Your Story

What do we know about ancient civilizations? About religious beliefs? About anything really?

Writing today documents what we know about these things in our time, and how we feel about this knowing, how we react, how we see the world in this moment.

Why are classics timeless? Forget the writing style which is amazing, and think about how we can get lost in the beliefs of another time. We can see how one life shaped today's world. It makes me a stronger woman to read about how women were treated. It makes me proud of my roots to read the story of how my ancestors pioneered. What pushes us to be so us? Fiction gives us an insight to society, non-fiction gives us the truths or goals.

Of course it does so much more. If we stop for a moment to think about a genre, any one will do, as they are all important...

Why are sci-fis so fascinating? They allow us to imagine what the world would be like based on what we know at the time of the writing. It draws me in to see the future through the eyes of artists. Why? Because they are seeing something in today's world and bringing that to life in a future. It could be anything. How we idolize our bodies or how we normalize drugs... and they twist it into a future so bizarre we buy into it because... what if?

Historical fiction takes a past event and changes something about it. It might have really happened that way, how do we know? Seeing a new truth, means we see the world around us differently. Which can be exciting or scary. It can open our eyes to other things because... what if?

Writers don't just document events, they document emotions and beliefs that entire futures are shaped around. They put themselves in spots and troubles and work their way out in ways that shock us yet remind us that nothing is impossible.

There is no limit in the minds of writers. The raw honesty, the bold voices, all of it comes from where? Is it from things observed in the world around them? Why do they choose a certain set of eyes to tell the story? How do they know that's the most compelling way to share this story? And why is the same story so different told by someone else.

Each of us has a story in us that was shaped by others, by communities, by beliefs, by history, by our future goals and dreams. These stories are like little headings we walk around with for a writer to record and transmit.

Thanks to technology, we are each documenting our own journey. We are leaving behind a trace of ourselves our great grand children will look up and write about in THEIR own words. Can you imagine those school assignments?

"Based on my Internet research, my great grandfather really liked hockey. He was bold and openly told people to stop bad mouthing things, which I like about him. Everyone loved him. He got over fifty birthday wishes and had six hundred friends! He went on two trips in his life and ate a lot of red meat with beer. He read one book and watched two movies throughout his lifetime. Both of which he left no comments, but he did give one of the actresses a five star! He did however leave a comment about a music artist. I don't know what it means but he said the artist was lame. I assume it saddened him that he was hurt and wanted others to support him because he made a lot of such comments about his lameness. He shared A LOT of posts about cats, so I bet he was a cat lover. Here are several self portraits of my grandfather. His first one is an ultrasound from when he was still in his mother's womb. I found it on her page. He's in his diaper here. I found it because his aunt tagged it. He's at a party here, this was something a friend posted but tagged him in. He graduated college here and bought his first car. This is his wedding picture. He had a black eye, but I can't find why, but I assume he must have fallen from a tree saving one of his beloved cats. This was him with my grandmother the day she was born, and later at her first hockey game. His final pictures were after his stroke. He handled it great and started blogging while in the hospital. The blog posts talk about hockey teams and his opinion on them which is very bold and caused some controversy. I like that about him. Surprisingly I couldn't find any pictures of him with his cats."

This is followed by the child who says, "My great grandma was sick a lot. She only posted pictures of her dogs and her crafts. I was surprised to see this picture of this hat she made, because I own it now! Wow! I had no idea she'd made this or that it was so old. I wonder why she was always sick."

Yup. Your story is writing itself!

How has the written word affected your life? Do you worry about the digital trace we're leaving behind? What does your story tell? What genre influenced your life? What story are you sharing?

Are You Safe Online? Part2- COMMENTS

I really enjoy the workshops I host about online safety. We learn so much. So one of the big questions was:

 How can you be safe out there when you leave comments on forums, blogs, social media or when others are leaving comments on the things you post?  

During the workshops, we came up with a list of ways to get control of those comments. All these rules were summed up in two phrases:

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.

Follow the Netiquette: RESPECT OTHERS, RESPECT YOURSELF.

