." Welcome to Tweet Deck: available for both your computer and for your iPhone. I have spent a greater part of the day working on mastering its incredible resource, only to be brutally rebuffed because of its vast abilities and sweeping content. And it tweets, and chirps, and sings because it is truly busy. I am by no means a master, but I am functional.

TweetDeck allows you to manage multiple Twitter accounts, as well as others like LinkedIn, and Facebook from one system, and gives a sweeping view of what is going on with your Twitter world showing "All Friends", "Mentions", "Direct Messages", and "Recommendations" all in one screen. The set up makes management of Twitter much more user friendly instead of the standard screen flipping required from the Twitter website. Additionally the pop ups in the corner of your screen alert you to the activity going on with those you follow. The ability to toggle between Twitter and other social media sites, allows you to stay current with all your online marketing and networking accounts.

However, the TweetDeck Directory - available through their website - may be the most valuable component they offer. The Directory has both a search feature and a list of topics which you can run through and look for lists which are appropriate for your interests. Either join the list you find or use those lists to identify individuals you would like to follow who have the same interests. You can also see list stats including how many accounts someone is following, how many followers they have, their average number of tweets per day, and description tags.

I have now moved to the TweetDeck Application on my desktop to monitor my Twitter feed in the office. As with all products, I remain skeptical until I have had adequate time to test it, but as of yet, I have not found a flaw that makes this anything less than a useful organizing tool worth recommending.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

www.styleonastring.com

Happy Mother's Day! May everyone have a wonderful day and celebrate the incredible women in our lives!

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Here We Go Loopt De Loopt

2010-05-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

www.loopt.com

"Here we go loop de loop, here we go loop de lie. Here we go loop de loop. All on a Saturday night."

So it's Saturday, you say. Ok, it's really Thursday, but by now you are already thinking about Saturday. Many of you are getting ready to make plans for the weekend, and you really are already thinking about Saturday night. And as you do, you should think about going Loopt'ing as you make your plans. Businesses - my question to you is: are you also Loopt'ing?

Loopt is yet another location-based social networking program that, like other programs we have studied previously, connects you with your friends to tell them where you are and your opinion on the business you are visiting. The biggest difference - and most valuable feature - is the Loopt "Pulse". The Pulse allows the user to search not only for places near him or her and see a quick view of what Loopt users think of the business, but more importantly, it allows the user to access a list of events in the community: baseball games, plays, concerts, specials, etc.

So like Foursquare and Gowalla, I can share my location with my friends, post pictures, and share my opinions. From that standpoint, it's not much different. Instead of a game; however, it functions more as a networking tool. The Pulse feature is what truly makes it stand out. If I am looking for something to do, not only does it give me locations in my area, but the events feature gives local business the ability to market to me by giving me options as to what I can do tonight: handy for the end-user and a great marketing opportunity for businesses. For example, in the "Pulse" section under "Events" was listed a baseball game, its start time, and location. By clicking on it, I was able to obtain additional information such as a route to the stadium, the stadium's website and phone number, and I was given the ability to check in to the event and share the event with my friends. Other events such as the local bar having a live music event this evening offered savings at the event by checking in via Loopt and then showing the checkin to the hostess.

Networking, event notification, and savings for the customer, easy marketing for a venue - that's about perfect no matter which way you look at it.

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

MediaPost's Social Media Users Go Mobile

2010-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Check out the article, "Social Media Users Go Mobile". Additional support for the fact that if you're not using social media to market your business, you're missing valuable opportunities!

Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.socialmediaandthepea.blogspot.com/.

Should 'Tweens Be On the Internet: Sing it, Bobby!

2010-05-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

www.babble.com

"Social" and "teen": two words that just seem to go together. "Social" and "'tween", well of course, 'tweens are social, but the question is: should they be on social networking sites? In a previous blog, we talked about the Facebook Panic Button that Great Britain was calling for to TRY and keep children safe from child predators online. Yesterday I posted an article from ABC's Good Morning America about a New Jersey Principal calling for the parents of 'tweens to get their children off of social networking sites in order to reduce incidents of bullying. The common thread? Youth. The real question, are 'tweens emotionally ready to be on the Internet?

I have family and friends with 'tweens on these sites. Ultimately the decision is up to the parents of these children as to whether they should be on there. If a parent determines a child can open an account, it is then the parent's responsibility to monitor it. Each child is different. Some are more mature than others. Some have a higher level of integrity. Some are great kids with fabulous boundaries and incredible decision making skills. Some could find trouble in a padded room with no windows and no sharp objects. Some kids could get in trouble while asleep. It's just the way the world is, and the parent who can hold the child's hand, has the ability to monitor email accounts, web searches, networking accounts, and make sure little Christopher or little Christine has his or her Twitter clothes on might have a child who can be on the Internet.

I would not want the responsibility. I have too many responsibilities. Taking additional time out to go through website after website to read comments, see what Billy or Johnny, Sue or Polly are looking at online, what was said, how it was said, what information is being given out, who it's being given to, etc. is much too much work. It is hard enough to keep a kid safe on your residential street, I would not want to keep a kid safe on the Information Super Highway. Eventually kids need to have the skills to use the Internet which really should come gradually, and it should be monitored. Always reminding him or her that with "great reward comes great responsibility". Trust and freedom need to be earned, and age does have a way of letting hormones and decision making skills mellow which certainly helps too. If you wouldn't want to let your child walk down the middle of a regular highway because the odds of something bad happening are high, then letting a child walk down the Information Super Highway probably has the same odds of something zooming by and hurting him or her there, too.

