Tag Archives: Twitter

Playground Games Norm on Twitter; Playground Behaviour Shouldn’t Be

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By Jason Menard

The more time you spend on Twitter, the more you realize that it’s nothing more than a glorified schoolyard – in both the best and worst sense of that term!

The value you get out if it is directly related to the choices you make: will you play Follow the Leader or be King of the Castle; are you going to isolate yourself, follow the whims of the so-called cool crowd; or invite everyone to play along?

Unfortunately, no matter how you choose to approach the Twitter schoolyard, other childish antics abound that can undermine the experience. From bullying to sticking one’s fingers in your ears, there are behaviours that compromise its value – and limit one’s opportunity to learn and grow. Continue reading →

Social Media’s Growing Up by Learning its Lessons from Traditional Sources

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By Jason Menard

Sure, there may still be some growing pains here and there, but there are signs that social media is growing up and it’s putting the responsibility for content back where it belongs – the reader — thanks to lessons learned from traditional sources.

Two recent examples have illustrated this perfectly. I discussed the Tori Stafford murder trial coverage, and the tribulations it caused amongst a media struggling to figure out how to balance the public’s right to know with its equal right to not know. In the end, especially on Twitter, local media chose to post key messages on their main feeds, directing them to full content on a parallel Twitter channel – with full disclaimers and warnings of the graphic content. Continue reading →

Stafford Coverage Shows Right and Wrong Way to Deliver Content

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By Jason Menard

I remember many years ago – in the pre-Internet days — being upset when, despite all my efforts, my desire to remain blissfully ignorant of a World Cup soccer final result until I was able to watch my VHS-taped version was foiled.

I was playing softball during the game. We had banned radios both to and from the game. We were prepared to avoid all TV and radio reports so that we could get back to my home, rewind the tape, and watch the game.

All went well, until I was about one minute from my home. And then a gaggle of jubilant Brazilian fans poured out of the local watering hole. Continue reading →

The Cost of Speaking First May Compromise Value of Our Voice

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By Jason Menard

Social networking can be a wonderful tool, but like any tool it needs to be used appropriately. It’s easy to make a façade look great, but it takes time and proper application of the tools to make the foundation sturdy – and that’s something that often gets lost in this instant gratification/first-to-post society.

It has created an interesting paradox: access to information has never been easier or faster; but access to context requires more effort than ever. Continue reading →

City of Opportunity? No. But On-Line London Reveals a City of Hope

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By Jason Menard

Despite what the cookie-cutter, 70s-esque jingle implies, London is not the City of Opportunity right now. Job losses, civic despair, a fractured council, and an old-and-white reputation have all combined to make the Forest City appear as bleak as its leafless trees.

But London, Ontario does have one thing going for it – hope. Continue reading →