Internet Geek Girl

A recent New York Times article pointed out a phenomena which I’ll call the cellular divide. It seems that some people, especially the young (or Yutes as we say in New Jersey), tend to restrict their cell phone usage to those inside their network, thereby saving money and minutes. The article sheds light on how these nasty little customer acquisition tactics are unraveling our social fabric: it seems we are unintentionally breaking off relationships with friends on competitive networks and forming “faux friendships” with those with the same carrier! Aghast!

According to the New York Times:

That is most true for people younger than 25 because they are the ones who see the cellphone as an extension of themselves. They are constantly sending text messages, making calls, checking the time, scheduling appointments, calculating math, taking photos, playing games or looking up something on the Internet.

That.. and oh yeah, they can’t afford high monthly plan fees. Believe me, I realize I’m lucky. I have an amazing rate (competitively speaking) on a SprintPCS plan that gives me 2500 anytime minutes, free nights and weekends starting at 7 pm and unlimited text messaging (who could live without that!). I’m glad I’m not on a college kid budget anymore. But $$ aside, I find it fascinating that kids today look at those cell phone networks, much in the same way I look at my friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Flickr! The fact is, I believe in networking and all the tools that help us do it. Scoble has it right.

And, by the way, I do try to keep up with the kids. The reporter, Angel Jennings, also dug up some great stats:

Those who talk the most on the phone are ages 18 to 24, according to a study of cellphone use by Telephia Inc., a San Francisco research firm that follows cellphone trends. In the first quarter of 2007, this group sent and received on average 290 calls a month, the study found. Text messaging was highest, Telephia said, among 13- to 17-year-olds, who averaged 435 messages a month. By contrast, cellphone users 45 to 54 years old spoke on the phone 194 times, on average, a month and sent only 57 text messages.

It seems I out “text message” the average 13 - 17 year old by over 50%. My Jun 15 - Jul 14 statement says I had 673 text messages. Yeah.. I’m cool!! Um.. I also logged 675 calls (that’s 132% more than you’re average 18 -24 year old). Thank goodness I’m too tired to figure out how many emails, Facebooks, Twitts, IMs, etc I sent during that same time period. How do you stack up?  Check out your bill from same or similar time frame and let me know.  A small prize will be awarded to the commenter with the most text messages in equivalent time frame (verified of course).

Fake Steve Jobs thinks the cell phone companies suck and has great sympathy for the average Joe/Jane consumer. He envisions a world where we won’t have to wax sentimentally about our long-lost friends on other cellular networks, or have phones that are exclusive to 1 network (Perhaps Daddy Google will save us?). However, he’s a bit harsher than my Zen language patters will allow, but I liked the sentiment:

Honestly, this is why Google wants the FCC to free up the wireless spectrum and let customers put any phone on any network. Well, okay, that’s not really why Google wants that. But anyway. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Cell phone carriers suck. They’re orifices. They’re yet another example of an industry that thrives only by exploiting customers and treating them like shit. Lock-in, two-year contracts, screwing you on every little feature. Damn. Someday, I hope not too long from now, we are going to look back on this era of wireless telecom in horror, not believing we ever had to put up with such bullshit.

There is some good news here. Despite our hyper-communication habits and crumbling friendships, academics and experts assure us that text messages are actually, “symbolic gestures of friendship.” There is love underneath all this… LOVE.. that’s what I’m all about man!

I dedicate this blog post to my “text message friends.” You know who you are. Thanks for helping me to “stay gold.” I thank you (day and night via text message), and my cell phone carrier thanks you!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - It is all about who you know. Since I was a young child, I understood that intrinsically. I came out of the womb networking. My report cards in grammar school often included comments such as, “Stephanie is a social butterfly.” I was voted most-talkative at my 8th grade and high school graduations. So, needless to say, I’m no stranger to community development… a/k/a business development!

These days however, there is a lot of talk about which communities we should belong too, who we should “friend” and what happens when our personal and business lives blur in online social networks.

I wanted to go on record with my general philosophies on the issues and let you all know about my Fab 4, (of the moment), so you can “friend” me. You’d have to live in a cave with no wi-fi to miss the growth and importance of online social networks. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn are currently my “Fav 4.” That means – I truly love them. I groove on updating them and my friends are people that I communicate with all day long. I even talk on the phone with some of these people, and – hold onto your hat – even DO BUSINESS WITH THEM. I truly believe that these communities are an important part of marketing, branding and sales.

I’ve heard some people say, “I’m using Facebook exclusively now.” That’s cool. These communities take time and we live in a busy world and especially in this industry, there is never enough time in the day. Not everyone is in every community. I like that it’s like a Venn diagram – some people in one community, some in another, some overlap. Kind of like in real life.

