Why A Vigil To Remember A Tragedy?

Vigil according to Wikipedia is an outdoor assembly of people, held after sunset. The definition continues with it can be held in protest or in memory of lives lost to tragedy.

After the horrific plane crash that occured in Austin, Texas last week, a few of us decided to host a vigil tomorrow evening. Our goal is to remember those who lost their lives as well as to show those left behind and those affected by the event that we are here to support them.

It's both a sad and controversial disaster and the opinions abound on all sides.

I called Lani and Benn Rosales the day after the crash and told them how I thought that we as a social networking community should be the ones to step up and hold the vigil. Omar Gallaga, of the Austin American Statesman, is the one who put the idea in my head with his article titled, "Social media speeds up news-gathering in plane crash aftermath." (Steve Buttry posted a similar article dissecting how Twitter played a part in the event @statesman : A case study in using Twitter on breaking news)

For many people in Austin area, it was the first time since they'd joined the social networking community to experience the lightening fast speed that occurs when news travels via microblogging.

In January of 2008, when Twitter was a much smaller community many of us were affected by the death Ashley Spencer in Louisiana. People were chatting with her within the same hour that she died in a car wreck. Her Twitter stream went from vibrant and very alive to listless and dormant. Those of us who had become her virtual friends knew that Ashley was a new mom and looking forward to her military husband returning from overseas.

We grieved together online. Several people even traveled to her memorial service. It was shocking and sad and it moved us. An account where we could make monetary contributions was set up to be distributed to her surviving family.

This has obviously happened more than once over the years.

As a physical community it's easy to join together and grieve and be supportive of one another.

For those that are still new to online communities whether it's on Facebook or Twitter or other online sites it may seem weird at first to meet in person with the people that you only know in an online world.

For those of us who have been on Facebook or Twitter for a while it's actually quite normal. We love to get together for over coffee, to learn about new ideas over breakfast (Social Media Breakfast), to hang out in the evening over pizza (Social Media Club), to learn how how teachers teach in unconventional ways (Ignite Austin) or to come out and have a drink at a happy hour (Big Ass Twitter Happy Hour).

Attending those events are networking opportunities, fun times, and often times silliness abounds.

A vigil though? A vigil for a tragedy steeped in controversy started by a man who burned down his families home and killed another person, hospitalized people and traumitized countless others?

Yes. Sometimes we come together in a physical sense, take our relationships offline and share a quiet moment together. Tomorrow night we will do just that.

• If you Tweeted about the event
• If you sent an e-mail to others about the event
• If you cross-posted a story about the event on your Facebook page
• If you took a photo of the building and posted it to an online site

Then tomorrow's vigil is for you.

Join us and remember the tragedy of a husband lost, a family's home destroyed, a son who will never hear his military veteran father's laugh again.

Join us to show your neighbors who officed in the Echelon building and complex that you are here for them, to listen to them and to console them when they are awake for hours on end because of nightmares they have from being in the building.

Join us for a moment of silence at sunset on Research Boulevard in front of Manny Hattens in the large grassy area as we look across to the building as it stands a week after the Austin, Texas Plane Crash.

It's Much More Than Your Sammich

For those that haven't yet tried Twitter or Facebook there seems to be a common thread of reasons such as:

Reason: I don't care what others ate . . . Reality: they think that all Twitter is about is posting what you ate last

Reason: I don't care to be found by classsmates . . . Reality: they think that classmates still suck or they're afraid to let them know they've either finally made it or are still searching for what will make them feel like they've made
it

Reason: I'm too busy to keep up with all those online things . . . Reality: they have no
idea how fast and easy it is to connect online

I ran across Laura Thomas' post and it really hit home. I agree that for me hanging out on social networks has allowed my world to expand exponentially both in a knowledge aspect as well as a connection one. I treasure the contacts I've made. I get a rush from the new things I learn everyday.

Thank you, Laura for your introduction of Austin Kleon!

Sure, I Can Help

So many folks that I speak with seem to be amazed at how and why I connect in the social networking world of places like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Plurk. Often times they get the fact that one of the hats I wear is that of a recruiter and I simply don't know where my next great hire may be lurking. They understand I want to be ready and have figured out that networking is a means to an end.

This week, however, I think I have had a chance to really make one of my connections become real in a different sense.

Through my connections I’ve made on Twitter and face-to-face connections I met at SXSW interactive earlier this year, I received a desperate call earlier this week from Jane Quiqley, one of our past Friday Morning Live speakers at Bulldog Solutions, asking if I could go and help “run” an event here in Austin that’s being broadcast to another convention in San Francisco tomorrow.

