Digital etiquette: mind your online manners

By Jeannette Marshall

@optioneerJM

First published "anEDITORIALpage" on Blogspot

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It occurs to me a lot more recently, how digital etiquette rules haven't been set. [will fact check "digital etiquette" from Google and insert the first three responses here]:

"Learn how the rules of conduct 
we follow in our every day  lives apply to many different types of digital communications."  Well, yes and no.  There definitely are some rules that reign over both:

1)  Chewing gum 
2)  Eating with your mouth open

Annoying on both sides of the wire.  Then there is a top response (great SEO) to land "Digiteen" third from the top.  I don't want to freak out by reading what they are telling teenagers today so I didn't.  Maybe later, maybe never.

Imagine this
you are sitting in front of your computer in an aerodynamic chair that adheres to the form of your back (ahhhhh, yes!).  Plant your feet firmly on the ground,relaxing them.  (Or, if you're like me, have a box on the floor that allows you to do so).

Your digital brain is turned on.
Your fingers on the keyboard fly or float, depending on the tempo of your mind (did you come here to look something important up or check your email, pop in and out?).  You float on if you are open minded, a little smarter than the average bear, prepared to be enlightened, on a quest to learn something.  

Practice the Golden Rule online
"Treat others as you wish to be treated".  The digital world is a much bigger world than any country while being the largest source for information times 20.  You are within control of what your identity becomes.

Identity out rules brand
In my opinion.  That is all I have.  Identity owns brand because it is the purest form of what brands want to be about.   For example, technology and HP seem to get along.   There is no Microsofting that, unlike you xerox a contract (photocopy to Xerox is to tissue paper is to Kleenex).

The mishmash of the digital world 
of humanity.  A blending of traditions that are indistinguishable from race or geography or beliefs.  In the real rule, people follow their regional leanings, cultural history, influenced by their beliefs.  

Thank you
is as current now on digital communications as it has been for generations in many different languages and applied to so many contexts.  Using "thank you" above all responses should be your adopted mantra.

Interchangeable meaning
across different dialects and regions.  Meaning pure translation into English as "thank you".  Online, try looking up and practice using in various languages.

A best practice
is something that works wonderfully in real situations as it does online.  Thank you is your first go to word.  I remember when I first came online in around 1998 and learned, spent time chatting online.  

Decide who you want to be
as in someone polite and respectful.  Act accordingly.  Learning to say thank you is critical for any age, gender, etc etc.  Incorporate some of the best manners you know works in person.

No body language or expression
evens the playing field.  If you cruise around social media you can get a grasp of those who have a great reputation.

Quality outweighs quantity
is the tune of being online.  If you're a guy and you follow every 10/10 body and seemingly X-rated looks and communications, that will likely reflect on who follows you back or stays in your sphere.

People gravitate towards people
in life as it is online.  When you start examining the definition of popular is when it starts to thin.

Digital is a popularity contest
with the ability to skyrocket an identity online.  You can always get a grasp of this from the stories covered by traditional television news:  who now include some version of "what's trending".  

Looks are not always a factor
Someone can be really smart, really witty for others to pay attention to.  The level of creativity and wisdom escalates the popularity.  If you decide it is looks that you will leverage:  are you able to be that image 24/7 and in real life?  Use that as a gauge.


Hipness is as hipness does
You can believe you're a Hipster [the cool factor on steroids in the digital social media world] but if you don't surround yourself with hipster things:  fashion, makeup or hair styles for girls, toys for guys [cars, music, entrepreneurship pursuits=money].  

Makeup or fashion don't make a girl.
Online you can probably get a sense of the gal behind the face.  Crazy selfie feeding frenzy on InstaGRAM, and probably SNAPchat (I admit I don't use it, leaning towards changing that because it is where my 4 Millennial children hang).

Your online portfolio
is not your resume or CV or what you tweak to portray who you want people to think you are.  However, if you love art and look at art, are involved in art, it is likely that is what you share and starts to attract those in the art world beyond your immediate borders.

