About a month ago, a friend decided to host a dinner party. She was inspired by the downturn in the economy and the reality that some friends were at risk of losing their jobs. Her idea was to get together a handful of smart, creative, hardworking people, most of who didn’t know each other, and see if any connections could be made. By the end of the night cell numbers and e-mail addresses were exchanged.

I know you think I’ve diverted from topic, but I haven’t. What happened that night was good old-fashioned socializing with an underlying agenda of possibly making work connections. Certain websites are designed after the same idea – they’re referred to as “social networking” sites. Social networking has many purposes – create a discussion around a topic, share news and ideas, find a like-minded soul, discover a long-lost classmate, build your business, and the list goes on. Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are social networking websites each designed differently. In this blog, I introduce Twitter. In the coming weeks we’ll get to the others.

Direct from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/):
Main Entry: ¹twit·ter
Pronunciation: \ˈtwi-tər\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English twiteren; akin to Old High German zwizzirōn to twitter
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb1: to utter successive chirping noises

How Twitter Works

“Tweets” are the entries that you type on the website Twitter to share with others. Each entry is limited to 140 characters. You can invite people (referred to as “followers”) to view your tweets and you can decide whose tweets (those you are “following”) you want to read. I have a wide variety of folks I follow – friends and family, NPR, CNN, several bookstores, other authors, and some really helpful computer geeks.

Here’s a look at Twitter’s site:

The box below “What are you doing?” is where you type your missive. You don’t need to worry about counting characters. The number 140 changes, as you type, to reflect how many characters are available. Once you’re ready to share your thoughts, simply click update.

As you can see, in the upper right, I’ve added a photo and my “user name” is abbystokes. Tbbycatt, whose entry is above, has chosen to have a photo as well. You can make those choices for yourself when you click on Settings.

Many tweets include a link. (To review links, refer to p. 178 in “Is This Thing On?”.) The use of links explains how the limit of 140 characters doesn’t really limit how much information can be had from a tweet. If you click on the suggested link, you’ll be brought to a website with more information on the subject tweeted upon.

Those really are the basics of how to operate Twitter. Looks pretty simple, doesn’t it? It is.

What I think can be more mysterious, for some, is why anyone would want to add Twitter to their lives. Keep in mind that you’re the one who controls how much time you spend on your computer and on a given website. I check out Twitter in the morning and evening, but it doesn’t consume any more time than I desire. Twitter is a rich source of information and/or entertainment depending on who you follow. You can get up-to-the-minute news, read a review of the lastest blockbuster, or ask if anyone knows the best way to treat jellyfish stings. Visit me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abbystokes. See how it feels.

If you want more information about Twitter, let me know and I’ll post a follow up blog. In the meantime, you may find these links helpful: http://tinyurl.com/100tools, http://www.gissisim.com/2009/03/how-to-twitter-like-a-pro/, and http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/.

I love this list for authors! “50 Things Under $50 To Promote Your Book”:
http://amarketingexpert.com/ameblog/uncategorized/fifty-things-under-50-bucks-to-promote-your-book/comment-page-1/

Brace yourself for some straight talk…Sonia Simone’s “7 Harsh Realities of Social Media Marketing”:
http://www.copyblogger.com/harsh-social-media-marketing/

Here are several links specific to Twitter…

J.S. McDougall’s “10 Tweetable Twitter Tips for Book Publishers”:
http://www.jsmcdougall.com/2009/12/ten-tweetable-twitter-tips-for-book-publishers/

Dan Blank, from Digital Book World, “How To Leverage Twitter When You Have Little Time”:
http://digitalbookworld.com/2010/how-to-leverage-twitter-when-you-have-little-time/

Mashable, as mentioned on the panel. Read about all things twitter and more:
http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/

Intended for college students, but helpful to all using Twitter “100 Twitter Tools To Help You Meet Your Goals”:
http://www.onlinebestcolleges.com/blog/2009/100-twitter-tools-to-help-you-achieve-all-your-goals/

