Meghan McInverny Wilker

Social Media Reading List: 4 Essential Titles

Geeky reader Myrna in Minneapolis wrote in to ask, “Do you have any recommendations on the latest books on social media/networking?”

There are a lot of books out there on the business applications of social media, but here are a few of my favorites (in the order I think you should read them):

The Cluetrain Manifesto

The Cluetrain Manifesto is such an old standard that it’s almost a cliche to recommend it, but I’m going to anyway. Mainly because, while many people will name-check this book to prove their cred — not many have actually read it. You don’t even have to buy it (though I think it’s worth the money if you like old-fashioned books like I do); you can read the whole thing online for free.

Check this quote from the book’s homepage, “A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.”

Those words were written in 1999. Those of us who were building sites back then thought of the web as being social, but no one had invented the words “social media” yet. (Everyone was too busy hyping and over-valuing e-commerce.) Thankfully, though, the dot-bomb era left us with miles of fiber to connect us. And now the tools, hardware and connection speeds have evolved to the point where a huge number of us are connecting with each other and companies are being forced to pay attention. What previously was the realm of dorks is now home to millions, and what these guys were saying then is now truer than ever.

They laid the groundwork for today’s thinking with phrases like “markets are conversations” and “hyperlinks subvert hierarchy.” If you think you have any groundbreaking ideas about social media, these guys probably already thought it up first. Read it and weep.

(Seriously, read even just the first page of cluetrain.com and you’ll probably fall out of your chair.)

Here Comes Everybody

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations is my favorite social media book because Clay Shirky covers, in a fast and entertaining read, the cultural and personal changes that are happening without worrying about the tactics of how to apply it for business (which is exactly the right place to start). This book is essential for shifting into what I call the “social media mindset.” There are still a large number of people who mistake social media as being about broadcasting everything we’re doing. Oversharing. Lifestreaming. But when you think about social networks as utilities that connect people, you begin to see that it’s about the human desire to connect and to be recognized and appreciated. It’s about making what was invisible, visible.

Every wiki and community site has a resident expert. That person has always existed, but now they are visible. That’s powerful. I can now influence what someone I don’t know may buy on Amazon because I shared my experience and opinion. Every day, people I don’t know influence what I buy on Amazon, iTunes, and countless other sites with their opinions.

We’ve always talked to our friends and acquaintances about companies and products and events, but now those conversations are visible. It gives us, as consumers and citizens, a new kind of power to communicate and organize. It gives companies the ability to listen and, if they’re smart, to respond. It gives both sides the ability to collaborate to create better products and services.

Importantly, this book will also help you understand a critical element to maintaining social media sanity. The idea that “they’re not talking to you.” In a nutshell, Shirky makes the point that just because all of this content is visible, doesn’t mean that it is directed at us. As humans, this is difficult to adjust to because we are accustomed to receiving messages that are meant for us: mail is addressed to us, TV and print ads are targeted to people like us. Now we’re bombarded with, or can stumble across, all kinds of messages that are not meant for us.

Think about any movie or book where the main character gains the ability to listen to people’s thoughts. There is first euphoria at thie ability to hear all this information, directly followed by borderline insanity at an inablity to silence all the “voices,” and usually culminates with some nice middle ground where the character figures out how to not listen to everyone all the time but rather to pick and choose when and what to listen to to get the most benefit. Most of us (and most companies) are currently in the insanity portion of this cycle. Shirky’s book will help move you toward your happy place.

Groundswell

Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies is the reigning standard “social media for business” book, and for good reason. While best-suited for large companies with bigger budgets, companies of any size can benefit from the general knowledge. Lots of good content in here, including the brilliant social technographics profiles.

Too often, people look at social media as an amorphous blob; technographics profiles help one understand how one’s audiences may be likely to interact socially (are they more likely to read a blog? rate products? join a network?). Understanding how your audiences want to participate will help you focus on appropriate social channels and maximize participation (and return on investment).

Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook is a new, but great-so-far (I’m not quite done with it!), guide to the world of social media and how to get started. Very tactical and hands-on (which is why I think it’s good to read Here Comes Everybody first, so you really have a grasp of the “So what?” before diving into the “How can I do it?”).

