I love the instant and concise nature of Twitter as well as the quick feedback and the community I’ve enjoyed being a part of it. However, I have seen a lot of people misuse and even abuse Twitter. So here are my top 5 Tweeves (Twitter Peeves): Twittarrhea: An unstoppable string of running Tweets for no reason. If you have 12 tweets within an hour, something very important, dangerous, or extremely cool should be happening. Otherwise, don’t punish us for your boredom. Twitteralogue: A long Twitter dialogue between two people. If you want to text your best friend, then great…text him, but please don’t have a long private conversation on Twitter. I really don’t want to know that you use Yukon Gold potatoes for mashing. Remember, you can use the direct tweet option for your personal, confidential, and or boring conversation. Twittertising: Uncontrolled self promotion of goods and/or services. Ok,…

For some Twitter is a waste of time. For others it is a way to stay in touch with the world. But it has helped me become a better writer. Twitter forces me to make an argument or develop a thought in no more than 140 characters. In a world of digital verbosity, that’s hard to do. But how much can one communicate in such small chunks, including spaces and punctuation? A lot of people tell me it’s too restrictive. But it has compelled me to focus on the power of words, using them deliberately and effectively–painting a clear picture with few strokes. As a former college teacher, I expected my English composition students to get to the point quickly and give their readers a reason to read on. In a time of endless blogs and social networks where prose flows unfettered, a well-crafted thought has the opportunity to rule…

“I’m too busy to keep up with my friends. I just don’t have time to engage people like I want to.” I hear these words quite often these days. We are busy and some of us have families, jobs, and even school to deal with on a daily basis. Who has time to pursue or maintain any more relationships? While I’m sympathetic to such a reality, I also know that the best life has to offer, including business, is usually found in the context of relationships. I have found that using 3 simple tools has given me the chance to keep up with key relationships, some even in different continents. Text messaging. Text messages are the fastest, most dynamic way to reach someone. It’s instant and designed to be succinct. Most smart phones will accept pictures and video as well. I even use text to communicate with a group of…

Last week I got several messages from Twitter and Facebook friends about getting together during the Catalyst conference. Unfortunately my schedule was packed with meetings in-between sessions and dinner appointments, and I wasn’t able to  meet many of my digital friends face to face. Since then my insecurities have taken hold of me and whispered, “maybe it was for the best. You’re a lot better looking and more interesting online than in real life.” That thought has stayed with me for days now and I can’t seem to shake it. I overheard a co-worker say that she is often disappointed when meeting celebrities in real life situations because they never live up to her expectations. Ok, I’m not a celebrity–I have no paparazzi following me, or even a friendly stalker–but the comment forced me to ask the question, “have I created a better version of myself online?” I’m not sure…

Critics of social media abound. There’s not a week, maybe even a day, that goes by that I don’t hear someone complain about the “pseudo friendships” and “virtual and meaningless” relationships that are forged and maintained online. We all have heard, some of us even have said it, “If I want to talk with someone, I pick up the phone and call them.” Interestingly, in the days prior to the digital revolution, the telephone itself had its critics for being, well, impersonal. But regardless of where you stand on this debate, I am thankful for my social media friends and here’s why: Yesterday it was my birthday and before the day was over I had nearly 200 messages, tweets and texts from friends from all over the globe. I couldn’t have talked to a fraction of them even if I wanted to, but their love came through strong, even through…

I have been on Twitter for over an year now. I lost count of the number of times I have described it to people who look at me like I was completely insane. I love Twitter and I’ll be writing about it more shortly. For now, let’s just celebrate the best Twitter cartoons that have capture the best and worst of this micro blogging tool that has taken our planet by storm. Top 25 Twitter Cartoonshttp://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=twittercartoons-1233888048677500-3&stripped_title=top-25-twitter-cartoons .

I’ve been Twittering for over 90 days now, and I must say it has been a great tool to build community instantly. While I’ve loved the positive aspect of Twitter, I must, in all fairness to those of you who are new to this social network or are contemplating signing on, share my experience with Twitter’s dark side. In case you’re wondering about my list, not all of it happened to me. Ok, most of the list is “loosely based” on my personal experience. Well, maybe all of it is. Ok, enough already. Here’s my top 10 ways you can get in trouble with Twitter:10. Post fun tweets about your Vegas vacation and watch some crazy, anonymous fundamentalist jerk turn you into this money-spending, luxury-loving, pleasure-driven Satanist on his loser hate blog. (Do I sound bitter?). I guess what happens in Vegas should really stay there. 9. Post about a…