Remember that first time you got feedback that the email you sent out IN ALL CAPS WAS CONSIDERED YELLING, and you found out someone took offense? Or when you accidentally sent out an email to the wrong person or with an error, and you wished you could recall it, but by then it was too late? Or in 1992 when you got into an AOL chat room and pretended to be someone you weren't just to see if you could get away it? If we can find ourselves in plenty of trouble with the Internet, how can we not question if our kids can handle it?

Is your 'tween emotionally ready to deal with seeing something he or she shouldn't, or reading something negative about his or herself that is posted for everyone to see? Is he or she ready to deal with the fall-out that might happen if he or she posts something that hurts someone else? If your 'tween is ready for all of that, he or she must be more emotional mature than I am, and more than most of the people in the world, because realistically, none of us like dealing with drama, and we don't stop struggling with it as adults.

The fact is Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Loopt, even email can all seem innocent enough. You can talk to your best friend's daughter in elementary school, your second cousin twice removed who's in Jr. High, and your neighbor's cousin's uncle's sister's kid, and it might all be fine because you're an upstanding citizen with good intentions and appropriate boundaries, but not everyone out there is like you and sooner or later someone will be the wrong person who was intentionally on accident let into that child's life.

If you're the kind of person who gets upset over Facebook privacy settings being changed because you feel you are being exposed, then think about how your child is being exposed by being on the Internet. As the "wise" Bobby Brown would say, it really is your "prerogative (do what you want to do)." Just make sure - as your children are growing up in a society where their world is no longer confined to the neighborhood you live in - you make sure that "every little step" they take "you will be there".

Good Morning America's Article: NJ Middle School Principal Urges Facebook, MySpace Block

2010-05-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

New Jersey Middle School Principal Urges Facebook, MySpace Block

Tells Parents That Social Media Sites Are Bringing Emotional Pain to Their Kids

By STEVEN PORTNOY

April 29, 2010 —

A New Jersey public school principal has had enough of the harm -- from sexual predators or mean girls -- that can come to young teens on sites like Facebook and MySpace.
So Anthony Orsini, principal at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J., wants kids blocked from the sites at school and at home.
Orsini told "Good Morning America" today that the online taunting used to be limited to students in eighth grade or higher. Now he's seeing kids as young as fourth grade creating Facebook pages to bash a classmate.
"It's become meaner and meaner and they don't understand" the impact, he said. "They aren't socially and emotionally ready to understand."
He urged parents to make sure the computer is in a public space in the house and to keep an eye on their children's online habits.
"We see the times that things are posted on line -- 2:30 in the morning, 1:30 in the morning," he said. "Students are supposed to be asleep at that time."
"It is time for every single member of the B.F. community to take a stand!" Orsini urged parents this week via e-mail.
"There is absolutely, positively no reason for any middle school student to be a part of a social networking site!" Orsini wrote, calling on parents to prohibit their kids' access.
It's not so much the risk posed by adults that worries him, Orsini said. Rather, it's what children can do to one another in status updates, photo tags, and wall postings that's compelling him to act.
"It is not hyperbole for me to write that the pain caused by social networking sites is beyond significant," Orsini told parents.

Too Late to Bar Kids Facebook?

Critics suggest it may be too late to bar school kids from social network.
Ellen Galinsky, the president of the Families and Work Institute, which researches changes in the workplace and in family life, said Orsini is "right on" in believing that children can do harm to each other on social networking sites, but she believes it's "folly" to think that young teens can or should be prohibited from accessing them.
"[Social networking sites] are part of kids' culture," Galinsky said. "We've just got to be very strong about using them well."
Facebook said its service is only designed for children ages 13 and over, and that young users have "on every page" the ability to report inappropriate content.
"I actually think the responsibility is not just a Facebook responsibility, it's a community responsibility," Facebook spokesman Elliot Schrage said Wednesday.
Still, Orsini told ABC News that he and his fellow administrators -- along with the school's guidance counselors -- spend "a huge amount of time" dealing with the social and emotional problems that arise online.
These issues have "totally taken over," Orsini told ABC News. "It's overwhelming."
Sixth, seventh and eighth graders famously have difficulty dealing with new friendships, budding relationships, bullying and the other interpersonal dynamics of the physical world.
"They simply aren't psychologically ready" to handle these issues in cyberspace, Orsini said.
"It is not worth the risk to your child to allow them the independence at this age to manage these sites on their own," Orsini wrote to parents, "not because they are not good kids or responsible, but because you cannot control the poor actions of anonymous others."

Orsini: Middle Schoolers 'Simply Aren't Psychologically Ready'

Several children who have committed suicide in the midst of online torment have been of middle school age, including Megan Meier of Missouri and Ryan Halligan of Vermont. Both died at age 13.
In his e-mail, Orsini urged parents to install software to restrict and monitor the sites their children visit, and to check their kids' text messages.
"I will be more than happy to take the blame off you as a parent if it is too difficult to have the students close their accounts," Orsini wrote, "but it is time they all get closed and the texts always get checked."
ABC News' national correspondent, Jim Hickey, contributed to this report.