How To Avoid the $1 Spam Messages on Facebook

Unless the idea of getting spammy messages from people who don't know you on Facebook is appealing, prepare to change your settings.

When people you don't know have sent you a message on Facebook before, it may have gone into your "other" message box as opposed to your regular inbox.  Now however, Facebook is experimenting with a low percentage of users who will pay $1 to send messages to strangers.  It's bad enough Facebook now allows users to pay $7 to promote their own post to reach people they don't know.  It's like Facebook is trying every back door to create revenue and forgetting what this social network's popularity was based off: Friends connecting.

We suggest you switch to the "strict filtering".  At least it's an option for now. Stay with "basic filtering" and see how it goes.  It'll be a social experiment.

A NEW Facebook Feature You'll Like

While social networking for a client, I saw this nifty new "reply" feature in regards to comments left on a status update for fan pages.  

In this case, it was visible on the Lawrence Public Library but I couldn't find it on any of the other Facebook pages I administer or ones I checked from my personal account. I think it's a good idea for a feature so you can directly respond to a specific comment to a post. It will most certainly help organize the thread visually.  

Have you seen this option yet?

Social Networking for Large Brands Feels Like This...

This is what it feels like working/consulting with international large corporate brands regarding social networking.  They are so stifled only by themselves. Meh.

(I've interacted with some lovely large brands that do a fantastic job through social networks. I also find they are have a history of bravery and creativity online. Bravo to them!)

The Busiest Time on Pinterest Is...

Did you know the busiest day and time for pinning, repinning and perusing Pinterest is... Saturday morning?  Yeppers.

Happy Pinning.

Election Day LIKES

I saw these guys in line today at our voting site, a sweet little church in Prairie Village, KS.  A gentleman with a walker and behind him, a young man who rode over on his skateboard. Both in line to vote.  Wonderful.

I found some cool graphics today as well.

and a favorite

Here's a cool sidewalk chalk drawing

I hope you voted.  I did.

What are Your Favorite Photo Editing Apps & Sites?

If you blog, social network, do marketing, merchandise through photos, are a photographer, or promote anything or anyone using photos you took...  which photo editing app or site do you rely upon?   

This was taken and uploaded to PicMonkey which is my favorite website photo editing page.  Great options and right now it has very clever Halloween ideas for your photographs.  Hats off to my husband, Matt Ceule, who let me vampire up his handsomeness.

This gourd photo was taken with my Droid phone app, Instagram.  It's strictly a phone app and not a website to manipulate photos, unfortunately, for I really like the options.

What do you use?

Perk #11 of Working From Home: Wahlberg, Football & Strangle Hold

Has Technology and Social Media Given the 2012 High School Seniors the Lowest Reading Scores in 40 Years?

Is technology and social  media adversely affecting our tweens and teens in school or... are they just evolving faster?

A rather jolting report came out yesterday, Sept. 24th, 2012, about how unprepared our 2012 high school graduates are for college.  The Washington Times hammered it home by pointing out "Perhaps even more troubling than the college readiness number are the 2012 READING scores. The average score on the SAT's reading portion fell this year to 496 out of a possible 800, its lowest mark since 1972 and down from last year's 497."  Data: High school students aren’t ready for college - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/24/high-school-grads-reading-skills-hit-new-low-most-/#ixzz27UIr3Czr 

My knee jerk reaction is to point a finger the huge surge in cell phone use over the last 5 to 7  years and the ebonics it takes to communicate quickly and efficiently through texting.  In fact if we all strtd typin in textanese, it wud come off a lil mor lik dis form of shorthand n not full words. Cud u handle that? F ur a tween or teen, u cud.   As an adult, I still have to read my 14 year old son's texts out loud.  I suppose if I saw these styles of writing every day in communication with everyone, I'd be pretty darn good at it too.

