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I  had a conversation recently with a peer.  This peer happened to be a work colleague and I was trying to explain the benefits of social networking in the work place.

Now I have to add that work colleague is from the generation above me.  They have survived life away from Sky television, mobiles and even faxes (as have I), but they have just spent that little bit longer than me doing so.

The conversation went as follows:

Me: "Ah, just tweeted out that promotion, time for a coffee".
Colleague:  "tweeted?"
Me: "Yes as in twitter.  I have put a message on twitter to all the people who follow us about that promotion".
Colleague:  "Followers?"
Me: "BIG SIGH"

You see some people just don't get it.  And never will.

Don't get me wrong.  When facebook was first introduced to me, the only experience I had of social networking was the kids (I speak of others, the younger generation, not my own kids who were not around then!) talking about MySpace.  Oh and a bit about chat rooms.  But when I recieved that invitation to Facebook I had just given birth to my eldest son and wanted to show him off to the masses, which I did.

Admittedly Twitter took a little longer to get used to.  But now I flit between the two depending on what social (ahem sorry SOCIAL network) mood I am in, or depending on the needs of my business.

However when talking to the people who just don't the whole social networking thing, I do feel like I need to elborate on the language.  Have any of these appeared in the Oxford Dictionary yet?

Tweet
DM
IM
Retweet
RT
Facebooked
Liked
#

Mmm put like that I can see what they mean.

Do you "get" social networking?

 
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My twitter time line is full of swearing, my husband is shouting at the telly and there is a familiar drone coming from the telly.  That God awful noise of crowds chanting, of whistles blowing, and over-paid young men throwing themselves and and down a football pitch.  Yes, its the bloody Euro Football Cup Champions League Country Final thing.  And I hate it.

I haven't always hated football.  Being the youngest of 3 girls, my Dad had high hopes that may be this time, just maybe his youngest daughter would have a little interest in the game that he loved so much. 

I have a hazy recollection of collecting Panini stickers for the 1986 World Cup, and often shock male peers with my knowledge of footballers from around that time.

Needless to say my brief love affair with the wonderful game quikly disappeared along with Englands' World Cup dreams, and my Panini book became relegated to the bottom of my sock drawer to help keep the bottom from falling out.

It was at this point my Dad lost interest in trying to prise me away from my books to watch a football match with him.  The closest I think he got was my participation in helping him with the weekly "spot the ball" competition (we never won).

I feigned some interest when I started dating my now husband.  I would stand dutifully at the side lines of his teams' football match cheering them on.  I would sit awkwardly week on week in the club house bar, smoking endless Mayfair Lights and supping pints (pretty classy back then...!) whilst my eyes glazed over listening to the men and their football talk.  Concentrating more on the need NOT to go to the toilet so I wouldn't have to venture into the "ladies"...brrrr the memories.

With the honeymoon well and truely over, I was happy for the men to do their football thing, and I was rolled out at every England Euro or World match when it was clear to me that there was going to be lots alcohol involved.

But over the years my dwindling interest in football has turned to resentment.  Once famed for their talents (and I am not doubting this), the footballers of this generation are more about the sponsorship, celebrity and waif-wife. Their weddings are plastered over the glossies, their affairs are splattered over the tabloids and their childrens faces hidden from public view.  Yet on they strut at each match.  Looking coifed and chisled to within an inch of their lives, only to roll around like they are have been shot if an opponent happens to knock a carefully gelled hair out of place.  I find it rather sickening.

However, there was a little glimmer of  a few weeks back.  Whilst flicking through the channels I happened to find Soccor Aid.  Ok granted I was only drawn to this when I see the gorgeous Robbie Williams looking very fine as he was limbering up at the side of the pitch, but aside from this capturing my attention, I did watch the match for a good 20 minutes. And it was then that I realised that if every football match was like this, I would watch a lot more football. 

