Cross-platform information sharing...

[Woody]

Take a moment and pretend you're not as connected as you are.  Because most people aren't.  As I write this, we have:

- 12,709 People who "Like" our community on Facebook.

- 8,835 Followers us on Twitter.

- 1,926 People who claim they have or will attend the Occupy Chicago Event.

- 480 Members on this forum.

 

Now, as someone who isn't connected, who perhaps wants to come out and show support on let's say Saturday...  What would you find on your social media website of choice?

- If those people who "Like" our community on Facebook check the info page, they receive limited information beyond, see the website.

- If those Twitter followers have been keeping up to date?  Nothing has been mentioned about Saturday from the main feed.

- And those Occupy Chicago Event attendees?  Well, there's information on what was planned for yesterday, the 6th...  But apparently nothing's going on Saturday beyond this occupation going on 24/7 and if you dig back in the posts you'll find there's a march every day at noon and General Assemblies (Whatever those are) at 3.00PM and 7.00PM.

- And if you're a member of this forum?  Well, a simple search for the word "Saturday" gives a dozen responses.  If you give up before the 8th one, you won't find anything.

 

So what IS going on Saturday?!?  Well...  All of those sites DO mention this website...  And if you click on that, and start reading the posts, you may get to the 6th one...  And if you decide to click the link there to read more?  You'll find that there is a "Training, leadership & civil disobedience training", a "U.S. Out of Afghanistan NOW!" rally and also sign-making.  Nothing is bold, nothing stands out and nothing really explains itself so...  Being someone who isn't well-connected...  Someone who's part of the 99% and hasn't made it out to an Occupy Chicago event just yet...  Does any of this really jump out at you?

 

Here is my proposal...  Everything of importance, needs to be cross-posted EVERYWHERE.  Twitter needs to be reigned in.  Yesterday, I learned that the Occupation was going to work and would return later for the General Assembly...  Whaaaaat?!?  The main Twitter is not for personal posting, it's not for saying, "I had fun guys, I'll be back tomorrow!"  it's for sharing big news and linking to this site.  Facebook meanwhile, needs to have clear schedules listed for as far out as possible.  We need to make it EASY for people to see what's coming up and to decide what they want to come to with links to this site explaining what everything is.  A march?  Where?  What's a General Assembly? 

 

It's easy to say you're an expert at social media, but I fear that we're failing in that respect right now.  The information is scattered and requires more digging than most of the 99% really cares to do.  They support us, they support the movement...  But they've got kids to take care of, a full-time job, bills to worry about, a lawn to cut.  We have to make it EASY to fit Occupy Chicago into their schedules!!!

 

Thoughts?

[cyberconnect]

I have yet to visit any of the Social Media sites for Occupy Chicago, however, based on what you stated I would have to agree.

 

Social media has become integrated into many aspects of life, especially with the younger crowd. Therefore it is important to utilize those tools as much as possible.

 

Some simple solutions to this issue are available. Applications which link your Facebook and Twitter (post on one, it auto posts on the other) are one useful possibility. Also, perhaps a sub-commitee, or if there is not enough demand for such a thing, simply a dedicated social network administrator? Someone who simply maintains the current, relevant, information.

 

Another, more complicated solution, would be through the creation of an custom feed for the Facebook page. This would allow data to be pulled from the site, and populated onto the Facebook page. This would then, through the Twitter sync tool, sync up with the Twitter. Although I stated this was 'complicated', it would be nothing more then a several hour long project.