Government gets it right (OMG!)
It’s official now! http://m.techvibes.com/blog/twitter-has-just-changed-canadian-politics-forever-2012-01-13
As I was flipping through this week’s issue of Maclean’s magazine yesterday morning, I came upon a paragraph in the “Good News” section that the Feds plan to repeal a section of our Elections Act that makes the transmission of election results before all polls close illegal.
I think this is great. No more worrying if the tweet you send on election day will get you thrown in jail or if your Facebook post will net you a fine. Maybe this will encourage people out West to get out and vote! Oh, the PCs are winning in the east? I still have an hour until my poll closes, I better go vote for the other guy! Maybe if we know we can actually make a real change to a stagnant and stale governing body (as they all eventually become), we can finally break through the wall of voter turnout that is continually in the mid-60% range.
What do you think? Do you believe that announcing results as they come in will make for higher voter turnout?
January 26, 2012 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: election, Facebook, government, Maclean's, social media, Twitter, vote | 1 Comment »
Persistence in social media
Sometimes I often wonder if people (brands and organizations) really listen to what customers have to say about them on the various social media platforms. How persistent do you really have to be to be heard, and when do you cross the line to “the crazy lady who keeps asking us/complaining about X”?
Since social media is meant to be instant, do you keep hounding an organization until they respond? And if they do respond, do you keep bugging them if you don’t get an answer you like?
I’ve been on both sides of the fence on this one – the customer and the organization. I love it that some brands are so helpful online (WestJet is a great example), and I get frustrated when I feel like my complaints are not heard (hello, company who runs the transit system where I live). But, when I have my work hat on, and someone is reaching out to us about the same thing over and over again, even though we have already provided an answer to their question, I start to wonder when we can just ignore them…
Yes, I know, play the devil’s advocate and put myself in the customer’s shoes. But really, if you’ve asked something, and gotten a response, why keep asking the same question? To me, it just starts to sound like the five-year-old kid asking “Why?”
(sorry for no photo with this post, I wrote it on my BlackBerry)
January 25, 2012 | Categories: Communication, Social Media | Tags: complaints, customer, listening, social media, WestJet | Leave A Comment »
“It gets better”
Part 5 in the Globe and Mail’s #yearinhashtags examines the “It gets better” campaign on YouTube.
The link to the article is here (sorry for the long link, I’m writing this from my BlackBerry): http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/for-gay-teens-words-of-understanding-and-support-on-youtube/article2281708/?service=mobile
December 23, 2011 | Categories: Social Causes, Social Media | Tags: community, gay, Globe & Mail, It gets better, social media, YouTube | Leave A Comment »
Going crazy for #Occupy
Part 4 of the Globe & Mail’s review of the #yearinhashtags. Today, an examination of the Canadians who started the whole #Occupy fad (I’ll bet you didn’t know it was started by Canadians!).
Click here to read the article.
December 22, 2011 | Categories: Community, Engagement, Social Media | Tags: change, community, engagement, Globe and Mail, Occupy, participate, protests, social media, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
That’s Officer Twitter to you
Part 3 in the Globe & Mail’s #yearinhashtags project: Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riots. The power of social media to prosecute (or not) and to gather people together to help rebuild.
(This is also my 100th post! Yay!)
December 21, 2011 | Categories: Community, Engagement, Social Media | Tags: Canuks, community, engagement, Globe and Mail, riots, social media, Stanley Cup, Vancouver | Leave A Comment »
Winning!
Part 2 in the Globe & Mail’s review of #theyearinhashtags. Today they examine Charlie Sheen. From #winning to #tigerblood, even McDonalds and American Red Cross tried to ride his wave of social media stardom.
December 20, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: branding, Charlie Sheen, engagement, Globe and Mail, social media, Twitter, winning | Leave A Comment »
“I am not a hero. I only use the keyboard.”
A review of the power of social media from around the world in 2011, courtesy The Globe & Mail.
Part 1: After one man’s protest, a global torrent of message saw dictators fall
December 19, 2011 | Categories: Community, Social Causes, Social Media | Tags: Arab Spring, community, engagement, Globe and Mail, participate, protest, social media, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
Murdered over a social media post
I saw this article the other day in the Globe & Mail, and was shocked by it. Can you imagine being murdered over something you posted on Facebook?
