It’s called Social Networking

 
I know a lot of people don’t get it.  They don’t get the Web. They don’t get the blogosphere.  And most especially, they don’t get Twitter.  Numerous people in my so-called “real” life have been led to believe that I lost the last bit of sanity I possessed because I dared to espouse the virtues and wonders of Twitter.

I gave up trying to explain about the power of the Internet, how to connect with people online, how screen names and pixels become part of ”real” life to those who think I’m crazy for living such a “connected” life.  In all honesty, if it seems completely bizarre to you, there’s probably nothing I can say that will change your mind.  If you can’t fathom how people can become friends, intertwine their lives, fall in love, grow businesses, extend their social circles through their online activity, it is highly unlikely that I can alter your way of thinking.  You won’t think the crammed inboxes of my 15 email accounts, 20 domains, handful of blogs and participation in various social networks are cool things.  You’ll likely be concerned and you’ll probably ask me why I can’t disconnect and encourage me to spend more time “in the real world”.  Even in the rarified IT atmosphere in which I move during daylight hours my peers view me as one of “THOSE” people.  You know who “THOSE” people are, right?

Ah, right.  That would be me.  Make no mistake: I am proud to be one of “THOSE” people.

You’re going to do what?

 
John Cachero, a Hampton Roads-based photographer who shoots weddings, portraits and special events all over Virginia, is one of “THOSE” people too. Thankfully.  At some point in the past couple of months, John jumped into a conversation HG and I were having with Ty about doing a Tweet Up somewhere between here and his neck of the woods out at the beach.  John is a photographer, and a bit of a geeky one at that, so he fit right in with the often frenetic exchange of quips and quotes.

A few weeks back John mentioned something about a photowalk.  It sounded like a good idea because I have this awesome Canon 30D that I don’t use nearly enough.  He initially thought June, but then came back with a date in early May.  So some rather inert bit of commentary about a Tweet Up was turning into an invitation to come out to Portsmouth on May 3 to go on a photo walk.  Coolness.

HG and I were like little kids on Christmas Eve.  We really didn’t want anyone to know how completely geeked out we were about this.  It seemed a bit…um…desperate I guess.  We didn’t want anyone to know how completely dorky we were so we kept our excitement quiet.  We especially kept it quiet from those non-Web anti-Twitter people. They would have had us committed for driving 2 hours to meet up with people we didn’t “know”.

Let me just say – it was fabulous. John is an incredible host and everyone who attended was great! We walked around Olde Towne until the downpour came.  Then thanks to HG and Ty, we were able to stand on some random Olde Towner’s porch until there was a break in the rain.  We scrambled back to the Bier Garden to commence an early breaking of bread.

My point in all this is that Twitter is a SOCIAL network.  If you don’t use the social part of it, you’re missing out.  We have made some awesome new friends because we were willing to invest in a single afternoon beyond what we do online.

Although we had some non-Tweeps in our group, the list of tweeps in attendance is below. If I left someone out, please let me know. I will update the list and add you!

@johncachero
@sourapplemedia
@djweso
@dolceshan
@iamtiff
@ericfadden
@shuttergirl
@LlamaKid
@SaMi_Am
@FreakMike
@iso757
@ciophoto
@youngck
@kristy10
@g33kguy
@g33kgurrl

The shared gallery from the #HRVA Olde Towne Portsmouth Photo Walk is viewable on Flickr.

Tomorrow HG and I are on our way to DC to attend RedUX DC.  We will be meeting up with @sourapplemedia, @lwcavallucci and @chriscavallucci.

Social. Networking. You should try it.