Apple Memories

Dedicated to Steve Jobs

Special edition of Bloomberg BusinessWeek,
dedicated to Steve Jobs

_________________

When I heard the news that Steve Jobs died Oct. 5, like everyone else who loves him and Apple, I felt a sick sadness in my gut. 

I know what it feels like to say goodbye to someone dying of pancreatic cancer. A close friend and brilliant photographer, Jim Cummins, died of the disease. Toward the end he was very weak, but I had the opportunity to say goodbye and to tell him I loved him. There is a certain peace that came when I did. But when you admire someone from afar, it's not possible to express how much they mean to you. So when they die, people are left with an emptiness — grieving when one doesn't really feel they have the right—but grieving nonetheless.

Over the past two and half decades, much of my life has orbited around Steve Jobs, especially as more and more Apple products have interwoven into every waking moment of my existence. I go to bed with my iPhone on the night stand, and wake up to its alarm to check my email and calendar.

This blog post, dedicated to him, recounts a love affair that started in 1985 with the Mac 512K, and continues through a sampling of more than 2 dozen computers in my life over the course of the past two and a half decades, and all of which we still own.

The 512K

Okay…maybe "26-year love affair" is pushing it. The 512K sat untouched in its box for quite a while before my husband, David, opened it. As a hotshot copywriter in one of Seattle's most innovative agencies, he was among the first wave to acquire this cool new tool. But there was something comforting about his IBM electric typewriter, and it was such a hassle to learn this strange, new technology. As somewhat of a neo-Luddite, he entered the new era kicking and screaming, but like the rest of us, found himself embracing it.

My best friend, Paula, was working at a Seattle company called Aldus, which created PageMaker and Freehand and other applications for graphic designers. She encouraged me to start using a computer, but I was afraid. I'd had my graphic design business for 10 years, and used traditional tools like X-acto blades, T-squares, triangles, rapidograph pens and drafting instruments, and I didn't know if I could make the transition.

But in the late 1980s, I did, buying the first of two Mac IIci CPUs. The IIci was a bit spooky to seasoned Mac users because of the new "System 7" operating system. But since I cut my teeth on it, I didn't know anything else. Thus began my dedication to Apple.

The Mac IIci

The "Power PCs" of the mid-1990s were supposed to be the salvation of our beloved platform with the licensing of the Mac OS to "clones." Having achieved a 10 percent market share, most of us felt good to think we would never have to "do Windows." But the market share fell to 3 percent in 1995 when Steve Jobs closed the loophole that had allowed other manufacturers to produce them. We all wondered—what was going to happen?

PowerMac 7100

My cat, Hunter, jumping onto the set with the PowerMac 7300

The Microsoft/Apple alliance seemed to make strange bedfellows. Was the king of "the Evil Empire" (as my Microsoft friends referred to it) really going to save Apple? Steve Jobs said at the 1997 MacWorld Expo: 

The issue of Newsweek, explaining the
new alliance between Microsoft and Apple.

"If we want to move forward and see Apple healthy and prospering again, we have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace a notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job. And if others are going to help us that's great, because we need all the help we can get, and if we screw up and we don't do a good job, it's not somebody else's fault, it's our fault. So I think that is a very important perspective. If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we better treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude; we like their software. So, the era of setting this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over as far as I'm concerned. This is about getting Apple healthy, this is about Apple being able to make incredibly great contributions to the industry and to get healthy and prosper again."

The G3 "Wall Street" PowerBook was a spectacular machine. Mine featured a swappable bay for a modular CD, floppy and Zip disk drives, so every medium was accessible. I took it with me on flights to numerous press checks in Oregon and Nevada. I loved seeing Carrie Bradshaw using one in Sex and the City. It seemed to make a lot of cameo appearances, probably because people making films used Macs.

G3 Powerbook

During the Apple Renaissance, from the late 1990s to early 2000s, products including the iBook and iMac—favorites of my family—were introduced. 

Early model iBook

 iMac

During the era of the iBook and iMac, the PowerMac G4 emerged. This model proved to be among the most productive machines in the office, and remained in use for a long while. A few years ago when one of my kids was taking Spanish, someone gave us an old version of Rosetta Stone Spanish for Mac. All of our machines were too new to run it, so we unearthed one of the G4s, installed the software, and it worked perfectly.

