Our Father's Legacy

Not all of us have the chance to say goodbye.  Fortunately, I was able to read this to My Father a few days before he passed and to share this with the rest of my family.  Now, I'm sharing it with you.



If you watch shows like Downton Abbey,  you see what effect great patriarchs have on their families.  It goes back to God's commandment to be fruitful and multiply and his promise to Abraham that his children would be like the stars in the sky.  Our Father has passed such a legacy to us, a legacy that we can trace back for many generations in a Bible that tracks not only the fathers but also the mothers. 

It is not just the Fulton Clark name that has passed down even to his great grand-kids. It is a sense of good character, selfless integrity, and commitment to service to God and community that governs our lives balanced by independence, creativity, and intellectualism that grows into wisdom.  

Each of his offspring has carried forth a bit of that legacy.  Many of us are musicians, some of us writers, one a pastor, but all of us dreamers as his children become as numerous as the stars.   

Our Father has been for us an inspiration that has given us a concrete example of our heavenly Father's love. It is one we each try to follow as parents.

New Friends You Should Meet

Again, these are just personal thoughts and not Intel positions. I'm not sure what "friends" of a corporation would mean exactly anyway and don't really want to explore that topic right now....

These are some of my more recent finds on twitter whom I find particularly noteworthy. I recommend you take a quick look at each of their streams to see if what they tweet about interests you. You will find not only do they have their own interesting content, but they are excellent at retweeting interesting content from others, so with each one you follow, you get a lot more than just one set of ideas.

Social Media

@eric_andersen is an architect at IBM in Cambridge, MA who keeps abreast of social media. He also keeps good track of what's interesting in Boston, for those of us who miss "the Hub".

@RyderMedia is a social media strategist in LA, who often uses the hashtag #sm to indicate tweets that are relevant to social media.

@SteveAkinsSEO is a social media guru from Chicago who shows that Search Engine Optimization is not always a bad thing, especially when one generously retweets things that share useful information.

Life Style

@LDGourmet is a foodie. If you don't get hungry following her stream, then you probably aren't. ;-)

@moondustwriter is a poet who co-founded One Stop Poetry.

Online Security

@ChadChoron is a great source of malware news.

@yo9fah_ro is a great source of malware news who lives in Romania.

Keeping Twitter Social

As always just my own thoughts and not related to Intel, and definitely not "official" in any way shape or form.

Old news is sometime new news. Today I read the following tweet about #FollowFriday (or #FF for short).

Do a proper #followfriday instead of spamming everyone http://j.mp/bsjO1o via @AskAaronLee @zaibatsu #FF #Tipsless than a minute ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet ReplyTerri Nakamura
terrinakamura

Since #FF is one of my favorite things on Twitter, almost as important to me as Retweeting, I read with intense interest. If you want to take the time to read it now, feel free, I'll still be here when you are done.

In some ways, the article made me proud, over my short stay on twitter I had definitely taken the time to do the "introductory" style tweets rather than the blanket #FF list of people without explanation kinds. Moreover, I had written a couple of blog posts (e.g. this list of my twitter mentors) where I gave more extended explanations.

However, it also made me embarassed. Recently, I have been somewhat lazy in my approach to #FollowFriday and often just let myself by with just the RT or Thx to the #FF lists I've been on. That's too close to the "Thank you for the wonderful 'crock pot' letter." one sends when one gets a gift one doesn't know what to do with. My friends deserve better than that.

As I result, I realized that I felt mostly confused. Twitter is a social network. Engagement is a big part of that. It's also a tough thing for an introvert like me and certainly not a natural thing. I am totally jealous of those who can pass around the waves and hugs and touch base with people in way that is both sincere and casual at the same time.

And, while some might look at that traffic filled with a quick pleasantry but mostly names as spammy, it clearly is part of the touch that reminds people we are thinking of them. Therein lies the conundrum. Several of the #FF lists I get on a relatively regular basis are simply my friends staying in touch. It is a nice gesture. It feels good to get those lists. It helps me feel part of a community. Of course, it also sometimes reminds me that there are people I haven't chased down in my stream as much as I would like.

