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 »
Every year, starting on Boxing Day, Canada rests its hopes and dreams on 23 teenagers, to defend our pride and our country in the World Junior Hockey Championships. When the tournament is held in Canada, we seem to have even bigger expectations of these kids.
Tonight, Team Canada lost in the semi-finals to Russia. The team that beat us last year in the final game, destroying our hopes, once again, of being the best of the best in Junior-level hockey around the globe.
All across Twitter and Facebook, posts were flying about how we couldn’t have won after the crappy second period and all the penalties Canada took. But these boys pulled their shit together in the third period to come back from a 6-1 deficit, scoring 4 goals in the third, eventually losing 6-5. It was a nailbiter of a game. My heart was racing, and at times, it was difficult to watch. But what surprised me the most is the lack of support fellow Canadians were giving these kids when the going got tough, only to jump on the bandwagon again once that third goal was scored.
It’s easy to be tough and to know everything when you’re watching the game from your couch, tweeting advice and displaying your coaching skills on Facebook. But what were you doing when you were 17? Worrying about your diploma exam at the end of the month, and who you were going to go to prom with.
These boys put everything they had on the line for our Canadian pride, and we need to support them. Sure, we won’t be playing Sweden for gold on Thursday, but what’s so bad about playing Finland for bronze? These kids have done what the majority of Canadians will never do or experience – they have held the hopes, dreams, pride, and patriotism of all Canadians on their shoulders since December 26. It’s our responsibility to support them all the way, no matter what the outcome.
As Washington Capitals star (and former Russian Junior team member) Alex Ovechkin said in a tweet after the game “it’s just hockey.”
courtesty www.thestar.com
January 3, 2012 | Categories: Hockey, Reality TV | Tags: Canada, Facebook, hockey, Ovechkin, patriotism, pride, Twitter, World Junior Championship | 1 Comment »
Steve Jobs passed away today, succumbing to a rare form of pancreatic cancer. I saw the news on my Facebook news feed first, and thought “oh well.” He is currently trending on Twitter (and probably will for the next 24 hours, at least), and I’m still not interested.
You see, I never got absorbed in the Apple/iXXXX world. I had an iPod Nano for about a year. Then the battery crapped out and I never went back. I never found a good reason to switch to an operating system that wasn’t always compatible with businesses I was dealing with, I couldn’t use the music in other programs easily (if at all)…and then there’s the whole not-compatible-with-Flash thing. I mean, really? Really. I never did, and never will, understand the hype.
I know millions of people think Steve Jobs was a genius, and yes he was. He made millions of dollars by sucking people in to a cult-like following, revolving around words following the letter “i”. But as I sit here, writing out this post on my BlackBerry, I still don’t see what the big deal is.
So Steve Jobs has passed. It’s sad, sure. But the world will still spin, the sun will still rise tomorrow, and some new genius will come along and brainwash people with the next big thing very soon.
October 5, 2011 | Categories: Branding, Technology | Tags: Apple, BlackBerry, Facebook, iPod, Steve Jobs, technology, trending, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been nagging myself to write another post for my faithful followers. And every day, as bedtime draws near, I think to myself “oh well, maybe tomorrow.” But then the same thing would happen the next day, and the day after that…
I’m not here to apologize for being absent from my blog. The thing is, I haven’t had anything worthwhile to stay. And if I want you, my faithful followers, to keep coming back, I want to be able to provide something interesting and meaningful for you to read!
That’s the great thing about social media - it’s organic. Living by an editorial calendar for your blog posts, tweets or Facebook updates isn’t productive. You won’t create great content if you are forcing yourself to do it. And lately I haven’t had anything to write about, so why force myself to do it? So you can read a mediocre post and think “man, this chick is losing her touch…”
So here I am with no apologies. Reminding myself that social media needs to grow on it’s own. There may be droughts (seen my Twitter feed lately? Not saying much there either), and there may be periods of abundant growth. Just don’t force yourself to do it because you should. Do it because you want to.