The G4 with Apple's craziest monitor

In 2003 the first aluminum-enclosed tower, the PowerMac G5 was introduced. As with all Apple computers, they were ideal for graphic designers. We eventually had two of them. One was actually a lemon and required rebooting 10 times a day. But it was the only Apple Computer in more than two decades that ever had problems. When we jettisoned it, it was liberating, like having a headache suddenly stop. The cinema display always worked perfectly, though!

The G5 with very cool Cinema Display

In 2007 a MacPro tower was added to the office, and is still used as a back-up computer. It is one of the best, most reliable computers I've ever used and it continues to deliver. Having two DVD drives in one machine is great.

MacPro 

I used to scoff at iMacs for professional use until we acquired the 27" iMac. We shopped for another tower, but when considering the separate cost of a large display and CPU, the iMac started looking very attractive. It has been a fantastic addition to the studio. With all of processing speed, tons of real-estate in hi-definition, versatility and minimal desk footprint, I'm now a believer in the all-in-one for pro use.

The 27" iMac

We've never owned stock in the company, but we've done our best to help Apple grow. My hope is Steve Jobs' legacy will continue into the next decade, with every new inspiration harkening back to its visionary cofounder.

_________________

Huge thanks to Seattle photographer, Doug Plummer who shot the photos for this blog post.

Information sourced throughout the web, including MacTracker, Apple and Wikipedia.

Connecting in Real Life

Real-life Meetups Make the World a Better Place

When I first heard about "Meetup," I had no idea why or how it started, but it sounded like a neat idea. Then a few days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11, an email arrived from Meetup co-founder and CEO, Scott Heiferman. I was so impressed, I asked if I could share it — but in order for it to not get lost in a sea of 9/11 posts and reflections, I wanted to let some time elapse.

His message reminded me of two things: the tragedy of 9/11 changed life forever in the United States, but some goodness resulted; and the importance of real-life, or as my friend, Jake, likes to say — "tangible," connections need nurturing in order for each of us to thrive.

Scott's message:

_______________________________________________

Scott Heiferman, CEO
and co-founder, Meetup

Fellow Meetuppers,  

I don't write to our whole community often, but this week is special because it's the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and many people don't know that Meetup is a 9/11 baby. 

Let me tell you the Meetup story. I was living a couple miles from the Twin Towers, and I was the kind of person who thought local community doesn't matter much if we have the internet and TV. The only time I thought about my neighbors was when I hoped they wouldn't bother me.  

When the towers fell, I found myself talking to more neighbors in the days after 9/11 than ever before. People said hello to neighbors (next-door and across the city) who they'd normally ignore. People were looking after each other, helping each other, and meeting up with each other. You know — being neighborly.  

A lot of people were thinking that maybe 9/11 could bring people together in a lasting way. So the idea for Meetup was born: Could we use the internet to get off the internet — and grow local communities? We didn't know if it would work. Most people thought it was a crazy idea — especially because terrorism is designed to make people distrust one another.  

A small team came together, and we launched Meetup nine months after 9/11. 

Today, almost 10 years and 10 million Meetuppers later, it's working. Every day, thousands of Meetups happen. Moms Meetups, Small Business Meetups, Fitness Meetups... a wild variety of 100,000 Meetup Groups with not much in common — except one thing: 

Every Meetup starts with people simply saying hello to neighbors. And what often happens next is still amazing to me. They grow businesses and bands together, they teach and motivate each other, they babysit each other's kids and find other ways to work together.  

They have fun and find solace together. They make friends and form powerful community. 

It's powerful stuff.  

It's a wonderful revolution in local community, and it's thanks to everyone who shows up. 

Meetups aren't about 9/11, but they may not be happening if it weren't for 9/11.  

9/11 didn't make us too scared to go outside or talk to strangers. 9/11 didn't rip us apart. No, we're building new community together!  

The towers fell, but we rise up. And we're just getting started with these Meetups.

Scott Heiferman (on behalf of 80 people at Meetup HQ) 

New York City

September 2011

_______________________________________________

I spend more and more of each day on my computer and mobile devices. On a recent weekend away from the Internet (AT&T provided no service to the area) I traded off driving in order to use my iPhone until the moment I went off the grid. 

Scott's email is a reminder to all of us of the importance of our connections to others. This past month I made an effort to spend some quality time with friends, and really be present. Getting together face-to-face takes a lot more time and energy than firing off an email, making a phone call or posting a tweet, but for the added effort, the reward is huge.

