It’s one of those mornings. I just put on my grumpy pants and I’m not in the mood to write a brilliant article.
I just need to vent about social media.
The non-event that triggered the outburst you’re about to enjoy, is at the top of my list:
1. Robotic requests to connect, befriend, recommend or refer.
You know what I am talking about. Automated messages such as:
“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn”.
“You are a person I trust…”
Give me a break! Do I know you? Have we
Hear..hear… Paul … Nicely said….
…now grab a Valium sandwich and let’s get back in the booth *grin*
Cheers
Andy C
Will do, Andy. Right now, it’s the coolest place in the house… literally.
You’ve done it again. Another bulls-eye for the record books. Keep up the great work so that I can keep on sharing your wisdom with my world.
DS
Thanks David, and thanks to all the anonymous social media aficionados that have tried to befriend me or run away with my network without telling me who they were. You always give me something to write about!
Whoooooooaaaaah!!!
Simmer down there, cowboy!
Yes, I believe you’ve finally gotten some things about social media off your chest! And ya know what… I’m 100% behind all that you’ve written here! I especially like the sections “homework” and the use of “the Lord” in SM. Boy, I really hate the abuse of that one.
Paul, you know we’ve met in person and I respect your work and your brilliant writing. For all that do not know Paul personally, I’m here to tell you that he’s a man of integrity, international experience, deep convictions, intense contemplation and tremendous insight.
If anyone has a problem with what he has brought forth here, I’d defend him anyway I could.
When I feel guilty or a little “out of the loop” regarding social media and the caution with which I approach it, I’ll think of you, Paul.
Hi Rick, I now bestow upon you, the honorary title of “Defender of the Dutch”. The world you see is really a mirror of who you are. What you just wrote about me, has touched me deeply and it gave me just a glimpse of the diamond that shines inside of you. Thank you!
Paul,
You razor-tongued devil. Is there room on your rant couch for me? I want to sing in your choir. You wrote the perfect Requiem for the Internet.
Mitch
Mitch, my tongue might be sharp, but I have a soft spot for the confident, the creative and the well-mannered. Thankfully, the losers and abusers are in a minority and most of my facebook friends and LinkedIn colleagues are wonderful folks.
As with any tool, the world wide web can be used to help or to hurt. It’s up to us what to do with it.
I’m one of your biggest fans, Paul; not only for the experience you bring to the voice-over community, but also for your overall insight and perspective… and yes, for your excellent blog posts. I echo your comments and those of everyone who has commented thus far.
I have two similar stories to share. The first was a request, from a former coworker of several years ago, for a recommendation. He wasn’t after a generic ‘atta boy,’ he was asking me to recommend him specifically for a position that had opened in a company where a good friend of mine worked. I happen to know, however, that he had absolutely no experience for the position he was gunning for! As if I was going to put my relationship(s) at risk to help him lie his way into a job for which he had no business applying!
The second example came just days ago. It was a request that I make a general recommendation of the skills of a person I’ve never met and don’t know the first thing about!
Some people are about as genuine as the stereotypical used car salesman… with ulterior motive substituting as blood.
Boy, the mosquitos sure are pesky these days, huh?
Mike, the respect is entirely mutual! Thank you for sharing your examples. They illustrate that every time we refer or recommend someone, we also put our personal reputation on the line.
Recommending someone we don’t really know is not only a form of lying, it may very well bite us in the you know where…
I can’t speak for you, but I know that both of us are open to making new connections. As long as people have the decency to introduce themselves in a more personal way and give us a reason to connect, I look forward to building a meaningful business relationship.
It’s a bit like dating. Why would you go out with someone you don’t know and have nothing in common with?
Paul
Thank you so much!!! (I would write that all in caps, but that wouldn’t meet the internet style-guide.) Thanks for putting into words what many of us feel!
You ask what things I find intolerable. Hmmm…
One issue that gets to me every single day is the inability some people seem to have of using a spell- and/or grammar-checker. (There *is* a difference between “your” and “you’re”.)
