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Inspirational Summer Reading Fun

July 6th, 2012 by Admin | 1 Comment | Filed in Inspirational Stuff, Social Media & Media

I read many inspirational, self-help, motivational and business books. If I learn of, find or am given a book in these categories by someone who follows me (and of course I follow them back!) I will at least skim the book, and read a few chapters.

However, in the hot summer months, I tend to read less of these and turn to more fun fare, fiction, biographies and of course, books about art. Happily, this past winter I read two inspirational books that if you missed them are wonderful fun summer reads! What makes this even more fun for me is that these books are by two authors who are and have been my social media friends since I first wandered onto Twitter.

The first is Guy Kawasaki’s Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. It is meant to be a business book, but the ideas and principles can easily benefit and be applied to non-business relationships and endeavors as it is a kind of how to manual for achieving likeability and trust.

While the names of the chapters indicate information useful to sales people, managers, executives, etc., they are just as meaningful for parents of teenagers and adult children, spouses, adult children dealing with parents, teachers, and, well, anyone who has ideas to share with another person, which means anyone but a complete hermit.

Here are some of the chapter titles, “How to Achieve Trust Worthiness”, “How to Prepare”, “How to Overcome Resistance”—explaining why people are reluctant and how to get over that, and “How to Make Enchantment Endure”. Now, think of a woman who is hoping to meet and marry a good man and enjoy a good marriage and reread those chapter titles! Learning how to enchant others is clearly a skill worth cultivating.

And, Guy Kawasaki enchants with his examples, stories and friendly, accessible writing style. You will not only benefit from reading this book, you will enjoy the ride.

In Never Pass Up an Opportunity, 51 Opportunities For Improving Your Life , author Larry Czerwonka gives us a fun fast read, but one where the ideas can linger and have an uplifting and long time effect.

Each chapter is less that one page long, some are only a paragraph is size, but each chapter holds a big inspirational idea that is easy or grasp, and include in your life.

As an artist some of my favorites of Czerwonka’s 51 Never Pass Up challenges are: “#14 be someone’s RAINBOW when they are feeling down”, “weave something NEW into the tapestry of your life”, “#39 ASSOCIATE yourself with passionate and caring people” and #40 associate yourself with slightly CRAZY people”. I admit that those last two may be how I quickly became social media friends with Larry Czerwonka, because all artist by definition are not “normal” but are passionate about their art.

So do not pass up an opportunity to read this book and then share it with a friend.

On Twitter follow Guy @GuyKawasaki and Larry @larryczerwonka and me @judyrey

[Note: Judy Rey Wasserman only reviews books on inspiration, spirituality, or social media (at this blog) or art (at ungravenimage.com/blog) that she appreciates and believes will benefit and inspire these who like her work. She only gives good reviews because she can chose what, if anything, to mention.]

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How You Can Help by Tweeting in an Emergency

May 25th, 2011 by Admin | No Comments | Filed in Inspirational Stuff, Social Media & Media

Twitter has proven to be one of the best resources for immediate help and information during an immediate local emergency due to earthquake, hurricane, spreading fire, earthquake, tornado, tsunami or terrorist attack.

Twitter’s Volunteers

There is a small army of tweeting members who “volunteer” their help by retweeting messages from the Red Cross and other rescue sources such as local news, police, firefighters and regular people like you and me, who are caught in the midst of the event and have valuable information that can help others.

Joining in…

My first experience of tweeting a message to help others was during a weekend phishing attack in mid November of 2008. The phishers knew to take advantage of the fact that the techies, who then had the largest followings, were absent on weekends I had fewer than 2,000 followers, but I discovered that we could help others by continuing to retweet the warnings about the phishing and the news.

It was an amazing experience as I watched members of the Twitter community step up and work together for a common good, just as people would do in any community that was dealing with a threat. That is when I “fell in love” with Twitter and the potential it gave to us all.

Within a week, the word “Mumbai” became a Trending Topic. This seemed weird so I clicked to check on it. Mumbai was under attack from terrorists. People on the streets in Mumbai were tweeting information as to where the gun shots were coming from. There was no time or opportunity for anyone caught on the streets of Mumbai or in the nearby buildings to turn to the radio or TV for help. By using the hashtag #Mumbai we retweeted the information as they tweeted it to us so that others on the streets knew where to go for safe shelter and what buildings and what streets to avoid. Live were saved thanks to those tweets.

How You Can You Help

Retweeting information during an emergency is super helpful even if you only have a few followers because it keeps the hashtag trending so that the people who are victims of the emergency can find it easily. More importantly, if we keep retweeting, people who are caught in the emergency can hopefully turn to Twitter and immediately see helpful information as to where to go to be safe, what hospitals are open, the roads that are open, and where to evacuate immediately. It also helps to retweet information from the victims so that first responders can know where they are.

Further, in a natural disaster power lines, radio and phone towers and reception can be compromised. By retweeting and retweeting life saving information it will appear at the top of the Twitter stream for a victim who may have just seconds of reception to see it.

During a natural catastrophe often phone and power lines go down. This compromises communication to the news media such as radio and TV so that Twitter can become the only resource that people have for any helpful news. The Twitter community needs all the volunteers possible to RT immediate information as to what hospitals are open, what roads to take, where victims need help, where shelters are, and more. And we need to keep tweeting it.

Twitter’s the Best Source for Immediate Disaster News

As I wrote this blog I was listening and glancing over to CNN where @piersmorgan and @andersoncooper are covering the horrendous tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri the previous day. At this time that night CNN was turning to Twitter and reading tweets that we were retweeting for the news, it was their best source for news.

The April 2009 earthquake in Italy killed 2009 people. As soon as Twitter received the news, we again joined together to help relay rescue information to and from the victims of this disaster. I had a few followers comment then that they had already seen a message from me which actually dealt with what hospitals people needed to go to. It became clear that some people were annoyed that I my tweets had ceased to fill them in on art, inspire them, or be otherwise interesting or entertaining.

I explained and a few joined me in retweeting valuable information. But, a few people unfollowed me because what I was tweeting was not interesting for them since they were not in Italy. Somehow, that did not seem like much of a loss for me.

How to Join In

Once you realize there is a disaster or emergency taking place at the moment look for a Trending Topic that could indicate it. Such topics have included; “Eathquake”, “Italy”, “Chile”, “Tsunami”, “Haiti” and “Joplin”.

