What do I get out of Twitter?

This post is actually an email I wrote to my boss. We were both supposed to speak today at a meeting, and circumstances prevented me from being there with her. She asked me to simply tell her a few things I would say about twitter to this audience of Jewish professionals.. and here is what I wrote.

What do I get out of twitter?

I use twitter in two different ways from two different accounts.  One is personally and one is professionally as @JewishBoston.

The value I get from both is different as well. My personal account allows me to share news and tips about subjects that interest me, parenting, social media and cooking for example. I have over 600 followers and I follow close to that same amount. It is not overwhelming and I am able to get information that I might not have otherwise found on my own, because my peers are also sharing their thoughts on those same topics.

Professionally is different and tweeting is not for everyone. You really have to devote time to it and be active. If you cant make that commitment, then perhaps starting a twitter account is not part of your social networking strategy. Empty twitter accounts are boring and not worth following.

One of my favorite groups of people to follow are Rabbis. There are many of them active on twitter and they use a hashtag* #WhatRabbisDo when posting things like “Writing a sermon, but I’m stuck. Need ice cream”. Here is the search for the hashtag to see who is using it

One of the most creative uses of twitter was when a group of Rabbis and Jewish educators got together and started a “Tweet the Exodus” campaign. They tweeted the whole story of Passover, leading up to first seder in 140 characters or less as different roles in the story. Currently that same group is doing “Tweet the Omer”

• A hashtag is something people use if they want to link a subject they are speaking about with others who are talking about the same thing. A great resource for hashtags can be found here

For JewishBoston, I tweet about events and voices that are appearing on JewishBoston.com to drive them to the website, but I am also re-tweeting from my colleagues such as JWA, Mayyim Hayyim, JVS and more. This allows us to promote each others work to our unique set of followers. While some of those followers overlap, they are different enough that we all benefit from retweeting. I also retweet from other news sources and blogs if I think that the subject would be of interest to a JewishBoston.com audience and respond when someone retweets something I have posted (Hey! Thanks for the retweet!). This grows your audience and cultivates the conversation for further retweeting. The reason for this kind of audience cultivation is to expand your reach in the community. People need to know you are out there, so keep the conversation going, the tweets interesting and be generous when it comes to promoting others in the community. Be patient and your follower list will grow. Share and collaborate and it will grow even faster.

Branding and how the New York Times got it wrong

I never write much about my work on my blog. Mostly because I blog and participate in many forms of social media for work. I maintain that brand and identity separately, because, well.. it is a separate brand and identity. I dont do it because I’m trying to hide anything, I do it because I am paid to build a brand and interest around a certain type of participation and conversation venue that requires a completely different audience, a different level of participation and a role for me that includes many aspects that the public doesnt see (such as encouraging and teaching others to build strong content). Even in this role, the fact that I am a parent does surface, but in a way that in congruent with the message we are building there. This is where I choose to build my brand, others choose to build themselves as a brand.

As I have stated in a previous post. I DO consider myself a mommyblogger. Although my blog has taken a hiatus in the recent past, I still tweet as a mommy (mommytweeter?) and use social media as a way to talk about being a parent. Not only do I find these types of social media activities as a mom, helpful and cathartic, I feel like I belong to a community of parents (notice I say parents, dads are also full participatory parents who deserve recognition too) who understand when I complain about poor sleep habits, childhood illnesses and the challenges that come with raising children.

One of the reasons I think that people are up in arms about the New York Times piece.. is because it is so shortsighted and doesnt even begin to capture the essence of being a parent-blogger. There are so many great parent blogs out there that they ARE brands, as well they should be. When you write interesting, useful articles about a subject that people are drawn to and want advice about, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t build a brand. Parents want to feel like they are part of a larger, understanding community, and many times, these blogs help them feel connected when they are feeling isolated. What makes these articles that are informative and helpful, any different than an article in a magazine? Nobody bats an eye if a magazine builds a brand.

Journalism is changing.. I know how much you all (read: mainstream media) hate change, but if you roll with it, you might find some interesting people, subjects and new material to feature. There is no reason the two types of media cant live harmoniously together. There is no reason to belittle conferences geared toward mothers who believe in themselves and what their blogs are about.These people are rockstars who believe in themselves, dont be the bully on the playground.

