Rants within discussions: 2016 and the year ahead in social media?

Jeannette Marshall I'm starting to get excited for Christmas with all my kids going to be there Kyle Desiree-marie Chantal and Kelsey  ...... who are likely posting at each other with a lot of humour and outstanding memories we made together. A tough benchmark for many families to follow or at least adopt that principle on humour being the saviour of a family's soul

Who knew others think like I do?

Who knew others think like I do?
Rants within discussions:  2016 and the year ahead... http://optioneerjm.blogspot.com/2015/12/rants-within-discussions-2016-and-year.html?spref=tw in #hashtags 


Jeannette Marshall shared her post.
23 mins · 
This is from FACEBOOK is trying to intuitive like the really big smart machines like Google .... can't say they got me at all? What a poor shot at this new formulating technology that has been waiting to implode.
Jeannette Marshall's photo.
Jeannette Marshall
25 mins ·
Anyone wanna ‪#‎Follow‬ me on ‪#‎Twitter‬ ? Please do and mention‪#‎bestofeverything‬ @optioneerJM Lara Jean Marshall <--- can you not help but notice that THAT is NOT my name! They attempted to intuitively insert something, they are getting it all wrong. The air is their development but the water is my substance.






Jeannette Marshall I'm trying a couple of experiments, one being creating a new standard of #hashtag called #thebestofeverything where anyone, any where, any religion, any color, any intellect can share what they think that matters. Rather than one spun from the media, social media ships, but by any user on social media. Let the people speak and tell you what the world is currently thinking it matters: #bestofeverything is not fueled by any brand engine or internet powerhouse. We can see if the integrity equals the numbers for staying at the top in #hashtag trending. Yes, it is the brainchild of: http://optioneerjm.blogspot.ca/.../a-social-media-brand... that's all

Jeannette Marshall Commenting doesn't add value to your personal brand, I've discovered. I'm starting to wonder if some bloggers are poaching ideas from the "soon to be known" to attempt to keep ahead of the curve. True integrity and outstanding citizenship should be the ONLY criteria to climb to the top of the heap of junk. Where the jewels eventually resurface .... or remain.

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Joe Gier well said Jeannette

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Jeannette Marshall shared her post.

23 mins · 

This is from FACEBOOK is trying to intuitive like the really big smart machines like Google .... can't say they got me at all? What a poor shot at this new formulating technology that has been waiting to implode.

Jeannette Marshall's photo.

Jeannette Marshall

25 mins · 

Anyone wanna ‪#‎Follow‬ me on ‪#‎Twitter‬ ? Please do and mention ‪#‎bestofeverything‬ @optioneerJM Lara Jean Marshall <--- can you not help but notice that THAT is NOT my name!  They attempted to intuitively insert something, they are getting it all wrong.  The air is their development but the water is my substance.

The above is an original, no bout doubt about it.  It isn't slick, it is hand drawn, hand written, hand colored with the reproduction values are highlighted by how far graphics have come within #socialmedia.  The reigning soveignty exhausted and fallen behind being words has now been substituted for images.  The formulative phase of thought+image has been around for at least five years and created, used, shared by the early adopters of #socialmedia like any founding member or fringe member #usGuys #bestofeverything .... 

If you are going to start the social media basics you had better practice or know how to merge quotes with images.  They have evolved and some keep recirculating long long after it may have originated.

The BEST ones are the ones that have a recognizable figure saying something so great that it was BOTH the sizzle and the steak:  so very hard to come to in the world of advertising these days.  The resources displaced by big talkers and even bigger marketers.  

The humongous of the originators of social media Guy Kawasaki  is now relegated to the back of the room, not even a crown.  He is the perfect example of how fledgling social media truly was when they considered "someone who knew someone GREAT that could write and market himself so well" as one of the rock stars of social media at the beginning.

MASHABLE is the NEW demigod of social media.  Not a day will go by on Twitter without a half dozen to dozen posts that people stand up and take notice.  Brilliant and imaginable, it will continue to soar as the benchmark for blogsters to only dream of.

