I get the concept of social media. Facebook allows “friends” to share pieces of their life, really as much as they choose in an easy and immediate fashion. For friends that are separated by space this is a welcome tool to maintain connections. I see the value of Facebook in establishing an online presence for my writing identity. Each day I strengthen the connection with the friends I make that are bloggers/writers/authors and social media is just another tool to aid in this process.
I enjoy the connection Facebook gives to me to a lot of websites that promote electronic book sites. There are also several connections to television shows I enjoy. Through Facebook I can find out about cast additions and receive teasers and information from the shows. Sometimes the deluge of shared pictures is annoying but overall I can see the social advantages of using the plat from.
As for twitter I just do not get it. I mean I understand the concept of using 140 characters to kind of give a quick note to your followers. I suppose if you are an athlete, Hollywood star or other entertainer you can use this to a greater advantage. I know authors can make use also to keep people up to date on the progress of their works in progress. I probably will never become a top flight “birdie”.
I tried Reddit three years ago when I discovered HubPages, another blogging site. I submitted several photos and got some visits, but as with Twitter I do not know if I get the gain other people can highlight. Stumbleupon and Digg are similar in that others find a reason to use them, but so far I cannot understand their benefits. Pinterest seems more interesting solely on the basis of having a photo element.
I like being social. I like building relationships with fellow bloggers/writers/authors. We are kindred spirits with the goal of entertaining others who offer their valuable time to sample our work. I have met some really talented people with in-depth knowledge of the publishing process. THis social interaction is a priceless perk i intend to continue to cultivate.
Read other Daily Prompt – Social Network posts:
- The Social Network – I’m Afraid Of The Dark
- Social Q | Q the Adult
- Daily Prompt: The Social Network | The Gozum Show
- #overthehilloldfart. | thoughtsofrkh
- DP – The Social Network | Life With Pink Princesses
- The social network | Taking time, making time
- Daily Prompt: The End of the Line, Lines by Linda’s Fond Farewell | Lines by Linda
- Daily Prompt: The Social Network Is My Network | Creative Mysteries
Joe's Musings 
Pingback: NaPoWriMo – Poem / Poetry – “Social Accountability” | toofulltowrite (I've started so I'll finish)
Interesting post! I enjoy social media too: WordPress, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Each has its particular strengths, which I try to use to my advantage. So yes, I get it, but I know lots of family members and friends who don’t. It can be a real dividing line.
Oh, and by the way. Go follow The Magill Review on Twitter and like us on Facebook. (I had to plug on a post about social media.) Good piece, Joe.
Reddit, StumbleUpon still confuses me sometimes. I’m still a early user. I don’t see a huge benefit with it except Reddit did get me 600+ views from a recipe I posted up the other day. However SU is really good for just finding interesting sites that match our personal interests. I have found a lot of interesting site. But for friends and family and connections, I don’t know, FB is okay but seeing as the privacy on that is getting worse and worse I stopped uploading pictures and using it as much. Its mostly for faraway friends. I get it kind of, but I do it personally for connecting with family and friends, however, if they are close by and available, I’d much rather skype or call them up to get “live” updates 🙂 Awesome post Joe!
Thanks Kim. I like to hear your feedback because you give a thoughtful reply anytime you read. Thanks for being such a great blogger friend!
Twitter was tough for me to get into, but once I did and began following other writers and journals I found more places to submit work, other informative essays to read, and more connections to nurture.