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

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?

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.

Ready for Yet Another Social Platform? Here Comes Google Buz...

Are you ready for a new social platform? Here comes Google Buzz, which brings social elements right into you Gmail inbox. With so many of us using Gmail, this just might stick. It will be rolling out over the next week. You'll be notified when it is live for your account.

Happy Holidays! Please Enjoy This Spam...

Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with holiday cards and greetings of all types. While this is typical at this time of year, this is the first time I received so many automated cards and emails, most of them from people I don't really know.

13 Signs That You’re At a Tech Conference...

Having had a very long career in the corporate world before plunging into social media, I've attended conferences of all types. While I truly love the energy and content at tech conferences, I'm struck (and, at moments, slightly entertained) by the differences in style and etiquette between the entrepreneurial tech events and those with a more traditional, corporate bent. It is with the greatest love, respect and true geek-envy that I offer the following observations:

I’m Engaged! (4 Tales of Accidental Twitter Friends)...

It's true, I'm engaged. No, not that kind of engaged. I'm virtually engaged - listening to conversations and building relationships online. As with other networking platforms, I use Twitter primarily for business purposes. Still, as we all know, even when we network and use social media for business, we don't talk about business 100% of the time, right?

The Art of Saying Thank-You on Facebook...

You're on Facebook, right? Chances are that you're one of the over 300 million people who have set-up a virtual home on Facebook because it is a great place to keep up with family and friends, as well as connecting with businesses and groups of interest.

Adventures in Social Networking with Mom and Dad...

On this blog, I spend most of the time discussing best practices when using social media to connect and share information online. Every now and then, our enthusiasm can get the best of us. As the number of multi-generational families using online social networks increases daily, so does the number of "Oh no, she didn't!" moments where that fuzzy line between what you want your mom to share and what she actually does share is suddenly crossed.