Apple iPad = Product Redundancy At Its Finest
I will admit, the new iPad is a cool device with great functionality, but functionality we've all witnessed before and what many of us already have in our possession. It seems Apple rushed out an item they hoped to be the most desired item, but in my eyes I see it as being ridiculously redundant. Word about the iPad has been rampant on Twitter since yesterday's announcement from Apple.
@kevinelliott It's not a replacement for a computer, nor for a phone! It's a flashy, expensive, superfluous device! #iPad #redundant
My sentiments, exactly, Kevin. The device seems a tad excessive -- particularly for those who already own MacBooks and iPhones. Others seem to be yapping about how it is going to aggregate all things digital. I beg to differ. It seems the Apple minions are running towards the stores to buy it in droves. Steve Jobs wanted to make something that is "more intimate than a laptop but so much more capable than a Smartphone," but who truly needs an in-between device? My Macbook Pro serves me just as well (except that it lacks a handy touchscreen) without having to drop another $500 during a recession. The fact that you'd have to spend extra on a monthly data plan for yet another gadget seems unnecessary.
On a more superficial note, the name doesn't draw me into buying it (particularly as a woman). "I'd like an iPad please!" This Washington Post article hit the nail on the head:
"Are there NO women in the Marketing or Biz Dev department of Mac?" wrote one user, speculating that "iPad" would pass muster only with a man. No women were present on Apple's panel at the San Francisco announcement."
It seems Apple was simply in a rush to release a product that would be the Kindle & Nook killer, while seemingly reproducing their iTouch product with a few more features and a bigger size. However, after finding this brief article in February of 2008, it seems the current design and name of the product was leaked nearly two years ago. Strange. With two years of production and concept modification, you'd think they would have come up with more features and uses for the device that would blow the iPhone/iPod Touch out of the water.
The day I see an iPad with a full Mac OS (and option to make calls on), I will run immediately to Apple. Until then, I won't be needing you, iPad. I've got more useful pads at home.
My New Year's Resolution (and Admitted Failure)
My New Year's resolution: to work more on my personal brand. The unceasing (but wonderful) demands of motherhood to a toddler as well as work load has me slacking in this area. I've mentioned the topic before about how while maintaining a positive personal brand is important to me, it does not consume me. My weekends are my weekends - Twitter is rarely a part of that nor is Twitter/blogging a part of other monumental moments in my life. While I believe sharing parts of yourself both professionally and personally makes one transparent, I also believe we cannot lose touch with reality and lose every offline moment to a tweet.
However, that doesn't take away the fact that when it comes to updating this blog, I get an F. My New Year's resolution is not only to write more on my blog, but read more and interact more. My Google reader has also been neglected, as well as my Facebook (professional) and the horrendous design on this blog has not been changed in a couple years either (until now). Changes will be made.
I genuinely want to know, are there tips, tricks, online utilities that you use to actively keep on top of maintaining your personal brand? I admire those who manage to do it all - write endless articles on their blogs, others, tweet, go to networking events and then some; all while doing a damn good job at work. I must say, I am not looking to tackle these by any means but to begin strengthening my personal brand organically.
Cheers to a New Year and keeping resolutions (including that one that is 23 days overdue - you know, that one about getting back in shape) 
Bits of Kate
I have to admit - the frequent lack of time and writer's block as of late has me not writing much of anything.  For that i feel guilty.  However, I found a new way to share my thoughts and interesting photos/sites etc in an easier and quicker fashion.  I've created www.BitsofKate.com  - There you can find daily bits and musings from me.  You may find it to be far more interesting then (possible) senseless rambling that goes on here sometimes.  I shall come back here and revive it in due time though.  
It's still new so have a little patience...
What IS a Community Manager?
It's a common question I'm seeing all over the place as an increasing number of businesses both large and small are building their own online communities and looking for someone to fill the role of Community Manager.
Speaking from experience, I can honestly say that it can be one of the most vital roles a company can have. As Community Manager of Panasonic's LivinginHD.com, I've seen firsthand what it takes to be not only an active participant of a growing online community, but a voice and a face for an entire brand.
Ten years ago social media was virtually non-existent. Now more than ever, people are able to have a personal relationship with a brand. They are able to interact directly with companies and give their input -- both good and bad. Companies are doing the only thing they should be doing right now - listening. With a recession on our hands, even the wealthiest people have been cutting down on spending, thus making businesses eager to rein in sales. With that, the consumer runs the show and businesses know that while the power is less in their own hands, the ability of their buyers to speak more directly with them is a blessing. Not only can they improve products from feedback, but can also make customers happy. A happy customer is a customer that will buy. By monitoring the conversation both on and off the community, one can fully comprehend what is currently being said about the brand.
As a proven and trusted influencer within the community, a CM is responsible for getting the word out about new products, events and overall development. It is their responsibility to keep the consumers updated and to serve as a brand evangelist. As a community manager, being a counselor of sorts is vital- someone who will listen to member's concerns and be kind even when receiving strange or unpleasant messages. These relationships are developed over time, as this role also serves as a cheerleader and encourages its members to be dedicated participants. The relationships are also fostered by happily answering all product-based and community-centered inquiries. With trust, consumers naturally become loyal to the brand.   While so many companies are still trying to get personal with their clientele, those with dedicated go-to folks, such as Comcast's Frank Eliason, stand out among the crowd.
