I am a self confessed Twitterholic; my LinkedIn membership is starting to deliver the goods; Google+, which used to have the ambiance of an empty aircraft hanger, is buzzing, easier to navigate and finally growing on me, and I’m about to conquer the final frontier, Facebook, on a professional rather than social level.

So many good things come out of using social media that it’s hard to understand those who ‘can’t be bothered with it’. It has serious applications, for business, careers, good causes, breaking news, etc., but it can also be a lot of fun.

It isn’t perfect, but it’s free, and the benefits of an active online presence definitely outweigh any drawbacks that arise from the inevitable glitches and minor irritations that come with it, and here’s why….

I LOVE…

‘Listening in’ to intriguing Twitter conversations and realising I’ve just unearthed a great story – ahead of anybody else.

Making amazing new contacts, many of them experts in their field who’ll provide quality comment for stuff I’m working on, and in some cases, the story itself. Sometimes I connect with people who just have something interesting to say, and engage the rest of us into thinking and responding.

The speed of response. Nowadays, a Twitter or Facebook message can be worth a dozen emails. I’m not sure what that says about how much time people spend on social networks or how often they are checking their inboxes, but who cares as long as it makes for better communication.

Connecting with others in a similar line of work to share information and knowledge, and potentially collaborate on bigger projects.

I DON’T LOVE….

Followers who follow, unfollow, then follow again. And again. What is that about? If you’re trying to get my attention, it’s probably easier to just tweet me.

Automated messages thanking me for my Follow and asking me to Like their Facebook page. If you’re going to message me, make it personal and write it yourself. Then I might be interested enough to check out your Facebook page or Pinterest site.

Tweeps who don’t manage their account security properly, so that their password gets hacked, and I end up getting direct messages with links to ‘rumours that someone’s spreading about me’, or ‘something I wrote that cracked them up’ or a ‘shocking secretly filmed Youtube video of me’. That last one is a hoax…right?