Best!
I here you James! Your very welkom. Their are people that sent things out into the Youniverse without chekking the speling. How profesional is that?
As a non-native English speaker, I’m constantly in the lookout for silly slips of the keyboatd… but I thingk I did allrite this time.
Ewe sirtanly did. 😉
Paul,
As always, a very well thought-out article on things we’ve all thought about or gnashed our teeth at at some point.
I hope you don’t mind though, I let you do the homework (#5) and posted a link to your article off my FB page (not profile…) :-).
…and I do like Mitch’s idea of “Requiem for the Internet”…
Take care, and have a great evening!
-Mike
Permission granted, Mike. Thanks for showing the positive side of social media: spreading the word!
I’m not ready to take the internet to the grave, but I would like to bury bad practices.
Well said Paul… I agree one hundred percent! Another thought provoking and honest post. Keep em coming! You have certainly made me think carefully about my somewhat naive attitude to social media. It is a shame that one has to be so wary – but you do learn to read between the lines and get to know who you can trust.
Thanks for becoming my latest subscriber, Helen! Fortunately, as voice-overs, we’re used to reading the lines as well as reading between the lines.
As far as I’m concerned, trust needs to be earned. I gladly trade a bit of naiveté for a cautious approach to social media.
Those grumpy pants were on sale the other day at Kohl’s, but I couldn’t find them in my size! Thankfully, you eloquently said everything I’ve been saving back. All that’s left, then is to echo Mike Harrison’s lament about recommendation-seekers-I-don’t-know…especially from LinkedIn connections in Mumbai.
I’ll also add how important it is to curry a style of writing that is succinct, representative of your personality, and has a tenor that is friendly & approachable. This takes work. Not everyone knows how to write well for today’s social media-driven world. Body language is missing. Intonation is absent. NOTHING can be left to assumption. Be painfully clear (like Paul). In other words…learn to PROOFREAD. Take the TIME to proofread.
Thanks to Twitter, economy of words is also a plus…just don’t make it at the expense of clarity. Write another tweet if you have to, and include a link (just don’t talk about yourself!)
We are all having to write more than any previous generation, most of whom worked hard at a couple of college essay projects, and that was it.
OK…look, I’m getting too wordy for my own good.
Nice Job, as always, Paul… you can judge a good blog article by the number of comments offered.
warm regards,
Dave Courvoisier
Hi Dave, the grumpy pants were right next to the smartie pants. With Pennsylvania temperatures now reaching Vegas averages, I should have bought some smartie-shorts too!
Your comments on language are spot-on. Economy of words is key. Finding a personal voice is vital in order to be heard and trusted. As a news caster you know that it can take years to cultivate reliable sources; not one email or LinkedIn request.
Thank you for being such a source… of information and inspiration!
” Paul writes: You might have heard the story of the man that got into a serious car accident, recently. He was rammed by a Hummer with a “God is my co-pilot” license plate. He not only lost a leg. He also lost his faith.” (But he got a one million insurance settlement and his girlfriend married him after all . . .)
Paul says: “Let me put it bluntly: I go online for information and communication; not for salvation.” Good. I agree.
“For me, conversion rate is about turning visitors into customers. Let’s not trivialize the sacred scriptures and turn the internet into a stairw (this should read SATIRE but God doesn’t mind misspellings…)
Well I haven’t spoken to God about this, but I think SHE doesn’t mind.”
LOVE YOU PAUL. Brilliant. And now I’m going to COPY YOUR APPROACH.
All love
BZ
I can’t get this blasted blasted VVVCVCVCVVC stupid capthcha stuff right I’ve written three emails to this now and GIVE UP. Screw CAPTHCAH or whatever it’s called. Get rid of it.
I apologize for the CAPTCHA box. I hate those things just as much as you do. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary step to keep spammers out. Every day, I get fake sign-ups for my blog and if I don’t remove them, I can expect to receive more spam. I guess that should be number nine on my list!
