Twitter Doesn't Suck...and Facebook Isn't the Web

Just back from another xmas season get together. This stuff just has to be said (otherwise I'm taking it out on my family):

First, Twitter doesn't suck, despite what every 23 year old I talked to this xmas says.

I know you think it's all about people tweeting their latest bowel movements. That's because YOU'VE NEVER ACTUALLY TRIED IT.

You're looking for a job. Right?

Did you know that almost all of the major job boards, recruiters and employment agencies are on Twitter. As are major corporations. Towns. Government agencies. And your University. In fact, while you've been busy dissing it, Twitter been busy becoming a serious tool for the rest of the world.

So you never tweet? It doesn't matter. If you learn how to use Twitter search (search.twitter.com) or Tweetdeck at least you'll be up to speed on the latest snow conditions at Whistler.

Second, Facebook is NOT the web.

Yeah, you seemed like an early adopter when you and your 17 year old friends all flocked to it. But then you stopped adopting. And learning.

Which really scares me (oldsters set in their ways is scary enough, but do you really want to be like your parents?).

Your personal brand now consists of a bunch of pics of you and your friends - drinking, partying and....what the hell are you doing?!! Looks like fun. Looks really shallow. Brands are important. You might want to work a little harder on yours. I guarantee when you go for that banking job they're going on-line to check you out.

And when they do, that really quiet girl with the blog and the amazing YouTube videos from Australia is going to get the job.

Third. RIM better get it's act together.

It's one thing to see the techie geek dudes off trying everything new. That's not the iPhone now.

This Christmas I saw serious, staid, boring, dull square heads....showing off their latest iPhone apps, giving advice on dumping existing 3 year smart phone plans and generally running from their Blackberries faster than you can say BBM. If this isn't scaring the crap out of RIM I'd be amazed.

Didn't someone there see the app wave coming?

Finally. Get Google Reader. This may be the best advice. I've ever given.

See when you click on Google and it says 'more'? Go there. Click Reader. Get an account. Sign up.

You know why? Because the world is changing - and it's all on line (yeah, that magazine folded too). And the only way to stay in touch is to get a little organized.

Google Reader will let you 'subscribe' to websites and blogs. Every time your favourite site or blog is updated, the update goes automatically to your reader. Then, when you finally wake up in the morning the first you do is go to your reader and ta daaa! - there is your latest information.

And you can be smarter than all the other kids at work (until they get their readers too).

got a chance today...

...to hang out with a US lawyer who campaigned in Virginia for Obama then did poll duty the night of the election. I guess hopefully we all get a chance once in our lifetime to play a role in something both historic and overwhelmingly satisfying. To say she was proud and happy would be a fairly significant understatement. She said what struck her about the Obama organizers was their tactical precision. She said that in the days leading up to the election they didn't canvass houses - they canvassed perfectly targeted individuals - leaning McOldGuy but not committed. She also described the feeling of going into non-white neighbourhoods and getting overwhelmingly enthusiastic responses from people when they found out she was campaigning for Obama. Turn-out in her precinct? Over 80%!!! Here's a link to her blog.

.....to have a beer with a thoughtful, successful market watcher and stock picker. He has a theory on the market downturn that feels logical. According to him, the market bottom will occur only after the North American auto industry takes its hit - a hit which is clearly coming. Merger? Bailout? Bankruptcy? Get that done, get the headlines out of the way, absorb some of the fall-out - then we'll be at the bottom. Hmmmm....I think he's onto something.

...to make full use of local search on my Blackberry. Stuck in stopped-dead traffic. Pouring rain. Looking for a hotel....and finding one, plus phone number, plus dialing and connecting in about 90 seconds. Damn, the world has changed...and maybe even for the better.