I'm glad Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels exist because it means no one ever has to "feel" alone. But 10 years after 9/11, maybe it's time to venture out into the real world, take a chance and engage. 

Meetup seems like a really cool place to start.

_______________________________________________

Real face time with friends the past month:

Doug Plummer

Dave Morris

Sean Gardner

George Zaharoff, Piccolo Zaharoff, Cindy Chin

Linda Criddle

Kathy Gill (l.)

Chris Pirillo (l.) Chris Widener (r.)

Glen, Paula, and Vic

Chris Burget and Lori McNee

Guest blogger: Sarah Lenssen from Ask5for5
photos courtesy of Cate Turton / Dept. for International Development


First, thanks to Terri Nakamura (@terrinakamura) for allowing me to post on her blog today! Today, more than 25 bloggers, including this one, are standing with me to Ask 5 for 5 for Africa. Here's why....

I began pursuing a BIG dream two weeks ago. After deciding I could no longer avoid the news about the famine in the horn of Africa, I had that gut feeling that I couldn't sit this one out. I HAD to do something because I could. Something bigger than I could do alone. That's when #Ask5for5 was born.



Two of my children, Ashen and Bereket, were adopted and are from the region affected by the drought in Ethiopia. They would be two of the statistics if they still lived there. I see my son’s and daughter’s faces in the photos of those suffering in the refugee camps. It could have been him. It could have been her. The thought haunts me.

And moms just like us are watching their children go hungry day after day. I can't imagine what it's like, but I have to –I have to be there to help them, because it could have been my children. These families have lost their livestock, their crops, food prices are inflated at the market if there any food there, and don’t have any more lifelines to tap into. Many are traveling hundreds of miles through parched land in hope of finding help. Many are dying along the way. It is estimated that 29,000 children have died in the last 90 days in the famine in Somalia alone.

But I KNOW we can do something about it. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed, we can rally ourselves and our friends to respond! I set up a fundraiser through See Your Impact. 100% of your gift will go to the relief and development organization World Vision, where it will be combined with government grants to multiply up to 5 times in impact!

You’ll receive updates on just how your funding is being used to help save lives affected by famine in East Africa. I'm amazed at how much we've raised already -- over $7,000 in just four days! We blew through our first 3 goals in just 3 days and are well on our way to $10,000 and beyond!

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter, and join our page to stay updated too!

I'm also looking for 100 bloggers to stand with Ask5for5 to spread the word during Social Media week, September 19th - 23rd. If you're interested, email me, ask5for5@gmail.com.

Thanks! Please donate and email your friends right now--don't wait for a calmer moment, because if you're like me, other demands inevitably crop up and you won't get to it. A child's life hangs in the balance, but you can help save her! 

NOTE: Friend and Huffington Post blogger, @2morrowknight (Sean Gardner) who works with SeeYourImpact.org, asked me to participate in this campaign to raise awareness and much-needed funds to help people suffering in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. I hope you will join with me in supporting this effort.

(e)DUPS: The Real CEO of Empire Avenue

L-R: Chris Pirillo (e)PIRILLO, top player; Empire Avenue CEO Duleepa Wijayawardhana (e)DUPS

Empire Avenue (EAv) is a social stock market simulation game that has attracted millions of users all over the world. Thanks to Chris Pirillo's EAv Seattle shareholders meetup last week, I had a chance to talk with Duleepa Wijayawardhana, also known as (e)DUPS, the real-life CEO of Empire Avenue. Dups has to be one of the nicest guys around, and I was really knocked out by his engaging personality and wonderful smile.

He graciously agreed to this Q&A, during which I learned he is not just brilliant, but he's also charming and fun.

Enjoy!

When you and your colleagues originally conceived of the idea, what were you doing? I mean, were you sitting around having drinks somewhere and the notion emerged? What was the inspiration? And was it meant to be strictly a game, or did you have other purposes in mind?

The founders of Empire Avenue are Niall Brown, Dr. Michael Mannion and myself. The story of how it all comes together involves Montreal, some beer and philosophizing amongst very opinionated university friends. It involves staring at Facebook and thinking about the future of the Internet and talking about Karl Marx's Das Kapital. We were saying that information production, i.e., that which you put out there as writing, tweets, photos and more, could become the cornerstone of economic production in the future. This led almost directly to creating the game of Empire Avenue which is, in essence, human beings and algorithms valuing networks and content. While the product has changed dramatically over the past year, our core belief that every person has value, and every person produces content of value in their networks, is still foremost and powers our vision.