If anyone reading this comment knows of a better WordPress Plug-in to prevent spamming, let me know!
Bettye, you’d be happy to know that I’ve found another solution to prevent spamming, so you don’t have to worry about copying fuzzy codes in order to post a comment.
You can also register for this blog. That way, WordPress recognizes you and the software will fill in your contact info automatically. Look for the “Register” link at the right-hand top of this page.
Well spoken! I feel better, too 🙂
But I fear that the people who truly NEED to understand these points are the very ones who are least likely to be interested in either reading or applying them.
For what it’s worth, I hear you and agree wholeheartedly! And I wish you a modicum of peace from the onslaught that prompted your post.
Megan
It’s the old “preaching to the choir” routine. The trouble is: I love to sing!
It’s interesting to see the development of the web. Because it’s unregulated, there will always be rotten apples abusing the freedom of speech by cyberbullying the online community.
Fortunately, we can ignore them, block them, de-friend them and report them to the moderators. Sometimes, things do get out of hand and I’ve read reports of the police stepping in after an ex-husband tried to befriend his ex-wife on facebook.
The very best way to deal with this is to teach by example. It’s only fair to hold others to a standard we live by ourselves.
OMG, Paul! What would we do without those extra 200 emails a day???
We’d actually have a life, John!
Well said Paul. Love Dave’s comment about the ‘grumpy pants’ as well. Thought provoking and entertaining all in one!
Thanks, Mel. Pennsylvania welcomes yet another hot day and I am so happy not to be in my old attic voice-over booth, but in my new basement studio instead.
Speaking of pants, my local Mashalls is selling “Active Bottoms”. Whats that all about?
Thank you, Paul for a well written and on target piece. I, too, have found that so many lack any social skills, despite social media, and manners must be a thing of the past. I have also noticed that many feel social media, and the instant connection somehow supplants the concept of actually making an effort.
A recent voice over artist from India posted a comment requesting America voice talent write her at her email address and provide a demo if they were interested in work. In just a few hours, a dozen people posted links to their website or their account on the various pay-to-play voice sites.Another day passed and people started complaining that they did not receive a response.
She didn’t request a link, she requested a demo to her email address! I think I must have been one of the few that researched her background, and then composed an email complete with a simple bio and voice description, as well as attaching two demos. I received a well written and polite response in three hours.
Maybe its just me, but I would never consider hiring or working those who could not follow instructions or who would take the time to send an appropriate email.
I am just back from LA and working with a top VO studio. The owner, a voice over artist and actor himself shared horror stories of demos and letters he has received. It doesn’t matter if your a the “most connected.” It only matters whether or not you can do the job, and in a timely and professional manner.
Well-said James! Manners matter, no matter in which context. We do need to be sensitive to the fact that certain customs are culturally defined. What might be appropriate and a sign of good manners in one country or culture, might not be appropriate in another country.
I’ve always found the term “Social Media” a bit of a misnomer because it’s a poor substitute for all things I consider to be social.
Because our online interaction is mostly text-based, we lack -as Dave pointed out- the essential clues we pick up from someone’s tonality and body language. Both of these always override verbal communication in real life.
Secondly, we’re responding to second-hand experience. We don’t react to events themselves as they unfold in our midst, but to descriptions of the events.
Social media encourage us to observe reality instead of taking part in it. As such, it encourages dissociation and creates distance, instead of bringing people closer.
Lastly, people rarely read what’s written. We’re constantly in a state of self-imposed information overload, and that’s when we resort to scanning text quickly.
I’ve heard that that’s one of the reasons why band managers put requests in contracts, that -at first glance- seem totally unreasonable. e.g. one band always has to have a bowl of brown M & M’s in their dressing room.
If the bowl is filled with all kinds of colors, the manager knows that other stipulations in the contract might not have been followed to the letter either.