Although it goes against Twitter TOS and is bad twitterquette not to use “RT’ or “via” to give credit to the originator of a tweet, during an emergency no one sane cares about taking credit. It is wiser and perfectly acceptable to Tweet a whole message full of information and delete the name of the originator if it fails to fit in within 140 characters.

A New Twitter Role

Generally, I am not a source for news, except in relation to the art world ad a few select causes that often involve freedom, justice or tolerance. I am an artist and founder of a new art theory of Post Conceptual Art, including a branch of that called UnGraven Image. You can see more about that at ungravenimage.com.

I am also a member of the community called Twitter. As such, people get to know me. Sometimes I share a joke or useful information that just seems helpful to others, too. I do converse in the stream. Yet, mostly I tweet about art or inspiration often based on art or other artists.

Two days ago a tornado hit Joplin, Missouri and decimated much of it, including one of its two hospitals. Coincidentally, people who live in Joplin are also members of my Twitter community. Thus, they are my neighbors. We have Twitter neighbors around the world, of all races, beliefs and ages, who joined together to retweet useful information to help the people in Joplin.

You Are Valued

I hope and pray that we never have another emergency or disaster anywhere in the world. But if one occurs please join with me and your twitter friends and neighbors to retweet and tweet helpful information. Tweets that can help save lives and prevent casualties during an emergency are the most valuable and important tweets we can send.
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download (and save to disk) a free PDF copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the e store.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]

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How to ReTweet to Grow Your Influence & Followers

September 30th, 2010 by Admin | 3 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

ReTweets are a great way to grow the influence of your Twitter stream. This goes for both the ReTweet (RT) you give others and those others give you.  I hold that the Retweets that grow a stream’s influence and followers the most are the ones we give, although it is assumed it is the ones we get.

The key word above is “influence”. In one way or another we are all going through life somewhat influencing one another, in person and via social media. Human beings are by nature, all influencers from birth.

Babies, almost from the moment that they are born, interact and attempt to gain what they want. Babies have a message, which may vary from time to time depending on what the baby wants or wishes to do at the moment.

On Twitter every tweet seeks to have some sort of influence. Our Twitter streams can be understood as our own unique micro-blogging channels. This is true for companies, and the rest of us who seek to connect and share in various ways.

Content is Primary

Like radio and TV channels, we each need content for our Twitter channels. My Tweets tend to be about art (including introducing my Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art and theory, plus free art events in museums and news from the art world), the brain (and how to use it better especially in relation to vision and emotional freedom), tolerance, spirituality, social media, and also I can be uplifting, inspiring or funny.

Also, I  am helpful and give tips re social media, pitch in an emergency (from phishing to a news item such as an earthquake when tweets have relayed vital info to the people involved as other forms of communication were compromised) and enjoy celebrating shared events like holidays or honoring someone who contributed greatly to society and has passed away.

When someone tweets something that fits what I want to share, the kind of influence that I want to have, it is like getting a free show for my micro-blogging channel.  A tweet worth ReTweeting is a kind of gift of free content.

Here is an example that wonderfully fit my Twitter channel that I sent out recently: “RT @succezstwittey When everything seems to be going against u, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. – Henry Ford #quote”

I chose this example as up until my above RT, I had not interacted with this follower, who I follow back. This member is not a celebrity or a known high ranked twitterer, but it was a swell Tweet that I grabbed up and gratefully ReTweeted to my other followers to also inspire them.

Thanking People for a ReTweet?

Many people thank the people who RT them. I always think that I should be thanking the people I RT for the good free content..

Before I had 30,000 followers I went along with thanking people in the stream for RTing me.  When I had 30,000 followers it dawned on me that whatever I said could possibly be seen by that many people and a stream filled with Thank You’s is kind sweet but soon rather dull. Besides, it had begun to feel more like bragging that I’d been ReTweeted.

So instead, I try to ReTweet people who Retweet me. Often I RT whatever I said that was RTed. On a good, short quote, we’ve reached as many as six tweeters in a row on one Tweet. That is a lot of fun!

I will also troll the stream of someone who RTed me, looking for content to ReTweet that will benefit my followers. A RT back is better that a Thank You. However, I must find something worth tweeting and sometimes I do not, or I find it months later. That is OK, as any relationship is built over time.

Endorsements and Testimonials

I also just about always ReTweet someone who RT’s a link to my blog or articles, web sites, videos, free e book, free webinars or anything that helps me get my basic visual inspirational and life changing message known. These tweets are a kind of testimonial. Plus, I tend to think that my followers must to some degree like me or be interested in me and what I have to say. Of course, I want to introduce them to other people who like what I have to say: my followers!  In face-to-face life, I tend to introduce friends to one another, too.

ReTweet Followers

Since I follow back all followers (except for very explicitly sexual accounts who I block), I tend to only ReTweet people who follow me. I like to promote my friends, and if someone, including a company, museum or celebrity cannot be bothered to follow me back, even if I previously gave them a RT, the content of their Tweet has got to be stupendous for me to ReTweet it and give them free advertising.

Stupendous does happen. Here are a few examples and exceptions when I reTweet non-followers.

The first exception is current events news media like CNN, the New York Times, BBC, etc.  They tend not to follow back but do provide pertinent information about breaking news that I sometimes share for the good of my followers. However, with magazines and papers dying and becoming smaller, I have noticed that some of the wisest reporters and media are following people back. Local news is most likely to follow back and this is a smart way to gain tips.

The second exception concerns social media news, especially if it involves Twitter and is an urgent or a helpful update. Being a good Twitizen and ReTweeting important data, especially as it involves Twitter seems to produce more followers. For instance, when there were attacks via phishers I reported that as I want my followers to stay safe. ReTweeting a recognized social media authority who had the best, most helpful story gives can be useful for my followers. This falls within my channel’s ongoing sharing of tips and helpful information about social media, which also includes this article. Plus, I usually follow everyone who ReTweets these helpful tweets, especially during an attack, and they are also good Twitizens, and the kind of people I want for friends

Know Thy ReTweet

I strongly suggest that if you want to grow your Twitter influence you only ReTweet information and especially links that you have personally checked out and endorse for your followers as if this is your own stuff. This builds trust and influence.

  • Never RT a link, even from a source you trust, like a news source, unless you have personally checked it out and read the article.
  • Never Retweet a link – even your own link without first testing it to make sure that it still works.

