Techmamas

Using Pearltrees To Prep For BlogHer 2010

Summer is finally here and it is getting close to my favorite conference of the year (other then the Consumer Electronics Show): BlogHer . This year is "BlogHer10" and it will be held Friday/Saturday August 6/7. BlogHer conferences give me the opportunity to connect "live" with a wide range of interesting and amazing bloggers that I read about online.

I used Pearltrees to starting gathering information for the presentation:

1. A Pearltree on BlogHer Conference Info:

2. The fabulous Kimberly Blaine and Susan Getgood  - and I (Beth Blecherman) are excited to be presenting the following BlogHer10 panel:  "Integrating Your Online Presence Across All Platforms: It Can (And Must) Be Done!" that is part of the Room of Your Own Professional track.

Here is the description: Whether your brand is your personal brand, your small business or your employer's, the plethora of networking tools and opportunities can be overwhelming. Share best practices on building a consistent brand by integrating your efforts across all available platforms, including social networks, traditional media and even offline events.

August 6, 2010 - 2:45pm - 4:00pm

Conference Day: Day 1

To prepare, I am reading up on everything I can about Online Brand(s). I hope to get suggestions for more interesting online branding reads from my community. I created a Pearltree to collect the information I have found so far:

3. I am also starting to refresh my memory of last year's conference by taking a look at some of the Live blog posts from BlogHer09. I just added a few of the liveblogs from last year to start:

Disclosure: I am advising Pearltrees.com

HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer & HP ePrint Platform: No Printer Drivers Needed

Today HP announced a new category of web-enabled printing solutions designed for the cloud with their HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer.

 
As someone who just had to reinstall print drivers in a new computer to get it to "talk" to my printer, the HP ePrint platform is a welcome announcement. Printing from the cloud means you can print from any email device (such as a smartphone) and NO PRINT DRIVERS NEEDED (that's my favorite part).  The printing experience can be managed through the HP ePrintCenter. The HP ePrintCenter also has a directory of apps.

Link to Press Release: www.hp.com/go/hpatiwny

The announcement was made at Internet Week 2010 - NYC. Here is the Microsite: www.hp.com/go/iwny

More details to follow.

The New York City Moms Blog is having a giveaway from June 7 - June 10 of the HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One printer. 

Moms - Create Your Own Social Start Page

One of the things that transformed the way I get my information was when I set up RSS feeds on my home pages. RSS feeds is a way to subscribe to different websites and blog so you get can that information sent to your email or displayed on a central page.

I have two emails that I use each day, Yahoo for my personal business and Google for my business emails. When I log onto MyYahoo and iGoogle home pages, I have my relevant RSS feeds (i.e. personal or business) displayed so I can keep up to date.

I just read in Mashable today a post that described this process in the perfect words: "Social Start Page". In a perfect world, you would log onto one screen that summarizes not only your RSS feeds, but also has links to all your online social networks. Here is a link to the post with recommendations to other sites that help streamline your day by streamlining your information.

Mashable: 7 Ways to Create Your Own Social Start Page

SXSW Liveblog: Moms Who Tech

***MOMS WHO TECH follow-up session was at Convention Center Level 3 - Room 4 (panelist area) with Shireen Mitchell.

We just finished the Moms Who Tech core conversation at SXSW, we have an amazing set of attendees who sparked a very interesting discussion. Sarah Granger was kind enough to take notes - which I will post soon. I will also be posting the names and websites of the "Moms Who Tech" in attendance.  For those wanting to follow or join in the conversation, we will be using the Twitter hash tag #Momswhotech. Unfortunately, my co-leader Shireen Mitchell's plane was late so I will be twittering using my id (TechMama) when she arrives and timing on gathering for a follow-up discussion for those interested (sometime today - hopefully at 3pm). We were thrilled to have Tiffany Galligan, Experience Director Razorfish in attendance to discuss the Cafe Mom/Razorfish "Digital Mom" study.

