IT’S THURDAY 30th June 2011 and around the world tweetups (‘meetups’ for the untwittered) are taking place, events being run and drinks being drunk. It’s a celebration for all that is ‘social media’, in all of its guises and platforms, in all of its fads and fashions, its famous and its failures.
Here in sunny downtown Adelaide, our own Michelle Prak has written a fabulous post about what ‘social media’ means to her. To quote but an extract:
found buddies that I can sound out for good professional advice like @twillyon, @oliyoung, @malchia, @aqualung, @leehopkins, @stevedavis and a hundred more
…
gained speaking opportunities including the chance to lecture at university; free headbands from Bjorn Borg corporation after tweeting about headbands; helped found the very supportive and informative #socadl community; won book pack from @dymocksadelaide
Of course, finding me is a highlight of Michelle’s life [this author’s tongue VERY much in cheek] and in all seriousness I’m pleased that I’ve been able to help her get a webinar gig with the PRIA, which naturally was a smashing success.
To plagiarise Michelle’s theme, and to add to previous posts I’ve made about the blessings that social media has given me, let me simply state that without social media I wouldn’t have met Shel Holtz, through whom I met Allan Jenkins. Allan has passed all of the tests and qualifies as a world-class friend, one of those three or four people you can truly count as ‘dear friends’ in your life, not merely good acquaintances. I have no doubt that if time were to give us the opportunity, Shel might equally sit in my inner circle. I already feel sorry for him.
Without social media I would not have been given the opportunity to travel the world, speaking to fellow evangelists and newcomers alike about the joys and benefits, as well as the risks, of social media. Without social media I would not have been able to connect with like minds like Michelle, with Tom Williamson, with Shai Coggins, with the wonderful Andrea Matthews and with Trib, Laurel Papworth and Gary Hayes.
Without social media I would have missed out on so many things and I count my blessings today on what this social media nonsense (“it’s only a fad”) has and continues to give me.
To my clients, my friends, my new friends and the friends I am yet to meet – thank you for everything.
