#blogjune Post 2

Yep, I'm all for creative titles for each post - not!!  I promise to work on this.

This morning I was reading my friend, Rachel Wray's blog post about social media.  I tend to follow the same trends Rachel does.

I used to be a big user of Twitter but now only venture on there when attending conferences.  I tend to use is as a note taking/sharing device.  Or when I'm doing a challenge like this - #blogjune  Oh I also sometimes go to it when watching The Voice to check out what other viewers are saying about the contestants.  But generally Twitter is not something I check all that often.

Since moving away from family and friends, Facebook is my go to for social media.  It has also become a place I connect with other runners from all over Australia.  I go for it for the latest news reports, weather, and generally what is happening around the place.  I provide updates/snippets of what I've been doing so my family and friends can stay in touch.  I share pictures of places, people, and family.  This would be the social media tool that I use the most.

I've recently started using Instagram a bit.  Mainly because I can do running selfies and upload the image, tag and share very quickly.  It also posts to my Facebook page - 2 birds with 1 stone!

I have tried using Pinterest but find it's probably of more interest to those doing crafty things - I'm not very crafty.  That said, apparently it's good for getting some memes (sorry if I've used the wrong word) for Facebook posts for my library service's page - but I find that I have little time at work to be looking for or thinking about possible posts for our Facebook page.  I actually think that it is worthwhile having one staff member looking after a library's social media to ensure a targeted, consistent approach - not having random posts for the sake of posting.

These social media tools are about the extent that I have explored in the hundreds of tools available.  I must admit that I do use a little bit of the social aspect of Strava but find that it is more of a running recording tool for me than a social tool.

Thanks, Rachel for prompting some thought and reflection regarding my use of social media.  It was interesting to read about your uses.

How do you use social media?

ANZ 23 Mobile Things - Thing 1: Twitter

I've been using Twitter for a reasonable amount of time, but I'll admit it took me a while to be convinced that I had a purpose for it.

I find with any new technologies or tools, I might have a play around with it but if I don't think it will have any use for me - then I won't continue to use it.

Twitter was a bit like that for me.  I had Facebook to keep in touch with friends and colleagues - what would I need Twitter for?

However, I continued to "lurk" on Twitter and was very much an observer rather than a participator for a very long time.

I discovered Twitter was good to follow events that my fellow professionals were attending.  And it was especially good to provide information during natural disasters.

The main thing holding me back from participating was thinking that if I tweeted something, it would be stupid.  I didn't know how to shorten what I wanted to say into the required limit.  What are these things called hash tags # and how do you know which one to use?  What does RT, MT and HT mean??  How do I send a message to someone without sending it to the Twitter universe??

So you can see I had heaps of Twitter "fears" to overcome.

Then one day I went to an event and I thought, I should really do my professional duty and share what is happening/being said at this event.  So I started to Tweet.  So what if my tweets weren't that good?  I was learning.  I asked one of my fellow professionals who had been using Twitter for a long time what the hash tag was for the event and off I went.

By the end of the event, I had found more fellow professionals to follow and I had even had some of my tweets re-tweeted (I always feel a warm feeling when that happens).

I'm still not what I would consider a professional twitterer (you see I don't even know the correct term to use - tweeter twitterer twit....), but I'm out there sharing and interacting.

I now regularly participate in online twitter discussions, especially Read, Watch, Play.  And I'm starting to get better at using my tablet to tweet (overcoming how to provide links in a tweet, getting used to the smaller keyboard, etc).  I have even managed to open a Storify account and capture Tweets from events I attend.

With all that said, my library is looking at starting a Twitter account and I'm not sure I think we should go there.

I've just joined the Australian Library and Information Associations (ALIA) Social Media Group (@aliasocialmed) to find out more about how libraries are successfully using Twitter as an "interaction" and or "marketing" tool.

I look forward to discovering and learning more about Twitter.

Blog December Post 31/Blog12daysxmas Post 7 - IRL

Today's Destiny Card is Efficiency.

On the 7th day of Christmas.... we went for a swim at the beach in the morning and I met a twitter friend in the afternoon.

Prior to today I had only had brief twitter conversations with @lv2photoWorld but because @leesaphilip mentioned to me that @lv2photoWorld was going to be in my town for a few days and put us in contact, we manage to meet IRL (in real life).

@lv2photoWorld and I have some common library industry friends which made conversation a bit easier to get started.  But then we found out something that threw me for a six.  I asked @lv2photoWorld where she lived and that triggered me to mention that I know someone that lives in the same area and would you believe that they are the same people that are looking after @lv2photoWorld animals!!  It is such a small world!!

Since moving down here from Qld, Twitter has been an excellent tool for me to keep in contact with friends, but is also a great networking tool.  I don't get too many networking opportunities, other than once a year conferences and the odd professional development opportunity that may bring me in contact with others in my profession that I am yet to meet.  Twitter allows me to keep networking from the comfort of my home, office or wherever I may be, and to meet new people in my industry.

I can't wait to meet more of my Twitter friends that I haven't met IRL.

Well this is the last post of Blog December but I have another 5 posts left on #blog12daysxmas so I will continue for the next 5 days.  Who knows, it may become a new year resolution of mine to continue to blog regularly to force me to reflect more often.  That said, I don't like to do resolutions - possibly because I don't follow through with them all or I feel too much pressure to do them all!  But isn't that why we make them??

I had planned to list all the books I read in 2012 in this post, but I think I'll leave it to the next post.  I don't think I will get to read as much in 2013 due to my extra job I'm taking on - but I hope to find time to jump in on the regular twitter chats for Read Write Play #rwpchat so I better read something so I can contribute!

Till next year.....