Most Used Platforms -- Twitter

There are so many social networking sites; some link to businesses, some to music, some to random people around the world, some to friends, to blogs, to movies, to medial professionals, to locations, to families, to teens, to universities, to countries, to books, to interests, to... the list could go on and on and on. Due to the vast variety of social media sites I am just going to write about one, Twitter. Out of the many social media sites I have been a part of Twitter is the one that I just don't understand.

Launched in 2006, Twitter is an online social media service that lets users send and read short 140 character messages they call "tweets." Through these "tweets" users can get up to the second updates on what is happening around the world. Unfortunately, Twitter's learning curve is steeper than most other social media sites. When I first logged on I couldn't figure out what was up with the "@" signs everywhere or what in the world "RT-" meant. Way too confusing, until you know what they mean and how to use them. For a lot of people, the big appeal of Twitter is its speed and simplicity, the lack of clutter, ads, and as one person put it the "unFacebookness" of it.

So why are so many people sending out "tweets" and watching their Twitter feed like a hawk? As one person put it, "Its how I get most of my news, and it's a good way to stay up-to-date with breaking stories -- after all, it's way easier to read a tweet that is 140-characters than it is to read a full article on a new site. If you find something that catches your eye, you can find out more and read the full story." You can get more information from looking at tweets about something than reading a one sided article about the same subject. Also, think about time. How long does it take you to read an entire article from, lets say, the Wall Street Journal? now go read tweets about the same subject for the same amount of time, how much did you learn from the tweets compared to the article. If you had a question about a tweet you can reply and get more information about that topic, did the news article do that for you? probably not.

Twitter, though it takes a little more getting used to, can be a very useful tool. If utilized correctly Twitter can be full of information, direction, and connecting.



So why do you like Twitter? Share your comments!









http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phoebe-dodds/twitter-pros-cons_b_3222302.html
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-point-of-Twitter
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/internet/what-s-the-point-of-twitter-if-it-s-just-like-facebook--1237609
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

Blogging

When people started to blog it was nothing more than a personal electronic journal, making money from the blog was not the goal. Now many blog for different reasons, money being one of them. I personally cannot see how people can blog, especially as often as some do. Due to my current social media communications class which requires me to blog my assignments I decided to research why people blog.

Express yourself
Whether is be for a business, cooking, politics, photography, or health blogging gives the bloggers around the word the opportunity to connect with anyone around the world. It helps people get in contact with individuals similar to them or searching for something concerning the topic.

Share knowledge
Some people really like to share the things that they know, they like to teach, or educate people on that information that they know. Sharing knowledge on a blog is a good "quiet" way to share tips or tricks that you have learned, but can also be a way to get money if you have enough followers.

Marketing business
For many entrepreneurs, getting online visibility is huge. A lot of companies today live or die depending on their online presence. There are a lot of people that use a blog to help gain followers for other sites. Many YouTube stars have separate blogs as to help people that don't browse YouTube, to find their information, which will most likely increase their viewers.

Make a difference
As you look around the blogging universe you will find more people that write a blog to make a difference. Wether it be political, social, or natural, people can share their view with the world using simple tools.

Though this is a very short list of reasons people people blog it is very easy to see why people actually do it. Whether it be to relieve stress, publish for a company, or simply inform others, blogging is here to stay and will continue to grow as more and more people see the value in sharing information online.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-dekmezian/why-do-people-blog-the-be_b_8178624.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danreich/2011/10/15/9-reasons-you-should-blog/#216c0565ab05

http://www.blogtyrant.com/start-a-blog/

Kilroys Bar & Grill - Social Media Fight

Many businesses these days tend to flip over and die when it comes to a complaint coming from a social media source; They comp meals and apologize up the wall for something that they may not have had any control over. That is why I loved reading about how Kilroy's Bar n' Grill manager, Chris Burton.

For those who have not heard of this story as I had not until a couple of days ago. A distraught customer went into Kilroy's Bar n' Grill located in downtown Indianapolis, for a fun New Years Eve get together with friends. Unfortunately, it did not end the way it began. According to the distraught customer, Holly Jones, it was a horrible experience and will never be back.  Read her exact words below.




To me is sounds like she started out by bragging how much her meal was costing. I don't know the prices of the items there, or how many people were with her but considering it is a bar I'm wondering if she is describing the wrong party when she mentions the overdose and the cussing.
Every time I read Holly's post I get a little angry because of how she reacted to such a life changing event. Her night may have been ruined, but the 70 year old women life could have been ruined. It makes me realize how often i might find myself being judgmental even though I don't know what the situation is.