Not everyone can be a Community Manager. Oftentimes, companies put one of their employees unversed in social media and customer service into the role. As a result, it hurts the brand. The CM should be familiar with all web communication tools, from forums, to podcasts, to Twitter, to blogs and then understand the language and jargon that is used in the community. One must keep their cool when being challenged and have a fantastic support team around them to get the job done. Being a voice for the brand's community can be harder than imagined, as situations you wouldn't expect arise. Conferring continuously is a must.
For years both websites and online communities have had webmasters to run to in the face of problems/issues. With a community as large as Panasonic's, however, members in the past have been hard-pressed to find a rapid response and oftentimes found themselves speaking to an automated email message or both.
Community management is a more instantaneous customer service... with a personal touch. It truly is a fantastic, interactive position  where not only are members benefiting, but also the person facilitating the process.  A community manager must draw heavily from four skill sets: emotional intelligence, diplomacy, advocacy, and above all, passion for the brand to breed success.
Social Media & Time
While I actively promote social media as a means of social interaction, marketing and more, I also understand that you need one thing to be truly active in this space: time. As they say, time is money and keeping up with all the sites you've signed up for can be tedious and demanding. Not only do I have several sites to keep up with, but even this blog is hard for me to update as often as I'd like. Oftentimes I figure that since blog posts will be out there for the world to see, must like newspapers in print - we must make them worthy of being read, so bare with me here. I'm not sure this is "blog worthy" but it's something I'm noticing as of late. Despite my being in this industry, I'm having a hard time doing what I pretty much preach about to others. Hmm, not good.
There are hundreds of social sites out there and while I'm signed up for many, I will admit that the one issue I have is the time to spend keeping up with all of them. While I actively use Facebook on a daily basis, where do I find the time to stay in tune with Twitter, Friend Feed, Seesmic, LinkedIn, CafeMom, Brightkite, Plurk, Digg, StumbleUpon, Flickr, Ping.fm, and more? Each site has their own unique capabilities and can be extremely beneficial but it's mind boggling to be a part of so many of them! To have a profile that is barely active is (to me) worse than having no profile at all. Why be on a site if you cannot put some time into it? I hate to think that there is a number of profiles I've started up laying around abandoned on the web due to my lack of time but after seeing several topics on this subject, none have really led to a solution for me.
The average person is not in social media (as their career) but with the ever growing pressure to be on such networks for social and business purposes, which ones do they choose and how do they find the time between family and work to be active participants? With new ones popping up each day, do we ignore them and give them no love due to "oversaturation" of the social media market despite the possible innovative functionality they may possess? More importantly, for those IN the industry, where do they find the time around client work to keep up their online personalities while not sacrificing the time that should be spent doing other things?
I remember the days when Friendster existed... then Myspace... then Facebook. Now it's a social media frenzy and if you're just sitting on the sidelines and not participating, you're as good as dead it seems. What's a girl to do? It seems in order to be "in the know" and to be a part of "social media", you have to be on every big well-known site but is this true? Is it better to enjoy the little things in life off the web and spend less time online thus damaging your credibility as a "social media expert"? Or being online and "connected" every second of nearly every day while losing your credibility as a mom or a normal human being. When venturing out and seeing something interesting but not photo-worthy to most, I will often capture a picture and upload it to Brightkite. Those around me cannot understand why the iPhone has to be connected constantly and why moments have to be interrupted by taking out the few minutes to upload, write a caption and Tweet about a damn subject or what is going on. Sometimes I snap back into reality and realize that this social media bubble many of us are in and are pressured to be more a part of, is both exceedingly time-consuming and unrealistic. Social media = fantastic. Social media = the wave of the future. I understand this, respect this and love the industry but am not as concerned as others to be visible on every single site for the sake of looking bigger, better and more knowledgeable on the subject. However, in ways I cannot help but sometimes wonder how I can find the time to do more on these sites and keep up with as many (like others do).
Where do you find the time to be human or to do activities in the real world? If we're tweeting every moment of our lives, brightkiting a photo each second and then updating the status on every site, is this real life? What's more important? Online or offline?
Many say social media enhances offline activities - ie business networking/opportunities, like-minded meetups etc. While I believe it does and use it for those purposes myself, I can't help but find it a tad difficult to keep up with it all these days. Those who are constantly connected have to remember that time is precious and irreplaceable. I know I have to remind myself that social media is complementary but certainly should not replace the valuable time you should keep offline. You should too. 
Social media & time, where do you draw the line and where do you find the time?
Come Join Me At Panasonic's LivinginHD.com
I wrote an article on Examiner.com about the community. Come and join us! Â I'm the community leader and am excited to be a part of Panasonic's greatest social media effort. Â We will be running contests with cool Panasonic product prizes and more. Â Feel free to join here -Â http://livinginhd.com/go/about/home
Is Social Media Making Today's Kids Vain?