ReTweet for the Good of Your Channel (followers) not as Favor for a Friend or Follower

Since I heartily endorse and believe in follow/follow relationships I get followed by some spammers who send me DMs with links that I never open and simply delete. People, including non-spammers, send me DMs asking me to ReTweet their causes, blogs and also business news or products. Usually I hardly know these people, but sometimes these are people I consider Twitter friends. About one in ten people offers to reciprocate and RT something for me once also. This is a silly deal to offer anyone unless you have more followers that they do, and most of these offers come from people who have not cleared the 2000 followers hurdle yet.

When a Twitter member (channel) accepts paid advertising or quid pro quo arrangements, or tweets things that are really not fully and personally endorsed it substantially decreases that Tweeter’s influence.  If someone’s friendship with me is based on favors, then it is OK to lose that follower as I would prefer to keep the trust that I have built with my other Twitter friends.

ReTweeting Celebrities

People follow celebrities because they can—they want to feel closer to someone they admire.

I am most likely to ReTweet what is said by celebrities who follow me back, when it fits my channel and is good information for my followers.

Since it is enjoyable for my followers, I will ReTweet a celebrity who hosts a fun event on Social Media, like @aplusk did via Ustream when he had the charity contest with @kingsthings (Larry King) to see who would be first to have one million followers.

I will also ReTweet information, especially a good quote from a celebrity who says something inspiring that I want to share with my followers. Since people admire and even trust celebrities, this can help me spread inspiring and uplifting ideas. I will also RT something that is side-splitting funny – but I am a sucker for side-splitting funny from anyone.

Some people, usually newbies or people who have not reached voting age, RT celebrities simply because they admire the celebrity. Generally this does not increase influence or trust with anyone old enough to vote

Make your ReTweet Policy re DMs Known in the Stream

People sometimes take things personally, especially if they believe someone is a friend. However, being a friend on and off of Twitter does not include doing anything that a friend requests, even when it seems easy to do.  A ReTweet is actually an easy one click process, but as discussed above, it can have consequences that will erode trust and followers.

In the public Twitter stream make your ReTweet DM policy known about once every month or two if you have one.

I make it known that I never RT anything sent in a DM including info from people I consider Twitter buddies. I also DM back people I have chatted with in the stream who have sent me unrequested DMs asking for a ReTweet that this is my policy. I am only going to RT what is in the public Twitter stream – unless I have specifically requested the info and a link to be sent to me via a DM, which occasionally I have done in relation to a charity or art event I wanted to share.

Have Fun!

Social Media is a conversation that is fun or at least interesting enough to take time away from other pursuits.

We are each the CEO of our Twitter stream. We are the ones who decide what content we Tweet, including ReTweet just as the head of a TV, radio, magazine or newspaper decides what information is conveyed through their channel.

A ReTweet puts free content on your channel, which is a kind of a gift to you as long as that content is about something you really endorse, which includes ideas and articles that you have found useful. This kind of RT will build trust and gain you followers and even RT’s if others also find it useful.

So if you found this article helpful RT the Tweet with the link that brought you here. Or, Tweet about it yourself to help your followers!
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]


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How to Really Gain Free Followers on Twitter

June 11th, 2010 by Admin | 9 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

Most people on Twitter want more followers. Followers are the people we communicate to or with and no one wants to talk to a blank wall.

There are good ways and scams, or unsuccessful ways to gain followers, even quickly. Unfortunately good people, especially those new to Twitter fall for the scams.

Like an adolescent experiencing a sudden acne breakout, Twitter goes through eruptions of Tweets that promise more Twitter followers.

Some of these “Free Followers”  sites seem to advise their customers to follow people like me — who follow back –and then once we do follow back to unfollow us immediately.  What these sites fail to tell their customers is that this behavior will only result in their being unfollowed, resulting in a loss of time and effort. Plus, some of us in the follow back group are now only following back people who do not have some version of the free followers message in their Twitter stream, as these people do not want a Twitter relationship or experience, just a notch in their belt. Who wants to be part of the body count?

These followers can come at a cost or be free, except that one must tweet the ads of the site that promises these followers.

What’s the Catch?

There are several catches to these schemes. How many catches varies by site and the reason(s) why a person who subscribes to the site wants followers in the first place.

Let’s assume that you want more people to follow you as this will give you a larger group of people to share your ideas and products to. Assuming that you have ideas worth sharing that people do and will benefit from this is a good goal. The people with the most followers on Twitter, including celebrities make it interesting and even fun for people to follow them.

This goal means that you want real, live and active followers. It is impossible to rally share with a robot, spammer or fake twitter account, because no one is reading Tweets.

Many of the schemes that promise Twitter followers involve fake or faux followers. These are accounts that are set up by one person or a group that exist for the purpose of following and spamming people with sales messages for products that they promote via tweets that are paid advertisements or affiliate sales messages. A site can promise you 100+ of these followers since all of these Twitter ID’s actually are set up, owned and run by the creator of the site. This may enhance one’s follower count, but will quickly downgrade your Twitter experience as these fake accounts spam you.

Another Scam that Can End Up With Great Results for All

Other sites and schemes offer lists of people who follow back. These reciprocal followers are also called Mutuals. The idea is that since Mutuals reciprocate and follow back, by following them one quickly gains followers.

I am well known as a Mutual who follows back. My Twitter ID, @judyrey is on most of these lists. If you think following people who follow you back works for you – and basically I highly recommend it—then this will work as a way to meet some interesting and often interactive Twitter people. Beware that some of these site also include spammer accounts that are setup to follow back but basically belong in the robot group mentioned above.

When a Twitter member follows me, or someone else who generally reciprocates with a follow, we both get a new follower who can become a friend and ally over time. An initial follow is a “Hello!”, not really a great commitment as anyone can easily unfollow.

The scam part happens when people follow a mutual with the mistaken idea that they will soon unfollow and somehow keep their new follower. This is a kind of bait and switch scam.

I do not know of any Twitter Mutuals who do not eventually unfollow people who unfollow them. Many unfollow and even block these scammers– and if they are spammers report them to @spam.

Along the line of Mutuals there are sites where a person can sign up to follow the people listed on the site and then become listed on the site oneself. This is not actual reciprocity of following but reciprocity of the number of people one follows from the site.

Since Twitter is a free site and service many people join, follow people and then disappear for days, months or even forever without closing their accounts. If these people have set their accounts to automatically follow back they can end up making the follow back lists and sites as Mutuals.

