The Dangers of Careless Social Media Use

(Cross-posted at the AlexanderG Whiz PR Blog.)

Social media is a magnificent thing…unless your ability to think your actions through is a tad lacking. Case in point:

The images of the devastation wrought by Japan’s worst-ever earthquake and tsunami stunned the world. But as the death toll climbed higher, one student at the University of California decided it was the perfect time to film a racist rant about Asian students – and post it on YouTube.

In the three-minute clip, a blond girl, named on the internet as Alexandra Wallace, complains about Asian students using their cellphones in the library – and speculates they’re “going through their whole families, just checking on everybody from the tsunami thing.”
via Alexandra Wallace: YouTube racist Asian rant on day of Japan tsunami | Mail Online.

We’ll spare you the hideous video–it’s all over the net if you want to see it.
Our advice is simple: Just like that heated email reply, nasty note or furious phone call–don’t post anything to the net until you’ve had time to ask yourself:

1. Does this clearly demonstrate my intent?
2. Is there any way this will harm others?
3. Could this backfire and ruin my project, career or even my life?

Words, said, written or recorded in anger or during a period of thoughtlessness may dog you forever on the internet. Just ask Gilbert Gottfried, the now-former AFLAC Duck voice fired for stupid remarks about the tsunami on Twitter.

Special word to parents: please discuss this type of thing with your kids before they go to college (heck, talk to them about it when they’re old enough to use a computer!). Besides the usual warnings about Facebook behavior, now you will want to add that posting videos should be carefully considered. It only takes moments of flip thoughtlessness (or worse–unvarnished bigotry) captured by a camera and uploaded to the world for a person’s life to be forever tarnished.

The Award-Winning Book Trailer for Thriller Novel "Pilate's Cross"

The Award-Winning Book Trailer for the thriller novel Pilate's Cross, produced by T2 + Back Alley Films, a nationally recognized digital media agency that creates all forms of new media content.

Pilate's Cross has a bit of everything—action, romance and spine-chilling suspense.  Mr. Greenwood has a very strong voice for mystery storytelling. His style is to tease and draw you in, and that’s exactly what happened when I read his book. Now I must wait patiently for his next one to be further thrilled by the adventures of John Pilate. ***Big 2 Thumbs Up***

--Eden Baylee, Author of Fall Into Winter

For more reviews, links, excerpts and an interview with the author, visit PilatesCross.com. Get it in paperback from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Lulu. Ebook fans may order it for only $1.99 in any ereader format from Smashwords. 

Bonus offer! Get a free short story ebook and excerpt of Pilate's Cross here.

Advice for "Solopreneuers" from Redhead Writing

Starting or running your own small business? Then you know it's fraught with the potential for missteps and blind alleys that can slow you down.

So why not save yourself some trouble and check out this great advice from "solopreneur" star Erika Napoletano, aka Redhead Writing? Here's a sample:

1. Trade is crap. It’s a very fine line and there’s little margin for error. Someone always ends up getting the short end of the stick. If you’re looking for ways to build a portfolio, I think it’s better to quietly do work for pennies on the dollar and later raise your rates than give it away for something that’s unequal in value.
2. You’re not a freelancer. You own a business. Start treating what you do like a business from day 1 because sooner or later, you’re going to wish you had.
3. Pick a ditch to die in. Take a stand. Believe in something. Being wishy washy gets you nowhere. Grow a pair. When you stop caring about the people who will never like you, the coolest thing happens: you find the people who actually do.
4. Your target customer is not “everyone.” I watched roughly twenty six-minute pitches from startups on the DEMO Conference live feed this week, and not one startup stood up on stage and said that “everyone” was their target customer. Take a hint.
5. There will always be naysayers. If everyone agrees with you, you’re doing it wrong. But then again, if everyone disagrees with you, you just might be doing it wrong, too.

There are 14 more great nuggets of wisdom, so check out the rest of the post here.

Join Us at the 2011 Kansas City Arthritis Walk at Zona Rosa

We're involved with the Arthritis Foundation's efforts to help people take greater control of arthritis by leading efforts to prevent, control and cure arthritis and related diseases -- the nation's most common cause of disability.
May is National Arthritis Month and the Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s nationwide, signature fundraising event with more than 200 Arthritis Walks across the country.
Arthritis is more widespread than imagined, affecting nearly 50 million American adults and more than 300,000 children.
The Kansas City Arthritis Walk will be held Sunday, May 22^nd at the Zona Rosa Shopping District in North Kansas City (610 N. Dixon, KCMO 64153). People are invited to sign up, form a team to fundraise for the Arthritis Foundation in the months leading up to the event and to walk together on May 22^nd.
Each person who fundraises $100 or more will receive an official Arthritis Walk t-shirt. Funds raised go to arthritis research, programs and services and patient advocacy efforts. For information on how to register, please visit www.afwalkkc.kintera.org, or call (913) 262-2233.
Day-of event details:

• This event runs from 8 am to 10 am.
• The walk route will be less than 1 mile, making it accessible for all participants.
• Participants will enjoy refreshments, games, face-painting, live entertainment and raffle prizes.
• As many as 1 in 5 adult dogs get arthritis. Dogs on leashes who are accompanied by their owners
  are welcome to participate in the Kansas City Arthritis Walk.
• Worth Harley Davidson will be leading the Walk this year on motorcycles.

We hope to see you there! If you set up a team or join a team, please leave us a comment below and we'll help you get the word out via social networks about your efforts to raise much-needed funds.
For information, please contact our pal Annie Noonen at (913) 262-2233, ext 110.