Since being involved with radio I have felt that the airways will always be somewhat associated with me. I enjoy providing commentary and opinion. I understand the trade of Journalism is a busy one with many deadlines to meet in a short amount of time. Whenever I have provided opinion I do this free of charge (although some stations like rewarding me with gifts!).

Now that I am in a full time job though I do require advanced warning of a day or two. Not only to plan calls into my schedule but to also form my own opinions on some subjects. I find it quite difficult to form a view with many other tasks to complete at the same time.

So thank you radio stations for contacting me but I will require advanced warning before going on the airwaves. I’m sure you all understand.

M x

The issue is a clear one; which people can be trusted? Currently there are only two methods to postulate the talents of each consultant: the position at the company they work for and through viewing recommendations from others. I strongly believe the size of a public social network does not provide an adequate indication of talent.

It is clear to see that social media is clearly not a fad in passing. As our society becomes increasingly technologically advanced our means to communicate is changing. The relationships we now have with each other are very different compared to the relationships we had at the dawn of the 20^th Century. Industries are continuously keeping up with our ever-changing communication lifestyle. I must add that the development of communication is not due to technological advancements but instead necessary steps in our own development as a society.

For this foundational reason it seems clear that because the internet is here to stay, social media is here to stay (but through changing forms) and that the digital world will become the largest communications platform. It is time that we saw people who call themselves ‘Social Media Experts’ or ‘Social Media Consultants’ to actually have a form of relevant education to back up and support their titles. To mean that Universities should keep up-to-date and run modules on Digital Public Relations. In my view when Marketing becomes digital it treads upon the toes of Public Relations.

Perhaps controversially I am at a position where I strongly believe that social media has a more prosperous future compared to the advertising industry. Isn’t it about time that education institutions prepare graduates for the future and teach social media strategies and tactics?

Over the last couple of months a single acronym has had increased usage on the internet which I fear causes me an immense amount of restlessness. It plagues my Twitter Feed, Facebook Feed and I have even started to see the acronym being used on a number of blogs. There is no use for it, this is the first time and last time I shall write this devilish acronym…

F.M.L – Fuck My Life

I know it may seem pathetic – prim – proper – pompus that I find such an acronym unbearable. I even find myself stupefied to the dreariest content that this acronym is ruining my digital surfing habits. Essentially F.M.L just expresses discontentment in the activities of one’s life. I just find the acronym utterly distasteful. I’m not offended by it but when I see it expressed in somebody’s update I am just left feeling vaguely hollow.

For a few years people have taken the advantage of hiding behind the veil of the internet to express emotions without having to confide in an individual person. Not everybody has close friendships, some issues may almost seem too personal – so inevitably people end up expressing on Facebook. I must admit I cannot stand this activity but I do understand it. I guess this is where F.M.L originated from.

Since F.M.L penetrated into the brains of thousands of teenagers around the country I am left gazing at my monitor in bewilderment. The phrase just seems extreme, dangerous and ungrateful for the privileged part of the world we live in. Not that you can rationalise emotions. Intensities are far easier to access that wavering reasonability which dictates a calmer mood. Misplaced keys can fuel anger worthy of rivalling Satan’s parliamentary seat.

Besides, despite the worst atrocity imagined (gazing back a couple of my own experiences) I would never wish to commit F.M.L to myself. It takes a lot of heart break to pronounce that you would rather just not live anymore. Just end things the way they are. Therefore F.M.L just seems suicidal in my view – very few emotions can cause this and usually depression is the main cause. Yet again depression doesn’t carry the sense of anger that F.M.L seems to portray; depression is flaccid, useless, uncaring and un-channelled.

Look at me just blithering along this treacherous and slightly mundane topic of F.M.L. I suppose, if anything this blog is a cry for reason. Before typing F.M.L think “Is everything really that bad?”

In the words of the website’s founder, theListBook is “all about collaborative lists and social networking. Lists on every and any subject – that can be aggregated, filtered, ranked, rated, copied, commented and edited”. This simple platform opens the doorway for many other networking opportunities and methods to perhaps later generate revenue.

The website has been set up by a local company in Cheltenham who I first got in contact with when they approached me at the #AddMe Social Media Conference. From then I have been one of the lucky few to have received an Alpha testing pass and use the website in its current state. Despite being an Alpha version the website, so far, has been very stable for me and even at this basic stage has proven to be very useful.

To break into my ‘theListBook’ virginity I decided to create my first list detailing all my favourite ales. To actually create the list was a very simple process, not nearly as drawn out as I thought it might be. Text for individual items are inserted into a text field, followed by an option to upload a picture (the process of uploading a picture took a couple of seconds) and then another item can be inserted by clicking a single button.

Once a list has been created people are able to comment on it, rate it and add a similar list of their own.