I have a dream
on what my life looks like when I can create it step by step, learning from mistakes and bouncing back from setbacks.  If you want to be a singer, you have YouTube (i.e.  Justin Beiber was discovered in a small town Ontario, Canada; attracted the right celebrity who can help, with the sweetest smile and "ah shucks" .... now almost in ruin after tearing up that cute boy image to a temper tantrum, stupid, bad boy mistakes.  

Be careful what you wish for
If you have big numbers and it boosts your ego online, don't start bragging and saying you're the biggest, best or expert anything.  

Take your time, stay true
to that image of who you want to be, what is true to being you.  Stay away from train wrecks unless it is something from "Moments" on Twitter (who has THE best news source vibe:  what is trending is what people are responding to the most.  Inject a comment, photo or quote in those audiences.  One is enough.

Keep your appointments
is a way of being respectful and embracing respect that flows back to you accordingly.  That includes online #chats (on Twitter just enter the topic "chat" or #chat in the search engine on their site when you're logged on, of course.  Join chats that are interesting to you.  Better if it is a hobby and passion than an occupation.  If you make a commitment, however, be on time.

Don't drink and drive
applies to drunk dialing an ex or drunk clicking online.  You can scroll through online profiles or Facebook feed.  Linked In shows who is looking at you online.

Scroll don't click
If your inhibitions are removed, you sign up for more "free somethings" that could have disastrous repercussions.  Make it a personal rule that if you're tempted, minimize so you can save it and go to it next time online.  Likely you won't want it as badly second time around.

Occupation SPAM
becomes annoying and can result in a BLOCK just about any site.  They protect its loyal users from receiving messages from whomever they don't want to.  

EMAIL etiquette
is as important as anywhere online.  It is where the basket lands in your email account.  BECAUSE you asked it to.  Set a time limit of response rate:  how many days before you respond or at least reply with "thank you" if that's all you're at.   

Be diligent
with whom gets your personal email address. 
I would suggest a social media tied email (name online) for all the junk, spam likelihood.  Then another personal one that is very private and secluded from the online circus.

Don't open any attachment
Those are where the most malware find its roots.  The savvy hackers know that you are more likely to open an attachment from your "friends" than someone random.  Be sure you are familiar with the email source at the very least.

Consider habit
of the person sending you the email:  do they regularly keep in touch with email?  Or do they often send you jokes attached?  Gauge your reaction accordingly.

Age matters
only when it comes to digital savviness.   Unless you have a Millennial grandson or son who knows how to tinker with computers you should be leery of 

If it is too good to be true
online is ten times more warning, telling you try it.  You can bookmark it and wait 48 hours to see if its as important then as it appears to be now.

Dumb mistakes
are normal.  Keep track of what you do online if you don't think your memory will suffice.  A handy notebook nearby are a plus.

Advice adherence
you could be a nice, polite, well-mannered gal who turns into a femme fatale online.

Be careful what you wish for
You are creating your wishes by your behavior online.

Keep the Mom's test nearby
As yourself:  would you be comfortable having your mom, dad, grandparent sitting within visual range with the ability to see what you're doing?  If not, you should probably stop doing it.

Fight the stereotype
by not fueling the stereotype by your behavior online.  That would include being a sex-crazed teenage boy.  Not everyone is.  They could be online doing research for their school project.  

Tempting tools and crafty tricks: [Ridder | Twitter] MISS while Spotlight glistens ] online review

"Never lose your curiosity and sense of wonder.

Continue on the quest for great things or things to make great again."
                                                            

                  ~Jeannette Marshall

Make things GREAT again.
by Jeannette Marshall
@optioneerJM
(c) Copyright *

Congratulations to Tiger Woods for understanding how the world of social media can be used to be in control and on top of what is being said about you, filtered or skewed in such a way that trusty news sources are blatantly looking very one-dimensional while defending their claims of reporting credible news, which supports the justification for how much advertisers will pay for a spot on that program, magazine, or newspaper.  

Social media blurs and blends all traditional media under one umbrella where the user clicks, navigates their mouse to avoid near misses or potential calamity.  The ultimate power lies in each individual (or sometimes robot or savvy algorithm capture or predictive indexes or repetitive online behavior).


