Bonono was not happy that I was giving attention to Bones that evening.
He resorted to ninja monkey tactics!
Check back in everyday during this Photo365 Challenge to see more antics from Bonono (and Bones)!
#j7330
Photo365 Challenge – Day 21
StandardFAMILY PICTURE TIME!
Bonono and Bones were having a great time in Nashville, at the Tennessee Press Association Winter Conference. Barry and I were excited to get out of town as well.
Check back in everyday during this Photo365 Challenge to see more antics from Bonono (and Bones)!
Dont forget – Bones is currently working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Journal #4 – The Twitter, the Tweet, & Me
StandardThe Twitter, the Tweet, & Me
“Create some lists on Twitter related to your beat and other interests. Find some new people to follow related to your topic of focus and other interests. Start interacting with others in your area of focus. Describe what you did in your journal blog.”
So Twitter, we meet again. Last week, after reading the Mashable Twitter GuideBook, I was feeling a bit more comfortable with the whole Tweetin’ thing. It’s not that I don’t know how to tweet or dislike tweeting – it’s that i’m not the most comfortable with tweeting. I often wonder – why tweet?
I mean, I get it – “live life in 140 characters or less.” If you haven’t noticed – that’s not exactly MY motto. In fact, I would feel rather hypocritical even pretending to use it seriously. However, I am a Political Public Relations person – I suppose I should become “twiterate” quickly.
In order to move forward in becoming “twiterate,” there is this thing called organization through list-making that I must attend to. Great – organization – another term that typically escapes me – especially in the social media world. I never got into “lists” on Facebook and finding bookmark on my browsers was like searching for a needle in a haystack until recently. I’m good at organizing and work stuff is always well-organized but my personal life is always lacking in organization. I have specific places for all my clothes and expensive hangers and drawers on which to put them, but somehow yesterday’s clothes (last week’s clothes) are usually found tossed over a chair and several pairs of shoes are lining the hallways and rooms of my house. Maybe the word I am in need of here is none other than motivation…or time. Yes…time. That’s probably the one.
But…I figured that not every person who sings the praises of Twitter Lists could be wrong and maybe, just maybe it would make Twitter more Robin-friendly – especially for my new TN Liberty blog. This way I could easily keep track of each section of Tennessee. Hopefully, this list-making would keep me from overlooking any current events and grievances, state legislation, and news specifically relevant to the state of Tennessee and the issues of the Liberty Movement.
So in keeping with my new found organizational spirit, I started making those pesky lists.
The next step was to finally download TweetDeck – a dashboard/app type device that supposedly makes Twitter more organizable and easier to use. Done. If you’re interested in using TweetDeck, Google Chrome browser has a nifty free app/extension that you can download, by clicking here.
Then, as I began to rifle through the 840 people that I’m currently following, I decided that one of my future steps would be to give the ol’ Twitter a good spring cleaning. Not today – but someday soon. Before reading the Mashable Twitter GuideBook I really didn’t understand that Twitter was “different’ than other social mediums in terms of the following/follower relationship. I felt that because some random nutjob followed me that I owed it to him/her/it to follow back. Does anyone want to take a guess as to what that left me with? Yep – a whole lot of weirdos, nutjobs, and people I am tired of hearing from every 2 minutes. But, for now, the nutjobs would remain.
Once I had TweetDeck up and running and started to use the +Create lists button, I began to remember why I am not a social media organizer. There are too many crossovers – too many possibilities – nothing is cut and dry! What is an over-analyzing follow freak to do?
You guessed it! I made a ton of Twitter Lists. I’m not sure I’m any more organized now than I was before. When I think about it, I kind of liked the haphazard Twitter feed. I would see a tweet about politics or a Young Americans for Liberty meme, right before one about a new journalism startup or a restaurant opening in memphis, followed by a friend posting another story explaining the anti-feminist culture of television or a guy friend explaining how he “leveled up” (whatever it is called these days) on WoW or Skyrim, followed by an album release date by The Dirty Guv’nahs, Jason Isbell (a Tiger alumni by the way), and Lucero, or a neat fact from Pew Internet or UberFacts and the most recent Tiger Basketball score. It kept me current and well-rounded.
At that moment is when I realized that I would use the Twitter Lists when I needed them to make sure I was getting all the pertinent news for my TN Liberty blog but I would keep my news feed formatted in the way that made me who I am today, for daily viewing.
As I started to put the people into groups, the cross-overs and the decisions about what 
type of group they should belong to, began to make me crazy. I couldn’t decide where these people should go. Were they a newspaper or a media news organization? What if they were a friend but also a musician? How about a member of the Liberty movement and a classmate? What if they weren’t exactly a Liberty Organization but they weren’t a real person either? All this classification was unnatural. Aren’t we taught to not classify people? I was finding this to be quite challenging.
So, I took a deep breath and did the best I could. Some people and organizations overlap. I guess that ‘s life though. Nothing is ever neat and perfect. You have gray areas and cross-overs, friends that belong in more than one group, and friends you don’t know what to do with.
