Meet Your Neighbors at Tweetea

Do you love data? I bet you do. Here’s a quick breakdown of this last week’s #tweetea discussion which centered around raising kids in today’s technological landscape…

There were 43 distinct users who tweeted with the #tweetea hashtag.

There were 51 retweets (tweets containing RT or via followed by an @username), and 228 tweets that didn’t contain RT or via followed by an @username, combining for a grand total of 279 tweets with the #tweetea hashtag!

Some notable tweets of the evening included:

“Ummmm did I misunderstand the topic? RT @tweeteaIRL: Okay, in 10 minutes, we’ll get going on this baby-making talk, m’kay? #tweetea” asked by @JenMarsikFriess.

“Perhaps, although making babies is cheap entrtmnt RT @nikkistephan: @Jasonmichener lower b-rate could economy in past few years. #tweetea” tweeted by @NicholasEllis.

The helpful tip of the night for us privacy nuts came from @nikkistephan – “Here’s a great post from @ginidietrich on how to delete your Spokeo profile. #tweetea http://bit.ly/dKjWAd”

Users present and accounted for were (in alphabetical order with usernames capitalized):

ABass7
ArtOfTheSpa
Audioswhite
Barenakedshinie
Bryanwillmert
DavePeckens
Davezilla
Dbourgois
DetroitUnspun
Digitalvision
Egranning
Gen321blog
HadiHKC
HubertGAM
IMDRW
Jamieontiveros
Jasonmichener
JenMarsikFriess
Katie_did8
Khirek
Kirktalon
LaurieSlade
LesPennington
Lincolnwebs
Livenewflesh
Margosha8
Mikekmcclure
NaynaDub
NicholasEllis
Nikkistephan
Noisyzen
Patrickreyes
Roakian
SMisaParty
Sharon_Helzer
Slothandglutton
Solao
Stella_Trunzo
Telephase
TotallyTypeA
TweeteaIRL
Wattyz
WorldClothesLin

Love data like me? Have suggestions for how to make this data more compelling? Maybe some stats you’d like to see? Send us a shout.

We’ve explored topics at both ends of the spectrum at Tweetea over the past few years, from lighthearted and fun to serious and emotional. Yesterday’s topic hit home for many attendees. For me, it’s something that’s been on my mind more and more every day as my wedding date looms closer. The topic of the evening was raising a family in the digital age and how having a family today is much different than it was 10 years ago.

Several mommies and daddies joined the conversation both in-person and via Twitter, including Elena Wollborg, Mike McClure, Angela Watts and Nicole Pipe. Mike, Elena and I were holding down the fort at Goldfish Tea. Here’s a snippet of what we discussed:

• Life is more chaotic in this always on, always plugged in world, but it’s amazing what you can handle when you know children are depending on you.
• Now matter how addicted you are to social media, your family will always come first. You must find time to put down the phone, close the laptop and spend time with your family.
• More and more employers are open to the idea of virtual offices, which is advantageous to parents.
• We live in a technology-driven society, so it’s impossible to keep your kids from using technology. But, it’s important to closely monitor their activity, especially teenagers on Facebook.
• The mom blogger community is passionate and very open to sharing advice and best practices. It’s a community of supporters you can lean on when times get tough…or when you just need to know if the little bit of cat food your kid consumed is worth the freak out session you’re having.
• If you write a blog about your family/children or have a blog for your children, you can turn those posts into a book through blurb.com.
• Different people have different preferences about sharing photos of their children online. If you do put those photos online, it’s a good idea to not use full names, use code/abbreviated names or post your photos on a password protected site.
• Social networks have enabled parents to connect with their children more.
• The Internet provides more educational opportunities for children.

If you were at a different location or participating via Twitter, what did you share about parenting in the digital age?

Photo credit

As a co-host of #Tweetea NW I enjoy each and every evening I spend putting a faces and voices  to our online exchanges. I feel it’s only fair to show my gratitude to my fellow members.

On the Social Media is a Party! event registration page there are 15 discounted tickets available exclusively for #Tweetea members- for cost of $5. It’s first come first serve.

Enjoy!

Social Media is a Party! takes place on Thursday January 27th at Goodnite Gracies and D’amato’s.

The evening will begin with Reaching Your Mobile Market – a panel discussion on Mobile Technology which will leave you with actionable advice you can implement immediately.  Our Hire ME segment will follow, showcasing Michigan companies and their open positions.  We will conclude with an extended mixer during which all attendees can socialize and have fun!