Sure, you’ve probably been really angry when your BFF posted that drunk picture of you at your work holiday party, or when your mother shared a photo of you, naked in the bathtub when you were 3 with all of your Flickr friends, but you probably didn’t retaliate in a violent way. Did anyone ever think they could be killed over something they posted online…or for that matter, for being a good citizen and trying to help your community?
As I was reading the article, I thought about the recent riots in Vancouver and London. If you were a witness to the events, and you posted a picture or a tweet, aimed at the local authorities, which could potentially result in someone being arrested and/or charged, would you fear retaliation? Would you think twice about it? Or would you think to yourself “I need to share this because I’m doing what’s right for my community, and justice needs to be served”? Will you think twice about it now?
We share a lot with each other and with strangers in this 24-7, interconnected social world, and everyone has a voice if they want it. Do we need to live in fear that something we post, something that could help better our lives and our communities, result in our own death?
September 26, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: community, Globe and Mail, murder, social media, thoughts | Leave A Comment »
Social media rallies the troops…again
courtesy www.golddustfarms.com
London is burning. Ok, maybe not all of London, but there is some pretty serious rioting happening in a section of London. And, like the recent hockey riots in Vancouver, social media is being used to rally citizens to come together and clean up their community. Once again, I’m in awe of the power of social media. It seems as soon as the first round of riots in London was winding down for the night, Facebook and Twitter were mobilizing the troops, sounding the horn, and getting all those with a heart ready to get together to start the cleaning process.
Social media really enhances the a person’s sense of community, even if you don’t know the name of your next-door neighbour. By joining together for the same cause online, people are becoming encourage to join the cause in reality. To stand up for what they believe in. Social media has given the nice guy a voice, rallying all the nice guys together for a cause, to show the world that someone out there really does care.
August 9, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: community, engagement, London, participate, social media, Vancouver | 1 Comment »
Social Media and the Stanley Cup Final
Did you see the Vancouver Canucks win the Stanley Cup last night?…
Wait, that didn’t happen. The Boston Bruins won (congrats Boston! You played a great series), and Vancouver fans, as good Canadian hockey fans, were not happy at all.
The booing started inside Rogers Arena, and when the 18,000+ fans spilled onto the streets after the Cup was hoisted by the boys in black and gold, the trouble began.
According to my Twitter feed, it started with a car that was flipped and then caught on fire. Then another one. I don’t have a huge following on Twitter, so my Timeline isn’t all that extensive, but the tweets, retweets, photos and comments started pouring in.
The funny part – the news outlets were the slowest to report anything. It seemed like at least 15 minutes after the first car was on fire that a news outlet was finally posting about it. Sure, they need to check their sources, but do they not have anyone reliable on their social media feeds that they can trust in a situation like that?
It still amazes me the speed at which news flies around the social media world. 17 years ago (the last time there were riots in Vancouver because they didn’t win the Cup), I’m sure everyone’s TVs were tuned to CBC for full coverage, which was probable very delayed. Heck, last night the CBC were still playing a bit of catch up, and their studio looks out over the main area where the car fires and idiocy started!
So, as the Vancouver Police Department scour Facebook pages today of people stupid enough to post photos of themselves and their friends taking part in the riots, I am somewhat thankful for the instant news feed social media has provided to us. And I am not so proud to call myself Canadian after the classless acts of a few Vancouverites last night.
June 16, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: CBC, Facebook, hockey, riots, social media, Twitter, Vancouver | 2 Comments »
Social Media and International Conflict
I found this very interesting article in The Globe and Mail today titled “How social media users are helping NATO fight Gadhafi in Libya.” I found it extremely interesting, and simply amazing that someone 5000 miles away can help an international organization like NATO fight the baddies.
I often forget the power of the internet, especially since the invent of Google Maps, Streetview and Google Earth, as well as publicly available satellite images. You can see pretty much anything that’s going on in a neighbourhood at a given time. I do wonder how long social media will be a useful tool in war, since it is a public forum for all to see (for the most part). If you post the coordinates of what you think could be a terrorist stronghold on the Twitter feed of the good guys, the bad guys could potentially see it as well and prepare themselves.