Here is a list of my Twitter lists:
- Florida – 15 members
- Liberty Orgs – Liberty-Minded Organizations – 30 members
- Jour., Ad, PR, SM, & Mktg – 38 members
Politicians & Govt – 67 members- Miscellaneous – 3 members
- Social Media j7330 – 20 members
- EntreJ – 45 members
- Tennessee – 49 members
- Colleges & Student Orgs – 40 members
- Memphis – 27 members
- Newspapers/Press/News – 72 members
- Analytics & Media Co. – 18 members
- Liberty People – People in the Liberty Movement – 38 members
- Real-People – Private List – 79 members
For more about Twitter Lists, check out some of these helpful articles:
The Complete Guide To Using Twitter Lists Like a Pro by Ashley Faulkes
TWITTER LISTS – A VISUAL BEGINNER’S GUIDE by Dorien Morin van Dam
How to Get Started With New Twitter Lists by Amy-Mae Elliott at Mashable
8 tips for using Twitter Lists by Nina L. Diamond at Poynter
How to use Twitter lists to replace Google Reader by Allyson Kazmucha
Twitter Lists Explained: How to Create, Find and Get On Them by Amanda MacArthur
Twitter lifts the limits on Lists by Jack Schofield for Jack’s Blog
Twitter Enhances Lists: 4 Ways To Take Advantage by Steve Cooper at Forbes
Twitter Lists – The Complete Guide by Twitter Power Systems Blog
Make the Most of Twitter Lists: Essential Tips and Tricks by Nicole Nguyen at GeekSugar
HOW TO MAKE TWITTER LISTS by Drew Prindle at Digital Trends
Photo365 Challenge – Day 20
StandardBonono and Bones take a few minutes to document their attendance at the Tennessee Press Association Winter Conference in Nashville. Currently, they are trying to decide which session to attend – “Multimedia Video On a Budget” or ” Open Meetings/Open Records.” Decisions…Decisions…
The Photo365 Challenge “Adventures of Bonono and Bones” edition is off to a great start!
Check back in everyday during this Photo365 Challenge to see more antics from Bonono (and Bones)!
Dont forget – Bones is currently working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Photo365 Challenge – Day 19
StandardBonono was ready for his road trip to Nashville for the Tennessee Press Association Winter Conference. He was really excited to see Bones and begin The Adventures of Bonono and Bones!
Check back in everyday during this Photo365 Challenge to see more antics from Bonono (and Bones)!
Dont forget – Bones is currently working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Photo365 Challenge – Day 18
ImageBonono gives a book review on “Statistics for People (Who Think) They Hate Statistics.” Thumbs DOWN!
Bonono is not amused…. neither am I
We may not make it through this Photo365 Challenge if we have to continue reading stuff like this….
Remember: In the coming weeks, you may see pictures of The Adventures of Bonono and Bones. Bones, a puppy, is Bonono’s pal and companion in crime.
Currently, Bones is working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Photo365 Challenge – Day 17
ImageI caught Bonono sitting too close to the TV. He refuses to back away even though I’ve told him to.
So far, no monkeys have been beaten by mommy during this Photo365 Challenge.
Remember: In the coming weeks, you may see pictures of The Adventures of Bonono and Bones. Bones, a puppy, is Bonono’s pal and companion in crime.
Currently, Bones is working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Photo365 Challenge – Day 16
ImageBonono made a collage of his #puppybowl viewing for Day 16.
He is really enjoying the photo editing aspect of this Photo365 Challenge.
Remember: In the coming weeks, you may see pictures of The Adventures of Bonono and Bones. Bones, a puppy, is Bonono’s pal and companion in crime.
Currently, Bones is working on his own Photo365 Challenge. If you’re interested in seeing what he is up to, follow him by clicking here.
Journal # 3 – Topic Blog Influencers
StandardTopic Blog Influencers
“Develop a list of at LEAST three other blogs or Web sites that meaningfully address your topic of interest. For professionals, a blog is often a “hub” for other social media activity occurring around the web. Summarize and evaluate some of the key features of each blog or site using bullet points on your journal blog.
Answer all of the following questions: What kind of problem do these websites/blogs help solve for their audience and/or what needs do they fulfill? What do they do well? What could they improve? Can you identify any gaps in their content or features that a competitor could fill, and how is what you could offer different or better? Look at their social media presence and the comments or interaction they get: Are they cultivating an active community around their site?”
My Topic Blog, TN Liberty, is a forum in which to share information about news, events, politics, and laws concerning our state. All conservative and liberty-minded activists, students, campus and community leaders, and voters, are encouraged to contribute. TN Liberty, is also a location for resources concerning bills up for approval, TN Congressional representative’s contact information, statewide and county events, activism advice, mentorship, and grassroots training, among other issues as needed and requested. TN Liberty serves as an extension of the TN and MS Leadership page on Facebook and may ultimately be followed with a MS Liberty blog. There are contributing writers on topics concerning the Liberty Movement in Tennessee, liberty-minded issues, and various opinion columns.
