When Social Networking Gets Very, Very Personal (in a good way)

When Social Networking Gets Very, Very Personal (in a good way) Social networking. Its a funny thing. How much is too much, what about digital dirt, and what about all of the private people out there? I dont have any answers, but I do have opinions. Today well take a detour from the normal issues so I can share something that has been unfolding over the last few weeks, and exemplifies how social, and personal, social networking can be. You may have heard of a blogger named Susan Reynolds. She was diagnosed with breast cancer this month and is having surgery today. She started a blog called Boobs on Ice, and talks about how she used a bag of frozen peas to, well, here it is in her own words: To keep bleeding down relieve pain Id need to keep things cool. Traditional ice packs are hard and heavy. As much as I try to be a good sport Im not into having a brick sitting on my chest. Enter a bag of frozen peas. I tucked it in my bra, took a picture, and was ready to tell the story later that night. That bag of peas added a touch of lightness to what could have been a sad and serious tale. I found out about it on Twitter. You should see whats going on today in Twitter everyone has peas as their avatar. I dont have the grapics skillz so I just borrowed one (I hope it wasnt from Lane Hartwell ;)). It really has been amazing to watch all of the people rally around Susan. what an amazing show of support. Twitter is green. TechCrunch wrote about it (that is a feat). Bloggers all over are writing about it. Dozens of people are giving up billable hours to support this cause, give moral support to Susan, and even donate to the Frozen Pea Fund. Going back to social networking, this is really what it should be about. People. And people helping people. Thank you to all who have proven that we are indeed not alone, there are many good people in this world, and the internet can be used for good! You can do a quick blog search in Google to see what comes up for Susan Reynolds, but here are some posts that really stood out in my mind (the titles are immensely powerful, and show what can really happen with social media): Peas Help WhyMommy give Peas a chance web friends can be real friends. The Power of Community Peas in a pod? Social Media Changing the World Community vs. Cancer Im excited to be a part of a new community movement online Social Network? Its Like Two Peas in a Pod It’s Frozen Pea Friday (Breast Cancer Awareness) Peas help! Frozen Pea Fund Friday I hate peas. Susan Reynolds the Peas of Twitter Twittering Peas and Flickr Frozen Pea Fund Photo of the Day PEAS! For Those Who Pea on Social Media PEAple supporting PEAple.. Live Less Anonymously And, to learn more about Susan Jim Long chats up Susan Reynolds Peas and social networks God bless you Susan, and thank you to all of the superstars who have stepped up to the plate and used social media this way! When Social Networking Gets Very, Very Personal (in a good way) Social networking. Its a funny thing. How much is too much, what about digital dirt, and what about all of the private people out there? I dont have any answers, but I do have opinions. Today well take a detour from the normal issues so I can share something that has been unfolding over the last few weeks, and exemplifies how social, and personal, social networking can be. You may have heard of a blogger named Susan Reynolds. She was diagnosed with breast cancer this month and is having surgery today. She started a blog called Boobs on Ice, and talks about how she used a bag of frozen peas to, well, here it is in her own words: To keep bleeding down relieve pain Id need to keep things cool. Traditional ice packs are hard and heavy. As much as I try to be a good sport Im not into having a brick sitting on my chest. Enter a bag of frozen peas. I tucked it in my bra, took a picture, and was ready to tell the story later that night. That bag of peas added a touch of lightness to what could have been a sad and serious tale. I found out about it on Twitter. You should see whats going on today in Twitter everyone has peas as their avatar. I dont have the grapics skillz so I just borrowed one (I hope it wasnt from Lane Hartwell ;)). It really has been amazing to watch all of the people rally around Susan. what an amazing show of support. Twitter is green. TechCrunch wrote about it (that is a feat). Bloggers all over are writing about it. Dozens of people are giving up billable hours to support this cause, give moral support to Susan, and even donate to the Frozen Pea Fund. Going back to social networking, this is really what it should be about. People. And people helping people. Thank you to all who have proven that we are indeed not alone, there are many good people in this world, and the internet can be used for good! You can do a quick blog search in Google to see what comes up for Susan Reynolds, but here are some posts that really stood out in my mind (the titles are immensely powerful, and show what can really happen with social media): Peas Help WhyMommy give Peas a chance web friends can be real friends. The Power of Community Peas in a pod? Social Media Changing the World Community vs. Cancer Im excited to be a part of a new community movement online Social Network? Its Like Two Peas in a Pod It’s Frozen Pea Friday (Breast Cancer Awareness) Peas help! Frozen Pea Fund Friday I hate peas. Susan Reynolds the Peas of Twitter Twittering Peas and Flickr Frozen Pea Fund Photo of the Day PEAS! For Those Who Pea on Social Media PEAple supporting PEAple.. Live Less Anonymously And, to learn more about Susan Jim Long chats up Susan Reynolds Peas and social networks God bless you Susan, and thank you to all of the superstars who have stepped up to the plate and used social media this way!