January 20th, 2010
1 comment
I haven’t seen the new James Cameron film. Frankly, I’m afraid I might get motion sick with 3D glasses. (I was so nauseous at Rachel Getting Married because of the cinéma vérité shaky camera work I asked for a refund.) But the trailers and reviews tell the story a person who has disabilities finding freedom in the body of an avatar.
I liked the concept of avatars when I first heard Constance Steinkuhler’s presentation on her anthropological study of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). I had a newfound respect for gaming and the learning outcomes she identified. Plus her avatar in the game she studied looked like she was kicking ass and taking names à la Xena Princess Warrior. But the thing about Constance is she’s much cooler in person than any avatar. I met her briefly at a Metronet presentation in St. Paul, MN and heard her speak again at the Games Learning and Society Conference in Madision, WI in 2007. She is confident, intelligent, well-spoken, and interesting.
I’ve been thinking about identity and self a lot lately. We (in social media circles) talk about personal branding and I think about how I portray myself online or even at professional events. In the world of social media we cultivate online identities. Some of us have Second Lives or Miis. As for my online identity, I edit my words, carefully select photos, and worry about an unflattering video.
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. And somedays I’d like to have size 6 feet or weigh 120 lbs or I wish I had long blonde hair or blemish free skin. Somedays I wish I could be famously stylish like Michelle Obama or Jacqueline Kennedy. Somedays I wish I had fame or fame by proxy or that I had a huge trust fund. Many days, I avoid the unflattering photo where I am laughing unabashedly or don’t trust myself to post something others may not like.
These days I don’t want an avatar or a created identity. I don’t want to be larger than life or quasi-famous. I want to be authentic. Today, I like who I am and where I am.
January 20th, 2010
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I’m home sick with the flu, and no television. And while I desperately need to mop, vaccuum, and dust. I only have energy to lay around and think (and maybe type a little). So under the covers here I’m scheming. 2010 is already well underway, but with the big trip and engagement, my everyday life this year is only just beginning.
What will I undertake in 2010? As I cough, sniffle, and moan- I’m calling it my year of health.
I’d like to deal with my finances in a healthier manner. Note to self- it is never to early to start prepping for taxes. I’m closing unnecessary credit accounts and thinking about mergers (aka marriage) and finances. Nothing like a little goal setting and planning.
Another idea I keep mulling over is healthier use of technology and social media. I need to spend more of my non-work time unplugged and get more out of the time I’m spending online outside of work (eg: less constant monitoring and more meaningful connecting). I have already unsubscribed from several mailing lists in an attempt to help myself get rid of the junk mail I often wade through. I am also constantly coming up with blogposts that never get written– so you (hi mom) may see some more posts in an attempt to get these ideas out of my head.
Finally, physically, I’d like to get back into shape. I’d like to have more energy and wear some of those clothes still in the back of my closet. To this end, I am formulating a plan. I’ve joined the YMCA next to work. I’m still a member of Weight Watchers. And I’m reading The Beck Diet Solution which looks at cognitive therapy to adhere to better eating and life changes.
Stay tuned.
January 17th, 2010
5 comments
2010 ushers in good news.
Kevin asked me to marry him in Italy. He asked in St. Mark’s Square, in a gondola, and on the Rialto Bridge in Venice. In Pompeii, Kevin proposed again. He asked me to marry him at St. Peter’s Basilica and in the Colosseum in Rome. I asked him right back. I proposed, too. One thing was sure. I’m excited about spending my life with Kevin. Life is good.
Italy was a-mazing! Cold, rainy, windy but still Italy. We saw Venice, Sorrento, Pompeii, Naples and Rome. I wish I had counted the number of churches we visited, objects of art admired, and ruins we walked through. It was truly an epic eleven days. We took photos, a lot of photos. I took 579 photos and 16 videos and Kevin took 1582 and 43 videos. The perfect way to start 2010.
January 14th, 2010
Here’s the pdf if you’d like to use the Social Media Bingo icebreaker from today’s session. The room was pretty savvy so I asked folks to fill the whole card. The winner named the people she filled her card with and we asked them for more details. It took about 25 minutes from start to finish.
January 14th, 2010
6 comments
January 13th, 2010
Non-profit Communicator Workshop, Minnesota Council for Non-profits
What does it take to implement the effective use of Web 2.0 technology in your organization? Over the past couple of years, more and more nonprofits have been adopting Web 2.0 strategies for marketing, communications, outreach and engagement. Hear from a panel of nonprofit social media experts using real-life case studies about how they got started using blogs, social networks, and Web innovations to enhance their marketing, communications, and customer service strategies and how these strategies have (or have not) succeeded.
Presenters:
Meg Canada, Senior Librarian, Hennepin County Library
Lindsi Gish, Communications Manager at Second Harvest Heartland
Meghan Seawell, Print and electronic communications specialist at Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys
Social Media Bingo card (developed by Meg for this event), I will post a printable pdf version as well to use with your staff if you’d like.
|
B
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I
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N
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G
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O
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| (name)
Knows what RT stands for (on twitter) |
(name)
Has blogged on behalf of their organization |
(name)
Has made microloans online |
(name)
Has reconnected with an old friend online |
(name)
Has used Social Networking to ask for help |
| (name)
Is a fan of a non-profit org on Facebook |
(name)
Has never sent a text message before |
(name)
Knows what tumblr and posterous are |
(name)
Has donated money to an organization online |
(name)
Is concerned about privacy and social networks |
| (name)
Has donated money using SMS on their phone (Text Messaging) |
(name)
Can define the word of the year “unfriend” |
FREE
|
(name)
Has gotten news about friends or family online first |
(name)
Stores photos online to share with family and friends |
| (name)
Thinks social media is a fad |
(name)
Checks Facebook Daily |
(name)
Has attended Social Media Breakfast or NetSquared |
(name)
knows what personal branding means |
(name)
Has created a profile on MySpace |
| (name)
has been in a video on YouTube |
(name)
knows what ning.com or a “ning” is |
(name)
Is part of an organization that is doing something unique with Social Media |
(name)
knows who Chris Brogan or Seth Godin are |
(name)
uses LinkedIn |
Presenters will answer following:
- Tell us about your organization and social media presence.
