InstaTrain and Friend or Follow Reviewed!

Tweet

Hadn't really poked around much to see what kind of tools there are out there to assist you with your Instagram account. So I googled away and found the “InstaTrain” that promised tons of followers in seconds! Suspecting that this was a setup similar to “Seed” for Twitter (is that even still around?), I investigated: 

Board the train! Become a VIP! Do not miss out on our summer discount!

You know the old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is?” Uh huh.

So here’s how it works. You can get on the train for free by tweeting or posting kudos for Instatrain or you can pay to be a VIP and get “hundreds/thousands” of followers after going through a few easy steps. Then, you “board the train”. You may have to wait a couple minutes and the countdown builds up the excitement. Then it happens…All Aboard!

And it’s true! For free, you WILL get “instant” followers. 

Wow, huh?

Ah wait a minute; there’s a punchline, right?

Yep.

My feed was immediately filled with: Young girls snapping photos of themselves, phone in hand, messages in Arabic, photos that weren’t exactly high quality, “colorful” language, poor use of English, and need I go on?

I also noticed that a majority of my new follower’s handles had a “_” in it @iam_kayy is one example. Then there were a bunch that boasted their intelligence by their names: @wakyweirdo @xogeniuss @butburnasinner.

My followers went up rapidly. Now, I only had about 190 followers and suddenly it was 230! Wow! Then, as soon as the followers built up, the number started going down again; deflating by half within minutes. 

Folks, if you've ever checked out Seed, it works the same way. 

The question is: Do you really need these people? Big thumbs down here. 

My suggestion is that you build your followers by finding people who post photos that you enjoy. Simple as that! You can find them through your friends, through hashtags, or as links from other social networks.

Now, back to the mini-mess I made for myself: Luckily, you can clean up very easily with the Friend or Follow for Instagram! Didn't know it existed; 
had used the version for Twitter in the past! They give you three views: 

• Following: The ones you follow that don't follow you back. Was surprised that several of my friends were not following me back (well okay, some appear to not be active on Instagram!).
• Fans: They follow you and you aren't following back.
• Friends: The feeling is mutual.

Sigh of relief: Was able to clean up my account in a jiffy! I highly recommend this tool! Wish they had a version for Pinterest! 

In the early 90's The Farm sang about a train that we really like; a groovy train! If you need groovy strategy for your business, visit us at our website, or say hello on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. 

Dear Pinterest; How Are You Doing?

Tweet

Got to say; you really are fun! Who doesn’t like seeing photos of red velvet cake, faraway places, body art and Barbie dolls in retro fashions?

And you’ve been growing in popularity like crazy! Hit 10 million almost a year ago and has been declared as the fastest growing social network ever! Investor money was there for you too; a boatload of dollars! Most impressive.

Had to laugh the other day when I received a comment from a fan on my Groovy Reflections page; she said “I followed you on Pinterest; is that okay?” Uh, yeah…yes it is.

Pinterest (may I call you “Pin” for short?), you have been helpful in promoting blogs for both my business as well as my tie-dye products for Groovy Reflections, ultimately driving more traffic to my webpages. While not a huge traffic source there’s no complaints here since I’m reaching people who wouldn’t be exposed to my websites otherwise. Playing around with subject matter I’ve found what people are attracted to and what they’re not so interested in; some boards are hopping with repins while others are not. 

You’re a great resource for thought starting, to show off your art, photography, or any product for that matter, and for building brand imagery. 

While you’re not a place for a lot of conversation (a picture says a thousand words), it’s certainly possible to have a discussion on your network.

However, “Pin”, I do have a couple of concerns:

3 "fakers"; love the Batman shaped hairstyle!

Fake profiles on the rise. They rarely include a bio of any sort, are usually female, and usually have 4 boards, less than 50 pins, 1000+ followers and following 5000+ pinners. I imagine that they’re going to start in with a lot of advertising of stuff no one really wants at some point. Sigh. Oh, and some of them will include their city. 

"The GUY behind snuggles"? Sure.

What to do? If they look even remotely fake, they probably are. I’ve Googled a few. Let’s put it this way; none of them are members of LinkedIn. How do you plan on dealing with this, “Pin”?

To Pinterest users: If you’re pinning as a fun pastime there’s probably no harm as long as their boards have photos that interest you. If you are a business, they’ll never purchase your product or service; how can they if they’re not even people?

Who ran off with my chowder?

