Alonis

You call THAT news? That was some sloppy work, son.

2010-09-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

First off, let's get this out of the way; Am I a journalist? NO. Do I understand real time news and social media? Yeah. Pretty damn sure I do.

I joined Twitter in August of 2008, but that is not when I actually started using it. All I knew is that I thought I should sign up and at the very least, squat on my first name.
(Oh look! Notes, not tweets!)

Now, I do not want to get all into when I became active or fully engaged in Twitter, because it does not matter. What does matter is what I started using Twitter for, what many others started using it for and how it is evolving.
Breaking News.

Whether it is a wildfire, police chase, presidential speech, protest, hostage situation, etc., we have all become accustomed to getting the very latest and the tiniest detail about the event we choose to lock-on to.

Why? I am not 100% sure, but it is similar to rubber-necking a nasty car accident. We get to go "ooooh, ohhh, *tisk_tisk* and what have you.

Sometimes real-time news is beneficial. Take wildfires, for example. Sharing valuable information such as evacuation maps and places of refuge is helpful for those that are affected. Or an Amber Alert, traffic incident, road closures, on and on and on. Useful.

Other times, this rapid spread of information holds little to no value to the general public other than to gawk.

Although I can present many different examples of this, I will use today's hostage situation at the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Around 11am pacific time (that is where I am located, so I use it as my reference), I instant messaged Tray McGuire, the founder of the online Twitter news account we maintain (@UpfrontNews), to a message I had seen coming from a local Maryland news source about a "possible hostage" situation. From just that simple message I could tell something was going on. Now, that could turn out to be a small, localized incident such as a domestic dispute or it can turn into something much larger, like it did today.

The point being, it was unclear yet how big this situation was going to be so I never tweeted on my main account that this was going on. Why? Well, a lot of locals follow me, they were all engrossed in the Apple iPod press event that was going on and I still was gathering information. Gathering, digging deeper, cross checking. Not sharing yet. That is important.

After I felt I had enough details to assume this was a much larger situation unfolding, I did tweet what I thought was worth sharing with others on my private account.

The first tweet I posted was "It's weird that #Discovery can be used for two events going on right now on opposite sides of the country". Referring to the Apple press event and the Silver Spring situation. It's vague. I am not saying much of anything, rather I was suggesting that people could follow the hashtag #Discovery.

This went out to a much smaller audience (approximately 900 followers) than it would have if I had used my main account, @Alonis.

I had scanner feed for Montgomery County pulled up and we both had the local news feed on, had made contact with local authorities and started looking at maps of the area. What schools are nearby? How are they handling this situation? What transit systems could be affected. Are there any government buildings located within close proximity?
In my opinion, the majority of people, the general public, didn't need to know everything that we were working on.

We knew we had enough information to post a tweet about it on our news account, @UpfrontNews, sourced CNN to be on the safe side. Then Tray and I continued to dig and gather as much as we could on the incident.

After hearing the suspect's name on the local live feed, the first thing I did was write it down. Secondly, search it like mad on the Internet. Search engines, social networking sites, telephone listings...all of that.

Yes. I got to his MySpace page, his manifesto, some random addresses from British Columbia to San Diego, but WHAT good would that do to post on our news site? What good would that do for the public? Nothing. Nothing at all.

That information was only pertinent for news gathering, to get a better perspective on the POSSIBLE person that is a suspect in a developing situation.

Of course I was not the only person in the world 'Googling' the crud out of this man's name. The difference however, is that I was not spreading every little find of his web trail of crumbs to the masses. But, you bet your sweet ass that others were.

** Be the first! Get out there with the scoop! More traffic, more clicks! MUST. TWEET. EVERYTHING. Even if we have not confirmed. Even if we have not cross checked it. Who cares! People will flock because we have *this*, we have *that* and when we change details or correct ourselves, every one's brains will be hazed over with a new tantalizing link we can share with them! Go, go, GO!**

Okay. So maybe that is not what folks in newsrooms were saying out loud, but it is how they behaved.

@BreakingNews (now operated by MSNBC) tweeted: A picture posted on Twitter possibly of the suspected #Discovery gunman, re-tweeted widely - http://yfrog.com/2mhdmdj

This tweet ALONE was retweeted more than 100 times. And you can see just how many people tweeted this UNCOMFIRMED picture of the SUPPOSED suspect on Twitter Search

The initial tweet came from @jdivenere. His profile information states his name is Jason Divenere but his location is given as Snowmass Village, CO. Really only one thing made his tweet SEEM to be credible...
his bio says he works for Discovery. That is it.

Discovery what? The store? A local affiliate in Colorado? Who knows. He may even work in Silver Spring, Maryland, but not a single person had verified that at the time.

@NewMediaJim retweeted it as well as many others with high follower counts.

I am not necessarily calling Jim Long or others out for a sloppy retweet but I am pointing out that there is a serious problem in new media and the spread of unverified information being shared at lightning speed.

It needs to stop. For the sake of actual news, it needs to stop.

Finally, @MSNBC_Pictures posted this tweet: Help! We're trying to verify where/when/who for this: http://bit.ly/cj8NvA - Info? Call 425-706-1950 (@jdivenere) http://yfrog.com/2mhdmdj

Yup. You guessed it. I called.