If others are leaving comments you don't find acceptable:

• STOP following or sharing with people who make you uncomfortable.
• NEVER associate yourself with people who might make you uncomfortable with their language, comments, discrimination, rudeness... Hey, they might be your aunt, your best friend, but online, they are out of control.
• BLOCK, delete, and report if needed. 
• DO NOT respond. It links you to them in searches and anything in writing is theirs. They can print it out, copy it, repost it, add it to your comments. (And yes, I have followers who use my "private" conversations with them in "public". It makes me very cautious of what I say.)
• FORGIVE. Yup, we all make goofs. We found evidence that people can change their entire image. Let those past mistakes go. 
• EDUCATE.
• Yourself, your children, your friends, your parents. Everyone needs to be safe. If you can believe it, some made comments like, "Sure I saw her being stupid, but I figured after she got in trouble, she'd learn."
• Know what the site is about and check it out so you understand how the comments should look. A forum that tears every single query to shreds, isn't going to do any less to yours. One that only leaves happy comments, will do the same to yours.
  
  
• Watch for scams! Know what is real and what is a potential virus festival. 

When posting your own comments:

• THINK before you share. Do people REALLY need to know this? Do they care? Is it important for them to know? Will they be upset if they don't know? Will it annoy them?
• CHECK the settings before you post. Is this private, public, for certain friends only? 
• ReCHECK 
• Every time your application, device or the server makes upgrades in case things are reset to a default. 
• Is a post suddenly getting a strange number of likes or shares? What's going on? Know your comfort zones and what to expect. Things can spiral out of control quickly. Deleting the source won't always fix things and once it's out of your control, the comments can turn into Meme's you didn't want.
• UNDERSTAND. 


• Don't take it to heart when your friends don't share your excitement at your good news or don't comment on the loss of you pet. They might not have seen it, they might be waiting to see you in private, or maybe they have other reasons for blocking you or deleting you. Their platform is not yours, you can't tell others how to control it, you can only control your image, your safety.
• Know why you are on this application, device, social media, forum and ensure it responds to that reason. For example, if you want to fangirl and leave messages for your fav Rock Band, which forum is best suited for this? Should you comment under your real name? Know what you are on, evaluate why you are on it; educate yourself.
• Remember that what you put out there--even if privacy settings are installed--is out there. Others will view it, share it, like it and the application might own it. Don't say things you don't want shared with the general public or future generations.
• Understand how the site or the app you are on is making profits off you.
• BE SUPPORTIVE of your friends when good things happen to them. It's nice when your friends are happy, isn't it? 
• BE PROFESSIONAL: 
• Remember comments are seen by everyone.
• Be calm and professional when you respond.                
• Check grammar, spelling and put out your best.            
• Have proof to back up what you say if it is a fact.         
• If you have doubts, have others you TRUST reread it before you post it.
• AVOID fights. 
• Settle these things in person not online. 
• Explain or defend yourself only if needed. 
• Keep it simple. 
• Get someone else to explain it for you. 
• NEVER EVER post in anger or sadness.
• APOLOGIZE: If you goof, apologize and fix it. Remember to apologize on the platform where the goof was made. If you made an embarrassing typo on Twitter, apologize on Twitter not on LinkedIn. If your account was hacked on Facebook, let everyone on Facebook know, not on Pinterest.
• STAND UP TO BULLIES. When you see bullying, stick up for your friends and end it by being positive, or simply report it.

What other things do you do to stay safe online?
Comment if you dare. lol.

Are You Safe Online? Part 1- PICTURES

During the teen technology workshops we talk a lot about things that put us in danger, especially on the Internet and with Social Media. We creep around these sites and find things people are doing that are putting them at risk so we can talk about them; how to avoid making these mistakes and how to help others be safe.

We discovered a bunch of good ways to use these sites, but the ways that put up red flags made us really nervous because... well, we were all doing them!

The trouble areas are all grouped in a few places I decided to dedicate a post to each of these places. So let's look at pictures first.

