Big Brother UK

So its Tuesday and I’m watching Monday’s house action …. Siavash is such a lovely guy!  What is going on ….

When this year’s Big Brother started I was actually tempted in taking my newly discovered blogging skills and starting a (nother) new blog  from Day 1 at Elstree …

My retisense … well it turns out I’ve not watched the programme for a few years (or so Elida – one of my gorgeous nieces informs me – I could have sworn it was only 2-yrs) but it turns out that Pete Bennett won in 2006 and that was the last time!  I tend to watch the first night and then the last (night.) and if the vibe doesn’t click then that’s it.

But getting back to the Evictions … Marcus or Noirin …  A difficult choice!  I’m usually clear … and last week (although nulunvoid) I voted for Marcus.  But things have moved on (as ever) since then.

Marcus to go

Marcus should leave for being manipulative, acting like a child and he likes his own way.  He has a knack of reframing every argument put to him … to his own ends and is a poor listener most of the time.  He likes to point score rather than seek move a discussion forwards. towards a solution through compromise.  He revels in self-pity and is coming across as someone with quite low self-esteem which acts out through his superiority complex.

Noirin to go

But similarly Noirin should leave for being needy.  She yearns to be the centre of attention. and wants to control what happens in the house.  And as much as ‘it takes two to tango’ she tends not to take any responsibility for her actions, instead washing her hands of any situation and showing little sensitivity for any prospective partner, despite her assertion that she cares too much!

I’m torn.  I think if Marcus goes the ‘real’ Noirin might emerge, but its not 100% certain that she would change in any way at all, so how would the viewer benefit?  If Noirin goes then the ‘real’ Marcus will probably emerge, as he’s moping around like a love-sick puppy at the moment and once Noirin is out he will relax a bit.  And wouldn’t the house be a safer environment if Noirin leaves?  And looking further on down the road, Bea would then have carte-blanche in running the show, which might result in some real romance, between her and Siavash (or maybe Marcus – naaah – that’d be too silly).

Siavash to win

Despite the rumors I don’t think Siavash was in a relationship before entering the house, it was his defense mechanism, where someone has a need to create such a devise (and similarly with Noirin and her ex) they know they fall easily.  And Siavash has no problems in connecting with his softer side, just one of the things the nation loves about him, perhaps.

Who will you vote out this week?  I think I’ve made my decision!  Your thoughts are welcome (as ever) on the topic …

Jane

Twittering The Night Away

Last night I went to the http://counterpointnetworking.co.uk monthly event.  This time it was held in Hythe at the Red Lion and consisted around 15 of us … and because it was a lovely evening we had the lovely buffet outside in the garden …  and a very pleasant time was had by all.

Jo and Simon Dodds run Counter Point Matters … where they have many string to their bow …   Among them is web building and social marketing online … Jo’s a twitter fiend and has just bagged a regular weekly column in the Kent on Saturday paper … writing up on it …

So the hot topic was Twitter and a little about Facebook and Linked In … but mainly Twitter as its grabbing the nation … I think in no small way due to Stephen Fry’s promotion of it a few months back.

I love the Web 2.0 stuff and if you’re even half interested you should get yourself over to Twitter … http://twitter.com and sign up for an account in order that you can start promoting your business …  The rules are simple enough …

• Let your followers know a little about you (in a social sense) …
  
• Promote other people’s products
• Promote your own products, posts etc

And that’s  it … basically …

Go sign up …

Jane

New Scientist

I was reading Michael Marshall’s article in this week’s New Scientist (7 March 09) where he talks about the latest findings regarding the relatively ‘new’ Social Networking that has been online for a while, and he discusses the implications.

Social Media

He refers to a recent Aric Sigman article in The Biologist where social media is the topic for discussion and the affects that Social Media, Facebook in particular, are having on face-to-face social contact, where Sigman argues against a commonly held view that its leading to isolation and loneliness (as most of us are aware) can lead to illness and death.  They’d been some ‘media’ who-ha that announced how being on Facebook could lead to cancer!

However Sigman was seeking clarification on the somewhat smudged association and it opened up a debate about how maybe socially vulnerable groups were being affected and was their chatting to friends online without face-to-face contact minimizing social skills and capabilities? Marshall’s article gave reference to a study published in the Journal of Social Issues back in 2002 where it asserted the opposite and how the social interaction found online did in fact ‘reduce loneliness and improve well-being’.

The Hidden Benefits

He added that another report in 2006 showed that people mainly stayed in contact on Facebook with people they knew offline.  He also referred to an article from the New Scientist from 2007 that gave beneficial examples of how some groups with social afflictions, such as Aspergers syndrome, are positively benefiting from social networking sites.

The House of Lords

Marshall also made mention of an imbalanced argument asserted, in the House of Lords, by neuro-scientist Susan Greenfield, where she put two particularly good questions:

1. Why are social network sites growing?
2. What features of the young mind, if any, are being threatened by them?

But Marshall advised she gave rather stereotypical and unsubstantiated arguments as she sited the Internet’s responsibility for an increase in ADHD and other such extreme examples.  All very disappointing of course.

Online Accountability

As a Business Coach to Therapists and Coaches I’m involved with both off and online marketing, and its clear that social networking is an important business tool going forwards.  I like the online ‘accountability’ factor (although scary at first) I feel it helps us examine our motivation and we get a quicker response online where something does or doesn’t work.

As for the report regarding most people being in touch with friends and family through sites like Facebook, I’m not so sure that this is still the case in 2009 as there are lots more people selling online than probably were 3-yrs ago, and subsequently taking their product to a ready-made market on the social sites.

Facebook and Twitter

And many successful Internet Marketers use Facebook (FB) to keep in touch with their customer base.  But Twitter, in particular, is proving to be the more immediate of tools enabling a large reach in whats described as ‘real time’.  And maybe there’s a switch coming as having thousands upon thousands of friends requiring a dialogue (in FB) is beginning to take its toll, at the business end of things.

Only this week on the www.thirtydaychallenge.com/tv radio show IMTW that Ed Dale runs with co-hosts Lynn Terry and Michelle MacPhearson, the  topic was Facebook and Ed talked about how its spinning out of control, advising the hundreds of messages sitting in the ‘inbox’ he’ll never have time to reply to.  He mentioned how its time to start splitting off the social (for your nearest and dearest) and business, and how the introduction of Fan Pages has enabled this, although nothing new I heard some say.  A little black and white perhaps.  But if we start denying access of our personal profile to our business market then how long before our prospective customers decide to head off to another ‘counter’, its difficult to predict. They may just ‘flock’ to Twitter, Facebook’s biggest fear.

Ed Dale

I look forward to seeing how Social Media develops over time because it looks set to stay.  For business purposes its time (if you haven’t already) to start taking it seriously and develop a presence there.  My recommendation would be to share the best of who you are, take it slowly and use it with integrity. Whatever you put on there becomes part of your history so be clear about what you want to achieve from the outset.  And don’t be afraid to open up and be accountable, because in my view that is the way the world and business are moving.  And I for one welcome it.

Jane

1. http://www.facebook.com/Jane Unsworth
2. http://www.Twitter/JaneUnsworth

1. @lynnterry : http://www.clicknewz.com
2. @michellem :  http://www.michellemacphearson.com/
3. @ed_dale : http//www.tubbynerd.com

These are their websites together with their Twiiter direct contact names if you fancy dropping them a line too. Twitter allows a maximum of 140 characters.

Getting the Word Out

Jane