Recommended by Kelly Leonard, one of tonight’s panelists, “How To Quantify The Reach Of Your Tweet”:
http://tweetreach.com/

About blogging…

Michael Hyatt’s “Do You Make These 10 Mistakes When You Blog?”:
http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/11/do-you-make-these-10-mistakes-when-you-blog.html

Jason Baer’s “How To Match 10 Key Success Metrics To Your Blogging Strategy”:
http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/179256?utm_source=smt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Sage advice about what not to so with your blog from Jane Friedman “5 Things That Make Me Stop Reading Websites and Blogs”:
http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/18/5-things-that-make-me-stop-reading-websites-blogs/

Miscellaneous…

Galley Cat’s “Podcasting Tips for Authors”:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/web_tech/podcasting_tips_for_authors_153628.asp

Planning your own publicity? This calendar is an amazing resource to make a plan:
http://www.directcontactpr.com/files/files/Publicityplan2010.pdf

Helpful sites mentioned at tonight’s WNBA event…

Yen Cheong’s blog on “news, trends, and tips for book publicists” is a great resource for anyone in the book business:
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/

Social Network for books. music, movies, and more on the web:
http://getglue.com/

MeetUp “helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities”:
http://www.meetup.com/

Book Movement “serves over 21,000 book clubs”:
http://bookmovement.com/

Good luck to all of you and your book projects!

The title of my book has taken on a whole new meaning!

Who says that computers aren’t sexy?

Click here for a full explanation:

http://tinyurl.com/NYCsexsymbol

If their broken computer was functional, I would have attached an external hard drive (like an extra brain) to the computer. Then I could have moved their music libraries to the external hard drive and onto the new computer. But, that wasn’t an option.

If I plugged their iPods into their new computer and did a sync (making the computer and iPod combine content), iTunes would have wiped out everything on the iPods. Obviously not an option.

Instead, I visited the wesbite http://www.purpleghost.com/ and downloaded (moved from the website to their computer) the program TuneJack. Have your credit card at the ready. Be sure to print the receipt when your purchase is complete. TuneJack will send you an e-mail with a license number that is required to begin the installation of the program onto your computer.

Before you start the download process, open iTunes and make the following change:

1) Click Edit.

2) Click Preferences.

3) Click on Devices tab.

4) Click in the box to the left of “Prevent iPods and iPhones from syncing automatically.”

5) Click OK.

This stops iTunes from automatically syncing when your iPod is plugged in. There can be times when you don’t want to sync automatically. This is one of those times.

Next, plug in your iPod. There’s one more change we want to make before we install TuneJack.

1) Wait until iTunes identifies your iPod, click on your device in the left hand sidebar.

2) Click in box to left of “Automatically sync when iPod or iPhone is connected” to remove the check – deactivating the choice.

3) Click Apply.

4) Click on “eject” symbol  to the right of your device name then unplug your iPod.

iTunes will now NOT open automatically when you plug in the iPod. (We don’t want iTunes to be open when we use TuneJack. They don’t play well together.)

Next close any open programs on your computer – especially iTunes.

Great! Now you can install TuneJack by following their very clear instructions. I always like to turn my computer off and back on after I install a new program. That’s your call.

A shortcut for TuneJack will appear on your desktop. Double-click on the icon and follow their step-by-step instructions. (A warning window will appear asking you to deactivate the auto sync at plug-in. We’ve already done that, but you can double check. Be sure to close iTunes after checking.)

At the step where TuneJack wants to find your iPod, plug in your iPod and wait patiently. When I did the initial transfer from the iPod to iTunes an error message appeared. I didn’t panic. I just repeated all the steps again and it worked perfectly the second time around.

Be patient, read what’s in front of you, and take deep breaths. Keep in touch and let me know how it worked.

For those of you that don’t know an iPod from your elbow (and you’re not alone), take a peek at Chapter 24 – Extra, Extra, Read All About It: The Scoop on Cell Phones, PDAs, Blackberries, iPods and iPhones in “Is This Thing On?” A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers, Technophobes and the Kicking & Screaming (p. 349).