Fantastic for smaller companies who want a more DIY approach (where Groundswell will suggest large software providers or agencies, Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo will tell you how to do it yourself), it’s well-written and engaging. It’s clear that the authors have been active participants in the web since long before the social media buzzfest began.

It’s a handbook in the truest sense of the word. But, while a new social media handbook or how-to guide seems to be printed every week, none equals this one in depth, breadth and clarity. Even for web veterans, the book contains thought-provoking ideas on how to tweak or improve what you’re doing now. My copy is heavily dog-eared with things I need to return to for more thinking, or to share with clients or co-workers.

That’s All, Folks!

There are a ba-jillion other social media books out there, and I’ve read (or at least skimmed through) most of them. With the exception of the four listed above, I think most of them can be skipped. Do you disagree? Can you think of other excellent books I’ve missed? Let me know!

Geek Chic of the Week: Kid-Friendly iPhone Apps

My love affair with my iPhone is well-documented. And while it is capable of many amazing things, there is one feature that is utterly priceless: the ability to entertain my children. Like when I’m stuck in a pharmacy waiting for a long time with nothing to occupy my 1-year-old. Or our order at a restaurant is taking an ungodly amount of time to arrive and my 4-year-old starts getting punky. iPhone to the rescue!

Here’s a rundown of some of my recent downloads — some good, some…less so. Please share your own favorites (and disappointments) in the comments!

Tip: put all the kiddie apps on one (or two) screens so your kids know to go to “their” screen only and not touch any of your apps.

 

Baby Flash Cards (Free)

I’m not fooling myself into thinking my kid is actually learning anything, but the cards are really cute and all one needs to do to get a new card is tap the screen. This is endless fun for my 1YO son. And nothing is cuter to strangers than watching a baby seemingly use an iPhone. BABY GENIUS! I bask in that faux glow as much as possible.
Rating: Two thumbs up

iStoryTime ($0.99-1.99)

Disclosure: iStoryTime gave me free download codes so I could check these out.

Each story from iStoryTime is a separate app. I’ve got Binky the Elephant and The Reading Bug. My 4-year-old LOVES these. At her age, we put the stories on “automatic page turn” mode, and the story plays itself to the end. We also have it set to child narrator, and the kid’s voice is really endearing. The stories are written and illustrated by amateurs (or at least, they seem to be). So, the stories seem a little unpolished and, to my eyes, some of the drawings are not great. I’m also bothered that — in both stories — I’ve discovered typos/grammatical errors. Which, for an app that bills itself as “educational” seems pretty egregious. That being said, did I mention my kid LOVES these? (I did share my typos with the company who was very responsive; I assume they are in the process of correcting them.)
Rating: One thumb up

Jirbo Match ($0.99)

It’s exactly what it sounds like: the old card-flipping Memory game. My 4-year-old and her friends love to play this game on my phone. My only gripe with this one is that — because I have the free version (which seems to not be available anymore?) — my daughter has accidentally clicked on the ads while playing the game.
Rating: Two thumbs up

Disney.com (Free)

I found the Disney app disappointing. It might be that my daughter is too young for it; there’s not much for her to do and many of the characters are from tween shows that we don’t watch. But, even the cartoon character interactions are rather underwhelming. We tried to get Goofy to “talk” to us but the first step is to enter your kid’s name. The app kept giving me a message that the character couldn’t say that name. Granted, my kid has a unique name but it wouldn’t even say MY name (and Meghan is hardly exotic). We finally had luck getting Goofy to say my husband’s name.
Rating: No thumbs

Pickin’ Time ($1.99)

So cute! This IconFactory app has adorable graphics and music and is addictive even for adults. I prefer the single player version to the multiplayer, but both are fun. Connecting multiple phones for multiplayer play was a little tricky at first (you have to enable bluetooth which wasn’t immediately apparent to me) but once we did that, my daughter and I played this in the car: she in her carseat with her dad’s phone and me in the front seat with my phone. Geek-alicious!
Rating: Two thumbs up

iDoodle2 lite (Free)

On car trips, my daughter can sometimes be occupied by drawing with this app. It’s very basic, but at 4 it’s enough for her to be able to draw lines with her fingers. She sometimes gets stuck trying to figure out how to change background colors or “pen” colors but overall it’s good.
Rating: Two thumbs up

Photos (Native app)

