How Not to Use Twitter for Business (FroYo Edition)...

I was a rabid frozen yogurt fan when it was all the rage in the 1980s. Then, like all good things I loved, it was sent out to pasture with my severely wide-legged pants, sweaters with shoulder pads and my Lionel Richie records*. The period of mourning has long since passed, but imagine my delight to see that frozen yogurt is now *in* once again. I was thrilled to see a new frozen yogurt shop open within walking distance of my home. OK, so it is wildly overpriced, but it's there and that's all that matters when I want a fix.

New Tool Makes My Email Work Harder and Smarter...

Remember the old days when we began to use email for business communication and to send messages to multiple people simultaneously? Ok, so maybe I'm the only one who remembers when that was a big deal. It seems like eons ago, long before we tweeted and poked to get someone's attention. Not so fast. Email is still as important and relevant as it ever was. Two primary differences between email then and email now for me are:

Social Media Stats – It’s Raining Content!...

Does it ever feel that there is a non-stop downpour of Facebook posts, YouTube videos, Twitter tweets, LinkedIn connections and blog posts? Do you ever feel like you're drowning in content? If so and you spend any amount of time online, it isn't just your imagination. The larger our networks of contacts, the more information we see pushed in our direction every time one of our friends shares a link to a news article, their latest blog post and a funny video of a cat dressed as Lady Gaga.

Just Because We’re Social Networking “Friends” Doesn...

Where did the romance go? When did we stop asking, "Tell me about yourself," "Do you like to take long walks on the beach?" or even the tired old line, "What's your sign?" Suddenly, upon meeting someone new, they immediately try to score and ask me to go over to their place to seal the deal.

Social Networking Friends vs. Real Life Friends...

While many of us use social networking tools differently, most of us struggle with similar questions and challenges. Should I connect only with family and good friends on Facebook and only business contacts on LinkedIn? How secure should I feel when using Facebook's privacy settings to determine which groups of friends can or cannot see particular photos? Should I be concerned when someone tags me in a photo or I comment on someone else's post?

Words That Totally Make My Head Hurt...

You know those words, the ones that make your skin crawl and set your teeth to grind mode when you see them? What's up with those people? Don't they know how to spell? Did they sleep all through elementary school?

Helping Kids Stay Safe Online. Is SocialShield the Answer?...

There have been many moments in my life as a parent where I considered locking my child in a closet. It would have been for her own safety, mind you. And, I would have let her out when she was, say 30 or so. I realized that I may have some legal entanglements to deal with along the way, but there were still those moments when I wondered...

Important Facebook News: Privacy Updates...

Facebook has been facing a barrage of complaints regarding their "public is the new norm" approach to privacy which resulted in much of your/our content being made public by default.

I Don’t Care Where. You. Are. Right. Now....

Hey, you! Yeah, you standing in line at Starbucks using your phone to check-in while waiting to get your daily latte. We need to have a word. We've been connected for awhile on Twitter and Facebook. I like you, really I do. I enjoy getting to know you better through our connection. I appreciate the information you've shared about your interests and news in your area of expertise.

How To: Enjoy SXSW (Without Being at SXSW)...

Over the next couple of weeks, you may be hearing and reading a lot about SXSW (read: South by Southwest). In the real world, it may not be that big of a deal, to many in the tech, film or music worlds, it is a must place to be to see the latest and coolest things happening and mingle with those making it happen.