Discussing Social Media: April 2012

Google Drive is here. Which cloud storage to choose?

Google announced the release of Google Drive, a brand new cloud storage service, raising the cloud competition. It starts with 5GB free storage, it is available on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and it allows editing with Google Docs.

Google knows that its reputation will raise the standards on cloud services, but it's up to them to gain customers from the other popular services.

Now with Google Drive, Dropbox, Skydrive, Sugarsync and iCloud, which one should we choose?

First of all, the right choice depends on your needs, the features, the price, the devices. Personally, I've tried Dropbox, I've installed Sugarsync on my pc, but I should stick to Skydrive, due to its compatibility with my Windows Phone.
If you're still unsure, check the table below:

*Image source: Gizmodo

How often do you check your emails?

There are many people out there, myself included, that consider their emails to be on top priority, feeling the need to check for new mails every minute. I know, you might be waiting for an important message, but what happens if you don't and still check your messages anxiously?

This is one of the common "diseases" of the human world. We have the tendency to consider whatever we are doing as highly important, as something that cannot be postponed. We know that it's not true, but we always present it that way to the others. How many hours can you survive without checking for new mails? How many people will miss you if you are absent for a day? Think carefully before answering. Or even doing the test. You might be disappointed.

Before reaching that stage, start setting priorities; the real priorities, not the ones you used to have. Stop having your email on an open tab 24/7. I am not suggesting to avoid communication. I am just suggesting to balance your routine. Even the email routine can change you. And I'll try to start first!

(I WILL try!)

*Source image: Forbes

Don't you have a Facebook account??

I was writing an article the other time about social media, commenting on Pinterest and its referral traffic. Suddenly I realized that not everyone is aware of what I'm talking about. We might take some things for granted, but there are other readers out there who have no idea of advanced terms. And they don't have to! Don't fall into the trap of pretending to be an expert on a topic. Even if you know some things, remember the importance of sharing knowledge, especially on such topics.

Not everyone is exposed to social media. Not everyone is a social media addict. There might be a time though that s/he wants your advice. It's your chance to prove that all your knowledge can be explained even to someone that has no idea of what Facebook is. Of course there are people out there that don't use Facebook. And by the time we overcome our shock ("don't you have a facebook account??") we try to be as simple as possible.

I spent the other day a couple of hours, trying to explain to a friend the difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. How do you distinguish them? Which one do I have? How to promote a product? How to find my friends? How to keep it private? If it is a personal relationship, try to be patient and keep explaining every little detail, even a hundred times. If it's a professional relationship, try to be even more patient and keep explaining again and again, even a thousand times.

(or maybe stop giving advices from now on and hide from friends and relatives)

* I wish I could provide the dialogues I had while explaining on Facebook profile and page, but I'd better keep them private :)

** After passing this patience test, I think I should launch Facebook 101 tips. For any question, just ask me :)

Tereza