#smcrva

On Twitter I have noticed that if you don’t read someone’s Tweet within at least an hour’s time, you’re missing out. And that may be stretching it. For some people it’s like 2 minutes. The same rules apply to my friends’ status updates on Facebook – if I see it a few hours later and then make a comment, I’m somehow out of touch.

So, I guess you should consider me out of touch since I am just now writing about Tuesday’s Social Media Club event in Richmond (known on Twitter as #smcrva). Honestly, though, I don’t have too much to say. The concept behind the Social Media Club is great. And I had a blast meeting lots people I have only come to know virtually.  The panel discussion was great too – it was a nice mix of traditional and non-traditional media, although the Times-Dispatch was missing. As a former journalist, I enjoyed listening to it and thought it was a good discussion.

It’s a discussion, though, that needs to be taken to all TV and newspaper newsrooms across the country. Most on the panel get it … NBC 12’s Ryan Nobles understands that he needs to stay ahead of the general public on news, but at the same time he gets that being on Twitter is a part of his news gathering every day. He also understands that these tools are ways to get people to show him that he’s a real person.

When I was working in newspapers, I struggled with that. The general public doesn’t get it – they think we’re robots or something and have no feelings. Sure, most of us have thick skin and can take the brunt of complaints. We learn that people rarely have anything nice to say when you do good work. We learn to live in a silent world when others around us know who we work for.

But social media is changing that, and I think that’s something journalists and former journalists can appreciate. “Thanks” is only six characters and takes a second or two to type.

In addition to Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles), I’d like to give a quick shout-out and Twitter link to the others on the panel:

* Jason Roop @styleweekly – editor of Style Weekly
* John Sarvay @sarvay – of Floricane Consulting and Buttermilk & Molasses
* Rachel DePompa @RachelDePompa – reporter for NBC 12 (who I actually used to watch on WDBJ 7 when I lived in Lynchburg)
* Ian Graham @IanGraham – director of new media at RVA Magazine
* Aaron Kremer @AKBizSense – editor of richmondbizsense.com (who joined Twitter the day after the meeting)
* And the Science Museum of Virginia @ScienceMusofVA deserves a shout-out for hosting the event.

A spark from “Big Whiskey” (and other stuff)

I don’t write music reviews. Or let me put it another way, I don’t write good ones. Either I like something or I don’t. It’s tough for me to judge an album using words. As an editor and writer, it’s kind of weird to say that, but that’s the way I am. I am a big fan of all kinds of music, but actually writing about it has rarely appealed to me. Until now. Until “Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King” came along. I haven’t been moved by music in more than 10 years to have anything to say.

Want to read more from my review of the new album from Dave Matthews Band? Click here to check out my DMB-related blog.

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Am I the only one tired of Follow Friday on Twitter (#followfriday #ff)? I started thinking about it today, and it seems like Twitter has no leaders … we’re all followers, but we’re all trying to say something. I know many people, including myself, are listening, but I don’t know if I like the direction it’s going. Otherwise silent people have a lot to say, but aren’t listening to others around them. Does this make any sense?

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Next week I am attending Richmond’s Social Media Club event at the Science Museum of Virginia. This should be a lot of fun to put some faces with these names I’ve come to know on Twitter … maybe this will be a chance to see if they’re paying attention or just following.