All that aside though, don’t you think it is amazing? Do you wonder, like I do, when the way we fight wars will drastically change because of the advances of technology and social media? Will the be any place for the baddies to hide anymore?
June 14, 2011 | Categories: Social Media, Technology | Tags: Globe and Mail, social media, technology, war | 2 Comments »
Social Media the saviour for live TV
Let’s take a quick poll…how many of you have a PVR? Ok, now how many of you record shows to watch them later and skip through the commercials? Great. Now how many of you still watch “live” TV…as in you turn on a show as it is actually broadcast, including commercials? Probably more of you than you think.
I’ll admit, we record most of our favourite TV shows. Mostly so we won’t miss them, because we can never guarantee that we will be home at the time that our shows are on. But a surprising amount of Canadians are tuning in, on schedule to watch their shows…and social media seems to be a big player in that. People watching their favourite hospital drama will tune in, and tweet, comment on Facebook, text, blog and so on about the show, while they are watching it. It’s no different from when I was a teenager and would talk on the phone with a girl friend while watching our favourite cheesy teenage drama (original 90210 anyone??). It’s really nothing new, it’s just that the technology has changed. People will continue to talk about TV shows as they are watching them, no matter what method they are using. It’s like the annoying kid who talks through all the good parts of a movie. You’ll never get away from it. In fact, it is what could probably save our traditional sources of media as we move into the future.
Check out the Globe & Mail article that was the inspiration for this post.
April 29, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: engagement, Globe and Mail, participate, social, TV | Leave A Comment »
Posting Terrorism Threats on Facebook, Twitter
The US Government is playing with the idea of using Facebook and Twitter to keep its citizens informed of terrorism threats. They also say that if posting the warnings will further enhance those threats, or risk exposing security intelligence or investigations, they won’t do it.
So why bother at all? Are they going to restrict the postings to only their friends or followers? Until you’re screened by the account keeper for Twitter and FB, you won’t be able to see the threats? And really, is it that important for Average American Joe to know what the current threat level? If he doesn’t find out about it until the 11pm news, will he be worse off? Wouldn’t all increases in the threat level compromise “top-secret” investigations the Department of Homeland Security is undertaking? Why do I feel like there will be one post, a huge security breach of leaked information, and then the accounts go quiet?..
April 7, 2011 | Categories: Communication, Social Media | Tags: Facebook, Globe and Mail, social media, terrorism, Twitter, US Government | 3 Comments »
Tweeting tweeter
Today, I caved under pressure. I joined Twitter. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile…I mean c’mon, who wouldn’t want to follow Charlie Sheen or Justin Bieber? But after a conversation over beer with a couple of co-workers last night, I was finally convinced. Especially after the feedback “You’re in communications and you’re not on Twitter?!?” I’m still not sure I get the point, but I did it. I’m sure something great will come out of it…or I just have another distraction for me on my BlackBerry.
If you want to follow me, I am A2_AliAbel.
Tweet tweet!
March 11, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: communications, Twitter, work | Leave A Comment »
Regional Accents Heard on Twitter
Now I really wonder when our “text” language will end up in the Oxford Dictionary and accepted as the social norm…
Twitter users tweet messages with regional dialects, using “suttin” for “something” if they are New Yorkers and “sumthin” if they are not, a new study found.
The social media site is displaying new dialects because it is such a conversational form of writing, according to the Carnegie Mellon University study to be presented on Tuesday to the Linguistic Society of America meeting in Pittsburgh.
On Twitter, users send or tweet messages no more than 140 characters long and often abbreviate to accommodate the short, quick format.
“Written communication often is less reflective of regional influences because writing, even in blogs, tends to be formal, and thus homogenized,” the study team said in a statement.
The study found Twitter users in southern California might tweet “coo” for “cool,” while those in northern California are more likely to write “koo,” it found.
The word “very” is often expressed as “OD” in New York and “hella” in northern California, the study found.
The word “you” is often “uu” in New York but a single ‘u’ elsewhere, it said. Twitter users in large cities are more likely to use ‘yu’ than those in rural or suburban areas.
The study looked at 380,000 tweets by 9,500 users who wrote at least 20 messages via cell phone over a week in March 2010.
Regional dialects may be present on Facebook and other social media, but those are more private and less easily studied, said Jacob Eisenstein, who led the study.
