Category Archives: Social Media

I’ll Ignore the Boys Crying Wolf and Err on the Side of Our Children

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By Jason Menard

The immediacy and exponential reach of social networks can be a valuable tool when it comes to child abductions. However, false reports, whether posted out of benign ignorance or malicious intent, may put a virtual twist on the Boy Who Cried Wolf story – potentially with tragic results.

Many of us were caught in that web last night when the report of an abducted child began circulating on Facebook and Twitter. St. Thomas, ON police now say the reports were false and, in an interview posted on AM 980’s Web site, Constable Cam Constable decided to chastise social media users for their efforts. Continue reading →

Don’t be Too Hard on Sloane. We Were All Like Her Once

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By Jason Menard

I know exactly who Cathryn Sloane is, even though I’ve never met her. I know exactly what she thinks, why she thinks it, and what her strengths are. But unlike Cathryn Sloane, I also know what her weaknesses are.

The reason why? Because I once was Cathryn Sloane. Continue reading →

Rainbow Oreo Not About Marketing; It’s About What’s Right – in Black and White

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By Jason Menard

The rationale behind publishing a multi-coloured Oreo in support of gay pride is starkly black and white – it’s the right thing to do, despite the fact that there is little to no chance of positive benefit to the company’s bottom line.

An image of a rainbow-coloured Oreo appeared on the brand’s Facebook fan page on Monday. Since then, the page has been inundated with over 250,000 likes and over 45,000 comments. It’s a simple image with a simple message: “Proudly support love!” – and while the decision to publish it may be simple at its root, from a business point of view it’s much less black and white. Continue reading →

Should ‘Pissing People Off’ Provide a Point of Pride?

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By Jason Menard

Contrary to what some people may say, if you’re not pissing someone off, then you may, in fact, be doing it absolutely right.

On a daily basis, in one form or another, I’ll see a variation or two of the old, “If you’re not pissing someone off, you’re doing it wrong” adage. It’s a great statement that allows us to embrace our inner counter-culture punk and lets us proclaim that we’re proud to rage against the machine! We are not part of the blindly following masses; we’ve been roused from our social catatonia and stand apart from the system.

It’s all very dramatic. It’s also pretty much a load of bunk. Continue reading →

Idea’s What Matters, Not the Source or Side From Which it Comes

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By Jason Menard

Why is it important to listen to all sides of a discussion? Because good ideas know no bounds.

The other day I discussed how certain schoolyard-eque behaviours on Twitter can negatively impact the user experience. I focused on the how it happens – and here’s the “why” it is so important to respectfully engage people from all sides of the social and political spectrum. Continue reading →