I applaud Chris Burton, the manager of Kilroy's Bar n' Grill for the way he handled the situation. You can read his reply to Holly's post below:




This teaches me to think before I speak and always remember that what goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet. Not long after Chris posted he reply these messages went 'viral' in layman terms it spread like a wildfire with a strong wind. Holly deleted her Facebook profile but it was too late, the damage had been done. Her post had been copied and shared so many times there was no stopping it. According to a report Holly has now lost her job at a local hair solon and is being ridiculed all over the Internet. Why, because of one simple post that she wrote when she was in a bad mood. Its a lesson to us all, when we are angry or upset we need to remember to keep our cool and to calm down before we make a life changing mistake.

Chris is what I and many others that I have read articles from consider him to be somewhat of a hero. Not backing down when you know something needs to be done, especially when you know the situation at hand. Chris was very polite even though his message was strong. I like how Chris backed up his server in his reply " I especially appreciate you making your server (who doesn't curse) cry as well. I'm sure she really enjoyed working on New Year's Eve just to deal with people such as yourself." Chris does feel "slightly bad" for Holly now as he explained to a reporter "If I had any idea it was going to go viral, I wouldn't have mentioned her name. When something like that goes viral, people on the Internet get a little mob mentality and start sending death threats, calling her employer trying to get her fired. That is completely unnecessary. But you know you've got to be careful what you post online. I can come back and bite you."

What an inspiration to us all, keep calm in the face of ridicule and remember your values. To show even more how great of a guy Chris is, he started a GoFundMe account to help pay the medical bills for the lady who had the heart attack. Chris' message now, " Just be nice.... People in the service industry are people. We all are humans that need to get along with each other. And everything will get handled a lot better if you are polite and nice." May we all take a piece of this advice and apply it to ourselves so we remember that next time we are angry or upset that the people around us are human too, and that we must respect them just as we wish to be respected.



http://www.eater.com/2016/1/4/10709706/kilroys-bar-indiana-social-media-fight-heart-attack

http://www.wtsp.com/story/life/2016/01/05/manager-pleased-his-facebook-reply-angry-customer-well-received/78295300/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/indiana-bar-manager-responds-customer-nasty-complaint-article-1.2484982

Responsibility with communication and social media

Imagine yourself without the internet today. Where would you be without your cell phone? What would you do without Facebook or Instagram, or always being connected to your family, friends, and the world? What is that doing to our communication?

With social media today we no longer have to physically interact with someone to communicate. I remember when I had to wait for someone to wake up in the morning before I could call them on the phone, have an actual conversation where I heard their tone of voice, could sense the actual meaning behind what they were saying. In recent years I send a text message or a tweet at two in the morning and when I wake up expect a response of some kind from them. I often expect them to respond to me instantly regardless of the time of day. Fast for to today when I am starting to realize how glued I am to my digital devices and how I am always longing to be connected. My thoughts then turn to my future children. Where will social media be when they are my age and how will they be effected by the instant gratification of social media?


In 2010 the average teenager sends around 3,400 texts a month: that is more than 100 a day. Youth today spend close to eight hours per day in from of an electronic screen - more time than sleeping, school, or any other activity. Just imagine how that might be effecting the youth today. One mother tells a story of her 14 year-old daughter "I insisted that my 14 year-old daughter temporarily shut down her Facebook account. It happened just a few weeks into the new school year. A series of stressful social media interactions erupted in an exceptionally close-knit class. There were inappropriate posts, thought to be private. Not so; students suddenly were caught up in hurtful chats they would soon regret. Her school, the Atlanta International School, was proactive in its response, counseling students and offering a series of digital information sessions for parents. "Our guidance is to apply the Golden Rule. If you wouldn't say it to someone's face, forget about sending it via text, Skype or Facebook," said Jeff Holcomb, head of the upper school at Atlanta International. What surprised me most when I had to play "bad cop" was that my daughter seemed relieved, possibly because I told her she could blame me."
Teens today are learning from their mistakes and are realizing that there is no back button on social media. David Hill, chairman-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics' council on communications and media said, "Teens actually want and need limits on their behavior. They need to know you are dedicated to keeping them safe and looking out for them." Hill also advised that you sit down and your their favorite show; have them show you the websites they are interested in. you might be surprised at how much your teen welcomes your attention -- and how much you'll learn about what's going on in your child's brain by sharing some of that time.

How are we as adults/parents being role-models? It is our responsibility to educate our kids and the youth on the use of technology and social media, just as our parents did for us while we were growing up. Go out and learn about social media, join the sites our kids are on so we can better be prepared to handle the communication gaps that come along with popular social media sites.



http://mashable.com/2015/03/28/internet-communication-brandspeak/#jzFdgWyiHmqa

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2015-05-02/188395/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-hess/the-power-social-media-has-over-teen-lives_b_5582497.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/23/health/youth-social-media/