My Second Chance

Around the time I started the graduate program at NYU, I was offered an opportunity to write online content for XXLmag.com on a part-time basis. I was put on a trial, along with a few other people, and was told that a decision would be made about who they wanted to hire in  30 days.

I will never forget the day my first article was published. I must have emailed, texted, called and Facebook messaged everyone I knew. (In case you’re wondering why I didn’t send any tweets, it’s because I didn’t have a Twitter account at the time.) I just knew they were going to hire me and when they didn’t, I thought my shot at writing online content was over; however, as you can see, I thought wrong.

Starting a blog  allowed me to have a second chance at writing for the masses (or for the few). What makes blogging better than writing for an online publication is I get to write what I want when I want.  Joining the blogosphere started out as a requirement for a graduate course, but it ended up being something that I enjoy doing and something I will continue to do after my class is over.

What I love most about blogging is I get to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences with people. In particular, sharing  my experience on my birthday made me feel like I had been heard. I felt powerful in a sense because I was able to reach more people by blogging than calling  or emailing.

Blogging has also made me become more  confident about writing. I took chances and wasn’t sure about some of my posts, but  the comments I received really made me believe in my writing. I would be lying if I told you blogging  hasn’t been tough at times. The biggest challenge I  had with blogging is coming up with a topic to write about every week. This problem ended up working to my advantage because now my brain is programmed to look or listen out for things that would be interesting to write about. In fact, I have two topics I plan on writing about based on some things I encountered last weekend.

I looked at my posts from the beginning of the semester until now and I can see the improvement I have made. I only hope that I can continue to get better and come up with new and interesting topics to write about. The one thing I do know is  I will try hard.

Stop Telephoning Me

This is how most people use their phones

How many calls do you make on your cell phone per day? I’m talking about  real phone calls where you actually hear a ringer and then a voice on the other end.  How many cell phone commercials do you see emphasize great voice features or few dropped calls? Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of a commercial that emphasizes great voice features, but you know what I am getting at. Cell phones are no longer designed for calling people because people prefer not to be telephoned. You don’t believe me? Read about the new phones that are coming out.

Old School

I am not opposed to the way phones are designed and used now. Take a look at the picture on the left. If cell phones still looked like this, all men would have no choice but to carry murses.  I too prefer not to be telephoned,  but I have a good reason for it. In fact, I have a few good reasons.

Reason Number 1: People Don’t Get The Hint

Has someone ever called you while you were watching a movie, having dinner, doing homework, or just preoccupied? If so, when you told that person what you were doing, did  he/she  immediately get off of the phone? If your answer is yes, then you are pretty lucky, or perhaps I just give out my number to the wrong people.

Reason No. 2: People Do Not Know How To Get Off Of The Phone

There are people in this world who just love to talk on the phone; I am not one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I like to talk on the phone sometimes, but not all of the time. Have you ever had a hard time getting someone off of the phone? Have you had to say things like you’re about to go or you have to run, but they just keep on talking?  If not, I really must have given my number out to the wrong people.  There have been a few times where I had to say my phone was dying just so I could get off of the phone.

Reason No. 3: It’s Inconvenient

Imagine if everyone who wished you a happy birthday on your Facebook wall decided to call you instead. It would actually be an annoying birthday instead of a happy one, right?  What about the holidays? Isn’t texting a group of people at once so much less of a hassle than calling every friend or family member? You definitely have to still call the real important people (parents and grandparents), but you can get away with  texting, tweeting, emailing or messaging everyone else.

Even though I don’t telephone much or prefer to be telephoned, I recognize its importance and its value. There will always be some situations that require a human voice. Do you agree or do you think we can communicate just fine without calling?

What Happened To The 40/40 Club?

ESPN Room

Have you ever gone to an establishment and spent your hard-earned money only to be mistreated?  Have you ever waited on hold or on line for an excruciating amount of time and received attitude instead of customer service? In the past, if an issue couldn’t be resolved with a manager, people would write a letter and tell a few friends. Now we  have tools available that  allow us to share our experiences with the world, which is what I intend to do.