I called because I was tired of seeing this image get posted all over the place when it was not the suspect but was instead an image of a SWAT officer. You could see in the press conferences that other SWAT members were dressed the same way. Besides, when I first saw it, several things stuck out in my mind; The suspect was seen with devices attached to him. None in the pic. Also, the suspect's body build did not match. Lastly, my gut told me "eh-eh".

I spoke to a nice gentleman in the Media Relations department at MSNBC. I told him what I could tell from others tweets that were posted by people whose bios actually said they lived in the area of Discovery Channel HQ. Ya know, NOT Colorado. People like @kibrly

Which is what this entire post is about.

WHY are news organizations that have schooled journalists not verifying what they toss out on the web before doing their homework?

Whatever happened to keeping your mouth shut until you were sure, I mean REALLY sure and could publish (post) something that you felt you could stand behind?

Does the fact that Twitter is 140 characters lend itself to the notion that any random crap we spew forth from our finger tips is a novelty and therefore not something we should worry about being authentic, verifiable, credible, accurate??

In my opinion, NO. I stand behind every tweet I post, every Facebook status I make, every word I speak. If I am in doubt, I will mention that I am not sure. And better yet, I will not share it with millions of strangers to leave it open to their interpretation.

It is not the general public's job to digest all this crap and then determine what is real or valid. That is the reporters, editors, journalists, etc., job.

Is it that we just want to be first? To be popular? To get the most attention? To be able to say "Yeah, I know already, I tweeted it."?

I know we are all learning in this ever changing medium, but some restraint and better judgement needs to be exercised.
I truly hope that some better policies get put in place at the news organizations, QUICKLY. The public deserves better.

So what do you think?

Do you think that you should be glued to every tweet, every Facebook status, every YouTube posting as a breaking news situation unfolds all of the time? Do you still trust a news agency that shares information that has not been verified, sourced or is inaccurate? If so, why?

P.S.:
George Kelly shared this link to a blogtalkradio.com post by O.N.A.http://journalists.org/ (Online News Association) with me today. It was recorded yesterday. It's about an hour long, but it is all about the current dilemma with breaking news and social media's role in it. I hope more of you will listen to it.

P.S.S:
(Even this stupid Facebook link was shared. Although I admit the 1-800-Flowers order is funny, it was tacky and irrelevant to any actual real news)

C'mon, Castro Valley Peet's customers... We can do better than this!

2009-12-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

-- Post From My iPhone

Station Fire: Where to get accurate information

2009-08-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Where can you get credible information on the Station Fire burning in Southern California online?

Twitter

Accounts that I know to be official News Sources or Fire Fighter Sources;
@LAFDtalk @LAFD @CalFireNews @eneitzel @AngelesNF @latimesfires @ktla @ABC7 @CJamz

*@LAFD & @LAFDTalk are for the City of Los Angeles and not the account for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. However, there is no verified @LACo account on Twitter.

Accounts that I know to be trustworthy Citizens spreading information;
@winecountrydog @twnstar2 @socalincidents @ChopperKat

Mike Brown, @plutokiller, is live tweeting the top floor of Caltech library.
Bio: Astronomer, planet hunter, Pluto killer.

RT @plutokiller: OK, all, I'm going mobile. From roof I have line of sight to Mt. Wilson towers & scopes. Stay tuned. #station

Blogs

Webcams

UCLA Dept of Physics & Astronomy webcam View of Mt. Wilson. *Due to heavy visitor traffic to the site, you may have to refresh several times. I have found better success with my iPhone app: WorldView Live (Search iTunes app store for that)

News Stations

Five Southern California News Stations On One Page

Websites

Online Scanner

LA County Emergency Scanner

On Facebook

Station Fire Fan Page

iPhone as a Scanner

Emer. Radio app (Los Angeles County (Santa Clarita Valley) Fire, Sheriff and EMS)

Handy evacuation checklist posted by Santa Cruz Sentinel

How you can help

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: Honors all firefighters across the nation http://www.firehero.org/

RT @latimesnystrom: Want to help with SoCal fires? Here's how http://bit.ly/WIrsJ via @lanow @latimesfires @latimescitydesk

The Station Fire burning in Los Angeles County has claimed the lives of two fire fighters, Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones.
Quinones was a soon to be first-time-father.

Five people have refused to evacuate their home and are reportedly trapped at a ranch near Gold Creek. I was listening to the L.A. County Fire and EMS scanner when they decided it was simply too dangerous to send personnel back into Gold Creek to evacuate them. Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff said a helicopter was unable to immediately reach them because of intensity of the fire but that they would try after the flames passed through.

Note: As I am typing this, I am listening to the scanner and hearing that the five people in the Gold Creek area are still being defiant. Not sure if I heard correctly that it is either the Hathaway house or if that was the name of the road that these five people are holding out on.

Last night when I went to bed, the Station Fire had burned approximately 45,500 acres and by the time I got back to the laptop, around 9am today, it had nearly doubled in size to 85,760 acres. Just a few hours later, it reached 105,000 acres. Currently, the fire is only 5% contained and the estimated containment is date is September 15th.

I am sure there are many other resources out there that you can use, but really, this is plenty enough to follow.

Note: The title image is not mine and can be found via Yahoo search; Station Fire + Images

Josie Faye Hall "Uccellina"

2009-08-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of many is losing her battle with cancer. She has a soul & heart that shines like the Sun. We are rallying around her and we know that she knows we are all thinking about her & sending love her way.
She shut her Twitter account, @winkfromblueyes, down last night. This is why we are using the hashtag: #winkfromblueyes

Terry Travers (@TqNews) has a blog where there are some pics and loving thoughts for http://redjanebird.blogspot.com/

There is not much more I want to say on this right now. I am very upset.

Ummm....it's nothing. Really.

2009-07-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Thoughts for today

If you leave an open bottle of white wine in the fridge for a month, it goes bad. Like REAL bad.
Monavie and Vodka is DELICIOUS!
Think I am getting less concerned about Saving the Trees the more I have to wash dishes by hand.
"You're gonna love my nuts" makes me laugh EVERY time I hear the Slap Chop/ShamWow guy say it.
One of my Twitter friends, @Arktist is a very talented artist, although I NEVER saw him tweet about his work. Very cool guy! Here's some of his sketches.
Even though @Calamari and I are not dating any more, I am glad I met him because he is a TRUE friend. Even helped me with my Rez Zoom May today! What a sweetie!
Thanks to Obit Wheelchair spam email, I am now aware that I MAY qualify for an electric wheelchair at little or no cost. Good cause I was tired of this whole 'walking' thing and I *should* invest in my retirement.
Monavie and Vodka is REALLY DELICIOUS!
The price of NYMEX crude seriously needs to come back to reality. People with NO jobs CAN and WILL decide to drive less furthering the rise in inventory. Just sayin.
I am NOT an SEO or Social Media expert and I think that NObody is. You're either smart & 'get it' or you don't. It isn't magical.
We MAY be able to save our HOME because we FORCED our lender into modification talks by not paying our mortgage for 6 months. I didn't have to pay any fees or get screwed by any scam artists.
I don't know what the word "debian" means and I am too lazy to look it up.
Talk show radio hosts who say that Twitter is lame and vain have little to no followers because in reality, they are pissed that no one gave a crap what they had to say.
I can't figure out why people give a crap what I tweet about.
Tweets like this are a total #Fail for me: RT @nbcbayareacom: Presented By: http://bit.ly/101GPY
Tweets like this I actually LEARN something from: RT @dkmashino: http://twitpic.com/bzps8 - Pink Palace & the place in which Pave Paradise was penned apparently.
My dad was out of his mind when he kept telling me "You catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar." Really, dad? Who the hell wants flies??
I have something in my eye and NO it is NOT my finger.
Our #CABudget sucks, but hey...budgets suck. Period.
There's only ONE thing that could make this Monavie Vodka cocktail even better...It could clone itself so I don't get my butt up and make another!

Note: I do not sell Monavie. I just like the taste of it.

#FollowFriday for July 3rd

2009-07-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day Weekend America!

Please be sure to not only have a fun & safe fourth of July weekend, but be sure to take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have the freedoms & liberties that we do have here in the U.S.. For all of our bitching & complaining, we really do have it plush here.

I come from the Lee's & Dean's of old Virginia on my maternal side, so Independence Day has a really cool & personal meaning to me. Not that it doesn't hold significant meaning for ALL of us...just sayin'.

My G-G-G-G-G-G (eh, too many G's) Grand Uncle was George Washington. My GGGGGGG (whatever) Grandfather was Henry Lee III
who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Mind you, some of my maternal ancestors are ones that enslaved, raped, killed, et cetera some of my paternal ancestors, but that is all water under the bridge now. It is what it is.

From my ancestors that are indiginous to this continent to the ones that helped shape our government, to the soldiers that have fought & those that continue to fight for our freedom & the freedom of others, to the firefighters, the law enforcemment, doctors, nurses, teachers, to those that bust their humps working hard every day, to those out of work & eager to find a job, to the bum in the streets, the activists, the pacifists, to the children & all others I may have left out...

"This land is your land, this land is my land

From California to the New York Island

From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters

This land was made for you and me." -Woodie Guthrie

I am SO proud to be an American. Sometimes embaressed, yes, but very proud nonetheless. This is OUR country because we make it what it is.

Happy Independence Day America!

Now, on with my #FollowFriday Suggestions...

I follow a lot of ppl. Of course I can not catch every tweet they post, I am able to keep tabs on them pretty well. This is a list of SOME folks on Twitter that I look forward to chatting with and/or reading their tweets. Some are controversial. Some are informative. Some are just plain ol' Chatty Cathy's (or Chad's if applicable). Point being, if you add 1/2 of these ppl to your following list, you will A) Never be bored on Twitter. B) Learn something new. C) Make some great contacts. D) Smile & laugh.

Give 'em a shot & check them out!

@bnmeeks @LATimescitydesk @AdrielHampton @LATimesNystrom @markbriggs @tnsltwn @Art_News @winkfromblueyes @aNorthernSoul @Arktist @AlohaArleen @RayBeckerman @terri5me2000 @ZAGrrl @JDrive @andrewhuntre @Letiitaa @Zacharycohen @zachflauaus @Monkfishy @Adrigonzo @SaschaScarpulla @hlooman @tracy2be @Robert_Banghart @guruvan @ZAGrrl @mactavish @PhilHarrison @marquearts @verwon @egratto @CJamz @BilleBaty @Walterpic @nelsonmaud @wahliaodotcom @dreadw @drewtipton @pussreboots @motheringrocks @Adriel4Congress @gmkerwin @WriterLeeAnne @bhavinm @jonkolbe @smellycents @Meghan1018 @Irishrose54 @GumpB @DrDuran @thetalesend @christinajade @LishaBisha @judithsthoughts @Halibutron@@chrisblake @TankaBar_Linda @gregcollier joebrooks @TradingGoddess@Clifsoulo @ianryerson @Zab @zaibatsu@smashadv @purplehayz @JimMacMillan @entreprediva @3amjosh @aileen2u2 @QueenofSpain @TheExpert @FizzyDuck @bhavinm @littlefoxy @taosmesa @swellyn @campingblogger @Armageddontime @CHARLIEFOGG @pixel_jockey @LittleFoxy @LishaBisha @Calamari @BasilLeaf @ckanal @ocicat_bengals @elocio @infidelsarecool