I heard this summer that nationally, high schools aren't assigning novels that exceed 200 pages anymore, because the students can't maintain the attention for that long.  Sad, strange, makes me furrow my brow and I wince at what they are missing.  However... is this us evolving?   Is it simply we are adapting the way we communicate using our environment of rapid fire technology and availability to so many people at once?  Are our attention spans shorter or are we merely wanting as much information as possible?

I think youth adapt embraced changing the way they communicate because they can. They aren't bogged down with mortgages, insurance rates, raising other humans. They are at a glorious age where they don't fully appreciate or understand the power of effective communication... yet. It's the whole frontal lobe still developing and not understanding the power and consequences of their words, the angst of youth, it's all about  me, I want it now type egocentric lifestyle they are submersed in. Ah, the good old days.  Eventually, they'll want to read and re-read a great novel, a love letter that you want to hang on to for the rest of your life, a poem or a speech that will rattle you to your core.   It's just not their job right now. So they can take traditional methods and tweak them as they see fit.  I don't even think they know we are watching.

    

Our society is certainly more visual than we've ever been.   Instagram and Pinterest's lightening speed rise to popularity are a clear testimony to that effect.  Using a photo in a post on Facebook has proven more than likely to yield greater engagement from friends/followers.  This excites the Facebook algorithms and you're rewarded by getting more of your  messages out to a larger portion of your fans/followers. Even as adults, we are so stretched with our availability, multi-tasking and multi-communicating, we don't really have time to read, but we do have time to see an image.  Infographics are a fantastic summary of a study with graphics, all on one page. See the one at the bottom of this page by http://www.commonsensemedia.org/teen-social-media-infographic .  Great information in a short space. Yes... I have time for that.

If you're an adult and you're reading this, what are you doing?  Are you evolving with technology and with the teens to twenty somethings?  Are you sitting back in  your chair with your arms smugly crossed over your chest and smirking because you think it won't affect you?   Are you kicking and screaming with full on resistance to your keyboard?  Where are you and what is your plan to continue to communicate effectively with the world, with generations, as it evolves around us?

For more thoughts, Here's a blog I posted 2 years ago about how typing classes may be replaced by texting classes. Soon a s d f and ; l k j will be M.I.A.  

Gentle Reminder...

Basic Reasons Pinterest Will Appeal to You, as it did ME

Are you on Pinterest yet?   Do it.

It's motivation, inspirational, hilarious, sultry, informative, educational, delicious... really, which of things do you not want?

Motivational.  You've got it. Love this one. It's on my "Life" board. Take a gander at the motivational photos too.

Sultry. Loads of gorgeous men and women.  Like the handsome Matt Bomer in this photo. The debate for who will play Christian Grey in movie version of the book, Fifty Shades of Grey, is a hot topic on Pinterest. Here's my board "My Boys" so you can see many more men that make our hearts skip a beat.  You're welcome.

Inspirational.  You can't log on without finding inspiration from everywhere. Like this one from my "Garden" board.   I'm always looking for ideas to reflect my family inside the home and OUT.

Humorous photos are always a favorite. This one just makes me smile. I've put it under my favorite category, "Weird Things I Like"  mostly because I didn't know where else to put it. You'll like this board.  It's the board of misfit toys.

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When you first go to the Pinterest home page, it'll ask you to submit your email for a message to join. If you'd like to cut through all of that, give me your email and I'll send it to you immediately. If you have a Pinterest board you particularly enjoy, I want to see it! Post it for me here and I'll follow you.

Happy pinning!
Alexis

Hey 19

We met when he was 19.  
One of my top 5 all time favorite bands is Steely Dan.  
Today is our 19th wedding anniversary.   


In light of this wonderfully thoughtful and funny gift from my romantic man, I  may have to rethink my list for arbitration time... 

also known as, our anniversary.




Thank you Matt.  I don't know how you'll top this. 

The JoyKill of Social Networks...SPAM Hits Pinterest

I knew it wouldn't take long and now that I've seen one spammer, they are flooding the site.  *Sigh*  I clutch my heart and hope to goodness these un-fun spammers don't ruin this wonderfully visual new social network, Pinterest. The photos are lovely and as an information resource for all that is cool, crafty, cooking, clothing and kookie, it's my favorite "time suck" website.

