Earth Hour: Real Social Media

It was born in Sydney, Australia two years ago. Just over two million businesses and homes shut off the lights for an hour. Last year: the worldwide initiative reached over fifty million.


Today over a billion people will turn off their lights for an hour as part of a global vote to save our home – Earth.

Whenever we hear naysayers quip we can’t do it, think of today. Whenever we have to endure negative comments that cite the lack of the human collective to join hands and accomplish the impossible, think of today.

Earth Hour is social media and the medium is Earth.

From two million to over a billion in just two years. That is the power of the human spirit. That is you and that is me.

At the core of social media is our hierarchy of needs. It has absolutely nothing to do with a particular website or profile design. It has everything to do with the connection of human beings and our need to belong.

What are you doing for Earth Hour?


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MySpace

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From Cave Walls to FriendFeed

How old is social media?

At the core of social networking is connection. It has been going on for about the last 100,000 years or so.

People used to write stories about their lives through pictures on cave walls.

Juan Pablo Bonet first introduced a new way of communication for the deaf and today millions converse through sign language.

Can you hear me now?

In 1836, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed an electronic telegraph machine that sent a series of electric currents which made markings on tape. An alphabet was devised and long distance two-way communication was made possible with basic equipment.

Ancient Greece is the place where the earliest form of shorthand was documented. As early as 400BC, shortened versions of full words were carved on to marble using mostly vowels with slight variations to indicate consonants.

Rocket ships and email

In the late fifties during the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. This event caused the Americans to quickly get to work on the Advanced Research Projects Agency or ARPA which later became ARPA Network or ARPANET. Today, you and I know it as The Internet.

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the mid 1400’s. His creation revolutionized communication. A&E named him the most influential person of the 20th century.

Shawn Fanning turned the music industry on its head with his invention of computer code and later Napster which allowed people to electronically share songs.

What does all of this have to do with Social Media?

In short, everything.

This is not about LinkedIn or Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, Twitter or FriendFeed.

Morse code, the Internet, hieroglyphs, the printing press, mp3s, shorthand and many other magnificent inventions have immeasurably helped us better connect with each other while sharing stories, knowledge and experiences.

But can any of this ever replace in-person interaction?

km

Passion and Self-Doubt

Last night, I was re-reading Chris Brogan’s free e-book on personal branding. I refer to it often and if you are feeling a bit lost or looking for next steps, I recommend you do the same. Download Chris’ book here.

In fifteen pages, Chris outlines some steps you can take to improve you, your career, and your brand. The sections that stood out for me were about self-doubt and passion.

I think many of us would have our PhD in both topics and this all stems from one important element – human behavior.

The Network is Social
We have created a network of connections that can blow our minds. I hope you're the same, but I have made contact with people I would never have met if it wasn’t for the social network, blogs and podcasts.

Chris talks about making something of our social media connections. It’s not enough to just collect them like trinkets as they do the same with us. Make a human connection. I sent Brogan an email last night and he returned it!

Passion
You may have experienced this issue. You have great desire and burn in your gut to do something but then self-doubt creeps in and the party is over. We are excellent at sabotaging our own dreams aren’t we?

Self-Doubt
Here’s a challenge. You have five minutes to find someone who will tell you “that won’t work”. Don’t hurt yourself, they’re everywhere. And too often, they are inside us already.

The World is a Stage
Chris says that you must have a great attitude every time you enter the social media world – and I agree! No one likes a grump. But have we created a platform where fears and dreams and passion and self-doubt are allowed to mingle?

We are a network, we are connected. We are not 6.7 billion humans cohabitating. We make mistakes, we lose stuff, we have silly ideas, we have doubts, and we have passion. Let’s celebrate that rather than pretending we have it all figured out.

Thanks Chris for always sharing!

Now, what are your thoughts?

km

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Harold Whitman

Why Do You Follow? Why Are We Friends?

There is much debate these days about the future of social media. This is not a new phenomenon or a fad. The interface will change, new portals will crop up, but it isn’t going anywhere.

Is Twitter modern day Hieroglyphics?
Five thousand years ago, the Egyptians used hieroglyphics on walls and caves to tell entire life stories.

Over a hundred years ago, Samuel Morse devised a code for his electric telegraph which revolutionized radio communication.

Today we sit impatiently while our 3G phones take almost a second to react to our every whim.

What are the similarities?
It is our need to belong, share, and be a part of something. Social media has given us the ability to connect with people we actually know, people who know the people we actually know, and beyond.

The connections are the starting point not the end game. If you haven't seen Did You Know 3.0 you should! It's an eye opener and it's exciting. In the presentation, it lists the population of MySpace as the fifth largest country in the world.

We are building communities from every area of the planet, every race and religion, financial background and upbringing, personal taste and political leaning. Borders are gone.

Six Degrees
Whenever I receive or send a friend or connection request, one of the first things that catches my attention is how many mutual friends we have – the more Kevin Bacons, the more likely we have stuff in common. At least that’s the theory.

Obviously, with hundreds and possibly thousands of friends, connections and followers no one can keep it all straight. But if you want to experience the true magic of this process, take a few seconds and find out more about them, then perhaps initiate further contact.

Why do we connect?
Be inquisitive and you will be surprised how many will say hello and how many will want to know more about you.

If you expect others to read your stuff, be prepared to read theirs. If you think you can build a network so you can send spam, don't be surprised when your friend count begins to dwindle.

Your engagement could simply be to collect friends like hockey cards, build a profile and join the worldwide fridge magnet party. Or you can take a few seconds and get to know a little bit about those who said “yes”.

What are the benefits of social media to you?

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Why Social Networking Works

My life in the blogosphere began about eight months ago. I wondered what I would write about; I wondered if anyone would care. And I found out through reading experts on the subject that it wasn’t the point.

For some reason, the subject has bubbled to the surface again. People like Mitch Joel, CC Chapman and Seth Godin are writing about the benefits of writing a blog and immersing yourself in social media.

The bottom line: networking through blogs, podcasts, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bebo, Last.fm, MySpace and the multitude of other social media sites is whatever you get out of it.

If you want to share recipes with friends, rant about government spending, share business tips, expand on your expertise, or simply stay in touch, it’s all okay. There are no set rules.

Don't worry about who will read or follow you. It’s important to share your honest voice. You must be cognizant of proper language (cursing won’t get you anywhere), and over time you will find your style.

My blogging life began with whatever came to the top of my head, but now I focus on my passions – media, integration, social networking, music, television, radio, and content.

I could write about golf, cooking, auto racing, or reading books but those are passions I prefer to enjoy rather than write about.

So if you have been thinking about starting a blog or a podcast, just do it. It’s free.

If you want to promote and share your thoughts with a wider audience, post your work on your various profiles to insure more people have the chance to know what you’re doing.

Let me know how it goes. Send me an email or a post here with a link to your blog.

In eight months, I have connected with hundreds of people I would never had met otherwise and reconnected with people I hadn’t seen or talked to in ages. We just want to connect and share. It’s really that simple. Abraham Maslow was right.

And most importantly - have fun!

km