*I didn't have time to hyperlink the names. Your mousing hand could use the copy/paste exercise. ;-)

SO sorry if I left anyone out. Please understand that I try to get as many ppl in as possible over the course of many #FollowFriday's. That and I am pressed for time. Running away to Lake Tahoe for the weekend! ;-)

Be safe & have fun!

#FollowFriday

2009-05-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

My top #FollowFriday ppl for this week?

Those that helped get important info out to the public during the #JesusitaFire in Santa Barbara.

It was tough, at first, to determine who was giving accurate info out. I knew mine was since I was listening to Santa Barbara PD/FD scanners, watching streaming chopper coverage and that I get all of these BNO News emails.

Quickly the key players figured out who the right sources were.

RT @Cjamz Throughout the night PLEASE follow @Alonis, @socalincidents, @KCSB, @LATimescitydesk and @SBRedCross and more #jesusitafire

@Cjamz was on location and posted URGENT tweets about the fire. Every time he tweeted in ALL CAPS I knew it was important:

RT @Alonis: #jesusitafire ACK! RT @CJamz: @Alonis HERE WE GO AGAIN! Western Flank EXPLODING! FIRE HAS JUMPED CONTAINMENT LINES ON WESTERN FLANK!

@LATimesCityDesk posted very useful information like this:

RT @LATimescitydesk: Check it out: Our interactive map of the Santa Barbara fire has been updated. It's packed with useful info. http://tr.im/kTuz #jesusitafire

@Cjamz would post the evac orders on Twitter, but that wasn't going to work for me.

I had received them directly from sources such as KSBY and the City of Santa Barbara's PIO. (I've since deleted them because they are no longer needed.)

I couldn't flood all of my followers with evacuation orders in 140 bits. Instead, I posted them here on my blog & then would post them on Twitter with the proper hashtag, #Jesusita so those watching the fire via Twitter Search could link to it right away.

When all of the fire fighter's hard work began to pay off and the fire started to come under control, I realized I had connected with some great ppl.

RT @CJamz: @Alonis ALWAYS my dear! It's REALLY a pleasure to work with u and everyone else! All my best 2 you! #jesusitafire

RT @Alonis: @CJamz Keep up the great work! Be safe. Know that everyone's thoughts and prayers are with all of you guys! #jesusitafire

Nita Lelyveld runs the @LATimesCityDesk acct.

I also was trading DMs with @LATimesNystro m while he left work to go on vaca on Friday night. I got to know him a bit, as a regular person.

Great guy with ties to the Bay Area! Kewl!

Oh, and follow @ENeitzel - National PIO, Incident Social Media (ISM) cause he not only will let you know when & where the roof is on fire but he's a pretty damn funny guy!

You get a real chance to see how genuine and goodhearted ppl are during times of crisis. This was one of those times & these are some PPL with BIG hearts. :-)

Here are some other #FollowFridays that I love on Twitter but can't spend all day blogging about WHY I enjoy following them. Check them out!

@tnsltwn @FizzyDuck @NMHill @entreprediva @purplehayz @lynndorman @TradingGoddess @missdestructo @adrielhampton @pixel_jockey @scorpusmaximus @TheExpert @TheyCallMeEllis @kitson @natetang @Stardragonca @MissSimone @ocicat_bengals terri5me2000 @vaxen_var @midalioness7 @twnstar2 @Robert_Banghart @SherrieKeys detnews @StockJockey @mangonocturna @TigerMel @Letiitaa @BelieveAnyway @KimPossible40 @skunkhair

And last but surely not least, my sister @TenayaLeDeux

Twitter Rule Book Volume 2

2009-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Really, I don't think I can top my first 25 rules but here is a list of other things that I think people should know & some of the things that bother me the most on Twitter.

The first 25 are really basic. These are a bit more in-depth. I guess this is more like a Guide Book instead of a Rule Book.

And away, we go...

26. Auto-DMs: Are you using these? Don't! Too late? Consider this as your Cease & Desist letter. KNOCK IT OFF!

27. Do not DM me about how to gain more followers or about your blog. If I want to read your blog, I will. DMs about gaining more followers is SPAM. It's also a quick way to LOSE followers. *doh*

28. Grammar: Ok, I'm SO guilty of making grammatical errors on Twitter. Some times my fingers fly across the keyboard faster than I can think. I get a too excited & hit the update button without re-reading the post. I get over it eventually, the "grammar nazis" should too. I don't have an editor hovering over my shoulder to tweet. Do you?

29. Cursing: I think it's fine to use swear words, if you want. Just do so with tact. No one wants to read the 'F-bomb' being dropped in every post of yours. I curse from time to time on Twitter so I try to do it in style. Eg: "@ss" or "sh*t". It let's ppl know I'm fired up over a topic, but yet I want to still be a lady. (Don't roll your eyes! I CAN be a lady...I think.)

