I see folks have been creating a lot of lists
lately: Dave Armano ( http://bit.ly/3515Y2) and Guy
Kawasaki (http://om.ly/IppU) to name a few, and I think it's because lists are
succinct,easy to compose and easy
to comprehend. In the grand old days of print, lists used to
sell magazines (while working at Entertainment Weekly, the issues touting the
Ten Best or the Ten Worst Movies of all time always sold out).
So I woke up
this morning with a list on my mind, and even though it was only 6:44 am I just
had to write this down. It took till tonight to fully craft it.
 Here goes:
 1. Be brilliant. I try to avoid drivel and
tossing off meaningless phrases, such as just ate a donut, or knock 'em dead. They are annoying, and don't contribute
to the dialogue, instead they waste people's time. Making this my number one
rule challenges me. I know I don't always succeed, but I like trying. When it's not possible, I call on Rule #2.
 2. Be amusing. Or controversial. Or enchanting.
Or compelling. Or provocative. Anything but boring. I like irony a lot too.(For
instance, I love twitter.com/badbanana, he makes me smile.) 3. Be reflective. This obviously work towards
improving my entries, and helps me with my first and second requirements. Just
because a post is only 140 characters doesn't mean I need to regurgitate the
first thought that comes into my head. And this rule actually requires me to
exercise my vocabulary. Language is an amazing gift we so often overlook as we
rush to communicate as succinctly and efficiently as possible.
 4. Be curious: read a lot-- and not just emails. But blogs, posts, tweets,
journals, books and magazines. Of course, I also mean watch videos, look at
photos, and other websites, stumble around the internet. It's endlessly
fascinating and the random journey can sometimes be the most brilliant. By reading, I learn from others, and then
feel inspired to make a contribution
 5. Be interactive, don't just post. Respond, Answer, Comment. I
often find the comments below a post are more interesting than the post itself.
This feature is what makes the "social" part of this media so amazing
and unique.
 Heather
 
whitelaird@yahoo.com
twitter.com/howlvenice
http://howlvenice.posterous.com/