To avoid this, you can use the BCC: area to input addresses instead of TO: or CC:. BCC: means blind carbon copy. Any e-mail addresses in BCC: cannot be seen by any of the other recipients.

Some e-mail services require that there be at least one address in the TO: box. Why not type your e-mail address in the TO: box and then delete the e-mail when you receive it? That’s a good way to know if the e-mail went out and you won’t have exposed any of your recipients’ e-mail addresses to each other.

For more tips on netiquette take a peek at “Is This Thing On?” (BBC: p. 191, 236, 239).

There are three motivating factors that inpsire most silver surfers to take on the challenge of the computer – the Internet, e-mail, and a desire to not be left behind. Keeping those three objectives in mind, here are my 10 tips on how to successfully bring the computer fearful onboard and, hopefully, enjoy the experience the computer and Internet have to offer:

1) Watch Your Language. You probably shouldn’t cuss at the computer or your student, but that’s not what I mean. Be aware of the words you choose. You’ll lose someone in the first 5 minutes if you speak computer jargon. They don’t need to know computer terms in order to use the computer, so avoid tech talk unless absolutely necessary.

2) What Turns Them On? Before sitting down in front of the computer ask your student what interests them. You want to be able to dazzle them with what the Internet has to offer specific to their needs and interests. What questions would they like answered? What are their hobbies? What is their family into that they would like to know more about?

3) Slow And Steady Wins The Race. Most seniors are not in a rush – you shouldn’t  be either. Assume that you are always going too fast. Take your cues not from the agenda you’ve set for the lesson, but instead the look in the eyes of your student. Eyebrows raised in surprise are good. A furrowed brow and a glazed look are bad. When you see the latter, you need to back up and figure out where you lost your student and start again from there.

4) Shake It Up. Before you even turn on the computer have your student put both hands on the monitor and shake it a little. Take the mouse in your hand and swing it by its tail. It reassures the fearful to know that the computer is just a big plastic box and nothing more. A little levity, with the intimidated, goes a long way.

5) Play Wingman. Your student should start in the driver’s seat from the get go. They do all the hands-on controlling of the experience starting with turning the computer on. Think basic, basic, basic and assume they don’t know anything, but can learn everything.

6) Conquer The Mouse. Any activity on the computer can be broken down into step-by-step instructions to be practiced until the steps become habitual. But, until the mouse is conquered, a newbie can’t practice the steps. Your first teaching session may only be about hand position, single-clicking, double-clicking, and clicking and dragging. The best way to practice all of these skills is by playing Solitaire. (I kid you not.) Be patient, reassuring, and sing their praises when they get it right.

7) Take A Break. There’s a limit to how much anyone can absorb. No matter how far you’ve gotten, stop after 45 minutes. Use a 15 minute break to talk about the importance of good posture, what websites you find fun, or chat about the weather. You’ll know you can return to the lesson when you see your student relax.

A 3-Step Method. Repetition helps us remember. Do everything three times. The first time they do it is hands on. The second time they do it is to take notes. The third time they do it is to follow their notes to be sure the notes are clear without your guiding them. Example: To access the Internet and visit a website: With their hand on the mouse you instruct them to 1) double-click on the icon to access the Internet. Next have them 2) single-click in the website address box to highlight and 3) type in a website address. Lastly they should 4) depress and release the Enter/Return key. Four simple steps. Do it, write it, and do it again.

9) It’s Not Their Fault. When the time comes, and it will, that a website is hard to navigate, place blame where it belongs. Shame on web designers and computer manufacturers. This could all be much easier if those who designed the computer and websites took into consideration user issues. Relieve your student from feeling inadequate by pointing out the flaws in design and usability.

10) Give Homework. Inspire your student to get on the computer for just 15 minutes a day to practice what you’ve worked on together. It is through short, daily visits to the computer that they will be able to conquer the beast.

