chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in What Were Your First Steps

Re: What Were Your First Steps

youtube downloader — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:18:30 -0000

On the topic of music, I came across this site recently: http://www.muxtape.com It isn't very social in the traditional sense, but I feel like it is social in the sense that you're still sharing music you are into with complete strangers. Being a musician and a eclectic music lover, I think you can tell a lot about a person from their music tastes.

As for what I would like to see more of in the future...definitely more music centric sites. I also feel like the lines of content management and social networks are being blurred more and more.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Leslie — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:54:43 -0000

In the early 90s, I started using AIM and ICQ.

In late 90s, I was part of starting a design community called New Element. We primarily communicated through ICQ and IRC.

My use of today's definition of social networks started in 2002 with Friendster. Then from Friendster started joining other sites such as, myspace, Blogger, flickr, last.fm, threadless, Pownce, facebook and virb. I'm more active with photography and music related sites.

I really like what virb is doing with their site, but unfortunately I don't have as much time as I'd like to participate. Them seem to take the good music aspect of myspace and make the design soooo much better.

As for what I would like to see more of in the future...definitely more music centric sites. I also feel like the lines of content management and social networks are being blurred more and more.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

BarbaraKB — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:14:46 -0000

Book reviews and a favorites list with Amazon.com and an account with classmates. com back in 1998 were my first ventures into social sites.

Been a rocky ride since. My blog is long gone. Why? I am not a writer and I will not just rehash all the other great blogs out there. Besides, I love the numbers & the analysis more. True, marketing geek, you could say.

Right now, I am enjoying the new feed reader options such as FriendFeed and Twitter. I believe these sites are teaching the ordinary person about RSS. That's powerful to me.

Peace!

Re: What Were Your First Steps

lishevita — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:04:04 -0000

Let's see... I was a big IRC addict in the early to mid 90's...

Seriously, advice for getting into social media? My advice is not to try to be anything but yourself. Do what you like to do. Talk about what you are passionate about in any and all outlets for that passion and enjoy. Any given platform (facebook, twitter, tribe, livejournal, whatever...) may or may not be the right one for you at any given moment. Don't freak out about whether you are in the "right" place. If you are getting what you want out of it, then it's right. If not, then not. The good news is that you don't have to have monogamous relationships with your social media platforms. Pick and choose the things that you want out of as many applications as you see fit. So your friends aren't in every single one of those locations? So what?!

Just chillax and enjoy it.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Avi Kaplan — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:17:06 -0000

I'd say my first steps were with AIM, and a group of friends who all got really into LiveJournal in middle school.
More recently I've set up a blog, gotten a bit involved on twitter, and decked out my feed reader with great brain candy.

My interest really has spike since reconnecting with Tamar Weinberg who I knew in high school. Also was inspired by Beth Kanter and Michelle Martin early on.

I feel like I've just started to graze the surface and I'm always finding new interesting conversations. My advice would be not to be afraid to reach out and get in touch with people, be generous, and always remember that time is precious and you don't own anyone else's!

I hope this month to get more involved in conversations, use twitter more regularly, and try to develop writing every day as a habit.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Rachel — Sun, 04 May 2008 22:48:18 -0000

I always considered myself computer savvy, but I graduated college JUST before the Web boom (1994), and am still VERY scared of HTML & therefore MySpace, but I'm working on it!!!

My first step into social networking was my husband bugging me to sign up for Facebook (September 2007 - late in the game, I know). Finally, in March 2008, I started actually using it (rather than him checking me in every few weeks). I have reconnected with friends from high school and with some former colleagues as well.
Well, actually YEARS ago, one of my friends had me try Friendster, but I just didn't "get" it & it lapsed very quickly.
THEN, I Googled a voice competition that I was doing and I ran across The Collaborative Piano Blog on, of all days, April Fools Day & LOVED their sense of humor and committment to the art. Through them, I found chrisbrogan.com!!! Between that inspiration, and a recent article in Classical Singer Magazine, I've started using MySpace (and I've written ONE blog post so far - more are planned) and am just staying in touch a little more. I've always been an avid emailer, but.... One of my colleagues used Google Calendars to invite lots of people to her recent voice recital and I thought "THAT's COOL!!" So, I'm excited, but still VERY much a newbie. Thanks for your blog! It really encourages me that I CAN do it. I'm thinking about trying out Twitter, but don't really know if there's anyone that I would talk to. Does it matter if I know anyone on Twitter already, or so I just jump in??