REGISTER:http://socialmediaisaparty.eventbrite.com

On Tuesday, January 11th, we had a discussion inspired by this photo gallery on The Observer. While Detroit “ruin pr0n” is nothing new, what was significant was the amount of shares it garnered. That encouraged us to ask what goes into creating content that could potentially go viral. We invited media producers in Metro Detroit to help us in our discussion this week and we would like to thank them here.

January 11th – Invited Neighbors

Matt Dibble – Final Five Productions

Eric Brown – The Urbane Way

Jane Fader – Creative Dynamo

Jeremiah Staes – Portage Media / Detroit Unspun – TWEETEA host

Brian Ambrozy – Icrontic

John and Katherine Dallas Hammond – Fafoutee

Special thanks to folks like Nick Ellis of Hunch Free for joining our discussion and adding tremendous insight and commentary. Also shout out to the folks that gathered in Franklin with Jane, Erik and Sola (Dave Benjamin, Hadi Kadri), braving the snow for good IRL conversation, hot chocolate and other warm or tasty things.

For a great recap of our discussion, be sure to check out Nikki Stephan’s post.

Guest post by Tara Michener

Imagine walking into a room and being laughed at. Now think about being hit by the person who is laughing. The people around you watch in horror, but they do not lift a finger to help. This is happening across America in schools every day.

During a recent Tuesday Tweetea session, neighbors shared bullying stories of their youth, and some shared current stories of being taunted and teased. We talked about how these behaviors have an effect on our culture and how they have impacted our current life in both productive and counterproductive ways.

If you have never been to a Tweetea meetup, let me fill you in. Tweetea is a Tuesday night tradition in southeast Michigan that involves conversation, computers and typically a hot beverage. People from all walks of life join the conversation in person and/or online using Twitter and the hashtag #tweetea.

Our cyberbullying discussion prompted a lot of emotion, as well as questions. We asked questions like, “How are you using your computer?” and “Do you comment on blogs with constructive feedback or are you tempted to name call?” If you have ever done the latter, that is a form of cyberbullying.

The cyberbullying epidemic has made victims of bullying unsafe even when they are at home. I recalled skipping school when I was a young teen to avoid a bully’s promise to beat me up and make my life miserable. Today, teens cannot get away from bullying because it exists in person and online. They can be tagged in unwelcomed photos, talked about in Facebook groups and on pages and they can be videotaped secretly.

We discussed some ideas at Tweetea on how to break this pattern. Some of the solutions included the village effect in which parents, teachers and the surrounding community have an active role in educating kids at an early age about the effects of bullying. We discussed breaking down prejudices and discriminatory patterns by exposing our youth to people who are different from them.

One of the Tweetea participants confessed that when he first saw me he made a judgment because of my race. He said that he was taught at an early age misconceptions about African Americans. He is not proud of it, but it is hard to break the pattern of being taught something like this at an early age. He was pretty courageous to share this with us. In the same way that negative behaviors effect our outlook later on in life, positive behaviors and teachings do the same.

So, you may be wondering what we actually accomplished that night. Well, we had a room full of people different in backgrounds, career paths, interests and knowledge who came together to have a cup of tea (or coffee, if you are like me) and talked about solutions to cyberbullying and bullying in general.

Change always starts with a conversation, and we are grateful for people like Hubert Sawyers III who created this Tweetea format that allows us to get to know each other and discuss social media and hot button issues on a weekly basis.

Hope to see you at one of Tweetea’s five locations in the near future!

Tara Michener is the author of the “Who I Am” series of books that celebrate self-esteem and diversity in young people. If you are interested in learning more about her Breaking The Pattern Campaign, please email her at whoiamnotwhatiam@yahoo.com or visit her website.

Photo credit

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While October is winding down, that does not mean we should not commit some time to this very important issue. With over 100,000 domestic violence offenses on record in the state of Michigan alone in 2009*, it is very much an issue that plagues our community at-large.

At TWEETEA, we are on a mission to fortify neighborly relationships. Being neighborly means caring about the well-being of others. If you know someone that is a victim of domestic violence, then it is only right to try to help. Fortunately, there are companies like Verizon Wireless that make it easier to get aid for victims of domestic violence.

Introducing HopeLine®

HopeLine® from Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider. The phones are then refurbished or recycled in an environmentally sound way. Refurbished phones, complete with 3,000 minutes of wireless service, are provided to local domestic violence organizations or local government and law enforcement agencies for use with their domestic violence clients.

via Verizon Wireless

In addition to this program, Verizon is donating $25,000 to local domestic violence protection organizations and shelters.

