Connected Social Media Win II: Starting a Meshfire

I was recently granted access into the beta test for the social media management software +Meshfire, check out www.meshfire.com for details.  After a few days of use, the site populated with several recommendations of various Twitter accounts to follow and one stood out:  @JamesPMorrison

I recognized the name and icon instantly because in the fall of 1995 I eagerly awaited the pilot of a new TV show called Space: Above and Beyond.  James Morrison played Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius "T. C." McQueen who was a character rife with flaws that made him an very interesting leader.

I've seen James in movies and TV shows since then, but 1995 was eons ago...I wondered what was he up to lately, so I clicked his icon to check out his Twitter bio, and from there I clicked onto his personal and professional website.  Wow...

• Ok, he had continued acting - I knew that from seeing him in various performances.  
• He released an album - 'Son to the Boy'!  Wow, he's a musician!?!
• He's working with his Wife on a documentary called 'Showing Up' about the Audition process and how actors have to be vulnerable.  
• I navigate over to YouTube and find a video describing most of what I saw on his page but also detailing his involvement in teaching Yoga. 

 I'm flabbergasted!   He is the exact type of multifaceted Noble Soul I seek out to learn from, so I go back to Meshfire to follow him and then it hits me:  "How did Meshfire know to recommend him to me?  I'll investigate that question further later because what happened next is a case study in Connected Social Media!

Here's the twitter conversation that resulted:

I tweet out "So...@Meshfire suggested I follow @JamesPMorrison a talented actor whom I have been a fan of for years...but how did it know I was his fan?"

 He replies: "@AztecConsulting @meshfire I'm not sure those two words belong together but what do I know about mesh really?"  So first I'm freaking out that he replied but I try not to fanboy...

I explain "@JamesPMorrison @meshfire is a social media tool I am beta testing. It's team focused, but can be used solo to help manage interactions.  I wasn't aware you were on Twitter, but now I'm following & seeing what you're into & that's the magic of connected media!"

James then replied: "@AztecConsulting :) Thank you. Connected media works in mysterious ways. Glad to make your acquaintance."

HE was GLAD to make MY ACQUAINTANCE!  Fanboy overload!

@MissDestructo joins the conversation with "That's so awesome. Glad we could connect you two! Ember, our virtual team member is a smart one."

...and James replies:  "Y'all are awesome and kind of scary virtual psychic geniuses. Keep up the good work."

 @MissDestructo then replies to James "*laughs* thank you! our work is never done at @meshfire. So many interesting people like yourself out there!"

I'd be quick to point out that many interesting people like James are out there in the Twitterverse, but the next exchange underscores my point:

@Lollie_LuLu joins the conversation with "@AztecConsulting @meshfire @JamesPMorrison And because of all of you,I found 1.) A local business, and 2.) the same actor whom I adore." and she then adds "Technology is pretty awesome."

I reply  "The real beauty is that people are pretty awesome and technology that helps to connect us is magic!"

Connected Social Media is the art of finding loosely coupled interesting people, connecting them better, and then letting that stronger connection become a catalyst to expand horizons and find others to connect with!  We all have interests, but by connecting through social media, we weave a digital tapestry that allows for the synergy that only open collaboration can empower.   

- Note: Grammar corrected upon request

Facebook and privacy

Tonight I again saw a Facebook update from a friend with detailed instructions about all the privacy changes they expected me to make to ensure their content was kept "Private."  Using the common boilerplate, they even threatened to unfriend me if I didn't comply.  I see this post every few months and my reply each time is the same:

Facebook doesn't feel content should be private. 

If you want your content to be private, please don't share it with Facebook.

Facebook privacy rules ebb and flow as legal requirements demand, but please understand, their privacy rules will ebb.  Facebook is about sharing content and at some point they WILL share the content you share with them.  

If you truly want a piece of content to remain private, DON'T SHARE IT WITH FACEBOOK in the first place!

 Please unfriend me at your convenience.

Wow...I encouraged them to unfriend me?  Yes, because they don't get the first law of Facebook.  Hidden (well, not really hidden) in the heart of Mark Zuckerberg is the notion that content should be public.  Your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, Friends List, and all the pages you subscribe to should be easily viewed and searchable.  In 2011, +Rand Fishkin, CEO of Moz, said: "Want to publish and have privacy? Keep a journal locked in a drawer written in a language only you understand."  Facebook can be considered a journal - but it's not in a drawer, it's certainly not locked, and because of their core culture it never will be fully locked. 

Connected Social Media Win!

I follow Mentioum (https://twitter.com/Mentioum) because he's a YouTuber and a great video game player.
I've been friends with Lauren (https://twitter.com/lstigerts) for years.  She's a marketing consultant, very social media savvy, and a great video game player. 

Mentioum saw Lauren and I tweeting often, so he checked out her blog.  While reviewing the blog, he noted a problem that the blog is loading the Google analytics js file twice.  Lauren appreciated the catch, and will modify the page, but note what happened here:  Two people who didn't know each other just collaborated to fix a problem because they were members of my extended social network. 

This...This is the power of social media that fires up evangelists like me.  

We all have interests, but by connecting through social media, we weave a digital tapestry and allow for the synergy that open collaboration can empower.  

My creed is to Engage:Empower:Support.  In this story, I Engaged with the players, but they Empowered and Supported each other on their own...that is the power of connected social media!

Think.Prepare.Act

The Boston Bombing...
   ...and a fertilizer plant explosion in a small town in Texas both raise the same question:

Would you be prepared?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and F.E.M.A. have tools, training, and tips ready for you!

FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/
Citizen Corps: http://www.ready.gov/



Be informed...
Make a plan...
Build a kit...
GET INVOLVED!
 
Think.Prepare.Act http://www.knowhat2do.com/




Community Emergency Response Team http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams

CERT stresses take care of you, then your family, then your neighborhood, then your community. It starts with YOU!

The good outnumber you, and we always will. - Patton Oswalt

In light of the bombing in Boston yesterday, the following are the words of Patton Oswalt which I cannot agree with more:

Boston. F*ing horrible.

I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."

But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.

But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

My current Personal Mission Statement

I journey through life collecting experiences. I am an explorer, who travels to find diverse audiences, perspectives, and vistas to develop a deeper understanding of myself. I seek a challenging work environment that compels me to hone existing skills and develop new talents. I am a collaborator, a facilitator, and an instigator who is easily sarcastic. I am creative and cherish imagination, intuition, and innovation in myself and my peers. I am a social media evangelist, always seeking stronger ways to collaborate and connect in online communities. As a catalyst, I constantly seek to empower and embolden those around me to enjoy their own journeys. I am loyal, and will fiercely defend my friends. I am a gamer because games have given me many opportunities and rewards. I seek to remain humble and open to the lessons that I find along the way, and to live with an attitude of gratitude. I have a fundamental sense of duty to serve my community. In the final analysis, I am me, constantly improving…