I’ve been a long-time user of social media though not social media as it exists in its current state, i.e. instant updating, constant connection to the internet, documenting the minutiae of one’s life. I am partial to Twitter because I enjoy connecting with people personally and professionally. I can follow accounts I find interesting, and can put as much or as little time and energy into maintaining my feed as I wish. Even so, I am very aware of privacy issues and am cautious about what I share and where.
The past
When I got my first computer and dial-up internet, I think it was in 1997 or 1998, MSN Messenger quickly became my go-to way of connecting with friends. Though it’s no longer around, MSN Messenger was the gateway to other platforms. I used ICQ for a few years too though not as much as Messenger (Fun fact: I can still remember my ICQ number.) Friendster came along and for a few years that was the social media platform of choice (and one of the only good ones). I didn’t make the jump to MySpace because I didn’t want to maintain another page and wasn’t interested in how picture-heavy it was. Instead, I kept a private LiveJournal that I stopped using a couple years ago, which was mostly my writing.
The present
I have accounts on many social media platforms but only actively maintain Twitter, and to a lesser extent Facebook and LinkedIn. Here’s a short list of my personal social media accounts ranked from most used to least.
Twitter – I use Twitter the most. My curated public lists, to which I add constantly, allow me to follow news, library things/people, books things/people, editing things/people, the Canucks, and food-related things/people. Some lists, like people I know, are private. I used Hootsuite to manage my feed but don’t anymore because the free account option doesn’t allow me to see who has retweeted my tweets.
Facebook – I opened up an account in March 2007 after a friend I was visiting in Australia a few months prior extolled its virtues of being able to connect its users with people from high school. This selling point was a positive affordance at the time that is less so now. It was so positive that I am convinced that my 10-year high school reunion didn’t happen because most had already caught up with anyone who they would’ve talked to at an in-person event. I spend time on Facebook but don’t post very much aside from some travel photos. I keep very tight privacy over my profile and don’t accept requests from people I don’t know personally.
LinkedIn – I opened an account about 4 years ago when I was laid off from a job. I don’t maintain much outside of simple job history and education but I expect once I start looking for full-time library work I will.
Tumblr – I opened an account when I started at SLAIS in September 2013 and had grand ideas of making it my library-related blog. Alas, I have posted a grand total of 3 times so far. I use the app to follow some Tumblrs that know how to do Tumblr really well: Powell’s and The New Yorker.
Goodreads – I finally signed up for an account a few days ago because I needed a better way to track what books I’ve read and what I want to read.
Pinterest – I had an account a couple years ago but found the interface too messy and difficult to navigate. I never figured out exactly what it was about and closed the account.
Professionally, I managed Twitter and Facebook feeds for New Star Books through TweetDeck when Twitter for business was considered an optional undertaking.
The future
In a few short years, we have reached a point where not having a social media presence is considered unusual. On a personal level, social media provides an alternative relationship-building tool and a free way of building one’s personal brand. At a professional level, businesses have been presented with a golden opportunity to engage with customers and to provide a level of customer service that the your-calll-is-important-to-us era does not afford. I’m interested in leveraging the knowledge I acquire in this course in a professional environment. My personal experience with following library Twitter and Facebook feeds indicates that there is much left to tap into and I’d like to be the one to unlock the potential.