I have just listened to a (fascinating) talk, “The hidden influence of social networks”, by Nicholas Christakis, on TedTalks.
Since social media form part of our social networks, you, or some of your readers, may find this topic of interest too.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/nicholas_christakis_the_hidden_influence_of_social_networks.html
Thank you for sharing. Nicholas didn’t quite connect the dots for me. It wasn’t exactly clear how he had come up with these dots and how the interconnections were generated. He also didn’t define what he meant by “connection”.
Theoretically, I am “connected” to hundreds of facebook friends. But who is going to bring me chicken soup when I’m not feeling well?
Undoubtedly, to condense 18 years of research into an 18 minute talk results in much data being omitted. He apparently has a book on the topic; it probably would address this and other questions. I see there are other talks by him on TED; I want to give them a listen.
You nice bowl of chicken soup would be brought by someone in your immediate “cluster”. 🙂
It is the relationship between the threads that creates the tapestry.
This is why I love you Paul!
You seem to always write about whatever is on my mind.
Thank you for this accurate and hilarious truth about the annoying lack of etiquette that seems to be running rampant. Everyone needs to take a refresher course every once and while so we can weed out bad habits.
You are a rock star as always.
Lauren
My name is Paul Strikwerda, and I approve this message!
Thank you so much, Lauren. I hope the Big Apple is treating you well.
The fact that many readers seem to share my sentiments is heatening and encouraging. Etiquette is not something from a forgotten age. How we choose to conduct ourselves in public (and in private), is an indicator of how we see the world and feel we should treat other people.
The Internet has a long memory. One nasty, careless comment, hastily posted, can follow the author for a long time. People -on the other hand- seem to have a short memory. Eventually, karma will catch up with us!
Indeed Paul, another brilliantly worded missive putting THE rules and regs of social networking on the table in a nice tidy package here. Bravo!
Then there is the irony of online communications showing up in the form of 150 year old technology present day model, in the palm of my hand- the smartphone. Regardless of all this new fandangled online social tech reliance, I still get more done reaching out in one 5 minute phone call then 20 texts or long posts; supporting those calls with online connection, verification, affirmation, agreements, docs, authorizations, et al., in black and white or color combos and fonts of one’s choice — perhaps a color combo that won’t clash with the grumpy pants you were wearing :-))
Regards, dear friend
I talked to parents of teenagers the other day. They told me that trying to call their kids is hopeless. They won’t answer, but they will respond to a text message. That’s our future! The human race will evolve and develop tiny fingers and oversized thumbs.
I agree with you: it’s easy to ignore an email, text message or tweet, but a phone call is harder to delete.
Phones have that handy ‘ignore” option.
Parents, Teenagers, and phones: I believe the second most used phrase in the world besides “at the end of the day” is a parent telling his son / daughter when at home, ” Get your face out of that phone and talk to me!”
Thanks again for superb blog.
Mark, I’ll get back to you on that… at the end of the day!
Dear Paul,
Please refer me to every one of your clients, upload my demo everywhere, and get me an agent … Just kidding.
Great article, as always!
I finally ‘sighned’ up on your blog! That way I can continue to copy your homework:)
Thanks, and best regards,
Linda Joy
A warm welcome to you Linda. I’m so glad you’ve joined the club! In this age of information overload, I am so appreciative of people like you that take the time to read my writings. I can’t hand you an agent, but I’ll do my very best to live up to your expectations!
Paul,
I normally don’t have time or the brain cells available for blogs but this is a beaut’ and certainly resonates with me.
Very well put. Let’s hope it sinks in.
I truly am very weary, with the social media and I think I see lots of others becoming burned by it and burned out with it as well.
Everyday I fight the urge to close my FB account…and maybe a couple others.
Nicely done.
Cheers
dc
I’m glad you took the time to read my rant, D.C. It seems to resonate with so many readers and that’s a good sign.