They are so easy to post online. I can do it from my phone and put it on several different types of sites. I can email them from my phone, and one day (if someone wants to show me how) I might be able to text them. Cool. Handy. But if I don't stop and think about what is in that picture, I might be putting myself at risk because they aren't so easy to remove. Once a picture is online, it can be stored in the archives forever. It can be shared via various social media, saved to other computers, phones... and basically take on a life of its own. It doesn't mean it will, but it can.

This is our list of things we found that put us at risk:

• Anything embarrassing to anyone. (anyone includes our friends, our children, our teachers... EVERYONE) They are SOOOO funny! But! They stopped being funny when I asked what a future boyfriend or a college would think about these pictures? What if they wanted to run for mayor or their children found it one day? Or what if it became a Meme!?
  
• Inappropriate pictures of  anyone. 
• Parents posting pictures of their children. This one really annoyed them, and these teens were born after parents started doing this. I'm not so sure how these babies who we follow taking their first step, first pee, first big boy pants are going to feel in fifteen years about those pictures of them with their names over them and the date stamped on it. One teen commented, "I know this is funny, and so cute, but if it was me, I would be pissed that my parents posted this and it went viral."
• Tags. Being tagged in a photos is fun, except when you don't want to be. We found all sorts of examples from being caught at a party you were not supposed to be at because a friend tagged you, to being linked in a Google search to someone negative because they tagged you in a photo.
• Not asking permission to share, but worse, sharing things you don't want public. This happened to me; I found a neat picture, I asked the host if I could share it and suddenly the picture vanished... hmm. A good rule is to never post things in public you don't want shared. Please stop. Please ask. 
• Viruses. We did not know that liking or sharing a picture was leaving a digital trace that exposed us and everyone we were linked to through this share. Think before you click. A good example was the picture of a celebrity promising cash to someone who shares this photo. 
• Sharing personal data. We spent an entire class learning how to protect our reputation and then we learnt that with each Like or Share of those pictures, we were helping to create a personal data base of our preferences. We tested it out and I'll share the results in a different post.
• Leaving geo-location on them. Heck we even met someone who was using a pen name but left his real life name, date, and location stamp on the picture. Handy for stalkers like us.
• Personal information. Taking a look, a good look at what is in a picture. Names of churches, schools, street names, house numbers, little brothers peeing it the back. Ohlala. 

Do you have any pictures of yourself out there you wish you could take back? Any pictures that made you cringe? Do a search of your name and images that link to it... surprised? Any other feedback is welcome.

Technology Advancements? Part 2- Your eReputation

With all this snappy technology, things should be so easy. Yet, somehow, it means higher expectations, unknown dangers, and a lot more work. Sounds fair, considering how small the world suddenly got. I mean really, I used to write for the local newspaper, now, I write for the world. And! it's archived, so really, I write for the future. We all do.

It goes a lot further and even pours in to our reputations. I mean let's face. Do you Google your babysitter before leaving her alone with your children? Do you check online for the reputation of a restaurant before venturing out? Do you read book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon before buying?

I had a difference of opinion with a colleague not long ago and we agreed to cool off before we talked again. During our next encounter, it was clear I'd been Googled. I know this because even though I want to be real online, it is only a part of who I am. Yet, I was judged, classed, and shoved down because I... (wait for it.... wait for it... ) because I blog. I know, the horror of it. How could I? Apparently, it's something over dramatics do.

LEWES

I've been teaching technology classes for teens and we end up discussing some interesting challenges they face, well... that we all face. There is a new type of bullying and a new stress on their lives that other generations didn't live as teens. What can they do when they're walking home from school and someone is making a video that catches the exact moment a gust of wind blows up their skirt unexpectedly? (why is someone making a video you ask?? ... someone is always apparently making a video. They just are. This isn't me being over dramatic or anything.) What can they do when this funny image is shared on social media and goes viral? (why would someone share this you ask??... someone is always apparently sharing a video. They just are, and yes, I am over dramatic.)

We ended up calling it Private meets Public. Because the places where they should be safe and private, like their bedrooms, are now public places. Places where 200 friends can come in (if they let them) and find out that they are doing homework. Where walking home from school becomes a public venue. Where potential bosses can check to find out where they eat. Where angry colleagues can search for things to use against them in their next encounter and curse them: "you.... you blogger you!"