30. Acronyms of the New WWW Order 2.0: PPL, AFK, STFU, FML, FTW, IMHO, etc. are used frequently. Need to look any up? Try "Internet Acronyms Dictionary" Best resource I have found yet.

31. How 2 report spammers: 1. Follow @spam 2. DM details to @Spam 3. Block spammer
(This tip comes from @Twitter_Tips Follow them!)

Also, you can call ppl out when they are spam Twitter accts. @TradingGoddess does this frequently with her "How to NOT market your schtuff" tweets. It's part of maintaining 'Community Awareness' on Twitter. Hopefully those ppl get the hint. Doubt it.

.

32. Blast bad customer service! Get results. I freaked out on Twitter sometime ago over my mortgage statement. I took it all out on @Wachovia, my note holder. Result? They DM'd me a personal msg requesting my email addy so they could put me in touch with their Corporate VP of Customer Service. (Still hate them tho. LOL).

However, I have had NO success with my blasts of ATT, but I have found comfort with those that hate ATT as well.

33. Rant/Rave. If you rant about some thing, why not rave about another? If you just went to a new theme park, concert, art exhibit & really enjoyed it, rave about it! Balance is being a Negative Nelly AND a Positive Polly.

34. Twitter.com, aka Twitter Web, is the LEAST efficient way to use Twitter. Try a 3rd party desktop app such as TweetDeck, Seesmic, Twirhl, etc. Save yourself from the ppl like me that Tweet 17 hours a day. They auto refresh. There is DM & @reply notifications so ppl don't have to use the now classic Twitter phrase "Check your DMs".

35. The LATER half of 'Social Networking' is just as important as the first part. Network! 'Meet' strangers, make friends, introduce others. Know a few ppl on Twitter that live in the same town or work in the same industries? Introduce them, publicly, on Twitter.

36. Tweet & Run? I hate those. That is when someone follows you for a short bit because you said something interesting about an event. Could be that you witnessed a plane crash, a natural disaster, etc. You posted a 'keyword' so they start to follow you. Then when the event is over, they un-follow. I wish these ppl would just stick to following an event thru Twitter search.

37. Help out & ask for help. There's no shame in asking for help. A lot of ppl on Twitter are happy to assist you, if you just ask. Also, if you see someone struggling on Twitter, throw them an @reply 'life-ring' by offering your help.

38. Follower, Followee: A hotly debated topic on Twitter is the Follower/Following ratio of an acct. Here is MY take on it: I follow almost EVERY ONE back because I want to be sure that they can DM me if need be. (see rule #19 - The Art of DMs) Also, why not follow back? I have learned A LOT from ppl that I didn't think would be worth a follow at first. You may as well.

FYI: I follow accts that do NOT follow me back. I do so because I find them to be interesting. Really, there is no reason for @JimmyFallon to follow you back. Don't like? Don't follow.

39. Can we stop the silly words like Tweeple and Tweeps?! omg. So sick of those.

40. Hashtag alert: Some PPL, such as myself, make up hashtags for reasons beyond comprehension. Don't worry if you do not understand the tag. As Steve Winwood would say, "Roll with it, baby."

41. My GAWD! I have come up with 41 rules? Someone call the Twitter police. This is outta control. Moving on to #42!

42. Keywords: If you say 'it' on @Twitter, they will find you.
Tweet the word "Free"...see how many bogus (spam) accts start to follow you. Just be aware of it.

43. FAIL/#FAIL: If ANYTHING, and I DO mean ANYTHING, sucks or leaves you hangin' ppl use the #hashtag #Fail. That's all that it means.

44. Pls RT: Stop asking for RT's. If it's 'good enough' it WILL get RT'd sooner or later. When I see the "Pls RT", I am instantly turned off. PPL don't need to be prodded to share GOOD information.

45. Thank you for the RT's! Take it easy on these, will ya? Yes, thank ppl for sharing your info, just do so sparingly. Why not just do one simple post saying "Thank you all for the RT's." instead of spaming my timeline with you thanking every one individually. K? K. Thx.

Consider returning the favor & RT something of value that THEY posted.
That, to me, is a much better way to thank someone.

46. CAPS. Some times, they are warranted. Eg; OMFG. TWO PLANES JUST CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS. Other than that, CAPS are used to EMPHASIZE a word. Don't abuse the CAPS. It's an OLD internet common courtesy.

@BasilLeaf showed me a GREAT site that turns ALL CAPS posts into ones that use their 'indoor voices'. I truly love her more so than ever for that. ;-) http://titlecase.com/

47. Don't always be so serious! Enjoy a random RT: These are just fun, silly RTs that lighten the mood. One time a group of friends & I RT'd each other one right after the other & it was nothing but RT@username RT @username RT @username RT @username until we filled the 140 character limit. Eh, we had fun doing it. That's all that matters.

48. RT @So-So: @Alonis: "Hi!"
WTH is that? Can't you say something better? My reply will not be "Hi!" back. I usually ignore those. I don't use Twitter like instant messaging. Engage me, dammit.

49. RSS Feeds: For the most part, I can NOT stand RSS feeds. However, I understand why big accts like @CNN do it. I don't follow a lot of feed accts, just a few scanner ones w/legit emergency info like @LAFD

(FYI- @CNNbrk is just an RSS feed acct that some guy, not related to CNN, created that fed CNN's breaking headlines into a Twitter acct. @CNN acquired the acct during the lame 'Race to One Million' fiasco on Twitter. You've been had.)