There are few things in life as satisfying as when you help someone get over their fear – unless you’re the one getting over your fear. That is even more satisfying.

Here’s an example: If you visit Amazon.com to buy a book, they will store a Cookie on your computer that indicates what books you bought. The next time you visit they use that Cookie to suggest books you might be interested in purchasing. Or, if you register with a web site (i.e. the New York Times or Travelocity), the Cookie they store on your computer will save your password information so you don’t have to retype it every time you access the site.

Here are questions I’ve been asked regarding Cookies:

Will Cookies allow a web site to access other information stored on my computer?

No. Cookies are created to retain information about your use of a particular web site. That web site can access only the Cookie it created—no others—nor can it access anything else on your computer.

Do Cookies take up a lot of space on my computer?

No. Cookies are in the form of text and text takes up very little space on your computer. You never need to be concerned about Cookies using up valuable hard drive space.

Should I block Cookies?

You can, but you may not get the most out of some of the web sites you want to visit. I find Cookies to be harmless, but if you feel otherwise you can certainly choose not to accept them.

The bottom line is: Have no fear of Cookies. There are no wicked witches or cauldrons of broth involved. Cookies are merely little crumbs a web site has left behind so it can better serve you the next time you visit.

December 18, 2009 – 1:00PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Yorkville Library, 222 East 79th Street, NYC. 212-744-5824.

December 16, 2009 – 2:00PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Seward Park Library, 192 East Broadway, NYC. 212-477-6770.

December 11, 2009 – 10:30am

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Riverdale Library, 5540 Mosholu Avenue, Bronx, NY. 718-549-1212.

December 9, 2009 – 1:30PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Morris Park Library, 985 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY. 718-931-0636.

December 4, 2009 – 3:00PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Bloomingdale Library, 150 West 100th Street, NYC. 212-222-8030.

December 4, 2009 – 10:30am

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at St. George Library Center, 5 Central Avenue (near Borough Hall), Staten Island, NY. 718-442-8560.

December 2, 2009 – 11:00am

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Baychester Library, 2049 Asch Loop North, Bronx, NY. 718-379-6700.

December 1, 2009 – 1:30PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Van Nest Library, 2147 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY. 718-829-5864

November 30, 2009 – 11:00am

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at New Dorp Library, 309 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island, NY. 718-351-2977.

November 17, 2009 – 2:00PM

Demystifying the Computer – A talk and book signing at Countee Cullen Library, 104 West 136th Street, NYC. 212-491-2070.

Next blog will be Mac vs PC (a.k.a. the Hatfields vs the McCoys)…back soon.

YouTube is a website that allows anyone with a computer and access to the Internet to upload and share a video for all to see. (Re-read my blog on the FlipVideo, if you’re looking to buy a video camera – Something To Really Flip Over) In turn, anyone visiting the web can watch videos that are posted on YouTube to catch up on current events, learn how to fix a sink, see their grandchild’s first steps, or watch a cat play the piano. “Why YouTube?” you might ask. I guess “Why not YouTube?” is the answer.

When my nephew, Nic, recently rode a horse, for the first time, I sang the theme song from “Mr. Ed” The Talking Horse. Nic, 6 years old, looked at me as though I might have fallen off a horse and hit my head. I was determined to prove my sanity and, thank goodness, I found validation on YouTube…Here’s a little flashback for those of you who’ve forgotten the lyrics: (Turn on your speakers and click on the play arrow.)

To see YouTube firsthand, click on www.youtube.com or, better yet, type the website address in yourself for practice. (My vote is that you practice typing it yourself. Practice, practice, practice.)

Once you get on the website, you’ll notice that YouTube has an internal search engine, as many other websites do. To search, click in the text box, type in key words, and then click on Search to find what you seek.

Below are suggestions of phrases for you to search for when you get a chance to visit YouTube:

“birks organ” (Birk Petersen e-mailed me, after reading my book, and sent the link to this amazing hand crank organ that he designed and built.)