Two conferences: http://www.netrootsnation.org/ and http://www.blogher.com/blogher_conference/conf

and one of my coworkers and I will be there to make sure they connect via http://www.oovoo.com/.

This is the panel in particular: http://www.netrootsnation.org/node/867

And today’s New York Times article on the event: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/us/politics/16web-seelye.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I think it’s pretty nifty that some of my online connections feel good enough about me that they trust me and our team to help them when they're in a pinch. Good stuff.

Why Social Media Matters

Within the last six months I've developed an affinity for online social media and networking. I know that it honestly drives some of my colleagues nuts. Good thing I have a slew of friends on Twitter that share in my passion and my desire to spread the works of my new love.

Mostly people want to know what they'll get from using sites like Twitter or Facebook. I think many people have come to realize that MySpace tends to be a fun place and with LinkedIn is easy to see the business connections and networking. But Twitter? Facebook? And seriously, why would anyone over the age of 15 want to join any of these or even Second Life for that matter?

And a few weeks ago everything changed. Twitter suddenly mattered. Twitter mattered to Susan Reynolds and the host of friends that follower her Twitter posts and blog and artwork. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In addition to being an avid Twitter poster and artist, Susan dabbles in other fun things like Second Life and various other social media. Susan is not 15. Susan is way past 15 and I'm sure she doesn't mind me saying so.

Susan has become our friend, our sister, our confidant, our playmate.

And Twitter rallied.

Many people who call Twitter one of their social networking sites of choice decided to make a stand against cancer by creating a site and a movement based on one of Susan's postings about frozen peas. Frozen Pea Friday began last Friday on the Frozen Pea Fund site and all money raised each Friday goes to the American Cancer Society's initiative Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

I had already had the opportunity to participate in November in the Austin Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and personally raised over $200 in donations, one donation actually came from a Twitter friend of mine. Around the same time I followed others on Twitter also participating in Race for the Cures around the U.S. So, the thought that the good people of Twitter would create such an effort for one of our own really didn't surprise me.

But what it should prove is the power of online social networking.

Any more questions?

Networking Schmetworking

Network, social network, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. . . Geesh, where's a person to go?

Is online social networking just as powerful as face-to-face networking?

Where are you spending more of your time - online or face-to-face?

What do you find more valuable?

Before the creation of online social networking were you a good face-to-face networker?

Has online social networking helped you become a better face-to-face networker?

In Austin there are so many groups to network with it simply depends on where you want to network and I have to imagine in larger organizations there's even more networking going on.

All questions on my mind today. Looking forward to seeing YOUR answers.

Would You Believe I'm in the Old Category?

(Photo: ABC News)

Okay, maybe not the old category, but definitely in the 30+ category. The reality is I hit the 40s group back in September and goodness I don't feel that old. Even fifty's beginning to look younger.

A few weeks ago, Sarah Lindner of the Austin American Statesman newspaper read one of my blog posts and sent me a note to see if I might be interested in her interviewing me for a story she was writing about Facebook users over the age of 30. I told her that I'd love to be included.

Her story was published today, Facebook for thirtysomethings, it helps those of us that haven't started an online persona gain a better understanding of its uses, benefits and reasons to be on such a site.

It's not that I think everyone of us should be on MySpace and Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter, but for me, especially as the recruiter part of me, being involved on these and other social networking sites is a super advantage to my career. For others it may simply be a way of connecting with people of like interests and learning from their new network of friends. Most of all it's learning how to begin conversations.

Chris Brogan, a friend I connected with first on Facebook, introduced me to Twitter is the King of Conversations. He's a huge proponent of social communities and the benefits of getting to know each other on a personal level - beyond simply wanting to connect with someone that may be of benefit to you on either a personal or professional level.

I like to think that I subscribe to Chris' philosophies on social networking and that beyond my trying to help others with their careers and help me learn from their knowledge of the things that interest me that I am adding to my connections lives in a positive way.

So, get out there, find a site that works for you and begin your own conversations. You'll be amazed at your results.

Tweet Reasons on Why You Should Twitter

Part of our corporate intiative of late is to encourage our employees at Bulldog Solutions in Austin, Texas, to become more involved in Social Media and Networking and step beyond our city limits. We see it as a win-win both for them as individuals and obviously from a corporate standing as well. It simply makes sense to connect, to learn, to share.

