When You Lose Your Social Media Manager (Or, Notes on SMMSs to Drown Your Tears In) — Updated (5/15/2023)
(See Update notes before the list!) Fun fact: when a major social media network is bought by a billionaire who has no idea how to manage a social media network, one of the predictable consequences is that said social media network might stop working as expected. And so here we are in May 2023 with Twitter’s new API changes rippling through the app and service industry like a tornado of stupidity. The consequences of all this? I’ve now spent hours upon hours researching social media managers. Why? The system I was using, SmarterQueue, cut off all support for Twitter two months before my annual subscription had ended. Additionally, the new API rules also scuttled moa.party, the crossposter I used to pull certain items from my Twitter feed to post to Mastodon. Like a lot of folks, I don’t really have the time to sit on social media apps posting. And like a lot of folks, I have things to “sell,” which means I don’t have much choice but to be on social media apps. In this case, I mostly “sell” a podcast, and in the corporate environment of podcasting, you can’t exist without a social media presence. And one person really can’t manage that much social media without a little help. For me, that help comes in the form of a social media manager.
4 Things Twitter Could Do to Make Blue Worth Paying For (But Probably Won’t)
Over the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about why Twitter Blue has not been the success its new owner had hoped for. While subscription numbers are hard to assess, Endgadget reported that as late as mid-January, Blue had only 290,000 subscribers worldwide, which doesn’t come close to Musk’s demand that the company get half of its revenue from subscriptions. Using absurdly basic math, you’d need 15.6mil subscribers at an $8/mo average to meet half of Musk’s revenue expectation of $3bil. If you’re in podcast circles, you’ll sometimes hear that anywhere from 1 to 10% of your listeners will subscribe to a Patreon (in my case, it’s about 3.7%). For Twitter, the target is around 3.4% (depending on the number you use for active users), which should be achievable in a short time frame. And yet, all data suggests that this isn’t remotely the case. But why? What is keeping Twitter from reaching a subscription milestone? There are probably dozens of reasons, from violations of the trust thermocline, Doctorow’s enshittification theory, distrust in the ownership of the platform, the consumer conception of value as free things become paid things, and so on. Twitter, in other words, is a mess.
Thoughts on Wikis, Responsibility, and Cultural Shifts
I’m currently re-reading Robert E. Cumming’s introductory chapter from Wiki Writing: Collaborative Learning in the College Classroom, entitled “What Was a Wiki, and Why Do I Care? A Short and Usable History of Wikis.” This is one of the readings for my class on digital rhetoric, and it serves as a handy introduction to the invention of wikis, the reactions to them in the “ancient times,” and some of the key concerns about their impact on knowledge production. Basically, it’s some nerd shhhhh. That said, it has got me thinking a lot about the role of wikis in our culture and, more importantly, just how much has changed since I was a kid. While there are still people running about saying you should never use wikis, for the most part, even academics have softened on them. A lot of you probably remember when that wasn’t the case. Hell, I remember when that wasn’t the case for me as a teacher. Mind you, I was never the type to outright fail a student for using Wikipedia, but I did strip away points.
Comics and Tablets: Your Thoughts?
I’ve recently become interested in reading comics again. I used to read them as a youngin’, but sort of gave up on them for one reason or another (I used to collect all the trading cards from Marvel, too, and probably still have some floating around — there’s a box of comics somewhere in my closet). But rather than jump in to whatever is going on right now, I want to read a lot of the backlist to get a sense of how things have progressed. Understandably, that means doing so digitally (through the Marvel database, etc.), as trying to buy all those older comics would probably bankrupt me. What I’m wondering is whether any of you have experience reading comics on any tablet. I know there are a lot of different types out there, from the ASUS Transformer to the iPad to the Galaxy, but reviews can only go so far for me. I need a bit more before I make that investment. If you have read comics on a tablet, or at least have experience with one, let me know your thoughts about that particular device: pros, cons, recommendations, etc. I am partial to tablets that are connected to a vibrant app community, as reading comics will probably requiring the use of apps (PDF and CBR/CBZ readers). Thanks!
