DISQUS

Jim,
I am happy to see that your grand experiment was a triumph for you both as a professional and as a ground breaking forward-thinker.
We need more people like you willing to take risks and push the status quo with fresh out-of-the-box ideas. Keep 'em coming!
Cheers!

Happy Birthday Laura! It is rare to find a man that can recognize how special and awesome you are AND wants to share that information with the rest of his world! He is definitely a keeper, and I wish you both the best of everything.
Have a great birthday, cheers!
Virginia

Jim,
Once again I see you are reaching out in a new and different way from others in your field. Obviously proving the old adage,"Fortune favors the bold." Great job and thanks again for the Twitter boost. Cheers!
V.

Jim,
This has been an interesting experiment! I am pleased to see that your spam rate has not gone up, as I know that was a concern. As for Google, who cares. You are building such a great following and fostering so much confidence in the power of conversation. That is "True" networking at its finest. Great job! Please keep us updated on future developments.
Cheers!
Virginia @Cars4Causes

It's going to take awhile it seems before corporate America gets a clue as to what's really going on in the SM Universe.
I am fortunate that my small charity is on-board 100%, and created a position for me, I used to be their donations call center supervisor.
I am now the Social Media Coordinator for the co.

"Bob" is in a no-win situation, and better be polishing his resume, but he obviously has learned an important lesson in this debacle that will serve him well in the next position. Good Luck Bob!

Thanks for retweeting it, I did miss it earlier. Boo Google, and yay you!
This has turned out to be a grand experiment, hasn't it?
Cheers!
Virginia

Intent is all you described and more. I have been a member for a short while, I joined to have a personal blogspace and to share what is important to me. I quickly fell in love with the general attitute of the members, and their welcoming and inclusive view of the world.
I began to engage with members there, and was rewarded with friend requests and comments from people who really seem to "get me" through my writing. As well as the overall positivity that pervades the space.
It has been the beginning of what I hope will be a long friendship with a group of intelligent, diverse, and interesting people. I love Intent!

@cars4causes: To listen and learn from people in all areas of business, and to prompt people to give in the non-profit sector

Just stopping by to send some love your way! Thanks for the shout out yesterday, we added 53 new Twitter followers from your endorsement. This is going to make our rollout of our "next big thing" even Bigger! Cheers for following through on your promise and for the personal approach you bring. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Jim,
I appreciate your Philosophy of Attraction. It is obviously working for you. I am interested in creating a presence out in the Web World,and making people aware of what we do. We are a non-profit without something to sell, but we do provide a service, and we help facilitate giving to other charities. What would be your take on our somewhat unique position in SM? I am blogging regularly and have seen positive results in the short time I have been doing so.
Thanks as always for a great post. The comments also give food for thought.
Cheers! Virginia

Lisa,
Thank you for highlighting an increasingly common error. In this era of instantaneous communication, some people forget that information needs to flow both ways to be considered a "conversation".Simply blurting or broadcasting isn't enough to interest people. In fact, it seems to have the opposite effect.

If I have learned anything delving into these Web2.0 spaces; it is that no one likes a loudmouth, and if you have nothing but noise to offer, best keep it to yourself. Instead, join the conversation, or simply listen and take to heart what others are so generously offering for free! Bring something of value to the process and you will receive value in return.
I follow you on Twitter, and I think you exemplify this idea with both your Tweets and blogs. Cheers!

Thank you for this insightful post. I have recently begun telecommuting again a few days per week, and will soon be doing so full time. I find I am extremely motivated to work from home, but "selling" the idea to my company, a small non-profit took a lot of work. I am delighted to say that since I have proven my value to them in the office, they were open to my suggestions and my proactivity in avoiding certain possible pitfalls in the process. I will soon be moving to another state, and taking my job with me. I will take your advice along with me for future reference!

Jim,
I recently began following you on Twitter and have been very impressed and grateful for the quality and content you are providing for free. There are many of us who can benefit from your expertise. Thank you for being so willing to share. Those negative people have no idea what they are missing out on! Cheers!
Virginia

When I comment on a blog I do not subscribe to, I usually have future comments emailed to me so I can continue to follow the thread of the conversation.
If I am taking the time to comment, I obviously feel strongly about what the author is saying, and I also want to see if he/she will comment back on my opinion.

I have struggled with the "is my comment relevant?" issue as well, but I have confidence that if I make an informed and insightful comment it will be! Don't ever assume that people don't want to hear what you have to say or you are defeating the whole purpose of making comments available.

Great tips for organization! I keep an ongoing task scheduler (whiteboard) in my office with deadlines and status of all posts in process for publication. I agree that things like Twitter can be a black hole of time-sucking, but working on that to make my time on all SM relevant to what I am doing on blogs in articles etc. Thanks for your words of advice!
Viirginia
www.cars4causes.net

Teresa,
Thank you for your comment ! I regret that we cannot assist your friend at this time. Cars 4 Causes(R) has so many requests that we are currently trying to fill that we are not able to take any new requests for give away cars at this time. We wish the best for your friend and recommend you try some of your local charities for assistance.
Best Regards,
Virginia Curtis
Social Media Coordinator
Cars 4 Causes(R)
social@Cars4Causes.net

Mr. Brown,
Thank you for this post. As a writer new to the blogiverse I appreciate your stand. People like me, while trying to "improve the brand" really just want to join the conversation. We use a few, but not all of the tools available to Social Media users. I am in awe and do respect those in the know for their experience and accomplishments, and they are examples to aspire to. I feel a bit intimidated commenting on some blogs because the people who post them come across as very high powered, and a little judgemental. If we are to truly be a "community" of writers, we have to have an inclusive approach to anyone who is credible and articulate, despite the number of apps and widgets are associated with thier name and brand. I know you PR people are intense, but not everyone is pushing out here in blogland, some of us are just trying to connect.