"Some more things to look to in 2016?  How about these people?  The next level in content creation, content development, networking and establishing influence ...... are: ? "      

~By Jeannette Marshall @optioneerJM #bestofeverything

Imagine the former icons of technology and how far they've moved from the innovators to the early adopters in these here on now years.  They are also religated to the back room with dust long settled upon them.  They will be flabergasted and amazed that this was not their own creation:  ThingWorx is a consortium of gifted, motivated, and inspiring entrepreneurs to unfold.  They will soon the latest acronym on the stage IofT "Internet of Things"

How profound eh?  As 2015 begins to fade, so will the clambering for positioning by the manufacturers, technology drivers, social media and network steam engines, smart phones.  Emerging are the idea people.  The idea people will bow always to the King of Ideas, the guy who ate apples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as opposed to the tooler manufacturer geek (guess who?) 

The tools like smartphones, tablets, computer will continue to evolve, just no longer in the spot light of the 1990s inventions.  Now and in 2016 the enforcers of knowledge, content (whether that be educational or home economics)   will become the big brand in the not so distant future.

WIKIpedia will continue to skyrocket with sidekicks detaching themselves and creating even more super power content creation with economics.

As I have even begun attempting:  selling the brand "optioneerJM" that is sprinkled about all social media platforms.  Not in super powerful following numbers, but by scores on how your content is doing.  Klout will have to evolve to being an information provider targeted by its readers.  Not the other way around.

Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook are turning into fat birds who have bloated their own self-worth beyond anything before, are at the bottom 1/8 of the upward curb that is beginning to unfold.  Some may be investigating the impact of population trends with technology and important things to people, created by the people (tracking history, habits), for the people (the engines or innovator(s) with the tools, now reigning by "YUGELY" declined profitability 

The best winners could be the governments.  At their disposal is a complete biography of just about every citizen they govern.  The really big brother stories of the 1960s is going to become closer to realities those tales evoked than any fear mongering from any fading political force because they want to appear strong, stable and a leader.

If I had the ear of the incoming President of the United States, I would suggest that they snap up Fiorina for leading their technology, as her own private fortress, without distraction by any boys network or tech club.  
  
If it isn't Trump who is the winner, he'd have to be snapped up with a new post as the Government's "what people are thinking but too afraid to say" champion and UN Ambassador.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

~Mother Teresa

If the government were to think that church and state have a widening gap, bring Pope Frances over to the Americas to restore faith in all humanity, not just a chosen one.

Pope Frances will continue create moments in history that will surface with the best of the most memorable.   No longer quiet, the awe inspiring, jaw dropping year of our generation's greatest humanitariun, Mother Theresa, as a Saint.  You don't want to test the power of faith and the force with which faith is restored.  

Violent terorism will take a back bench behind inspiration and hope.  The machines will keep the stories of courage, leadership, and quality overshadowing the promotion of hate crimes, prejudism, nepotism, egotism, where the crumbling of the "ME GENERATION" head into attics or old folks' homes.  The "ME GENERATION" is the "HAD GENERATION" now.  

The "Baby Boom" term will fall amongst the clutter of forgotten terms of identification.  The children of the younger sisters' Baby Boom big brothers and sisters tapered off with the 80s and now those children of said siblings are the greatest force behind everything:  the gas that lights the next boom called "INFORMATION" not financiacial boom and busters, not from the waves of post war population growth, information will become king.  The creators or custodians of that knowledge will be where lies the crowning glory.

If you want to participate early, jump on board.  Learn how to write, create images that inspire, are beautiful or full of awe.  To be gobbled up as medicine would for a dicease.  Eyes turn away from the balls of extremity, violence, or radicalism.  Which by the way can be on either side of the waters, in multitudes of color, or belief.  

We thought that we had exorcised the evils and demons of our forerefathers and eliminated fear as our constant companion.  Faith, inspiration, motivation, learning and humanity will lead us away.

You can begin by starting to use the hashtag #bestofeverything that is uplifting, peaceful, valued be shared.  By doing so, you are taking away the force of those who have crafted what they should be, wrong often, financially motivated, creations.