TIP:

If you are really interested in live people with active accounts then always look to see the date or time of a person’s last Tweet before you follow initiate a follow. By only initiating follows for people who have tweeted within the past day strengthens your odds of relating to an active Twitter account. Of course, the content of what the person Tweeted is also a factor in selecting people to follow.

Real Live Followers are Not Slaves

No one can give real live people to you as followers, nor can you buy them. This idea is nonsense unless slavery exists.

Of course, I suppose people could be paid to follow other people, but who hires an audience? Why would you want this?

Actual followers—people who want to see your Tweets and follow your links to articles and images — are real people just like you. And, just like you they deserve to be treated politely with respect. Probably, like you, they are worth the time to follow and to some degree get to know.

The best and easiest way to gain more followers is to reach out and follow people. Since you can always unfollow anyone, there is no risk to this. However, you probably want to change your settings so people only sent those thank you’s for the follow to your Direct Messages (DMs) and not your email also.

Use Wefollow.com and lists to discover interesting people to follow. If you follow people you especially like check out their lists to find interesting people to follow. Also follow people they recommend on Follow Friday. Many of these people will follow you back.

Perhaps my best piece of advice regarding gaining more followers, is to be your true self—the person you intrinsically are “meant” to be. Be authentic.

If you make a mistake, acknowledge it (I call myself the Tpyo Queen), but move on. Do not try to please others to gain followers.

As an artist I basically deal with art and inspiration, but verge off to other things that interest me, including social media, resulting in this blog. Tweet about what interest you, what you want to share to encourage, entertain, inform, inspire or even enlighten your followers. Some of this will be ReTweeted (RT) and will also gain you followers.

The Best Real Free Followers

The best real free followers are the people who actually read your Tweets and benefit from following you. This can involve interaction, but not always.

I am the kind of follower I would like most to have. I guess this is sort of a way to do onto others…As a follower, I lurk my Twitter stream, do read and follow links, but may not RT or comment on everyone I find that benefits or interests me. I RT based on whether the information will benefit my followers, not based on whether it will benefit the person who originated the tweet. However, except for news sources, I tend to basically RT the people who follow me.

Followers like me are free to gain. These followers are free to come, free to go, free to stay, interact and become friends. These are the best free followers.

Some people believe that having more people follow them than they follow somehow proves they are important. I figure that since I am interesting, and an artist founding a 21st Century theory of Post Conceptual Art, anyone who finds me interesting is probably pretty smart and interesting—thus someone I could learn from so I remain relevant and interesting myself. I am much happier swimming freely, even among bigger fish in an ocean, than being the biggest minnow in a teacup.

Happy, safe and fulfilling tweeting!
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]



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Are you Spamming People’s DMs – & Don’t Know It?

May 28th, 2010 by Admin | 10 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

Many good Twitter members are sending Direct Messages (DMs) with links to sites and businesses other than their own, but do not realize it.  Are you one of them?

Due to Twitter API permissions there are sites that you may have visited once or innocently signed up for – and are no longer even using – that can continue to use your information to send out their links and info in DMs that come from your Twitter account.

Cautionary Advice

Before I tell you how to easily fix it please pause for a strong moment of cautionary advice. While the majority of the companies that use your account do so by gaining your permission in some way, this is also a tactic that phishers use. There are two steps that you can take to stay safe and help keep the people who follow you safe:

1. NEVER click on a link sent to you in a DM—unless you were expecting that link.

Example A : One of my trusted Twitter friends send me a link in a DM and tells me via phone, a tweet in the stream, an email, even in person to expect this specific link, which is identified in the DM tweet. This is a link I will open.

Example B: Same trusted Twitter friend send a link that looks really interesting, but that I was not informed to expect. I DM back and ask if the link is truly from them and do not click on that link until I have an affirmative reply.

2. ALWAYS inform anyone you send a DM with a link that you are sending such a DM.

Example: If you follow me you have occasionally seen this kind of a Tweet in my public timeline “@FictionalTwitterMember just sent you a DM with a link”

If your followers know that you will always inform then of any links you send in a DM, should you fall prey to a phisher, your followers will know not to click on any links that come to them your DMs unless you first tell them about it.

The Fix

Log into your Twitter account and go to Settings. In settings Click on Connections.

Notice that every site listed has access to read and WRITE to your account. It is the WRITE part that is a problem. That means that the site has the opportunity to post to your account.

Many good sites and services do not take advantage of the Write opportunity to send links in your DMs or send their messages in your tweets. That Write factor is necessary so that the can gather and use your information exactly how you wish it to be used, including to simply verify your account so you can leave a comment or post a photo. I continue to grant access to about seven sites and services that I use, such as the sites of @wefollow, @mashable and @MrTweet, which is a good networking service that only tweets in the stream with one time permission for that event. I use buzzom.com to unfollow non followers who I’m not finding interesting (manually—I do not use bots on Twitter) and they are honorable (hence this unsolicited plug).

Other sites, such as True Twit Validation, Blip.fm continue to send links to their service via DMs that seem to be sent by you to your followers. This kind of thing happens to some really good Twitter members who sign in or sign up and think since they are not actively using the service they are done. Not true.

Less is more. If you are not sure about any service of site listed under Connections revoke the access. This will only affect the access from that service. You can always sign in again to it at a later time.

Why this Blog?

This blog was prompted by a number of followers who replied a DM from me that said something like, “Please stop sending me links in DMs. I never open them.” Some days, I just delete all the DMs with links (without reading them) but other times I fire off message like the one above.

What surprises me is that I get DMs in response that apologizes as people discover that their accounts are sending DMs with links.

My purpose here is simply to be helpful to my Twitter followers. I feel I have a relationship and responsibility to my followers who look at my stuff—just as I have a relationship as an artist to viewers and collectors of my art. I want you to live a more inspired, safer life where you are more of your authentic best self.

As an artist and inspirational write and speaker, I have no personal interest or ties to any of the social media apps or sites other than as a fan or member. Twitter is one of my favorite social media sites where I can share my art and the new Post Conceptual Art theory I am founding, plus make art, artists and fine art museums and non-profit spaces more relevant in people’s lives.

If you use a free service or site that shows up in your connections that you would recommend to others please add it to the comments below. I will check them out (due to spammers and phishers) and do my best to include the safe ones in the comments. This helps provide the Twitter community with a list that is freely open to all and can be used safely.

Thanks, and happy and safe Tweeting!