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Sandi Atlas-Gordon — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:54:44 -0000

My first foray into social media was following Seth Godin and Dosh Dosh. Late last year, I was inspired to begin my own blog, The Wearable Art Blog. The biggest challenge I've had is to find the 'right' online community - I'm hoping this blog will be a good one for me. I'm also looking for communities in the wearable art world to help build contacts for my blog. I've tried Twitter. When I set up my Twitter page, I used a picture of a model in a skimpy top to represent me, which generated an email from 'Burt Reynolds' with Burt in a practically naked pose! Oh well, I'm learning!

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Mr. Factoring — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:59:26 -0000

Chris,

My first step was writing a blog. I also started a second blog. I guess I remain at my "first step" level.

I did participate in the USENET before it got spammed all the way to hell. Is that social media?

Cheers
Marco

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Michelle Vandepas — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:51:26 -0000

I've had one email address since 1988 (which I still have) that got me into a bulliten board chat room. I guess that was my 'first' social media, but I didn't know it of course back then. I've been signed up on Facebook,Myspace, LinkedIn etc etc for a while now, but didn't do anything with them.
Two weeks ago I signed up for Twitter, which led me to having a conversation with @joannayoung and her trip to SOBCon08. Which led me to register 6 short days ago, which led me to you, and then, your blog.
A nice circle.
Social Media at it's best.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

mahdi yusuf — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:01:34 -0000

wow. alot of your readers have a lot to say and discuss great reader base. I wish i had that many commenters! Anyways my first step in was with my blog! I have many other social media link ups too now! my first admirer was john chow, when i saw him on call for help he really made me want jump and start the blog! I started up last summer and continued ever since! :)

Re: What Were Your First Steps

natasha — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:41:04 -0000

My first experience with social media was obviously the god ok chattooms of the late 90s. Of course my first social media site was friendster. I was clueless. Never logged on much or really understood that it was bout friendships and all kinds of things. I never went back. I was into Everquest and RPG gaming which was my main source pf social media. It took building my business to consider using those tools and it came about naturally for me.

I would say to a newbie that easing into what's interesting for you, works with your goals and target audience, should this be a buisiness thing, is the best. Don't use everything just because evryone else is. Not eerything is worth it or will work for you. Don't depend onhaving flashy pages or trying to represent yourself exactly how others do. Be yourself!!!!!!!! That's what makes this so much fun.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

marifromky — Sat, 03 May 2008 11:06:04 -0000

I'm pretty much where Colin is. I've been on MySpace since 2006 (or 2005?). On Facebook for about a year now. I found Twitter last fall, but didn't start using it really until January. That's when PurpleCar found me and introduced me to Utterz nd Seesmic - and got me hooked on the broader "social thing". Am still very much paddle-wheeling my way around.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Colin Francis Barnes — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:29:45 -0000

I'm super-new to the whole social media malarky. I started this weekend after for some reason resisting it for the last year or so. I'm really liking it so far though, although all the various websites and networks can be daunting to manage, but I guess that will become easier.

I'm currently using MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, MyBlogLog, Digg, etc.. and so far it seems to be an interesting dynamic, not entirely sure how to really go about it all but I guess thats part of the fun.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Kelly — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:50:24 -0000

Chris,

Wow am I late to the party!