Now, where have we seen this done before?  
(rhymes with dump?)



     MISTAKEN IDENTITY?













During my navigation around the social stratosphere, with no particular destination intended, I was responding to people on Twitter.  What I try to do is engage with every single person on Twitter at least once.  Some people make it easier to do because they "get it" being consistent on all social media is important to continue or build relevance.

I particularly have played with Twitter, enjoying the playful vibe by adding GIFs to your tweets can add energy and attract positive attention.  







My disclaimer to that is I would be able to have my mother watch what I'm doing or read what I am posting, and with whom.  She has strong opinions about that, so the feedback isn't worth the criticism and agony that could mean.

Twitter really really AWFULLY goofed on its technology or someone fell asleep at the keyboard because most women would understand and some even become outraged at what Twitter showed me in response to what I was looking for:

Don't see anything wrong?

I'm a "snipping tool" junkie on my Microsoft operating system.    Am I boring you out of paying attention to my point?  (That's not uncommon with me, my brain and mouth operate at different intervals).  

Getting it yet?

Both first responses when I keyed in "positive woman role model" search feature to look for GIFs that can underscore your point.  Like I said, I've started to do that consistently.  That is why I was HUH? A woman in a flamingo-esque bikini and a dude non white is almost funny!  It pokes fun at the common stereotype or misconception what a BAD role model is.  You think?

Go ahead.  Try it.  I dare you.
I double dare you.  Go to the GIF bar on Twitter and click on it, enter in something like "Balloons" to see what you get.  Send me a tweet:  @optioneerJM with #RT and I will retweet it in turn.  Now go and attempt to send a GIF from Twitter by keying in "positive woman role model" and see what you get.  

Could it just be my own darn luck?
We can make luck happen.  I am sharing this to emphasize that we all make mistakes.  Mistakes are endless and help create processes that eliminate missteps, miscommunication and all the other misstep there potentially are.

Be helpful without being demeaning 
or criticizing.  I'll try to let Twitter know.  How many avenues I have to attempt, be detoured or simply ignored.  It will be interesting to note how responsive they are when someone discovers a mistakes and tries to help them rectify it.

Responsiveness indicates concern.
Usually.  Responsiveness sets the pace or determines the ability to be resilient and robustly bounce back.
Regardless of size of who is being informed of a mistake, or the credibility (or lack of perceived authority or risk) or poor processes on picking out mistakes communicated by a user or customer.

How nice to receive a nonpersonalized email from Linkis and Ridder glorifying such a rebound.  Without anything better to do than investigate, I did so.

I go investigating.  Thankfully, I do use the Snippet tool.  In this case, I can back step to see maybe how I got connected better with Linkis and did the snippet thing.  Sometimes I find a great connection to give me an answer.  Other times I take a Snippet with the potential to blog or comment later on.  Just in case.

What an annoying experience.
Somewhere in the first few screens, while attempting to set up a profile to try Ridder, it was unable to allow me to connect with my Facebook page or ID.

Beta?  Just say it is so.
If you are launching a new tool and you want to expand your Beta testers, I think it is a fantastic idea.  Just make sure you take the time to lay the groundwork:  inform users that it is in Beta test mode and even better if you direct them to somewhere for feedback.  

A good idea.
Have the CEO of the Company (aka the chief of brand, ruler of all that happens, and fall guy (or gal) send a personalized note thanking for taking the time to send in an idea that has been adopted or is seriously being considered.

Sidestep opportunity
By creating more fanfare surrounding what they were trying to say was a miraculous pairing or merger or acquisition, they skipped (or skimmed at break neck speed) and launched it while knowing there were still hiccups.

Risky business
Sending an invitation to sign up for a fully scaled and mature tool to a connection that is so clumped in with the masses, it lends asking the question:  was Linkis acquired for its customer list? Or, it's value (or technology).