The differences in regional expression allowed researchers to predict the location of a user in the United States within about 300 miles, Eisenstein said.
January 11, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: Calgary Herald, social media, Twitter | 5 Comments »
Like This Book
One of the people I follow on Facebook, Danny Brown, posted a link to this on his Facebook status – Like This Book. Basically, it allows you to put all your Facebook statuses and pictures from 2010 into an actual book, printed and everything, for you to keep forever. Seriously, who would pay at least $15 US to immortalize their 2010 Facebook lives for ever? Who really cares? I guess if you’re self-centered enough, you may want to publish your Facebook life, and give it as birthday and Christmas gifts to all of your friends. I would be really interested to find out how well the sales are of this novelty item in one year. But isn’t the point of social media to be…”social”? If you publish it in a book, it’s not really that social anymore.
January 2, 2011 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: book, Facebook, social media | 1 Comment »
Tweet and he shall come
You’ve probably heard the story by now – the mayor of Newark, NJ, tweeting to his residents about the recent snowstorm, and reversely, allowing his citizens to tweet him locations where they couldn’t get out of their driveways because of all the snow. (If you haven’t heard about it, you can read the Time article here.)
Personally, I think Mayor Cory Booker is a genius. He went to the people, and the people came to him. He heard their cries, and responded, even shovelling snow from people’s driveways himself! He didn’t just use social media to link to the weather channel or the news networks reporting on the storm; he went to the front lines and did the reporting. It’s a complete game-changer, and hopefully more city officials across North America jump on board and start their own stream of citizen journalism, to keep their people informed, current, and happy (I’m looking at you Mayor Nenshi).
December 30, 2010 | Categories: Politics, Social Media | Tags: citizen, journalism, mayor, Nenshi, news, social | 1 Comment »
Social Media in the Court Room?
I stumbled across this story while browsing my Time magazine app on my BlackBerry the other day. It’s about the question of whether Twitter should have a place in the court room. My thoughts – yes, but it needs to be monitored somehow. I figure if they can allow Facebook posts and status updates as evidence in a court room, reporters should be allowed to tweet the proceeding, as long as they are still following the same laws/rules/regulations that are in place today (hence the need for monitoring it).
As our world becomes more “social” and plugged in, our institutions need to stay up to speed with the technology and how society is using it. The average citizen doesn’t just walk in to a court room on a random day to follow proceeding anymore; we need to be open and accessible to the people, and adapt to all the ways people are accessing that information.
So yes, allow social media in courts, but there needs to be a monitoring system set up before it gets out of hand.
December 24, 2010 | Categories: Media, Social Media | Tags: accessible, BlackBerry, court, Facebook, monitor, regulations, reporter, social media, Time Magazine, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
HMU?
Apparently, the big trend on Facebook in 2010 was the term ”HMU” which means “hit me up.” I consider myself to be pretty up to speed on these sorts of things, and would have at least heard of this at least once in the past year. However, I first heard of this today, thanks to The Globe and Mail. How is something a top trend, when so many people haven’t even heard of it? Is it the 74-year-old grandparents that are using it?
December 16, 2010 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: Facebook, Fast Company, Globe and Mail | 1 Comment »
Teachers and Facebook
I just saw an article in the Calgary Herald from this morning, talking about whether or not teachers should be using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with their students outside of school hours. After I had a good chuckle about the girl who said all her teachers are awesome, so she wouldn’t mind being friends with them on Facebook, I had another thought.
I think this is a brilliant idea! I’m not saying that teachers should be using these sites to “spy” on their students, but to set up a Facebook group for your class, or a class stream on Twitter, where students can collaborate on assignments, and teachers are able to mediate the conversation.
There is no point in denying that social media is the way people are communicating with each other, so why not embrace the technologies and use them to help educate students? Why not educate students on the benefits and drawbacks of social media, and help them to use it in the best and most effective ways possible? Teachers should be using all tools available to them, going where their students are going, because we know that these kids are spending hundreds of hours each year on social media sites. If we can help educate them at the same time, why wouldn’t we do it??
December 6, 2010 | Categories: Social Media | Tags: Calgary Herald, communicate, education, Facebook, participate, social, student, teacher, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
