Nebraska Humane Society- Raising the bar

If you can look in the face of Nebraska Humane Society animal and not want to pick them up and take them home- there is something wrong with you.

Not only has NHS embodied what it means to help those in need, they have developed a stellar social media presence on twitter and on facebook. Participating in social media as allowed NHS to provide the community with photos of the animals and the animals stories. Not only is this a genius idea, but it is really helping the animals who desperately need a home.

After visiting NHS, I saw social media in a completely different light. It can really make a difference in the lives of people and in the lives of these animals. I have never wanted a dog or a cat (even though I’m allergic) so badly. NHS keeps up with their social media on a dil basis, which means they are taking this impact seriously. It’s not just something to do to fill spare time, it has an effect!

Be sure to visit their Web site and to like them on Facebook!

Silicon Prairie News- Innovative and Fresh

Hyperlocal. It is one of the hottest buzz words in journalism right now, meaning to make connections with people and focus on a specific geographical local.

Silicon Prairie News has found its niche in Omaha, and took the idea of being hyperlocal and put it into action. They focus on the positive and cool happenings in and around Omaha. Their site is set up in almost a blog type format where articles are eye catching. PLUS- not only is their site well laid out- the content is awesome. It has everything from news, to events, to opinions.

Silicon Prairie News has used social media to promote their site- extremely successfully. @SiliconPrairie has over 1,600 followers on twitter. They don’t just sit around waiting for people to find them, they actively reach out to their followers and continuously update their twitter and facebook accounts. You can no longer hope people read what you write, you must go out and participate in the conversation. Silicon Prairie News has found it’s niche in social media- have you?

All I do is sit at my computer… and talk to people

There have been many negative statements made about social media including that it is tearing apart our ability to actually interact with one another.

In Pew Internet’s Social Isolation and New Technology they show an executive summary of their findings- including that social media is bringing people closer, not creating isolation. “Internet use does not pull people away from public places. Rather, it is associated with engagement in places such as parks, cafes, and restaurants, the kinds of locales where research shows that people are likely to encounter a wider array of people and diverse points of view.”

There are many ways that Twitter and Facebook can bring others together- including setting up events for others to attend. I am in full agreement that it is really nice to receive a hand written invitation to something, but Facebook provides the “create an event” tool made specifically so others can attend events in person. Just today I saw events posted on Twitter via users- Big Omaha, an annual event held for entrepreneurs to come an share ideas, posted their opening party invitation on Twitter about an hour and a half ago.

Social Media can be used for all different types of communication. It provides an avenue towards personal interaction, and to that I say it’s beyond valuable.

Yahoo takes a stab at Google: clever, but will it work?

In yahoo’s latest ad they make an attempt at revitalising their service as not only a search engine, but a place that knows you. You can access your facebook, twitter, myspace and ebay accounts as well as finding the latest information on news, entertainment, weather etc.

Here are my thoughts: it’s clever, and I certainly love a good commercial when I see one, but the reality of it is when I think “hey, I need to find more info on that,” my reaction is to go straight to Google. I think for most people, Google is their go-to source for a search engine.

Yahoo makes an interesting argument for having all of the social media networks at your fingertips the moment you open your homepage, so I thought I would check it out. I’ve had a yahoo account since I was in high school and needed an email address, but I had no idea yahoo offered such a cool interface for all of my social media. After trying it out- I might actually make yahoo my homepage.

My final thoughts are this- Yahoo is smart to promote this tool, it is slick and really convenient. This said, they are going to have a hard time convincing people they have a better search engine than Google.

*Video found at Mashable- The Social Media Guide

Grammar Girl and the founding fathers of writing

When I’m upset, I write. When I’m happy, I write. When I’m feeling angry, sad, elated, spontaneous or creative, I write.

I am very blessed to be able to express myself through the written word. I always feel the more I do it the better I am. The part of my own writing in a constant state of needing improvement is my grammar. In the world of social media and really the world of technological communication, users type in brevity. And, in order to do that, sometimes grammar is lost. Well I am standing true to the founding fathers of writing and saying NO! I will use its and it’s correctly! I will use apostrophes! And, I will place commas in their rightful place!

That said, even though I love grammar- I still have a lot to learn. What better place to find grammar tips but through social media? There are many modern writers out there who keep up a blog (myself included!), but it’s rare to find such an excellent grammar source online…and for free!

Grammar Girl gives you quick and dirty tips for writing including how to use affect vs. effect, the its vs. it’s conundrum and much more! Check it out!

my sentence… my life

What is your sentence?

In a short video clip promoting “Drive,” by Daniel Pink, Pink urges the audience to select what their sentence- or in other words: one sentence to describe you and what you want to be remembered by. I’ve had to really think about this because I am currently in the throws of preparing for graduation- meaning I have no idea what I’m doing with my life or where I’m going to go next.

My sentence:

She helped as many people as she could using her talents and staying true to herself and to others.

I think the second part of Pink’s message goes right along with this. He encourages the audience to ask this question,”Was I a better person today than yesterday?” I think this fits perfectly with the sentence I wrote for myself. Striving to be a better person doesn’t always mean you have to be a super hero, but it does mean you put an effort forth every day to put someone ahead of yourself.

Check out these charities using social media to make the world a better place- just like I one day hope to!

Charity: Water

Social Media for Social Change (SM4SC)

working in the world of social media

I hate my job. I hate my boss. I hate working…

OK, I would be an idiot if I actually wrote this on a social media site and I was speaking of the job where I work. Whether those using social media tools want to believe it or not, everything you put out there is public. For the average employee it is important to protect yourself professionally on your personal social media sites. According to Forbes’ “A Corporate Guide for Social Media,” social media in the workplace should be embraced and not banned. That said, once you’ve allowed employees to support the idea of social media it is important to give them a set of guidelines. The following was my favorite tip:

“Everything you say can (and likely will) be used in the court of public opinion–forever. So assume you’re “on the record.” Never say anything you wouldn’t say to someone’s face and in the presence of others. Never use profanity or demeaning language.”

Another tip they gave to bosses was to allow social media during work. Maybe I should repeat that-  Allow social media in the work place. Forbes made an excellent observation that I know is true for myself- “If your employees are using Facebook at work, they are also likely checking work e-mail after dinner or at odd hours of the day. Don’t ask them to give up the former if you expect them to continue the latter.”

Never count on people ignoring what you say online- not only will people find it, but people will hold you accountable for it. Be smart, use your common sense and before you post ANYTHING give it a second look.