“Blank” Photos. I tend to upload a lot of original photographs to Pinterest. Nothing wrong with that right? And the uploading of a pin used to work just fine. About two months ago, I started noticing that the photos weren’t there yet the description still was! 

Still having that issue and sometimes have to upload a photo three or four times to “make it stick”. “Pin”, this puts quite a damper on growing my boards if I have to spend over ten minutes per pin! 


And, there have been a few times when I’ve signed in and noticed that a photo for a pin that had been there had turned into a white space?  Now, I did find in the support area that someone had contacted Pinterest about it over a month ago. Yes, over a MONTH ago. Still waiting “Pin”!

Aside from those issues, Pinterest really is a great place to be. Keep up the good work and please address my concerns. Thanks! Your Pin Pal, Gerry.

Before Rod the mod became a crooner, he knew how to rock and roll! The title of this tune could serve as a casual reminder to what Pinterest is all about. Now picture this: Our website, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. And here's a link to our Pinterest board for this blog!

Pinterest Likes Your Business!

Tweet

Pinterest held back on allowing business accounts for a long time; but no longer. Now you can have one! They recently caved. Since some of the hoopla may have been lost during the Thanksgiving holiday, here’s some information on it.

Wait; what’s the difference? None as far as functionality and features, however a Pinterest business account has to agree to Pinterest’s terms for doing business on their social network. If you’re unaware of this new offering and are curious, read all about it here.  

The terms look pretty standard and reasonable, and thankfully are easy to understand. If you have an account you’d like to convert to a business account or want to start a new one, click here.

Do read the terms first though! In addition, they offer friendly advice that will help make your company page a success. It’s pretty darn basic stuff that’s great for someone who hasn’t had all that much experience in social media.  

And two new features were recently added as well that can integrate some of  your photos from Pinerest into your website: Profile Widget, that allows you to "show off" up to thirty of your pins, and Board Widget, for showing a board's best pins. 

Regarding business accounts, they can be verified just like personal accounts. For more information click here for the steps. Unfortunately, some of us are challenged by the mere thought of uploading the HTML file provided by Pinterest to our “web server at the root folder”. Wish they could explain that one because I would like to verify my Groovy Reflections Pinterest account and possibly my personal one too! Sorry, I don't have a separate account for ModlandUSA, however, there is a board on the Groovy Reflections Pinterest account with my ModlandUSA blogs.

Do you plan on creating or converting your existing account to a business one? Would love to hear from you. The Searchers sang about pins long before the interest and Pinterest were introduced to us (see below). If you want to take a break from pinning, stop by and say hi at Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the website. Thanks!

Psssst…I’ve Got a Pinterest Secret!

Tweet

Could I be keeping something from you? Certainly. However, until now, everything I’ve been pinning on Pinterest is there for the whole world to see. 

And it’s a board. Don’t get bored; this is actually pretty interesting. You, as pinner of your master universe, can now have three boards that you can keep to yourself. You don’t have to show a soul. Not sure if this was all rolled out at once or not. My secret boards appeared at the bottom of the page, below my existing boards, on November 8. 

Wow. Hiding stuff. Bummer you can’t hide your existing boards; that's because there may have been activity from other pinners there. Your secret boards need to be freshly started.

Looks just like another board and according to Pinterest, a pin on a secret board will not show up. Anywhere. Sweet.

Creating a secret board

There’s no limit to other pinners secret boards that you can belong to. If there is a limit, Pinterest hasn’t specified one. So don’t worry about joining up with your fellow pinheads on their secrets!

There could come a day when you’ve had enough of one of your secret boards (can’t imagine why) and you’d like to start something fresh. No problem! Delete it and then you’re free to reach your quota of three all over again!

Oh and one more little thing that Pinterest doesn’t mention in their support area. You have the option to switch your secret board from “off” (private) to “on” (public). And when you do, here’s the message that pops up:

It’s a one-time deal. Once your secret board is made public, you can’t go back! Pinterest, you’re making life complicated now; so many decisions to make!

Adding this paragraph two hours after posting: JUST got an email from Pinterest announcing secret boards. This is close to 48 hours after I first noticed it on my profile! Glitch in your contact system, Pinterest?

How will you use this new feature? Will you fly solo and keep your darkest secrets under wraps, or will you have a pin pal that you’ll share your secret board(s) with? And what will you pin?