The homepage of the website lists all of the latest lists, along with options to find the highest rated and the largest. Just by quickly scanning the homepage it is clear to see how varied lists become. Some of the most useful listed the best free software on the internet and delicious recipe guides.

Where the name of the website ‘theListBook’ really becomes relevant is on the user’s profile end. Each user as a sort of newsfeed but individually detailing all their activities. This includes any lists they have created, rated, groups they have joined and comments people have left.

Currently the website is still in Alpha testing stages but the creators of the site are more than keen to have more people testing their system before they are brave enough to venture into the realms of beta. Currently you can only register to theListBook via invites. If you would like an invite then please contact me.

If you use Twitter then feel free to follow @theListBook.

I dread to think how many accumulated hours have been wasted by the 350 million users Facebook now has. The internet for many seems to consist of two elements; Google and Facebook. In fact, a study has shown that Google and Facebook are the two most preferred logins for OpenID.

An example of a social network that isn’t social is Facebook. The network fails to understand the principle of social groups. That my friends, colleagues and family involve different relationships, a variation exists only to be exploited by the Facebook News Feed. It isn’t the fault of students getting caught with their pants down on camera that leads to them getting unemployed. It is the fault of Facebook being based around an archaic social system that has not taken into consideration our social practices.

In the past there weren’t many Facebook groups. Groups didn’t even exist in the early days of the network. The increase of users though has led to a leviathan of clutter, an accumulation of dodgy companies trying to sell their goods, teenage girls writing sickly phrases and observations. Groups are becoming like car bumper stickers that are soon forgotten after selecting ‘join’. I can’t even tell the difference between a group and a page now. Both are usually used for the same thing, users joining to waste time denying the real world.

The majority of events I am now invited to are just pathetic. In December I was invited to attend Christmas (of course I didn’t attend). Various clubs in Cheltenham promote a variety of their events to me every day and I am sick of it. Setting up an event is pointless. It might raise awareness but you can be sure that out of those 100 who are confirmed as attending, only 10 of them will actually show up.

We are made to believe that signing up our support for a charitable cause on Facebook is somehow worthwhile. What is the purpose of mass exposure if it reaps no rewards? You might want to support the Monk’s in Burma but what good is my “support” if it just consists of ‘join’. It doesn’t make any sense.

We have yet to move onto my biggest upset about Facebook. The usability of the system is old, very.. very… old. The sort of technology it is using was around at the turn of the century and hasn’t really changed. The Facebook layout changes each year but the guts of the website couldn’t be that much different. As soon as one layout appears, we all have another one to contend with.

The way the website is used can only be described as a sort of social masturbation due to these 3 reasons:

1. The term Facebook Official is the ultimate declaration of love. Unless you are Facebook Official your relationship can only be deemed something small and strange.

1. The way people upload their pictures. Even more annoyingly, how people go out on the lash and take glary pictures from within the depths of a club.

1. How the Facebook status is used by some to share their inner turmoil or current social dilemmas.

In many ways Facebook can only be described as a stalker’s paradise. If you are ever interested in knowing what is going on then look at the news feed. You can see people’s latest pictures, follow the conversations between people or (if you are really creepy) gaze lustfully at your love interests.

Facebook announced today that they are going to introduce a new safety center. Perhaps a good idea, certainly a much needed one as MySpace and Bebo has had safety reporting since their conception. I guess the system might ward of sex offenders, doubt it though while Facebook profiles can appear in Google results.

I guess the title of this post “Why I Hate Facebook” comes across a bit strong. After all, I am very involved with marketing, public relations and social media. It just so happens that whilst I understand how to use Facebook I am finding it difficult to use the network personally. It has become full of junk, an endless stream of meaningless information and I begrudgingly have to keep using it… because everybody else does.

Just using the service feels somewhat underhand, like I have been caught deep within a game Russian roulette of which I am unable to escape. If smoking is bad for you in the real world then Formspring is bad for you in the digital world (both smoking and Formspring carry the same level of addiction).

Formspring is essentially a website driven by a single question ‘Ask Me Anything’. Not a question which is often muttered by the sane but one which can cause emotional distraught and climatic euphoria. Setting up your account takes a matter of seconds, the layout is dangerously simple and all you have to do is sit back and wait for the questions to come in.

Whoever asks questions on the website can do so anonymously which means there are no lines. I have seen profiles asking girls if they are “interested in a relationship”, business men being asked “have you ever been fired?”, in my case I got the question “are you gay?”

Users don’t have to have any shame and can post any question they like leaving the author of the profile feeling like a rock star being interviewed. Twitter has done a fantastic job of connecting people together but Formspring takes this to a new level by hiding the names of people who can ask you questions.