How did the name originate and how did the very complex structure of the site evolve, and over what length of time?

Mike, Niall and I are from Newfoundland and are proud to be Newfoundlanders. When we had decided that we were going to create a Social Stock Market, we wanted it to be synonymous with Wall Street, except we wanted a street in St. John's, Newfoundland. Empire Avenue was available. Yes it's a real place in St. John's and we aim to make it a global brand.

Our initial prototype and planning took about a month or so, then we destroyed it completely and started fresh, mainly with Tom and myself sitting on his floor with a goal of releasing in a month. Much of the core concepts of the site were created in that month. Since then we've basically been adding and removing features. It is now incredibly different than when we started.

How did you convince your investors this idea had legs?

Doing a start up is about passion. I think every investor pretty much knows that what you will end up with is not what you start with. We have some of the coolest investors (check out empireavenue.com/about/investors) because not only do they believe in us as a team but they help out, they reach out, they tell us when we are doing wrong and when we are successful. I'm pretty sure all our investors thought we were crazy. What they believed in was the team — the same thing I believe in every day: we have one of the coolest teams on the planet!

Would it be possible to see a screen shot of a very early iteration of EAv?

We'll see what we have, we keep many of those locked deep in the vault. We're pretty sure no one has ever seen the very earliest, but maybe we can find some that haven't been seen for a while!

Screenshot from Empire Avenue, c. early 2010 ©2010 Empire Avenue

Who developed the logo and badge art? 

I'm going to point in the direction of Tom (@evolvetom) and Aaron (@aaronkwhite). Tom and I put together the very first design for Empire Avenue. Aaron contacted me as one of the first of the Friends and Family that signed up and he said, "Dude, you need help." I said, "Dude, spend the weekend designing a new version," and that was that. The achievement art and design is from another friend of ours, Mike Grills, from Calgary. The art really is amazing and we want more!

It seems like you have a sense of  humor in identifying noteworthy accomplishments. Do you stumble upon an anomaly, then create the accomplishment, or do you determine a behavior that will be recognized by an award? 

It's a bit of both. We take suggestions from folks very seriously. We love it when we get suggestions. A lot of secret achievements we've spent a lot of thought (perhaps too much) into them. We actually launched the site with secret achievements. We love games, we love laughter, we believe life is to be enjoyed!

A sample of badges for accomplishments awarded to Empire Avenue players. The "Spam" badge was the result of inadvertently spamming players with multiple copies of notifications on the morning of June 8, 2011.

I think you told me you have a small team of 5 people, but also you mentioned a lot of people helped you build Empire Avenue — people who are like volunteers? Who are they and how did they find you? How many people do you think have collaborated or contributed in some way to bringing Empire Avenue to fruition?

I joke that it takes a village to raise an idiot (me) but it takes a small army to raise a company. We have 5 core full time: Robert, Tom, Aaron, Niall and myself. Surrounding us are the core group of another 7 individuals: Mike, Brad, Craig, Todd, Brent, Nithum and Ric, who help as they have time in their busy lives, and others who have helped us in the past. You can see everyone on our Team page (empireavenue.com/about/team). Every individual has worked with a multiple of us in their previous lives, and we continue to collaborate which is one of the coolest things in life. In terms of every person who have helped us, Mike, Niall and I will one day create an amazing map and graphic of all those randomly or otherwise who have helped us. Every one of our friends knows how amazing they have been.

The original idea was something like "buy your friends," but eventually that language was banished and it evolved to be a "social network scoring service." What was the catalyst for the change? 

We never really intended it to be "Buy Your Friends." I think that was part of us trying to find our way on the path towards defining oneself. We are not really a "social network scoring service" either. We are truly a social stock market which allows you to invest your social capital to build valuable relationships around the world. The scoring aspect and the buying aspect are simply part of the platform.

EAv has attracted real businesses, and those businesses have had an opportunity to interact with consumers on a very personal level. Was that originally part of the concept or was it something that happened organically?

This has always been part of the core fabric of Empire Avenue. I think we'll see more coolness along this front as the site and platform evolves.