So, I know that RTing of Thx for those lists is probably cluttering some peoples streams on Fridays (and into Saturday and Sunday sometimes). Moreover, it isn't a substitute for real engagement. I also know that those lists are certainly not getting anyone any new followers.

However, all that is ok. It is still a way to stay in touch with my friends. When I can, I do find ways to engage them at that next level. Still, hopefully, in the meantime these #FF lists serve to remind us, if ever so fleetingly, of people that have been important in our stream, and to occasionally prompt us to do more than just remember them.

Why Retweets Matter -- A Word to the Wise

These are purely personal opinions and do not reflect Intel recommendations or policies or anything.

If you've followed me at all, you will notice that most of my tweets are retweets (RTs). It is something I believe in and practice. Even when I carry on a [non personal] conversation, I generally start by retweeting the other person first, then send them a public message ".@name", retweeting their replies.

Now, for some of you, this may be too much. In which case, I apologize and recommend you simply not follow me. I won't be offended. I'm here on twitter to share. That means carrying on most of my dialogs in public. And, equally importantly, recognizing those who spark them.

That is a key point. To me a retweet is the appropriate way of acknowledging one's sources and benefactors. And, I do think of those who provide me with material to quote as my benefactors. They have given me something of value. Acknowledging them with a retweet is the one way to recognize that value.

That brings me to the next point. As an active retweeter, I have a lot of sources to chose from. At home I have 8 columns visible in tweetdeck on a machine just dedicated to watching twitter. That gives me lots to look at when I'm looking for something to RT. So, if you want me to retweet you, you need to grab my attention.

Good content is an obvious must. However, I assume when you send out a tweet it is because you have something to say. Therefore, in your opinion, your content is good or why did you bother to tweet it in the first place.

However, the next part is more key for me. Do you retweet or otherwise engage? If I retweet you, is it likely that it will prompt a further dialog? While it isn't an absolute requirement for me to retweet you, it does up your odds if I have a memory that a previous retweet caused a pleasant interaction. This is particularly true if you are tweeting something like a quote or a story that is covered in several places. And, not only do I remember those who have interacted with me, I also notice those who are in a habit of retweeting others. So, when you see me repetitively retweeting people like @chadchoron, @SteveAkinsSEO, @2morrowknight, @terrinakamura, or @shebajo--notice that they have also frequently retweeted others.

So, if you are confident that what you tweet is truly newsworthy, go ahead and depend on your content getting you retweeted. However, if you want someone like me to pick up your content when I'm looking for something, it can help if you've been noticed for being generous with your retweets. In fact, I'll give you a clue, if given the choice between two tweets on the same topic, I will usually pick the one that has been retweeted over the one which is "original". That allows me to give credit to a fellow retweeter.

Conversely, if you never retweet anyone, it won't keep me from retweeting you, but I also won't be drawn to read your tweet when your avatar comes up either. Like anyone, I'm drawn to the icons of those who I like, i.e. those who I know retweet. It is easier to love someone who is loving and on twitter love is spelled RT.

Thanks for Carrying Me Via Follow Fridays

Follow Friday is one of Twitter's best traditions. It's a very real way that one's twitter friends can carry them in times where they get sidetracked and don't have the time to twitter as much as they should.

One of my twitter mentors recently shared with me the very real fear that twitter is like talking to people with ADHD. You know exactly what is being referred to. If one disappears from twitter for too long, one simply ceases to exist. Everyone's stream marches on quite quickly. Someone who hasn't tweeted in the last couple of days will simply have no tweets show up in one's stream. If you have some busy lists like I do, that time frame reduces to hours. Maybe one tries to make up some lists of particular friends to hold on to their tweets a bit longer in the stream, but that is only a stopgap measure.

The one place one can hold on a bit longer is one's mention (@ message) column. Okay, for the true top tweeters who get tons of mentions even that doesn't work. However, that's a different problem. For an average person, even one who tries to be active on twitter, one generally can keep track of one's mentions.

That really helps when Follow Friday comes along. Even if you've had a bad week and you haven't had nearly the time to tweet things like you wanted, if you go to your mentions column after a Friday, you can see those who remembered you despite your absence. Those are some of your truest twitter friends. The time you take to thank them or RT them will be well rewarded.