Social Network Bingo (Or, Hey, I Do Different Things)
I thought today would be a good time to talk about social networks (broadly defined). Since there are about 10,000 of these blasted things out there, it’s always a struggle to figure out which ones work best for whatever it is I want to do — talking about geeky things, writing, and politics. I’ve been pretty careful to separate some of these subjects from one another, in part because I (used to) think separation was important for aspiring writers such as myself. After all, politics and writing sometimes don’t go together, particularly when you say things that other people won’t like (a guarantee in this political climate). And so, across my various social networks, I’ve found ways to separate and compartmentalize my various interests (with some crossover). I won’t suggest that everyone should do what I do. Rather, I think it’s more compelling to see how other people do it. For that reason, I’d appreciate it if folks would comment below with their own explanations for how they use the various social networks. The following are the major social networks of which I am a part. For those that don’t follow me elsewhere, this list might help you decide where to follow and/or avoid me: Blogger (where you’re currently reading this, I assume) Topics: Writing, Genre Fiction, and Other Geeky Topics Follow: N/A I use Blogger primarily to explore the geeky things that matter to me, and to maintain some sort of online presence for my writing career (fiction and academic). As such, much of what I post here, if you don’t already know, is focused on genre fiction, with a side of writing (mostly genre fiction writing). In the past, I’ve included things like politics and poetry, but those topics have since moved to other arenas (mostly because I find they fit better elsewhere, but also because, if I’m honest, I don’t want this space to fall into the politics trap). Twitter Topics: Writing, Genre Fiction, Politics, Randomness, and Other Geeky Topics Other Uses: Linking to my other content… Follow: Friends, Colleagues, and Professionals Most of my Twitter activity is focused on genre, random things that I find amusing, and related categories. For the most part, I’ve found it to be a great place to interact with other SF/F folks, and have, as such, used it sparingly for political stuff (maybe 25% of my activity there has to do with political things). Likewise, I have found it a great avenue for keeping in touch with fellow grad students, many of whom follow me there. You’ll find me discussing a lot of genre-related topics there because it is one of the most lively places for such things (such as today, in which Mari Ness, Julia Rios, etc. and I talked about SF Poetry). Google+ Topics: Politics and Geeky Topics (w/ cross-pollination from my other ventures) Follow: Professionals, some Friends, and Political Folks (plus a lot of random people who periodically disappear from my list) The bulk of my G+ use is political in nature. In fact, of all the social networks I use, this is the only one that I use primarily to discuss politics. As such, most of my followers aren’t necessarily genre people (though there are a few of those), but folks who find my take on various political issues interesting (even if they disagree). The remaining, tiny percentage of posts is devoted to geeky things and my own various works (such as podcasts, publications, etc.). If you want to know what I have to say about politics, though, this is the place to go. You won’t find nearly as much discussion about such things anywhere else. Facebook Topics: Personal Stuff, Writing, Politics, and Cross-pollination from Twitter Follow: Friends, Colleagues and the Rare Professional Facebook is one of the ONLY networks I use primarily for personal communication. I rarely friend anyone there who I do not already know. As such, most of the people on my Facebook are people from college, friends, colleagues, and the occasional writer (most of whom fall into one of the other categories). While politics, writing, and genre fiction pop up on my FB page all the time (usually through Twitter), its primary function remains personal. Tumblr Topics: Poetry, Writing, Art, Nature, and Related Topics Follow: Friends, Interesting Posters, and the occasional Colleague Of all my various social networks, this one is quickly become the most personal (in terms of what I share). While I am sharing my own writing (poems and snippets from fiction), I’ve primarily been using it to explore various things that matter to me, such as art, life, my dreams, and more. In fact, this will probably become my depository for all the things that frankly don’t fit elsewhere (particularly, my poetry). Tumblr is uniquely designed towards sharing these sorts of things (also: porn, which I’m not sharing). While Blogger is also a great space for the personal, it doesn’t work so well for the things I’d like to do on the side, in part because my history on Blogger has pegged me as a certain kind of blogger. Tumblr, then, is filling in the gaps. —————————————————– What about you? Do you use your social networks in different ways? If so, how?
Barnes and Noble’s Nook: A New Wave in eReaders?
B&N isn’t the only one announcing new eReaders. Apple is rumored to have one coming up and Amazon has released the international version of the Kindle 2. But I think this is the first time I have found myself excited about the prospect of an eReader. B&N’s Nook is a sleek looking device with a heck of a lot of functionality, including the self-declared ability to read multiple formats adequately. While the Nook uses AT&T’s 3G network, which is not covered in all areas, it does allow you to use your USB port on your computer, which makes folks like me, who download loads of essays in PDF form quite frequently, happy because it allows for the possibility of making those reading experiences more enjoyable. So, my initial impression is that of excitement. I admit that I am not a big B&N fan (I prefer Borders only because their club card thing is free), but this might make me a regular B&N user over Amazon. But enough about what I think, what about you? Do you think it looks good? Are you reserving judgment? Or do you hate it? Let me know and tell me why!