Here were some overall questions framing the discussion:

1. How do moms use tech for communication, information gathering and family management? How is tech a part of their lives as mothers? In careers, school, children's education?
2. Why are increasing numbers of moms engaging in social media and using technology?
3. How are moms using technology to politicize & become activists?

When asked why I decided to put this together, I shared that moms:

• Have digital responsibility for themselves and families
• Are savvy communicators and community builders who are taking their communication online
• Multitaskers that will use the available technology to make their and their families lives easier
• Moms buy technology for their households and are savvy at gathering information (offline and online). Get their information from other moms (and are therefore primary purchasing influencers).
• Kid’s school and social lives are now online (including HOMEWORK), so technology in family households is a MUST!

Here is the first run of "Moms Who Tech" at the session, will add more as I get the names. If I did not get your name, email me at techmamas(at)gmail(dot)com. If you were a business trying to reach out to moms please also email me your info and I will post about that separately (and thanks for coming!):

Speakers:

Beth Blecherman @techmama http://www.techmamas.com/   http://www.siliconvalleymomsgroup.com

Shireen Mitchell @digitalsista  http://www.womenwiredin.com/

Guest speaker was Tiffany Galligan from Razorfish http://www.razorfish.com/ who discussed the Digital Mom study.

Partial List of Attendees (will add more as I get them):

• Sarah Granger @sairy http://www.sarahgrangers.com
• Rachel Silverman Wall Street Journal blog "The Juggle" 
• Felicity Chapman @cubesandcrayons http://cubes.typepad.com/cake/
• Maria Genitempo @maria_celeste http://lalalandmamma.blogspot.com/
• Wendy Piersall http://www.wendypiersall.com/
• Kim Janocko @craftymamaof4  http://craftymamaof4.blogspot.com
• Annie Lynsen/KaBOOM! @kaboomplay @thinklynsen http://kaboom.org/news
• Colleen Padilla @classymommy http://www.classymommy.com 
• StacyDeBroff @momcentral http://www.momcentral.com/blogs/mom-central-
• Robin Dance @PensieveRobin http://www.pensieve.me
• Dr. Karen Rayne @KarenRayne http://www.karenrayne.com
• Michele Wilcox @sparksfley http://www.sparksandbutterflies.com
• Amy Allen Clark @momadvice http://www.momadvice.com
• Monica Brady @MommyBrain http://www.mommybrainreports.com
• Angela Conley @249smiles  http://www.249smiles.com
• Krista Parry @krista_parry @snowmamas http://www.snowmamas.com
• Lynnae McCoy  http://beingfrugal.net/
• JTaffet  http://roxyandtyler.aboutmybaby.com/
• Lauren P. Thomas  http://thismommygig.org/
• Alisa Sherman http://babyfruit.typepad.com/
• Mercedes  http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/about/
• Christine Lu http://thechinabusinessnetwork.com/

NEXT UP: I will load the liveblog notes of the session soon. Not to be missed...

TechMama at SXSW 09

I am thrilled to be at my first SXSW starting today. For those wondering what SXSW is, the about page has a good quote from the National Post "SXSW ...reflects, discusses and showcases trends in culture and media but also often creates them.". I submitted a request for a panel months ago and was thrilled to have a core conversation approved. I asked Shireen Mitchell to co-lead the discussion with me because of her valuable perspective. Our "Moms Who Tech" session will discuss that moms have become power users of technology and social networking. The discussion will examine the gadgets and social media that they use to manage their careers, families and friendships. 

I just got in late last night and am jet lagged but excited to jump on board. I have already twittered with recommendations for interesting panels/conversations to attend (or read about for those not here). So I am not only here just for my session, but to network and learn from the amazing group here in attendence.. More to come!

For now I am off to the Pepsico Booth to do a podcast for their Digital Speak Easy series via BlogTalkRadio. My podcast will be at 3:40pm (Austin time)..