In fact, this works particularly true for those who Follow Friday a list of names, at least for those who use a list of names to group people who are similar. Those people are like the core of one's friends group. They are the people who keep the group together.

Thus, if you find yourself on one of those Follow Friday lists, here is something simple you can do. Use an old-style retweet to forward the list, starting it with thanks (THX or TY) if there is space. Make sure you include the original senders name, and remove your own name. If you do that, you are remembering the person who started the trend to all of their friends for your retweet will show up in all their mentions column too.

Now, clearly this can get carried away. In fact many of the twitter elite got away from Follow Friday lists because they were getting out of hand.

Here are some rules of thumb to keep from turning Follow Friday into a problem.

1. Don't forwards lists from tweeps you don't know, especially not when the lists contains entirely tweeps you don't know. Spammers have been known to use that technique to build up followers.


2. Don't generate overly long Follow Friday lists yourself, especially not every week. If we all keep our lists down to those we truly respect and our friends with, they won't get carried away. If we try to use Follow Friday lists as a way of growing our own followers it won't work well.


3. Do consider following people on the lists you receive, especially if you already follow most of the people on the list and the list is from someone you respect. These are your potential new friends and the whole reason for Follow Friday in the first place.


4. Be particularly aware of the people who send the same (or roughly the same) list each week. These are the people who have identified you as part of a specific group. You can take that as a stronger recommendation of the other people on the list.


5. If you are preparing your own Follow Friday tweets, mix them up a little, especially if you do more than one. Put different tweeters together on different weeks. Add a new friend you've found to the list. That will help your friends see the larger circle they are within and keep their circles gorwing.

To close, I'd like to mention some tweeps who've done a particularly good job of keeping the Follow Friday spirit alive. These friends have helped me through many a rough week and introduced me to other tweeters I would not have met otherwise.
@CyberSafeFamily
@FortaliceLLC
@MaryKayHoal
@MomsMaterial
@RonaldTi
@rootnl2k
@SaferDates
@SpectrumPestInc
@Strykerdlh
@SueScheff
@TalkToanIT
@techranter
@TheTeenDoc
@2morrowknight
@TrimuphCISO

Some of My Twitter Mentors

Even without having twittered long enough to be an accomplished tweeter, it is still worth paying homage to those who've brought me this far. These are the people who taught me how to tweet. In particular, these are people that I specifically chose to emulate or learn something about tweeting from. There are, of course, lots of others, I respect on twitter, but these, in particular, had a specific impact on how and what I tweet about.

My initial thanks go to @ShebaJo for bringing this idea to my attention. If you want someone to pick you up with a laugh or a great song, she is a go-to woman. In fact, if she hadn't cajoled me into blipping, I wouldn't have done that either, would have just happily listened to others music. She also knows more about photography that I want to imagine it is possible to know.

Next, I think I should honor the people who got me started. First, Jessica Lortli, who appears not be on twitter any longer. In any event, she ran the brown-bag event that introduced the idea of having twittering and blogging for Intel as something one didn't not need to be a PR or marketing person to do. Having been a Usenet news poster, long before people thought is was Google groups, I happily jumped at the chance.

The next mentor has to be @dmadey, who was the Voce person assigned to teach me the ropes. I cannot give him enough credit for getting me going in the right direction. I still have some lessons from him on blogging that I'm trying to incorporate.

I also want to mention my fellow "Embassadors" @geek8ive, @intel_jim, @intel_rhonda, and @intel_stewart who've always been a great source of mutual support. Many of the other people on this list, I met by raiding my fellow embassadors following list.

@geekgirls was my next mentor with her blog entry on tweeps as real friends. I've used this as my guide for how I want to deal with my fellow tweeps. Really inspiring for me was how @dracona1031 stepped up and demonstrated what being a friend on twitter was about in the next week. Nothing like an excellent example to drive a point home.

The next four twitter mentors I met at approximately the same time. I'm not really certain who I met first. They were all instrumental in my development.

@mistygirlph was my next mentor and she lead me to the entire @bitrebels team and blog. The personal touch they use is an absolute inspiration. @adamsconsulting could easily have been my intro to this wonderful team, but I met Mindy first.