Never underestimate how long kids (and some grownups) can be occupied looking at pictures of themselves! I sync the photo albums on my phone with iPhoto every once in a while to keep the selection fresh.
Rating: Two thumbs up

eliasABC and eliasZOO (Free)

Both super cute apps that are easy to use. My 1YO loves the animal one especially. A slide of the finger moves to a new card, a tap gets the animal to make a noise. Same interactions give you a new letter and tell you the letter on the ABC app. I got these during a limited-time free offer (keep an eye on app review sites for those!).
Rating: Two thumbs up

Feed Me! (Free)

Got this one for free from the same offer mentioned above. The iTunes reviewer known as Nephster got it right when he complained that this app goes from baby-easy to grade-school hard with no warning, “The child that is engaged with identifying colors is a long, long way from being able to recognize fractions”. So, it’s one you need to be ready to help out with. That being said, my 4YO enjoys it — she loves the monster’s “wrong answer” face so much that she sometimes gets it wrong on purpose just to see him stick out his tongue.
Rating: One thumb up

Tic Tac Touch (Free)

Never underestimate the power of the simplest games. This can keep my 4YO busy for extended periods of time; she loves to play against the computer or against one of her parents. Same as with Memory Match, the only danger with this one is that — because it’s the free version — we’ve experienced accidental ad clickage.
Rating: Two thumbs up

Do you have favorite kiddie apps? Do tell. And remember, the free-er the better. I’m a cheap-ass.

Good Enough

This morning at the Clockwork kitchen table, Marty and I had an argument centering around the Flip camera. It went something like this:

Me: I want a Flip.
Marty: Why? They suck.
Me: You sound like my husband! You guys are A/V snobs.
Marty: No, we’re not. We just don’t like things that suck.
Me: Yeah, but it’s fast and easy!
Marty: But it SUCKS.
Me: So WHAT? IT’S EASY!
Marty: Shut up.
Me: No, YOU shut up.
Kjrsten: Here, I had a Flip in my desk drawer. You can have it if the two of you promise to shut up.

One of the points I was trying to make as Marty and I were talking was one that Wired perfectly summed up in their recent article, The Good Enough Revolution:

“We now favor flexibility over high fidelity, convenience over features, quick and dirty over slow and polished. Having it here and now is more important than having it perfect. These changes run so deep and wide, they’re actually altering what we mean when we describe a product as ‘high-quality.’

And it’s happening everywhere. As more sectors connect to the digital world, from medicine to the military, they too are seeing the rise of Good Enough tools like the Flip. Suddenly what seemed perfect is anything but, and products that appear mediocre at first glance are often the perfect fit.”

Marty objects to the Flip for the same reason my husband does: because the video output is not that great. It could be so much better.

What they fail to understand are the motivations of people like me (whom Flip is presumably targeting): for us, it isn’t a choice between taking crummy video (with a Flip) and good video (with some other device). The choice is between capturing a moment on a dead-simple device, or not capturing it at all. Between sharing videos often (because we can plug the USB device into our machine at a moment’s notice) or sharing them rarely — or not at all (because it’s a hassle getting out the right cord).

So, while the Flip is offensive to people who know how much better it could be, it’s perfect for people who — above all else — just want something simple. (And, frankly, I recently made a video that ended up being half-shot on my Panasonic DMC-TZ5 and half-shot on Nancy’s Flip. The Flip portion has better audio and the video, while a bit lower in quality, is not offensive to the eyes AT ALL. Most importantly, IT GOT THE JOB DONE.)

It’s not like I’m a Luddite. I love technology. But, I also love things that are easy. And, whether you love or hate the Flip (or its output) you can’t argue that it’s easy as hell to use.

The Wired article is a fascinating look at how and when we value “good enough” over “the best” or “most featureful.” For those of us who develop web sites, software and other applications, this is a crucial phenomenon to understand. At what point do we give our users so many options that they can’t deal with it and retreat to something simpler that feels better, easier and less overwhelming?

Another perfect example: Craiglist (also featured in the same issues of Wired). The thing is ugly and clunky, and yet it is the first place I go when I need to buy or sell something. Because IT GETS THE JOB DONE. Wired asked designers to re-imagine Craigslist with a “better” design and you know what? With one exception (the one by SimpleScott who noted, “Why fix what isn’t broken?”), I wouldn’t use any of the versions presented. Better? Perhaps. But, somehow, in getting “better” they lost what it was that made it work in the first place.