How fast can your reputation be affected? Instantly. (gee, maybe I am over dramatic.) I tested it the other night and put out a post on a social media where I did nothing with it. Nothing. I just put it out there. In twenty minutes, 238 people had seen it. I had one share but had set the privacy settings so no one could share. To get around this, this person went to the link and shared it from there. I couldn't track that share and only found it because someone tagged me in their share of that share (still following?). That initial share is out of my control in some new life being shared with strangers. Of 238 that saw it on my page, only one left a comment and a dozen liked it. Overnight, while I was sleeping that number jumped to over 800 views. I saw it all over being shared. Some were collecting comments for me as if this was their post... How accurate are these tracking numbers? If they're even close to the truth, it's scary, because imagine if I put a little effort behind it at a normal time of day? Imagine if each share saw 800 views overnight! Can you see how fast your name could be bloggered? (still feels like a compliment to me...)

How quick will others class us based on what we post? I can't hold this against my colleague, I do it myself. I unfollowed a blog once because the blogger ditched coworkers in a very vulgar way. Two years later I went back to this site to see if he was still doing this. (his name came up on my twitter sidebar and I was curious, I guess, but point is I took a mental note of his name to avoid being linked to it.) His site was cleaned up, full of useful information on how to use social media properly, there were author interviews and book reviews. I was shocked. I'd classed him as rude and didn't want my name linked to his. Sure he used several swear words, but they were funny in a very over dramatic way. And it's clear this is the intense reputation he is after. I felt bad for having unfollowed him when he was probably having a bad day and made a wrong choice.

Cleaning up our own image isn't that hard to do because people can be very forgiving. But!!!
How do we control what others post about us or link to us? Common sense will prevail, and just like we got used to not listening in on those party-lines (okay maybe not.), we'll learn not to post things that damage the reputation and ruin the lives of others. Right?

And has anyone figured out Google+ yet? Someone told me it was important in building an online presence as it was searchable.  And Google rated posts on it higher... no idea if that's true... if it is, you all see where that might help our reputation... or quickly destroy it. There I go, being over dramatic again.

Are you finding these leaps and bounds in technology a hard adjustment? Is it ruining your life or improving it? Do you do an online check of your reputation regularly? How do others see you? Is your online reputation the same as your off line one? What do you do to maintain a healthy online reputation?

Here are a few links I enjoyed reading and sharing;
7 dangerous aps
8 step clean up for your ereputation
Clean up your online rep

Online Rep in Plain English

Norton security tips

What you need to know for your college app

Technology Advancements? Part 1- The Gadgets

Let me grab my pizza from the microwave and turn on my iPod. There that's better.

So a rather shocking incident inspired this post. You see, at a funeral this year, the minister took out her iPad. Not her Bible. It was in a pretty green case, too.

Now, I get that the iPad is easier to hold, handle and had all her prayers, notes and scriptures handy. Convenient, yet... why did this make me uncomfortable? I love technology and feel we should maximise it, yet a part of me felt a line was crossed. Maybe it's my love of books, but a Bible is a symbol and I needed that comfort in that moment. The iPad, threw me off.

Now technology advanced rather quickly in my lifetime. I do remember getting our first computer at school. The thing was stupid. It only did what I commanded it to, and that C-PROMT screen was using a language that didn't make sense. And why was there an apple on it? No one knew. I used a word processor to type up my first articles, and the idiot lost all my work in a power surge, and no other machine can read those disks so I spent a month retyping the few stories and the one novel I wanted to save which I'd had on a hard copy, and back then there were no programs to help with this.

Now I have a notebook, hybrid, a tablet, a phone that thinks it's smart, a PC, a printer that scans, copies (although I hardly print anything anymore), and faxes-- I'm not bragging, these are just the tools I need for some unknown reason. I don't use CDs or disks, and my kids think records are decorations. My kids are versatile on all PCs and MACs, they use cell phones and this conversation horrified them;
"Hey Mom, how old were you when you got your first cell phone?"
"33."
"Ah, that was last year."
"Yup."
"Why didn't your mom buy you one, were you bad?"
"No, they didn't exist."
"That's horrible, how did you text each other?"
I won't tell you the rest, but know it traumatized them to know I had to pick up a phone that was tied to the wall and sit and talk. How did I play video games with my friends, or compare homework?