You can start your own blog with a date stamp to show you WERE one of the early adopters.  Age, color, geography, faith, education aside.  One voice.  One effort.  Stamp out the rubber necking at stories of horror, greed, power, ego.

Can we?  Is it possible for us to return to the basics?

Social media works

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

~Oprah Winfrey

Firmly at the bottom of my social media scale has been firstly, the great people whom I am connected with.  Without people, you will go nowhere.  That lesson resonates with everyone everywhere.  It is a leadership principle and a people principle.

Social media personalities are there for the duration and the long haul.  They are never scattered, nor a politician, celebrity or brand looking for a boost in numbers.  Or more aggressively trying to innovate a hashtag (#) to trend by money or influence.  The real social media superstars make things happen and inspire others to reach out to absorb their message.

What can you do to merge with the crew and start the climb?  I would have to say, you have to adapt a "do-it-yourself" attitude immediately after you start making the connections.

"Dream on it.  Let your mind take you to places you would like to go, and then think about it and plan it and celebrate the possibilities.  And don't listen to anyone who doesn't know how to dream."

~Liza Minnelli

Only YOU can build your brand.  That is what social media tends to forge ahead by:  what resonates with you personally?  Is it something you like to do?  Do you jump up to write, take photographs, create scrumptious dishes, read, debate, view, leverage, learn, lead, quote, inspire others?  

The ones who have gained followers, are heeded, invited to speak, write a blog all began somewhere near the bottom.  They had the commitment and work ethic to start at the bottom and build up what they tend to love.  

They do have a photo everywhere that is recognizable because of the consistency it portrays.  Their bios can set them apart but the gracious wording with boasting humbly set aside.  The proof is there.  Simple.  It shows in the numbers.

Do you ask others or ask those you find appear to have found the secret formula on creating massive followings how they got there?  I asked one of my earliest friends within a group:  what makes you so special?  How did you get so many followers?  I pause for the holy grail or secret ingredient.  I hesitate a few minutes wondering if he will even respond.

I shouldn't have been surprised that he did respond.  These rockstars are everyone's people and they practice what they feel is relevant to those who have joined their crew.  They are self-made socialpreneurs or omnipresent everywhere it seems.

Stephen's response was mild, simple and a little amusing.  He said:  "I just show up."

Remarkable isn't it?  The best of the best are more than likely do-it-yourselfers.  They craft their home pages and bios with a dedicated eye for standing out in the crowd, with simply an self-image that presents a "normal" person and a short concise bio.  

I'm sure if I had a private conversation with each and every one of them, there would be that common thread of being true to themselves and not the narcissistic personality many off the mark will identify them to be when they are far from the truth.

What is certain is that singing is not merely modulating a song by means of the voice: we sing and we celebrate the beauty that we can grow and live every day. If you want to sing and give emotions to those who are listening, you must have something to tell through your singing; you have to use singing like an instrument to tell something.

~Andrea Bocelli

You see, friends.  The true, great, superstars are people.  They have uncovered their true calling and hitched on to a passion that was bubbling below the surface just waiting to escape as more than steam.  

The overnight, viral campaigns that catch on are fleeting.  The social media super stars show up daily, evening, morning or the wee hours.  They stroll through the information, images, quotes, knowledge to disperse with and share.  Some have become lucky enough to be travel bloggers or convention speakers for sums of money.

I'm not sure who really has made a bucket load of money from their notoriety.  Money seems to fall far below on the list of must haves when they are gaily enjoying what floats their boat:  a passion, a cause, a knowledge morsel, travel, writing, creativity.

A Bad Hair Day by Aaron Karnovski on Fivehundredpx

It isn't really who you know either.  That eventually works itself out.  People recognize authenticity, a magnetic force that other talented people gravitate to.  If you are good at something, it is usually because you love it.  

The irony of being this do-it-yourselfer is that I am not really an artist nor a photographic genius.  I simply think my eyes seek beauty.   It could be artistic, word, graphic, illustration, advertisement, photographic objects or people.  I just love looking at visuals.  I like when my brain softly says:  "huh".  That translates to my internal mechanism that something I am looking or reading is striking.  

