20120323: Okay. Time to get serious.

I began this website many years ago - I've lost count as to when. Every once in awhile I'll fart about and update it with some small thing I'm obsessed with, or have found interesting. I really wish I'd updated it it with everything I'd found interesting over the years - that would make for a lovely lot of content!

Unfortunately, I'm as 'ADD' here as I've been anywhere; so all the things I've loved, hated and been obsessed with over the years are scattered on various social media sites, comment forums, half-hearted attempts at other blogs, or lost in my cranium.

Lately I've started paying more attention to Twitter. Last summer it was Facebook. Somewhere in between those two I filled in my About.me page; then I saw there was something called a Klout score! /facepalm

My recent experiment has been Twitter. I decided I could only handle working on one social media project at a time (for now), and for some reason Twitter is what I've decided to start with. Well, Twitter & Klout as an experiment.

I wanted to link this to a nice easy Wordpress.com blog, but Wordpress won't allow the dash between the linda and the irvine, and this URL has lovely organic SEO from so many years of aging; so I'm going to use Disqus for (drumroll) comments! I've never had comments here before - perhaps I will be more disciplined about writing if I do.

So for today here's my thought (already tweeted):

"There are things that work for some; there are things that work or others; then there are things that work for you. Be brave - do the last."

This is my attempt at an original thought (I'm not sure I believe there's much that's truly original anymore, but there you go).

Like everyone, I want people to like and approve of me; and also like everyone I want to be different - staggering in my utter uniqueness. There's a constant tug-of-war between these two desires. Social Media is interesting because it encourages original thought/uniqueness; but reinforces community - and the community has rules as well as consequences for breaking those rules.

Engaging is a tightrope walk - trying to be different; while listening to the experts, walking my own path, and not losing hard-won followers.

Each day is a little skirmish - I win some, I lose some; I go up a point and down a point; I am gleeful I shared and worried I over-shared...

Today, after reading a few articles on all the things I should-can't-always-never-dasn't-must-never-forget-to-dos I was exhausted - and an insecure wreck. The experts have excellent things to say - terrific advice; and I always want to pay attention to their wise, hard-won words. But I don't want to let their words drown out my own. If I'm not careful, all the do's and don'ts/the never and always's, will stop me in my tracks - prevent me from experimenting, screwing up, learning from my mistakes, learning how to be successful - and being me.

If I can't be me, then there really isn't a point to doing any of this.

So, I've reached a compromise for today - I'll listen but I will try my best to filter the words of the experts through my experience of the world. I might overshare, undershare, engage too little or too much; but at least I'll be engaging, participating, contributing - and hopefully I'll stumble on some like-minded individuals along the way.

Articles I Read Today (well, a few of them anyway)

...and one earlier solid-gold piece of advice I did take

The Importance of Wit Part 1: Social Media (by Brian Lin @brianisme)

"It's quite simple really, I want to know your thoughts around the thing you shared or posted about – give it context and make it relevant to who you are or what you do – show me you aren’t just another retweeter with a pretty headshot."

I want to hear what you have to say (which is one of the reasons I've added Disqus)

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