@terrinakamura became one of my mentors about the same time. She is my gold standard for what it means to be a twitter all-star. The fact that she also introduced me to more than a few of my other favorite twitterers, such as @lindacriddle, @krystynchong, and @nonglin does not hurt either.

@lanny_S is another mentor I met at the same time. She was influential in my learning that one could truly mix different styles of tweets successfully. Her tweets cover a variety of topics, including ones on security that I would otherwise miss. On top of that, she displays true class.

@nurul54 was instantly recognizable to me as someone I wanted as a mentor. She certainly came through. In particular, when I reached a point of frustration about not being able to keep up with all the people I was following, she since gave me the insight that it was okay. I depend on her for deep and abiding insights. She regularly delivers. Everyone should have a mentor that enriches their soul.

@rickasaurus is my mentor on tweeting about programming topics. He is always on top of interesting articles and comments.

@nigelfenwick is great example of someone who does an important job but does not let it go to his head. He has a great sense of humor and doesn't talk down to people.

@fortaliceLLC is representative of the whole online-safety community I associate with. She is a most capable choice to select though, displaying dedication and tenacity. She has certain inspired me to stick-with-it and keep trying to help keep people vigilant about the topic. As I mentioned in the post about the community, they have impacted not only how I tweet, but who I am.

As I mentioned at the outset, these are tweeps who have specifically influenced what and how I tweet.

There is a whole list of other people who I respect on twitter and like what they tweet. You can tell that by looking at the lists I keep. Each list represents a column in tweetdeck. And, while I RT mostly the people in my security-all and security-2 lists because that's my area of work, I could easily fill my stream by RTing just things I like from any one of my lists.

You can easily see that by watching the people who I RT regularly with the sad part being that I can't keep up with the number of great things to tweet that come in and so there are more than is visible. As they say, you can see only the tip-of-the-iceberg.

I love the #140char community, exemplified by @teksquisite, @technobozo, @mikerigsby, and @strikerdlh.

I also love the people who work regularly on security either as researchers or vendors, such as @vikphtak and @FSecure.

Also the journalists that translate our complex field into something more accessible, like @HelpNetSecurity, @RWW, and @DarkReading.

The law is another source of tweeps I enjoy like @clarinette02, @rcalo, and @econwriter5.

As a programmer, I also have specific technical people who I find interesting like @redzor and @tehlike.

Finally, there are just people who I admire and respect personally such as @modelsupplies and @mllyssa. I'd love to tweet more of their material, but I just can't keep up. :-(

I just want to go on listing people who I really enjoy following, but at some point one must stop.

Online Safety List

Disclaimer: As always, remember that these lists are only my personal opinions as to people who seem to be tweeting about the topic mentioned and don't reflect Intel's endorsement in any way.

The online safety list is the clique primarily responsible for making me a better person on twitter. These are the people was are activists on twitter attempting to get people to understand the security and privacy risks of online behavior both for themselves and for their children.

If you follow these people you will get:

1. specific advice on various internet activities,
   
2. what risks they may expose you to,
3. things to do to mitigate those risks,
   
4. and support for doing the right thing.

Typical topics include:

1. phishing and spam attacks
2. cyberbullying
3. sexting
4. oversharing
   

Of course, not everyone on this list tweets about the above topics all the time, but many of them have it as their primary focus. Like many clique's we often "Follow Friday" each other. Since even just checking out the recommendations I receive on Fridays doesn't fit in that one day, I decided to make this list up of these friends. (It has only taken me two months to actually get this to the point that I'm ready to share it, despite being on the top of my to-do list each weekend in that time period.)

Note that this list is not a one-time thing. I will add to it as more people are recommended to me. This list also doesn't even include eveyone talking about online safety. In particular, there are some very good advice givers that aren't advocates in the traditional sense and who aren't included on the list. Some of the commercial anti-virus vendors have very good advice sections, but they aren't on this list at its inception. I'll take suggestions on whether that should change.

I also have two other related lists:

1. security-all is a list of the people who tweet about online security (more generally, not just advocates)
   
2. parenting is a list of the people who tweet about parenting issues
   

All of these lists are simply those that I have found and am following so far.

I always take recommendations, just tweet me @intel_chris.