I was always told that someone’s 30th birthday is a momentous occasion.  It’s  supposed to be the birthday of all birthdays.  I turned 30  last Sunday, April 4th, and decided to celebrate my birthday at the “exclusive” 40/40 club.  I ordered one of the  birthday packages, which includes: reserved seating, front of the line passes, birthday cake, balloons and more.  What I thought was going to be a perfect night, almost turned out to be a complete disaster.

The Beginning

When I arrived at the club ,  I was told that my reservation was not on file. Luckily, I had saved the confirmation email  and showed the staff that I not only received a confirmation from 40/40, but my credit card had been charged. The staff made me and my guests wait outside in the cold while they tried to locate my order. After 40-minutes of waiting, they let us inside only to tell me that someone didn’t process my order. Because my order was not processed (but still  charged to my card), they did not have the seating or anything else that was supposed to be included with my birthday package.  We ended up in the ESPN Hall Of Fame Lounge sharing seats with several other parties.

The Middle

How the club used to look

After some of the other parties had left the room for the evening, everyone at my party was able to sit and relax a little. We ordered some food, drinks, listened to music and played pool.  It almost made up for everything that had happened in the beginning, except our waitress was extremely rude. Not only was she rude, she tried to get over on everyone. She charged an extra $3-$4 per drink on top of the bar price. We found this out by people going to the bar to order their drinks. Also, the waitress never came back with anyone’s change. She kept it as if it were her tip.

The End

The night definitely ended with a bang. A friend of mine was leaving the club and asked the bouncer who took his hat from him when he first arrived if he could get it for him. The bouncer showed my friend a pile of hats, but his hat was not there. The bouncer told him there was nothing he could do and that he had to leave the club. My friend asked to speak with a manager, but the staff completely ignored him. The situation ended up escalating to the point where the cops had to get involved.

That’s how my 30th birthday went. The good news is because of social media, my story can spread and maybe influence some kind  of change. Where did you experience really bad customer service and what action did you take?

Everyone Has A Story

There are more of them than you think

I will never forget my last year in high school. Not because of the  reasons most seniors share, but because I was raising  my four younger siblings during that time. When I was 17 years old, I left my mom’s house in Brooklyn and moved to Arizona with my father, so I could finish school. Unfortunately, my father was gunned down a few months after I arrived.

He  had a wife and they shared four children (ages 2, 5, 10 and 12 at the time), with whom I spent most of my time with. However, about a year after my father passed away, his wife went to jail. My grandmother lived in Arizona also, so my siblings and I stayed in her apartment for a while; but due to limited space, we had to find other arrangements. I ended up getting an  apartment  for us in the same complex as my grandmother. I paid the rent with the social security checks we collected from our father’s death, but that was not enough to cover all of the bills. Luckily, one of my teachers  knew about my situation and referred me to Youth On Their Own (YOTO).

Overcoming obstacles

YOTO is a non-profit organization located in Tucson, AZ. , that helps kids who  live on their own.  Its goal is to make sure kids graduate from high school, regardless of their situation. Each month, I received a check for myself and each of my siblings from YOTO to help with our expenses.  Don’t think the checks were simply handed to me every month. I had to submit a monthly progress report from school to YOTO, and if my grades were unsatisfactory, I wouldn’t receive any aid for that month.

In addition to aid, YOTO provides kids with other resources. We received clothes, household necessities and even a Christmas tree  during the holidays. A counselor/representative would also come to my school once a month just to see how I was coping with everything.

It’s been almost 11 years since I graduated from high school and it is good to see that YOTO is still helping youths. YOTO recently joined Facebook and its  page is full of photos of  volunteers who help them, and the organizations that donate to them. Its fan page is very engaging.  Some of the posts ask former youths to post what they have been doing since  graduation. I would like to thank YOTO for all of its help and I hope that now that they are utilizing social media, they can use it as a tool to expand and reach more youths.

What’s Your Facebook Sign?

I'm an Aries

You may not believe or follow astrology, but I know for a fact that you know what your zodiac sign is. Also, I know that at some point in your life someone has either read you your horoscope or told you what one of the astrology books said about all the people who were born in the same month as you. Am I right so far? Since I’m on a role, I bet no one has ever told you what your Facebook sign is, right? That’s because I just made the term up.