[Note: for more on DMs see: How to Deal with Thank You's in Twitter DMs – both Sending and Receiving ]
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]


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5 Steps to Successfully Getting a Link Clicked on via Twitter or Facebook

April 29th, 2010 by Admin | 1 Comment | Filed in Social Media & Media

Following and sending links on Social Media, especially Twitter and Facebook is a part of our daily routine that enriches our lives.

It is important to me to continue a two-way conversation (and on Twitter I do follow back followers and converse), which includes enticing others to read and my blogs that include artwork and writings and finding other good blogs, articles and images, which is just as much if not more fun for me. I am forever curious, and a born communicator who is first and foremost an artist but also a writer and speaker

There are five simple steps to for success with links.

What works and what doesn’t for a link.

It is fairly easy to successfully share information via links, yet I am finding too many people do not fully understand how to successfully accomplish having their links viewed and also on Twitter RTed.

1. The Destination of the Link:

The first priority for any link is the article or image is what you are linking to.

Make the blog, article or image worthwhile for those who follow you.. Give value not junk, which may get you unfollowed or unfriended even if it is not spam. Think of your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or other Social Media interactive messages as a kind of TV or radio channel that you are producing. While you can, and probably should be a bit personal, think of the viewer and make your messages interesting.

This also goes for anything you ReTweet or resend. Never resend anything only for the sake of the sender. Think only of your audience’s benefit.

2. The Link Itself.

A. Make sure that your link actually goes to where you think it goes.

Recently I have followed far too many links from good people to what promised to be good information that did not actually lead to that information.

Example One: I followed a link to an article that went directly to Bloomberg .com where I guess it had been the lead article a short time before. Now, there was a new lead article, which had nothing to do with the art article I wanted to read. I had to search using keywords to find my article on Bloomberg.  NEVER link to an article simply by using the dot com address!

Generally you can find the actual link to any article on a news site of blog by double clicking the title of the article. The page may seem to remain the same but the URL in your browser will change to a unique address. Shorten that address and use it as a link.

Example Two: This happens frequently. Someone sends Twitter link to a post on someone’s Facebook Fan page. This is a really bad idea. Although I am a member of Facebook, if I am not signed in, I have to do so to read the link. About half the time it may not be worth the time and effort. Plus, not everyone is a member of Facebook. Finally, Facebook continues to experience downtime and busy outages. I hit one today re a link that Facebook informed me would be up and running again shortly. And the Twitter sender had only just posted it.

B. Post the information to a blog or image hosting site and then link from Twitter, Facebook and other sites to that. If you want to upload the blog or image to Facebook, do it, but link to your blog from a site like Twitter.

Always check that a link works before you send it in a message.

C. Shortening the Link

Assuming you hope to not only get people to click on your link, but also click on subsequent links, use your link shortener wisely. Currently I use bit,ly. I have also happily used ow.ly and gd.com. These shorteners have an advantage. If a person finds another article on my site—or someone else’s site that I’ve linked to, the reader can easily Tweet or message that new location. I am not going to “out” any shorteners, but some make this impossible. Personally, I want to encourage the dialogue, whether it is from my blogs or someone else’s.

3. The Tweet or Message that Announces or promotes the link

Indicate what the link is about. We assume it is something really interesting, informative or entertaining that your friends or followers could want to see.

If the article or blog has a title, use it!

Tell what the picture or artwork is about and who it is by.

If the article is from a news source indicate the source if possible.

Bad Examples:

”Look at this (then the link)”

“Please look at this and tell me what you think (then the link)”.

“New blog post (then the link)”

“Cool photo I took yesterday! (then the link)”

Good Examples:

New blog: Why You Need to Do Something or Other to Live Better (then the link)”

“Pres. Obama to Do Something or Other Important NYT : (then the link)”

“Photo of me with my friends at the beach (then the link)”

“Art by JaneDoe Artist at QWERTY Gallery (then the link)”

Note that the link can also be placed in the middle of a message, if you have more to say after it.

4. Link Etiquette

Phishers and wicked people who wish to send vial attacks use shortened links in emails, including those on Facebook and other forms of private messages such as twitter’s DMs. One of the kindest things that you can do for your friends, followers, fans and anyone you email is to never, ever send a shortened link in one of these types of private messages.

The exception may be a Twitter DM, but in that case always pre-inform the recipient through the Twitter stream that you just actually sent them a link in a DM. That pre-announcement in the stream is something that phishers will not do.

Personally, I announce regularly that I do not send or click on any shortened links in private special messages, including even newsletters.

This is important because anyone, even me can make a foolish mistake, especially when tired or feeling under the weather or harried and click on a link that will be regretted.. It happened to a very web savvy friend of mine with a PhD, and so it can happen to me or you too.

Since phishers scheme to take over known and trusted accounts my friend though the message came from someone she actually knew and trusted. Just one tiny mistake and an account will send out phishing messages as emails and DMs to the people who trust you. This is why I want everyone who trusts me to know that if they get a shortened link from me—do not click on it—instead email me back to see if I actually sent it. I strongly advise you to exclusively use long links in private messages!

5. The Next Link

One link sort of leads to another. If you want people to check out your next link take care with the one at hand. Social Media is an ongoing conversation, not a one time kamikaze hit that takes a person to a squeeze page; that is for spammers, not you. The best way to promote your nest links and be a trusted and significant presence in the conversation is to take care with each link that it easily conveys the viewer to the destination of the material which is expected and worthwhile.

Acknowledgements

I wrote this article because of too many recent actual experiences with links that failed to go where they were supposed to that were sent by good people spreading interesting or important information. Some of the information in this article I first learned from  Guy Kawasaki (@guykawasaki), who are Social Media masters. If you are on Twitter or Facebook, I strongly suggest you follow them and also learn more about social media from their You Tube channels. Plus, Guy heads up Alltop and probably is the all time link maven for interesting material! They did not suggest or pay me to make this recommendation,. I make it because I know if you follow them my experience on Social Media will be even better.

Happy linking!

* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]

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Haiti Lessons re Tweets That Save Lives

January 19th, 2010 by Admin | 1 Comment | Filed in Inspirational Stuff, Social Media & Media

On January 14, 2010, in my stream (@judyrey) I saw a Tweet that said CNN had just announced a massive 7.0 earthquake had occurred in Haiti.

Since I follow back the over 130,000 people who follow me and I can quickly skim, I have an advantage.  I can spot news and important information quickly.  Awful news like a 7.0 earthquake means my day just changes as I will use my tweets to work to help people and hopefully save lives.

