LC from Laguna Beach to the Hollywood Hills.. December 15, 2009

Have you ever watched Laguna Beach or The Hills on MTV? Have you ever read her book L.A Candy or checked out her latest fashion line? If so, you know that this celebrity has superb talent and excellent creativity. Since Laguna Beach came on MTV in 2004, her fan base has grown to an extraordinary number. As her fashion progressed over the years so did her career. This celebrity is only beginning to expand her horizons. On Twitter she shares her daily activities and posts fun pictures for her friends and fans.

I think it’s interesting that Lauren is only following 31 people and has 798,139 followers. The number of people interested in finding out information about this celebrity through this social network is unbelievable. After looking through the people she is following, I recognized some of her old cast mates from her shows and other well known celebrities. Eleven of the thirty-one people she is following are not celebrities. I like how Lauren is only following friends or people that she likes to communicate with and not a bunch of random people. Since I like this celebrity, following her on Twitter is a great way for me to find out about new projects she is working on! I read her book L.A. Candy over the summer and loved it! She is coming out with a sequel to this book in February called Sweet Little Lies! Any one that likes her will mostly likely love this book! Check it out!

Also, she is currently working on a style guide. Ladies, get ready because I’m sure it is going to be awesome!

Click on the link to go to Lauren’s official website! http://www.laurenconrad.com/

The Tweets of a Cartoonist December 14, 2009

One interesting person that I decided to follow on Twitter is Chris Haley. Haley is a cartoonist who, along with Curt Franklin, has created the website Let’s Be Friends Again. The site shows cartoons, either new or from their book Let’s Be Friends Again Volume 1: Under Pressure. Their comics are supposed to be simple comics about comics.

On Twitter, Haley follows many other cartoonists. Without even having to look at most of his friends twitter pages, I can tell that the majority is at least interested in comics because their picture is a cartoon. He also follows a few rock bands and a few graphic designers. Furthermore, I can tell that he has an interest and appreciation for all of the arts, not just in his own field.

His tweets are mostly about his day-to-day activities and interesting things he has discovered. Occasionally, he’ll post a picture or two. Both his main picture and his background have comics in them. Below is a comic from his website.

Twitter helps you Remember the Milk December 5, 2009

Twitter can do a lot of things. It can help you communicate with others about what you are doing, read about others, and make new friends. Now, twitter can even be your own personal agenda book.

With the Remember the Milk application, you can send tasks to yourself as a direct message and cross them off when you’re finished them. You can even send messages to your friends reminding them to do something.

This task, in my opinion, is most useful when used on your phone. If you’re a teacher and you have to remember to grade papers or create a specific part of a lesson plan for the next day, you can send yourself a reminder. When you get home and log onto facebook, you will instantly be reminded when you look at your direct messages.

The same goes for students. You can remind yourself to about a paper that is due, to study for a math quiz, or to read your history text book.

Remember the milk is a great application, especially for those who, like myself, are a little disorganized. A subtle reminder like this will remind you to do something instead of spending a ton of time browsing the web.

How Much Do You Tweet? November 23, 2009

After reading different articles and familiarizing myself with Twitter I find it very interesting that so many people are obsessed with it. If you are following people with the same interests as you it is fun to see their daily routines and activities. However, I am not quite sure why they like to update every thing they do all day long. Twitter is a social network that allows people to express their thoughts and feelings and is definitely not a place for people that are reserved. People portray who they are to the world through their tweets. Also, it is unique that one tweet can start a conversation between many different people. The progression of Twitter over the years has presented many different accessible features to the public to enhance their main page.

I personally like twitter to follow the celebrities I like. I find this interesting because their accounts are really theirs and it is not a fan updating different information/pictures about them. In addition, their twitter page is their own space to show the world who they are off the red carpet by expressing themselves through their writing.

Below is a video that I found on YouTube that I think is interesting. This girl makes up a song about twitter to the tune of Rockin’ Robin and in the song describes what twitter has to offer. It is funny to me that some people make videos about twitter and other social networks for fun. Unless, a person has a lot of free time, it is a very time consuming process that I would never par take in. If you are interested in listening to this girl sing about twitter, then click the play button below!

 

Does Twitter Damage Your Social Skills? November 22, 2009

Many people who don’t use social networking websites believe that they are a waste of time. To someone who doesn’t use Twitter, it seems pointless to constantly be tweeting about everything you are doing. Does it really matter if your friends know that you had bacon and eggs for breakfast or that you’re about to go to the grocery store? Does updating your page really consume your whole life? Does your social life in the real world suffer?

Social networking sites were actually intended to do the opposite. Through Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and other outlets, users can meet or connect with people they wouldn’t otherwise. Communication is simple; you can communicate with many people at the click of a mouse. Through events pages and status updates, you always know what your friends are up to. This can show you more about who these people are or even give you something to do. Though some believe that social networking sites can be harmful, if used the right way, they can really enhance your social life in ways that would be impossible without the internet.

The Impact Facebook has on the Dictionary November 22, 2009

We all know that social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook are affecting the way we communicate with others. Instead of driving to someones’ house or even picking up a phone, people are often choosing to instant message, private message, or public message others on the web.

One way that these websites are impacting us that we may not think about is the creation of terms that become part of our everyday language. Terms such as newsfeed, blog, and wall post would not have been created if it wasn’t for social networking sites. Some words, such as “unfriend” have even made it to the dictionary. Also, These sites come up with new definitions for words we already use such as “tweet” on Twitter and “friend (as a verb)” on Facebook and Myspace. As these websites expand and new ones keep popping up, new words will continue to be created and used all over the world.

Twalala la la, la la la la! November 19, 2009

Twitter is something that has become a norm in society. I was always familiar with its purpose but never created an account until last Thursday. After looking through a bunch of interesting applications, I came across one I liked called Twalala. I think this app is beneficial for avid twitter users because it gives people the opportunity to control what they can and cannot see on their own page. It is a mute button for the twitter world! In addition, it is a great way for people to get rid of tweets about uninteresting topics or block annoying chatty people. It is simple and easy to control and could be the answer to many problems! However, the layout is different from a normal twitter page because the twitterfeed is the only thing aligned down the center of the page. All of the tweets from people you are following are visible and there is the option to mute or reply to that specific tweet. Also, while in this app by clicking on a person’s name, you can look at an quick overview of their twitter account. This application allows tweeting to take place but just adds the simple option of muting. In order to filter tweets, type in common words/ phrases or click the red circle to “mute” the people you choose.

Interested?! Check it out or even try it out! http://www.twalala.com/login