Your blog is your power ring
social media January 11th. 2008, 8:52am
I attended the first meeting of a new social media group this week and that experience has lubricated the mental gears of this Broadcasting Brain. I have some thoughts on social media and community that I want to share today, even if they are a bit rough and messy:
AimClear blog wrote a powerful post today referencing the memory of JFK’s classic call to action: “Ask not what your country can do…” He also referenced Tamar Weinberg’s blog posts about Digg, and social media sites in general, and the importance of understanding the community that you are trying to join or at least communicate with. I agree wholeheartedly with this message: Marty seems to have modified some of his thinking in today’s post and found some common ground with Tamar’s thoughts.
I’m a big comic book/SF geek and I find analogies in those media and the rest of the world from time to time. Some common things are:
The power of the individual realised through innate talent or abilities (most superheroes, the Jedi of Star Wars) or by focusing willpower through enhancing/magnifying devices to acheive great things (the Green Lantern Corps focusing their willpower through “power rings” that enable them to travel though space, contain supernovas, and defeat evil; the Lensmen from Doc E. E. Smith’s series use a similar device).
I think of blogs and other social media platforms as the writer’s version of the “power ring”.
Using power responsibly and wisely: just look at the origin of Spider-Man, who has the world’s largest guilt complex from unwittingly permitting the death of his uncle, the only “father” he ever knew.
The Green Lantern Corp members also follow an oath to uphold their responsibilities, this is the more famous version:
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Hal Jordan/All Current Lanterns |
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Redemption: Two words: Darth Vader. If Darth Vader could be redeemed, maybe people who are using social media selfishly without giving back could be brought to the “Light Side” through guidance, communication, and empathy. Maybe even a little love.
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about the possibility of being a social media apprentice, whereby a social media n00b could somehow be matched up with an expert or “master” to help them along.
WHERE THE HECK IS THIS ALL GOING?
I feel like I’m throwing a bunch of raw ingredients into a stewpot here to try to come up with a tasty concoction. I’m going to work on that. For now, I wanted to get some of these ideas into the blog.
Have a good day.
P.S.? I know I’m using some materials that belong to other people here, but I’m using them for effect, not for financial gain.? Go to the original sources and support them, please.
Table of contents for Your Blog Is Your Power Ring
- Social media - moving beyond your weaknesses and limitations
- Social media - your will is your only limit
- Your blog is your power ring
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January 11th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Thank you for the mention and link. I like your approach.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
@Marty - You are welcome! I’m glad that I discovered your blog and I look forward to reading it further.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:43 am
[...] Your blog is your power ring [...]
January 17th, 2008 at 9:15 am
[...] of my recent posts, entitled Your Blog Is Your Power Ring, contained a curious statement, especially if you aren’t familiar with comic book [...]
January 18th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
[...] Your blog is your power ring [...]
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
[...] My point here is that King took two different trains of thought and combined them to make something different. In my own way, I tried to do something similar with a few posts that I wrote recently where I mixed the concepts behind a superhero’s powers with the flexibility of the blogging platfo…. [...]