Not disclosing that it is a trial or beta was a mistake
I'm being optimistic that it was in beta form.  Way too many user glitches that become annoyance and finally drifting away.   Without a sound.  Without a peep.  By not soliciting feedback, it could mean that it is perfect just the way it is.  (As if every first attempt is an automatic recipe for success with feedback unnecessary.)

Lost opportunity.
Sometimes a strong roadmap leads to a well executed plan.  Sometimes the steps to reaching completion has not been mapped out, or it has been mapped out without any benchmarks in place.  Best guesswork at play.

You can see that connecting to Twitter worked while Facebook didn't do anything other than generate an error.  I may be a little more tenacious than most or like to give the benefit of the doubt, but I met with the same technical issue with trying to link LINKED IN.

Social Media Tech Rule No. 1

You really can't boast that you have anything until you iron out the kinks, as often inevitable with technology.  It is not "Murphy's Law" when you are attempting to earn credibility and be taken seriously.

Perfection rules

So what if your CEO said it would be launched by October 1 and all the marketing song and dance is timed perfectly with that preset date.   You really shouldn't be launching a product until it is ready, or shift the project to align with what is actually happening, not what someone is dreaming or refusing to hear what other's are trying to say.

Set the bar high on quality
Companies who apt to survive and endure are perfectionists who want to drive the value of what they offer so high that they can justify a much greater cost than the average because they have painstakingly built a brand and tried to guide the perception of the company aligned similarly.  They will typically work at attracting the essential talent to align with the goal.

SPOTLIGHT
During my wandering online and reading folks' bios when they follow me on Twitter (@optioneerJM) that are witty, smart or savvy with a positive vibe are the first that grab me, often inspire me to ask them a question that means I'm poised by rapt curiosity on the answer.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE
is the rule for any would be or has been brand.  The really BIG BRANDS can afford to experiment and have the engines of advertising, its agency or market research machines handy.  They already know who their audience is.  Sometimes they will design a campaign on the audience they want to attract or the loyal following they want to reinforce.

The spotlight on SPOTLIGHT
If I were an actor or in the entertainment field, I would definitely be on this site.  A LINKED IN for actors and business people alike.   

SPOTLIGHT link 

I'm waiting to find out how grievous it may turn out getting on there.  I'm curious if there is a cost and what they say their value proposition is?

IFTTT is the bomb!
@ifttt is a tool anyone can use.  It is free for now and I would imagine including the marketing application and social media tool for businesses or websites would be in development.  

Mashable:  the word
I have promoted and professed really enjoying the content on Mashable.  It is very hip and in tune with what is going on online.  It seeks and discovers really cool things, inventions and ideas all channeled under its ezine-ish umbrella of a website.  Rather than trying to emulate or copy it, I simply use @ifttt to repost all of their content by asking ifttt for assistance.  

IFTTT :: the best online tool
That's easy for ifttt to do.  Be careful on who you choose to use this with or for.  It can take over a social media channel and ruin the productivity by its over use.  Not monitoring how it impacts your channels is detrimental to your identity and reputation.  At least when it sends out alarm bells that what you've asked ifttt to do is a little too invasive, repetitiveness, either by content or message, it can easily be misidentified as your own brand.  In Mashable's case, I've merely automated what they already put out there, sharing it with others, under the assumption that if I like it, others will too.  An automated #RT retweet per se.

That's not always a given.  However, now that I'm very selective on how I use @ifttt I recognize its immense opportunity.  Perhaps that is how they got started and they maybe allowed certain users to try it and use it, working out any bugs with those they want the opinions of or tempt with the usage.

Continuous Improvement 
should be everyone's MOTTO.  Finding ways to make old applications (we call them APPs now) great again.  In @ifttt 's case, they, or someone did, recognize the value of making tools within tools.  Like underscore the vast market of those who use GMAIL (from Google).  It would be cool to uncover who actually made that recipe.  With ifttt's guidance, they recommend "applets" that they figure you may be interested in.  If you're curious, you widen the scope of how you use it and deepen the depth to which you are committed.  

