The Truth About Facebook Profiles

Facebook shows me the good times. The milestones. Which, at this point in my life means one thing: weddings (Be honest: who hasn’t been sidetracked by perusing a friend’s album of wedding photos?).  Wedding photos document a beautiful day: smiles, pretty dresses. A wedding day is just one example of an event that paints an incomplete picture of a person’s life – if only viewed from Facebook. 

However, Facebook does not reflect the complexities of human life. I have never seen a photo album of a funeral. Nor have I ever read a post describing a friend’s struggle with bulimia. It is only through deeper, shall we say “3D”, relationships that I learn about those darker details of human life.

Lately, I’ve been catching up with some college friends over the phone. Since I moved away from my hometown and my college town, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to stay in touch. But one thing is for sure: Friendships that last do so because involved persons communicate beyond the web.

One of my best high school friends is not on Facebook.

That’s right. You heard me correctly. She is not on Facebook. But you know what? Lisa and I talk on the phone at least once a week (or email if she’s busy with grad school stuff). Sometimes it feels old-fashioned, but I would argue that the absence of Facebook has forced our relationship to be stronger. Social media is not a crutch to sustain our friendship.

I’m not perfect at keeping in touch with every friend. In fact, I fail a lot in this area. I know I'm also not the first person to have this epiphany, but maybe writing it here will reinforce this in my own life. 

C.S. Lewis talks about how we create “shadows” of other people. In his satire “The Screwtape Letters”, a demon writes to his tempter-in-training. The demon encourages his pupil to manipulate humans to pray for the idea of a person, rather than the reality of that person. There's some truth to it, though; it’s easier to imagine a person as we wish them to, rather than to see them for what they are. This concept is easily transferred to Facebook – it’s so easy to see that newly married friend as swimming in bliss because every photo contains a beautiful dress, perfect makeup and smiles all around. 

For many, Facebook will be a placeholder until the 10-year reunion. Yet if left on its own, Facebook is sure to offer a limited picture of someone. And if you let it, Facebook can dilute a friendship until there is nothing left. 

Web Finds: Dirty Makeup, Annoying Email Signatures, and Do-It-Yourself Penance

Do you know how many chemicals are in your makeup? I’ve been fascinated with this video from The Story of Stuff, an advocacy video series that exposes some of America’s inner-workings in an effort to improve our daily lives. If you’ve ever needed convincing to throw out that old crusty makeup, this will do the trick. And maybe you will demand healthier products for your skin.  

Email signatures: You can love ‘em and hate ‘em. This post from Gigaom goes back to the basics. What do people really need to know every time they receive an email from you? Bottom line: less is more. You don’t need to brag about every social network you signed up for.

Moderating online comments have come a long way – even since I moderated comments for NPR.org a year ago as an intern (NPR has since outsourced this task). Disqus is one solution I've read about that tracks a person’s comments across the web, which I think is vital to transparency and holds netizens responsible for their words.

While we’re talking about transparency, you need to know @DigiDave, the creator of crowd-funded news model, Spot.us. In his blog post and slideshare presentation, Dave argues for the ethics of journalism transparency. He says we need transparency in order for journalism to become more participatory. 

In college, Cassie Dull and I wrote for Dawgnet News, the online news site (which later merged with the print paper, The Butler Collegian). She now leads online communications for a private school in Indianapolis. In her post for Ed Social Media, Cassie explains how students, parents, and the community can be the “unofficial” voice of the school. But the first step is for the traditional messengers is to be okay with it. Yes, this means turning PR on its head (sorry, traditionalists...).

I’m obsessed with how technology is impacting one of the oldest institutions: religion. But what about an app for do-it-yourself confessions? The blogosphere’s been blowing up about these latest apps: Penance, Confessions, Bible Shaker, or the Ultimate Buddhist Library. The Mercury News, and the Religion Dispatches report on the growing trend of religion apps. It raises questions about the need for clergy - or even God - in the equation. (UPDATE 3/6/11 at 10 PM: I should underscore that an anonymous commenter, who is likely connected to the Confessions app, clarified that this app in no way replaces Reconciliation, but merely prepares a person for confession.)

