Tuesday, October 9, 2012

What are you looking for?


With this new way of reaching out to people it often makes me wonder who is really out there on the other side of all this social media.
There is MySpace, Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and many other outlets through which people can connect to others via the Internet.  There are Book sites, like Goodreads or Shelfari, which I am interested in almost anything to do with books, education, the proliferation of useless knowledge, and raising the IQ of the masses.  For those who just enjoy pictures, links, like a giant virtual scrap book there is Pinterest!  For videos of all sorts, serious, funny, promoting, previews, whatever, there is YouTube!
I am not even going to touch on or delve into the sites for particular groups, social SOCIAL sites, or the multitude of specialty things you can interact with on line!  I’m strictly of the mindset that if you don’t want to see it nobody is forcing you to go there, so block it, or change the channel.  I do believe it all needs to be on the internet to keep it a free expression of the human condition for all its good and bad.  Only an open mind can accept and use new information.
Some people reach out because they are lonely.
Some people just like being able to let everybody know where they are and what they are doing at every second of the day because they are that important that we must be curious.  What are they doing NOW!
Some people reach out to share their humor, whether the recipients find it funny or not.
Some people just get on to browse and spy on others because they are nosy, it’s a compulsion they can’t resist.  This goes hand in hand with those who spread rumors they hear, they make up, they heard on break, or that they just believe to be true.  This is basically Gossiping and Eves dropping just on a much sneaker and grander scale.  I remember just two weeks ago when someone told me they saw on the Internet that Morgan Freeman had passed away (Again).  It wasn’t true, but they did read it on the internet.
Some people use the Internet and Social Media sites to spew their hatred, loathing, and general miserable condition they inhabit on this planet.  If they aren’t happy, didn’t do it, or say it then it can’t be write.  This falls in line with the self-proclaimed Internet POLICE of you spelled that wrong, you got that wrong, I am better than you because I noticed and pointed out that your only human because I am a truly outspoken ass!  If you haven’t ran into any of these nice individuals post anything on line and they start swooping in like pigeons for French Fries!
So far there isn’t one all-encompassing site that does everything for everybody.  There is something that does part of what people are looking for and somewhere there is something for everybody who takes the time to find it.
To some the internet is the gate way to the masses to promote themselves, their products, their beliefs and their opinions.  It’s a sales gimmick, advertising medium, a way to connect with you, The Consumer!  Come spend your money with me!
I enjoy bits and pieces of several different social media sites for different reasons.  I am by no means an expert on any of them and each time I think I get a handle on what to do and how to do it, they upgrade and change the damn thing making it more difficult to do what I was enjoying the benefit of trying to do before they changed it.  (Facebook)
I sincerely like interacting through the social media outlets, meeting new people, finding people who appreciate what I appreciate it, who read the same books, who are courteous, polite and helpful to others.  I enjoy it when I can actually teach somebody something, help them discover something I already know, or in many cases just brighten their day by noticing them.  I enjoy learning from others and sharing their stories and experiences especially through the multitude of blog posts I follow.
 
I am a writer.  I look at the world differently than most people do.  Do I want people to buy my books?  Yes.  Occasionally, if I am working on a promotion, a new release, free book give away, I might flood the social media circles I inhabit with some self-promotion.  Then I’m done.
If one of my books sounds interesting, try it.  If not, don’t.  I do try and help promote other author’s works because I don’t look at it as if I am competing with them.  A regular person can read several hundred books in a year.  I can maybe write and publish two if I work really hard.  Of course people will be reading other books!  I’m just glad with everything going on in the world and the way the world is changing so fast with so many things competing for our time and interests that some people are still taking the time to read books.
I genuinely am concerned and interested in trying to relate to, understand, find common ground, share and have fun with the people I meet on the different social sites on the internet.  Some of these people may end up being lifelong friends or acquaintances.  Others will come and go.  In time I will build a following of readers who like my writing style and the stories I write, but that will happen one book and one story at a time.  Not because I followed somebody on Pinterest, Plused one them on Google, or liked their page on Facebook or Amazon.
I don’t sell stuff on my blog.  I try and write meaningful uplifting, maybe educational, sometimes funny, stuff for my blog posts.  Frankly most people don’t take the time to read all of most posts anyway.  It was probably some tag line I used in a link that caught their eye and dragged them to that particular page in the first place.  Some do read them all the way through.  I write my blog posts as a warm up for writing my novels.  I appreciate when I get a comment or mention from someone who I can tell read the whole thing and they got it!  I made a small connection with the words I typed.  That’s really what it’s all about.
Who do you connect with?
Are you really connecting with anyone?
Are you getting anything out of all this social media stuff?
If you have read this far into this post you probably are connecting and getting stuff and learning and still growing as a human being every day.  The people who clicked off the page just as fast they clicked on to it because to read something is more of an investment than they want to make at the moment are getting out of it just what they are putting into it.  Wow, look at the pictures, later Dude!  I crack myself up!
Thanks for sharing this moment with me.  You are obviously a reader.  If one of my books sounds interesting maybe check it out.  If you enjoyed this or any of my posts please take a moment and follow this this blog!  I won’t and don’t expect followers to read all of my posts or dribble.
Below I have added other links to stalk me with, follow, to get to know me better.  If you do show up in one or more place I will notice you and check you out as well, because I am genuinely interested in other people also!  Again.  Thanks for investing enough to read this and share this moment with me.  Thomas Wilson
Goodreads Member and Author page    http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864013.Thomas_Wilson
Shelfari Mamber and Author page   http://www.shelfari.com/storytellertdw/shelf
(I Love Browsing peoples Pinterest Pages because a picture can tell so much more without the words.  I love books because the words let you actually get into a characters thoughts, motivations, and feelings, and that you miss with pictures and film.)

1 comments:

Joyce Brennan said...

Love the article. Good question..what are you looking for? Friendship, sharing ideas, getting different perspectives. www.joycebrennan,blogspot.com

 
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