I have been on Facebook for some time now and I consider myself a well-rounded guy with a pretty diverse group of Facebook friends. Many of them are from different walks of life, but their interactions on Facebook  can be categorized  into five Facebook personality groups, which I call Facebook signs.

Facebook Sign No. 1

The first sign is called LOL.  These are the people who always make you laugh. They put up funny comments or they share links regarding serious topics and poke at it. Their  photos are funny and even their profile pictures are  hysterical . Their Facebook personalities are always humorous.

Facebook Sign No. 2

The second Facebook sign is called Aromatherapy. These are the people who treat Facebook like therapy. Their posts are usually about something that is going wrong in their life and they often turn to Facebook  for advice and guidance. Their Facebook personalities are mostly sad.

Facebook Sign No. 3

The third Facebook sign is called Hustle. These are the people who treat Facebook like a swap meet.  Their posts are always about something they are trying to sell to their Facebook friends. They rarely interact with others on Facebook, unless you show some interest in their product. Their Facebook personalities are pure business.

Facebook Sign No. 4

The fourth Facebook sign is called Preacher.  These are the people who want to uplift the Facebook community. They always post an update or comment that is positive. Their Facebook personalities are kind and genuine.

Facebook Sign No. 5

Last but not least, the fifth Facebook sign is called Paparazzi. These are the people who tell you their every move.  They also tell you what they are doing and how they are feeling  every  moment.

So, those are my Facebook signs. Can you think of any more I should add? I’m not sure what my Facebook sign is since I have a little bit of each Facebook personality, but what about you?  What’s your Facebook sign?

Your Tweets Suck

A Minute Of Your Time

Are the celebrities that you  follow on Twitter living up to your expectations?  Do you sometimes contemplate unfollowing them? I’m relatively new to Twitter, but I am already at that point. My primary interest in  joining Twitter was so I could connect with celebrities.  I thought  I would be exposed to  their human side and get to see a little more of who they really are away from the cameras; however, that has not always been the case. I have compiled a list of some of the celebrities I follow and included a brief explanation of why I think their tweets are good or why they suck.

Lady Gaga

I am a huge fan of Lady Gaga (ladygaga). I love her music and her bold style. What I like  about her tweets is most of them are directed toward her fans.  She even has a name for us- little monsters. Some of her tweets are about upcoming videos and singles, but most of them consist of gratitude toward the “little monsters.” The one thing I wish she would do more is respond to fans.

P Diddy

I have been a fan of P Diddy (iamdiddy) since the early 1990′s. His music is good, his performances are excellent and his shows are entertaining. His tweets on the other hand are horrible. Each of his tweets is some sort of commercial or advertisement. He is constantly telling his followers to buy, watch or listen to something of his. I think he should tweet more about other things than himself and engage with his followers a little more.

Jeremy Piven

Jeremy Piven (jeremypiven) is my favorite character on “Entourage.” He is entertaining on-screen as well as on Twitter. Though he doesn’t tweet very often, he usually makes his followers laugh when he does by tweeting something funny. I get a kick out of his tweets, but I wish he would tweet a little more often and interact with some of his followers occasionally.

Barack Obama

I am pleased to have Barack Obama (BarackObama) as my president, but I am not so sure if I am pleased with being a follower of his on Twitter. Most of his tweets consist of links to articles that defend him and his position on various topics.  I wish some of his tweets were about other things besides himself and just as I stated about the previous celebrities, I wish he would interact with his followers a little more.

Egypt

Egypt( EgyptSaidSo) is not as big of a celebrity as the people I mentioned above, but she is popular in her niche market. I think she is the best celebrity tweeter I am following. She shares information, she talks about other topics instead of just herself, and most importantly, she interacts with her followers. I think a lot of celebrity tweeters can learn a thing or two from Egypt.

