From the mouths of babes. . .

http://steveradick.com/2010/05/12/screwing-in-the-lightbulb-before-flipping-the-switch-accepting-web-2-0-one-step-at-a-time/

OK, so I agree that people under 20 are more likely to intuitively grasp social media than people over 50. Absolutely. It's a way of life for them, really. In fact, I'm not sure they know how to distance themselves enough from it to really explain it as a tool.

But I really resent the notion that older folks have to have our hands held, one-on-one, by the youth of today. To re-use the lightbulb metaphor, screw that! Just frickin' EXPLAIN it to me.

Example: I have a Twitter account. I know how to post a tweet via the webpage. I WANT to know how to post a tweet by using my cellphone. I have searched all over the darn site trying to find an answer and not getting anything that means anything to me. And I GET social media. What I don't get is clear explanations. That's not all of social media's fault -- that's just poor anticipation by the Twitter folks.

I do NOT need a 15-year-old stapled to me to understand social media concepts. What I DO need are accessible FAQs and examples written for grownups.

Reverse mentor - I'll TELL you what you can do with that lightbulb!


[Disclaimer: I am just kidding - using "crotchety and cranky" as a style, not a real emotion. Please dear god nobody go and put a lightbulb somewhere so far that the ER has to remove it!]