Carly Simon sang about not having secrets back in the 70’s and below she does a jazzy rendition of that tune. The lyrics state: “we tell each other everything” …okay, so this statement doesn’t apply to Pinterest anymore. Enjoy! And if you want to peruse some other public information, check out my Pinterest account (which I need to catch up to!) or the Groovy Reflections Pinterest account (my other endeavor).   

A Social Media Rant.

Tweet

A friend's kitty: Isn't she CUTE?

Yeah, it’s about time I did another rant. It’s been quite a while. Please don’t take offense at anything I've written. It’s meant to be taken in good spirits. Of course, if any of these apply to you, take it as a gentle reminder.

• You don’t have to be on social networks it 24/7. Take up knitting, go for a hike or read a good book. You’ll feel refreshed. Even a half hour will do wonders.
• There’s no need to like your own posts. If you posted it, we already know that’s it likely you like it too. Besides, it looks kinda cheesy to like your own stuff. So save some time and don’t bother.
• Hello small businesses! I’m getting mighty tired of watching you drive your businesses to the ground via social media. If you’re not experienced in marketing, why the heck do you insist on doing it or let your teenage son do it? Why don't you CARE?

(breathe)

• I’m still seeing all those cute kitten shares far too often. Stop it. Just STOP it.
• Not enough originality out there! People, if you have a camera on your phone (and soooo many of you do) USE it.
• Share-o-holica is a chronic disease. I’m sorry to the person I had to hide. It was painful to watch your symptoms erupt into more madness than I can handle. Please get some help!

• For all of you that insist on political bashing; you are wasting your time with me. I want to hear the true facts from both major parties. If you are routing for a particular politician, can you please tell me something wonderful about them instead that may inspire me to investigate even more? I acknowledge the fact that each and every one of them has done something BAD. Let’s move on please and focus on how capable each candidate is as far as running a country. 
• Twitter shoutouts and Follow Fridays that are too darn long to retweet! Break it up, tweeps!
• People who use an app to poke on Facebook. I get poked back within a second of poking them; can we have a little time in between please? I need to inhale first.

(breathe. slowly...slowly)

• Facebook gone Spacebook. Posts disappearing  then reappearing. As the admin of several pages, I find this frustrating. It makes it difficult to communicate with the fans. Get it right, Facebook and stop adding more reasons for your stock to decline. I even had a fan yell at me because she thought something I posted was directed at her (which is wasn't) that she perceived in a negative way (thanks to the previous fan post disappearing!). Not even sure how she connected the dots there (there weren't any).
• Google+. Uh, nothing. This may be the one social network that hasn't annoyed me. Oh wait. Pinterest has been a breeze. Simplicity. Aaaaah…

Tears for Fears gave us permission to let it all out in the mid 80's and the song's meaning is explained here too. And if you want to read more (and I promise no more "shouting" for a while, please visit me via the website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ ...and thanks for stopping by!

Social Media: Oh, the People You Meet!

Tweet

Dr. Seuss wrote about the places you’ll go. And we sure travel around a lot via social media. It gets overwhelming at times too. Hey, 
I’m hopping from Facebook to Twitter to Google+ to Pinterest to LinkedIn all day. I get dizzy from it all; don’t you? We’re all “going places” and uber-multi-tasking.


So I tend to forget. A lot. Or so it seems. And one thing I’d like to bring up in particular happens to be in the social media realm. 


Introductions.


This happens to me a lot on Twitter; it never occurs to me that I have followers that I tweet with often that have common interests and then …bam! One of them sees a RT by me from a follower, and they jump in and say hello to them. 


This is great! I feel happy for them and a little stupid at the same time (slaps forehead); why didn’t I think of hooking them up? Why didn’t I notice that they both are into NASCAR?


Oh, but this has happened to me so many times. And I can't think of a thing that rhymes.


So, the following advice is for both for me and for you: 


Pay attention to what your closest tweeps are into! 


A relationship on Twitter goes beyond a #followfriday greeting. Find something to discuss with them.


Use lists to categorize interests. While I’m not a super big NASCAR fan and haven’t been a spectator of any races in recent years, I would enjoy going. I DO dig cars, having worked in the automotive industry for many years (and I still do projects in that industry and doing one currently). 


This is in addition to creating lists for YOUR favorite categories of course. I DO have a few of those, both public and private ones. 
Creating more lists and putting people into them will enlighten you to people that share common interests. Next step: Introduce them. 


