Re: Mark Cuban At The Blogworld Expo

Dave — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:44:50 -0000

Jim, what a great ending to the event, and I'm really glad you got to introduce Mark. Always nice to see you; sorry we didn't get a chance to hang out more, it was nuts--in a good way. :)

Best,
Dave

Re: Is Your Online Social Life Ruining Your Real Family Life?

Dave — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:05 -0000

Hi Jim, strong topic. It'd be interesting interviewing couples to see what each person honestly feels about the time spent online, both positive and negative.

My wife used to think I was just wasting time; not all of it, some was beneficial for business, but she wasn't excited about all of the extra social time spent which took focus away from the family. Then she met many of my "imaginary friends" and realized they were real friends, nice people, and they became "our" friends. Not imaginary anymore. She realized I had a network of friends all over the place, and she became a part of it. People would meet us during our travels and we had a great time connecting with good friends, even though face-to-face instances were few.

The point I'm getting at is, whether we spend time with people online or in-person, having quality relationships is important and it broadens and enriches the fabric of our daily lives. After meeting the online friends, and putting faces with the posts, my wife didn't have a problem with the online time spent.

There has to be a balance, and that's something I strive for. Some business time, some social time, some family time. It's easy to get wrapped up in online conversations; it's fun, and the diverse topical coverage is like a dynamically changing talkshow that I can watch, participate in and I can quickly find content that is important to me right now, rather than waiting for progamming to coincide with my preferences. That's pretty powerful and satisfying braincandy. The challenge is limiting yourself to a reasonable number of bites (er...bytes?), otherwise you'll get cavities! :D

My suggestion to anyone who's finding that online social networking is causing friction at home is this: Invite your family into your online life a bit. They'll enjoy it, appreciate it, and learn a ton. If you're addicted and can't limit yourself, and it causes disruption in your household or family, well...just take a break, spend time with the most important people in the world--your family--and come back online when you have a plan for moderation and better balance of time spent. I actually make a New Year's Resolution list every winter, and it includes the things I want to do more of each day or week. On that list a couple years ago, I had "read more to the kids at bedtime, date my wife more, exercise consistently, start to learn music with the kids, get to sleep before midnight more often" etc... Just having a grasp of goals for my time helped me to keep those in mind, and I became much better at spending time online in moderation. I may not have perfect balance, but I have a solid idea of where my time needs to be spent, and the priorities I've recognized define guidelines that help me devote time to all of the important areas.

Sorry for the ramble, this is an important topic for me too, and I've thought about it a lot. Having watched a few friends' families fall apart due to lack of attention and nurturing, I've become more aware of how important my treatment of time truly is.

Great discussion Jim, looking forward to seeing responses from others who've had this on their minds too.

Best Regards,

Dave Cynkin
CMO, Sleep Deprivationist & Thrill Seeker
BlogWorld & New Media Expo
http://www.BlogWorldExpo.com

Re: Business in Pajamas?

Dave — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:23:35 -0000

Hi Jenn,

We're all going to look silly, so don't worry. Just have fun!

(Btw, I'm going looking for Superman or Spongebob PJ's this weekend...too formal, you think?)

:D

Best,

Dave Cynkin
VP, Sleep Deprivationist & Thrill Seeker
BlogWorld & New Media Expo

Re: Gearing up for BlogWorld

Dave — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:50:37 -0000

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the post and links. We're excited too, and glad you're coming...see you next week! :)

Best Regards,

Dave Cynkin
VP, Sleep Deprivationist & Thrill Seeker
BlogWorld & New Media Expo

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Re: Mark Cuban At The Blogworld Expo

Re: Is Your Online Social Life Ruining Your Real Family Life?

Re: Business in Pajamas?

Re: Gearing up for BlogWorld