In the end you are left with a mix of question, from a range of people. Some questions are occasionally flirty, sometimes serious and often dim-witted. The point of the service seems to make any user a paranoid nutcase in real life whilst at the same time settling the curiosity of those who wish to ask questions.

You will see on this website now (look to the right) that you are able to ask me questions using the Formspring service. Alternatively my full Formspring profile can be found here.

I have no idea how long I will continue using the service but if you have any questions feel free to ask them.

Last month I did a video interview for WinkBall.com when not only did I share my views on the lack of understanding concerning the NUS Vote for Students Pledge but also how social media will play a part in this year’s General Election. Due to the brevity of the interview I wasn’t able to express  in full detail.

Since Labour first came into power in 1997 the country has changed a lot. Industry has changed immensely with many factories closing down and our trading increase as the world becomes a physical global village. Britain is moving towards becoming a leading digital economy. A controversial document at the centre of Britain’s change is the Digital Economy Bill. A document that is suspiciously kind hearted towards the multimedia industry with its piracy clauses and deserves a debate to uncover the consumers’ opinions. Despite this the bill does contain a heap of wondrous ‘developmental clauses’ that will continue to push Britain forward.

Britain has been moving along digitally and technologically for a long time. Too much has happened in the last 13 years to list but I will focus on Facebook and Twitter, both of which were set up in 2006. Both of which could be considered harmless websites for simple, fun, communication. In reality political parties and hardcore supporters will be lathering themselves with all of our posted information to gage the progress of the election battle.

The main battle this general election will take place online. As always, parties will need to tread carefully during this month but this election even more so. We have all seen what happens when many disapproving enthusiastic people meet up on Facebook. In many ways this will be the first digital general election, at least the most influential.

Two of the highest treading hashtags on Twitter will probably be #GeneralElection and #Labourfail. The three main political parties will be tweeting, along with their personable members, local members, supporters, journalists, columnists, celebrity figures and most importantly… us. No doubt about it. Twitter will be a battle ground of opinions and perhaps the occasional fact. I guess the general election on Twitter will be the UKs get-back for all the tedious iPad coverage.

Of course, people like me will be writing silly little blog posts, filled with ill-informed opinion. The most popular blog posts will work their way up Google, the comments on said posts will lead onto other (perhaps lesser known) bloggers and you will find yourself lost in a forest of political opinion. Heck, bloggers have already been given access into Westminster Parliament.

The government is worried about people not voting. In many ways social media will either put people for life off voting or force them into a trolling session to actually brave the great outdoors, away from the computer and tick their piece of paper. That will be a thumb down for that annoying YouTube member.

YouTube is already being used to make fun out of the conservatives, Gordon Brown manages to make fun out of himself and just who is Nick Clegg? Local PPCs are already using YouTube to upload their election videos, along with the website WinkBall.com (which I mentioned earlier) which is one of the main political video hubs to visit.

Due to the realities of modern politics and the social side of social media, there is no doubt in my mind that this election is going to be more of a question of ‘vote for this person’ rather than ‘vote for the party’. The most interesting aspect of social media this election will not just be the tactics implemented but the outcome. Will social media make a positive difference? Does social media portray accurate public opinion?

Choose a place to follow people from

Since the introduction of lists attempting to follow likeminded people has become much easier. Look for those twitter opinion leaders/power users.

Remember to Remove those slacking Tweeple

After a few months you will find that certain people you follow may have stopped tweeting. Following such people is pointless, needlessly keeps your following statistic high and may be keeping your Twitter follow ratio limited. Remove such people using a tool such as untweeps.

Don’t use auto-follower websites!

There are a range of auto-follower websites. These websites lure users in, ask for access to their account and then enter their usernames into a pyramid following scheme. Not only are such websites against the Twitter rules (and could have you suspended) but commonly these accounts send out spam tweets to try and gain the attention of your followers. Avoid such websites. They are for useless people who are concerned more about their amount of users rather than quality. Remember, QUALITY not QUANITIY.

Get rid of those who don’t follow you back

This is a tip for those who have hit their follow limit. When I hit the Twitter follow ratio is was necessary for me to find some new followers in a bid to get my Twitter account growing again. Using tools such as Buzzom it is possible to flush away those users who are not following you back.

Join in with the Community

Twitter is essentially a large community of people and the clue is in the name ‘Twitter’. Have conversations with other users. One of the widely known facts of Twitter is that you can still @reply somebody even if they don’t follow you. Getting into conversations may help those numbers grow and stops your account from looking stale.

If you have any other tips of your own then feel free to leave a comment! Oh, and if you like this post then please Re-Tweet

Ben’s Website “What is there to do on the internet, Anyway?”