Now, I don’t know what the proper etiquette is for introduction, but the most formal could be:


You both enjoy NASCAR! @cheerytomatopie meet @gladtobeSunny  …@gladtobeSunny meet @cheerytomatopie  


Or maybe Retweeting and adding a comment:


RT @cheerytomatopie my latest blog on NASCAR www.bit.ly.xxxxx -- @gladtobeSunny check out what Mary wrote about and say hello!


And hopefully they hook up on their own that way. And that’s easier to just pass it along as you see it! 


For those of you considering starting lists to better know your tweeps, click here for more info on that subject. 


Note: Those are not actual Twitter accounts in the examples. Oh, you already checked?


Create a Twitter list
It's easier than making a fist
Do it while doin' the twist
I'm sure you'll get the gist.


In closing, I’d leave you with a quote from Dr. Seuss. It’s a bit more extreme than merely becoming friends, but it fits here as well. And I do happen to know of a few romances that started on Twitter but I’m keeping those tales private. Oh, and ...say hello! There's the website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ ...I'll say Hi back. 

Stealing, Spam, Pinterest, and You.

Tweet

If you've been using it, you already know that Pinterest is a great visual social network. It’s fun, it’s viral, it can be beneficial for businesses. I have nothing but positive things to say about it.


Until now.


This morning I received an email notice regarding a repinning of one of my pins; for now I have those emails turned on. This one happened to be about the board where I pin posts for this blog. 


I've always taken pride in the original photos and graphics that I use in my blog posts and was inspired to snap a photo of a 1964 / 1965 World’s Fair souvenir fan that I own. Included a watermark “groovyreflections.com” (one of my websites) on that photo; have been doing so mainly because of all the repinning activity on Pinterest. I don’t mind my pins traveling around the virtual world, but I want to retain acknowledgement for my photography (as good or bad as it is).


For the record, here’s what my pin looks like:

Notice the reference to my blog at the top. And this gent’s repin looks like this:

Suddenly, the link to my blog is gone and there's a "promotion" for increasing your followers with a demeaning statment and a URL (presumably his). Sigh. My guess is that this sort of practice will increase. 


Will you be able to catch doings like this? Probably not all of it, especially as activity on your account goes up. I will be shutting off the email notifications eventually and it’s likely that I won’t have time to scan all the activity every day. Clicking on all those notifications can be a drag!


Luckily, this one was caught. Not one to keep quiet; here’s what I did:


Commented directly on his repin requesting him to remove the pin, included the URL for my blog and an explanation he had removed credit for where the photo originated from. This way, others will be able to see my comment and his credibility will go down a notch (and hopefully more!).


Reported him to Pinterest. It’s easy! Directly on a pin there are several options on the right: Like, Tweet, Embed, Report, and email. Click on report and fill in the simple form.


Keep in mind that Pinterest is still a young social network. They’ve already revised their policies and there’s sure to be more changes down the road. 


Unfortunately, scammers and unscrupulous folks are here to stay. I hope that by bringing this issue to you that you’ll be just a little bit savvier. All social networks have their good and bad points, and we have to go with the flow and continue to educate ourselves.  


Steely Dan felt scammed in the 70's:

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest! Been busy there with 3 accounts:


My personal account that includes this blog, my Groovy Reflections account which also has a board with this blog, and my third one which is really my dog's endeavor where he helps other animals find forever homes.  

Social Media Marketing and U.

Tweet

Back in the fourth grade, I wrote a poem. It may have been my first one ever. It contained words that were easily comprehended by nine year olds. Except for one.


Ubiquitous.


Don’t remember where I found the word. The line in the poem read “ubiquitous is this season”; the only line I recall from it. 


Guess I was really proud to find such a big word. I even pronounced it wrong. Instead of u-biq-ui-tous I spoke it as u-bi-quit-ous when we had to stand up in front of the class and read our poems. Hey, I was a kid!


Little used, under loved, ubiquitous, an adjective that’s really so big. Dictionary.com defines it as “existing or being everywhere”. Another source cites is as “having or seeming to have the ability to be everywhere at once; omnipresent”.

It’s really a word that more of us should use. Especially with social media.
Simply put, you and your business really do have to be “everywhere” as far as the major social networks. On Twitter. On Facebook. On LinkedIn. On Google+. On Pinterest. Rudolph, let your nose shine bright. 