50. Twitter Elite are NO better than you or I: @GuyKawasaki @Scobleizer @KimSherrell @Zaibatsu and the likes remind of the Brat Pack...only in social media-geeky-kinda way. Out of the 4 I mentioned, I unfollowed all but @Zaibatsu. Reason? They irritated me to know end by being either WAY too social (Kim) or NOT social enough (Guy).

@KimSherrell & I even had a bit of a Twitter Fight. It was fun. I unfollowed her. Haven't missed a thing since.

RT @Alonis: @kimsherrell I don't care HOW many followers you have. When someone POLITELY asks you a question, you should be able to reply appropriately.

@Zaibatsu tweets A TON, but he balances his interactive posts along with ones that share content AND I have the power of TweetDeck, so what the hay! ;-) He also helps out ANY ONE.

That's it folks. If there are others I should add or ones you do not agree with, let me know. I MAY tell you to take a hike. Then again, I may learn something new and add it here.

-Alonis

Update as of 5/19/09:
@Kimsherrell and I have since decided to start over with a clean slate. Here's to learning & cultivating Social Media and networking relationships, one step at a time.

Twitter Rule Book

2009-05-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

Twitter is something similar to fight club.
There are rules. Unspoken rules.

Use a pic for your avatar. I don't like to tweet to a brown avatar that looks like lopsided boobs.
Fill out your damn bio. How hard is this? Really? Do it. Do it now if it is not already done.
Tweet about what ever YOU want. Who cares if you lose followers. Eventually, you will find your crowd. Twitter is a tool for you to use. Not a tool to use you.
If you do not describe the link, I am not clicking. Just sayin'.
Hashtags: Get to know them. Use them. They are effective search tools.
Twitter search: Having a hard time knowing what @so-so just LOL'd at @youraveragejoe? Throw both names into the Twitter search. Voila. Story line found.
Read a person's timeline. Don't ask questions they have already answered in their timeline.
Following 2000 but have 43 following back? Looks like spam. Tastes like spam. Probably is spam. Do NOT follow back. Do NOT collect $200. Do NOT pass 'Go'. Move on.
Feel free to get personal but do not get creepy. There is an invisible line. Watch for it.
You do NOT have to reply to EVERY single dingle @reply. Reply, yes, but sometimes, you just get flooded with replies. Do not feel bad if you don't reply. Conversely, do NOT feel bad if your @reply is not answered.
Twitter Trends: They beat Google hands down for relevant information. Google takes days to add key searches to it's search results. Use Twitter search. Get used to it.
Love the "small guy" that doesn't have a lot of followers but is trying to get the hang of Twitter. We all started somewhere, right?
#12 brings me to number #13. Be humble but be a rock star. Tweet, post, whatever you want to call it, but act like you are talking to thousands. Confidence is beautiful but thank others and be grateful.
Explore other social networks like Blip, BrightKite, TwitPic, etc. They give ppl an added window into your life which may or may NOT be interesting. We will be the 'judge' of that.
Tell us what you ate for lunch. We DO care. Don't just say ..."pastami on rye" tho. We will be bored beyond our Fail Whale gills. Make it interesting.
Fail Whale? Learn the Fail Whale. She is cute. She will visit you, often. When Twitter is "over capacity" you will see a silly whale that is trying to be hoisted by lots of lil birds. Eh, just hit F5.
#TwitterFight: It is bound to happen. Some ppl just get into lil scoffs. Do not be frightened by them. It is healthy for one to stand their ground. Do this. Stand your ground. As long as you feel you are in the right.
@reply to 'strangers' or celebs. You never know, you may be answered. I have. You will too.
Learn the 'art of DM': DMs or direct messages are like Twitter email. Some convo's should be private. Take those to DM.
Read Twitter "how to 'this or that'..." that ppl post AND seek some out on the WWW on your own. Learn them. Apply. 'Nuff said.
Go ahead, 'score' 'grade' 'annalyze' your acct with 3rd party sources. Just do NOT tweet about it. Really, I do not care how many followers you lost or gained. Surely, I do not want to read it TWICE a day from you.
While we are at it...Can you PLEASE not tweet that you just took your 482nd mugshot? Is it possible to turn that "tweet it" feature off? DO IT if so.
RT. ReTweet. ReTweeting: Look, just say RT. We know what it means now. There is only 140 characters to utilize. There is NO need to fill them up if avoidable. Simplicity IS beautiful.
While RT'ing someone, feel free to change up the wording. Just make sure you credit where you got it from. Via @Such'NSuch, -@JoeBlow or ~@YoMama are totally acceptable forms of attribution, in my book. (Hey! I AM the one writing this crap. What I say goes.)
Do NOT believe that EVERY @username is a real acct. Sometimes, in the "Twitterverse" "Twitterland" "whatever blah blah" we come up with fake Twitter handles. This is simply to reinforce the Twitter fortress walls which are key to our protection from such silly entities like Facebook (aka FB or #FB)

So really, I felt 25 rules were enough for ONE post. I will need to work out the other two in Vol. 2 and Vol. 3.

Look, these are just my points of view and by no means should be held in any regard as "actual Twitter rules".
Please see Twitter.com for that.

I am an opinionist. That is what I do. Give my opinion.

Stand by for volume #2 & #3, if you give an 'F'.