You’ve reached the sometimes ambiguous, cynically frosted, and adulterously whimsical coated cupcake selection box from Mr Hamilton’s Bakery. Little bite sized bits of pointless exclamation just to fill up your head to a nauseating level of nonsense and unimportance. Enjoy.

Rebellious Arab Girl “Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values”

My name is Mona, and I go by the internet name Rebellious Arab Girl. I have been living in Canada for over thirteen years. I call myself the world traveler with a unique history. I am originally Palestinian from a town near Acre (Akka) in the northern part of Palestine. However, my parents were born in Lebanon due to the 1948 war in Palestine. I was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 23, 1980, where my parents worked for many years. I have lived in Saudi Arabia till I was eleven years old, and then moved to the deep south of USA where I lived for a period of five years. In 1997, my family and I immigrated to London, Ontario Canada, and I call it my second home.

Save the Media

I’m Gina Chen, a 20-year veteran newspaper journalist who is studying for a communications Ph.D. I want to see journalism survive. I believe news organizations need to embrace new media, change their thinking, improve their content and innovate. I also blog at Harvard University’s Nieman Journalism Lab.

Consultant Stedavies Communication

This blog (formerly prblogger.com) has been running in various shapes and forms for almost five years and it generally covers topics related to communication, and the odd one or two other things on my mind.

Ideas and Fears of Tomorrow’s Journalist

My name is Chris Marley, and I am aiming to be a Journalist. The only issue is that it is not that easy… I am a second year student at Roehampton University in London studying Journalism and English Language, and this blog is following the problems I face, as I try to get a degree, get some stories in newspapers and hopefully at the end of it… get a job!

Life and Love of a StarGirl “My search for Prince Charming”

So, I’m StarGirl. Obviously I do have a real name (would have been pretty weird if my parents had actually christened me that!) but for the purposes of this online record of my life, I’m keeping a few things private. This blog tells of my never-ending search for true love. My soulmate. Until I find him, I’ll write here about my experiences and the situations I find myself in. Names will all be changed by request. Oh and things might get a bit risqué in places, so be warned!

I have only written 9 tips so that people can freely commented and add their own suggestions.

1. Don’t start a blog because you have to

Teachers or Lecturers may try persuading you to blog alongside the course. Only maintain a blog if you want to though. Blogging is all about passion.

2. Blogging is about writing

Blogging isn’t about promotion but instead writing. Unless you are a good writer then I would recommend you to avoid the blogosphere. However, if you have the desire to improve your writing style then a blog is perfect for you. When I started blogging in 2005 my writing style was terrible but now my spelling grammar has improved immensely. I find reading a variety of writing styles compliments your own. My influences are all fairly similar in nature; Christopher Hitchens, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson, George Orwell and Richard Dawkins.

3. Blogs aren’t just written

In this rich media age blogs can include images, podcasts and video. A blog is ultimately for sharing content. Don’t just stick to medium, push your blog to the multimedia limits!

4. Search for a focus

Why do you want to set up a blog? This blog has been set up to run alongside my public relations course whilst I study at University. The focus is therefore leaning towards the aspects which are relevant to my degree. You will also see that at times I have written posts of a personal ‘student life’ perspective. Ultimately your blog should be a form of expression towards your passions. Having a main focus will generally increase your blog’s readership.

5. Don’t focus on the readers

Don’t care about how many people will read your blog. Just care who might be reading your blog. If I began blogging worrying about readership levels then I would have never continued. When you write a blog, think this, “Would I put this post up on a billboard?” Remember that if you write anything harmful you may negatively come across to your readers.

6. Choose your service

I run my blog on hired server space with a personalised domain name. If you want to learn how to do this then leave a comment and I’ll write a short step-by-step post. It is easy.

Otherwise there are a range of free options to start your blogging career. Check out WordPress, TypePad, Squarespace, Blogger and Windows Live Spaces.

7. Frequency and length

This is a battle I am still fighting. How often should one post and how long should posts be? I tend to limit myself to 800 words maximum. The largest post I have written was 3000 words but I doubt many people made it to the end! My advice for frequency would be at least 1 post per fortnight. If gaps between posts become too long then readers get bored. If you have to push yourself to blog because you can’t be bothered then perhaps blogging isn’t for you.

8. Network yourself

Promotion of yourself is a secondary inevitable outcome from maintaining a blog. I have had a multitude of companies ask for advice from me, have networked with a great many people and all because people searched the internet and found my blog. If you are a student wanting to make your way in the world then being the author of a blog is probably the most powerful form of promotion you can do.

9. Promote your blog posts

There are many different ways to promote your blog posts. Try these methods for starters:

-          Set up a Twitter Account

-          Use NetworkedBlogs on Facebook

-          Join StumbleUpon and Reddit

-          Include your blog’s address in your email’s footer

There are too many services to list. I did write a post about blog promotion a little while ago though which can be found here.