You DO have to know what level of participation works best for your branding and company. There is no “one size fits all.” DO be experimental and play on all of them and have a good understanding of the nuances of each. It’s not “one post fits all either” and you’ll see over time how your fits in to a particular social network. It WILL take time. Have patience and do not expect immediate results.


Social media marketing is a long-term commitment; you have to stick with it and be involved for the long haul. 


And Social Media is ubiquitous. And since roses are pretty much everywhere, I posted  one. Here's a song from the ubiquitous Johnny Cash:

This is U in the Blogging A to Z challenge. Here's S and T.
Stop by and say hello!   Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. 

Orange is Here!

Tweet

The color of the year is Tangerine Tango. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Well, not like an apple, but good enough to eat!


Orange is (finally) making a serious comeback! 


We’ll start seeing it more often in fabrics and on cars; it’s already on a Volvo and quieter than the hues from the Seventies. Who could forget orange MG’s, Volvo 145 wagons and VW Beetles, Buses, Rabbits, and Things? The color is destined to show up on fresh packaging in the near future and may be a more practical application than vehicles. 

I had suddenly realized a few years back that I was embracing this color and documented this fact in one of my very first blog posts on my other blog. The post is called "In Appreciation of the Color Orange".  


A year or so later, I went on to have orange in the Groovy Reflections logo:
The color was working its magic into my everyday life. I even painted a room in the color of California poppies:
   

And you thought I was going to show the actual room? These blooms are prettier.


Hello, world! Are you catching up to me now? After all, my obsession started about five years before I wrote that post in 2009; just hadn’t noticed yet. Okay, I won’t take credit for the new trend. Colors do come back now and again. I still remember walking into Macy’s in the 80’s and seeing nothing but teal and purple. If you didn’t look good in those colors, you were out of luck.


How many people can wear orange? That’s a tough one and as limiting as yellow. We’ll see, won’t we? I did attend a party recently and the host was wearing orange jeans; yeah, sounds odd but they looked great! They were a deep melon tone, not screaming.

Will there be orange appliances? 


Currently, you can get a mixer in that color; stove tops, ovens, and refrigerators would have very limited appeal. A few years ago, while selecting kitchen countertop material I considered a quartz composite available in an orange that had more of a reddish hue. It was being discontinued at the time and was tempting, but no. I tiled the kitchen backsplash in orange instead; easy enough to switch out if a change is desired.


Been looking for a vintage orange Bauer flower pot for years to go with the large blue, green, and yellow ones I have on my patio. They sell for triple the price compared to the other colors. In fact, almost anything vintage in orange has a premium on it. 


Just the other day I saw a board on Pinterest called “Orange You Glad” and the photos were mesmerizing; everything from shoes to vehicles to flowers. 


Orange is here!


If you haven’t already embraced this happy color, maybe now is a good time to start. 
You can say you jumped on the bandwagon early before all your favorite brands start incorporating it into their products and packaging.


What have you seen recently that’s surprisingly orange? 


This is “O” in the Blogging A to Z challenge. Here’s M and N.


Ken Nordine wrote a groovy poem about the color. Click here for the video:

If you haven’t had enough of me, stop by for more on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

Stripping on Facebook: Do You "Like"?

Tweet

The 4th photo in the series

Like.


Sounds simple enough. Yeah, I like sushi. It tastes good. I like Peace. It’s a big wish! 


Of course, we all like Facebook pages, right? 


And have you ever liked one because a woman is undressing on the page? Welcome to a new marketing campaign from a clothing company that I've never heard of, but is headquartered about 15 minutes from where I’m sitting right now, writing to you.


The premise is simple. The page likes go up, the model takes off another garment (okay, the backpack wasn't exactly an article of clothing). Nice that she has plenty on to start with!


Yesterday, 30 photos were there and the likes were under 9,000. 24 hours later, 8 more photos and over 11,000 likes. Something is working.


However, it’s not for everyone. Some comments from the gals include:


"Maybe I would "like" it if there were a male stripper too, but alas, there is none! I guess you only want men to buy your clothes!"


"Why would we as women want to watch her strip?? Are they selling clothes or the bimbo???"


And from the guys:


"if i want to see girls strip, i go to a strip bar, not facebook. kinda makes me feel like i'm watching porn on the disney channel."