Yes it was slower, the skills were not honed, and quite frankly I was worried for a lot of the older players/celebrities old tickers as they huffed and puffed up and down the pitch.  But the game was friendly, they all seemed to be enjoying it, and I am told it raised a lot of money for charity.

So I guess its not the game I hate, its the players, the attitude and everything that surrounds the footballing industry.

How do you feel about it?


 
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Well all know one, may be two.  If you have lots of friends you may even have half a dozen.  They lurk within the realms of their Ipads, Iphones, lap tops and work desk tops.  Waiting, just waiting for the oppurtunity to worm their way out and try and make you feel as small as possible. 

I am talking, of course, about the Facebook Braggers.

Ok ok, I know we ALL have an element of this inside of us.  What's the point of updating our status unless its to shout something from the roof tops?  We all do it.  But there are some who do it ALL THE TIME.

Quite recently I have been on the verge of deleting a certain someone from my friends list because of this.  Once intrigued about this persons life (as we used to be back in the day when Facebook was a novelty), I now have the urge to make negative comments every time they post an update (I never do).  They irritate the hell out of me with their daily comments that seem to somehow have the knack of touching every fibre of every nerve in my body.

If I have had a rough night with the kids, you can bet your bottom dollar that this person will post the next morning about the amount of sleep they have had and how they are feeling refreshed.  Money worries? Its a dead cert that this person will post about a bonus they have been given or how they are booking their next luxurious holiday.  Crap day at the office?  Ah dont worry this person has just got a promotion.  And those days when the kids have been absolute devils? Their cherubs and their achievements are plastered all over my timeline.

I sound mean, bitter and jealous.  Its not how its meant to come across.  But sometimes the Facebook Braggers we all know and detest can get right on our humps.

So will I ever delete them?  I doubt it.  Its not their fault really.  They are doing what we all do.  Being proud of the good things in their life and why not at the end of the day? 

And besides, I have every certainty that I am someone elses Facebook Bragger, but they wont be so rude as to blog about me....yet!

DISCLAIMER: This blog post has NOT been advtertised on Facebook.




 
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Last week I received a picture via email from my sister.  The subject was "Crocodile tears or what" and when I opened it, there in front of me was couple crying in front of a gaggle of press. I had no idea who they were.

Shamefully, I replied "whats all this about then?"

After receiving an email back asking where the hell I have been the past week, I then googled the names. I found out it was the story that rocked the nation recently of the house fire in Derby which claimed 6 innocent lives, all children.

Of course I had heard of this.  I am surrounded by media.  Whether it be on my phone, online, through Twitter, Facebook, News App etc.  But then it dawned on me.  When was the last time I actually sat down and watched a News programme?

When I was younger it was all my parents seemed to want to do.  6pm came (signalling the end of Neighbours) and on came the News.  I then had half hour of boredom whilst they sat glued to some boring story or another, before the weather came on and it was then time for me to get ready for bed.

I remember this routine very clearly because it was just that, routine.  It helped that there were only 4 channels on the television back then.  And it also sticks in my mind so vividly as I was a human remote control - "Colette, can you just pop it onto 1 for us love".

Because of this routine, when I was an adult and able to make my own television choices I rebelled against the news somewhat.  I would catch it when I had to.  Whilst having a cigarette in the company's smoking break room (those were the days) for example, or glancing down from the glossies to read the headlines.  Current affairs mattered to me of course, but back in my 20's it was on a need to know basis.

I did some growing up and found myself reverting back to the old routine. I now had a steady 9-5 job, my own flat and watching the News of an evening whilst having my evening meal was a way of winding down and catching up with the world.

Then the kids came.

It all started with Baby TV and progressed from there.

Now unless the news is inbetween Ben 10 and Peppa Pig, I will have no idea of the worlds' current affairs.

This is a fact that I am ashamed of so I am now making a point of watching at least 10 minutes of the morning news before work.  If this doesnt happen I grab 10 minutes at my desk at work and flick onto a News website for a catch up.

I now feel this helps me feel a little bit a part of the grown up world.

Have you found that balance?