Collaboration among primary social media brands may be difficult to measure and evaluating its success in cooperating with other venues or evaluation methods by providing access by backdoor means, which in turn can expand its audience or even increase loyalty.  

The magnitude of programming in order to extrapolate other social sites into a new one is daunting.  Times that by the number of users, and specify at so many interest levels.  Emphasize the popularity also increases the demand for integration with so many of the main sites.

Invested interests
It is remarkable and commendable when you find yourself immersed with a great new offering at the highest level.  One such service of note is Social Fave.  A value add to expand your Twitter usability and a way to grow your audience so that it aligns with your values and interests.  

Social Fave
Is hardworking and out there on Twitter constantly, continuously and keeps in touch consistently.  You get the sense that your success directly bounces back to them and grows their credibility and establishes authenticity as a go to source.  To at least try it.  Free mostly to individuals or brands.

Around every corner is a Snap Chat
ready to be unleashed on the cyber crowd and social media savvy crew.  I try some.  Others I don't if it seems like too much of a hassle.  If it catches on and becomes successful, then the investors or backers are rewarded, and feel good when they find a HIT.

3 Strikes Out
I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, am adventurous enough online to give a try.  Some I eventually lose interest in keeping up with, while others have tested my "3 strikes and you're out" patience.  

Tracking Progress
Aligns with perfection.  Not purely the aesthetics, ease of use, and cool factor.  Those committed to a really awesome ending or start take the time to set goals, timelines, revenue, audience, user, drop in marketing, launch dates, public relations, drive the wheels of progress.  

Numbers are real
Profitability is either a plus or a minus [*/-].  That usually indicates in harmony, in control or a pending train wreck.

Response rates, click rates, time spent, money spent, inquiries are all part of the thermometer going up and being HOT and falling fast in the chill of COLD facts.

fast FORWARD :: tides of CHANGE

2017: a NEW age of advertising 

what the fuss is all about
i'm sticking my neck out with an opinion clouding predictions of any sort.  Early on in my blog writing, developing skills as i applied them:  as a disciple of #EdwardSnowden school of thought: be a self-taught expert, uphold moral beliefs for mankind including everybody (avoided being diminished by greed or ego).  Edward's quest was for knowledge.  He had an unquenchable thirst for learning anything he was interested in, curious about, wanted to learn more about.  

if inspiration for 2017 is your game
relax in a comfortable atmosphere, devoid of distractions of any kind:  give the spouse free reign on the credit card with the kids for a play land (are there any more of them anymore?  aka Chuckecheese paradise for kids and a break for parents).  << that's a blog better meant for meanderings.about.ca ... as a light bulb goes off.  

SNOWDEN
if you want to have a glimpse of the new thermometer and full enlightenment to what is going on in cyber wars, that the traditional media has only sniffed around ignorantly focus on Russian cyber attacks against the US for political posturing.

the world expanded a billion fold
as succinctly pointed out by Edward Snowden.  I love watching movies that seemingly portray the person behind the persona (also recommend SULLY as well, as the contrast between the 2 movies i watched back-to-back on ANDROID TV.

the BRAND phenomena
is what everything has come down to.  It no longer is what used to be first top of mind when a word came to mind in association with a noun:  KLEENEX(tissue paper); XEROX(photocopy|photocopier).  We GOOGLE(use GOOGLE search to find what we are looking for, regardless of reason or final objective).  Yet we don't APPLE anyone instead of call them on our smartphones.

the SOCIAL MEDIA empire
has been formed and is going to rapidly expand.  Simply because the reversal of sources has already occurred.  No longer are we reading the newspaper or magazine, listening to the radio, or watching television to gain access to what is happening in our world.

has anyone NOTICED?
that regardless of the media outlet you are surrounded by, they are doing somersaults and handstands all over the ticker message, page footnote, whatever:: they're asking you to FOLLOW them on Twitter almost firstly and all the time.  Or, they are attempting to create an organic trending topic without having to FLAG as "advertising" because "viral" supercedes all else (google is not finding me a word close to this, unusual but perhaps not so because i haven't been online for the past month or so, committed to a job that is subpar but pays the bills if not cherished by the heart.  Then Christmas was hectic, made even more so with only one day off on Christmas Eve in two weeks (i wondered who i pissed off to be relegated from  having to work on Christmas Eve (but off by usually 8 o'clock) then back at er on Boxing Day.

