Letting You in My Business (Kinda)

How much do you share online?

I’m on Twitter. I’m on Facebook. I’m on MySpace, LinkedIn, Tagged, Bebo… There may be more communities that I’m a part of but they escape me at the moment. For some of these sites, the goal is to develop a following, but I play the middle on just about every level. I’m definitely active in social media, but sometimes I feel like I’m behind the pack in terms of immersion and even deciding what to share.

Are you regular?

No sophomoric references to one’s digestive tract, I promise. I’m wondering what “regular” means in terms of posts and updates to social networking sites. I like to think that I update them all regularly, but that seems to be a relative term.

I probably tweet once or twice a day but I follow people who do so once or twice a minute. I’m on Facebook often, but I don’t take all the random quizzes (seriously…what kind of toilet paper-folder are you???). I don’t send obscure “gifts” all day either. Who really wants to get a “Happy Smiley Heart Margarita in a Here’s a Hug Mug?” Does this mean I’m only a casual user and not as absorbed as I once thought? I also wonder if my amount of time spent online influences my interests on certain sites, if it’s the other way around, or if it’s a bi-causal relationship. It’s a quintessential chicken/egg question.

Business, Personal…Businal?

I certainly enjoy letting my friends know that my mom thinks I moved to Japan, or that I believe a cravings troll lives under my couch and he’s to blame when I suddenly need a Rice Crispies Treat. But I also have some pretty serious followers on Twitter who are all about business. Reading their tweets make me wonder if I should maybe talk more about race relations and beer at the White House. Mind you, this comes with some level of assumption that people actually care what I’m writing/tweeting/updating about. But I’m a blogger ¾ of course I think people (well…at least a couple of friends) care!

What Are You In For?

When it comes to sharing information online, for some, it’s a job. For others, it’s all play. You have those who should really learn the art of self-censorship and then there’s me. I’m a communications professional who likes to play in the space but I’m very aware of what I put out there.  For now, I’ll continue to share with the same levels of frequency and disclosure. I’m curious to know what ¾ if anything ¾ would prompt this to change.

I’m comfortable with my presence online. Sure, I’d have more followers on Twitter if I discussed more industry topics. I’d have a following here if I posted more often too. But for me, it’s isn’t about who’s reading as much as it is about having a say. I put myself out there just enough for those who are interested and I can say what I want. It’s like talking to yourself out loud when you’re alone (don’t act like you’ve never done it!). Sometimes we have something to say whether someone’s listening or not.