Summary:
goodreads is the bomb. twitter is occasional. facebook works well for events, reuniting with friends of yore and accrues my activity in certain applications. flickr is a nice home for my photos and a powerful photo sharing network. lala is worth every penny. myrockstar.com is fun. I’m free, but i’m focused.  In less than ten days of walking away and refusing to get caught up in the notion of a “brand,” it makes sense. I still see the personal brand managers who clearly build a brand for themselves for no apparent reason. tag tag tag without thought. vanity startups. hurting each other, spreading gossip – it’s all moot.  Just ten short days ago, however, i did care. I suppose the shift comes from turning my back to bad behavior  (including my own) and opting to embrace productivity, letting go of trying to change the world. letting go of feeling guilty just for existing.

i’ve made a complete decision.
I’d rather be whole than good.

The locked twitter account makes it less meaningful to me. I don’t need it for SEO, I don’t want it for SEO, and if I don’t want you to see me, you can’t. Though admittedly, I’ve “accepted” all applicants. The nature of my tweets hasn’t changed.  While it’s only been ten days, there has been no direct effect on my personal career….other than one thing: the ability to share links outside of the twitter network and the fun/ functionality of participating in memes.  Which, frankly, is an asset to anyone who wants to help drum up attention for another piece of information online.

one major observation: if sharing is caring then social network privacy is a conundrum. limitation of information sharing can reduce the information to nonexistent – where it could otherwise exist as an available form of data in the great big library in the sky. Removing the elements of open web community requires strategic acknowledgement that shared information only becomes available to a 1 or 2 way subscription model.  The goal of information sharing dictates the value of an open channel.

I’m glad i don’t need this to survive professionally (so far), though most of my opportunities require me to prove my social network prowess (so the results remain to be seen).  Ten days in, i don’t really notice the absence of social networks as part of my daily routine, though i’ve been signed in as other artists and labels, creating profiles all week long. I have noticed there are specific benefits to my career for being good at using them. If i had not used facebook for events these last 10 days, and did not use the button in my toolbar to share links on facebook,  i would not have noticed the new “like” commentary feature in the platform.  Emotion: Satisfaction

Today report:
Twitter was fun (emotion: happy)  today thanks to 1234567890 day and the subsequent discovery that so many of my friends have passion for the unix operating system.  In the last 3 days 4 different friends have noted “i miss your tweets” and 2 different friends instant messaged me to ask why my feed was private.

“What’s the matter? got a stalker?”
“yes, more than one over the last few years….but that’s not why i did it. I just wanted to see how i’d feel.”

we’re still humans right?  I’m feeling pretty good today (emotion: positively happy).  Have a great weekend, internets.

Withdrawal Report/ Some Observations:

- tweeted 4 times during grammys, felt joyful and fun.
- found new bio photo for panels & speaking opps & was tempted to put it up as my twitter photo, facebook, all branding outlets…but didn’t.
- feeling happiness over new relationship with blog. blogged more than usual.
- logged into facebook for events after an email prompt, found that i’d been tagged in a photo from BAGeL Radio’s awesome bday party. felt happiness, the photo won’t offend anyone, i left the tag up and revelled in the memory (GREAT SHOW OMG)

Bizarre Real-Life Situation: Creepiest Power Outage (EVER)

While finishing Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the power in my house went out. I’m afraid of the dark, and was alone in a 3 story home.  Fear of darkness started about 6 months ago at the ripe young age of 35. So, i did the only logical thing: i lit a comical number of tealights, so that my room was bright enough to…..continue reading The Road.  (oh hai masochist!)  …..and I finished it in the dark. I can’t think of a better way to confront fear of darkness.  And here i am, telling the story from the light.  Yes, today I am that much stronger. I relied on my iPhone and laptop batteries, both which lasted the full 150 minute power outage.  Hello strength, goodbye nightlight?  ::one day at a time::

More Ongoing Observations:

a few great conversations with friends around the theme “it’s all fun until someone gets hurt” – general consensus seems to be that more individuals within the SF social network bubble are suffering lately. It is a combination of overstimulation, economic fear (and envy), and relationships which are hardly perfect and more often flawed in ways that can’t be sorted out in a digital platform.

some random thoughts and actions:

really deciding that i want no part of the “hurt” – when it does or does not involve me.  Made vow to not post pictures in facebook which could hurt another person, with or without privacy settings. Noticed my friend changed a relationship status, and felt sad for him/her. quickly logged out and instead made human contact with that same friend.  I will never understand the comments on relationship “news” on facebook even if they are good positive comments for a relationship “announcement.”  It seems like an excessive part of the platform designed for eventual pain. As i said, married/ not married is fairly concrete, but everything else in between is nothing less than an ongoing mystery of complication. Sometimes (and often) wonderful, but all part of a journey which might be better left out of social networks and within the walls of the relationships themselves.  Didn’t we outgrow it in college, or do some kids still want a lavalier? I’ve seen both sides, and decided to keep it simple and therefore personal.  but still, i’m one day at a timing. what do i know. not much….and that’s all i do know.