The challenge of being a do-it-yourselfer is balancing the real world, life, family, work, friends with the online one.  Some may believe it is an addiction of sorts.  I've never missed a birthday celebration, work event, training schedule, taking my dog for a walk or cooking dinner.  

My social media world continually inspires, amazes and pleases me immensely.  I can turn off the computer, I don't stop to do selfies everywhere, and take pleasure in many offline interests.  I garden, I paint, I text kids, have phone conversations with friends and family or meet with them over dinner or a coffee.

Life outside social media is more enjoyable.  I have discovered ways to continue my gardening as a fledgling green thumb, I recycle things daily with my blue box, I commute to work and see things with new eyes.  I try adding a new menu element I wouldn't have otherwise tried.  I volunteer to do a gingerbread house for my team at work.  

I have at my disposal the wonderment of the outside world, embellished by the knowledge and discoveries I find online.

That, my friends, is the secret to an online social media personality.  Be authentic, read, watch, listen or view what rocks your world.  As you continually fill your mind and brain with wonderful things, your world and karma evolves to attract only those great things.

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and sheroes."

~Maya Angelou

Social media is the pen pal of communications

I profess to have this inside scoop on social media.  Yet how can I be?  Especially, since I work full time and was launched among the sweat and tears of looking for work, five years ago.  (Yawn, you've heard it before:  it all started on Linked In where I met Sandy who guided me into Twitter, graciously introduced me to people on the clicking edge of social media.  The rest of us were soon to be groupies, drooling at the incredible talent this world we live in together is so talented!!  

Aren't we all so lucky that we don't have to rely on our TVs, newspapers, magazines, radio any more.  Well, certainly, we are an information consumption oriented folk who may eventually be considered the early adopters.  Long long after the visionaries sat around a library table, having a few beers together, deciding to join forces to prove a point to the rest of the world.  Passing notes is not disruptive, bad behavior is rarely found among day dreamers,

Yet, what is this world it has become?  You can't get into trouble for passing notes (unless you are Donald Trump, or a raging has been star), because there is this BIG THING called social media.  Where you can speak your mind, share what you know, share what you love, share what you consume, want to consume, whether anyone is listening really.  Well, at the start anyhow.

That is at its core:  it thumbs its nose at conventional discipline for doing what others perhaps expect you to do or be.  Good things happen to great people is its mantra.  Why there are people that become overnight sensational storytellers, photographers, authors, writers, historians, foodies, models, lonely hearts clubbers retired from the frump frumping of the you should be out doing something beat.  

Embarrassingly, there others that take to airing dirty laundry, opinionated beyond reason because they aren't being held to question .... often.  There are some that may have some fame, notoriety who won't settle to being a small number .... they want to have a very BIG ..... numbers represented by followers.

Heavens, a young lad in the middle of nowhere to most people (until the world finances crumble remembered its name) Canada, to get young tweens (pre-teen 9-12 year old) girls hearts to tremble with love and adoration, who could go off and actually achieve fame and fortune, if not always good.

It is a place where so many can share one shadey association by saying or doing some stupid things that can get you minimally laughed at, smirked about, quoted, replayed, rewritten, if not quietened to the hummmm and tsk tsk of a once adoring audience or group.


Social media has created a revolution of expression, artistry, music, events, global proximity that has never been seen before.  Imagine ... in just a few years, our kids will site library visits as a mandatory curriculum field trip, like we used to visit museums in our time.  

The most notable are honorees immersed and embraced by every form of traditional medias who are feeling overwhelmed driven into survival mode, clambering for funnel of advertising revenues that are being distracted elsewhere.  

 As a study on millinial short attention spanners dropping their parents methods of obtaining news.  Where anything called Daily news, Daily mirror, Daily anything falls into the background of THE NOISE.  The noise is created by individual people of all ages, all cultures, all races, all types of family dynamics, domestic arrangements, from the learning to the learned are the ones who matter now.  They can decide what is important by creating #hashtags that catch on like fire, drowning out some of the noise we need to hear on health, economy, poverty, bullying, violence.  