By the way, the Pope is on Facebook. He wants to be your friend. (Maybe he’ll forgive you for not going to Ash Wednesday this week…) 

Web Finds: iPhone's big announcement, get your LinkedIn up-to-date, and CES: what you're NOT missing

The Wall Street Journal confirms it: Verizon and the iPhone are FINALLY getting married. Don't know if I'll be at the wedding just yet - I need to do a bit of smartphone shopping.

Slate actually called the Consumer Electronics Show "pointless."

It's a new year -- not a bad time to re-evaluate things, including your LinkedIn profile. Dana Nelson calls it "the social network for grownups." Check out her tips. The Glassdoor blog also provides some strong pointers.

According to a recent Gallup poll, those who described themselves as "very religious" had a lower risk of depression. "Don't stop believin'!"

An evangelical makes the case that interfaith cooperation honors God.

It's so easy to click a button and subscribe to a blog. But Community Organizer 2.0 suggests that job seekers and networkers should fine-tune their subscriptions to truly reflect professional goals. Read blogs because the posts make you think.

Vadim Lavrusik tweeted about Goldman Sachs' recent investment in Facebook. The article from CNN says "we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Facebook." Can you say, "Friend-me-now-before-the-Apocalypse-hits?"

Mobile is now. The FCC chairman makes a case for it, and promises to move net neutrality to the top of his agenda in 2011.

Pay Up, Cash In: Do You Want Paid Content?

In my remaining weeks as a college student, I've turned to Pandora, a free custom music station, to fill my many house of paper-writing.

I'd heard a rumor or two about time limits on Pandora. Today, I faced the reality. Pandora wants me to upgrade, but I don't want to pay. Our generation has grown up online, and we've also grown up on "free" -- listening to the top hits, catching up on an episode of "30 Rock," or even designing a basic Web site.

Soon, "free" will be over. But I don't know many of my generation that will want to shell out the dough. One of my roommates decided her addiction to Pandora was too important, so she subscribed for 30 bucks a month.

Already, sites like Pandora and Facebook have broken through the advertising mold to create personalized ads (Pandora seems to think I really need X brand of birth control and the audio ads think I'm in the market for "Indiana's most affordable diamond dealer"). Plus, ads are interactive and self-selected. Facebook's got their "like" option, which allows them to give you better ads, and Hulu lets viewers choose which brand of car they want to see commercials for.

Paid content is the way of the future. Apple is already proving that with the advent of the iPad.

Credit cards - monthly subscriptions - pay-as-you-go? What will be the model for paid content in the near future?

Image via Slate.com

Technology & the Liberal Arts

The following is an essay I submitted for the Butler Liberal Arts & Sciences 2010 essay contest. The contest posed the question:

New technologies and social media offer the public a myriad of options for reading and writing, and the sharing of opinions and experiences has never been easier or more immediate. But the immediacy and ease of publication is fraught with pitfalls and potential issues that provide new challenges for the next generation of readers, writers, and thinkers. Consider the place of your liberal arts education in this mix and write an essay in which you analyze how that education has better prepared you as a consumer of, contributor to, and critic of the texts that flow from new media outlets.

I sat in a boardroom at National Public Radio listening to news executive Dick Meyer talk about his career. His story sounded like other accomplished journalists I’d heard speak: he started in a traditional newspaper background. He rode the wave of technological changes and the Internet boom of the nineties -- and still maintained his journalistic foundation.

The interns sat around the table, attentive to Mr. Meyer’s words. We wanted insight into our future – a future that seemed potentially dismal in the midst of a recession and some of the biggest changes the journalism field has ever seen. Perhaps Mr. Meyer could impart wisdom that would unlock the keys to our success.

That’s when I asked him about the future of journalism.

“I don’t have the answers for you. It’s up to your generation to figure out how to do journalism.”

His answer was short, and it was not what I wanted to hear - at least, not at first.