- What effort has you organization made that has yielded the most impact?
- Are you reaching the same audience online that you engage with in person? a new audience?
- When your organization is part of a national org, do you maintain a local presence? Is it sanctioned? authorized? encouraged?
-Break-
- Can social media be used effectively to enhance fundraising efforts?
- Compared to a commercial brand what are the opportunities and challenges of having a presence in a social space?
- There are several local non-profit orgs that support professional development and are very social (eg: NetSquared Net Tuesdays from TechSoup, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN), Minnesota Council for Nonprofits) Can you share a bit about how these groups are learning and sharing social media skill sets?
- Where do you draw the lines between using individual and org accounts in social media? Is this an easy task or is it challenging to separate your personal and professional brands online?
Any remaining time we’ll use for Q and A.
December 20th, 2009
7 comments
This year is quickly drawing to a close. A young friend recently sent me her annual year in review highlights and I thought I’d give the same exercise a try. So in lieu of a “Christmas Letter“:
Dear Reader:
I declared 2009: My Year of Love and was indeed surrounded by friends new and old, family, and I found love at every turn.
January was a cold month of warm friends, knitting, braces, lots of Brianna Lane music.
February was back in Holland for a brief visit, squeezed in DOK (public library in Delft) and carnival in Den Bosch with the Schoenmakers.
March brought in a second Unsummit, this one at the Minneapolis Central Library, the theme “Hacking the Recession.”
April traveled to Nashville, Tennessee for Public Library Association, had a visit from my folks, more knitting at CRC.
May was Colorado in the arms of my loving family the Frasers. Congratulations to my cousin Jenny for graduating from Med School.
June plans changed fortuitously bringing a much needed girl’s weekend with Starr to the North Shore.
July brought me another birthday and the best present, a new relationship. Also fireworks (the kind in the sky), ALA in Chicago, a lovely party, and a road trip to Iowa to visit the Pontius family.
August bridal showers, a shoe themed benefit, and a mini-reunion for Lycee Berthollet circa 1991.
September found my first geocache, went to the State Fair, joined a church amd kicked back in the sun.
October prilgrimaged to Bloomington and visited with good friends Nikki and Jonna.
November went to Wisconsin twice: to cheer the Packers and to meet the Knodls. [Addendum: Kevin wants the record to reflect that the Packers won. Go Pack go!]
December has been a month of preparation and celebration. Jacques and Nicole will be my new neighbors!
For those of you who are wondering, I kept my resolution to abstain from shoes this year. Working on the next resolution. Kevin and I are headed for Italy for the new year. (Plenty of shoe shopping opportunities.)
Love, Meg
November 19th, 2009
1 comment
The movie 10 Things I Hate About You had this exchange between two young women:
Chastity: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?
Bianca: I think you can in Europe.
Woo! Am I overwhelmed lately by my crazy life. The past six months have been fantastic. I have traveled to Arizona, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and soon ITALY!
I have also been working, consulting, joining a church, and attending my usual slate of conferences and events.
My cup runneth over and I am craving some balance. Maybe the holidays make us a little nuttier as well. I feel 2009 rapidly slipping away and lament that I wish I had a pause button. So I am remembering to breathe.
It is especially wonderful to walk with someone special. Kevin tops my love list (and not just for November).
November 2nd, 2009
I just returned from the Indiana Memorial Union Board of Directors Centennial Reunion. I had a marvelous time and am grateful to the staff, alumni, and students who planned and executed a lovely weekend. I was a member of the 1995 Board (as director of Cultural Awareness) and I credit the student programming board with teaching me a lot about event planning, meeting organization, teamwork, and budgeting. Students are empowered to do everything from make decisions about the physical building to bringing films, art, concerts and lectures to campus. It was an ideal opportunity to learn about service and mentorship as well. The Indiana Memorial Union is still a model of student-centered, experiential learning.
Returning to Bloomington brought on a flood of nostalgia sweet, painful, lovely memories of childhood, college and formative years. I lived in Bloomington for six years. But before my college and grad school stints, Bloomington was also home to my mother’s family and nearby Nashville where my paternal grandparents lived. Driving around town and walking around campus, I am pleased to find many of the things I love unchanged.
Autumn is truly a magical time to be in town. Campus was full of activity. My good friend Kerry Maller brought a certain lightness and kept me from taking myself too seriously. We had a wonderful time sharing stories, collecting leaves from the carpet of yellow ginkos, eating Pizza Express late at night, and attending a lecture on the Beatles by beloved professor Dr. Glenn Gass. It was a joy to reconnect with old advisors, now friends: Erin, Melissa, and Gooch as well as fellow Board members, now mothers: Kelly, Jenny, and Christina.