Liveblogging Pillow Fight With My3Boys - Part One

As I was frantically trying to sneak some blog posts in before bathtime tonight - about the tech conference I just came back from - I heard the dreaded words "P I L L O W  F I G H T"  coming from the other room where my 3 boys were playing. My husband is at a business meeting tonight, so there was no one else to "break it up". So what does a modern TechMama do in response to an impending pillow fight?

LIVE-TWITTER IT!

I decided to cover the pillow fighting activities live over Twitter. And in the theme of David Pogue's comment about the benefits of crowdsourcing, I decided to ask my Twitter followers to vote 1) keep blogging or 2) break up a massive pillow fight between my 3 boys.

So here is my - first ever - one and only LIVE TWITTER FEED from a PILLOW FIGHT. Displayed on the top left is a picture of what the scene looked like after I finished the Twitter feed, evidence that the pillow fight did happen...

First to set the stage, here are my Twitters from tonight:

1. Am finally breaking up pillow fight between my3boys... Sorry folks, tune in for more live blogging pillow fights tomorrow night..
   
2. Appreciate all of the votes, but keep on blogging wins. @sweatpantsmom seemed to sum it up ""Live blog the pillow fight. Duhr."
3. @xiaolinmama @danaknisely Two more votes to keep blogging and let the pillow fight go (no "thuds" so far).
4. @JenniferPerillo agree that it is just a pillow fight, but @douglaskarr brought up a good point that "thuds" and "crying" usually follows
5. @CandiceStone @ToThink I think I will take both of yours advice: Let my boys wear themselves out THEN join in the pillow fight.
6. Wondering if I should either 1) keep blogging or 2) break up a massive pillow fight between my 3 boys? Maybe I should get a community vote.

Then - here are the responses from my wonderful Twitter followers (whom I appreciate very much):

1. green_colleen@techmama ah no fair! (in response to end of liveblogging)
2. NathanRichie@techmama pillowfight: Ustream it...UFC-Ultimate Pillow Fight
3. JenniferPerillo@techmama very true. My girls are only 5yrs and 9mos, so we haven't gotten there yet.
4. (protected updates)  @techmama I'm just gonna go against the grain and say break it up. But don't ask me what to do after that.
5. CandiceStone@techmama Yeah ... good idea. Wait 'til they're running out of steam first.
6. green_colleen@techmama just keep right on blogging. If they are hitting each other with hard objects then intervene.
7. canape@techmama No "thuds," no "bloods." It's all good.
8. danaknisely@techmama keep blogging! lol
9. xiaolinmama@techmama keep blogging :) I am sure they won't draw blood!
10. douglaskarr@techmama let the pillow fight go... until you hear the thud and the usual crying that will follow.
11. JenniferPerillo@techmama blog, definitely—it's just pillows.
12. ToThink@techmama the pillow fight will wear them out for bedtime, no?:-)
13. CandiceStone@techmama or 3) Joing in the massive pillow fight!

Oh Wait - I can't forget the "Facebook" responses I got because my Twitter updates are feed to Facebook as updates (since Facebook is friends only, I did not put their names):

Stanford & Common Sense Media on Safe Social Networking

I am thrilled to see organizations like Common Sense Media and  Dr BJ Fogg of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab provide valuable information on safe social networking for teens including IMPORTANT information on privacy controls. So here are the links, parents take a look and learn:

• Dr. BJ Fogg - Facebook For Parents website and class for parents
• Common Sense on Social Networking and Online Safety and their Family Media Agreements

I hope to go to the Facebook class for Parents at Stanford and will print out the Common Sense Family Media agreements for my kids.  It is important for all parents to be proactive and help themselves and their families learn about/implement proper online safety.

Google Latitude- New Tool For Tracking Family/Friends? Or Privacy Issue?

Google announced today their new application called Google Latitude that allows tracking of locations via cellphone using GPS.  Techmeme today was abuzz about this. VentureBeat added that Google is getting ahead in the social networking game (and I agree). All Things Digital posted with a test run where the blogger (Katherine Boehret ) "stalked her sister, boyfriend and boss".

