Social Networking

Some of us seem to feel the need to be heard :-) I am currently using four different social networking applications. I use each application for a different purpose. I suppose this my attempt at separating the different areas of my life.

Twitter
I use twitter like a custom news feed. I follow a few people whose opinions I respect as well as some topics that interest me. When I post a tweet, it is usually related to work. Perhaps about some techie thing that I just figured out or about some tool that I think is rather cool. I also post the occasional random thought. Having an iPhone makes it very easy to use. I also use a google gadget for when I am at my desk.

There appears to be some twitter etiquette. There are a lot of celebrities using it. While it is interesting to stay up-to-date with your favorites, I think it bad form to badger them to add you to their following list. I see a lot of this when browsing. Sure, throw the odd comment their way if you have something intelligent to say. Garrison Keeler summed it up in one of his monologues; he said something to the effect of you can say "Hey, like you work." and move on.

Blogs
I currently maintain two blogs. The one you are reading now and another more related to work.
I use this blog for personal expression, stuff I don't mind the world reading and to expand on subjects that require more than a tweet.
The other blog I use to sound off about work stuff, usually on a topic where I perceive misconception and I feel the need to set the record straight.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is my on-line resume and professional network. I only include people I know through work and only if I think their presence in my network will add value. Another point of etiquette here; what to do if someone you don't like/respect/want in your network sends you an invite? I think simply ignoring it is safest. If they corner you at the water cooler you can say "LinkedIn? Man, I haven't been on there in ages.". Maybe LinkedIn should present a third option beyond "Add to your network" and "I don't know this person". How about "Politely decline this invitation"? Another approach is to accept the invitation, wait for a month and then quitely remove them from your network.

Facebook
I stayed away from Facebook for a long time. But it became clear that it was the most efficient method of staying in touch with my family in the UK. My little sister and cousins appear to have stopped writing e-mails, but they will keep their walls up to date.
I have set myself a rule for using Facebook. I'll only connect with family and close friends. No work stuff. Any posts I make here are not for public consumption. I turned off all the "freinds of friends" options and locked the security down to imediate contacts only.
I went camping with the children over spring break. Having an iPhone allowed me to let my wife & family follow our adventures in near real time. The children enjoyed reading comments from the family each morning.

James
April 2009