For this assignment I started by searching for other bloggers who are advancing the liberty movement. I found that many of these sites were highly specialized and a little on the fringe. That is not the type of blog that I want TN Liberty to be. I feel that it should be specialized by pertaining to the state of Tennessee, but it should also contain information about why the Liberty Movement is so important, how our government is violating the Constitution, and what actions a citizen, can take to advocate for Liberty and Freedom.
Next, I found an interesting site that ranked the top libertarian leaning (or liberty-minded so as not to be confused with the Libertarian Party) websites according to Alexa and Compete.
Here I settled on several top ranking and well-known liberty-minded sites to which I could make some comparisons.
They are as follows:
Let’s start with Reason.
- “Reason is the monthly print magazine of ‘free minds and free markets.'”
- “It covers politics, culture, and ideas through a provocative mix of news, analysis, commentary, and reviews.”
- “Reason provides a refreshing alternative to right-wing and left-wing opinion magazines by making a principled case for liberty and individual choice in all areas of human activity.”
- “Reason.com is updated daily with articles and columns on current developments in politics and culture. It also contains the full text of past issues of the print edition of Reason.”
- “Reason and Reason.com are editorially independent publications of the Reason Foundation, a national, non-profit research and educational organization.”
- At first glance, reason.com looks a little messy in terms of visual appearance. A little cluttered and although I understand that this is because the site’s home page is the first stop for ReasonTV, Reason24/7, the Hit & Run Blog, and stories from the printed magazine, as well as the location for Top News Stories (sortable by Featured and New) and a lot of advertisements.
- Reason is financially backed by a national non-profit and thus, has the ability to aggregate thousands of news stories as well as employ a staff of over 50 for the website. However, I believe they could significantly improve their website by maximizing the white space and uncluttering the articles. It could look much cleaner. Once you click on the headings for the different sites within the site, they pages get a bit cleaner and more visually appealing.
- TN Liberty is a more more localized blog/site and will not need to run every single news story and headline that potentially has anything to do with liberty or liberty politics.
- Reason does enjoy a fabulous social media presence with stories and photos shared through their Facebook page and on their Twitter each day. On Twitter, Reason has over 130K followers and on Facebook, over 125K likes.
Next, we examine The Liberty Paper:
- “The Liberty Paper is a web-based news site commentating and reporting on legislation and events, which affect the American peoples’ liberty domestic and abroad.”
- “The Liberty Paper was launched in the summer of 2012, by political commentator and legislative lobbyist, Michael Lotfi.”
- “To date, TheLibertyPaper.org has enjoyed an ever-growing, loyal fan base, which has generated hundreds of thousands of readers in more than 140 countries around the world.”
- TheLibertyPaper.org is updated only semi-regularly with articles and columns on current developments in politics and culture. If you look at the current home page, you will see that the most recent article posted is from January 27th, 2014.
- TheLibertyPaper.org is also riddled with advertisements and donate here boxes. I understand why Michael Lofti would choose to accept advertising and donations – hopefully, someday soon, the TN Liberty blog will also accept advertisements and donations. However, I feel the visual esthetics of the site could be cleaner and the ad placements more controlled.
- TheLibertyPaper.org is run by a friend of mine. He is a recent graduate of Belmont College in Nashville, TN and a well-known activist in the state. However, I have mixed opinions of his work, his self-promotion, and his ability as a journalist. Each story is riddled with grammatical errors to say the least. He was also given a column at the Washington Post. On his first article, there were complications and the post was ultimately removed due to his lack of due diligence and his reporting false information.
- TN Liberty is will certainly provide a more grammatically correct site as well as one that is more visually appealing. However, it will not focus as heavily on National stories and investigative muckracking. I hope to provide a forum in which concerned residents of the state can ask for advice as well as receive news – especially that which is most pertinent to their area.
- TheLibertyPaper.org does have a social media presence with stories and photos shared through their Facebook page and but no Twitter as far as I can find. On Facebook, it has just a little over 4K likes.
Finally, let’s take a look at The Liberty Crier:
- The Liberty Crier – “Breaking political news from the liberty perspective.”
- The Liberty Crier is updated daily with articles and columns on current developments in politics and culture. If you look at the current home page, you will see that the a rotating Top Story Box
- The Liberty Crier is a very visually appealing blog sites with a lot of features. The masthead is clean and displayed prominently.
- Some other interesting aspects that The Liberty Crier features are categories for:
1. Top Headlines
2. Member Blog Posts
3. Documentaries
4. Channels
- The Liberty Crier seems a bit lacking in their social media presence with their Twitter receiving only 1200 followers. Their Facebook page has only 8.9K likes. This seems rather odd to me because it is not being a new website.
- I envision the TN Liberty blog looking closer to this blog/site than any of the others in this review/comparison. I also plan to add a forum for discussions among Tennessee residents and allow for contributing writers as well. The main difference will be that TN Liberty will be localized plus – it will have a much bigger social media presence.
Photo365 Challenge – Day 15
ImageI caught Bonono taking a few selfies to add to this Photo365 Challenge.
The World According to Robin 