What do you think of people who maintain spreadsheets on their investments? I mean, do you think they are seriously demented?

Not at all — I think we are lucky and happy to have such an incredibly involved community. These people are creating niches in a new economy — one we hope will lead to them earning an actual living from us as the platform grows!

A sample spreadsheet, before I came to my senses.

You have managed to establish relationships with some key entities (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube). That seems like a feat in itself. Was it difficult to get them to partner up with you?

I hate to burst anyone's bubble :) but we use open APIs in each case. We would love to establish actual relationships as we grow!

I'm wondering if a location-based entity like Foursquare would ever be connected as well, or would you ever integrate geo-location into Empire Avenue itself?

Our next connection is Foursquare.

What is the end game for you? Do you want to sell Empire Avenue at some point, or do you have another goal in mind? What do you ultimately hope to get out of it?

Our end goal is to have created a global site (we're at 190+ countries right now) which has created some amazing connections, and where millions of users have had lots of fun. That should be enough and a fun way to spend one's life isn't it? :)

__________________________________________

Now for the “Tiger Beat Magazine-style Interview” Segment...

What do you do for fun?

These days, mostly dream about mountains, climbing, camping and otherwise being in the wilderness. I can't do it in reality as I'm not allowed to go off-grid at this stage of our business.

Do you have any pets?

I have a 13-year old cat, Pixel, who thinks he's a dog (I grew up with dogs). I fear the day he develops opposable thumbs.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer.

Are you an only child? If not, where do you fit into the brood?

I have two brothers who are way smarter and way older than I :)

Do you play any sports? If not, do you work out?

Run when I can, not much for working out :) My other sport is to be annoying to everyone on staff...

Are there any missions that are of personal importance to you, like being a vegan, or a being "green," etc.?

Being a good person. Being a good friend. Protecting the employees of Empire Avenue as if they were family, and having lots of fun.

Favorite color?

The colour of the clouds in the prairies after a violent storm has just passed you by. The blue-green of a glacier-fed lake.

Favorite food?

Sushi

What's the most recent book you've read?

Read? I'm allowed time to read these days?

What's the most recent movie you've watched?

"So I Married an Axe Murderer"

What song is going to come up on your iPod or playlist?

"At the Hundredth Meridian" — The Tragically Hip

I've heard you are fond of beer. Not that this is an endorsement, are there any you particularly like?

New Belgium Brewery — Anything from them! And Guinness!

When we met, you'd had 2 hours of sleep over the previous two days. Are you married or do you have a girlfriend? If yes, what does she think of your schedule? If not, describe your dream girl.

Hahahaha! If I had a girlfriend, by now she would have left me for all the work I do on Empire Avenue. My dream girl is someone cool, wandering the mountain peaks looking for me as I am her ;)

Describe a perfect day.

From sunrise to moonset, spending it with friends, good food and good wine!

__________________________________________

Thanks to Dups and Tom Ohle for their help, and thanks to Chris Pirillo for making it possible to do this blog post.

If you're interested in joining Empire Avenue, feel free to use this link: http://empireavenue.com/?t=161d2i

The cool t-shirt we received at the shareholders meetup!

__________________________________________

2011 Terri Nakamura



 

Hug Your Kid and Say a Prayer

Last night I learned a friend's son was in a car accident and is in critical condition. After a soul-replenishing meal with the Sansei Lunch Club, my BFF Paula wanted to wait until after dinner to tell me the news.

But before she could say a word, I asked if she knew Alexander, son of mutual friends, had just graduated from college last week and that his parents had flown to California to attend the ceremony?

She looked at me and said, "Terri, he's been in a bad accident. They flew to California this morning."

When I got home I asked my youngest son, Charley, if he knew about it. Alexander's dad usually drives their carpool to Google. A sad expression. Yes he knew. It made sense to me now. Charley had driven to work yesterday but I didn't know why.

Trying to make sense of something so senseless, Alexander reeled through my mind as I tried to fall asleep last night. He was my first thought when I awoke.

A bright young man at the beginning of his adult life, his parents were filled with pride last week at his graduation. The pictures on Facebook embody the essence of joy.

I find myself praying for his recovery. I want him to know everyone is pulling for him; to wake up and see his family. I want him to be able to look back on this accident as a survivor. I want him to have the chance to use his newly acquired education, maybe helping to reshape our world. I want him to be able to live happily, and to experience all of the highs and lows that make up a person's life. And maybe someday, to have children of his own. 