July 5, 2011 | Categories: Communication | Tags: blog, desire, Facebook, growth, need, organic, social media, Twitter | 1 Comment »
My sister Jen posted this on Facebook following the Vancouver riots which took place last Wednesday. It sort of makes you think about why it all happened. Thanks Jen for letting me post this here and sharing it with all my readers!
Some thoughts on last night, and why.
Why?
Because the Canucks lost.
Because it would have happened if the Canucks won anyway, to some degree.
Because June is too late to be playing hockey.
Because the success of the Olympics made us complacent.
Because nothing had mattered in this city for weeks except hockey.
Because professional sports foster an us-and-them mentality.
Because 100,000 people is just a little more than a party.
Because the Granville “Entertainment District” is sketchy, at best.
Because the media kept asking “will there be riots?”
Because the media keeps calling them protesters and anarchists.
Because the cops couldn’t have won, no matter what happened.
Because the cops are young men too.
Because security gave up on confiscating alcohol.
Because of flimsy blue fences.
Because drinking yourself stupid is really Canada’s national pastime.
Because of advertising.
Because of the myth of youth.
Because you need a cool Facebook pic.
Because of the Internet.
Because of cellphones.
Because of social media.
Because all your friends were doing it.
Because there are so many luxury cars in this town.
Because having everything doesn’t mean having everything.
Because of nannies.
Because of strollers until you’re 5.
Because of playdates.
Because there’s no more playing until the streetlights come on.
Because we have no true coming-of-age rituals.
Because we have no true public festivals.
Because we have no true public institutions.
Because phys. ed. isn’t mandatory.
Because the future is more of the same.
Because your vote doesn’t matter.
Because of suburbia.
Because there’s no connection with nature.
Because there’s no connection with the world.
Because this is a city of contradictions.
Because life’s a beach, and then you die.
Because adolescence starts at 8.
Because adolescence ends at…
Because spectacle overrules real experience.
Because.
June 20, 2011 | Categories: Community, Politics, Social Causes | Tags: advertising, because, community, engagement, Facebook, hockey, riots, thoughts, Twitter, Vancouver, why? | 3 Comments »
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 »
The Society for New Communication and Middleberg Communications announced the results of their 3rd annual “Survey of Media in the Wired World” today, and some of their findings may cause PR practitioners to stop and think (and possibly) reevaluate how we are communicating with the media. The survey (you can read the full press release here) found that while 75% of reporters use Facebook as a tool to assist them with reporting, along with 69% using Twitter for the same reason, 54% of journalists still prefer to receive information via email, and 34% prefer a phone call.
I’m not sure if I’m really surprised by these findings. Many people are still skeptical about the accuracy and truthfulness of social media, and when your job is to report on the facts, you want to ensure that your information is correct. Social media can be an effective way for journalists to track stories and issues, but a large portion still want to get the basic information straight from the horse’s mouth.
So, with this information, will you change how you communicate with reporters?
May 10, 2011 | Categories: Media | Tags: Facebook, journalists, Middleberg Communications, public relations, reporters, social media, Society for New Communication, strategy, survey, Twitter | Leave A Comment »
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 »
Have you ever stopped to think about how big the Internet is? Are you like me, and for some reason you thought its size was infinite, and nothing could hold it back? Well, we were both wrong. The internet has actually outgrown its current home, and like a family with a lot of kids, it’s moving to a new home.
Don’t worry, the world of the internet won’t stop, you’ll still be able to access all of the Facebooks, Googles, blogs (thank you!) and email sites out there, but we may have to adapt a little bit in how we get there. It’s really just a few more numbers added on to an IP address. But were you like me when you heard the news, and were a little shocked? I seriously thought there was no limit to the internet as we know it today. Oh well, I can’t be right all the time.