Chris Brogan, a master of social media and community development, argues that online social networking is an investment. I couldn’t agree more. (BTW, he also gets credit for the nifty graphic). Chris points out that:

“I think that part of it is just general kissing-and-baby-hugging of the people you consider your community, and some of it is developing potential future business and personal relationships. We do business with friends. There’s a professional potential to some of this. I don’t apologize for that. We have to eat, right? But there’s also some personal aspects, and some element of favor-trading outside of traditional business.”

I personally enjoy taking the time to build these networks and the great relationships that result from participation. I believe in being authentic and non-judgmental and welcoming all in. At my parties, “all are welcome.” The more the merrier I say (unless you act up and get kicked out). To the skeptics, and there are many, I say no problem – you can always call my cell if you want to talk to me.

Speaking of which – I also believe strongly that these networks don’t replace live and in-person contact and networking. I am here in Miami at Affiliate Summit and I bumped into a colleague that I’d like to connect with later this week. Despite the fact that we are on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, I realized, “hey, I need your cell phone number.” After all, if it’s important, you pick up the phone.

Well friends (and soon to be friends), I have to get ready and head out to the Share-A-Sale party. I promise to post pictures on Flickr as soon as possible.

As I said – human contact is good too. Thanks to Shawn and Missy for putting on a great event twice a year that allows me to network in person with some of the finest entrepreneurs and minds in this industry. I’ll leave you with my recent video on AffiliateTip.tv.

Now you know me.

OK. We’re all a bit pissed about the ending. I suppose nothing ever ends well. I for one have never had a good break-up. But alas, all good things must come to an end. And this show was truly a classic!

I will say this…I’m not crying. In fact, I think David Chase gave us an ending that avoided “high sentimentality.” He went for the ambiguous close, as I knew he would. I was right about Holsten’s and Phil dying. Who knows if Tony will flip? We didn’t get that far. We were interrupted by what we thought to be a power outage of our cable provider. [How many millions of Americans said "WTF - The Cable went down!"]

Since I’m obsessed with spreadsheets, I’ll share this Soprano’s Matrix with you. I know it’s late, but it’s still cool.

Well - I don’t have a lot to say in close. There were some really good shots in this last episode (directed by Mr. Chase himself). We didn’t have time for a classic Sopranos sex scene; there was a good bit of build up though. And ending with the family, all together, eating onion rings…well, that made me happy. Like Meadow, I have my issues with parking (ask anyone!). I guess, it could’ve been worse.

Here are a few shots of my favorite scenes from Episode #86:

Alright friends - Sopranos RIP! Keep your eyes open for a blog re-launch. I’ve appreciated getting my sea legs with this topic.

And as always, I appreciate your support. Forgetaboutit!!

xoxo
Stephanie, aka InternetGeekGirl

It’s an hour before the final episode of my favorite show. Probably my favorite show of all time (so far). I’m drinking red wine and watching last week’s episode on demand.

Tony and family have been important to me. I’ve hosted many Sopranos parties (complete with amazing wine, antipast and lasagna). I don’t mess around. I own the calendar, T-Shirts, the coasters, the DVDs, frig magnets, the ringtone, and the Trivia Game. I’m a true-blue fan. And shaking James Gandolfini’s hand earlier this year in Asbury park was seriously fabulous. Who knows why certain movies and TV shows affect us? OK - for this one, it’s easy. I’m 100% Italian from North Jersey and my grandfather, father and brother are all named Anthony. While our family is quite different and otherwise employed, there were plenty of cultural and psychological similarities that cracked me up. Not to mention the mangling of axioms. Those are the best. Tonight’s episode will include a scene in Holsten’s in Bloomfield, NJ. It’s 2 blocks from where I grew up (in Glen Ridge, NJ) and it was the first place I had a real job (not including babysitting). I only worked there for 4 days though. That’s another story. Well….it’s the end of era and I know I will be sad. But alas, I’ve got my DVDs, and I’m sure HBO will find some other entertaining show for me on Sunday nights. God bless HBO.

Let me tell you a couple of few things:

PREDICTION TIME
The internet is overflowing with blogs and sites collecting predictions on how this show will end. I’ve spent a good portion of this week talking to friends and family about what we think will happen. Because I think it’s important to take a stand, I will make a prediction. But, I’ll probably be wrong. I ususally am when it comes to things like this. I never win bets. So - I won’t be risking any $$. The truth is, David Chase has given us a layered, complicated piece of art that could go a variety of ways. My good friend Joe predicted the importance of the gun Bobby gave Tony. My colleague and fab affiliate Mikey rightly pointed out that Tony has nothing left so it’s death or Witness Protection. (He favors witness protection). My Dad doesn’t think Tony will flip and correctly summarized the state of Tony’s crew - “he’s got stugots.” Gerry and Cathy (on their way over for dinner now) favor the death of Tony. We’ll soon find out!