Anything else is just too tragic to contemplate.

I'm often blown away by the generosity of friends and acquaintances on social media, and that's why I'm hoping, even if you don't believe in it, that you'll say a prayer for him. You guys, he just has to make it.

Hug your child. Life is fleeting, and as I've always said to my kids, there, but for the grace of God, go I.

--

POSTSCRIPT:
Thank you to the friends who responded and supported this blog post. Alexander passed away.

Twitter Junior High

Surviving Social Media Adolescence

Illustration © Mits Katayama

Popular kids, poseurs, drama queens, bullies, geeks and weirdos—all the the archetypes we came to love or loathe in junior high school—can be found on Twitter.

Although you'll find most people fit into the "normal" category, in recent months several occurrences took some of the shine off my otherwise happy Twitter experience:

• A troll attacked me on the open time line
• Someone tried to undermine several online friendships
• I was accosted because I disagreed with an opinion
• A person unfollowed me because I didn't divulge a secret

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, a "troll" is someone who gets their kicks by issuing inflammatory comments with the intent to provoke. Trolls are cowards and bullies.  If you've not experienced one firsthand, congratulations. When it happened to me, it reminded me of how I felt when I was in a car accident—shaken and freaked out. Except in extreme cases, Twitter's terms of service allow their behavior. What to do? Two things: Unfollow and block.

SOMEONE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES attempting to sway alliances, is strictly junior high. This type of behavior should not be validated. If someone tells you something offline that casts a negative light on someone else—think twice before accepting it at face value. Ask yourself what sort of person has the time to engage in this kind of mischief, and then use your own common sense. 

A "POPULAR KID" came to me with a notion—that people on Twitter are racist. I don't buy that. I view Twitter as a meritocracy as well as a model macrocosm of egalitarianism. When I attempted to deflect the assertion with jokes, the person became cross with me and the dialog quickly escalated, making me uncomfortable. At that point I disengaged, hoping a "cooling off period" would help. I raised two kids and learned: Do not give attention to bad behavior.

IF A PERSON YOU KNOW UNFOLLOWS you, it's usually an unhappy thing. Having someone unfollow because you won't disclose a secret is the equivalent of a "Twitter tantrum." Does one person's desire to know something trump another's entitlement to confidentiality? I don't think so. When you betray someone's trust, you'll never fully get it back. Tweetlevel says, " It is trust that makes someone act — for this reason alone, having a high trust score is considered by many to be more important than any other category."

So with all of this negativity, why keep tweeting? On the flip side, some positive things occurred:

• I've met some terrific tweeps face-to-face, including @MomsofAmerica @LoriMoreno @krystynchong @JessicaNorthey @MartyMcPadden and @Zaharoff. Actually being together, exchanging laughs, thoughts, experiences, hugs—sharing a meal—mean your virtual friendship jumps to the next level: real-life. And the thing is, people are so much cooler in person!
• My buddy, @ellies58, helped me with a complicated task to help my son, a U.S. Army captain currently stationed in Afghanistan. It demanded an exceptional amount of trust on both sides, and both of our families were a bit concerned. But in the end, Ellie and I had the last laugh because it all came together. The whole experience really sealed our friendship.
• Two friends (@iamwhite and @dallasnagata) met at a tweetup in Hawaii, courted, fell in love and got married—all of it unfolding before our eyes on Twitter. A contingent of Seattle tweeps including myself, @slickriptide and @BecauseUAreHere, virtually "attended" the ceremony at Kona Kitchen (a Hawaiian restaurant in Seattle) "live" via UStream. A dozen people gathered to watch. It was touching to see our virtual friends tie the knot.
• And last—the spontaneous hilarity of engaging with friends on the Twitter stream is difficult to describe to someone who doesn't tweet, but let me just say some of the funniest things I've ever witnessed, read or taken part in have occurred on Twitter! Beside giving millions of people a sense of place, it can make you smile and laugh—things proven to be healthy for all of us.

For me, negative online experiences have lowered my tolerance for aberrant behavior. But by far, my connections with people on Twitter have been positive and have added value to my life. I'm constantly amazed by the kindness and generosity I encounter there, popular kids, poseurs, drama queens, bullies, geeks and weirdos notwithstanding.