[cross-posted on the Clockwork blog]

What the Hashtag?

One of the hardest things to explain to people who are unfamiliar with Twitter is hashtags. Many things about Twitter are not immediately self-evident, and hashtags are one of them.

What Are Hashtags?

The simplest way to explain hashtags is that they are a way to categorize a particular tweet.

The name hashtag combines the notion of tagging (using a word or phrase to categorize something) with the hash symbol (#). (I don’t know about you, but I always call that symbol a pound sign. I’m thinkng of starting a campaign to rename hashtags to poundtags. Anybody with me?)

If you are reading a tweet with a hashtag, the hashtag will be a link. Clicking that link will take you to the search page for that hashtag.

Who creates them?

Anyone can create a hashtag. It’s anarchy! The company I work for uses the hashtag #clockwork whenever we tweet about work, but other people in the world also sometimes use that hashtag to tweet about a Jiu Jitsu studio in NYC, or the movie A Clockwork Orange. So, even if you start using a hashtag someone else may start using it, too. (Or, they may already be using it. The only way to find out is to search for the hashtag and see if it’s already in use.)

How do you find them?

Sometimes, events that you attend will print the hashtag in the brochure. Sometimes, someone will create a hashtag that gets so popular it becomes a “trending topic” on Twitter. Sometimes, you might just see a hashtag in a friend’s tweets.

What does each hashtag mean?

One of my co-workers just sent me this amazingly cool site, http://wthashtag.com, which crowdsources what hashtags mean. This is fantastic because, since anyone can create a hashtag, a central directory of what each hashtag means has never existed. And because anyone can create one at any time, this approach of asking the public what they each mean is the only way it can be realistically managed.

If you see a hashtag and wonder what it’s for, this site can help you find out. If you start a new hashtag, you can add more information about it here for other people to discover.

How can you use them?

This is where it gets really interesting. Hashtags can be used in a bunch of interesting ways:

Industry Chats: People in the same industry, who are interested in a group conversation, sometimes start up a hashtag and have people meet at a certain date and time to talk about something. Kind of a like a big chatroom, but using Twitter instead of instant messenger. Some examples include #journchat (a PR discussion group on Monday nights), #blogchat (a blogging discussion group on Sunday nights) and #behindthefirewall (a group that discusses how social media is being used inside of corporations).

Events: I’ll use the recent MIMA Summit as an example: everyone who was tweeting about that event used the hashtag #mimasummit. If I want to see tweets that are only related to the MIMA Summit, I can use search.twitter.com and follow all tweets that contain that hashtag.

What’s interesting about hashtags for events is that they can be used both for those at the event, and for those that couldn’t attend. For those at the event, hashtagged tweets can be a way to keep up with breaking news at the event (“Session 1 is canceled” or “We know wi-fi is slow, we’re working on it now.”). For those not attending, it can be a way to listen in on what’s happening and participate from afar. At some events, you can submit questions to the speaker via Twitter and a person acting as a “Twitterhost” will pass the questions along.

Sometimes, as is the case with #mimasummit, people use the hashtags for days and weeks after the event is over to share follow-up articles, blog posts, and videos.

Companies/Organizations: I also mentioned the #clockwork hashtag earlier. Using Twitter’s API (application-programming interface) we created a custom search that appears on our homepage (the custom search allows us to filter out those other, non-related tweets that also happen to use our hashtag).

Fans and practitioners of David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology use #gtd for any of their tweets that relate to that topic.

To Make a Statement: The other day, I got irritated with a conversation that was happening where working and at-home moms were being pitted against each other. I decided to start an #endmommywars hashtag, for no reason other than to give people a spot to voice their support for each other. This happens all the time with causes big and small.

For Fun/Entertainment: On Friday, someone started a hashtag meme #oneletteroffmovies. People were tweeting funny movie titles that were just one letter off. Like my contribution, My Big Fat Geek Wedding. Totally pointless, but entertaining. My husband and I were reading the submissions together on Friday night, laughing and trying to think of our own.

There are also hashtags for #MusicMonday (to share music suggestions), #FollowFriday and #Women2Follow (where you can suggest that other people follow someone whom you find interesting).