"LAME . Keep your shit on. Make your parents proud"


"This IS how you do #greatmarketing - but you could add more .... marketing angles rather than clothing layers ;) (apols couldnt help myself)"


Great Marketing? Actually, yes, despite it being highly offensive to some. And it appears to fit the personality of the brand. Here’s what is happening:

• Curious folks, like it or not, are showing up at the page.
• The “likes” ARE going up. Quickly.
• Bloggers (like me) and journalists are writing about it. Free advertising!
• The photos from the Facebook page are likely all over Pinterest by now.
• Awareness of the brand has shot up almost overnight.

Not bad.

#31 in the series.

How far will it go? Seriously doubt she’ll take all her clothes off on Facebook. Is it worth it to have your page shut down? Nah. It will be interesting to see how they’ll end it. At any rate, the people are stopping by to see the “show”.


Perhaps the model needs a little music to accompany the action? For a “tease” click here. For the page I’ve been telling you about, click here. Do you “like”?


This is L for the Blogging A to Z Challenge. Here’s J and K.


No freebies, no gifts, no stripping, just good reading and conversation, can be found by clicking here. 

Jelly, Marketing, and You.

Tweet

Both jam and jelly (what IS the difference between them anyway?) are easily spreadable, gel-like substances. And they taste pretty good on an English Muffin or with some peanut butter.

It's all about spreading the news! What news? Why whatever it is that you want your future, current, repeat or past customers to know about. But this post isn’t about the “what”; it’s about the “where”.

Are you only touting your business on one social network?

Maybe it’s time to pump up the jam and spread that jelly out to the edges of the toast.

Can you be on one social media and be a success? Certainly, that’s possible. However, you’ll never know if you’re missing a large portion of your target audience because they’re hanging out elsewhere.

And not getting your message to the right people could be detrimental to your business.
It’s painful (trust me, I know), but do keep up a presence on the major social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+, and Pinterest? Yep. It’s coming on strong, especially if women in the 25 to 45 age range are your target audience. That demographic will probably shift as more people spread their jam on there. It’s fun, visual, and could be habit forming.

Over time, you’ll find which social networks are making an impact on your business. If you care to enlist a professional to assist you with your strategies, they will be able to tell you which ones to emphasize based on your product or service and save you months of figuring it out on your own.

Now, let’s not forget the more “traditional” marketing and PR methods. Have you ever thought about a press release announcing your new business or a recent achievement that could ultimately wind up in newspapers across the country? Or how ‘bout a direct mail piece that goes out to your local area?

Spread the news, spread the message. Stretch to the end of that toast. Make mine grape!

This is J in the Blogging A to Z Challenge for the month of April. Here’s H and I.

Tommy Roe sang about both jelly and jam; click here for that classic pop tune.

Social Networking: Time to Go Cold Turkey?

Tweet

Okay, I’m certain that this is not the first article on this subject and no I haven’t searched to find out. The thought just popped into my head the other day.

Quickly, I documented several of the bullet points below and the rest flowed in piece meal.

And lo and behold, an article just came out regarding a study on social media addiction, spurring me on!

And some of you know that sometimes I make light of things. We all need to cut loose from time to time, right?

Therefore, I present to you my list of criteria with tell-tale signs that a social networking addiction is taking hold. The list is not complete by any means. If anything, it’s meant to give you a chuckle. It’s likely we’re all guilty of at least one or two of the items cited here. If you identify with at least ten of them, call a doctor or a social media specialist. Please.

You know you’re addicted to social networking when you:

• Share silly kitten photos without even thinking about it.







• Inform your friends about every airport meal you’re having.

• Think the terms “facebooking” and “friending” are verbs.

• Post and/or tweet five times in four minutes.

• Refer to people on Google+ as “plusers” or “plussers”.

• Are so busy posting that there's no time to respond to comments on your own posts.

• The 47 inch TV in your living room is usually dark.

• Have YouTube always queued up.

• Get excited when you see a white number inside a red rectangle.








• Learn the latest gossip about your childhood friends via Facebook.

• Program your tweets so you can spend more time on other social networks.

• Are already on Pinterest.

• Watched the Super Bowl with a beer on the left, buffalo wings on the right, and a laptop in the middle.








• Have Firefox and Chrome both in full swing with your multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts open.

• Someone makes a joke about “crackbook” and you think it’s funny.

• Check your Facebook messages and notifications before your email.

So, how did you do? And what else would you add to this list?



John Lennon reminded us how painful withdrawal from an addiction can be with this moving song.