As I thought about his answer, I realized that I have all the essential tools to figure it out how to adapt to new technologies. I’m not alone, either. My entire generation will move into adulthood - into this economy - with the combined skills and efforts that a four-year institution has helped us develop.

I glanced around at my colleagues. I was reminded of how diverse each of our educations was. All of us had traveled to Washington, D.C. from small private colleges, Ivy Leagues, Big Tens, and everywhere in between. We weren’t all journalism majors, either. We studied government, literature, gender, psychology and biology. We were a cornucopia of experiences, personalities and ideas, with a passion for storytelling.

Unless you’re a fortune-teller, there’s really no way to predict how society and technology will adapt to any changes headed our way. A seasoned journalist won’t have the answers for me. My professor won’t have the answers for me. But they’ve all given me a foundation for me to tackle the answers on my own.

In a future where the very foundations of media appear to be shaken, it’s important to remember that storytelling still has a role, no matter what the technology is. Marshall McLuhan so aptly put, “The medium is the message.” My storytelling skills will mature because of reporting classes, but also from a course on Islam, a seminar about doubt and reason, and even from a project researching housing costs in Indianapolis. It’s those courses - outside the periphery of my main studies - that will make my education that much richer.

The economy is uncertain, and so is the future of media. But no generation has ever known anything with absolute certainty. Instead, the past can aid us in making decisions in the present that will affect us in the future. Liz Coleman, president of Bennington College, said last February, “History provides a laboratory in which to see the actual as well as the intended consequences of ideas.”

We can thank our grandparents - our ancestors – for giving us that blueprint for the future. In the fabric of our society exist potential solutions for conflict, theories on ethical dilemmas – because others have tried it before we have. My History and Literature of Journalism class won’t tell me how to best reach audiences with the newest technology, but it will provide a critical foundation to equip me with tools for the future.

Coleman, a great innovator in preserving the liberal arts, said, “when making connections is of the essence, technology emerges with special intensity – but so does the importance of content.” If we incorporate something akin to Apple’s iPad into the classroom, we need to make sure that the content in that medium, whether news or literature or scholarly research – is still of substance.

No matter what vehicle will carry journalism into the future, we still need communicators with critical thinking skills, but we also need communicators who can also be good listeners. There are stories to be told. Lives to be chronicled. Imaginations to illuminate.

Back in the boardroom, I mused about my colleagues’ futures. From our diverse educations will spring forth communicators – men and women - in radio, television, and newspapers. It won’t stop there, either. One of the interns plans to attend law school, and another wants to start her own photography studio.

Mr. Meyer reminded us to keep an open mind and to never lose sight of the journalism’s foundation: the ability to observe, think critically and report the truth. That foundation, I believe, is what will sustain our society, whether informed by word-of-mouth, a smart phone or a message in a bottle.

I'm a Guest Blogger

I got my first gig as a "guest blogger" this month. My picture is even featured right next to my favorite mascot, Blue II. Below is the piece I wrote for Butler University admissions' "Go Butler" Web site:

When I came to Butler in 2006, Facebook was new and everybody who was anybody had an account. I started by adding Butler students who were also in the Media Arts program. During Welcome Week, I was at an ice cream social and recognized a girl from Facebook. We hugged each other the first time we met because we felt like we were already acquainted! She and I had a bunch of classes together, and today she’s a really great friend of mine.

Online transparency is key. Students and parents can turn to Butler’s social network accounts to get a more personal perspective of life at Butler. I think I’m most impressed with Butler’s chief of police, Ben Hunter who recently started his own Twitter account. Butler has taken the steps to meet students where they are: online. Last week, I logged on to Twitter and found out that Butler was closed because of the heavy snowfall. In that sense, these sites are helpful not only in keeping up with friends, but also in staying updated on important university messages.

While social media has connected me to people I wouldn’t have otherwise known, it has also flowed over into my academics. One of my professors, Dr. Geertsema, requires her students to extend our classroom discussions to Facebook. Just last week, I posted an article and discussion question to the class Facebook group. That, to me, is the beauty of social interaction and a critically-thinking institution.