February 5, 2011 | Categories: Technology | Tags: Facebook, Globe and Mail, internet, technology | 2 Comments »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Yesterday, I received some mail from Air Miles. Inside were some coupons and offers from different Air Miles sponsors, including Safeway. I shop at Safeway once a week, and yes, I often buy the same items week after week. In my Air Miles package of coupons and offers, were 6 or 7 coupons to receive bonus Air Miles when I purchase certain items. All of these items were items I purchase week after week after week.
I looked at it, and quickly thought “wow, that is really creepy!” I know retailers have been able to track my purchases for years. We see it on Facebook with the ads on the right targeted to the items we have listed in our profiles. We see it in the junk mail we receive because we are on someones mailing list. But it never really hit me until yesterday when I looked at those coupons for my most commonly purchased items.
As a normal Jane Doe, I probably wouldn’t think twice about it. I would look at those coupons and say “great! I purchase these items ever week, and this week I will get some bonus Air Miles for purchasing them again!” But since I have started at my new job, I have learned about a project we are doing that will do the exact same thing for our customers. You buy a book a Chapters, we will know and we will be able to provide offers for similar items in the future. You have 3 kids who like to play hockey? We’ll send you discount offers on hockey tickets.
I don’t know about you, but it makes me stop and think about how much information is really out there about me. How much do I want to share with the rest of the world on social media sites (a little hypocritical I know, since I just started blogging and it gets posted to my Facebook page when I’m done…) How much to companies and corporations really have a right to know about me? True, it’s all about helping companies make more money, but it freaks me out a little bit…
November 19, 2010 | Categories: Branding, Engagement | Tags: Big Brother, branding, engagement, Facebook, participate, personalization, shopping, tracking | 1 Comment »
I’m sure you saw it: The Gap revealed a re-design of their logo. Their was outcry (over 2000 comments on the company’s Facebook page). And now they have gone back to their original logo. I wonder if people would have stopped shopping at The Gap just because they changed their logo? Would the world have decided that white t-shirts and kakhi pants were no longer the ultimate uniform, because their favourite clothing company changed their logo? I doubt it…
(Read the Globe & Mail article here)
October 12, 2010 | Categories: Branding | Tags: branding, Facebook, Gap, Globe and Mail | 1 Comment »
I stumbled on this article in the Globe and Mail yesterday, about autism charities around the world asking people to disconnect for one day – basically, no Facebook, no Twitter – so that people can experience the difficulties autistic people face communicating socially. My first thought? Is our society that bad that people can’t live without Facebook or Twitter, or for that matter, logging on to a computer at all, for ONE DAY?!? Has it seriously gotten to the point where we can’t talk to each other face-to-face for one day?
I’m sure some of you have heard my complaints about one of the on-line tools we use at work, where people can give kudos, ask for feedback, get coaching from a peer. It boggles my mind that in a major communications company, we can’t even provide feedback in person, or walk up to someone and give them a pat on the back and say “nice job Bob!” If we can’t do that, how can we expect the world to abandon Facebook or Twitter for a day? It’s a sad state of affairs, if you ask me. Personally, I love it when I don’t have access to a computer. To be able to disconnect for a day is great. It gives you the chance to focus on the real world around you every once in a while. To remember that we are social beings, that we require human interaction, not through a poke, tweet, or status update.
I’m all for raising awareness about autism, breast cancer, or whatever, but I’m sure there are better ways that we can do it. Facebook is not real life, and updating your status on where you leave your purse when you walk in the house, or not updating your status at all for a day, will not change the world for the better. Perhaps it’s even making it worse…
October 11, 2010 | Categories: Social Causes | Tags: communicate, disconnect, Facebook, Globe and Mail, social | Leave A Comment »
I’m sure you saw it: The Gap revealed a re-design of their logo. Their was outcry (over 2000 comments on the company’s Facebook page). And now they have gone back to their original logo. I wonder if people would have stopped shopping at The Gap just because they changed their logo? Would the world have decided that white t-shirts and kakhi pants were no longer the ultimate uniform, because their favourite clothing company changed their logo? I doubt it…