There several ways to SPAM, but these on Pinterest tend to present themselves as one thing, when you click to inquire more, it leads you to another.  Here's an example.

See the darling baby in a lobster costume in the chef's big cooking pot held by his mommy?  I've put a big circle with a line across it to make it easier for you to identify.  You want to know more about that adorable costume?  Forget it, if you click the link you got shot to this website http://healthchildren.net/preserving-your-babys-dental-health/   Uhg.  The user who posted it has 45 boards on Pinterest and only 1 "like".  The jig is up!

Here's an interesting infographic on "social spam" and the lower part on how to be a good social content provider to networks.   Twitter recently took several "Spam Companies" to court!  We're hoping they win.
HAPPY PINNING!

Shoulda Woulda Coulda... Now I Am!

Grilling out in winter, that is.  I should have been doing this all winter!  
In Kansas City, this has been a non winter event.  3" of snow, total. Last year, 42", the winter before 41".  Not sure what's going on, but no one is actually complaining over here.

Plus, inspecting my backyard, my HOSTAS are coming up!  That usually doesn't happen until the first week in April.  Bonus.

Droid Photo a Day - Feb 22nd Car Thru Storefront

Someone had a bad day.  Fortunately, no one was hurt.

(used Enhanced Process on PicPlz.com for Droid)

These Shoes Ruined My Knees

Yes, these innocent looking shoes.

They are simple saddle shoes. 


I wore them from 4th grade through high school, cheerleading. 

Jumping, cheering, they supported me as I supported the team as the base of every pyramid, wearing them in and out of school, on and off school season. There is no arch support, they are slippery as heck (great for hanging on the back bumper of cars and hitching a lift up a steep hill on a snowy day) and really, what goes with a clunky black and white shoe?


Truth be told, they are my favorites. I created a slew of wonderful memories in them.  Some I could tell you, some I would rather not.  Saddle shoes were crazy comfortable and they worked well with jeans, which are a staple of my current wardrobe.  


I want to thank Candice Riddle who posted them on her Childhood Memories Board on Pinterest.  Take a look... and be ready to have your head swirl in memories!

My knees haven't heeled completely, but I'm willing to blame lots of other fun activities in my 20's and 30's toward the damage done to them.  I'm ready to trade in my nurse looking Sketchers Shape Ups for the awesomeness of the saddle shoe.

If you know where I can get saddle shoes, leave me a comment.

Keep Calm and We Don't Have Enough of These

Meh!

Facebook needs this.

Social Media Just Got Cozier with Concerts

As if tweeting live from a concert wasn't cool enough, now you can check out where your friends are sitting at a concert before you even purchase your tickets!  All they have to do is tag themselves on the seating chart when they purchase and anyone else too.  What a great use of being social.


Click here to see an example: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0600477DF12BF071

You Won't Even Have to Smile for the Birdy

What a great idea this photograph is!  Think about it... for a holiday greeting card, of all the places you went that year.  this would work for a specific vacation, or college life, or summer camp, or just for scrapbooking.   With the incredible resolutions on camera phones today, why wouldn't you do this?

 My head is spinning with the possibilities.   Great option for the camera shy folks too.

Droid Photo a Day - Jan 16th Winter: NOT!

Crazy Kansas winter weather we're having.  At this time last year we had over 2 feet of snow by now. This year, merely a dusting.  No one is complaining. 

Droid Photo a Day - Jan 15th Play Ball!

(Russian Toy Camera effect)

Droid Photo a Day - Jan 14th Everyone Wrap Up!

Droid Photo a Day - Jan. 11th. 2 Beauties

I had a lovely lunch with Christine and Molly today.  

Cross Processing on PicPlz.com

Droid Photo a Day - Jan 9th

The frost this morning on neighboring Meadowbrook Country Club's golf course, was gorgeous!  Plus it's the closest thing we've seen to snow this winter.