“sand drawing” (Kseniya Simonoya’s sand art is extraordinary.)

“famous failures” (If you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived. This video reminds us that failure is just a stepping stone to success.

You don’t always have to have your key words in quotes. Review how to get the most out of your searches on page 295 in “Is This Thing On?”. If you can’t come up with any topics on your own, click on Videos, near the top of YouTube’s window, and a list of categories appears on the left for you to choose from.

And, if you feel so inclined, search for “abby stokes” and take a peek at my posted videos or click on www.youtube.com/abbystokes.

Let me know when you’ve posted a video. I’d love to see it!

What does OMG mean? And, what is Facebook?

OMG is an acronym used in texting, instant messages, and e-mail that stands for “Oh My God.” Visit page 267 in “Is This Thing On?” or peek at the Instant Messaging tutorial on my website (instant-messaging-tutorial#abbrev) to view other abbreviations used when e-mailing and texting.

Facebook is going to require a bit more explaining…get comfortable. As described in my March post, which demystifies Twitter (perhaps worth a re-read: lets-talk-twitter), online social networking isn’t that different than socializing in our three-dimensional world. You invite people, or are invited, to discuss what you’ve been up to, exchange ideas, family photos, whatever comes to mind, but it all happens online, while visiting a website, rather than over afternoon tea in your living room. Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites with over 300 million users. (300 million. OMG!)

Here’s an example of Facebook page:

What people post on Facebook runs the gamut from innovative ideas, to great life philosophies, to fun self-expression, to tiresome, over exposure to one’s moment-to-moment thought process. Accordingly, you may discover what is posted is truly worthwhile or you may perceive it as a huge waste of time. For me, it’s a delicate balance of both.

How Facebook Works

Facebook is free for the cruising…I mean using. You will need to register with the website, www.facebook.com , by filling out a form:

After you’ve registered, you’re given the opportunity to create a “profile.” You decide how much information you want to reveal about yourself…birth date, school history, photographs, phone number, interests, etc. You may share as much or as little as you want. I err on the side of cautious and don’t reveal my birth date, phone number, or address. Although, if someone is determined to find that information about me, it isn’t hard as it is all public information.

Once you’re happy with your profile, it’s time to start networking. To become someone’s Facebook friend an invitation is received via e-mail and an acceptance of that invitation must happen. There is no obligation to say “yes” to someone if you don’t want them to follow you. You can search for people on Facebook by their name, e-mail address, work place, or school. I’ve found people on Facebook I haven’t seen since my Old Lyme High School graduation in 1980. Sure, we may never meet face-to-face, but it’s fun to catch up on what’s been happening in their lives and see pictures of their family, vacations, artwork, etc. You may want to use Facebook exclusively for your family to view photos and stay in touch. It is all up to you.

To Navigate Facebook

Click on each of the items offered in the tool bar which runs across the top of Facebook’s site. It’s the best way to get a lay of the land.

Home: Brings you to the “wall” where you view the postings of your friends.

Profile: Shows you your profile and your wall. You can edit your profile or post to your wall from here.

Friends: View your existing friends profiles from here or search for friends you want to invite to join you.

Inbox: Any of your friends can see what is on your wall. Your Inbox is where private correspondence is received.

Your Name: Brings you to your wall (the same as Profile).

Settings: Here you can change account and privacy settings. Be sure to take a look at your choices.

Logout: Signs you out of your account.

Search: Type in the name of someone you seek and click the magnifying glass.

Something you must keep in mind…Everything that is posted on Facebook is essentially public – except what you receive in your Inbox. So, assume your employer or wife can see the photos you post. Assume your landlord can read what you post. Do not say or show something that is incriminating or more controversial than you can handle.

I hope that’s enough insight into what this thing is called Facebook for you to decide if you want to dabble. Let me know if you have any trouble navigating the website or online social networking in general. Happy to be your wingman.

If you would like to join me on Facebook, click this link: http://www.facebook.com/abbypstokes. I consider us friends either way…