*This has been going on for years I know... but I was reminded of it all while spending time with my niece*
It's an epidemic! Kids everywhere are falling victim to vanity! Why? Because they now have a place to display it; a place where it's encouraged - heavily. Peer pressure has always been existent but never in this way. With the emergence of social media, comes a new way for kids and young teens to express themselves. Since privacy is extremely important these days, the only other people these kids are exposed to on these networks is their peers - thus creating pressure and encouragement to validate themselves through photos and words on their page. Back before the days of the internet and social networks, one only had to worry about the way they acted in school. Now you have to worry about the way you appear around the clock as these sites are readily available at the click of a button. If you do not represent yourself in a "cool way", you could be the topic of tomorrow's gossip discussion.
I have a 14 year old niece who is constantly signed onto Myspace and Facebook and after seeing her numerous friends' profiles, I sit here in awe at how vain these kids are (or at least pretending to be). It's sad to see these girls try to portray an image that doesn't have to be them at the tender age of 12. One would argue that they should not be on these sites but let's face it - if they want to be on them, they will be on them somehow.
They spend hours in front of the mirror taking photo after photo of themselves with sexy/serious looks in order to obtain the "perfect" one. I cannot sit there and say that I haven't had a moment of vanity myself (as I believe most women have? Maybe? Maybe not?) but the age these kids are starting such behavior is young. My 10 year old niece is also catching on to the trend and I wonder of the pressure to maintain a constant image on these networks in morphing today's children in a negative way. If I could post the photos of 10 friends of my nieces' at random, you would understand (and quite possibly be shocked!) but due to the underage issue, I am not allowed to do that. While social media is providing both children and adults numerous opportunity, we face the growing negativities associated with these new mediums as well. What are the long term effects of these networks when it comes to bullying, vanity and more?
When Twitter Gets Personal….
We all know the value behind the microblogging site Twitter as many of us use it on a daily basis for networking, sharing valuable business information, joking with friends and for some? Fighting with enemies.
It was interesting to see two Hollywood big-wigs (Ashton Kutcher & Perez Hilton) take their beef to Twitter.
Ashton: when you have kids you will understand the pain you have unnecessarily inflicted on my step kids life. You can bash me all day
Perez: Rumer invited the attention upon herself. She is a huge famewhore - and I totally respect that. I love talentless famewhores!
Ashton: honestly don’t even know you and would love to call a truce just lay off my kids man
Perez: I don’t really talk about the other girls. Just Potato Head, mainly. I’m sure she secretly loves it!
Ashton: come by for dinner some night and I’ll show how much she loves it
Ashton: invented attention upon herself, why does that bother you? hmmmm
Perez: I'm a fat kid at heart and am still a porker. I love to eat! Say when and I'll be there!
Perez: See, I don't ALWAYS say mean things about Potato. Kinda. (link)
Perez: And I can guarantee you that if I COMPLETELY stopped talking about Rumerzilla, she'd be sad. Very very sad.
This isn't from the gossip magazines...this is the real deal. I've never seen Twitter get so personal & public for a celebrity. Hilton is notoriously known for making fun of a slew of Hollywood actors but more particularly; their children which is a low blow. Demi Moore's daughter Rumer has received shallow criticism on Perez's website and it's good to see Ashton defending her but even worse to see how much of a shameless coward Perez is. Either way, Twitter has proved to be yet another outlet for those publicly looking to defend their family or in Perez's case - publicly humiliate another human being. I'd like to think this is the worst way to use Twitter... but a way nonetheless.
Let the Conversation Begin! Listen First…
We all know that conversation is vital in our lives; both professionally and personally and the conversation for each one of us all began with our first word or with a company's first move towards social media.
Well recently my daughter Adria has begun her lifetime of conversation. It's a great reminder of how we must listen first and then communicate. Sometimes I feel like there's too much talking (both on and off the blogosphere) and not enough listening which provides far less value than what a true conversation can provide. Ask questions..listen for feedback and listen well By doing so, we can truly learn something new each day. With that, here's a video of my mini-me saying "Mama". (Oh and please excuse the sound of my gross cold+sinusitis voice.) Let the conversation begin Adria!
[dailymotion id=k4oJm1ljIUGXTFV6JR]
A New Day
Image Courtesy of CNN.com
No one can deny that today is one helluva day in our Nation's history. Whether you were for or against Obama during election time, this is certainly the most monumental election since JFK's. Today I feel the sense of unity and hope and even if we don't resolve things within a year, I'm glad we're taking a step in the right direction. Obama has a way of uniting people if anything and with a strong cabinet in place, I have no doubt that him and his folks will take the steps towards helping this country. Sure, the hype may wear off over time and he will have to get down to the nitty gritty but if we can keep the momentum going with this kind of hope and unity, I believe we can seriously make some changes. I'm happy to say today that I'm an American and even happier to see such a TRUE change in the White House!
Kate Dickman
Welcome to my blog which contains various social media discussion items as well as musings that may or may not make sense to you. There's no guarantee that you will become smarter after reading any of this but some of it may in fact be entertaining. Read at your own risk.
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