wallydownundy

Just like any neighbourhood, the social media ‘hood has some bad apples. Predators stalk the room pretending to be youthful teens when in fact they’re middle-age men (rarely women - usually men).  It’s unusual to find a parent today who hasn’t installed an Internet monitoring system to guard their children against suspect sites.

 Yet children aren’t the only ones being assaulted on social media sites.  This week I lost a Facebook friend due to ongoing harassment. Antonio is in his late twenties and lives in Monaco. He found the ongoing litany of insulting messages too much to handle. On the weekend he sent a farewell message and disabled his account. He’d said our conversations (to help me practice my French) were the only sane ones he’d had on Facebook.

Recent media reports suggest up to 50% of all social media users post too many personal details on-line, making them susceptible to identity theft. Yet the growth of indecent messaging makes a walk through Facebook feel like a jaunt through 1980s Times Square. Before Disney cleaned up that neighbourhood it was all Beast and no Beauty.

The prevalence of n’aer-do-wells will be the biggest inhibitor of social media’s rise. And where bad things happen lawyers usually follow. It will be interesting to see how courts one day determine the liability of Facebook and MySpace should a virtual assault turn physical. 

It’s odd making virtual friends. Usually you have a chance to see someone, speak in-person and size them up before entering into a friendship. Yet on-line you’re suddenly abandoning that dynamic and speaking with people you’ve never met - and are unlikely to meet in-person.

On Tuesday I flew from Adelaide to Melbourne and met with Anna Whitlam at Market U. Anna’s a class act who is also a high-end executive recruiter. It was disorienting to have her so familiar with my thinking and background - all gained by reading this blog.

On Facebook I’ve had in-depth conversations with people in South Africa, London, Dubai, Budapest and LA. I’m unlikely to meet them - ever.

But there’s a psychological closeness we gain from strangers in different lands. We can share intimacies knowing they’re unlikely to come back to us. We can try on different skins, act out fantasies or talk of details so close and painful we’d never entrust them to people in proximity for fear it may boomerang. 

It’s a new social order when we retreat to a room alone in order to get close to people we’ll never meet - and leave alone those in our own household.

We’re all trying to be young. What else explains the obsession with casual clothing, fitness and cosmetic surgery. As Baby Boomers enter retirement and Gen Y dominate the workforce, most are seeking what Juan Ponce de Leon sought in Florida in 1513 - the Fountain of Youth.  

 Add to this love of youth (or denial of aging) the growing influence of social media and we’re witness to a growing informality of language.

I like the latest ad from Seek.com.au -

“Why do we need to know what’s in there, what’s up there or what’s out there?”

On a pair of Puma gym shorts I bought yesterday there are four symbols with short instructions below each:

1. Heart: Love Your Neighbour
2. Leaf: Eat More Greens
3. Car Driving into Water: Cheer Up It May Never Happen
4. Water Drop: Wash This When Dirty

Social media allows us to get to know each-other better - in French we'd abandoning parlez-vous for "tutoyer". There are less barriers and that's starting to be reflected in casual banter.

We're younger. We're more connected. We're more social. So let's abandon the formalities, okay buddy?

I’m thick, I admit. It takes me longer sometimes to come to terms with new concepts. Social media gift giving is on area I have yet to fully come to terms with.  It is money for nothing.  Or is it?

For the rest of the class: Social media sites (MySpace, Facebook) allow users to connect and inter-connect with friends (and strangers) in a number of ways.  One application allows you to give a gift to a friend.  There’s a gallery of images and - get this - you pay $1.00 to send it to another person.  What does the receiver get? An image and your message. 

When you care enough to send the very best…

Seems like a killer application to me. If I could get all my loyal readers to spend $1.00 to click through and send me a four leaf clover or a piece of sushi or a traffic cone or a baby chick then in time those would add up. 

And hence the incredible promise of social media.  People pay to send a picture to a friend. They are that attached to the network and its reality. 

Send me a dollar.  I’ll email you a picture - what do you want? The slice of pizza? The inflatable shark?

PS: Have any of the global brands realised not one of those gifts is branded???

I get grief in Australia because I’m from New Jersey.  And America. 

It’s not bad enough that Australians feel comfortable “giving heaps” to Americans (aka Septics - precedes Tanks which rhymes with Yanks. Ah, the subtleties of Cockney!).  But mention you’re from New Jersey and folks feel inclined to pitch in a bit more.

Must be all that Joe Pesci did in “My Cousin Vinnie.” Or Tony Soprano in “The Sopranos.” But New jersey is synonymous for “tough under dog” and “brash but no class” around the world.  I think of Joan Cusack in “Working Girl” (even if she was from Richmond [aka Staten Island]). 