As you can probably tell by now, I have a thing about celebrities not interacting with their followers. In the book “Here Comes Everbody,” Shirky states celebrities cannot have two-way interactivity because too many people are trying to communicate with them. While I agree with him that’s it difficult for celebrities to interact with even a quarter of their fans,  I feel they can speak to at least one or two of them. What do you think?  Which celebrities do you think suck on Twitter?

Social Network Snoopers

Long before companies were on social network sites, regular  people were.  Facebook was started by a college student and was  limited to only university students when it first began.  The  reason why companies joined social networks in the first place was to find new people to buy its products and services.  I don’t see anything wrong with companies being on social networks.  In fact, sites like LinkedIn often help connect prospective employees with employers. However,  I think it’s unethical and a privacy issue for employers to  lurk on social networks in search of information about current and prospective employees.

There are  a few questions prospective employers are prohibited by law from asking interviewees. These federal and state laws were put in place to prevent discrimination; yet, all a prospective employer has to do is go on your Facebook page and there is a good chance he/she will be able to see all of your information. You’re probably saying to yourself that you can change your Facebook settings so that your information is not readily available, but does that somehow justify what employers are doing? Also, can you really protect all of your information?

Social Network Detective

You may have your photos set so that only your friends can see them, but what if all of your friends don’t have their settings set the same way? An inappropriate photo of you can easily be seen on a friend’s page if they are tagged in it. While an employer should not base his/her decision on whether to hire you or not because of a photo, they often do.

What does a photo of someone who was out with his or her friends one night tell you about their work ethic and knowledge? Absolutely nothing. Should your boss have the right to fire you just because you tweeted he is getting on your nerves today? Of course not. Such actions curb freedom of speech, but yet it is happening more and more. This fear of employers is hurting the realm of social media.

What some people don’t get is social media is supposed to be the medium of authenticity. They criticize us for being too open on social networks, but that is the very reason why so many people have joined and continue to join these networks. It’s the realness of it that attracts people. Constantly having to watch what you post prevents people from being authentic. Rather than sharing what you want to share, you will end up sharing what you think is appropriate to share.

Why Google Buzz Pissed Me Off

The Buzz

I was 100 percent team Google. I use Google as my search engine when looking for just about every topic;  I use Google Images when looking for photos; I use Gmail for my emails and I use Google Maps when looking for locations. I would utilize anything with the Google name, until now that is.

I heard about Google Buzz here and there, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I even saw the icon in my Gmail’s sidebar. I didn’t think much about it since I didn’t request to join the site, like you have to do with other social media sites. Last  weekend, I heard there was some sort of controversy about  the new site, so I decided to check it out the following Monday.

That  Monday when I clicked on the icon, I was surprised to find out that not only was I a member, but I also had people who were “following” me. This freaked me out and upset me. It freaked me out because Google Buzz (on its own) invaded my privacy by connecting  people to me whom I have emailed in the past.  It assumed that because I had these people listed as my contacts, we were friends, which in some cases is not true.

Also, my followers  now had access to  my other email contacts. Google Buzz has since made changes to protect users’ privacy, but the damage has already been done. In addition to the privacy issue, I think that it is unethical of Google to automatically join people to its social media site simply because they use its email service.

When I joined Facebook and Twitter, I went on these sites and signed up on my own accord . These sites did not automatically create an account for me.  Also, I can hide my friends on Facebook if I do not want anyone to see them. While I can’t hide my followers on Twitter, I can hide my tweets from people. I’m not that secretive to the point where I don’t want anyone seeing my posts or friends, but I want to be the one who decides how private or not private I want to be.

Google Buzz obviously did not understand what this whole social media movement is about. If its creators had read books like “Here Comes Everybody” and the “Groundswell,” they would know that we participate on these sites because of self power. We  interact in social media because the participation is on our terms. I may join Google Buzz one day in the future, but I don’t plan on doing it anytime soon.

Say It Ain’t So. Is Beyonce Bigger Than Jay-Z?

I am without a doubt the No.1 Jay-Z fan. I have been following him since I was 15 years old.  So, when I saw what CNN had said about him, I quickly voiced my opinion on Facebook.  “CNN” had  reported  results of a “Showbiz Tonight” question asking if Jay-Z and Beyonce (Jayonce) were bigger than Brangelina. It was not the results that upset me because I figured Brangelina was bigger than Jayonce;  it was what one of callers had said that started this whole debate and eventually inspired this blog post.