First steps:
1. I showed my Mom how to use AOL forums back in 1995, so she could "get connected" and talk to folks with interests like hers. Then I married somebody I met chatting to demonstrate how it all worked. Neither one worked out. It took six months to see my Mom would never use AOL forums, but nearly 10 years to get rid of the other. :)

All along, I was a huge participant in genealogy forums, something I guess I never talk about in my business life. Genealogy is a pretty consuming "hobby," and forums can turn up some good help. Mostly I gave the help, because I'm pretty far along in my work, but sometimes received, too.

More recently, first steps into business social media were to find and follow some published authors I admired, starting about a year ago, I guess. I was surprised to find that offline authors were blogging, and even more surprised to find how huge the world of blogs was (is). From the outside, it seemed like such a small world!

2. Early people: Keith Ferrazzi's might have been the first blog I subscribed to. I can't remember anymore but he was close. Seth Godin and Jakob Nielsen were early, too. The very first blog I ever looked at is called My Mom's Blog by Thoroughly Modern Millie (it was set up by her kid). She's 82 and it is well worth a quick peek. I read about her in a newspaper, I think, and decided to check her out. I still look in once in a while, and I keep her bookmarked to remind me that anyone can "do" this blog thing that once seemed beyond me! She rocks!

3. Beginning: Lurking, subscribing, commenting, commenting more, realizing I had more to say than even my crazy-long comments can hold, writing on paper to test whether I really did have all that much to say, then finally committing to my own blog. I run a full time business, and though I enjoy hearing about the various other social media out there, I don't do twitter, Facebook, or any other. I know I couldn't do them justice and if there's one thing I believe in in social media, you get out what you put into it. Even if I had four more hours in my day, I'd rather spend them with my daughter than commit to more social networking.

4. I did a whole post on this recently when I got a piece of "fan mail" that just made me glow. Advice:

Comment a lot first, make sure you have something to say for the long haul, find your own unique niche (don't write about what everyone else is writing about: I could write about writing all day but it's being done! Writing about Experience Design is [nearly] all mine), and BE YOURSELF. I said this in the post I wrote: pretend you're at a cocktail party. See the person you're writing to in front of you, and talk to that person on paper.

5. Upcoming: Vast amounts of really cool stuff including an awesome Interview Series are coming up at the blog. I wish I could tell you that I'm going to add in six other social media, but I'm not. I will continue to follow Chris Brogan, and marvel at your immense reserves of energy to do it all. I'm going to try to be really good at what I do, so people know they can trust me as a resource for the long haul. Experience Designer by day, then like Superman into a booth, and trusted blogger in every spare moment.

In spite of being late to the party, I had a blast. Thanks for the invite!

Regards,

Kelly

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Whitney Hoffman — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:36:16 -0000

First steps? I started out by listening to podcasts, and then deciding that was a great way to get my own message across. Then after just about three months into actually putting a show out there, I attended this event called Podcamp Boston, which has totally changed my life as I know it.

Who were your early people you admired and followed? I had listened to Mommycast and CC Chapman's Accident Hash, and after meeting CC at Podcamp,the connection between online and offline became more real. From Podcamp Boston, I met a ton of people, including Chris Brogan, Chris Penn, Mark Blevis, Larry Lawfer, Julien Smith, Eric Skiff, CC Chapman, Dave LaMorte, Jay Moonah, John Havens, Mitch Joel, Rob & Megin Hatch, Drew Olanoff, Adam Plante and the Best Damn Tech Show guys, and others, that gave me not only a core of people who still are part of my internet family, who have in turn expanded my horizons to other people I've met online and off, creating really great friendships, including Linda Mills, Chel Wolverton, Matthew Ebel, Todd & Sage Tyrtle, Bob & Cat Goyetche, Dave Beaudolin, Tammy Munson, Joel Mark Witt, Andycaster, Vivian Vasquez, and more. Each podcamp I attend expands my network more so than any other online presence in a meaningful way. Other social networks like facebook, twitter, etc. have merely become ways to keep in contact and extend that in person meeting to a gradual way to really get to know people and what happens in their lives.

