Keeping Social Media in the Family
In my previous post, I talked about how I try to stay away from Facebook--and why, despite that, I'm on Twitter right now.
To find out how--and why!--others use Facebook. I polled a few members of Vancouver's Social Media community to find out what they and their clients had to say.
Beyond "I have to, because everyone does," one common answer was "to stay in touch with my family". In fact, I'm told this is apparently the most-volunteered rationale for using Facebook. (I have my doubts about the reliability of self-reporting, but the point is, a lot of people use it for that!)
But what if you don't LIKE Facebook? What's a Facebook-averse family to do? Talk on the phone? Attend family reunions?
Option 1: Use Facebook.
Yes, you read that correctly. The biggest reason to use Facebook is simple: everyone you know is already on it. If you're concerned with strangers or coworkers seeing your information, out, TeddyK's post on locking down your Facebook profile's privacy settings here at the Future Shop Tech Blog.
Based in Vancouver, Kinzin's a social network that emphasizes sharing photos and information with only those people who are members of "Spaces" you create. As an added bonus, Kinzin allows you to involve family members who may not even have computers. For a fee, Kinzin lets you mail photos to an address of your choice, allowing you to keep your less technically-inclined relatives up to date with your kids' exploits.
Chattertree's focus is exclusively on helping families stay connected. They've been in the news a lot this summer, and are growing in popularity. If you think you can get the rest of your extended family to sign up, check it out!
In my previous post, I talked about how I try to stay away from Facebook--and why, despite that, I'm on Twitter right now.
To find out how--and why!--others use Facebook. I polled a few members of Vancouver's social media community to find out what they and their clients had to say.
Beyond "I have to, because everyone does," one common answer was "to stay in touch with my family". In fact, I'm told this is apparently the most-volunteered rationale for using Facebook. (I have my doubts about the reliability of self-reporting, but the point is, a lot of people use it for that!)
But what if you don't like Facebook? What's a Facebook-averse family to do? Talk on the phone? Attend family reunions?
Option 1: Use Facebook.
Yes, you read that correctly. The biggest reason to use Facebook is simple: everyone you know is already on it. If you're concerned with strangers or coworkers seeing your information, check out TeddyK's post on locking down your Facebook profile's privacy settings here at the Future Shop Tech .... If you're opposed to Facebook itself having access to your posts and photos, you're in luck: there's alternatives.
Option 2: Kinzin
Based in Vancouver, Kinzin.com is a social network that emphasizes sharing photos and information with only those people who are members of "Spaces" you create. As an added bonus, Kinzin allows you to involve family members who may not even have computers. For a fee, Kinzin lets you mail photos to an address of your choice, allowing you to keep your less technically-inclined relatives up to date with your kids' exploits.
Option 3: Chattertree
Chattertree's focus is exclusively on helping families stay connected. They've been in the news a lot this summer, and are growing in popularity. If you think you can get the rest of your extended family to sign up, check it out!