Oh the Horror of this Confession!

I really enjoy horror movies.  

Another confession:  I laugh when it gets scary.

Recently I hooked up with the Kansas City Horror Club (685 strong!) and they too like horror movies and tend to get a good laugh from them.  The photo above is of  Justin Gardner and Curtis Smith, two longtime members.

I've tried for years to get people to join me at the theatre for some good screaming fun on opening nights or weekends of horror, without much luck.  So imagine my joy in finding this group on Facebook!  We've been communicating through posts on the club page via Facebook, about various horror movies and reviews, and many signed up to see this movie, The Devil Inside, together at this event.  

They are my peeps.

I got cool swag for showing up too. 

I got this cool poster for The Devil Inside, an awesome hat and a horror book!

The book came from a librarian who is an fanatic in the horror genre.  She brought 6 books as giveaways.  Cool.   One guy is totally into 70's and 80's slasher films. Another just got done editing a movie before he came to the theatre.  Another works for movie giant, AMC Theaters and helps pull these viewings together. There was a husband and wife team who had already seen The Devil Inside, but wanted to hang out with the group on this day too.  That's a nice testimony to the club.

I met in person and had a nice conversation with about a dozen people, before the show even started.  The nice thing was, I knew many of them before we met, because of Facebook and the interactions and familiarity on there.   

You've gotta love the power of social networking.

Droid Photo a Day - Jan 7th

KC Horror Club at "The Devil Inside"

Droid Photo a Day Jan. 7th - Ratatatt Kat

Meet @KUTattKat, a Jayhawk fan.  What a fan, what a fan, what a mighty good fan... a mighty mighty good fan, OOP!

taken at  @JohnnysTaverns in Power & Light in KC, MO

Stop. Collaborate and Glitter

For the last couple of years, I've had a glitter house party over the holidays with some of my friends.  They have to make their house. I do this not only to get out of sending cards (yes, yes, I know) but to purty up their own home, but to have a few laughs, drink a few drinks and get caught up with each other too.  This year the masterpieces were more beautiful than last year!  As if something completely glitterfied isn't awesome enough, the end products just keep getting better and better.


Last year we churned out these kinds of beauties:  This is Susann Ogg's.

We hit the dime stores for the trees, fake lights for the roof, parchment paper for the windows, battery lights for inside the houses, wreaths and tchotckes throughout. We were happy.
This year, some new items. I got fencing, more crapola to put on the house and around it, more plants, different ornamental pieces for the where ever one wanted...  and here are a few of the results:
  
Kim Howie:  Kim is an professional artist and it was fun to watch her process every move.  She was very observant to see what others were using and thank God this activity wasn't beneath her. LOL! It was her first attempt and I love love love the red roof! 

 This is Susann Ogg's house this year:  We all definitely piled it on more than last year.  She brought items she had searched for, far and wide.  The bottle brush pink and white tree from TJ Maxx, along with the icicle trims around the roofline, the borders around the windows... it all worked.

Here's Susann's village of houses from years past.

My 9 yr old daughter, In typical tween fashion, reaffirmed that you can never have enough glitter or crap on your house. She even put a tree INSIDE the home, a deer at the door (she even glittered it!) and originally had the silver pipe cleaner curled like smoke coming from the chimney.  Kim Howie added the pillow stuffing inside of the curl for a more real smokey effect.  Brilliant.

This is my house.  It's hard to tell, but I put red glitter on the reindeer's nose and put that sucka on top of the house.  Was he waiting for Santa?  Got left behind? I'll let you decide.  I took the smoke idea, the fencing idea and the scrolly swirls for the sides of the house, from others.  

There were 4 others who decorated, but they took theirs home before I could clean the glitter off my hands and the hot glue from my fingertips enough to snap a shot.  We can't wait to do this again. Everyone's already on Pinterest and Ebay to find the best enhancements for next year. We'll collaborate.  We'll glitter.