Recently, I’ve seen social media help me out of a jam or two. This past December, I was getting ready leave Washington, D.C. – where I interned at National Public Radio. The weekend I planned to leave, my flight got rescheduled but I had no transportation to get to the airport. I posted a call out for help via Twitter. I didn’t have to wait long to get a response. A friend I’d met at a conference in D.C. was headed to the airport, too. He picked me up and we drove the airport so we could catch our flights out of the city. If he hadn’t responded and offered his help, I’d probably still be stuck in D.C.! I know a lot of people who have a social media success story, whether used for research or in the event of breaking news, like the Haiti earthquake or the Iranian protests.

In another instance, I called on my Facebook and Twitter networks for research topics ideas and got a lot of great suggestions - nearly 10 different ideas!

The best thing incoming students can do is to get plugged in on social networks. Facebook is already a favorite among high schoolers, but Twitter has really practical purposes that extend beyond just updating a status. Usewww.search.twitter.com to find interesting articles about college applications. Find out which schools have Twitter accounts, and follow them. Join fan pages. Ask the questions you have about campus tours or the size of a dorm room. Utilize the tools that are out there.

Online presence says a lot about a university. It says they care about reaching out to students in a personal and meaningful way. Social media brings you that much closer to the university. If you want a university that’s progressive, look to how they utilize their online presence.

Twitter Turmoil

Ever feel left out of the digital conversation? Stumped by status updates?

Status updates are used on sites like Facebook and Twitter. But what is their purpose? Sure, it's a way to "keep in touch" with friends and family. But then updates can turn into mini snippets of bragging material. "Laying out in Mexico! This is the life!" or "Headed off to an awards ceremony...in my honor." 

And then there's a different kind of update. I'll call it the "members only" status.

You read a twitter status and can almost hear the Twitterer saying, "Oh, sorry, guess you had to be there. You missed out. How can you not know that [insert clever, obscure factoid or joke here.]"

I recently perceived the effects of my Twitter updates (which are automatically forwarded to Facebook). My Facebook friends responded to one of my updates with mass confusion.

A few days ago, I was participating in a live chat with the Poynter Institute, a non-profit that trains journalists. I was excited to ask questions, which could be submitted via Twitter. So, employing my clever Twitter abilities, I posted a question that looked like this: "#poynterchats What the best way to keep in touch with former internship contacts?" 

If that looks like a foreign language to you, read on.

In my example above, "#poynterchats" was a search term I created while doing a live chat with the Poynter Institute. Poynter suggested I add this prefix to my twitter status so they could search for my status and then post it in the live conversation.

That day two Facebook friends who commented on the post because they were confused. "I never really understand what your status is about. Is that normal or am I just being really stupid?"

Yay for reality checks. It reminded me that not everyone uses Twitter, and therefore not everyone knows why @, #, and RT are used in sentences. 

One follower, @copyblogger, said in a post, "How about you add value instead of engaging in veiled "conversation" you mistakenly think makes you look good?"

Well gosh darnit, he's right. The Twitter elitist in me needs to think more carefully about the "conversations" I have with others in the so-called Twitterverse. It may make sense to me, but not to others. And then, this vehicle created to help with communication, is actually putting up walls.

Duncan Alney, of Firebelly Marketing in Indianapolis, posted some social media etiquette tips on his company's Web site. Not a bad thing to review. 

Brief Twitter Jargon Decoding

@ - place this symbol in front of a person's Twitter name. Use this when you want to mention something to that person. It's a direct, but public, message.

# - place this symbol in front a word. Then if you search that word in the search box, your update will be included. This helps define "trending topics" which are the most tweeted about subjects on Twitter. 

RT - means "retweet." I use RT when I see a status I like (usually with a cool link) and want to share the info to others. 

Links - when you post a link into Twitter, it compresses (remember, there's a 140-character limit), so the URLs look funny. For example: http://bit.ly/iPm8h

And there it is, in a nutshell! Feel free to post comments or other questions you have.