-Alonis

Why I am the way I am

2009-05-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Reason #8

"Normal" white family welcomes crazy Indian into it's clan.

It was all downhill from there.

Dad was this outspoken American Indian activist.

Growing up it felt like we went to a demonstration, protest, ceremonial gathering, etc. every week.
Truth is, we probably didn't. It just 'felt' that way.

Although I recall many of them, there is ONE that I believe stands out the most. Possibly because I think my father was never the same after it.

Stockton, CA - 1980

My father learned that as construction workers were building new condominiums, they unearthed a Native American burial site.
Some bones made their way to Universities to be studied. Some were pocketed. Some were sold as souvenirs.

The Native American community had asked that work on the site be halted to have the bones returned so that they may re-bury them with a proper ceremony.
I guess that those requests were denied.

One day my father announced to the family that he was told in a vision, he needed to get the attention of the people. The best way to do that, was to use a symbol that would strike a chord with every person. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He decided he was going to crucify himself at the construction site in Stockton.

Someone should have stopped him right there but no one did. In fact, he gained support from friends and strangers.

With me toddling along, my father made good on his statement. We traveled out the the California central valley where he did in fact, crucify himself.

Dad stood on a 16ft wooden cross that his friend Henry Tall Chief built for him.
With his right hand, he hammered the first nail through his left hand and into the cross. Yes, THROUGH. Henry had the 'honors' of hammering the right hand into place.

There he was, my father, nailed to a cross in the early morning hours surrounded by friends, media, construction crews, spectators and myself.

I was only three years old when I looked up at my father, chewing on a licorice root, nailed to a cross.

I was not scared for him. In fact, I think I had a kind of 'meh' feeling about the whole circus that was unfolding around us. Eventually, I left to play with some of the kids in the nearby neighborhood.

I always roamed, alone, as a child. Dad did not mind, in fact, he encouraged it.

In the evening, a man found me and took me to Henry Tall Chief's house where I met up with my father.

We ate dinner and watched the evening news. Seeing my father on the news made me upset and embarrassed.

I know what he was trying to achieve. I believe it was honorable. I just wished it was not MY father doing it.

From that point on, dad seemed to act like he was a super-human. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. We continued to go to protests, demonstrations and the like throughout the '80's. Dad continued to be in the papers, on the cover of magazines and in the local news.

For some reason, around 1989, it all stopped. We did not go to any more demonstrations. In fact, we rarely went ANYWHERE.

Dad started to not get out of bed until 3pm or later. He became increasingly depressed and would just 'snap' and get pissed off at me for the slightest thing. He was ALWAYS heavy handed, but it got worse.

I was choked, punched, kicked, slapped and more. I never stopped loving him though. I think I blamed his behavior on his feeling that he was not serving a grander purpose anymore. Then again, this is what victims do, make excuses for how others treat them.

Maybe if he never got on that damn cross in the first place he would have been content to live a 'normal' life and not feel so let down and disappointed with himself.

Maybe then I would not have hated that wooden cross that stood in our front yard for the rest of my life.

Maybe if none of this happened, I would not be who I am today.

Maybe that would have been a good thing.
Doubt it though.

-Alonis

2009-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

A FEW more ppl I keep an eye on Twitter
(See why I can't do #FollowFriday on Twitter anymore?!)

@WalterPic @TenayaLeDeux @TradingGoddess @StockJockey @webaddict @kirkargiro @retiredfirecapt @NatalieKeiko @kirkargiro @littlefoxy @macaddict75 @cajunbrain @midalioness7 @campingblogger @markusgarvey @RayBeckerman @boobtubious @Sunsetlover68 @mikeneumann @terri5me2000 @lynndorman @ZAGrrl @CivilActivist @Chloebeetle @suehuskins @jwhof @scottFmurphy @GLBcnn @brotherjesse @ihenpecked @skunkhair @3amjosh @shultquist @mikeneumann @Lotay @marlinex @ENeitzel @graypowell @1txsage1957 @ocicat_bengals @smellycents @emith @macosta5811 @Meghan1018 @whimsicalwalney @News10_CA @fscker @fox5newsedge @EvilBankers @concord_blogger @Koka_Sexton @statesman @polybi2 @loadeddice @RobertGonzalez @Fritinancy @BillCrosby @Sajal @Siah ...

Oh, and anyone who blips. I love my blippers!

Maybe next week I will blog again & tell you why I follow them.

Don't hold me to it tho.

-Alonis

#Twitter, #FollowFriday & Alonis.

2009-05-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

A Twitter Love/Hate Post

After much thought and careful consideration, I have decided to post my #FollowFriday recommendations here, instead of on Twitter.

First and foremost, I really do enjoy following 90% of the ppl I follow on Twitter. Some of you, not so much.

What?
Just being honest!
Thank goodness for TweetDeck. :-)

Cruise thru the list of accts I follow and see if any interest you.

Secondly, I obviously can not give #FF suggestions for every one that I want to, every Friday.

With all of that being said, let's get this Twitter Friday ritual out of the way, so I may get back to work...or surf the net...or play Guitar Hero, whatever. ;-P

#FollowFriday Yay Area PPL

These are the local folks in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. If you are local, friendly, funny & have something of value to offer, @reply me. I will be happy to add you, IF you're not a tool.

@Calamari Emeryville, CA
Brilliant designer (I say so, it must be true.)
Not only does he "design things", but he LOVES music & art.
Big plus in my book.

