DSA Online | New Media Updates

Lately, I have been frequently asked by clients, friends and colleagues my opinion about twitter. Most often, the newly signed on ask themselves “what’s the point” and their first 5 or so messages convey this very sentiment. I have been maintaining a personal twitter account for more than a year and recently started up a new account specifically for this blog (as you can see in the left hand sidebar)**. To some, this social tool seems like internet overkill and to others the microblogging tool that suits their every need. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Twitter and analyze whether or not microblogging is something you should add to your personal OR business internet arsenal.

What is twitter?
Twitter is a social networking tool that allows users to “micro-blog” (blog with a limited number of characters). People update their “profiles” not unlike Facebook, with mini updates which is then fed to the community following that account.

Using Twitter is quite simple:

1. You create an account
2. You tell your friends.
3. You update “what you’re doing” from the web or your mobile in 140 characters.

Here’s a sample day for my personal twitter feed:

• Kathryn is impressed by this Vancouver morning (attach a picture using twitpic).
• Kathryn is heading to this business meeting followed by a BOOSTER JUICE!!
• Kathryn is enjoying her Macha Monsoon. <3 (attach a goofy picture of me drinking my boosterjuice – label facing out).
• Kathryn is heading to Tuesday night movie night.

Persons who are following my account regularly would know that I am currently in Vancouver, that I have a booster juice addiction, and that I regularly attend a movie night. It definitely answers the questions “What is Kathryn doing?“; however, the natural next question is “Who cares?”.

Read more

My recent trip to Regina in the middle of winter was an eye opening experience. Let me rephrase…it was an eye-freezing, lids can’t shut, tears falling as soon as you’re in the car experience. While I am quite aware that Sask/Manitoba winters are legend, my wimpy BC butt was sure that the threat of minus thirty weather was grossly exaggerated. I shook off their warnings, letting them know that I had lived in the country in Ontario for half of a decade. I had traveled to Edmonton the winter before during a snow storm and drove around the city in a car with limited heating. I had gone on Girl Guide trips up the mountains and had been snow camping several times. I was hardcore and I knew cold.

I stand corrected.

This past summer, when I traveled out to Regina & Saskatoon, I was impressed at how very green both cities were. I was glad that it wasn’t my first trip or I would have been convinced that Regina isn’t so different from Victoria or Calgary (if you can ignore those pesky mountains and that little ocean). Their unseasonably green and mild summer made for a very pleasant trip and I stayed out late all week walking around the city. Last year (2007), the summer was hot, dry and dusty and I received more than my fair share of head shakes from the locals when I decided to power walk about the city at high noon. Jump back another summer, and I found myself in Calgary. Again, this western-weenie took flack for my vegetarian diet and desire to recycle everything in sight. I had to head out a week prior to Stampede. I still regret it.

While I could never call myself a local in any other city than Vancouver, I won’t embarrass myself on the streets of any major Canadian city having been fortunate enough to visit most of them (Maritimes 2010???) and having gotten the chance to get my foreigner faux-pas out of the way. But, I am very aware that each province has it’s own quirks and anytime I have been too “big-city” to set aside my pride and ask for tips before coming to town, I have found myself overdressed or hanging out in my hotel room waiting to fly out again.

Read more