Be Real and Be Nice in Social Media

It’s amazing how some days just have a theme. Today in my daily ritual of browsing my social spaces, the theme of being real, being helpful and being polite when participating in Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. kept coming up over and over again.

First, I read a great article by Jonathan Morrow on Copyblogger, (which creates the Genesis Framework that I use on my blog) called “21 Warning Signs You’re Becoming a Social Media Snob” that gives great insight and a cool self-evaluation tool to see if you have become a “Social Media Snob”. I won’t divulge my score, but I think I’m doing okay, but it’s a good reminder that I can be doing better. My favorite part of the article is the solution, which is to show empathy and caring in your social interactions online.

I decided to share the article on Google+ and the first thing I saw when I arrived was a great article by Jay Acunzo called “Tweet Like Yo Mama Taught You“, which gives an entertaining and insightful view on politeness and using manners when interacting with others in social media. He gives 4 phrases that his mother would tell him, instructing him to be polite, and how they translate into social media relationships.

Both of these articles are worth a read and even more, should be used as a check when you participate in online social circles. It also reminds me of what Seth Godin says in his book, “Small is the New Big“, where he discusses that privacy and anonymity are different things and how we need to stop being anonymous and start being accountable for our actions online.  What a new thought—act socially online how you would act in the real world! It’s not a matter of being real vs. being nice, they should be one and the same!

Related articles

• Social Media and the Value of Being Real (clairejdeboer.com)

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