If you were going to give advice to someone starting out, what would you tell them? You can start by getting your feet wet on any number of social networking sites, but taking the time and effort to attend an event like Podcamp, especially with the fact that Podcamp attracts not only people creating new media, but PR and marketing types looking for different ways to get the message out, this is a perfect way to get the lay of the land and meet people that can truly transform what you do and how you think about new media.

What will you do in the next few months with social media? More blogging, podcasting and Podcamps are in my future, and hopefully we'll get the book about Community building and unconferences finished.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

lou suSi — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:17:03 -0000

My first steps into social media included a Diaryland blog that I still occasionally hop back into for my performance art persona 'SiNuS BRaDy' { sinusbrady.com }. Diaryland actually helped me develop the character and amass a vast array of random semi-comedic and surreal material to work from for my 'Stand Up | no comedy' act as it has come to be known on a variety of levels. I also started up a LiveJournal blog for my personal site that runs somewhere between personal and professional { loususi.livejournal.com }. Interstingly enough, I keep the 'real' LJ blog semi-buried on my loususi.com website { you have to go to news and then look 2 or 3 links down on my site to get it without Googling me }. The blog for my fictional alterego has always been out in the open for any and all to see. I've been moving in the opposite direction lately. Might be better for me, right?

People I admired and followed earlier in my social media ventures most likely were people like rosS Hamlin, Seth Godin, Ze Frank and organizations like Mobius, iKatun and Art Interactive. I'm typically steeped in that interesting cyberSpace between professional design + media vs art, new media + performative alterreality. And so my inspirations tend to show a dichotomy, or at least an interesting juxtaposition ...

I got started right around 1999. Nope, I take that back. I think it was more like 1996. I had a BA in Art. A few years in retail, paiting by nite, living in my parents' basement ... the realization came to me that perhaps further schooling might be necessary to move forward. I went back to UMass Lowell to pursue a certificate in 'Multimedia Applications'. Multimedia applications = CD-rom production. I immediately got a gig at CNC, started freelancing almost from day 1 wherever possible. After a couple years at CNC I worked for a place called virtualFactory that is unfortunately probably still around. virtualFactory should be more aptly called 'fFactory' ... ya know? But anyhow ... in 1999 my wife and I founded 'BijaXOuS' ... horrible name for a company, right? You can't spell it. Most people can't even pronounce it. But a zine still resides where the designhaus used to be. And now, 'BXOS' is the company name. I might change it to 'Most Wanted Consultants' ... a bit presumptuous, I know, but at least you can remember it and you don't have to ask 'what does BXOS stand for?' or I wouldn't get people hitting up boxes.com by mistake.

Advice I would give to those starting out: Use your name for your domain name, at least for one version of your online social media life. Stay social in offline circuits too. Make friends. Manage your time wisely. Be careful what you promise to which person and when. Do work in what you love.

My next few months with social media includes more bloggings, hopefully more vloggings for my SB alterego, I would love to delve into podcasting { I co-hosted 'Tears of the Gods' at WMFO recently and loved my collaborations w/ Edward Beuchert }, more Social Media Breakfastings { perhaps a 'North' version of this same event at The Friendly Toast or somewhere up on the North Shore }, more social media networking on the music and performance side of life ... we'll see ... there are SO many options. Aight ... back to Ninginging ;]

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Richie Escovedo — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:11:12 -0000

...first steps into social media? Had a vague understanding, then heard a presentation by Geoff Livingston on integrating social media into communications plans. Read his book (Now Is Gone) and have been totally geek-ing out on SM ever since

...early people you admired and followed? Geoff Livingston, Kami Huyse, Lauren Vargas, Brian Solis, Giovanni Gallucci, and others

...get started? Started with social networking sites MySpace then graduated to Facebook. I put some ideas to work in my first blog. Presented a Social Media for school districts for some fellow school PR professionals