The day social media is doomed will come when more people realize that privacy is precious and that private information has been sold to the highest bidder.
World Entertainment News Network, a news and photo agency, announced in March that it had become the “exclusive photo agency partner” of Twitpic. The New York Times wrote:
“The deal allows the agency to sell images posted on Twitpic for publication, and to pursue legal action against those who use such images commercially without its permission, according to the agency.”
This might be of interest. It is a striking example of how intellectual property rights have little meaning in our social media world.
http://vimeo.com/20718237
Sup, Paul!
I’m glad someone finally had the guts to spit all of this out. 🙂 I love all of these! But I especially love #5 and #7. Here’s why.
#5: I wouldn’t be where I am today without Google. Seriously. I wanted to become a voice actress so I busted my ass on Google and learned how! There’s a whole big wide internet out there, get real friendly with it real quick!
#7: Well this one is just obvious. It’s become a pet peeve now when someone leaves a comment like, “Cool blog, thanks.” ….IS THAT REALLY ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY? But the real crime there, is the blog owner actually allowing a comment like that get through.
I also despise people who send me emails that say something like, “Your website sucks. Let me make it better. What do you say?” …Really? Is that really how you’re going to approach me? Well, good luck then cause you’re not getting my money!
Lately, I’ve started unfriending people if all they have to talk about is political issues. I understand we all have our own opinions about politics and I respect that, but quit spamming my Facebook wall with your political bullcrap. Treat Facebook like you would the dinner table and don’t talk about politics! Facebook is not your sounding board! Get over it!
…Ok. I really do feel better now. LOL
Thanks for this, Paul. 🙂
Boy, Paul… You sure hit pay dirt with this one!!!
Glad I got my comments in early to beat the rush!
Obviously, you hit a real nerve with everyone.
I’m amazed at your ability to repeatedly do that.
I’ve also been enlightened & entertained by so many thoughtful comments made here by so many… and of course, your replies to them.
Keep it all coming!
If you’d stop retweeting my stuff, things might quiet down for a while! Seriously, it’s impossible to play a game of Double Dutch on your own and I’m glad so many people are jumping in.
Welcome to my dinner table, Morgan. I used to teach personal develoment trainings and one of the ground rules was: do not discuss politics or religion in the context of the class. It kept things quite harmonious.
I believe it has been confirmed that certain organisations, government agencies and corporations have planted people in social networking groups to start or influence discussions and promote products. That might be one reason why you’ll find some donkeys and elephants engaging in heated debates.
Our online behavior is worth millions and it is up for grabs because not everyone bothers to restrict how personal information is shared. Facebook is quite open about hiding the identity of certain covert players:
Their Statement of Rights and Responsibilities states:
source: https://www.facebook.com/terms.php
If anyone is further interested in copyright infringement, especially with regard to the internet, this is a newsletter that I receive. These folks are lobbying currently in Washington for the unrestrained flagrant steeling of intellectual properties. Here’s the latest news.
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=tpkyzacab&v=0015XVNn_3fRZVY3xoyNeOIQXsOeS7CXpGR7_EOsQLCCvo4FpQtOXZuVgUK4CKTUETEL1W8gjTxbMhORXhZBs81h6K69mf8dpV8cBWyGP7ctCIzDy1hGtWtH-pfub4lTlW9r2KlEv6JJ58JRZoMkTDNaoPSADqhD9MaRSaijX7loA6VjAHRI0kvsU0vWCpD3D54p-wqO-Qxl9w6k7Jtu-JGYQ%3D%3D
For me there IS no argument! Creative works belong to the creator.
(Unless he/she formally transfers rights)
Thanks for adding that, Rick. The newsletter was intelligently designed!
Paul, you need to tell us how your really feel. Don’t be afraid to vent my friend, it is healthy behavior. 😉
All the previous comments say it all.
Good job!
BTW – Montana is beautiful in the summertime. Stop in. 🙂
Hi Steve, if that’s the way to get as many comments and visitors to my blog… I might consider it!