I immediately did a Twitter search for “Haiti” and found tweets and re-tweets of news coming from Twitter’s news sources, but there seemed to be scant few from anyone in Haiti. That was strange.

The earthquake in Haiti is far from the first emergency where I used my Twitter network to help not the first quake I have been active in using Twitter as a helpful resource.

The first emergency when I participated in Tweeting information was the Mumbai attack on November 26, 2008. It was an event that changed how I saw Twitter and my role on Twitter.

I noticed that “Mumbai” had become a Trending Topic. Curious, I did a search for #Mumbai and discovered a stream of tweets coming from people in Mumbai, plus those outside who re-tweeted information. No one in Mumbai seemed to know what was going on, but there were gunshots coming from various places and suddenly regular citizens were under attack.

Essentially, when people in Mumbai knew of a safe or dangerous place they tweeted the information via their cell phones. This was re-tweeted again and again, so it would be seen by others in Mumbai when they searched on Twitter on their cell phones. Twitter The Twitter platform allowed those of use who cared enough to volunteer to become a link in a large stream of walkie-talkie type communications between people in a common emergency situation who otherwise would not be connected.

The secondary information we re-tweeted concerned helping friends and loved ones find their loved ones in Mumbai.

I had fewer than 2000 followers so I wondered how much good by re-tweeting the helpful information would do, but it was worth a try.  Since my re-tweets were again re-tweeted (passed along by others), and since I used #Mumbai I re-tweeted the Mumbai showed up in searches, it became quickly apparent that my meager two cents was worth a lot for #Mumbai.

I noticed that as I veered away from my usual tweeting topics of art, inspiration and awareness with some humor and comments on Social Media tossed in I lost followers.  Clearly diverging from what others perceived as my brand was not welcomed.

It seems to me that tweeting to help others during a crisis or emergency is totally part of any real artist’s brand. We artists were (and some would say are) the original spiritual leaders, the ones who bring the “fire down from heaven” making it seen and heard to inspire others. What is more spiritual than helping to save lives?

Since many people have cell phones with internet access that they have with them most of the time Twitter has quickly grown to be an initial and important information broadcasting media, especially in an emergency. During the past year it has become standard that major TV, radio and print media follow Twitter to pick up early information about breaking news.  But, unlike old media, through Twitter lives can be saved and injuries prevented as people in dangerous situations are tweeted immediate information.

After Mumbai, some of the events where I have re-tweeted possibly life saving and helpful information include the “Miracle on the Hudson’, the earthquake in Italy, the protests in Iran, the recent quakes in Samoa, plus several hostage situations, including Fort Hood. Stepping in and helping via Tweets has become a part of my life.

Until Haiti’s 7.0 earthquake.

Within ten minutes of the first tweet I saw it was apparent that whatever had happened in Haiti was unlike anything we had dealt with on Twitter before. The majority of the news about the Haiti quake was coming from news sources, such as CNN, not from Twitter members in Haiti.

I went to wefollow.com and discovered only a few members based in Haiti.Only three had tweeted recently. I found one missionary tweeting in Haiti who knew the situation was catastrophic but he was outside of Port au Prince. His phone was running out of power.  A different missionary source in Florida who  relaying some information from their people in Haiti, while also seeking to discover more. Plus a follower found someone else who was in Haiti and also running out of power on his cell phone. Several people outside of Haiti had received phone calls from loved ones there and tweeted the little information they had.

The few first and second hand tweets informed us that Haiti was devastated. The overwhelming lack of tweets from Haiti itself indicated a catastrophe beyond what we had dealt with on Twitter so far. There were no safe places. No shelters. No emergency responders. There was nothing we could tweet to the people in Haiti that would help them get fare better that first night.

The Twitter stream was filled with re-tweets about Haiti, relief organizations to contact and ways to give, but not tweets from Haiti itself. Haiti’s poverty and lack of communications infrastructure, plus the massiveness of the quake was experienced on Twitter. Until relief personnel and newscasters arrived in Haiti Twitter members lacked first hand tweets.

What caused the majority of deaths and damage in the San Francisco quake was not the quake itself but the fires it started. Haiti’s poverty may have also helped to save more lives than were actually lost from the views that I have seen in newscasts. Since many of the homes and shanties in Haiti lacked electricity and gas lines, since not many people own gasoline powered vehicles and there are few gas stations, fire was not an additional problem from the quake.

Today, a week after the quake, there is a hopeful sign on Twitter.

The first few messages from people in Haiti asking for specific needs, such as water at specific locations indicates the Haitians and relief workers are beginning to create some order, plus the hope that there is someone who can bring the necessary aid. Twitter is again being used to relay to unknown people, which are again tweeted and seen by others who can help or use the information.

I am grateful to be a Twitter member and to have the opportunity to join with strangers who often become friends as we tweet and re-tweet within hashtags such as #Mumbai, #Italy, #IranElection, #Samoa and now #Haiti. Join us. Thanks to Twitter, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you can take a few moments to tweet and re-tweet to help people in emergency situations and disasters, and even save lives.
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]


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Twitter Hope: Happy, Fulfilled and Safe

January 5th, 2010 by Admin | 4 Comments | Filed in Inspirational Stuff, Social Media & Media

If you are on Twitter you know I, @judyrey,  usually begin and end my day Tweeting my hope that  followers (and readers) are “happy, fulfilled and safe.”

On an almost daily basis that message is ReTweeted. It moves people, and that makes me happy because it is sincere and my real hope.

What do I mean by it?

First, as some Twitter members have mentioned, it is a blessing. I was and continue to be inspired to send it. I actually prayed before the first time I Tweeted it, asking for a message and blessing for all followers.

I cannot come up with a better greeting of sign off Tweet or message as I sometimes use it on Facebook.

The English word “happy” translates to “blessed” or “barak “, which is also a Hebrew name you may recognize.

I begin with the heartfelt hope that my Twitter and sometimes Facebook friends are blessed.

In truth, most everyone is blessed just by being alive, but my intent is that each friend feels or is experiencing being blessed. That recognition puts a person in the position of gratitude and abundance.

All of humankind’s major faiths teach that when we feel we have rather than lack, we will be blessed with more. It is a primary lesson of Job, the earliest book in the Bible.

When I use the word “fulfilled” I refer to being on your unique path in life. I am sure that each person has special gifts and ways to give to the world. When we are in the moment, in the now — what athletes call “in the flow” we are most fully alive and on our path.

