Grrrrr …

Yes, I’ve got a bee in my bonnet. But let me start with what I do love about Facebook.

I love that I’ve been able to reconnect with people I haven’t seen in years and years and years. I love that I’ve made so many new friends, folks I’d never have met any other way, but with whom, it turns out, I share a lot of interests.

I love that I’ve found former co-workers, some from my very first job. I love that I can, so quickly and easily, keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. For that matter, I love hearing about everything that’s going

Blog tour: The writing process

Pete Armetta is a writer whose work I love. I love his thoughts and I love how he expresses them, whether it’s through poetry, short stories, essays or fiction. Yes, he is that versatile, that able, that talented. I ‘met’ him here, on WordPress; and from the very first moment I read one of his posts I became a fan. And a follower.

Here’s your chance to do the same.

A couple of nights ago he invited me to participate in The Writing Process blog tour. He’d been invited by a friend and fellow blogger. Read what he shared, with just one click.

Some info I knew, some I didn’t. But none of it surprised me. Because along with being a terrific writer, he is committed and passionate and determined.

The Writing Process:

1. What are you working on?

A bit of background, first. My mother used to tell me as far back as when I was 11 or 12 years old, I routinely re-wrote (and re-thought) ads I saw in magazines. So I suppose it wasn’t ‘news’ when I told my parents, at age 15, I wanted to work in advertising.

And it is what I ended up doing. First as a copywriter, then as a creative director — for the Montreal and Toronto offices of some of the world’s biggest

Day 359. Old Friends

When it comes to social media I think most of us are the same.  We seem to have a love/hate relationship with it, especially with Facebook.  But as frustrated as I may get, I still end up in the same place:  Loving how social media keeps us connected.

Those of you who have been reading my blog since the beginning know I spent some time working in the fashion industry, where I handled all the advertising and P.R. for Leo Chevalier, one of Canada’s leading fashion designers.  While it was the manufacturer of his collection of women’s dresses and sportswear I actually worked for, and while I did do some work for other lines they carried, he was the focus of most of my attention.

My office was in Leo’s design studio, on a different floor than the rest of the company.  We had great space.  Leo, his wife and his design assistant shared a HUGE office/studio.  In addition to my office, there was another one, as well.  Originally it was for the gal who ran his perfume company.  But when he closed that down, his fabric buyer moved in.  We also had an enormous stock room in the back, which was perfect for all our accessories, samples,

Day 184. Six Months

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been six months since I started “three hundred sixty-five“, on August 7, 2012.  Six months!  Half a year.  I’m at the midway point.  Very slightly beyond, in fact.  Okay, a day or two beyond.  But still.

And never, in my wildest imagination, did I ever think I’d be having this much fun.  Never, in my wildest imagination, did I ever think I’d have ‘met’ all of you.  Or that we’d be having the ‘conversations’ we’ve been having here, on my blog; and also on yours.

Never, in my wildest imagination, did I ever think I’d be Freshly Pressed; or I’d have been acknowledged with all the awards YOU have all been kind enough and generous enough and thoughtful enough to give me.  Never, in my wildest imagination, did I ever think I’d be part of a community like our WordPress community.

Never.

And, yet, here I am.  Here WE are.

I’ve had lots of blogs over the years.  Four years on WordPress, actually.  And one on Travellerspoint, before

Day 173. That’s Personal

I was part of a discussion on LinkedIn the other day.  Before I tell you about it, let me explain what LinkedIn is, for those who aren’t familiar with it.  Essentially it’s a professional social networking website.

When you sign up, you create a ‘profile’, not unlike a Facebook timeline.  But without all the personal info and photographs.  And, like with Facebook, one of the objectives is to get as many ‘contacts’ (friends) as you can.  Because through each of your contacts, you have an opportunity to network with their contacts.

One of the features it offers is the ability to visit these profiles anonymously.  Or not, it’s up to you.  You have the choice.

So last Thursday, I think it was, I was there.  On LinkedIn.  One of my contacts posted about her annoyance with people who check out her profile without revealing their identity.  They use the ‘anonymous’ feature.  She berated LinkedIn for having it.  And said it should no longer be available.

Her point being, privacy has no place on social media.

Well, I disagree.  Pretty strongly, actually.  And added my two cents to the comments already there.  All the other

Day 48. Low Tech

(sigh). (big sigh).

Every time I think I’m finally getting the hang of it, there’s some kind of a glitch; and I find myself right back where I started: Confused.

I am speaking, of course, about all things technical. Specifically, anything to do with my computer, my router, my printer, the Internet and social media. And, for the purposes of today’s story, make that the trials and tribulations of blogging. Technologically speaking.

If you’re reading my blog for the first time, you may not yet know that my objective is to post something new, every day, for three hundred and sixty-five days. A year, in other words. Some days I find have a lot of ideas. So I write them all up, save them, and publish them sequentially, each new day. This is really helpful for those days when I know I will be too busy to carve off a few hours, to write a post.

This has never been a problem.

Until yesterday.

I wrote and posted Friday’s story, first thing Friday morning. Just as I was about to shut down my computer and have breakfast, an idea came to me. So I wrote it up and saved it, for yesterday. When I was done, I remembered that there was something I wanted to check on LinkedIn. Once there, I noticed that the post I had

Day 39. Staying Connected

Everyone’s buzzing about social media. Mostly about Facebook, and its monetary value. I don’t know about that. What I do know, is what it’s worth to me.

To be honest, I don’t know how effective advertising on social media is, or isn’t. I don’t know if it builds brands as effectively as television advertising does. Or anything else, for that matter. Personally, I don’t think so; but truthfully, I haven’t a clue. I don’t know if ‘liking’ a fan page equates to either sales or brand loyalty. My guess is, no, it does not, at least not in most cases. But in all honesty, I have no idea.

Does having thousands and thousands of Twitter followers mean the network won’t cancel your show? Doubt it. But, really, how would I know? Will any of my blogs ever attract enough advertising to earn me a living? Probably not, but some do; and I suppose it could happen.

Will shares in Facebook ever be a good investment? I haven’t the foggiest. Ask Warren Buffett what he thinks. But here’s what I do know:

I love that, through Facebook, I reconnected with a woman I worked with, in my very first job. She was a seasoned pro back then, and she kindly, and generously, took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. When I left after a year she was still there. We met