Thank you for the invite. I’ll spend the summer in PA, because I’m expecting visitors from The Netherlands.
It’s an open invite for you and yours, Paul. I’d recommend from now until mid-October as the best time.
Amen Paul! The choir loves to hear you sing.
With Cheese,
Steveb
As long as we can make it Dutch cheese, Steve, I’m all for it! How about some “Old Amsterdam”?
What a breath of fresh air Paul.Thank you very much. So good to know that we are not alone!! That’s the Royal ‘we’ of course;-) Cheers!
We are quite pleased with the outpour of support, Jennifer. The question now becomes: how do we rise above our frustration and bring about meaningful and lasting change (boy, do I sound like a politician…).
It would be hypocritical if we wouldn’t set an example ourselves. If it is indeed true that social networks can induce a positive ripple effect, I suggest we start rippling!
Hi Bob, your words have given me wings today! I can’t wait to collect those frequent flyer miles!
Your comments -and in fact, most comments- have shown me that my eight lamentations only apply to a small minority of social media (ab)users…. namely, the a-social apples… the basket cases, if you will.
Most of my connections are decent, well-mannered and helpful folks. Sites like facebook have made sharing so much easier, and without it, I’m sure only a few of my current readers would have found my blog. So, thank you Mr. Zuckerberg!
I’m genuinely impressed with the high quality of articles my colleagues put out every day, and I only hope I can live up to their high standards. Remarks like yours certainly push me to dig even deeper and become a better writer and narrator.
Now I will return to my delightful day job. My microphone missed me…
Hi Paul, I just wanted to see if you needed a voice talent but first I wanted to tell you I had some coffee and a donut this morning. Also I wanted to tell you about my website, my demos and all the great stuff I’m doing. I’m all about making money and wanted to see about you helping me make some by promoting me and if you have time would love to tell you how my faith is giving me the courage to ask you to help me. Oh, I don’t even think I can offer you anything in return but that’s okay right?
Yours humorously,
Paul
Paul, I’m sorry but I would never hire you. I only work with people that are not as polished and accomplished as myself, just so I can look good. You clearly do not fall into that category.
I categorically refuse to point people into the direction of your website:
http://www.paulvoices.com/
I also won’t repeat what Artie Dean Harris of the Skillveville Group has said about you, namely:
And finally, no one will ever hear me talk about your “Pickles & Jelly” CD, and how you and your family performed songs from that CD at a FUN raiser for Haiti.
No my friend. All of that will stay strictly between you and me!
Well fine then Paul… I see how you are.
That’s right. Rule number one: It’s all about ME.
Nothing like a bit of blunt, “telling it like it is” from the Dutch (my boyfriend is Dutch so I’m allowed to say that) 😉
Great post, Paul! Although I do confess to accepting and inviting LinkedIn connections from people I’ve never met or worked with – on the proviso of networking and potential business leads, you understand! I’m newish to voice-overs so making connections is important, I figure.
And while I have become more active on farcebook, I don’t have a Twitter account – what on Earth would I tweet about every nanosecond? My life simply isn’t that exciting!
My gripe about social media is that it fuels this world of spin we live in. Everyone’s SO successful and busy and fulfilled… oh really?
I’m new to your blog, but I’ve just subscribed, so I look forward to reading future posts.
Dank je wel!
Virginia
Welcome to Double Dutch, Virginia! Wat leuk dat je besloten hebt om mijn blog te blijven volgen.
The challenge with platforms like Twitter and Facebook is to use it wisely but not get too absorbed in it.
As self-styled entrepreneurs our focus should be on generating business and making money, doing what we do best: blabber!
Water cooler conversations are part of life, but at some point we have to get back to work!