reach out to a COMPANY
to show them where they are falling short as a BRAND.  I continue to frown and shake my head when the antics of West Jet continues to surge, with many copycats in tow (go GOOGLE Tim Horton's something about making dreams come true YouTube video that followed in WestJet's footsteps by creating a warm and fuzzy video on how they are giving such splendid gifts of televisions and other material things.  Saving millions in advertising dollars even offsetting the costs of the gifts, the sharing on the universe via social media catches it afire.

traditional ADVERTISING 
is married to traditional media.  I talked about that in that earlier blog a bit.  Maybe the realization hadn't fermented yet.  As it has now.  Traditional ads are dying a fizzling death.  MEDIA brands begging for increased followship while barely hanging on their fingertips that, if they fail, will plunge you into the BIG and not-so-BAD universe of SOCIAL MEDIA.

by no means a BOTTOMing out
certainly a new measurement of scale, reach and return (or ROI).  There were very early adopters of social media who were visionaries in the direction of where this brave new world of walls disappearing and blocks removed.  Where everyone and anyone can enter boldly or with trepidation.  What everyone will AGREE about is that the central force of news, events, communications has shifted to ONLINE.

when every NEWSCAST includes
something happening online.  Exponential volumes of content and snippets ready to be clasped by the influencers online (why do grammar and spelling check not add "influencer" as a reference to a person, personality online.  

where BRAND is king
and anyone can be in the game.  There is no distinction between a person, an organization, a corporation or a government.  The winner of BRAND becomes the king or the queen (where a woman can be crowned by her spirit and knowledge, evoking trust more quickly than men by observation and not any scientific substance or supporting facts).  

where an elected PRESIDENT
can tweet policy and engage hostile exchanges with those he should count on.  if you want to know what your new president is thinking:  just follow him on Twitter, to get it faster than the Evening News or Morning Headline.

the manipulation of TRUST
will continue to be a common thing, more likely to be beyond a cancerous growth.  Where the innocent, naive, trusting, home bound, infirm, lonely, lost human existence dwells with alarming rapid growth.

where FACT blurs with FICTION
when reality and FALSE are blended.  We have been trained to read in order to learn.  We instinctively want to read something of which information or knowledge we wish to gain.  We grew up with news journalism benchmarked credible content by scrutiny on ethics, backed up with facts, the best being unreproachable resource for news, events.

streaming LIVE is going to implode
as traditional mediums like television start to join the ranks of the almost eliminated advertising channels, words, hearing.  With technical digital engines developed to push that content out to the universe, developing sophistication evolving to glide into the sphere of the influence(r) BRAND who may bless them with a #RT, a read, and/or blessedly a share, their comments shrine built from within and without.

PERSONALITIES read or visualized
by anyone, anywhere, any age, any country, any language, any religion, any education can rise to become the relegated status of SOCIAL MEDIA SUPER STAR.

SOCIAL MEDIA SUPER STARs
are the INFLUENCE, VOICE, MESSAGE of what the masses want to hear, read or see.  Almost invisible, they can be beyond a murmur of voice to a clout of opinion, expression and resonance with the universe.  

COMPANIES exposed
for viral manipulation currently embraced and not recognized as sophisticated marketing, with visionary digital markets at the helm.  Art directors continually challenged to not only make the BRAND website pleasing to the eye, but also welcome to curiosity to click, tempting to learn more about, less distracting because blinking has been removed (avoiding the annoyance causes the visitor to depart).

psychoGRAPHICs | demoGRAPHICs
expertise will emerge as a viable consultancy sought after.  Right behind it or better hand in hand would be to engage, if not employ, a lead psychologist counsel created. 

the MIGHTIEST will survive
when they realize that theatrics and tricks will end up diminishing any credibility as people online become more SAVVY with where they place their TRUST.  The BRANDs that will win, are those easily trusted.  

