Untangling the Web: Twitter vs. Yammer

Show Notes for Untangling the Web, Podcast # 1

Twitter vs. Yammer

In this episode of Untangling the Web, we (Jessica, Russell, and I) discuss the current trends in microblogging. 

For those of you confused by the term microblogging, we offer a brilliant definition before we launch into our discussion of one of the hottest microblogging sites, Twitter. The two-year old website is constantly attracting new users with it's question "What are you doing". Keeping people updated on your current status is the hottest trend in internetopia. 

Yammer, developed a mere six weeks ago, is giving Twitter a run for its money (or lack thereof...learn more about that in the podcast). This status updating site is targeted towards business networks and requires a business to pay a small fee each month per employee (that is signed up for the service) in order to attain administrative rights. 

We talk about pros and cons of both services and all that jazz. Enjoy our first podcast! 

Lee LeFever says "Zombies Don't Dance!"

Not sure how to handle zombies this Halloween? The Common Craft Show will explain zombies to you: in Plain English. 

Zombies are not the only life lesson host Lee LeFever is willing to share with you. In Dr. Weisgerber's PR and Social Media class, LeFever's YouTube channel is put to good use. 

In three minutes or less, Lee LeFever is able to explain the many intricacies of the web with carefully but simply illustrated paper people. 

In his own words, LeFever discusses the work he and his wife Sachi do. 

 "Our videos are short, simple and focused on making complex ideas easy to understand. We use a whiteboard-and-paper format we call Paperworks that is designed to cut out the noise and stick to what matters," LeFever says on his website. 

From RSS Feeds to Podcasting, and Wikis to Twittering...Lee and Sachi LeFever make sure no one gets left behind in this digital age. 

So thank you ,LeFevers, for making the internet 'plain english'. (My mother also wants me to thank you. She is an avid watcher since I introduced her at the beginning of the year.)

You can check out the Common Craft show on YouTube or on their website.

I leave you with a guide to zombies per the LeFevers: 

Blogger Blues

I think I might be bad at this whole blogging thing.

According Technorati, there are over 112.8 million blogs. 112.8 million!!!! I am just one blog in a sea of blogtastic blogging blogospheres. That is incredibly intimidating.

Not only is it intimidating, but also time consuming. Blog readers are a demanding bunch. They want what you have to write, and they want it now and they want it often. Blog readers thrive off instant gratification. This forces the blogger to become an ever-vigilant partaker of the webworld. That can be exhausting.

The responbibilites of a blogger are so much more than expected. I don't know how some people do it, but I need them to teach me.

Paul Bradshaw's "Five Stages of a Blogger's Life" accurately depict what can happen to the ill-prepared blogger.

Blogs can be an amazing resource -- both personally and professionally. I would like to say that it has become an asset to me. I'm sure it will at one point, but I know I was not cut out to be a blog writer. A blog writer cannot spend 2 days writing one entry. A blog writer cannot write 2 entries every 2 weeks. I'm working hard on these and many other things blog writers cannot do, but its a slow process.

I have to thank Dr. Weisgerber for her link to Bradshaw's page. It's nice to know I'm not the only one realizing blogging is not as easy as it looks.

So fellow blog writers and readers, this post is a disclaimer: bare with me. I'm taking baby steps, but hopefully one day I can take off running with this whole blog thing.

Mind Your Manners, Blogger.

Miss Manners covered elbows on the table, proper fork choices, open-mouth chewing vs. closed-mouth chewing, belching, soup slurping, and a continued litany of table manners few people thought would ever matter. However, the etiquette guru is a missing a key niche in the 'manners market'. 

Blogging Etiquette has become a hot topic with the internet crowd (the polite ones, anyway). 

Although Miss Manners has yet to guide us through the blogging by-laws, Dr. Corinne Weisgerber has enlightened her classrooms as to what is or is not internet appropriate. The general internet population expects a few key things from a blogger, and these things include updating regularly, using grammar correctly, sharing thoughts respectfully, etc. All successful bloggers adhere to the regular updates mandate, as well as trying their best to use grammar correctly. The tips about sharing thoughts respectfully may be another story. In fact, some bloggers believe ignoring blogging etiquette completely will get them more hits to their site. I give you every celebrity gossip site in existence as an example. These blogs pride themselves on offending, bullying, and even harassing celebrities and people like you and me eat it up daily. 

So this leads me to ask you the following: What's so great about Blogging Etiquette?

Perez Hilton is infamous for his atrocious, albeit hilarious, blogging sensibilities. The Superficial writers pride themselves in their ability to clearly discredit anyone that has ever achieved any fame. Ever.  

Blogging is cathartic for many, therapeutic for some, and downright entertaining for most. Blogging etiquette works for some, but it may get in the way for some. I agree that some basic rules should be adhered to without question. Do not blog if you have no basic grasp of language, any language. Do not blog if you only update once a year. Do not blog if you can't deal with people criticizing and disagreeing with you. However, sometimes a blog that offends or stretches the truth can be wholly entertaining. Now, these characteristics do not work for a professional blog by any means. Social media used for means to promote a company, product, or client should remain as professionally composed as possible. Sometimes though, a downright mannerless blog is great reading!

You know what, it feels better to eat with your elbows on the table. Sometimes chewing with your mouth open just feels better and sometimes ignoring blogging etiquette is just what feels right. Miss Manners might not like it, but I sure do.