Twitter style: Content Sharer/Minimal Conversationalist

@pixel_jockey San Francisco, CA
A graphic designer that shares an abundent amount of content.
He converses. He is sweet. He contributes.
I click on 90% of the links he shares on Twitter. The 10% that I don't? I'm just too busy.

Twitter style: Content Sharer/Conversationalist

@JoshuaLionheart Oakland, CA
Josh is, well, Josh. He is a BIG teddy bear that has a heart of gold BUT is a wee bit sensitive. ;-P
He never pulls any punches & always makes me laugh. I couldn't imagine my Twitterverse without him in it. .com .gov .net and #InsideJokesAreOurSpecialty.

Twitter style: Social Butterfly/Conversationalist/Smart ass

@LishaBisha Walnut Creek, CA
An art director/graphic designer at @DiabloMagazine, an East Bay lifestyle publication that I have loved for years and also was sweet enough to post a micro article on @Calamari & I for their May 2009 issue.
She is witty, caring and just plain cool.

Twitter style: Content Sharer/Conversationalist

@LaneHartwell Alameda, CA
Lane is an extremely talented freelance photographer.
I met Lane for the first time at the Oscar Grant protests in Oakland and although we have not met up again in public, we do end up at the same events at the same time for the same purpose.
We both share a love of capturing the moment and the emotions present at the time. She just does it a LOT better than me!
She is insightful and passionate about her work and life. I appreciate that.

Twitter style: Content Sharer/Minimal Conversationalist/Thought Provoking

Bay Area Girls

@TheTateWay @SillysGood @BasilLeaf @Mactavish @kmcfarla @mahglotte @Egratto @meghan1018 @Adrigonzo @terrytoons
(I am sure I left some ppl out. Let me know)
These ladies are WICKED smart, kind & very friendly. They provide me a window into their daily lives and are always there to talk.
(sorry this is short girls. I needed to speed this post up! LOL XOXO!)

Twitter style: Content Sharers/Conversationalists

Bay Area Boys

@BlackMoz @KennethLove @LMLRadioHost @ClifSoulo @inferno10 @adrielhampton
These guys are genuine, goodhearted gents. Men that we need more of in this world.

*psst* Adriel is running for Congress (#CA10).
A local politician that is not full of B.S. (I had NO idea that was POSSIBLE! LOL)

Bay Area News Sources that SO deserve a lot of #FollowFriday Love
I am sure I missed some, again. Please let me know!

@ActionNewsSF @CBS5 @Kron4News @KGORadio @KCBSNews @NBCBayAreacom @ABC7NewsBayArea

Yes, more for #FollowFriday

@TnslTwn Phoenix, Arizona
Photographer/Designer
This man is F.U.N.N.Y.
There is not a celeb Twitter fight, celeb distress call or celeb trainwreck I will miss as long as I follow him.
He also is caring and has a great head on his shoulders.

Twitter style: Thought Provoking/Conversationalists

@Smashadv
Copywriter/CEO
Brilliant & witty, this man has opened my eyes to a lot. I'm not really sure what, but he has.
LOL
This man knows business, design, art, marketing/branding, politics and how to treat others with respect.
I'm sure he knows a lot more, but it doesn't matter right now. What DOES matter is the fact that his bio states: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
I instantly fall in love with anyone that makes a reference to The Princess Bride. Nuff said.

Twitter style: Thought Provoking/Conversationalists/Content Sharer

PPL that I would seriously worry were dead if they stopped tweeting

They always make me smile, share information and will chat up a GOOD convo with you.

@DNas @1indienation @LouieC3 @orangearrows @marquearts @EmmaRileySutton @Zaibatsu @mangonocturna @winkfromblueyes

Random #FollowFriday

@ChristinaJade
Some have called her and I the Bilderbergs of Twitter and others want to see us in a Tweet-off
This saga still is unfolding. ;-) LMAO!
Catch our mini Twitter story here (click me!)

Last, but CERTAINLY not least #FollowFriday for THIS post

Do I need to say it? You ARE following @BreakingNews, right?
Cause if not, I may have to kick your @ss

We bust our butts to bring you BREAKING NEWS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We are a news WIRE service.
We are not to be confused with news agencies like NY Times, etc.
We are not here to replace your local news stations.
We are NOT Google, so don't ask stupid questions to BNO. You want to know more? Research it out. (Trust me, you would NOT believe how often we see this.)
We are NOT a bot or RSS feed.
We are humans and will error.
We try VERY hard to error as LITTLE as possible, but it happens and it happens to EVERY news source, AP, AFP, ETC.

BNO News Crew (@BreakingNews)
*This is not ALL of us. Just the ones you need to know*

@Moppel
The founder and the man we in the news room refer to as THE News God.

@Rodrigomx
Editor located in Baja, Mexico

@AlBoeBNO
Editor located in Hayward, CA

@Felix85
Editor located in Ireland

@JodaThongnopnua
Editor located in Chattanooga, TN

@Alonis (Me!)
Spokesperson located in Castro Valley, CA
But you were already following me, or else you would not see this. ;-P

That is all for this week's #FollowFriday

I know I missed a lot of you that I really enjoy following. I apologize. You know who you are. I love you. Please do not be offended!

If you belong in my local section and I just simply forgot to add you, @me.

Happy #FollowFriday y'all!
(Gawd I hate blogging)

-Alonis