Well I have found a tool that helps me.  The tool is called Digsby.  It allows me load in all of my Twitter accounts, my instant messaging accounts, my online email accounts, my personal Facebook account, my LinkedIn account, and still create widgets to allow business contacts to instant message me without having my personal information.  Best of all worlds with Digsby. 

Besides all that Digsby does, it’s a free tool available for downloading.  So besides making social networking easier, the pocket book doesn’t get hit. 

Because I enjoy Digsby so much on my computer, I wish it was available for my Blackberry Storm.  I’m sure it may take some memory but if the widget chat was available only on my Blackberry Storm that would be great since I do have applications for multiple Twitter accounts, for Facebook, and for my emails.

So if you want to learn more about Digsby, visit their web site at http://www.digsby.com/?utm_campaign=vid&utm_content=vid&utm_source=vid

by Wendy Frenzel

You know, if Twitter was around when Heather was little, I would have been able to share with the world something she said while at fishing with her “Grampy.”  Being the avid fisherman that he was and talker, he shared the cute thing his granddaughter said with many people from all over the world.  Today, you see that saying on t-shirts and whom ever licensed it, well, let’s just say, that would have been a great way to send Heather to college.  So what was it that Heather had said about 15 years ago….

Yes, what Heather said when she was 5 trying to catch a fish, “Here Fishy, Fishy.  Come get your food.”  Right after that, she caught her first and only fish as she was ready to go back to Grammy and Grampy’s house and eat it.  She was very proud of her fish and her Grampy was very proud of what she said to land her fish.

So now, I can share when Kat comes out of her room after reading jokes and says she finally gets the joke, “Why was 6 scared of 7?  Because 7 8 9.”  To understand it, it’s a joke to really be read outloud.  I think she had read it but never read it outloud.  It’s also similar to the joke my mom sent to me about pigs flying and the presendency.  I may not have found it funny but when it was read outloud, it made much more sense then just read.

Now it’s time to find an app / widget for blogs that allows my Twitter posts to be more than just an item in a sidebar.

With Twitter, if I’m following a specific business, I can find out about new products.  With towns that are Tweeting, I can be updated on snow removal updates or other town happenings.  With a sports teams I can be kept updated on what is going on with the team.  Different news groups will provide updates on news items and then I can choose what to read more about.  Because of the way Twitter works, it only takes a few seconds to have a brief knowledge of an item.  That’s why Jeff signed up for Twitter recently – it’s to follow those few items he’s interested in and not necessarily to tell people what he is doing.

That’s the other great thing with Twitter.  It’s a fast blog.  I know when I was appraising for Destination Imagination, I was able to post quick items about what I was seeing.  I could snap a picture and share a cute costume.  All of this from my phone and without having to log into a computer and typing out something long.  Short, sweet, simple sent by me, Wendy Frenzel, to be read by someone else in a short, sweet, simple format. 

This goes along with something that I learned in a teleseminar on Friday, April 24th given by Tim Wackel entitled “You Had Me at Hello.”  People are doing more in less time.  With that, you need to deliver clear concise messages as much as possible.  Twitter is a good place to start and then you can “extend” it through your blog or other means.

Twitter has many other uses as well.  Ellen has used it to let a group of her Australian Fans know that she was going to be calling them shortly.  She did, they answered, and they are headed to California.  Again, just another use for Twitter. 

So, who are you following on Twitter?  Why are you following them?  What did you learn first through Twitter?

As I was able to enjoy the slower pace, I was able to work on the computer and update my Facebook account and my LinkedIn account.  I’ve had a Facebook account for awhile but just updated items so I could keep in the loop of what Heather is doing as she travels and stays busy in her adult life.  But I can also stay in touch with friends from Katharina’s school last year.  Sometimes it is easier to keep up to date with people at odd hours or in between items.

LinkedIn is another place that I had an account but I didn’t really do anything with.  I’ve received invitations to join other’s circles on LinkedIn but really didn’t understand the whole “social” networking thing.  As I find with twitter, once you try it a little, it becomes addictive.  It also lets me, Wendy Frenzel, put information out on cyberspace about me, Wendy Frenzel.  I’m sure as I go along I’ll learn more about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Maybe the reason I’m venturing out to these sites is because of the phone that I have now.  I used to be a firm believer in the Palm Treo systems.  So much so, I had my Palm Treo for over 2 years and still stayed loyal as the system started doing “weird” things.  When that happens, it’s usually time to upgrade as phone technology is always changing.  When my mobile phone carrier offered me the opportunity to upgrade to the Blackberry Storm at a better price than normal, I decided that it might be time to make the change.

With the change of phones, not only do I have newer technology, I have access to more email accounts and more applications for the social networking sites than I did before.  Also, the service costs for internet access is less with the Blackberry than what I was being charged for the Palm.  More services (applications) at a lower price makes for a great deal.

By no means am I an expert yet, nor most likely will ever be.  But as time goes along, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned.

Why did I decide to join the Twitter group?  Over the weekend I visited the Denver zoo.  The newest giraffe was out and I took a picture of him (I’m sorry if he’s acutally a she).  It still is sitting in my camera.  But if I had been signed on with Twitter, I could have taken the picture on my cell phone and sent it out for others to see and read about right there and then.

Last night I went shopping using the grocery game.  I saved over $80 which equated to 67%!  If I had been using Twitter, I could have posted that information right there and then as I was walking out of the store.

I’m excited to try out Twitter.  There may not be postings every day, but when I’m out doing something, I may see something that I want to share or have a great story to be told (of course in brief) but I think it will be a great tool as I learn to use it.  I’m also hoping that my oldest daughter, Heather, decides that it would be a great way to stay in touch when she gets ready to travel.

To keep track of my Twitter entries, look in the links section as I’m off to find a widget to place there.