Dec 25, 2008 | blog
Try as I might, I couldn’t find the post that I thought I wrote about Moleskines some time ago. I think it was about a year ago a couple of online friends and I had a chance to finally meet and talk in person. It was a local version of LifeCamp, and it was Jason DeBoer-Moran (@newcoventry on Twitter) and Thomas Knoll (@thomasknoll on Twitter) along with a few more folks looking to organize and prioritize our lives these days.
One of the biggest take-away’s for me from that first meetup with my now-good friends was the importance of keeping track of thoughts and ideas. While these guys had been doing this for some time, it was a new initiative for me to keep something close to hand to quickly capture those moments of inspiration. The best device to record this information seemed to be a simple notebook.
However, I wanted to find something that was as rewarding to write in as the thoughts I was trying to capture. This is where the Moleskine comes in. Sure, lots of folks are turning back to these traditional mobile information gathering notebooks – to the point of it being cliche. The thing is though, I really enjoy these notebooks. They seem to reward the writer with a great feeling when writing in them.
For me in particular, these notebooks bring a sense of permanence to the things I’m writing. They bring a connection to the past, and offer a way to tap into the legacy of pen & paper in a way that the average ringed notebook found at your local big box discount store for 99¢ simply can’t. If you’re looking for it, a Moleskine can’t be beat for bringing another dimension to note taking or journaling. Give it a try for your next journal and see if it helps to inspire and capture the ideas, stories, and things that you’re trying to save.
Dec 25, 2008 | happiness
The wondrous effects of snow in the northland.
Dec 24, 2008 | blog
I’ve been working in the technology field for a long time and the thing that really keeps me engaged is the fact that it’s always changing. Technology evolves and there is a constant need to be upgrading or planning on upgrading. It’s made a great career for myself with a number of great projects and experiences that I can look back on with fond memories.
"IT" as it’s called has also enabled me to push boundaries that were uncomfortable for me, allowing me to grow and continue to learn about things that I needed to but was uninterested in. To my mind, this is what a career should deliver; experiences, personal growth, team participation, leadership, and providing a decent living for a family. This is something that a technology career has rewarded me with for my investment.
So with that knowledge, experience and expectation, I wonder just how big the social media market is for it’s practitioners. As every site integrates more social media and "web 2.0" technologies and methods, how will social media professionals remain in demand? Ensuing generations will be even more well versed in the concepts, tools, technologies than even the much celebrated millennials today.
As the online world continues to circle around and pick up the once-forgotten "human face" that it lacked in the .com boom/bust, it becomes harder to distinguish just what a social media professional is. I fear that most of them will simply be absorbed into the existing professions as Marketing and Public Relations – already, the social media sphere is mostly made up of this demographic.
Am I off base here or is there really a career path for social media specialists or professionals as we know them today? Or will it just become another skill listed by bullet point on the resume of future marketing professionals? What do you think?
Photo credit: Jay Dugger
Dec 24, 2008 | happiness
Enjoying the warmth of the Christmas spirit.
Dec 13, 2008 | happiness
Believing in and acting upon your dreams.
