Comments on: How Do You Use Your Social Network Sites? http://thecampdirector.com/2007/12/04/how-do-you-use-your-social-network-sites/ Leadership, Technology, Training, Staff Recruitment, Marketing, Child Development, Risk Management Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:33:33 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Simon Young http://thecampdirector.com/2007/12/04/how-do-you-use-your-social-network-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Simon Young Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:45:48 +0000 http://thecampdirector.com/2007/12/04/how-do-you-use-your-social-network-sites/#comment-5 Hi Jennifer, I always think of social networks as the most efficient way to waste time. :) Seriously though... Facebook has been unusual in that it has brought together my personal and business networks. Some people are uncomfortable with that, but I find it fascinating because I try to live an integrated life. On a simple, personal level I've found that Facebook and Twitter fulfils the function of a neighbourhood pub or bar. There's casual conversation about shared interests with people I know on a shallow level, but over a period of time. Of course, you wouldn't spend the whole day in the pub, so I try to avoid the temptation to spend all day checking email, Facebook or reading Twitter tweets. As a fairly busy person, these tools also help me constantly remember the people I'm dealing with. It's never just about the job; it's about the person behind it. As Gary Smalley says in The DNA of Relationships: "Life is relationships; the rest is just details" Hi Jennifer,

I always think of social networks as the most efficient way to waste time. :)

Seriously though… Facebook has been unusual in that it has brought together my personal and business networks.

Some people are uncomfortable with that, but I find it fascinating because I try to live an integrated life.

On a simple, personal level I’ve found that Facebook and Twitter fulfils the function of a neighbourhood pub or bar. There’s casual conversation about shared interests with people I know on a shallow level, but over a period of time.

Of course, you wouldn’t spend the whole day in the pub, so I try to avoid the temptation to spend all day checking email, Facebook or reading Twitter tweets.

As a fairly busy person, these tools also help me constantly remember the people I’m dealing with. It’s never just about the job; it’s about the person behind it.

As Gary Smalley says in The DNA of Relationships: “Life is relationships; the rest is just details”

]]> By: Whitney Hoffman http://thecampdirector.com/2007/12/04/how-do-you-use-your-social-network-sites/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Whitney Hoffman Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:23:31 +0000 http://thecampdirector.com/2007/12/04/how-do-you-use-your-social-network-sites/#comment-4 Hi! This caught my attention because of a twitter by Chris Brogan, and that my kids were at a camp last summer. I really appreciated the idea of Bunk notes and getting to see pictures of my kids almost daily; in fact, I figured out one of my kids broke their glasses at camp through the pictures, and sent a replacement pair up to camp as a result. However, I was very disappointed by our camp's lack of follow through on the faxed bunk note reports; I sent my kids notes every day, but they received them in clumps, and this was particularly VERY bad for my youngest, who was away at camp for the very first time, and was homesick- by not hearing from us in a timely fashion and by not sending us notes back as a result, I paid for a service i did not get, and my child now refuses to even talk about going to camp again this year without crying, because he feels he was lied to by the camp. I would like to but now really can't send him back there, without losing his trust in me. So my message to you and the ACA, is that these new media tools are wonderful, but you have to execute on them just like traditional correspondance. Failure to do so can really have an effect on kids and parents who trust you, and I beg of you to take this part seriously. Hopefully we'll be able to get John to try a different camp this year, but it's going to be a challenge. If a camp decides to promote, sell and rely on a new media strategy, all parts need to be in place in advance of the first session of camp. It's important to parents and kids alike. Hi! This caught my attention because of a twitter by Chris Brogan, and that my kids were at a camp last summer. I really appreciated the idea of Bunk notes and getting to see pictures of my kids almost daily; in fact, I figured out one of my kids broke their glasses at camp through the pictures, and sent a replacement pair up to camp as a result.
However, I was very disappointed by our camp’s lack of follow through on the faxed bunk note reports; I sent my kids notes every day, but they received them in clumps, and this was particularly VERY bad for my youngest, who was away at camp for the very first time, and was homesick- by not hearing from us in a timely fashion and by not sending us notes back as a result, I paid for a service i did not get, and my child now refuses to even talk about going to camp again this year without crying, because he feels he was lied to by the camp. I would like to but now really can’t send him back there, without losing his trust in me.

So my message to you and the ACA, is that these new media tools are wonderful, but you have to execute on them just like traditional correspondance. Failure to do so can really have an effect on kids and parents who trust you, and I beg of you to take this part seriously.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get John to try a different camp this year, but it’s going to be a challenge. If a camp decides to promote, sell and rely on a new media strategy, all parts need to be in place in advance of the first session of camp. It’s important to parents and kids alike.

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