Are we creating a world that we are creating our own robotic existence?  Do we only pay attention to those that think the way we do.  Where the heck did guru come from?  Do we open our empathy or does it increase our apathy.  The scientists, not typically known for gregarious characteristics, may be drowned out by dishonesty, falsehood, scams, SPAM, and the loudest of all:  PICK me, SELL me.

Like children with a gift packaged in a gigantic box, we are only playing with the box:  the computer, and rapidly being overtaken by smart phones.  The complicated and cumbersome are being tossed for the aesthetic more pleasing, better working, customized, following partner that goes everything, asking for so little:  just read, like, share, write, communicate, post, blog that it has to give you.  So portable, easy to access, quick, painful, joyful or hopeful these little instruments allow us to read, look, watch, admire, visualize whatever we love.

Like masters, our behavior lends the devices our respect, finances, images, opinions, hearts, needs, and lessening humility.  

The real geniuses of social media are the ones that use it as a tool to communicate, teach, share, inspire, motivate others to want to be better.  Not just hope to be better.  We only get better when we interact with others.  The fact that we have such a great opportunity to gravitate towards those that tend to share our own ideals, visions, outlook, positions on important matters, or less important matters.   

Has an elementary child ever heard of the term of PEN PAL?  

Does anyone really have to wait for a music CD to hit a retail store anymore?  With iTunes, Spotify and the whole she-bang, their kids will never have heard of half of the things we have now?  How about a wallet (there's an APP for that), an album (you download a song, not an album, you silly), or wondering when their favorite author will publish their next novel (oh dear, um, sorry if you don't read from your smartphone or tablet).

How many of us have the anti-social in our lives?  The ones who have discovered a text message (sms) is far quicker than an email, haven't quite caught on to an all persons in persons meeting without having to spring for flights, or hotels, or airport parking to join with their colleagues for an immediate and important conversation virtually personal appearances by all with 100% attendance.  The ones on a teleconference call are the cousins to the emailers.  

In all of this midst, it is confounding the advertising gurus and disgruntling the brands who want to be captured, not optionally, viewed or read.

Well, one thing is certain and obvious to me.  We're all adapting together and trying to draw in the outsiders and refusers to get on board.  A key board that is.

All about me

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is."

~Bob Dylan

Goodness gracious, another birthday behind me.  Good times, glad tidings and all that crap.  Seriously, though .... why do we make such a major event of birthday's to begin with?  

Starting with our first birthday ... who is it really for?  Not the child who is given birthday cake without mom or dad feeding it to them with a spoon.  What else would you expect other than the child scooping it up with their hands to help themselves.  That's the beauty of being so young, if you want it, you simply help yourself.   Our memory probably serves to remind us that we were always taught and used our manners:

Those first birthday photos really are taken by and for the parents, not the child.  Who wants to be humiliated in their teens, 40th birthday or wedding day when they appear in a slideshow back drop for a big event!

I'm lucky.  I was the third of four children.  I would imagine my parents were just thankful assemble us all to celebrate!  Yeppers, that was the 60s.  Now it's about who can take the the best photo and load first on Facebook.



I do have to admit that I did get a resounding 27 messages from Linked In sending birthday wishes my way -- I like how Linked In provides its users with innovative ways to keep in touch, like birthday wishes, new jobs, new photos.  Responsible me, I personally wrote and thanked every single person who did.  Even the ones that just used the feature, it was the thought that count.  (Hint:  at least drop the last name before you send so it doesn't look so impersonal).  It was in responding I asked others why bother celebrating birthdays once you pass a "certain" age?  I decided then and there, it should be all about celebrating life!


I admit I was born in the 1960s because it was a cool time to be born.   It was time when humanity was breaking out of conformity, taking a stand on just about anything and many traditions seemed old.   Maybe that is why I adored Mad Men.   Not only is there a fixation and fascination with the 60s culture, those of us born in the era were given a gift of insight on the times and what was going on in the background.  Most likely,  I was starting to think of myself as an individual and not an extension of my parents, siblings, or teachers.  

"Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine."

~Elvis Presley

My parents were born in the 1930s, post depression. They may have been guided by needs that were more often a struggle to be met.  Then came along the 60s, when it turned around to being about wants. Many believed that the 60s was the dawn of a golden era: the future promised peace, comfort and prosperity.  Couples had larger families, drove larger cars and just about anything bigger was acceptable back then.  

The 1960s has often been defined as the "Me" generation.  I suppose it stemmed from our parents wanting to have and give us everything.  We were expected to have manners, treat elders with respect and do well in school so we went to university or college without questioning how it would be done.   We really didn't seem to have to worry about cancer, gun violence, abortion, foreclosure, unemployment and becoming pregnant before marriage was scandalized.  Even our politicians seemed to be honest --  on January 20, 1961, the handsome and charismatic John F. Kennedy became president of the United States.

"Don't compromise yourself.  You are all you've got."

 ~Janis Joplin

Women started leaving the home in droves to work and earn their own pay cheque.  Our moms wanted her children of the 60s to embrace and go beyond the opportunities they could never dream of.  Not really a wonder so many of us turned out to be perfectionists driven to succeed at all costs - our health, marriages, family relationships.  

Janis Joplin's 1965 Porsche 356 Cabriolet

Historians have said described the 60s as being the ten years having the most significant changes in history. By the end of the 60s humanity had entered the spaceage by putting a man on the moon. The 60s were influenced by the youth of the post-war baby boom - a generation with a fondness for change and "far-out gadgets".  

Let's take a stroll and  highlight inventions of the decade:

• Valium (1961)
• Nondairy creamer (1961)
• Audio cassette (1962)
• Fiber-tip pen (1962)
• The first computer video game Spacewar (1962)
• Dow Corp invents silicone breast implants (1962)
• The video disk (1963)
• Acrylic paint (1964)
• Permanent-press fabric (1964)
• BASIC (an early computer language)  by John George Kemeny and Tom Kurtz (1964)
• Astroturf (1965)
• Soft contact lenses (1965)
• NutraSweet (1965)
• The compact disk by James Russell (1965)
• Kevlar  by Stephanie Louise Kwolek (1965)
• Electronic Fuel injection for cars (1966)
• The first handheld calculator (1967)
• The computer mouse  by Douglas Engelbart (1968)
• The first computer with integrated circuits made (1968)
•  RAM (random access memory) by Robert Dennard (1968)
• The arpanet (first internet) (1969)
• The artificial heart (1969)
• The ATM Automated Teller Machine (1969)
• The bar-code scanner (1969)

There were several other major gains made in the 1960s that impact us today.  1960-64 transcended the Civil Rights movement.   Feminism and women liberation became significant.  

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

Musically, the 60s had some of the most influential artists and music of all time.  Think back and reflect on some of our greatest discoveries:

• Aretha Franklin "Respect" (1971)
• Beach Boys "I Get Around" (1964)
• Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1964)
• Ben E. King "Stand by Me" (1961)
• Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965)
• Chubby Checker "The Twist" (1960)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival "Bad Moon Rising" (1969)
• Diana Ross and The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go" (1964)
• Doors "Light My Fire" (1967)
• Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (1960)
• Janis Joplin "Piece of my Heart" (1967)
• Jimi Hendrix "All Along the Watchtower" (1968)
• Led Zepplin "Communications Breakdown" (1969)
• Marvin Gaye "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (1968)
• Ray Charles "Georgia on my Mind" (1960)
• Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965)
• Roy Orbison "Crying" (1961)
• Sam Cooke "(What A) Wonderful World" (1960)
• Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1969)
• Stevie Wonder "Fingertips Pt. 2" (1963)
• Tina Turner "River Deep, Mountain High" (1966)
• The Who "I Can See For Miles" (1967)

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to reflect, research and write this post that is personal.  I have to congratulate myself -- I was able to steer clear of any whining about getting older.  I am thankful that I came from the golden generation of the 60s decade.  

Did I forget a fond 1960s memory or one of your favorite artists?   We can fix that:  go ahead and comment, have your say!