One of the things I realized while being treated for cancer: There is no use worrying about things you cannot change.

That goes for people, too. 

LinkedIn: Social Networks Aren’t Just for Socializing

Note: hyperlinks in red

I think of Twitter as a cocktail party, and FaceBook as dinner party. Both can be fun, but they can also be noisy and full of drunk people.

LinkedIn is a place where business happens.

I’ve been on LinkedIn for four years. LinkedIn is a social network that allows you to make connections with trusted contacts and essentially create a personal Rolodex in the cloud. But it's much more than that.

In addition to the convenience of finding your important business connections in one place, it offers a host of useful resources for job seekers, sales people who are prospecting, and recruiters who are looking for qualified people to fill jobs. There are too many benefits to enumerate, but it’s not just a social network—it is a database of people and companies that can be searched geographically—and most of what it offers is freely available.

In 2006 my real-life best friend and fellow graphic designer started a job at PopCap, and she invited me to join LinkedIn. At the time, LinkedIn was populated with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business professionals, and required an invitation to join. In spite of its gated approach, its membership grew from five to eight million that year.

In 2007 when Facebook opened its doors to everyone and its membership took off, LinkedIn followed its lead, and by the end of the year it had more than 15 million users.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, not everyone joins LinkedIn, but those who do recognize its value. Today LinkedIn has more than 80 million members across 200 countries and seven continents, and continues to grow at the rate of one new member per second.

When I opened my account, I invited a number of business associates to join me. But before I did, I spent time aggregating information, then wrote an introduction, cleaned up my resume and gathered other relevant data to populate my profile. At that time, profile pictures weren’t included, but they are now, and I think it is worthwhile to include a good photo that reflects the image you wish to project.

I'm not passing myself off as an expert, but I'm sharing what has worked for me.

ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO PUT YOUR PROFILE TOGETHER:

Clean up your resume.
Have someone with editing skills review it for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely only on built-in grammar and spell checking tools, as they don’t necessarily detect context or poorly written prose.

Introduce yourself, including information prospective employers or colleagues would be interested to know.
Your LinkedIn page is like an agent who promotes your image to others when you aren’t there to do it yourself. Think about the kinds of experiences you have that sets you apart from others who offer the same goods or services, and make your case.

Identify your affiliations with professional organizations 
and groups.
For example, if you and a prospective employer are connected via an alumni group, that could be a point of connectivity. But LinkedIn is not Foursquare, and there isn’t a competition for the number of “badges” you display. Adding affiliations needs to be done sensibly.

If you feel you can contribute substantively, answer questions as an expert in your field.
Members can pose questions, and you can enhance your reputation if you can answer, conceivably positioning yourself as a “go-to” person in a particular discipline.

Take time to consider and make note of your achievements and honors.  Today I spoke with a friend who was cited as a tech maven in a Huffington Post story. I think most people would be interested to know about it, and it should be included in a profile.

Participating in your community as a volunteer demonstrates teamwork and good citizenship—attributes that are important to many employers and very often mirror their values. If you have contributed through volunteering, say so. 

Who should you connect with? To begin, I think you should connect to real-life current and former colleagues, associates and employers. They know you and will accept your connection request.

And finally, identify people who can recommend you.
You can ask a former boss or colleague if they will write a recommendation for you. You should ask only people who have direct knowledge of your work. 

If someone takes the time to help you—I can’t stress this enough—you MUST thank them—preferably with a handwritten note. Why do that instead of sending an email? Because few people do it and it makes you stand out. I’m often amazed at how people fail to formally express thanks when someone goes out of their way to do something for them. There is a great story about the importance of handwritten thank you notes in Chapter 41 of Randy Pauch’s The Last Lecture. Read it.

LinkedIn has led to my receiving unsolicited job offers, which illustrates what it can do for people, even passively. It provides options to link to your Twitter feed and to post status updates, and recently partnered with Behance to link visual work samples to user profiles. But for the most part, you will find only salient information on LinkedIn. Unlike an individual web site which must specifically be sought out, when a person is searching LinkedIn, they are already in the mode to find you.

It really is a no-brainer: An investment of time on your LinkedIn profile can be beneficial on a number of levels. And beside the strictly business end of things, there can be a social aspect of joining groups where others share your interests or expertise.

