BlogHer - Social Networking - Comments

Some thoughts...

Namaste — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:15:21 -0500

I'm in my 20's and admittedly a little weirded out by adding relatives to my Facebook contacts. Not because I show myself doing anything "incriminating" on there, but because I do feel like I need some measure of separation from my "elders." For bad or good, social networking online is a huge communication tool for people now, and sometimes us youngin's just need our own space online as well as in the real world. I like to maintain some level of balance with it, I don't post every photo of my life, nor do I make my profile public to anyone other than my contacts. I probably only check it once a day very briefly. I essentially have nothing to hide from my elder relatives, but I don't feel like showing them *every* facet of my life, either.

I DID discover an online, social networking alternative that you may want to look into for your family to use. It's a site called Ning - http://www.ning.com - it takes very little time to set up an account and make your own social network - the format of which is very similar to MySpace or Facebook. The web address you can create will be yournamehere.ning.com. So smithfamily.ning.com for example could be a good url for a family to remember, and kids, parents, the whole lot of you can make an account on there and be a part of the family social network site - it has pretty much the same capabilities as Facebook, re: photo sharing, communication/messaging, etc. The cool thing about that is that you and your kids can keep up on there in an easy way online, but not overstep those parental Facebook-ish boundaries that seem to have come up. Try it, set one up for your family, and send them invite emails to join. Even be frank with your kids and be like, "hey, sorry I pushed the Facebook thing, all I really wanted was to communicate with you online - how aout joining a special family network just for keeping up w/ relatives?" You might be surprised by how receptive the kids might be to trying such a thing. They can control who sees what with less drama that way.

Thank You Denise

janicesullivan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:33:01 -0500

I really appreciated this post! We are all very busy and to have you give us a check off list of what is needed to get our group out to you all is perfect! Thanks for taking the time to help us!

Janice Sullivan

Sullivan J Photography

http://janicesullivan.wordpress.com

http://www.sullivanjphotography.com

http://www.blogher.com/groups/photo-bloghers

Thanks For The Tips Denise!

Megan Smith — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:58:07 -0500

I've put a couple of your tips into practice but I'll be trying out some of your others. Our TV Rants and Raves Group is growing slowly, but we've already had some chats about "American Idol" and some of our favorite cancelled TV shows.

I'm also looking forward to checking out the ladies you've listed.

Thanks!

By the way, all you TV junkies, come join us and tell us the shows you like and why. :-)

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

facebook

shananda — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:41:43 -0500

I too am trying to deal with the deep hurt I felt when my family blocked me on facebook. Every bit of my brain says it makes sense. Our son is doing things he is not proud of..and is probably ashamed. Our daughter in law is so private it is unreal and our daughter gives two hundred percent and needed a space all her own. HOWEVER they are all in their thirties ...I was not exactly in their face. Our granddaughter came to our home and we gave her a lion outfit. Our daughter took the outfit home and put the photo on facebook. So whenever I go to her site now I see the date when she blocked me and the photo of the outfit I bought for her little girl. I sent one or two comments. It was hurtful to the point that I cannot ever imagine feeling the same about them again. I think it was worse that they all did it simultaneously. And because I truly believe to them it is no big deal I feel I could never mention it. That would be more humiliating then them thinking I do not know they blocked me. Our son was mugged and he called to say so but our daughter slipped and said something about what he said on facebook. It bugs me to think a colleague down the road in our neighborhood is seeing photos of our son who lives across country and I am not allowed. Or friends our age hear his music and see his art when I am not allowed. i was so childish i even thought of inviting their friends to my birthday party and an art opening of mine and excluding them! I am so embarassed by my REACTION I feel like they are either ashamed of me or do not want me around. I know I must let it go but I am telling you, the shock I felt and pain it caused astonishes me. I believe it should be NO BIG DEAL but woah...Enormous OUCH!

I feel I was very lucky

sassymonkey — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:26:09 -0500

When I got my first computer in university and was figuring out this whole internet thing I landed someplace where I connected with Food Julia, Thatwoman (who truly is the Message Board Goddess), and Denise.

Lucky as in I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't fallen into that space at that time. It's just utterly unfathomable. Food Julia gave me a message board to lead. TW taught me how to do with it. Denise kicked me in the butt a lot and got me into blogging (and was the first person I remember talking about BlogHer).

I do believe my life would be a whole heck of a lot different if it wasn't for those three women.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I downloaded the iPhone app

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:37:34 -0500

but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. BlogHer will be the big test, I guess, to see which technology shall prevail! (Why am I thinking of Mad Max/Thunderdome? Two go in...one comes out!)

Melanie
Contributing Editor at BlogHer.com (Web/Tech)
Blogging Basics 101
Bloggy Giveaways

I don't think so

Denise — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:04:53 -0500

In order to do the transfer with the iPhone, you have to actually open the app - and wait for it to be ready to make contact. It's more time consuming than using the poken. And, the iPhone battery isn't as solid as we might like, particularly when we're running a lot of apps, spending all day at a conference tweeting etc...

I see downfalls to the iPhone app that would be resolved by the Poken.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

I Think Poken Is In Trouble

Megan Smith — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:38:57 -0500

I think that iPhone app is going to put Poken on the endangered speices list. Especially since the last thing I need to do is upload my info to yet another online (Poken) site.

I'd just like something to tranfer contacts quickly and easily from say my BlackBerry to someone else's BlackBerry.

Until then, I'll stick with my techno-phobic business cards.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

New iPhone app that makes Poken unnecessary?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:04:01 -0500

Erin Kotecki Vest alerted me to this new iPhone app:
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2009/03/new-iphone-app-works-by-bump-not-touch.html

What do you think?

Melanie
Contributing Editor at BlogHer.com (Web/Tech)
Blogging Basics 101
Bloggy Giveaways

I Poken!

Jenny86753oh9 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:41:15 -0500

I have the alien and love it!

However, I do get the point that not everyone will have a Poken and I don't want to miss out on a great contact, so I will be bringing business cards too.

I don't have an iPhone, let alone a laptop (I'd LOVE to remedy that with a MacBookPro!) so this little gadget will save me some time and it's STINKIN' FUN!

I hope to Hi-4 you on BlogHer! ;-)

Part 2

Peppermint Patty — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:18:07 -0500

Susan,

No you haven't missed Part 2. I'm planning to publish it early next week.

Thanks for your interest.

P.P.

I'm dying to read Part II.

Susan Doherty — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:52:20 -0500

I'm dying to read Part II. Have I missed it?

Susan Doherty

Six Minute Style

Little Show. Big Ideas

www.sixminutestyle.com (& http://sixminutestyle.blogspot.com/)

It took a hiatus...

melanieinorygun — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:28:47 -0600

... to make me disconnect from Twitter. I went in and tweeted a few times, but I'm not going back in and checking compulsively like I once would have.

I'd poken!

Liz Rizzo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:10:17 -0600

My one concern would be the design/privacy of the website that the information goes to, but if that was cool, I'd definitely be into using a Poken to supplement my other stuff.

You don't have one? Here's my card.

You got one? Let's smack!

And I think the designs are fairly diversified, actually. :)

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Thanks for your reply!

The Armchair Performer — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:25:53 -0600

I relate to the twitter thing. I'm following you now; I joined recently and found out some sad news from an old friend and am also following mc hammer. It's funny to have so much info swirling in the brain.