There are many great posts out there that talk about how the Old Gray Lady (NYT) got it wrong, and I can only hope that one day I can see a great mainstream media article about the wonderful, powerful, emotional and positive impact blogging has been to this new era of raising children in a digital age. I think that we as parents are more informed, more willing to speak up and more open about what we do now than we ever were. And I believe our children benefit because of the things parents are willing to share with each other in whatever medium makes them feel comfortable to do so.

What ruffled my feathers at PodCamp Boston: In defense of the “Mommyblogger”

Yesterday I went to Podcamp Boston. Overall I had a decent time. There were some interesting discussions and I met some nice people. This post is not about the event itself. The event was well run, was in a great venue (though I was SO dehydrated, couldnt find any water!) and the planned sessions were topical. I also really liked the fact that anyone could dream up a discussion and host it. We had a great non-profit/higher education discussion at lunch because of that very reason.

One of these sessions was held outside. The gist of it was.. How can we, as women, empower ourselves and speak up for ourselves and each other to be speakers and presenters in a male dominated field. What is it about us that lets the men get all of those gigs when there are so many amazing, talented and smart women in the tech/social media world.

Great, right?

And it mostly was. Both men and women attended and everyone was eager to participate. There were some great things said and some great conversation but it was one line and a subsequent reaction that threw me WAY off kilter about the whole thing and in fact about the whole day. Maybe thats exaggerating a little but I will try to explain.

Before the conversation began there was mention of mommybloggers.. and I said I was one. I also mentioned that I do more than that as a profession. It was clear to me that just the mere mention of mommyblogger got me judged (incorrectly) from that point on. After that the discussion began and we talked about empowerment and supporting each other, how it shouldnt matter what color, race, religion you are or how pretty you are, just that you contribute and contribute well… all great things.

During the conversation there was one woman who was speaking and I’m going to quote the best I can here.. she said “Mommybloggers, look at them, they attack each other over parenting techniques and stab each other in the back! Ugh!” Then made sure to clarify that she was not currently and did not intend to ever be a mother. There was another who after this said “I am NOT a mommyblogger!” and then repeated it. Her site even has the word “mommy” in it.

This kinda crushed the whole purpose surrounding this great session for me.

So let me get this straight.. you can be black, white, red, yellow, purple or green blogger… Just dont be a mom blogger.

Lets take a look at this for a second and turn it around a bit.

Lets replace “mommyblogger” with another world I am very familiar with… “JewishBlogger”.

“Jewishbloggers, look at them, they attack each other over how to practice their religion and stab each other in the back! Ugh!”

First things first. Both of these statements are true. And I think they are true for whatever type of blogger you plug into place. But replace “Mommy” with “Jewish” and then you’re attacking a religion and that gets sticky. But why is one ok and not the other?

Also, if you think all mommybloggers are like that, then you are reading the wrong blogs. There are so many amazing “mommyblogs” out there by incredible, smart women who are also well versed in subjects such as politics, privacy law, human rights, greening our planet and yes, they also talk about their kids. They blog with integrity and dont attack others for their choices. Its like saying white chicks are all blondes with blue eyes.

Second of all this is EXACTLY what is wrong with women in tech (or any male dominated industry, hell any industry at all).

We are open! We are inclusive! We’re smart! We want to empower/support each other!

But as long as you’re not a mommyblogger. And I’ll judge you first and help you second.. but only if I like you. And then only if you’re of a certain status, or have the right friends. Maybe.

Ladies, we are our own worst enemies. It isnt the men, or the technology industry or circumstances. Its us. We are clique-y, bitchy and territorial and thats what stops us from moving forward and up, from being invited to be speakers and presenters in places, specifically the more industry driven conferences, where we dont already have a personal contact (or have already made a significant impact). We dont put ego aside and give a stranger advice and help. We dont try to eliminate stereotypes and prejudice, but instead we enforce them. We dont really listen, we only experience the surface. Noone wants The Drama.

We are stepping on our own feet. It really has to stop. But it wont, and thats the biggest shame of all.

