Classics

My Facebook profile, now with extra hotness

January 26, 2011

If you haven’t visited me on Facebook recently, you may not have seen my new super-awesome profile. It looks like this: And while you’re visiting me, I hope you’ll check out my new Facebook page, which I set up to share my writing and work. (I use my profile for personal conversations.) If you want [...]

Blogging hubris

January 19, 2011

Yesterday I made the mistake of bragging about how well I’ve been doing with my daily blogging practice. And tonight I thought I’d knock off a quick blog post that would keep me in my groove. Instead I found myself learning the ins and outs of last.fm, playlistify and spotify…not to mention download 4 new pieces [...]

Call for Papers: Social Media in Higher Education

January 10, 2011

The Internet and Higher Education has issued a call for papers for a forthcoming special issue on Social Media in Higher Education (PDF). The issue will be edited by Stefan Hrastinksi and Vanessa Dennen. In the call, the editors note: In this special issue, we would like to explore how social media can be taken [...]

How your Facebook presence can inspire your friends and family

December 8, 2010

Over at The Hookup Column, Anna Lind Thomas concludes her list of Dos & Don’ts for Facebook status lines with the following: DO inspire, uplift, support and spread love. Anna’s suggestion is a refreshing departure from the all-too-common focus on social media as “personal branding” or “reputation management”. Yes, you should think about what your [...]

Why on earth would you want to watch TV?

December 2, 2010

Blogging my incredibly elaborate efforts at The Perfect Tech-Enabled TV makes me conscious of all the people who are wondering why I care so much about watching TV in the first place. After all, most of my friends are highly evolved creatures who divide their time between meditating, cooking vegan meals and reading the latest [...]

Crowdsourcing my identity: an art experiment

November 18, 2010

The phenomenon of Pecha Kucha — presentations in which a speaker addresses 20 slides for 20 seconds each — has overtaken unconferences and WhateverCamps as the hottest format for professional gatherings. So I was interested to see a Pecha Kucha veteran tackle the format in an entirely novel way during Emily Carr’s recent MAA student [...]

Adding images to blog posts with Skitch, Zemanta and Flickr

November 12, 2010

Imagine I wanted to write a blog post about how to do something online. (I know it’s a stretch, but bear with me.) If I really wanted me reader to follow what I’m blogging about, I’d need to include screenshots. The typical workflow, on a mac, would look something like: Use the Mac’s built-in screen [...]

NIche messaging with social media: going for the Golden Graham

February 9, 2009

The Golden Graham Effect is what happens when a product or service achieves a consistent and coherent brand, despite offering different benefits to different audiences. Today, social media doesn’t just offer the opportunity for niche messaging. It introduces the informational equivalent of nutritional labeling for every product, and every service on the market.