To Be Clever: The final way that people use hashtags is to add a funny, sarcastic sidebar comment to their tweet. As in, “I just changed my 1,000th diaper. #mylifeisglamorous”.

Spammers: It just wouldn’t be the Internet if spammers didn’t figure out how to ruin everyone’s good time. Depending on the popularity of the topic you’re following, you’ll often see unrelated tweets that contain the hashtag (and often a few others). That’s just spammers trying to get attention from unsuspecting Twitterers by dropping trending topics and hashtags into their spam tweets. Sad, but true.

So now you know. As you are tweeting, hashtags allow you to categorize those tweets. As a person who is reading tweets, hashtags provide a way to filter the overwhelming universe of tweets into a more manageable set of only those you are interested in at that moment. Looking through tweets related to a given hashtag can also be a great way to find interesting new people to follow on Twitter.

Feel like getting your feet wet with hashtags? Add #geekgirlsguide to your tweet, and we’ll see it. (Or just try #myfirsthashtag — it won’t hurt anyone!)

Hashtags?! I Still Can’t Figure Out What Twitter Is For!

If you need more Twitter 101, check out these other articles we’ve written:

#endmommywars

While issues around being a working mom aren’t what Geek Girls Guide was created for, they are related. And today I read a something that I cannot let go unanswered.

A prominent mommy blogger (who I’ll refer to as MB) appeared on a national talk show on 10/14. I refuse to say who she is, or what the show is, because I don’t want to give them any more attention. Mainly because I think both parties are guilty of sensationalizing the working vs. stay-at-home moms issue for their own personal gain.

Here’s the gist of MB’s argument (as quoted in Huffington Post on October 14th), “I wouldn’t outsource loving my husband, why would I outsource loving my kids?”

I have big, stankin’ problems with this statement, and with the way in which it was presented. Let’s begin the rant, shall we?

The Argument

  • MB’s statement reduces the role of women (whether they work, or stay at home) to nurturing their children and servicing their husband. While I embrace both roles, I’d like to think that women have more to contribute to the world than that.
  • The argument makes no mention of the role of fathers in nurturing, raising and loving children. She claims that she stated that fathers can stay home with kids, but that was edited out. Even so, why do moms who choose to work suffer her ire? Why is that any worse than fathers who “choose” to work?
  • She points out that her arguments are directed at moms who choose to work, not at those who have to. I fail to see how or why that disclaimer makes her argument okay. So, it’s okay if you work, as long as you don’t like it. What?!

My two cents is this: in general, people who find it necessary to criticize the decisions made by other people are doing it because they are insecure. In the case of moms, perhaps because they’re worried they made the wrong choice, whether that choice was working or staying home. Either way, it’s wrong: what’s right for my family may not be right for yours. Additionally, it’s foolish to assume that not working makes you a good mom, or that working makes you a bad one. This is akin to arguments I’ve seen assuming that breastfeeding makes you a good mom and using formula makes you a bad mom. Nonsense! Mind your own business, I say. (And, by the way, I nursed my daughter ’til she was 22 months and am still nursing my 13-month-old son. So, I’m a “bad mom” for working but a “good mom” for nursing. I guess I break even?)

My Story

I chose to have two children, and I chose to keep working. I’m comfortable with that choice, and I feel no need to disparage anyone who chose differently.

While getting ready to go back to work after having my first child, a dear friend told me, “In the first week or two, you’ll know. Your gut will either tell you that you need to stay home, or that it’s okay to stay at work.” She was right. The truth is, my gut told me that I love working. After having my second child, I helped institute a Babies @ Work program at my office, which I took advantage of until my son was 6 months old. He now spends days with his sister at a small home-based daycare near our home. Thanks to a husband who shares the parenting load, I feel great about going to work. I am lucky to work for a for a forward-thinking company that supports working parents, to have found a daycare provider that I trust, and to have a partner that shares in the parenting duties. Because of all that I can say, with confidence, that I am a good mom.

Here’s a link to a longer blog post I wrote about being a working mom in 2008.

Let’s Do Something

Working moms, at-home moms, working dads, at-home dads, employers and anyone else who cares: let’s have a positive show of force against this kind of small-minded, sexist thinking and not reward those who choose to perpetuate it with undue attention.

It’s so unproductive to reduce this argument to mom vs. mom, and I want to respond to this with something positive. I want this judgment between working and at-home moms to cease.

