10.31.09
Are YOU Lurking?
I was just checking my account on myspace ( www.myspace.com/hessmeister because my name was already taken. Ditto for my YouTube channel [cleanatrina]). While on myspace, I clicked on some of my friends and looked at their activities.
It struck me as bizarre. We are putting ourselves on display. We are literally making our communications available to the entire world. And we’re doing it on purpose! This realization could be disturbing to you. Or it could be exactly like humor.
Here’s what I mean:
–The best humor is about being yourself. Authenticity is hilarity. The best humor is based on at least a grain of truth. People want to know who you are before they can trust or believe you.
–When we are open we are free. We can be more creative. We are less afraid of making mistakes. We try new things. We don’t waste energy on protecting ourselves or keeping secrets.
–We speak the language that the modern world speaks. Your online abscence makes other people think you have something to hide. They will require more energy to book, hire, or pay you, because they must make an extra step to find out about you. Make it easy for them. Don’t be a lurker.
I have to admit, I hated YouTube when I first went there. I still don’t understand completely what I’m supposed to be doing on Twitter. I hadn’t checked my myspace in months. But I am there. Studying the language patterns. See for yourself, and make your first public comment! Pick a site, any site–
www.myspace.com/hessmeister
http://www.yourshiningexample.com
http://twitter.com/trinahess
Facebook http://tinyurl.com/cleanatrina
http://www.youtube.com/user/cleanatrina
“If you bait the hook with your heart, the fish will always bite.” –John Burroughs
