My Use of Twitter Over the Weekend and other things

This weekend, the organization I am working for our PR Writing Project held is largest event of the year, its fashion show. This year I wanted to implement something new, something that would allow for a greater audience and something that would allow a lot of interactivity, and my answer was Twitter. So for the show, I used our Twitter account to give updates of the happenings of the show, and used Twitter to provide links to photos that I posted online so that I someone who was not at the show and wanted to be there, could at least see what was happening. I thought my Twitter experiment was successful but could use some work. For the success part, I did get tweets throughout the show, ranging from asking questions to compliments of the production. As in Twitter fashion I would respond promptly to them. In addition, our charity, The Wisconsin Humane Society was a follower of my Twitter account and re-tweeted everything that I posted. In terms of what I would change is that I would have liked a lot more follower. I was not given control of the account till about two weeks before the show, and they had their Twitter account sent to private and that they had to accept you as follower. When I was given control there were about 20 people who were waiting to be accepted as a follower.

On another note, there was a death in the Marquette Community this weekend. Since last week, we talked a lot about crisis communication, I think this would be an example of such. How do you think Marquette has been handling the event?

Mad Men and Sesame Street

I am not sure you familiar people are with the show Mad Men. It is one of the most critically acclaimed shows in recent memory. The show is about Don Draper, a creative director in an ad agency and all the happenings that go along with him in his interesting and twisting life. It is my favorite show, and I try to emulate Don Draper's style, hence the side part, but enough about that. I saw an interesting short blurb in Ad Age not to long ago about how the very successful show was being used for a segment on Sesame Street, minus the smoking, drinking, and sex. Sesame Street characters were portrayed in the board room, in their dark suits, and skinny ties, deliberating. Even though Mad Men is not a show appropriate for children, it does provide an interesting insight, that being, the need for creativity. In both Mad Men and Sesame Street, creativity is the way to success. Having a great idea, and being good at it shows reward, which I feel is a valuable lesson. But how does this apply to our PR writing class? Well for us as PR students, what we might be taught to us now, might not hold true five years down the road, due to the ever-changing world, but with all that changes, there is one thing that remains constant. That creativity will get you a long way, being able to think and react and come up with something original can get you places, even if all around you seems uncertain. So take a lesson from Don Draper and Sesame Street and create.

My Twitter Experience

I had been Tweeting before we had to do it for our class. The reason why I started was because to inform my residents of happenings around campus. I am a RA here on campus. As RAs, we are given tons of posters that we are supposed to post on our floor. However, living in McCormick, the lifespan of such a poster is very short. So I looked for a more permanent solution, and that was Twitter. Honestly though, I have yet to use it for that purpose.

I really enjoy Twitter. I think it is a fun experience. I know there are those who do not like it, and don't see the point and that is fine, but for me it offers a lot. Twitter is where I find a lot of my news stories, cause The New York Times and the BBC are constantly updating and providing up to the minute stories. I can follow my favorite soccer team and see who is injured this week, or who they are playing. I can follow the likes of Cathy Horyn WWD and Joe Zee who know the happenings of the fashion world and share their experiences.

I like the constant feedback of Twitter. I like the pace of response for Twitter. I like that I can follow anyone and gather information that I find interesting and useful.

About Me!

What’s your full name? Nicholas Lawrence Roberts
Were you named after anyone? Nope
Do you have a nickname? If yes, what is it? Nick
What’s your astrological sign? Gemini
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night Owl
Do you wish on stars? Sometimes
Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes
Do you have tattoos ? Nope
What do you do most often when you are bored? Read
Donkey or Elephant or Neither? Donkey
What makes you angry? People saying "that's so gay."
What did you do last night? My homework
What frightens you? Snakes
How many keys are on your key ring? Two
What do you do to relax? Go the the Art Museum
Do you believe in superstitions? Yes
Have you attended a church or religious event outside of your own? Yes
Name a foreign language that you know. I know a little Italian
Name three things most people don’t know about you. I am allergic to bees, I am a published poet, I play the piano

Family, Pets, & Friends.

Do you have any siblings? Three, one brother and two sisters
Who is your best friend in high school? Todd Diedrich
Do/did you have any pets? Yes, two dogs
Cat person or dog person? Dog
Who is the last person you talked to on the phone? My girlfriend

Travel

What states have you been to? Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, Kentucky, Iowa, and some more
What countries have you been to? Three, Canada, France, and Mexico
In how many states have you lived? One
When is the last time did you take a train? Last summer

Food

What do you like to eat for breakfast? Eggs
What is your favorite food? Italian
What foods do you dislike? I don't know
What ethnic food do you like and dislike? I have not encountered one I haven't dislikes
What is your favorite chip flavor? Salt and Vinegar
What is your favorite sandwich? PB and J
What is your favorite drink? Coke
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookie Dough
What’s your favorite salad dressing? Ranch
Plain, buttered or salted popcorn? Buttered and salted
What’s your favorite pie? French Silk
What’s your favorite fast food place? I don't like fast food

Media

Which Harry Potter characters are you? Harry Potter
What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Dark Knight
What is your favorite TV show? Mad Men
Last book you read. Lady Chatterley's Lover
What picture is on your computer wallpaper? Mad Men
What is your ring tone? D.A.N.C.E. by Justice
What are three favorite songs on your iPod? I have a lot of favorites, too hard to answer
Do you have a Facebook page? Yes
Do you have a Twitter account? Yes
Do you have a blog? Yes

Wishes

Where would you retire to? Paris
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Rome
Would you ever bungee jump? Skydive? I don't think so
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Mid-Night Blue

What Writting Means to Me

Writing for me is the ability to communicate ideas through the use of symbols. However, there is a lot more to it than that. For me, writing is something that is very personal. It allows me to express ideas, wishes, and dreams with those around me. It acts as a looking glass into who a person is. Sometime this is difficult, where the message that is written lies somewhere deep in the lines, and it is necessary to delve deep, to act as a mole, in order to get to get the meaning of things, but without writing, this would never be possible