More thoughts on Social Media.

I've been reading a lot recently about blogging and the importance of keeping it interesting and relevant. I have been trying to think about what I know that others would want to read and I really don't feel that I have enough authority on anything that would make someone want to read this. I sat thinking about what interests me and thought I would go from there.

Social Media - I have spent the last few months building up my social contacts. It takes time and effort and and some say, like my husband, that it is a time waster. I have to say that I have to agree on some levels with him. The first thing I do when I get home from work, apart from checking the post, sorting the washing and saying hello to the kids, is turn on the iPad to see if anyone has responded to anything I have posted recently. First its Facebook to catch up with friends and family. It does not tend to take too long as I tend to talk to the people I really want to stay in contact with. Then its onto twitter, again to see any responses. I am occasionally pleased to see the blue spot next to @connect which gives me a tingle down my spine....someone cares about what I have posted....Others seem to spend a lot of time chatting to each other but I'm trying to keep mine for professional purposes so banter seems a little wrong.  It is scary if someone has picked up on something that I have commented on and wants my opinion...what if I'm wrong? Note to self...I need to remember that my opinion is as good as the next person. I have 198 followers who are mainly librarians, authors and teachers and sound as if they all know a lot more than me.....but that is what twitter is all about using others to professionally develop without having to do all the searching. I am a little hung up on the fact that I only need 2 more to take me to 200 followers :) sorry!!!

After twitter I tend to head to scoop.it....I love scoop.it.....I have found some really good people to follow who definitely know more than me. My previous post has talked about working with teachers and librarians in Canada on a book review blog. I found @pippadavies a Librarian on scoop.it and I think its amazing that the children in one of my schools are corresponding with students in Canada.  It is growing slowly but there is already some interesting  converstions going on. Where it will lead I really don't know but I look forward to seeing what happens next. I intend to start using scoop.it better by reading and digesting things that I curate. It is too easy to pass on information without really  digesting it and making use of it yourself. There is so much information out there that it is impossible to get everything. I must start being more selective and maybe I will learn more. I have found with scoop.it that I would love to be able search my scoops, I have so many now that if I remember something that I think would be useful it can take time to find it again. Pinterest is another but I find it less useful. I feel that it has a more magazine feel and is not as useful as scoop.it. I tend to pass information on but very rarely go back to it.

Finally Linkedin is another favourite. I have had some great responses from questions I have posted and people are so helpful. I am trying to respond to others questions occasionally but I still have a nagging feeling that I may be getting the wrong end of the stick and would hate to make myself look stupid.

At his point my family are usually moaning that they are hungry and that I am always on social networking sites so I try and switch off for the night. I can't resist it though when my blackberry pings and I have a message response to something I have said. Good or bad I have to look. I have even got to the stage that I'm secretly pleased that there is football on the TV as it means that I will not be nagged for a little while :)