For me  being fulfilled involves living inspired, which is easy to say and type but on a moment to moment basis very difficult. Yet, we all have experienced those moments. This is what I pray for my friends and loved ones to be do and have always.

The word “safe” has many ramifications. For me, the major way that I feel safe is when I am fulfilled and feel close to The Divine (always substitute your own name for The Divine when I use the term). Safe means safe from feel, worry, lack, pain and other unwanted negative emotions, etc.

My wish and prayer for your safety also means safe from disease, injury, famine, exposure to extreme elements, and intolerance. We need to be safe from intolerance to fulfill our purposes and share our Divine gifts with the world.

It blesses and fulfills me to wish and pray that my friends and loved ones, including collectors, readers of my blogs (you!), articles and books, be, do and have a happy, fulfilled and safe day and life.

I must admit that expressing that wish, and living where I can safely express it, makes me happy and fulfilled too.

I hope wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, that you’re happy, fulfilled and safe!
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]

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Can a Tweet Change the World?

November 23rd, 2009 by Admin | 2 Comments | Filed in Inspirational Stuff, Social Media & Media

When @persiankiwi’s Last Tweet on June 24th 2009 won the nomination for Open Web Award it was a part of its ongoing journey through Twitter and social media that began five months ago.

This tweet has reverberated throughout Twitter since June 24 , 2009.  Since then @persainkiwi has steadily gained followers even though all public tweets from the account ceased.

This tweet and the one just before it have been quoted and retweeted since June.  It is a tweet that with the help of people from around the world, including me and possibly you, can help to change the world so that it is safer and freer.

Click to sign into the Open Web Awards, sign in via your Twitter or Facebook account and Vote for @persiankiwi for Best You Tube Video of the Year!

It is a tweet that can help topple an illegal dictatorship has been chastised by the United Nations and Amnesty International for repeated and ongoing human rights violations, while continuing its plan to gain nuclear bomb capabilities.

@persiankiwi’a poignant tweets as the Iranian government basiji closed in seemed to leave us with little to do but pray for the safety of all the peaceful Sea of Green protesters, including @persiankiwi, plus Tweet and RT the news in hope that the media such would include stories about Iran in their newspapers and broadcasts.

Now there is more that we can do, we can vote in a meaningful way that will gain a strong media share for the situation in Iran if @persiankiwin wins the Open Web Award. It is a election that the whole international web memberships of Twitter and Facebook can participle in — a kind of worldwide opportunity for democracy.

Unlike most of the other awards and nominations, this one is not a popularity contest about one’s favorite or most enjoyed Tweet, or even one of a memorable event. @persiankiwi’s Tweet is the Tweet of the Year because it continues to reverberate and inspire a vision of a better world and freedom for Iran as it spreads.

Plus, the aftermath—what will happen as a result if @persainkiwi wins, makes our votes count for more than they do in relation to any of the other nominees.

When @persiankiwi wins one of two things will happen, and either helps defeat the dictatorship of the current Iranian regime because they will gain the attention and sympathy of the international community.

1. @persiakiwi will travel to the USA to accept the award. Since @persiankiwi has become a symbol of the brave, young Iranian protesters. This win will gain a great deal of press coverage for the awards, social media and the situation in Iran .

2. @persiankiwi will be denied permission to travel by the Iranian government. This will also gain a good deal of press and reveal more to the international community about the current regime.

Ironically, this summer another brave Iranian Tweeted out during a protest in Farsi and below in English, “My silence is more powerful than your clubs”. It was repeated in many languages and ReTweeted.

Tweet Heard ‘Round the World” (detail) by Judy Rey Wasserman

@persiankiwi’s silence since June 24th has been powerful. A comment ona regime that attacks its own peaceful people who march, unarmed, hands lifeted in V’s for victory to protest for a real and fair infection.

But the award is for @persiankiwi’s words, not the deafening,silece that followed them. The reports from the protests and continuing events were something those of us who joined in RTing under the hashtag #Iranelection knew we could count of for their honest reporting and humanity.Thosw words added up to form a disturbing image of supposedly democratic govenment that had stolen an election.

Just as all the tiny symbol strokes in one of my paintings, such as the avatar for Persian Protesta, intermingle and combine to make an image of a new reality , a painting that can help change how we see the world—so too can all of our tiny votes and tweets combine to create a vision of a new reality of freedom and tolerance for Iran.

Yes, a tweet can change the world – because it can change lives.

Join with me and the many others who have and continue to cast our votes for @persiankiwi for best Tweet of the year in the Open Web Awards.

And then Tweet out the news about your vote on Twitter of Facebook and encourage others to do likewise.

In addition the video of Neda being shot has also won the nomination for Best You Tube Video of the Year. I urge you to also vote for it. This video also deserves to win, plus, unlike any of the other nominees those responsible for capturing the event on video were also risking their lives to bring the images to the world.

@persiankiwi’s last tweets chronicles a dangerous situation that led to arrest, and more that we do not yet know. Let’s help win this award for Best Tweet of the Year, hopefully bring this twitter member to the USA to accept the award and safely tell us more. Words can have great power—I know with certainty because I paint with them, their letters are all my strokes.

Sea of Green Rainbow by Judy Rey Wasserman, 2009

Strokes are letters of Bible’s Book of Esther

To quote another leader whose words were and are more powerful than the guns, hoses, dogs, lynching ropes, etc. “I have a dream…”

A tweet — 140 characters— can express a dream – and, yes, it can change the world.

Click to sign into the Open Web Awards, sign in via your Twitter or Facebook account and Vote for @persiankiwi for Best You Tube Video of the Year!

To read the current history of how @persainkiwi’s last tweet became nominated despite the then seeming fact that @persainkiwi might not be alive, plus the wonderful and encouraging new information about @persiankiwi read How You Can Help Change the World for Freedom & Tolerance with 3 Easy Clicks! and
Nominate @persiankiwi for a Free Iran .

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How to Avoid 3 of the Dumbest Mistakes Good People Make on Twitter

November 15th, 2009 by Admin | 12 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

Twitter is a wonderful place to make new friends, have real time conversations and gain valuable information.

There are three common dumb, even innocent, mistakes that Twitter members—regular social members as well as marketers make that can be very costly, affecting PC’s, losing friends and followers and even causing one to get TOS’ed off of Twitter.