If you agree, take action:

  • If you use Twitter, tweet about it this the hashtag #endmommywars — I don’t care if you mention me, or link to this blog post — maybe just tweet why you love working, or love staying at home and tag it. Let’s raise our voices in support of each other.
  • If you have a Flickr account, post a picture of you with your kids and tag it with endmommywars (or send it to me and I’ll post it for you).
  • If you have a blog, please post your own story: why you work, or why you stay at home, and why that’s the right decision for you. Post a link here in the comments, or tweet it with the hashtag. I will try to read every one.
  • Or, add your thoughts to the comments here. These are just the thoughts of one pissed off working mom. I welcome thoughts and analysis from anyone else who wants to chime in.
  • I’m going to try to pull together some video responses, too. If you have the time and the technology, please record a video with your thoughts on this.

Let’s stop this silliness, everyone!

Thanks for listening.

Podcast #3: Social Media for Job Searching

In our third podcast we talk about some ways to think about social media for job searching. It’s more exciting than it sounds! (Not really, but just go with it.)

Listen Online

Click the cute little button below to stream the audio in your browser window.

Overview

Think about three things:

1. Using social media (blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) as ways to generate content about yourself that exposes your smart, savvy brain to potential employers (or people that could help you find potential employers).

2. Using social media to build and expand your network. Find and reach people in your industry that you previously would have had no access to. (Like, on Twitter: follow hashtags for events that are attended by the people you are trying to reach. I mentioned #mimasummit as an example.)

3. Do your homework! You now have NO EXCUSE for showing up to an interview not knowing about the company and the work they do. Set yourself apart from a field of applicants by knowing, and caring, about the organization you’re interviewing with.

Geek Chic of the Week: The Cloud

Geeky reader Ellen wrote in to say, “Please explain what the Cloud is.”

Her question was very funny to me — only because we recorded a podcast a few weeks ago on exactly that topic! But, I screwed up the audio file and now we need to re-record it. Bummer. But, here’s how I replied:
 
The Cloud is how people refer to the services that many of us use for computing over the Internet. The most common examples are commonly known as “software as a service”. A good example is word processing applications. There is word processing software that runs on our computers — like Microsoft Word. For it to work, there needs to be enough disk space on our computers to run the software, and store the files we create with that software. You have a copy of that program on your computer, I have a copy on mine. For us to share a Word document, you have to send it to me.
 
By comparison, Google docs has a word processing application that exists in “the cloud.” To create a document there, you just log in to the Google docs website; creating and saving the document isn’t using any of the space or processing power of your own computer (aside from communicating to the server(s) that Google docs is living on. For you and I to share that document, you just need to grant me access to it. And, you and I can even edit the document at the same time — because it doesn’t exist on my computer, or on yours. It’s in an external location that we can both get to. That location is referred to as “the cloud.”

“Software as a service” means that I’m not buying the software in a box, I’m using a service that someone is providing to me online (in Google’s case, it’s free — in other cases you may pay for the software).
 
Another example of how the cloud can be used is Amazon’s web services. For example, their Simple Storage Service (S3). This is a way for web developers to essentially “rent” storage space in the cloud. Let’s say I want to add a bunch of huge video files to my web site, but I don’t have the space on my servers to handle it. Rather than investing in new hardware, I could instead use Amazon’s S3, put my files there, and my site’s users could access those files seamlessly. This is known as “infrastructure as a service.” There are lots of ways that IT professionals can make use of the cloud to minimize hardware costs — they basically take advantage of all the distributed server space in the cloud.
 
It can get kind of technical to describe, but the best and simplest way to think about it is that instead of things residing on our individual computers, the files, software, etc. exist out there in the ether. In that magical place called the Internet. Or, the cloud.

Oh — and it’s called the cloud because on network diagrams (where people map out all their servers and printers and computers and how they were all connected), the Internet was represented as a cloud. You can see an example here.
 
Wikipedia actually has a pretty good article about the cloud here — it gets a little bit technical the deeper you get into it, but it provides a good overview.

P.S. I just noticed you’re emailing me from gmail. Guess what? Your mail is in the cloud!

I heard back from Ellen who said, “Your explanation really helped. My husband explained this too me but it didn’t quite make sense. Having your explanation below allowed me to ‘get it’.  Thank you. I’m glad I found you and your site.”