OK - Placing My Bet
Alright - If I must, here is my prediction. I don’t think Tony will die. There’s enough money at stake that perhaps all involved want to keep the option of a movie on the table (cynical I know). I do think the last scene will be in Holsten’s, and I think Carm, Tony and Pauly will be there. I think they will be saying goodbye and I think Tony and Carm will head east and hop on the GSP. I think something bad is going to happen to AJ or Meadow (but not devasting). I think (and hope) that Phil is killed. That .. youknowwhat! I think that Tony flip (but not rat out Pauly) and will end up getting his paper in a robe in his driveway, somewhere in Arizona.. a la Henry Hill. Someone else will take over in Jersey. Someone always does.

Well - I gotta go stir the gravy and put out the olives and mozzarella.

I’ll be back after the show airs. Puffy eyed I’m sure.

Ciao mia amici!

I am fan of live blogging (I think). This is my first time, but perhaps this is the way to write more frequently. I’m working on that by the way. Stay tuned for big changes with InternetGeekGirl. She’s in the process of getting re-vamped. I do like being in front of the TV with my Laptop. (One of my favorite positions in fact). Not sure I’ll get the logistics right on this, but here goes.

I can’t take it. Seeing Tony lose is causing unbearable stress. They have me right where they want me. Mr. Chase wants me to beg for the end. Well, only 5 episodes left after tonight. I know I’ll regret saying it… but please put me out of my misery. I don’t like it when Tony and Carm fight like this. Tony needs The Secret. It’s all about the Law of Attraction my friend. Unfortunately - the negativity is threw the roof.

As for A.J. - All I can say is: Love hurts dude. I could go on here, but I won’t. Curious to see how this is going to play out! I don’t think A.J is going to take this well. I forsee “off_the_deep_end_text_messages.”

I’m gonna take a pass on the shower scene.

So I get it. We are building up. The suspense is mounting. How’s it all gonna end? What do you think? PLEASE SUBMIT A COMMENT WITH YOUR PREDICTION OF HOW THE SOPRANOS IS GOING TO END! Will Tony end up in Gambler’s Anonymous? Will he meet his demise among the tomato plants? (Would they even dare?) From the looks of it, he’s heading for a breakdown. Last week was dark. This week is ugly.

Vito Jr. is acting out. Dude - the lipstick isn’t flattering. Uncle Phil wasn’t exactly supportive. Tony used one of his classics: “You go about in pity for yourself.” Wondering whether the guys who picked up Vito Jr. were really from Utah!!

Tony is taking stock and going on the attack, and no one is immune. The season kicked off with his fight with Bobby; last week it was Pauly. Now it’s Hesh. (Christopher and Sil watch out). I gotta tell Tony - giving out “Cleaver” hats only goes so far. Dr. Melfi gets at the heart of the matter. What are you chasing? What are we all chasing? Therapy is an oasis for Tony. As Dr. Melfi reminds him, there are protocols that need to be followed. I believe in protocols.

As Nancy Sinatra says, “These boots are made for walking” and Tony is preparing us for the great big walk. Life without live Soprano’s.

Well - Entourage is on. That’s not ending this year is it? I’ll get to Vince and his “issues” soon.

Ciao ragazzi!!

Greetings friends. First off my apologies for my lack of blogging. Nate was right, I need to just make it a daily task. I promise to work on that. InternetGeekGirl needs to get her groove on. I’m thinking I should twitter and blog at night while watching TV. Twittering is much easier.

My lack of writing is not due to lack of inspiration. Solely lack of time.

Since so many of you are asking, yes, I did watch The Soprano’s on Easter Sunday night. And since so many of you are also asking, here’s what I think:

This final season is off to a good start. In its typically ironic fashion, the episode began with Carmela asking, “Is this it?” Yes, Carmela, the beginning of the end. I’m not sure how I will feel at the end. This show has impacted me in a unique way. Yes, TV still impacts me. Twitter or no twitter - I still need, crave and LOVE my TV(s). The TVs per person ratio in my house is way too high.

As for Tony and his deep thoughts about his future - let us first look at the past. Catch the kick-ass7-minute series recap on youtube. This is my all-time-favorite-so-far video on YouTube. Thank you Paul Gulyas and Joe Sabia. I hope they have gotten tons of job offers. With almost 250,000 YouTube views, they deserve it.

By the way - What a great example of using copyrighted material in an appropriate way. I think they should win the cutter of the year award.

Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times so eloquently summed up why I love this show.

“The series lowered the bar on permissible violence, sex and profanity at the same time that it elevated viewers’ taste, cultivating an appetite for complexity, wit and cinematic stylishness on a serial drama in which psychological themes flickered and built and faded and reappeared. The best episodes had equal amounts of high and low appeal, an alchemy of artistry and gutter-level blood and gore, all of it leavened with humor.”

(April 8, 2007)

I gravitate toward dichotomy.

Where does this leave us? The cultural zeitgeist is changed forever.

What does it take to do that? In a big way? In a minor way? More on that later. For now I know that these next 8 episodes will be cherished. Like watching a sunset on Maui…like a slow, amazing kiss… like a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. Actually, like all three at once.