The caller stated that Jayonce should really be called BeyonJay because Beyonce is a bigger star than him. I agree that Beyonce is big and very talented, but Jay-Z is the man!  Just last year he sold his 11th number one album, beating Elvis Presley’s record of having the most No. 1 albums as a solo artist.

Besides being one of Hip-Hop’s greatest artists, Jay-Z is part owner of the New Jersey Nets, he has a chain of clubs called 40/40, and he introduced big artists like Rihanna and Ney-Yo to the world.  His most recent album, “Blue Print 3,” sold over one million copies and landed Jigga on the No. 9 spot of Billboard’s 2009 top album selling list.

Knowing all of this information, I wrote a Facebook update voicing my opinion to the Facebook community. To my surprise, no one posted a comment supporting my belief/denial. Instead, I got attacked by the “Put A Ring On It” fans.  They (Anne and Tara) believe the name BeyonJay is suitable and that Beyonce has surpassed Jay-Z. After going back and forth with them for a while, I decided to do my own research to see who was really the biggest star.  Though I hate to admit it, I found out I was wrong and that Beyonce is bigger than Jay-Z ( that was painful to write).

Jay-Z still has more money than Beyonce, but she was the breadwinner in 2009 as well as 2008. According to the Forbes Celebrity 100 of 2009, Jay-Z was ranked  No. 32, while Beyonce was ranked  No. 4.

Bey’s most recent album, “I Am Sasha Fierce,” sold over six million copies worldwide and she lead the 52 GrammyAwards with 10 nominations. Besides being a singer, Beyonce has acted in movies and commercials. While some of her success is due to her music and television/movie appearances, some of it is because of her use of social media.

One thing that Beyonce does that Jigga does not  is talk to fans. Beyonce’s website includes a blog  and a forum where fans can interact. They can also upload their pictures and watch their favorite videos.  Jay-Z’s website does not include a blog nor does it invite fans to communicate.

I’m not saying that this is the only reason she has exceeded Jay-Z, making $87 million in 2009 as opposed to his $34 million. However, social media is very crucial these days and plays a major role when it comes to who is on top. If Jay-Z were to utilize social media, I am sure there would be an increase in his popularity and in his pockets.

Revenge Of The Nobodies

In 2007, DeAndre Cortez Way wanted to become a rap star. As opposed to the traditional way rap artists get signed, Way decided to use social media and put out a You Tube video. The You Tube video became such a success that Way was able to release an album. In May of 2007, DeAndre, better known as Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, released “Crank That,” which went certified platinum.

Tila Nguyen, better know as Tila Tequila, was chosen  to star in a MTV reality show because she was considered the most popular girl on MySpace (due to the number of friends she had). “A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila“  debuted at No. 1 and aired for two seasons.

Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., better known as Perez Hilton, was a New York University graduate who floated between jobs before he started blogging in 2004. His blog became so big that Perez eventually went on to host award shows, make appearances on radio and television.

These three individuals are proof that a change in dictatorship has taken place. No longer are A & R executives in charge of picking out musicians. Editors aren’t  the primary ones who select people to write to us and actors aren’t successful based on Roger Ebert’s reviews.   The nobodies are now calling the shots!

Everyone knows that power is in numbers and social media has given us just that. Millions and millions of people can connect on a forum, a blog or a social network site. It is on these sites that we decide what we like, what we don’t like and what we are going to do about it.

This new found power exists further than entertainment business; it has even extended to corporate business. Some companies have gotten smart and connected with us in the social media realm. They know that they cannot beat us so they decided to join us. They realized that old marketing and messages do not work with us. We want conversations and real dialogue versus sales pitches and hyperbole.

Students who are in school trying to learn how to reach us should abandon some of their old teachings because they are no longer applicable.  We are in a new age and this shift in power is not changing any time soon.  New technologies are helping us to connect with more people faster and easier. We are no longer just consumers. We are somebodies and we expect to be heard!