November 15, 2011

November 15, 2011

I'm making some progress on the whole TeachingTechnology.com adventure.  This weekend, I was able to create a Facebook page -- a necessary ingredient with all businesses these days. Not having a FB page is like trying to cook without butter, I suppose, and anyone who knows me knows that butter ranks right up there with bread, milk, and coffee on my grocery list.  I also linked in a link to my LinkedIn page.  I understand that LinkedIn is more professional; you won't find unflattering pictures taken after the member consumed her fourth glass of wine ("hey, it was Happy Hour!") or pictures of your beloved cat or dog in yoga poses.

I don't "get" Twitter, however.  Hubs and I started a Twitter account and selected 10 people/groups we wanted to "follow."  Upon first crack with this new experience, one of the tweets was an individual who said that 49% of folks who are in college shouldn't be there.  I thought, well that's a GREAT motivator (not!).  So to practice the tweet experience, I replied "92% of statistics are wrong.  I learned that in my first year of college."  Now I meant this reply to be kind of a push-back, suggesting that she's being awfully dismissive of all college experiences for all students.  She replied back with a snide "And which college did you attend?"  And that' when Twitter started to fade for me.  Had I wished to continue this inane conversation, I would have had to somehow justify to her that I attended a college in Tennessee that very few individuals know about or can correctly pronounce the name of.  And I'm not sure I can reasonably justify anything in 140 characters.  So -- I decided not to join the Twittering aficionados.

I'm going to devote some energy to this blog instead.  By the way, let's give credit where it's due.  When I explained to one of my friends (Jeana B.) at my former position that I was going to resign and to strike out on my own, I told her the main plan for the new freelance business.  She said "Well, you've got to have a blog.  Everybody reads blogs."  So, Jeana, as rough and rugged as this blog is, consider yourself the godmother, the muse, the force of inspiration. 

Right now I'm reading a book on blogging, but I am not gaining terribly useful information from it.  It was written by a blogger who covers the black celebrity entertainment scene.  We're talking Kanye, Big Boi, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy.  So, let me offer a one-sentence quotation from her page 29 and I believe you will recognize why this book, whose front cover proclaims "What You Need to Know if You Want to Have a Succesful and Profitable Blog" and to get "Thousands of Unique Hits Per Day."  Here's that verbatim quote:  "Let's say you are out for dinner and in walks Beyonce and Jay-Z."  Let me state right here and now that if I am ever out for dinner and Beyonce, Jay-Z, or Lyle Lovett walks into the Steak & Shake close to Rivergate Mall, I promise to include that jewel in my very next post.  Wait for it. 

So -- I'm well past my 140 characters, I guess I best move on.  Thanks, Jeana, and thanks to you for reading this.  It's time now to start working on that Business Writing PowerPoint.