The Importance of Social Media

Much has been said about social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The biggest promoters have been celebrities, who tend to go onto talk shows and demonstrate their fascination with being "seen", and how their followers can see instantly everything they do, such as cooking their meals, or going to lunch.

Here's a good example of that sort of thing: Kevin Spacey, trying to demonstrate to David Letterman why Twitter is a good thing.



Of course, the intention was humor above all, but it also demonstrates one of the image problems Twitter has. Its biggest promoters, celebrities, promote it as not much more than a useless toy. Average users look at it and either embrace it, posting their useless stuff to Facebook and Twitter, while other people see it and call it useless.

I submit to you an alternative: social interaction with others on Twitter and Facebook. WHAT, you ask?!?! How can this be? You mean that when I go to Twitter or Facebook, I can actually read what OTHER people are saying, respond to it, and have them respond back? No way!

My best example is the marathon I ran on December 6. I wasn't interactive, there really was no way to be. I had a bluetooth headset that I was sending Twitter messages to my followers with, most of whom were fellow runners.

These fellow runners not only were following what I was doing, but they actually cared what I was doing, and were sending well wishes to me as I ran! It didn't help me at the time, but boy did it make a difference once I got home and read them.

Here are the comments they posted, as they posted them. In the archive I downloaded, the date/time stamps have been lost, but the comments are intact.

butcept: @gchance good luck today!!! I'll be tracking you!!!
Bamarunner: @veganrunningmom @gchance have a greta run at CIM today
LIrunner9: @gchance Good Luck at CIM today:)!!
lauralang3: Good luck!! RT @gchance: Hop on the bus, God's on the move, there's a seat for me, there's a seat for youuuuu...
MaggieKattan: @gchance Good luck!
team_enlyten: @gchance Have a great race!
SurferRacer: @smellycents, @gchance, @TLM26 and EVERYONE racing today: PR, finish, podium, achieve, enjoy and register for your next race tonight.
dnorton: @gchance good running! Keep it up and be sure to drink enough.
turtlescanrun: @gchance congrats!!
quotidianlight: @gchance yipee! Go! Go! Go! Go!!!!
phampants: @gchance you can do it!
cmrolling: @gchance rock on Mr. Chance ~http://myloc.me/1VDXp
disneyrunner: @gchance go man go!
disneyrunner: @nigelrunner @gchance sorry Nigel. that last tweet fwas for Greg. so Greg, dig deep! Nigel, you dont have to dig
SoloRunner: @gchance Good Job... keep going woot woot
262RUNR: @gchance Awesome!
Bamarunner: @gchance you got it!!! just focus and dig deep!!!!
disneyrunner: @gchance hang in there Greg!
kchealy: @gchance go Greg!
SoloRunner: @gchance woot woot... keep going you are doing great :)
Bamarunner: @gchance 10k to go ,you've got it ... just keep moving forward
orlerr: @gchance all downhill now 10k is easy
HealthOC: Follow @gchance - he is tweeting his marathon right now. Criminy.
TopBrokerOC: RT @~HealthOC: Follow @gchance - he is tweeting his marathon right now. Criminy. [.......you got it!]
quotidianlight: @gchance oh cr*p. Sholaces!!!!!!!!
kchealy: @gchance getting close, Greg. You can do it!
simpsoka: Congrats to @thepixelsuite @gpsrunner @gchance
quotidianlight: Run, @gchance run!!!!!
phampants: @gchance go go go!
IronBrandon: @gchance Go Greg!!
disneyrunner: @gchance way to go greg finish strong
team_enlyten: @gchance Go Greg Go!
TopBrokerOC: @gchance Go Greg Go! That last mile is the best...save a wee bit if energy to really sprint down the chute!
butcept: @gchance congratulations!! from that swollen foot to this, wow! big pat on the back!
bapper: @gchance Good job on your finish! Shaved off an hour or so despite the shortened training!
ginaharris1: @gchance ur time?
disneyrunner: @gchance hey there. congrats
phampants: @gchance congrats man!
quotidianlight: @gchance *clapping* you blew last year away even w/ the injury. I'm so happy for you!
veganrunningmom: @gchance nice finish!
MrThirteen: @gchance you are either running now or finished. How'd it go?
kchealy: @gchance congrats! Big PR, yes?
wyotri: @gchance Excellent job today at CIM!!!
SoloRunner: @gchance congrats on your finish.. What's your time?
phampants: @gchance http://twitpic.com/sg9vj - congrats greg!
EvaTEsq: @gchance Great job on your marathon! Great job!
miz_wronskian: @gchance i'm just reading them now and cracking u
p!
trifunster: @gchance congrats on your race!!! Loved the commentary!!

Thanks go out to everyone who was commenting as I ran:

@SurferRacer
@dnorton
@turtlescanrun
@quotidianlight
@phampants
@cmrolling
@disneyrunner
@SoloRunner
@262RUNR
@Bamarunner
@kchealy
@SoloRunner
@orlerr
@HealthOC
@TopBrokerOC
@simpsoka
@IronBrandon
@team_enlyten
@butcept
@bapper
@ginaharris1
@veganrunningmom
@MrThirteen
@wyotri
@EvaTEsq
@miz_wronzkian
@trifunster
@jose_galvan

Thank you very much for all the supportive comments during the marathon, and thank you for helping me accomplish my goals. Here's to a great 2010!

From Twitter 12-14-2009

• 03:21:43: New post on my blog: From Twitter 12-13-2009: 02:34:34: New post on my blog: Non-Runner Reactions To Runners: If yo... http://bit.ly/7biGeB
  
• 07:15:53: Wt: 169.8, RHR: 62, BF: 15.9%... Ok something's seriously awry this morning.
  
• 09:39:56: Question: why did you delete the mission critical email, then blame me for not finding it on the backup?
  
• 09:40:25: I swear, people treat email backups like an undo button.
  
• 09:44:29: I gained 3 pounds and increased my resting heart rate by 14bpm this weekend.
  
• 15:10:02: RT @PalmNewApps: iFart Pro ($4.99) - I'm glad they have a professional version.
  
• 19:30:12: I'm at Walmart (1150 Harter Rd., Yuba City). http://4sq.com/5GpWsq
  
• 20:51:25: See that foam roller over there? My name's written all over it.
  
• 21:02:32: Foam roller = very unpleasing, sneezing & wheezing, a calliope crashed to the ground
  
• 21:34:31: STINKIN' Twitter! Rate Limit Exceded again.
  
• 22:24:39: New post on my blog: Running Vlog #23: Monterey Run 12-13-09: http://bit.ly/92rUTm
  
• 22:29:55: As much as I'm enjoying this lively dark meat/white meat debate, I need sleep. Goodnight, @RunningHoosier & @quotidianlight
  
• 22:44:46: New video uploaded: Running Blog #23: Monterey Run 12-13-09: It's been a week since CIM, and boy are my legs tired.... http://bit.ly/5ZpL8y
  

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