Mr Strikwerda.. Are you speaking from your experience of social websites? Do you really get all that sort of crap on your social website? Personally, I have fun with my FB, full of nice folk with witty banter and great recommendations for music stc. I get to chat with my family and friends from afar (when I’m abroad etc) and occasionally get to make a new friend or two. If someone unpleasant ‘creeps in’, I just tell them to ***k off and block them! Easy. I guess you know there are ‘controls’ that can be used to ‘personalise’ your site and limit who gets on there!!
I use other sites, like ‘linkedin’, but don’t really expect much from them and only check them out occasionally. But I guess you know all this! You could just wake up and say “I’m going to have a really nice day”, instead of deciding on being grumpy! I think you’re are a bit presumptive in assuming that evrybody is “about to enjoy” what we were about to read.. I didn’t, it seemed like a complete waste of time to me. Ah well, it takes all sorts, I suppose. 😉
Mr Ian, I can only control my own writing, but I do not have any power over how people choose to spend their time. Some readers might have read the first few lines of this post and decided to leave the site. Others spent some time reading the entire article and then they even bothered to comment on it.
I too use social media to connect with family members in The Netherlands and with friends in the States and abroad. As I said in my response to Bob Dreher:
I am aware of ways to deal with unwanted attention and annoying anonymous people. That’s why I wrote to Megan Everett:
It’s not my style to tell people to “bleep off”. That would be an example of number 6. The fact that you choose to use that expression underscores that you have indeed wasted your time reading and responding to my article.
Hi Paul,
Long time no blog…I hope you and your new studio are getting along famously!
I’ve read through your 8 points of disdain and by gosh you’ve elongated my personal list on the matter by at least 3 entries.
I bitch about this kind of thing quite often…especially when I take the time to personalize a standard linkedin connection request (ie. I’m looking to open up the door to future collaborations..etc etc) only to be met with a robotron “click accept” response.
Always one to test validity, I’ve followed up the “acceptance” of the recipient with a formal email approach encompassing a cv, demo,and personalized cover letter. VERY RARELY, are my professional
queries responded to. I wonder then, what is the purpose of LinkedIn and similiar sites?
I have very little to do with Facebook as this kind of social networking has more to do with collecting wood for the pig pen (Ala Farmville or some other bovine adventure)than developing any professional repore.
In all fairness, I have made some great professional connections through LinkedIn but overall it seems that by sheer numbers the original purpose gets shrouded.
All the best,
Stone
I’m glad I was able to add to your personal list of pet peeves and social media woes. As with any tool, the effectiveness of sites like LinkedIn and Facebook depends greatly on the user.
We define the purpose and we make it meaningful.
My three social media vitamin C’s are
– Connect
– Communicate
– Contribute
Hi Paul, Having just been ever so slightly guilty of unwittingly committing ones of the crimes above, your post made me smile! I must admit that, like you, my pet hate on LinkedIn is definitely when people automatically duplicate their tweets on it, constantly updating me on their latest coffee fix, or lack of it. Trivia is less of an annoyance on Twitter, but only in small doses…
My name is Paul Strikwerda, and I approve of this message!
Thank you for your approval Paul, I’m only leaving a short message to benefit my Google goodness, and I also need to get a coffee…in jest, Lindsay :>) I think this blog post could run and run lol!
Interested in Lindsay’s versatile voice-over services? Go to http://www.lindsayabbottvoiceover.com. Lindsay Abbott: the most musical voice for natural narration and all that Jazz.
Hi Paul, thank you…if you’re ever in need of a side line alongside voicing voice overs, you’d be great as my agent!
I’ll tell my agent!
Hey Lindsay – I think you could definitely use Paul’s strapline idea!
Pete/Paul – I think you could be right, it’s quite catchy isn’t it?!
Thank you
Coo blimey. you’ve made me feel sad with that outburst 🙁
Totally understand what/why you’re saying those things but there are so many positives to social media too. Honest ‘guv.
Smile. It’ll all be better in the morning 🙂
Sometimes we have to take the bad with the good and the ugly. I do think a little common courtesy can go a long way.