On Twitter this evening, I found a post from Connie Reece to Sheila Scarborough. I briefly met Connie a few weekends ago down at Blogtoberfest down in San Marcos. We're connected on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. I've never connected with Sheila before, but after I finish posting this I'll add her to those I follow on Twitter and see where else we can connect.

Sheila posted a great article on ProBlogger today on why Twitter isn't a waste of time and included a great graphic of when other social media outlets showed up in our history and how they worked along with why you would use them. She notes, just as many of my friends ponder:

As a freelance writer/entrepreneur in her mid-forties, married with two kids, it’s hard to justify fitting one more thing into my life. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all of the available social media options; Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, StumbleUpon, etc.

So, why Twitter?

Think of it as a stream of mini blog posts (and we all know why blogging isn’t a waste of time.) Think of it as an interesting news feed. Don’t judge it by the continuously-updated public timeline of often pointless blather. The value is in your own micro-community of followers and who you choose to follow.

Great point and great commentary. If you're still trying to figure out where you fit into this new mix, check out the full article of: "Why Twitter Isn't a Waste of Time."

It's a Small World Afterall

It really is. It's especially small the more time you spend online. In case your not in the know it's called Social Media. It's connecting interests and genres and all sorts of things and quite simply making this huge world of ours smaller.

While I'm not amazed to the point of falling over in awe, I am amazed daily as I find more and more of my friends are of the virtual sort. We may have met briefly at some point or we may have met on line through friends of friends or we may have accidently bumped into each other on Twitter or Facebook or MySpace. However we connected, the fact of the matter is we connected. And most of these friends and I chat in our pajamas for goodness sake.

I like to think that I use my social network first and foremost for business connections. Since I'm the HR Manager / Recruiter for one of Central Texas' fastest growing companies, Bulldog Solutions, I'm always on the look out for our next potential hire.

But secondarily, I find myself using my network for socializing and peering into lives whether near or far.

This weekend I putzed around the house, but was also doing searches for a friend's project up in Boston. Laura Athavale Fitton and a slew of folks were taking part in Startup Weekend Boston where they created from scratch a company, DeskHappy and I believe will be launching its beta version before the night's over.

As I played around with that this evening I was also able to stay up to date on the Boston Redsox and I'm so not a sports watcher.

And all of this is what makes me think, yet again, how small our world has become.

Not that young any more

Okay, I knew making a one day trek from Round Rock to Dallas was going to be tough especially after getting in late the night before and it was. I'm thoroughly exhausted and thinking of the mundane things around the house I should be doing. Surely at one point today I'll be able to focus on those, but I bet there will be a nap in their somewhere.

Up until now though I've been surfing Twitter, Facebook and MySpace adding friends and making comments all the while clicking through programs that I've missed recently, but recorded on my digital recorder. This new world fascinates me. Almost real time communication with people from around the world. Technology is amazing. 10 years ago most of us would have never thought that a world like this existed and technology advances exponentially every day. What will 2017 be like? Gracious.

Yep, feel that nap calling my name.

E-mail is so passe!

Digital kids

Kids say e-mail is, like, soooo dead

By Stefanie OlsenStaff Writer, CNET News.comPublished: July 18, 2006 4:00 AM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO--The future of e-mail might be found on the pages of MySpace.com and Facebook.

Just ask a group of teen Internet entrepreneurs, who readily admit that traditional e-mail's more suited for keeping up professional relationships or communicating with adults.

"I only use e-mail for my business and to get sponsors," Martina Butler, the host of the teen podcast Emo Girl Talk, said during a panel discussion here at the Mashup 2007 conference, which is focused on the technology generation. With friends, Bulter said she only sends notes via a social network.

"Sometimes I say I e-mailed you, but I mean I Myspace'd or Facebook'ed you," she said.

To be sure, much has been written about the demise of e-mail, given the annoyance of spam and the rise of tools like instant messaging, voice over IP and text messaging. But e-mail has hung on to its utility in office environments and at home, even if it's given up some ground to new challengers. It may be that social networks are the most potent new rival to e-mail, one of the Internet's oldest forms of communication. With tens of millions of members on their respective networks, MySpace and Facebook can wield great influence over a generation living online, either through the cell phone or the Internet.

To read the rest of the article go here: http://news.com.com/Kids+say+e-mail+is%2C+like%2C+soooo+dead/2009-1032-6197242.html?part=dht&tag=nl.e703