By just scanning the surface, you really miss out on alot. We all do.

The fact of the matter is that I have been in the social media space for ten years. I am fluent in many aspects of social media, as well as technical aspects of the web. Had you looked past the “mommyblogger” thing, you might have found out what interesting things I am doing and why I might possibly be HIRING people like you in the not so far away future for those things you pride yourselves in being so great at. Specifically blogging, video and podcasting, because some of those are skills you have that I dont, or I need the extra voices. And perhaps I have a skill that you dont, that you want to know more about and we could have shared some coffee and gave each other great information that could have been the start of a great collaboration. Or perhaps I have the beginning of an idea that I’d love to bounce off another smart woman who is in the same industry. Maybe I know a source of funding for your innovative idea. Perhaps I just need some advice from someone. Hell maybe I just wanted to bitch about what is NOT happening in this industry.

We need to be mentors for the future. We need to sincerely offer a hand or an ear or connect two people who might ultimately help each other. We need to be the conduit for change, for empowerment, for intellectual advancement. We need to take the time for each other. Stop for a moment. Listen.

I saw you sitting there.. in that circle on the grass.. all of you incredibly smart, driven women, proud, as you should be, of your accomplishments. People whose blogs I want to follow, people I want to know. Open yourselves up. Dont be blindsided by a word or typecast an individual because of subject matter.

Step it up, ladies. I know from now on, I will.

edited to add that I am just now realizing that the last paragraph in my previous post is a great lead in to this.

p.s. I’m totally PMSing

of adventures, independence and integrity

I’ve been spending time on my other project, blogging at one of my other blogs, so this space has been sadly neglected. My apologies for the absence.

I still think about my last post, and it is still true. I watch my little guy growing up.. and it is simultaneously exciting and heartbreaking. He is growing so independent, and we are so proud of him.. but I want it all to slow down, for my baby to be my baby for a little while longer. Sometimes I hope that noone notices the tear in my eye as I watch him and cheer him on when he masters a new skill. My baby is growing up so fast.

Speaking of Alex’s independence and growing up… There have been many adventures during this very rainy summer. One of which was a great trip to the New Haven area to visit some friends. Kat and hubby have been best friends for years, since college. She and her hubby got married just before Dave and I did. Strangely (and wonderfully), we had our boys within hours of each other. Their son S is much further down the potty training trail than we have been. We had this great idea that Alex would go with S every time he needed to use the potty. So Alex watched, and tried (never really went, but great effort by Kat and S!). When we got home, we continued to try, Alex was MUCH more interested in it since he saw S doing it (bonus!).

I am happy to report that the progress is now MUCH greater! He’s been using the potty every day (and his diapers stay dry) for the last 2 days! We’re so proud of our little guy!

and if I may also pat myself on the back.. I also mastered a new skill. I cooked a duck. A delicious, delicious duck. I’ve always been scared of the duck, but I am happy to report that using a great tutorial, I managed to be incredibly successful at it. The skin was crispy and I made a sauce from raspberries we picked ourselves (there has been alot of fruit picking on our agenda this summer!) and invited friends over to dinner. Huge success! Also, fried up some potatoes in the duck fat. Very decadent and I cant wait to do it again. You can see the photo of this amazing creation here.

a note about integrity… There has been alot of backlash against, mostly, parenting bloggers. Now I consider myself a blogger.. although I mostly blog on topics elsewhere that dont have anything to do with my parenting status.. I do consider myself a mom who is a blogger. Now if that makes you call me a ‘mommyblogger’ then so be it, I am not offended by that title, though I believe it narrows the scope of what I am, I am proud to be a mom. I am also a tech blogger, a social media blogger, a marketing blogger and a local Boston area blogger, so call me what you will. I do not receive compensation for posts, nor do I receive free products for reviews or endorsement. If I did, I would be honest and upfront about that. There is a great post about integrity here and I have signed up. I encourage you all to blog with integrity too, it is important that we keep ourselves honest with our communities and with each other.

Welcome to the new digs

Whats this? A name change? A new set up? YUP!

A new year, so much to look forward to. A new blog and new adventures. Stay tuned!