Sadly, these mistakes are common and made by good people who are just picking up bad Twitter ways they have seen in the stream or think these are things that friends and good Twitter members do. [Note: in the examples below the only real links are to @judyrey and http://ungravenimage.com. The rest are phony and for example purposes only]

Mistake # 3: Using a (via) when ReTweeting.

Although this is Twitter legal and popular it is a dumb thing to do. It adds in extra characters to a RT. We all need extra character– not less.

Some people began to do it as it makes a good Tweet seem to come from the ReTweeter. Plus, others who come along and RT it again may end up dropping the parentheses and not the second Tweeter, so it’s a bit scammy.

The way to RT is to do it up front of the Tweet.

Example:

@Twitterer1 RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day!

This has 3 less characters than

@Twitterer1 Have a Happy Day (via @judyrey)”

Since some Twitter stats use RTs to show influence the ( via ..) method is somewhat unfriendly to the originator of the Tweet.

Plus, the more people who can join a Twitter RT-conga-line the more exposure for the Tweet and the ReTweeters!

Mistake #2: Add a link to your own site or comment as if it was part of an original message and ReTweet it.

For example, @Foul_Twitterer decides to use this to draw others to his web page with affiliate marketing, via a shortened link:

@Foul_Twitterer RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day! http://abc.yz/LmNo

It looks to his followers, those who follow lists that show his tweets and anyone who sees my Tweets via a search that the link originally came from me. It didn’t, so this kind of Tweeting is a form of lying, slander, plus again it breaks Twitter TOS.

This kind of RTing gets people unfollowed, blocked, reported to Twitter—and can lose your account! It is a dumb thing to do even when it links to something innocent seeming.

If a link or RT seems out of character for someone you follow scroll through their tweets to see if they made it.

Here’s another example of this kind of RT:

@AliceinTwitterland is basically a good person who fell down the Twitter Rabbit Hole and is following what she has seen in the stream. She wants to add in a comment for a cause she espouses. She loves animals, which is why she fell in the hole. @AliceinTwitterland tweets:

@AliceinTwitterland RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day! Adopt a shelter rabbit!

Now, I happen to be strongly for rescuing shelter pets and have personally done this and worked for HSUS’s my Pet TV originating a show about animal rescues. Every now and then I will Tweet something about animal causes, but not often as on Twitter I am basically about art, seeing the world in a new way, standing to religious tolerance and freedom, plus helping out with what I have learned about using Social Media. Plus, every now and then I tweet jokes or humor.

@AliceinTwitterland‘s adding her message to make it seem like it is part of my own would be tolerated but not appreciated my me. While Alice cannot fathom how a nice little rabbit could get one in trouble, the point is she is putting words in my mouth! I would not send out a morning greeting about this. I would probably DM @AliceinTwitterland warning her not to add to my tweets. I would not “off her head” by reporting her to Twitter or block her. But she would not see a RT for herself from me for a long time, at least until she finishes painting the roses red.

There are two correct ways to add links or comments to Retweets that indicte they are additions. These ways do not break TOS and are polite and acceptable.

Here are examples:

How @Foul_Twitterer can tweetly clean up his act:

@Foul_Twitterer My happy day:  http://abc.yz/LmNo RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day

@Foul_Twitterer RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day [ http://abc.yz/LmNo ]

How @AliceinTwitterland can stay out of holes:

@AliceinTwitterland Good day to adopt a shelter pet! RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day

@AliceinTwitterland RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day [Today's a Good Day to Adopt a Shelter Pet!]

Mistake # 1: Dumbest mistake a good, smart Twitter member can make: Clicking on any link sent in a DM that you did not previously request or agree to from a friend.

Most Twitter members learn quickly not to open any of those enticing links in DMs. The problems occur from messages that seem to be sent by actual friends and people we have come to know and trust in the stream.

In case you think it cannot happen to your friends because they are smart, it happened to one of mine recently who is web and phishing savvy, plus plenty smart—she even has a PhD! She was tired and got a link from someone she trusted and clicked on it.

We trust our friends– but never trust an unexpected link in a DM!

The way that phishing scams work is through links that are sent in DMs. They thrive because people—good people – fall for them and click the link that leads to a phony mirror site or authentic looking site that asks for their Twitter info. Seems harmless—but it is not! Apparently some links only need to be clicked to infect the victim’s PC—no info needs to be given past that initial click.

I have seen sites that look like Facebook or those of trusted apps. Even the URLs are formulated to deceive us.

While it seems safe to only open fascinating from real friends who know us that claim to have spotted our pictures in videos or photos, challenge us in I.Q contests, polls, etc. checking these links even from your best friend or family members is just plain ignorant—or since you have read this- dumb!

Phishers count on friends and family members clicking on these links so they fish the followers of the unsuspecting phishing victim and send out their wicked messages to them.

A requested link is one you asked for and/or expected. I have asked for links from friends that did not belong in the stream or that I wanted to consider for a RT.

The only link I will send is to my email address as to date sending an email to someone is always safe

I quit sending links, even ones to my web site http://ungravenimage.com – which is not shortened in DMs unless they are first requested or announced, even when adding the link in my reply DM would be appropriate.

For instance, I get DMs asking to see my art. Instead of sending a link back I DM this kind of reply:

@judyrey Hi & TY! To discover my art check out the link on my profile page or Google: UnGraven Image Be sure to play the top video!

Or, I reply with a Tweet in the Twitter stream so everyone can see:

@judyrey Hi & TY! To discover my art check out http://ungravenimage.com.. Be sure to play the top video!

The all time dumbest thing you can do on Twitter—or in a Facebook email is to click on an unrequested link and most especially a shortened one!

I do this so if I am ever phished—if my account is compromised my friends (I consider my followers to be friends) will remember that I do not send links in DMs unless first announced.

If someone you trust sends you an unexpected link in a DM  do not click on it until they verify via the public Twitter stream, an email or phone call that they actually did send that link.

So have fun, stay safe and Tweet smart. Follow me, I really as @judyrey and I follow back followers!

If you found the info in this blog valuable then share it with your followers. Tweeting and RTing information that you find valuable is a way to gain trust, gain followers and it’s also just plain friendly.
* * *
Judy Rey Wasserman is an artist and the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory and also the branch known as UnGraven Image Art. Download a free copy click: Manifesto of Post Conceptual Art– A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Stroke.

Check out the limited and open edition prints in the estore.
Follow her on Twitter at @judyrey .]

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