Grow Academy Bootcamp

Twenty four hours ago the launch of Grow Academy Bootcamp has taken place. I am proud to say that i am part of this experience. Day 1 has kicked off with a brief introduction as to what will happen the rest of the week, we got to sign up to the Grow Academy site and make loads of friends. Today Rlabs will commence with Social Media training, tommorow we will be exploring web developing and design with the aid of woothemes, on thursday we will be dealing with search engines with webgrowth and finally on friday, Givengain will equip us with skills in relation to databases and communication campaigns.

This is a great oppportunity to gain experience and exposure as well as obtain some skills which i may utilize in my everyday life.

#Hashtags#

Hashtags are to the social web what emoticons were to Web 1.0 and TXTing. While both are forms of expression and sentiment, there is one subtle, but vital difference. Hashtags are not only part of online culture, they are defining a new era of communication on the Web and IRL (in real life). With over 140 million Tweets flying across Twitter every day, hashtags surface a method to the madness – the ability to group conversations into an organized timeline. But what started out as a way to index conversations in Twitter has now substantially altered how people convey, relay and discover information in and out of the popular nichework. The hashtag has also become an effective form of #selfexpression.

In social media, “x” no longer marks the spot, “#” is now the indicator for popular culture and all that moves it. In the social economy, the hashtag is an indicator of value in the Twitter information exchange. Each hashtag represents revolving markets with varying lifespans determined by the significance of the conversation and its continuously fleeting demand. Some last only minutes, while others endure for hours or days.

While many struggle to understand the value of Twitter, those who get it are literally changing how they connect and talk to one another. At some point, a chasm emerges between those who use Twitter and those who do not. In other channels where Twitter users and other non-users are connected, for example email or text messaging, the culture of conversation becomes noticeably divergent. To begin with, Twitter users, like txters, are groomed to speak with brevity. Subconsciously aware of the character constraints of Twitter, communication is concise, to the point, with an emphasis on shortform bursts. This digital shorthand if you will is only part of what’s changing. Digital anthropologists have long observed the impact of text messaging on the ability to write in longhand. R U surprised? Prolly not…LOL! Twitter will also become the subject of educational studies to prove that the culture code of communication is transcending status updates to affect everyday engagement. Specifically within 140-character inspired transmissions, the hashtag is playing an important role.

#Brian Solis

The Digital Transformation of Healthcare

Can Social Media Save Lives?

In recent years, social networking services like Facebook and Twitter have affected many sectors of the global health care industry, from doctor-patient communication to medical research to hospital management. In this exclusive webinar, four leading experts will explore the implications of social networking technology for the future of medicine. Topics will include:

• How patients are using social networks to learn more about their conditions and seek treatment information, thereby facilitating the provider-patient relationship and realizing efficiencies in the health care system.
• Crowd sourcing medical research: how social networks can facilitate data collection.
• The networked care center: how social media is changing hospital management.
• How health care professionals can manage social media risk.

About the Panel:

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Marc Monseau, Johnson & Johnson

Marc Monseau has spent the past few years as Director of Corporate Communication and Social Media for Johnson & Johnson where he is responsible for a wide range of activities related to the social web, including launching the company’s official blog and twitter account, @JNJComm. In this role, Marc has also worked closely with his colleagues throughout Johnson & Johnson to help them develop and execute digital and social stragtegies. Most recently, Marc created MDM Communication to provide advice and counsel for other companies to help them too find their voice in the digital world.

Mark Ryan, MD

Dr. Mark Ryan works at the Department of Family Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and is also a member of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media Advisory Board. Mark is interested in how social media can support development of collaborations and partnerships across distances, and how social media can be used to promote patient empowerment, health and wellness, increased access to medical care, and patient-centered care. He is an active participant in the #hcsm and #MDchat Twitter chats, and is a contributor to the Social Media Healthcare blog.

Meghan M. Hannes, CyberFactors

Meghan Hannes is the Director of CyberFactors and possesses nearly 10 years of cyber underwriting experience, designing and pricing privacy, network security, and intellectual property insurance programs for Fortune 500 companies and 1B+ organizations. Meghan carries extensive knowledge of regulatory, legal and financial exposures presented by advancements in technology, all acquired during her time as a senior underwriter at Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and The Hartford.

Jake Wengroff, Moderator, Frost & Sullivan

Jake Wengroff is the Global Director of Social Media Strategy and Research for Frost & Sullivan. Jake evaluates the various technologies, vendors, influencers, vertical markets, and end-users in the social media ecosystem, providing guidance in Frost & Sullivan’s Market Engineering studies, Market Insights, Best Practices research, white papers, and other research.

#Social Media Today

Wedding Bells & Creativity

"I had so much creative fun with my hobby, doing hair and make up......"




The day might have started off wet and freezing cold with Winter fast approaching, but the day Bianca and Francois said their I do’s – a day they have both been waiting for and planning for a long time, the Cape Town chills certainly had nothing on them!! In fact, this must be the day the saying ‘showers of blessings’ was created for!
Not allowing the heavy clouds to dampen this glamorous occasion, all those near and dear arrived in beautiful style- tho not out shining the bride & groom who did splendid in wowing everyone who attended!
The pair was joint in a breathtaking cathedral in the city central- St Mary, followed by a warm & welcoming reception at Suikerbossie in Houtbay – one of the most beautiful fisherman towns in South Africa!
Besides the fireplace doing a good job at keeping the place nice and cozy, DJ CAT also fired away with some great tunes, making sure everyone, even those least expected, ended up on the dance floor!
The highlight of the evening must have been the fine menu! man, was the food good! Definitely to be tried again…
The fairy tale wedding ended on a fun note as guests formed an arch for the happy couple to walk through as each one wished them every happiness and bid them a farewell as they headed on their honeymoon to exotic Thailand xxx

#Photofuzion Photography

Men of Valor

Every man must be persuaded, even if he is in rags,that he is immensely,immensely important.Everyone must respect him and make him respect himself, too...give him great,great hopes.He needs them,especially if he is young.Spoil him.Yes,make him grow proud.... as only a father can do.

Growing up with no father child relationship has affected my live in many ways, and the day my dad past on it was like nothing... to me he was never alive.Yes not even a childhood memory of him playing with or fathering me...oh how i long for that embrace.It was to late I will never know I missed out on the blessing of having a earthly father and no one can replace him.I find it hard sometimes not knowing what it's like,I see others with their dad's and I wonder.........................

Yesterday as we honored the senior fathers in our church it came to me, that I can choose to forgive my father and not to miss out on the blessing of my Heavenly Father.He who called me by my name...and to all the fathers at Cape Town Christian Fellowship, I can look to you to teach me the way to live a life of honor,conviction and character.

Being a man of valor is both a gift and a discipline, It's a gift in the sense that God has given every man the capacity for greatness. It is a discipline in the sense that, although God will empower you,it is up to you to exercise the spiritual disciplines that will enable you to become the man God intends you to be a man of valor!

#Men of Valor :By Richard Exley
#Ugo Betti