Geek Girls, FTW! Thanks for writing, Ellen.

MIMA Summit: Notes From the “Closing the Gap” Session

Last year, Nancy and I hosted a conversation about women in Interactive (I can’t remember what we called it. I just remember the original title, “WTF: Where the Females?” which they revised to something more innocuous).

Last Monday, Dave Schroeder (@flashbelt) and I hosted a discussion at this year’s MIMA Summit titled, Closing the Gap: A Discussion About Diversity. This year’s conversation was, quite rightly, expanded to cover issues beyond just gender. It was designed to be a group discussion, but in preparation Dave and I put together an outline. (You know, just in case everyone got all Minnesotan and didn’t ask any questions.)

It was a great session. I would have loved it if the crowd would have been standing room only, but we at least filled all the seats (especially considering that we were up against sessions like @scottmonty from Ford). And, frankly, I wasn’t entirely surprised — there are plenty of people who’d rather talk about something else, plenty of people who feel like there is no lack of diversity or that — if there is — it’s not really a problem (seriously, I had someone say that to me the other day). Those who did show up brought some great insights.

So, here’s our outline along with some notes and commentary. (Shout out to @whitneytaylor for being our volunteer note-taker and to @ivan_nunez for being our Twitterhost!) Also, was great to meet @jaredlukes, @carlos_abler, @melshirley and @kdfindley in person! (There were lots of other people there, too — if you’d like a mention, drop me a line. I didn’t get to talk to everyone one-on-one!)

INTRO

  • How many people know about Geek Girls Guide? About Flashbelt? Have been to Flashbelt?
    • Most people in the group had heard about the Flashbelt thing (which you can read about here, here and here.) Carlos Abler made a fantastic point during the course of the discussion, that shocking events help you realize what other people are feeling. They help you learn empathy by looking at how and why a person — or a group of people — felt a certain way. He also said that events help you take a postion on an issue, opening up conversation, rather than just starting the conversation out of the blue, which can be harder. Amen, Carlos! This is a great point. For me, the absolute best thing that came out of the Flashbelt situation was the conversations it has opened up.
  • Who’s here today? Developers? Marketers? Designers? IAs? Facebookers? Twitterers?
    • There was a good mix of job titles in the crowd: developers, designers, project managers, IAs — we ran the gamut.
  • How long have you been in the industry? 0-5, 5-10, 10+
    • Again, a good mix of people with a broad range of experience.
  • How many people consider their workplaces:   1. very diverse    2. sort of diverse     3. not diverse
    • Most people considered their workplace “sort of” or “not” diverse. Not surprising, since we’re talking about an industry that lacks diversity and we’re in Minnesota (which, according to 2007 government stats is 89% white).
  • Let’s talk ballpark stats
    • We talked about how hard it is to get overall stats for the interactive industry as a whole. Most stats focus on the dearth of female developers. Other parts of our industry, like designers, writers, information architects, etc. may be more diverse but it’s hard to know.
    • Dave found a fan-freaking-tastic set of stats from A List Apart which shows the industry as overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly white. While most of the respondents were developers, there are many other job titles represented in this survey.

DIVERSITY

  • What do we mean when we talk about diversity? Race, Gender, Age, Disabled?
    • One conversation that came up around diversity was age. One point being that this can be — like advertising — a “young man’s game.” Meaning, the hours and demands can be crazy. Someone brought up the salary issue (women right now make about 78 cents to every dollar earned by a men) and that, in this economy, both young people and women can be seen as desirable beacuse they are willing to work for less. Someone wondered what the industry will do with the “baby boom” of developers that hit an age and don’t want that lifestyle anymore?
  • Why is it important?
  • How does it affect your work, the quality of your work, the quality of your work life?
    • One person mentioned that a diverse team can lead to richer work.
    • We asked everyone why they came. One person pointed out that ours was the only session talking about the people working in Interactive rather than the products or technology. I think this is a great point, and one I’d like to bring up to the folks over at MIMA. Future Summits should include more conversation about the culture of our industry.
    • Somebody else brought up that we work in an irreverent industry. One point that I made is that, while I think issues of diversity and equality are incredibly important, I would hate to see our industry become overly politically correct-ified. If that makes any sense. I love working in an industry that is not formal or stuffy; so, how do we maintain that culture AND be inclusive? I think it’s a happy medium that is difficult, but possible, to find.