...advice? jump in, the water's fine

...next few months with social media? I've been asked to give a Social Media for Newbies presentation for Fort Worth PRSA. Things are looking good so far. I am excited to see where this goes.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Barbara Jean Walsh — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:10:54 -0000

I was first intrigued by social networking in 1979 when I was at a Unitarian-Universalist summer camp on Star Island in the middle of Cass Lake in Minnesota. Our discussion topic for the week was futurism, and since it was a very rainy week, people stayed inside the lodge to hear our speakers who told of as such things as modems and "chats" and zwicky boxes and the wonderful book "Network Nation" and EIES . Wow! I was working as a county librarian in Nebraska, and it was a taste of things to come. Of course, we were also told that dolphins would be in the U.N. by now, but I'll settle for what we did get. I patiently waiting through 1200 baud transmission to send manuscripts across the country and thought that was great. As soon as I could get email, I had it and joined mailing lists to my hearts content. One small group, that we started 10 years ago, is still in close contact. A yahoo group that I set up for my church in Missouri about that same time is still functioning. (I moved to Florida 5 years ago.) And now I am seeing some of those folks show up on my Facebook friends. We've come a long way.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Andre Natta — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:47:43 -0000

My first foray into social networking was CollegeClub (I can't believe I remember that - or the fact that it's still around)... I dabbled but didn't really take it seriously until I really got into my last job here in Birmingham and was allowed to take part in the active social scene in town.

I started <a href="http://dresramblings.com"Dre's Ramblings (now in the process of finally being built as a self hosted site) in early 2005 as a way to keep in touch with friends outside of town to let them know what was going on in my life. I also did it because someone told me that all I did was ramble to hear myself speak - so I wanted to make sure I had somewhere that the conversation could actually be had.

I eventually picked up a MySpace and Friendster profile to do the same thing - encourage a conversation with friends and potential new ones. I was barely reading blogs at the time and really just found social networks interesting and intriguing because of a class I took when I first returned to college. The conversation in that class revolved around the city square (public space) and its future. Everything I've done online since I've started writing has revolved around the interest of how technology and social networking could strengthen existing relationships and encourage more interaction of people.

My blog began to focus more on the issues affecting the city I currently live in (Birmingham, AL), leading me to put the Ramblings in a state of suspended animation while I started The Terminal in 2007. I used sites like Gothamist, Pegasus News and Gapers Block as references with the hope of driving a conversation in a community that desperately needed it to occur. I felt this way as a result of my interaction with people during my days as a Main Street coordinator in town (2 1/2 years).

The results have been interesting. I've expanded my comfort zone with behind the scenes technology and try to use new tools whenever possible to continue to expand that conversation (most recently Twitter and Facebook). I'm also organizing a WordCamp in Birmingham for late September this year so that users in the Southeastern U.S. can get connected without feeling the need to travel, strengthening the physical social interaction that social media and networking encourages.

I'd tell people that they need to be comfortable with what they write and not to force it. They need to enjoy doing it and to not be afraid if their focus changes. Most of what we do is common sense, even if most people don't think so.

I've restarted the Ramblings, going back to its original purpose (especially since I've been able to make so many friends through this chance to write whenever I want to). I'm hoping to take The Terminal to the next level, taking advantage of all of the latest tricks out their to engage more people into conversations about social issues that must be dealt with as Birmingham awakes from a slumber with so many exciting projects. I'm also wanting to demonstrate just how powerful a tool social media can be for economic development as we need to get people to dream big and do even more to make those dreams a reality.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Amy Worley — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:41:58 -0000

Sometime around 1997 I was working for the Kauffman Fellows Program at the Kauffman Foundation...it's a fellowship in the venture capital industry. They were recruiting by doing a big roadshow visiting business school campuses around the country and they were actively trying to recruit more qualified women to the program.
I did some research online and found WITI...Women in Technology International. They had a listserve for the members. I did some research and then sent them a message about the program and got some fantastic response. Only about 10-12 Fellows are chosen each year, and that year one of them came from that WITI communication and follow up.
Ever since them I've been motivated by the combination of human networks and technology to help bring people together in mutually beneficial ways.
Now I participate in several social media activities. In particular, I'm a Twitter addict.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Eric Miltsch — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:19:36 -0000

...first steps: Just reading as much as possible - about different strategies & styles, but also just reading a lot of individual blogs. After a while you just start to identify with those that "get it" & those who don't...

