My Web 2.0 Upgrade

It all started this January when I purchased my iPhone. Prior to that I rarely sent a text message, let alone tweeted, blogged, or had a Facebook page. The iPhone unlocked a whole new world of information that had been far too troublesome to access, process, post, and retrieve previously. Here I am less than 6 months later with accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and 3 on Twitter... and now a blog. Consider my Web 2.0 upgrade complete.

I've had a website since 1996 and have been on LinkedIn for years. Early on, I saw the power in using the web for professional networking. However, MySpace and Facebook always made me nervous (and still do) because they seriously blurred the line between business and pleasure (http://tinyurl.com/mo6fa5). I never had time for a blog, and, until recently, I honestly didn't get Twitter.

I began tweeting as a marketing experiment. I wanted to try using it as a tool to educate people on Remote Dispensing, a new pharmacy distribution system for long-term care (LTC) that my company, Talyst, is revolutionizing. My goal is to follow 100 accounts and then follow everyone that followed my account. I occasionally tweet about issues relevant to LTC and Remote Dispensing. The jury is still out. The account now has 134 followers, which is pretty small scale. But a few of the followers are big names in the industry, including AHCA/NCAL, AHIMA, and the American Journal of Nursing.

I caved into Facebook purely out of peer pressure. My friends and colleagues were sharing photos and other communiqué, and I was missing out. I never signed up because of the concern that something from my personal life would affect (or worse, be affected by) someone or something in my professional life. I have nothing to hide. But, I want to protect my right to privacy. However, as soon you expose your personal life online, you give up that right. And, so I have.

Now, I must manage my online personal brand. And, so I will. Welcome to Web 2.0.