Anti-Social Media

My location.

This weekend I was at Columbia University at the Journalism School attending Social Media Weekend. I was thrilled to be there to learn about more about the world of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and beyond.

The best thing you do is learn by doing. And in this environment typing and texting in session was, of course, encouraged.

As much as I love the world of "I am now taking a sh#t, read all about it" I have to admit that sometimes immediately chronicalling ones life can detract from actually living it. But I Tweet out of both sides of my mouth.

Before I get to the invent I must tweet that I am going in less than 140 character. "Going to #smwknd @Columbiajourn. Will keep you posted."

I arrive. Now I must use Foursquare to document my location and earn points and maybe become a "Mayor" on Foursquare. That is for somebody who checks in a lot to one place, I believe.

The Social Media Doctors' Quque. The Doctor is In, LinkedIN.

I hit my Foursquare app in my iPhone and the GPS finds that I am at Columbia. But I want them to find me at the specific building (Later on I learn there is a Foursquare location especially for this specific event. But I am still at #grasshopper.) Before I post my location info to everyone on Facebook and Twitter who is just #dyingforthenewsofmywhereabouts I must take a photo to accompany it. What? I do one quickly. Ah, it loaded. Done.

Now I can enjoy the event. Wow everyone with the hashtag #smwknd is Tweeting about what the guy just said before I can. Whew I get one in : "@brianstelter puts his office and cell #s on his @twitter page. #smwknd Maybe use Google/voice instead." Good going. Wait what did he say now? I missed that. I will find someone else's tweet in the #smwknd thread and RT it. Done.

And it goes and it goes like that. And it seems that everyone has been on Tumblr eons longer than me? Where have I been? Playing tennis maybe? Dating perhaps. Look where that got me. Maybe I should have been virtual ages ago.

I met this guy Joe. We talked about the muffins at the break and the coffee. We exchanged ecards on Hashable. Then I wanted to take a photo of the muffins and coffee and tweet with tweetpic of the snacks that I just met joe and here is the ACTUAL muffin and coffee I was holding when we talked about the #muffin and #coffee @columbiajourn.

Someone stop me...

New Patrick Connolly Writer/Interviewer blog

I have started a new blog on Tumblr to focus more on my writing and panel moderating.  To showcase it, publicize it and just get it going a bit more.  Man Hat In will continue, but it is more personal and
"Patrick Connolly" on Tumblr is, if you can believe I am even writing this - more (self) promotional.

My aim is to delve further professionally into writing and digital and social media.  Tumblr seems to be a place that the folk are playing these days.

There is SO much out there in terms of social media and the places to get your stuff seen.  Facebook, of course. And LinkedIN, and Stumbelupon and Digg and Twitter and Delicious.  It is massive out there.  And where to start and what to share and where to link and how to do that and what is the best way to express oneself professionally and what am I as a brand, as a person, as a tree?!

Too late in the night to be thinking about anything, but I got excited when I saw my latest Virgin.com post got published.

And why do it at all?  Because I love to connect, create the conversation, pass on the conversation, be a part of the conversation.  For example Honey Badgers are IN and I want to be the one to get them on the map!

So please go to my new blog site and follow me, link me, forward me.  Thanks.

Social Media Week - New York/ A Boy in His Bubble.

Social Media Week was here in New York on Feb 7-11.  It was also in London, Singapore, Paris, San Francisco, Rome, Seattle. Almost any place you would want to chill and be fab with an iPad.

I managed in my continuing great tradition of "What Would Lucy Do?" to make my way into the opening party at the New York Public Library.  Fab place for just about anything. It is such a cool space, it has Bryant Park for a backyard and appropriate lions guarding its entrance as opposed to the lions on every ramshackle in Queens ("Every man's home is his castle" - I know,  I know.)

I met a woman who works for an app called BarSPace.  She was 28 and lovely and right in it. She explained so much for social media to me except how to connect because I cannot find her info anywhere.

Then on Thursday I went the Far East to 1st and E29th for the Digitas party on Webcams and Tweeting at the Apella event space. I didn't want to go because I was in midtown west and had to get the Flatiron district after and then back to the West Village so this was Siberia.  But I told myself  I was not ready to be a provincial neighborhood-as-ghetto New Yorker. I am SO glad I went.  It was a very cool space.  Some futuristic vibe but in a "What's Up Doc" 60's party scene vein.  I sat in a hanging circle and Tweeted.

At the bar area this guy came up to me and said "I read you."  ("Reed" you or "Red" you.) It was RED you. Or maybe it was REED you.  I felt like a New Yorker columnist. But it turns out he reads my posts on LinkedIn.  He recognized my face and my name at a Social Media event! How amazing was that? And it gave us license to talk and for me to introduce Stan Friedman whom I met from Conde Nast.  (Stan knows my friend Tom Kulaga a the New York Times!) The man who recognized me from the internet was former NBC reporter Glenn Zimmerman who is now the CEO & President of MadBear Productions. But it doesn't stop there. He knows my good pal Susan Kiel from NBC days and his business partner Julian Williams' wife grew up in Scotland with Peter Morris from BAFTA LA.  They grew up in Scotland not far from where my mum grew up! 

Social Networking, New York, me, it is all just a party! I love it. Would never happen like this elsewhere.


Thank you #smwny!!