I started off following Jeffrey Gitomer & Seth Godin - still do...

Got started by diving head-first and launching a blog for our company...then just kept the momentum going by adding valuable (relative term) content to the regulars: BlogCatalog, Digg, Delicious, Twitter, Technorati, etc..

The best advice is to be sure this is what you love - the rest comes easy b/c it'll take time & patience. Whatever you're content is, become the best authority on that content.

Next up for my efforts - more video & more tweets. And more fun.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Maverick_NY — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:13:38 -0000

I suppose I first started in social networking 10 years ago with AOL im as a way fo keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. Then it sorted of drifted as we all moved onto different platforms and isps so email became the rage.

4 years ago I joined Ecademy and LinkedIn, didn't do much on either for 9 months and finally decided to make a concentrated effort at it, to good business effect, especially on LinkedIn. I started my first blog (http://oncochat.typepad.com) and used it as a showcase for my consulting work in the biotechnology field. I now have several other fledgling blogs to share interesting information with others in the industry. They don't comment much, but they do send me emails and ask questions.

Last year I played around on Facebook; it's useful for keeping in touch with those old im friends and buddies, except we now chat over Scrabble. The thing I liked most about it (other than the Scrabble) was the news status feeds about what people are doing and where they are; you get snapshots of their lives over time. It makes me feel more inter-connected in the busy hurly-burly of life.

Last month I signed up to Twitter and Friendfeed, Google Reader, Twhirl, Alert Thingy, Seesmic etc and suddenly, the world of technology and communication becomes more alive, more real and more rich. I've followed tweets, pictures, even Robert Scoble's qik video live from Yosemite, which was absolutely fascinating... I wanted to be there but seeing it streaming on video on my iMac screen was just awesome.

Now, I follow @scoble, @techcrunch, @laughingsquid, @pistachio, @sciencedaily, you and a few others. The immediacy of it, in real time, right now, is fascinating and in many ways, more interesting than the 2D forum formats of other sites. There aren't that many commentators in the medical and science field but these are early days yet.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Aimee Kessler Evans — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:13:01 -0000

I started my first blog in 2004, when I was told I should document my kids' asthma attacks. At that point, Steve Rubel and Debbie Weil were definitely my inspirations.

I have to say, though, that my first pre-blog social media forays involved Firefly and Tripod, as well as the forums on BowieNet...that was back in 1995 or so. They may not "count" but they were definitely online communities, and I made of lot of friends on those sites with whom I communicated via (non-integrated) IM and (Integrated) email. Not *so* far off from where we are today....

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Guinevere — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:04:05 -0000

My first steps would have been around 1999/2000 when I was encouraging clients to allow their guests (in tourism based businesses) to upload photos from vacations spent at their resorts directly to the resort's web site. That was quite early to suggest such a thing and every resort I helped get that started still does it today.

I started my 1st blog in 2003. I LOVED the immediate, non-formal method of communication it allowed and started encouraging clients to blog about their own organizations as well.

My biggest social media project has been launching showmeyours.tv, which is MuchMusic's social media site.

To this day, I integrate some type of social media (whether it be blog comments, photos or videos) into all of the shows I work on.

Re: What Were Your First Steps

Turner — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:46:02 -0000

I suppose Facebook was my first foray into social media, but my true first jump was Twitter just shy of a year ago. I'm still not sure I "get" social media, but I'm starting to understand its value proposition, raison d'être, etc. Building relationships with "internet friends" has been interesting, and has since gotten me interested in light blogging through Utterz and a personal blog I started a few months ago.

Great question!