I’ve been reading a lot about Google Buzz.  I’ve heard more than I’ve tried, but it sounds like a replacement for Twitter, just integrated with GMail.

I haven’t considered using it.  I just dropped MySpace (which is crap anyway), and I am active on Facebook and Twitter, and semi-active on LinkedIn and Flickr.

My concern with it is that based on some posts on Lifehacker (see this post and this post)that the security settings are difficult and not always intuitive – there was a post that likened Buzz to a megaphone.  Reading the comments, it sounds like Buzz is doing some stuff that it shouldn’t (posting tweets in conversations)… the comments on the two posts are quite interesting and worth a read as much as the articles.

Me?  I’m not passing judgement, but I’ve turned it off.

Turning off Buzz: log into GMail, scroll to the bottom, and click on the link in dinky print that says “turn off buzz”.

With the recent advent of Internet access at my house, I decided to spend Sunday morning doing some non-Facebook social networking. To that end, I’ve been going through all the emails from Twitter that so-and-so is following me. I’ve clicked on each link, and it seems some of these “dunderheads” (to borrow a term from SpongeBob) need some guidance.

1. If I look at your Twitter page and it says you are affiliated with The Don, I’m instantly skeptical.  If you’ve had almost 20,000 tweets, not only do I not believe you have any affiliation, but… no.
2. Just because I follow someone that you follow doesn’t mean that I will follow you.  I’ve seen a few do this (they see that I follow one user and go through their entire list to harvest people to follow).  Don’t take it personally, but… no.
3. Similar to above, following me because I am in Cincinnati… no.
4. If I pull up your Twitter page, and you have three tweets of crap… no.
5. 9 tweets 9 days ago with nothing in between then and now… no.
6. If you aren’t tweeting something I’m interested in getting annoyed by up-to-date announcements about, such as parenting or pets… no.
7. If I pull up your twitter page and see 4 tweets directed at someone and one that has no apparent substance whatsoever… no.

Furthermore, for the few one that did get me to follow them, here is how to not get un-followed:

1. Do not post links that ought not be posted, such as to bing or google.
2. Do not over-tweet me.  With the exception of one place, I don’t follow many because I want to be able to read those 140-character blog entries.

Lastly, here is some guidance of what people I want to see in tweets:

1. Post some useful links.  If you blog only every-so-often, feel free to let me know that there is a new post.  However, if you post with the frequency of Life Hacker, do NOT do this!
2. Make a few jokes.  Maybe I’ll retweet one of them (which I’ve done… once!)
3. If you are a radio host, feel free to let me know what you are doing on the show.  I may not tune in, but if I am really interested, I will probably tune in.
4. Don’t expect a reply unless I personally know you or really respect you, or I have something snappy to say.
5. Don’t expect me to follow you unless I am really interested in what you have to say.

With that… feel free to follow me on Twitter.  Just don’t cry in your Wheaties if I don’t follow you back

How great it is when everything works well.  How much it sucks when something isn’t perfect.

Read the rest of this post… »

I just saw an article today on PCWorld discussing the differences in ages between MySpace and Facebook users.  It got me thinking about the want for Government activities, particularly planning studies, to use ‘new media’ to reach out and connect to people.  As stated in the PCWorld article, Facebook has an abundance of the over-35 crowd, and MySpace has an abundance of teenagers.  If done properly, this age difference can be used to connect to BOTH of these groups.

One of the most important things when using social networking in government is keeping things current.  Nobody likes a dead page, and all-too-often project websites suffer from not being kept up-to-date.  The same thing can easily happen to a MySpace or Facebook page.

Another important thing is prompt replies to questions/etc.  People don’t want to wait several days for an answer.

Things to keep in mind:

• Anything on the Internet is searchable, indexed, and stored.
• MySpace and Facebook pages for governments or projects are public documents.  Be prepared for media requests about information, etc.
• The visual quality of such pages reflect on the government that is operating them.  They should be visually pleasing, not gaudy.  Keep animated stuff to a minimum.  Pictures should be of plans/alternatives, pictures of public meetings, renderings of alternatives, etc.

If done properly, social networking can be a great way to augment the public involvement in any planning (or related) process.

I just went through the process of changing my blog, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages/profiles to all link to each other (and an added bonus, my Facebook profile also links to my Flickr page.  I’ve noticed a few things, and I’ve dropped my thoughts here. Read the rest of this post… »