… the increasingly jaded musings of a curmudgeon-in-training
January 2, 2014 Leave a comment
Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is a happy, healthy and successful year for you and your families. But before moving forward, here are a few updates on what went on since the summer when work needs distracted me from this blog: Read more of this post
May 14, 2012 Leave a comment
I feel it’s appropriate, as we redefine the definition of “marriage”, that on Mother’s Day we recognize that the extended definition of what a mother is today. After all, the methods of conception and delivery are more varied than in the past. And children are more frequently raised by people other than their birth mother.
Mother’s Day reminds us that mothers come in all shapes, sizes and circumstances. Whether they are birth mothers, step-mothers, foster mothers, grand-mothers who are raising another generation, godmothers, savvy aunties, big sisters, guardians, mentors and more. Mothering is a skill set both learned and earned. Being a mother comes by chance to some, by choice to others.
Regardless, how do moms spend their time online? According to NeilsenWire.com (see accompanying infographic) their experience can be summed up in three words: Facebook; Twitter and blogs. In March 2012, 3 out of 4 moms visited Facebook; and 1 of 7 visited Twitter and 2 out of 5 visited blogging platforms (Blogger; WordPress and Tumblr). ‘Mommy Bloggers’ are a force representing about 1/3 of all bloggers.
Fact: The Census bureau estimates that there are 85.4 million mothers in the U.S. If she were alive today, the founder of Mother’s Day would not be among them.
Anna Jarvis never had children. She organized the first Mother’s Day as tribute to her mother in Grafton, W.Va. and Philadelphia in 1908 and later petitioned Congress to create the national holiday in 1914. It didn’t take long, however, for Jarvis to hate the very day she created due to over-commercialism.
So, let’s remove the restrictions on how we view Mother’s Day, and mothers as well. Celebrate all the women who help mold us into the people we are, and let’s do so every day of the year.
March 8, 2012 Leave a comment
March 8, 2012: International Women’s Day — first observed in 1909 as a day to celebrate women, their accomplishments and contributions to society — is a day when I ask everyone to just STOP!
STOP devaluing women in the workplace. Equal pay for equal work certainly sounds like both a logical and inherently American principle especially in 2012. But, as I’ve written previously, it remains an unobtained goal
STOP eroding women’s rights. Women are not second-class citizens and should not be treated as such. Attacks on rights granted by the Supreme Court should not be eroded by individual states that increase barriers to participation, such as, requiring a medical procedure prior to exercising your court sanctioned rights (yes, I am talking to you, Virginia and even worse, Texas), as that is as un-American as the old poll taxes and intelligence tests required by some states before African-Americans could vote until outlawed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
STOP attacking women in the workplace, in particular one of our most important resources – teachers. Yes, the education system needs a major overhaul but that involves issues related to policy, accountability and funding. Teachers are being attacked en masse (yes, I am speaking to you Pennsylvania with your “special rules” for the Philadelphia school district and to you New York) because they are an easy target for people frustrated with government, taxes, crime, etc. Oh yeah, and they’re 76% female.
STOP demeaning women in the media. Please view this trailer for the documentary “Miss Representation” by filmmaker Siebel Newsom to understand how media affects women’s self-esteem, skewed body image and aspirations.
Now,that you’ve stopped– GO! Get mad and do something about it.
February 14, 2012 Leave a comment
Ah, love. Each February 14 we celebrate all things love in remembrance of St. Valentine, a priest who (literally) lost his head over the emotion. And so, by the powers of the Roman god Cupid; the Greek god Eros; and the consumer goods god Hallmark, we enjoy love found, curse love lost and are hopeful for love to come.
Love@AOL - one of the first online dating sites
For me, it also brings back memories of my first “real” job in social media, as a Community Manager at AOL for one of its largest channels, Love@AOL. Launched as a Valentine;s Day special feature in 1996, it did so well that it became a permanent channel, with (at the time) the largest collection of online dating profiles featuring the newest innovation of the day — photos! Simply put, people — even online — expressed a need to connect, to be social.
Fast forward to yesterday in New York City at the Third Annual Social Media Week New York. In his keynote speech titled ‘Top 2012 Trends in Social, JWT CEO David Eastman pointed out that four key operators own almost all of the information about you online. He called them “GAFA” (pronounced “gaffa”), they are: Read more of this post
December 31, 2011 Leave a comment
♫… All my life’s a circle; Sunrise and sundown; Moon rolls thru the nighttime; Till the daybreak comes around. …♫
In a few hours, the books will close on 2011 and another volume will begin as we chronicle the new year. 2011 was in many ways a year of continued transition. For social media, 2011 was the year of acceptance, one where Twitter accounts and Facebook pages are now prominently displayed on mainstream media advertising. Where tweets brought about social change and individual failure; riots, occupation and revolution.
♫… All my life’s a circle; But I can’t tell you why; Season’s spinning round again; The years keep rollin’ by. …♫
Despite those gains, a lagging economy still nags true economic prosperity, and so social media hiring, while more prevalent than in the past, seems stuck in first gear. Instead of seeing VP/Director level social media opportunities, it is more common to see Social Media Manager or even Social Media Coordinator job openings. Worse, lately a large increase in social media intern positions has been seen.
♫… It seems like I’ve been here before; I can’t remember when; But I have this funny feeling; That we’ll all be together again.. …♫
What this means is that even though more companies have made the determination hat they need to add social media to their company tool-set, they fail to make the commitment to do so with both feet.
♫… No straight lines make up my life; And all my roads have bends;
There’s no clear-cut beginnings; And so far no dead-ends.. …♫
What does work is hiring a social media professional, one paid to enact social media as a profession with at least seven years experience, to be both strategist and tactician to create its social media roadmap, create policy and procedures and get accounts up and running. Only then hire staff as the need arises.
♫… I found you a thousand times; I guess you done the same; But then we lose each other; It’s like a children’s game. …♫
And so the cycle continues. 2011 turns into 2012 full of hope for better times and (for many) a better job. Will this be the year? Each new year is full of hope, so until we learn otherwise I choose to believe that 2012 will be better than 2011 — and I wish that for you, too.
♫… As I find you here again; A thought runs through my mind; Our love is like a circle; Let’s go ’round one more time …♫
–“Circle” by Harry Chapin
Bottom of the Food Chain 