SOLUTIONS

So what can we do as individuals  in our own lives to encourage and foster more diversity around us?

  • Mentor (be one, get one)
    • Encourage people in your organization to get involved with mentorship programs, especially in mentoring kids or young professionals outside of our usual networks. @melshirley talked about how her company (a mentoring company) matches executives with kids they would otherwise not encounter. 
    • So, how can we expand outside of our usual networks to reach out to kids (or other adults) that would benefit from our expertise? How could we open the door for a person who otherwise may not know much about the industry.
    • More outreach and introduction to the industry as a whole, for the younger generations (in schools). @KDFindley made a wonderful observation about how more of us should be getting into the schools; it’s unlikely that guidance counselors are even aware of the careers that we have.
    • Carlos stated this as “Create an empowerment model for kids rather than fixing broken adults.” Another person in the group wondered if shifting the talk to empowering kids brushing off the issue now and hope they will fix it tomorrow?
  • Raise boys and girls the same (don’t reinforce stigmas or misconceptions intentionally or accidentally)
  • Subtle environmental things – jokes, holidays, heroes, villains
    • This is a personal peeve of mine. I’ve been known to make my friends and family really uncomfortable if I hear them make a joke that I think is insulting I will say, “That’s not funny.” and walk away. (Wow, I’m making myself sound like a lot of fun at parties, aren’t I?) Most of what we encounter in our daily lives are not “shocking events” but small things that we may not even be conscious of. We should all start being more conscious.
  • Get involved with local programs, start programs, start a blog, become a resource
  • How can you push a diverse culture upwards towards your employers? (encourage corporate sponsorship of something – start something – interns)
    • “Everyone wants this issue to resolve on its own, or not at all. Know where you’re at and live it.” said Dave.
    • “Acknowledge that other cultures and groups have different ways of doing things. Our attitude should be, ‘Here are the tools, do it on your terms.'” Ivan talked about his experience as a person who speaks both English and Spanish and how he’s had people respond to his Spanish tweets with, “English, please.”
    • Dave made a great point, which is that we can’t force the 50/50 thing, but we can work to remove all barriers to entry so that a more fair representation (by gender, race, etc.) would be possible.
  • How do we make working more flexible, we have the technology?
    • This was my point, and one I believe in quite strongly. We are still a new industry, and the access and expertise we have with technology means that we shouldn’t feel constrained to fit into these old business models. As an example, most of the points at which women tend to drop out of the workforce could be mitigated by a more flexible workplace. As a personal example, when I had my second child (which is a point at which many women stop working because of the additional responsibilites of a second child, along with the daycare costs which can sometimes exceed their salary), I presented a plan to my company to institute a Babies at Work program. My son came to work with me several days a week up until he was 6 months old. When I went back to work with my daughter, I worked from home one day a week for the first 6 months. We have the technology! Let’s start using it to create the inclusive, flexible workplaces of the future. There is ROI there, I swear it.

RESOURCES

Minnesota High Tech Association –  http://www.mhta.org/
Minnesota Computers for Schools – http://www.mncfs.org/
Minnesota MentorNet: A Statewide E-Mentoring Partnership – http://www.mentornet.net/
The Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) AmeriCorps – http://wip.technologypower.org/about/
SeniorNet  –  http://www.seniornet.org/jsnet/
Center for Children and Technology – http://cct.edc.org/
Internal Drive Summer Computer Camps for Kids – http://www.internaldrive.com/
Digital Media Academy – http://digitalmediaacademy.org/
Finding Ada Lovelace –  http://findingada.com/
Girls in Tech  – http://girlsintech.net/
Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications – http://www.mnwc.org

If you have more thoughts on the session or resources to add, we’d love to hear them!

Thanks for coming. Thanks for reading. Thanks for being you.

 

GTD Home Office Tour

In a recent interview with Andy Santamaria at Connecting Me To You, Nancy described me as her favorite “organizational tool.” Frankly, it’s true. I’m a tool, and I’m organized enough for the both of us.

And, since I’ve officially outed myself to the world as a GTD devotee, people have starting asking me about what my office setup looks like. So, I’m starting here with a tour of my home office. (If you enjoy this, you can truly consider yourself a geek.)

Video Tour


Photo Tour