RESONATORS will win
not  representing a group, organization or company, but a person who encompasses the very singular banner of trust.  The visionary committed to the amazing ability that communicating online allows.

TRUST:  the currency of NOW
where the compensation is like the old term of CONTRA.  Where an opinion that matters is worth that of a product, service or recognition.  

the MORAL of any STORY 
people, owners, executives, marketers begin to acknowledge this increasing trend.  Rethink your strategies.  Align yourself with brand ambassadors that add value and class.

AVOID tricks and manipulations
to only be uncovered as such.  Remember, people are smarter and smarter every day they're online.  As traditional media continues to reference social media as the originator of the source, gimmicks and tricks uncovered will severely dampen any momentum once people whom others trust, expose them as so.

COMPANIES try to create #hastags
that matter, are exposed for trying to create trending topics which they can capitalize on, fueled by paid promotion, to trick others into thinking they are popular online.  

Not nearly as SAVVY
because they have not yet recognized that they earlier influence BRAND of person is who they may want to consider replacing your marketing executives and dismantle that costly team and team who have limitless costs.

SELFLESSNESS out arms EGO 
greed, corruption, violence, terrorism, untruths, cyber attack, hack, money.  The knowledge a gift to others without purpose of gain.

Fortune Cookies we'd like to see

Something better is around the corner
meaning a new job, a new car, a new love .... within reason, this could happen to anyone.  Yet it is more likely to be what you are thinking were you to unwrap this fortune cookie.  A gust of warm wind, a sunlight beam or a food truck instead of a hot dog stand .... around the corner.   

With truth comes wisdom
the very wise speak the truth that is based on wisdom.  By keeping personal feelings and bias aside, one can see the truth more clearly.

Your heart is on your sleeve
you are honest, open, loyal and trustworthy.  You have faith in others.

Want not what others have
be content and satisfied with what life gives you.  If you believe you have more to offer, go out and get it.  Envy, jealousy or resentment of others drains your optimism and diminishes motivation.

Your world can be bright
if you let light shine on it:  inspiration can be found in many places.  It is up to you to find what makes your soul sing.

You will travel to many places
without leaving your home, your country.  Learn more about different people, different beliefs, different countries by the click of a mouse.

Can you think of any?  Give it a shot.
Comment and share any fortune cookies you can think of.

Best quotes to fast forward iii

Keep up the good works you do.  That is plural, as in what you do, not what you do to earn a living.  Focus on what you want to define you.  Surround yourself with sources, resources, advocates, supporters, promoters.  


Be wary of leeches, scumbags, warlords, violent tendencies gurgling beneath the surface of those who fool you or befriend you with their own hidden agenda waiting to grasp onto you.

The Editorial Page was created to offer a forum for editorial types and typees who have opinions that matter because, it is their own unique opinion, AND they matter, so do their ideals, inspirations and gifts.  

They may be recognizable online or in traditional media, but they have a safe haven to write about what matters to them.  There is no compensation for any expression, it can be anonymous (but why be so?), or it is simply a matter near and dear to your heart, soul and moral compass.

You deserve to be heard.  Moreover, we deserve to read your voice, your opinion ... that has not been bought or sold.  This site will not be monetized.  That would dishonor the transparent intent of creating a forum under the banner of a blog to express yourself.

If you are an amateur (i.e. not getting paid to write or rewarded in kind [ambassador, brand ambassador, gifted, tripped, flown, put up, served in any way as a means of exchange for written content included].  

If you are a writer or blogger and want to play with the big boys and girls of editorial, this is your playground.  Let your mental voice be exposed by words.

Content will be curated that is not PG inspired, corny humor allowed for the serious minded as a means to exhaust the trial you would perhaps avoid, to threaten your income or reputation.  

Step outside your comfort zone.  Let the freedom flow from your finger tips to your keyboard, bouncing between your brain and your heart in a balanced, even way.  That once expressed, will release a pressure that evaporates the things that bug you.  Gone.  Gonzo.  Poof.