So I left New Jersey - a long, long time ago.  But they do say “You can take the boy out of New Jersey, but you can’t take the New Jersey out of the boy.” I am a little loud.  Down here that’s called being OTT (Over The Top).  I like loud cars. Sunshine and sand aren’t enough unless you add Banana Boat Coconut Oil.  Classy, no?

And then today all my battery hens come home to roost.  I find I’ve been hot-linked by “The Newark Star Ledger” and their blog site.  Is this infamy? Or final recognition from my home state - come back to the five and dime!

It’s too much to ponder.  Besides, I got me a Corvette to polish - I’m outta here!

This morning I woke to an in-box filled with updates from global friends gathered through FaceBook.  There were notes and photos and puzzles and games.  It would easily take two hours to respond to each and participate. 

The social media revolution is creating a pound of bacon each morning!

Bacon is a variant of Spam, that wonderful in-box filler offering Viagra from Thailand or promises of fortune from Nigeria.  But instead of being unsolicited like Spam (I really did NOT request the Viagra emails - promise!), Bacon is from friendly sources. 

Someone added a photo to Flicker.  You’ve got a message on Facebook.  Someone was up all night on MySpace and now you have 27 messages from the same person - really! 

Social media companies are quickly trying to develop a “daily digest” option so you’ll receive one update versus dozens and dozens.  They better act quickly because too much bacon did in poor old Mr Atkins.  And if the protein diet king couldn’t survive on bacon, I don’t like our chances! 

I scroll down my postings and very few have attracted comments.  So you wonder - why bother?  Yet the statistics aren’t that sad - in the last 24 hours 60 people have been in for a read.  You’re all welcome - as would be your comments!

Social media is a significant force changing the approach companies are taking to communications.  Ground-breaking programs engage citizen-journalists and challenge YouTube enthusiasts.  Companies have seen their brands revitalised while others have been tarnished in days by bloggers. 

What does it mean for Australia?  How will the uptake of social media transform business’ relationships with its key opinion leaders?  

 Presenting insights from world-best campaigns, Burson-Marsteller is pleased to offer a hands-on workshop on social media.  The session features Charlie Pownall, lead digital strategist for Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific based in Singapore.  Also presenting on how this is changing the communications industry is Bill Rylance, Asia Pacific President & CEO.  Walter Jennings of

Melbourne – Tuesday, 14 August
8:30 breakfast for 9:00 am start (ends by 11:00 am)
The Naval & Military Club
27 Little Collins Street

Life’s full of oddities.  Turns out in a parallel universe there’s an Australian trying to adjust to life in America.  I blog about the reverse issue - as an American in Australia, once in awhile you come across “Things that make you go hmmm.” 

So I got introduced today to Paul Young.  He’s from Sydney and is now in Manhattan.  He blogs on issues of interest to public relations professionals and students.  Check out his blog. 

It’ll be interesting to track his experiences and see how he navigates the rocky shoals of Manhattan!

 Last week I posted that more Australia-based companies needed to get involved in social media.  That’s great advice - but once you “jump the broom” and decide to get involved, where do you start?  Over the coming days I’ll offer advice - and seek counsel from readers - on how to get started.

Early in my blog I wrote about the difficulty of finding your voice.  This was based on the difficulty of starting a blog and finding the most natural way to express myself.  While social media is multi-faceted with a wide range of options available (Second Life, YouTube, Wiki, Blogs) let’s start by looking at blogs. 

First and foremost be clear about your goal for starting a blog.  It may be an avenue to open direct conversations with consumers.  You may explore it as a way to provide information to a special interest group.  Stonyfield Farm has two blogs to meet the information needs of specific consumers - be they parents with young children, or people interested in organic food products.  One communication channel couldn’t meet the needs of both parties - unless they were new parents wanting organic yogurt! 

Be really clear with your objective.  Because if you’re not clear then your audience has absolutely no chance of arriving at the same conclusion!  My blog was started for two reasons.  First I wanted to position myself as a leader in communications issues of matter to Australia.  Second I wanted to gain on-line experience in new media (”Teacher teach yourself”). 

So with a clear objective firmly in mind, start practicing.  Open up a Word document and write trial posts each and every day.  You need to commit to daily exercise otherwise you’ll lose the ability to create fresh material daily.  If you don’t post daily then you’re at risk of becoming stale and obsolete. 

Frankly this is the hardest point - how do you find your voice?  What style will you adopt as you write every day?  Avoid memo language.  The way we draft inter-company emails is not the way we should write on blogs.  Loosen your tie - write for your Mother or a friend.  Take on a friendly language that’s easier to read.  Gone are the days of “command and control” writing - if your blog sounds like a press release or a corporate memo you’ll never gain a readership. 

Get started - try it today.  Figure out your objective then start writing.  After time you’ll find your groove.