When I started using Twitter in 2008, I would occasionally see people refer to LinkedIn as a network for old people. Since then, I’ve seen my kids and their friends graduate from college, and more and more of these twenty-somethings are joining LinkedIn and asking to connect.

As LinkedIn has evolved and innovated, one thing hasn’t changed: IT WORKS.
____________________

One reader mentioned he'd received a LinkedIn invitation from me, which is a concern. Please beware—it could be spam.

Friendship in the Digital Age

Hyperlinks in grey

My BFF Paula Wong and BTF Krystyn Chong. Photo by The Milkie Studio

I've lived in Seattle most of my life and have friendships that span decades. My BFF Paula Wong and I are both sansei — third generation Japanese-Americans. We went to some of the same schools and through different paths we became graphic designers.

Knowing each other for 45 years, we've watched our kids grow from infancy to adults. Professionally, we’ve gone from lead type, phototype and Exacto knives, to falling in love with our first Macs more than 20 years ago. In fact, I have Paula to thank for my tech addiction! When she worked for Aldus, Paula gave me a much-needed nudge to switch from traditional to digital design.

Having shared history, knowing each another's families, being there to experience and support major life events means we share a friendship with great depth and meaning — a rare gift in an era where life moves so quickly that often all we can do is skim the surface.

I think real friendships are important to all of us. How would we get through life without them?

L-R: The Sansei Lunch Club: Paula, Terri, Vic Kubo and Glen Iwasaki. Four graphic designers and friends who have been celebrating birthday lunches since the 1990s.

People now have more ways than ever to connect, but I sometimes feel like technology is isolating me from — rather than bringing me closer — to some of my real-life friends.

It's easier to send an email than pick up the phone. Getting together takes time and effort. Have email, Facebook, Twitter and Skype actually caused erosion of “real” friendships? With the expansion of our communities through social media, where do “virtual” friends fit into the current cultural landscape? And how does the quality of real-life relationships differ from those conceived online?

During the past 18 months I’ve “met” some great people through social media who have caused me to re-examine my perceptions about what encompasses a real friendship.

Last month, Krystyn Chong, my “BTF” (Best Twitter Friend) flew to Seattle to attend Gnomedex, a tech conference founded by Chris Pirillo. Previously we’d talked on the phone and frequently emailed and messaged each other, but had never met in person.

Krys is a persona. She's connected to incredible people in all walks of life, and draws them toward her like a moth to flame. A long-time blogger and online denizen, she’s made a name for herself, not just because she's attractive and smart, but she’s a social media aficionado. She has 15,000 followers on Twitter, regularly creates content for her blog, is a popular DJ on Blip.fm, and recently began publishing to Vimeo with works like “Twitter, Turn it up!”

She and I met for the first time at Chic Meets Geek, a pre-Gnomedex event, and later she stayed with my family and me for four days. She is pretty, petite and lively — definitely WYSIWYG. But spending time together was important because it allowed me to get beyond her online personality. It was great to do that. How else could I have known that she would develop a crush on my 23-year-old son? Or that she loves Skittles?

It’s amazing to have "friends" all over the world, whose birthdays are celebrated, and whose life events are updated and inquired about in much the same way we would with friends in real life. Online friendships are especially great for people who are shy or want to maintain a layer of anonymity. If they aren't "cool" in real life, they can be cool online. As the famous New Yorker cartoon said, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” 

The above cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from page 61 of July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker, (Vol.69 [LXIX] no. 20) Its use is editorial only.

So I’ve found myself in a strange new place, where numerous messages I exchange each day are with people I haven't met yet, but I've come to care about very much.

It's hard to imagine having a friendship like Paula's without the two of us spending so much time together over the years. I'm lucky to have — and grateful for — all of my friendships. But I long for the time when I will meet some of my online peeps in real life. For me, meeting face-to-face authenticates a connection in a way that can’t be accomplished otherwise.

I'm looking forward to some day being able to give my virtual friends real (((hugs))) instead of virtual ones.

_______________________________

Paula Wong is Senior Director of Creative Labs for the fabulously successful (and addictive) PopCap Games in Seattle, WA. 
Krystyn Chong (@krystynchong) is a social media maven in Sacramento, CA. Find her blog at dreammm.posterous.com/. 
Photographer Fred Milkie’s recently published book, Alone Around the Mountain, has been nominated for a 2011 PNWB award.
Thanks to award-winning copywriter David Horsfall for reading this journal entry.