How You Can Help

It is simple. If you have any wireless device or associated equipment that you are not using, follow these steps:

1. Turn the phone’s power off.
2. Make sure the phone’s batteries are installed in the phone you are returning. Please do not include any loose batteries.
3. Please remove storage cards (microSD, etc.) and SIM cards from phones prior to donation. Also be sure to return any travel chargers or other accessories that came with the devices.
4. Seal the package and adhere the free postage-paid label to the box/envelope and drop it in the mail. To view and print the mailing label, you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
5. Don’t forget to include your return address on the shipping label.

For more information on donating your phone and equipment, please go to this page – http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/Shipping.html.

You can also make a monetary donation to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).

To conclude, domestic violence is still a major issue that affects all of us. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, please call 911 or dial #HOPE if you have a Verizon Wireless phone.

* Data pulled from: http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1645_3501_4621-243369–,00.html

Has the ever-evolving digital space changed the way we brand ourselves? What are your experiences? Are you totally against the idea of personal branding?

These questions and others will be a part of the theme at this week’s TWEETEA in commemoration of the third edition of Brand Camp University, put on by Michigander, Hajj Flemings. Personal branding has become a hot button topic, thanks to the many success cases and utter career-ending injuries sustained by individuals using the real-time web.

As an added bonus to this week’s stimulating conversation, we have a contest in place for three (3) free passes to give away for Brand Camp on Friday, October 8th. The contest rules are simple.

1. You must be following @tweeteaIRL on Twitter and/or “like” TWEETEAHappens.com on Facebook.
2. You must “like” Brand Camp U on Facebook and/or follow @BrandCampU on Twitter.
3. Post a tweet using the hashtag #brandcampu OR a Facebook status update highlighting Brand Camp U saying why you think the personal branding discussion is being discussed these days by 8:00PM EST on Tuesday, October 5th, regardless if you believe in personal branding or not.

The winners will be chosen at random at the October 5th TWEETEA. Come join us up in the drawing, accompanied by a delightful discussion at your neighborhood location.

Just a quick note. The Detroit TWEETEA location has been moved, thanks to Detroit Regional News Hub (@DetroitUnspun). They have assumed hosting duties at their office in Eastern Market. We are sure locals will find their digs to be quite suitable for their needs. When you get a chance, thank Jeremiah Staes (@digitalvision) to taking the reins and finding the city of Detroit a proper home for our weekly meetup.

This week only – submit a discussion topic for TWEETEA and you will be entered to win an Amazon gift card. It doesn’t matter how sophisticated your topic is or if it is ever used, submit something by SUNDAY AT NOON and you might win! One name will be pulled at random at next week’s TWEETEA.

First, I want to thank everyone that attended the Mashable Meetup, whether you were there in person or in virtual spirit. It seemed to be a good time had by all with folks from each one of the TWEETEA locations representing in downtown Detroit. Even with the absence of tea, there was still an afterglow, so you know it was a good time! Shouts out to Seth Myers for the Park Bar / Bucharest Grill suggestion. That was a winner!

Photo by @onederlnd aka Randy Christenhusz #mashmeetup #tweetea

For your convenience, here is a TweepML list of everyone in attendance. Get better acquainted with your neighbors by following them and giving them a shout!

Also if you are not already, give the TWEETEA social media profiles a follow or a like:

• TweeteaIRL (Twitter profile)
• TWEETEA Happens (Facebook page)
• TWEETEA (Flickr group)

On Tuesday, July 27th in the year 2010, TWEETEA will be participating in Mashable 5th year anniversary celebration. Since we know there are a lot of Mashable fans in the Metro Detroit area, we will be having a one-time gathering at Town Pump Tavern in Detroit.

This event gives attendees an opportunity to win a Lenovo Squeezebox Touch, which is a portable Wi-Fi music device. If you are interested in entering to win, follow these instructions.

If you want a shot at winning the Logitech Touch:
1. Simply click the “Like” button below for our Facebook Page;
2. Sign-up to attend a local Meetup to help celebrate our birthday;
3. And answer the question in the comments: When and why did you start reading Mashable? And let us know where you’ll be attending so that we can confirm your RSVP.

Please RSVP specifically to the Detroit meetup as we need to give an accurate count to Town Pump. We look forward to seeing all faces – old and new!