I became a writer after the days of THE TYPEWRITER. I can't imagine typing up my stories on a typewriter. No. Not with the amount of typos I make. I can type as fast as I think. Not all the words are spelt properly all the time, and yes, form and from happen at awkward moments. But! Using technology, I can easily fix these. WORD SEARCH. FIND AND REPLACE. My new computer gives me a list off the side, so I can see every time I used a word at a glance. What a time savior. Oops, I mean saver. Easy to fix.

I feel good about myself when I know I can write yet save trees. Millions of them. Because I don't have to print that first draft until I'm ready for a hard copy. In fact, last five books I sent to my Kindle, no need for the hard copy. And I recently learnt I can authorgraph digital books!! WOW!

Formatting is much easier thanks to technology. I set up margins, word spacing, line spacing, so everything is automatic. There are programs to help with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. If nothing else, they get my brain thinking in a new way. Of course, I don't rely on them, but they help sometimes.

Speaking of help, there are some incredible dictionaries online, aren't there? Give you the word origin and everything. Wow. I'm in heaven.

Photos are at my fingertips, (yes accessible by that phone who thinks it's smart). My albums are not crowding my cupboards anymore, they are all digital. And! I can't lose any because they are backed up. That's right, paranoid people like me came up with a solution. Yay!


So many changes so quickly. Are you finding these leaps and bounds in technology a hard adjustment? Is it ruining your life or improving it?

Research Part 3-- Get Organized

Time to share.
In honour of continuing with the research theme... we've gathered facts HERE. We've proven them HERE. Now it's time to organize what we have.

I love organizing EVERYTHING. Love it! And here are the two simple steps I'd like to share: 

Cut photos from magazines if
this gives you a visual.

Step one:
Know why you need them

Ask yourself, why am gathering these facts? What point do they serve? When will I need them? **these are important questions, that allow you to place your facts into different groups that will be easy to access.**

As an example, for the Notebook Chronicles, I need 2 types of groups.

     1. I need to keep the real life stories straight and how they interact with my fictional ones, before I write.

      2. I need to access facts while I write.



Step two:
Use technology

I used to use notebooks and files (with cut-outs stapled, taped, papercliped-- got a visual?). I had one for each topic. Yup. Looking for that one fact that eluded me was as easy as digging through seventy files and their run offs. Painful, and often resulted in redoing the work. We've come a long way, is all I gotta say.

Microsoft Office OneNote is my new companion. 

It comes with an easy to follow instruction screen, so I won't get into how to use it, but I will answer questions if you email them to me or post them in the comments.

It allows me to paste photos and links beside little creative blurbs, and find things I filed with the SEARCH icon. It's a virtual notebook. I insert and move things on a whim. I colour code things. I can even draw in it! (Which was fun when I designed my own tattoos for my heroes.)

Ah technology. 

• Link pages, blogs, and websites. 
• List books, where to find them, and the pages that correspond with that theme.
• Paste entire interviews with specialists (recorded or written!!) and include their business cards.
• Draw in details to reflect scene changes, right on the photos. 
• Heck, I'm even pasting in the scenes I used in the MS to remind myself that I already used that information and how I used it. 

Best invention ever. EVER.

And... if I wanted to make this baby
explode...
umm... exactly how would that work?
Seriously... anyone know?

It saves time, it keeps me accurate, and everything is at my fingertips. One place, several notebooks with neat colourful tabs and labels. No more files, folders, binders, loose pages, or scribbled notes on napkins. And if something falls in two categories? No big deal- link the pages!!!

Paradise. I am organized. Yes!

SUMMED UP

1. Keep track of fact vs. fiction before you begin.

2. Keep things easy to access by using technology that works for you while you work.
3. Smile. Getting organized just got easy.

Any other tips on getting organized? I'd love for you to share.