@momsatwork brought up a good discussion point on Twitter  "New Google tracking software is every teen's nightmare. http://tinyurl.com/dzgtwo".

I responded @techmama "Google Latitude not teen's nightmare. I say parents new tool ( At library? - no you're at mall).."

At that point, I decided it was time to post.

First of all it is important to understand how Google Latitude works (excerpt from Official Google Blog post):

"Latitude is a new feature for Google Maps on your mobile device. It's also an iGoogle gadget on your computer. Once you've opted in to Latitude, you can see the approximate location of your friends and loved ones who have decided to share their location with you."

Continuing on in the post, it mentions the privacy issue:

"Fun aside, we recognize the sensitivity of location data, so we've built fine-grained privacy controls right into the application. Everything about Latitude is opt-in. You not only control exactly who gets to see your location, but you also decide the location that they see."

The good news is that the service is completely "opt-in" and can be disabled at any time. Here is the video about Google Latitude privacy (IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS especially to share with teens to ensure they UNDERSTAND the privacy settings):

So looking back on the Twitter conversation, yes - it may be teenager's who lie to their parents worse nightmare. For example, if a parent set up Latitude PRIVACY settings to only allow parents to track their teen's cellphone - then if their teenager said they are at the library studying when really they are at the mall shopping - they would be caught. 

On the cool side, isn't some of being a teenager sneaking off with friends? On the non-cool side - maybe it is easier to be honest with parents to show responsibility (which teens need to have a phone in the first place). On the other hand, it may not be appropriate for parents to be online all day tracking where their teens are. Also, teenagers could always work around or disable the settings.

Well then, what is the middle ground?

My suggestion for any parent whose teen has a cell phone is to SPEND THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND GOOGLE LATITUDE'S PRIVACY SETTINGS.

10 Commandments of Facebook Link - And Discussion...

Being a Facebook junkie myself, I do ponder the right way to use it... To poke or not to poke (NOT). And what is it with sending gifts? Although my hubby did send me a romantic Facebook gift so that was the only time I really enjoyed getting a gift.

I ended up using Facebook for pure networking and sharing of information, so I don't play games or send random stuff to my networking buddies. I do read all the links my Facebook friends add to their profile and their status updates and join relevant Facebook Groups. Some of my favorite Facebook groups range from Lunch 2.0, Girls in Tech, She's Geeky, MOMocrats to the newest one I just joined: "I have more Foreign Policy Experience than Sarah Palin" and " 1,000,000 Strong Against Sarah Palin". Lunch 2.0 and Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners groups allow me to find out about great events (like the Facebook Garage) via Facebook events. I have a mix of friends, business associates, bloggers and other interesting yet random people as my Facebook friends - so I don't load up any pictures of my kids (nor any bikini pictures - not that I ever wear bikini's). I upgraded to the new Facebook and also read the livefeed section. Yet I still wonder about the right way to interact with people on Facebook.

I happened to read my Digg RSS feed and one post popped out from Cracked.com "The 10 Commandments of Facebook" by Ross Wolinsky. Although I would always rather Kirtsy then Digg, that post did catch my eye. Take a read, and add your own commandments. HERE ARE MINE:

Yahoo! Messenger Shares Survey about Online Etiquette

I just received this email from Yahoo! and thought it would be interesting to share... Happy birthday Yahoo!

Yahoo! Messenger Turns 10 and Reveals the Truth About “Netiquette”

Here is a summary, but the details of the survey are listed below:

Rules of netiquette:

• It’s ok to…

• Wish someone a happy birthday via IM (according to 68% of the young adults surveyed)
• Say thanks! With an IM (57%)       
• RSVP through instant message (55%) 

• It’s NOT ok to…

• Apologize via IM (only 21% of young adults said it is acceptable)
• Break up electronically (8%)       
• Communicate the death of a loved one with an IM (10%)

Communicating with Kids:

• BRB (be right back)     
• LOL (laugh out loud) – believe it or not 56% of young adults admit to using LOL in their regular speech!     
• TTYL (Talk to you later)