I remember when I first discovered blogs. I spent an entire week, nearly 18 hours a day, reading. I was giddy with the discovery that somehow I had tapped into a previously unknown online world of intelligence and talent.  I was hungry for knowledge and expression and it seemed that with the discovery of these new writers, a whole new world opened. It was all quite exhilarating and exhausting.

I always become very excited when I meet someone who has a brilliant mind or an incredible talent. To me the most complimentary thing I can say to a person is “You’re interesting”. And just like in the old days, I’m once again smitten with brilliant interesting minds that I’m discovering in a truly global arena. I’ve circled writers and photographers whose thoughts and visions encourage me to raise my own bar higher. Not only do I like that, but I had forgotten that I need it.

I’ve been on Google+ for exactly one week and have logged some pretty serious hours learning and experimenting so that you don’t have to. While the platform is still in BETA and is fairly simple in scope, the more I got into it the more compelling it became and the more there was to learn. Much of this was due to some of the extraordinary content being published there by members. I’m sure I’m going to have to post a follow up (or two or three) on Google+ but here are some of my thoughts so far and hopefully a bit of info to get those of you new to Google+ up and running.

Let’s start by explaining what Google+ is. It’s Google’s roll out of a new social media platform. A bit like Facebook, but cleaner. A bit like Twitter but more expansive. By invitation only, G+ is growing like crazy. As of this post, estimates are that G+ has amassed 18 million members. It still doesn’t compare to Facebook’s 500 million members, just announced by Zuckerberg yesterday, but considering G+ has only been available since June 28 and is not yet available for public consumption, it’s numbers are pretty impressive.

Google+ is a suite of several different start up products, with more to come. At present Google+ offers, of course, a newsfeed. Sparks culls together various recommendations based on your interests…art, design, fashion, photography etc.  Hangout is a video chat service where you can chat with one friend or hold a conference with up to ten people at a time. Huddle is an sms/text messaging service, which I’m hoping will save me lots of dollars on my international sms fees. The main cool feature is called Circles which is how you organize your friends and deal with some pretty slick privacy features which neither Twitter or Facebook can compare. There is also intergradation with Picasa, Google’s photo platform.

There are people I know, people I love, who have mistaken the Internet and it’s accompanying technologies as life. Social media, and back in the day, programs such as ICQ and AIM, are indeed mighty applications. I’ve seen them bring people together from around the world. I’ve seen relationships crushed by them. I write today to remind one and all that these things are tools. Only tools.

The carpenter who builds a house doesn’t blame his hammer for the mishap that blackened his thumbnail. But if looked at from a different perspective, the mishap might reveal something about the carpenter’s skill. And if the carpenter blames the tool… it reveals something about his mental health.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m having some issues with the new Facebook Pages upgrade. While the upgrade offers some noteworthy improvements, I have found some deep gaps in usability for admins. Am I missing something? So, I explored and poked around, and after about ten days of using Facebook’s new upgrade on my page, here’s what I see:

The Good:

• Photos listed along the top only show what you want to show. This means your business page will not show images posted or tagged by your fans or friends. This enhancement improves the selection of visuals which are unique to your business and maintains the integrity of your business page and your brand.

• The new navigation bar at left is, of course, a plus. Consistency should be a priority in any website, whether it be Facebook or the tiny freelancer site. The left hand navigation now corresponds to Facebook’s profile setup. Everything in place.

IS A WEBSITE STILL REALLY NECESSARY?

How many marketing tools do we need? There seems to be thousands, maybe millions, of social media outlets, third-party portfolio sites, creative community endeavors and they all seem to be screaming about why they are the ticket to make your online marketing arsenal complete.

We are told that we need a website, a blog, a Facebook account, Twitter, Linkedin and don’t forget the other myriad of sites that add to the mix. We are told we need self branding (a logo and ID), SEO functionality and that we should network, network, network!! Good lord, who has the time? Do we really need all this to sell our product and services? Well, yeah we do. We’re in business and as such it’s expected that we put in more than the pre-requsite 9-5pm work day. So, no more complaining about Facebook or time limitations.  Don’t wanna hear how you’re an artist and all you want to do is make art. Marketing is a part of what needs to be done. It’s like paperwork, administration, taxes and brushing your teeth . . . you need to do it, so let’s figure out the best way to handle all these reigns.

Who is Ed Bartlett? Marine. Football fan. Music lover and social media advocate. He carves pumpkins with a chainsaw and is a guy who described being laid off as “perfect timing.” If you live along the Connecticut shoreline you may know his name because in just over one year, Bartlett has made it his job to pull together the people, artists, bands, and businesses of Connecticut.

Laid off from Linquist Builders Supply in March 2009, Bartlett wasn’t upset about it. His career had been successful and made him a good living, but it wasn’t until he started a Facebook page called Shoreline Out and About that he found his mission.

It had gotten to the point where I was unable to complete a thought or a task. This was so unlike me that I wondered if perhaps there was something physically wrong. Communications poured into my life. Emails on my desktop, laptop, Ipod and cellphone. SMS and voice messages. Phone calls, events, social media and news reports. Before I knew it, my day was done and all I had managed was to keep up with comms. I was getting tense and despite my attempts at giving every project my upmost attention, my day was becoming a patchwork of triage.

Next Thursday, November 4th, I’ll be attending the second meeting of the Connecticut Blogger’s Group at Thali’s in New Haven. This start-up group is the brain child of Ed Bartlett who has made it his mission connecting people and businesses in Connecticut. What an honor it is for me to be included in the inaugural group where these good people seek to create a change in their community and in the lives of their readers. Some of the best and brightest, their names include: