Sage advice to be taken...and given

This is mostly a "who am I" and "how does that relate to social media" post...

But before I begin in earnest, I'd like you to consider what you know about humans...mentally make a short list of commonalities, especially those that are the dearest to you, for example, breathing air, having the right to your own opinion and the ability to make choices for yourself in such a way as to enjoy the pursuit of happiness, etcetera.

Human beings are not dissimilar entities. We share more commonality than we do opposition. Keep this in mind as the worldwide population continues to expand. We must recognize, understand and value the differences and likenesses of each human. Each human, not each set of humans, but each and every single living human being.

Furthermore, most of you reading will already have an understanding of scientific experimentation and statistical data dissemination. Think about how trials and experiments are conducted. Pay particular attention to the scale of experimentation. In each instance, for any trial or experiment, sets (and often subsets) are selected. Randomization is typically preferred, but regardless, assumptions and findings are based on a scaled-down population that is, hopefully, representative of a larger group.

The users of social media are the randomized population selected to participate in learning how to function in an evolutionary environment where the ultimate outcome is to determine a course of action that allows for optimized survival. More on that at a later date...back to the "who am I..." I had promised.

I am Jesse Loop.
I'm an author, and will continue to be as long as I am able to write. I have multiple examples of my writing work online, in the form of blog posts, and comments on others' blogs. I tend to write mostly regarding issues humans face, politics, race, religion and other items of interest stemming from the advancement and evolution of life on planet Earth. Further, I write children's literature, poetry, lyrics and science fiction, but mostly those categories are for my own enjoyment, and not public consumption.

Unlike my editing and writing examples, much of my graphic design work, which I am quite proficient at, including layout with Quark, Publisher and Pagemaker, and creation with Illustrator, photoshop, and going way back, good old MSpaint, is not available online, but I do have hard copies. I can use either a mac or pc just as easily, but I have no experience with linux or ubuntu.

I can be found using twitter, often issuing sometimes controversial statements designed to encourage people to think for themselves. My tactics likely come across differently to different people. I even claim my tweets diverge from normal from time to time. My sense of literary genius comes from literature itself, a love of science and the advancement of the human condition, our collective environment and ever-evolving societal structure.

My background in both journalism and anthropology are useful to me as I have a distinct quest for knowledge regarding human behaviour, as well as the ability to document my findings. I have remarked, lightheartedly, that I have a Master’s degree in the discipline of thought process sciences. While the title is self-accredited, the experiences that have provided this education are many, diverse, and unique. I have a wide range of experience to draw upon, and attempt to use this knowledge for the benefit of other humans. However, I try not to take myself too seriously. I prefer to remain professional and purposeful even in the course of daily life.

I use two accounts on twitter, but primarily @jesatiu, as I have found that for my purposes, which are to demonstrate the ability to communicate logic and reason in demonstrably healthy and reasonably consistent manner, being myself is paramount. The other is a more personal account used mostly for communication with some of the more influential new media members of twitter. That one is simply @jesseloop.

I have been asked recently to attend NECC and to become involved with Quest Atlantis, and have been referred to Sasha Barab by two different mutual contacts. Apparently my twitter stream gives the impression that I am a knowledgeable and intellectual individual with the capacity to educate. Of course, that’s mostly by design. I do what I can.

If i make a direct and rigid claim or issue a directive I am often correct. In order to achieve this as often as possible I try to refrain from making claims and issuing directives based on feeling or assumption, but instead, choosing to make rigid claims only when I feel certain that fact is on my side. However, more times than not, I simply offer suggestion, and allow the receiver to judge for themselves whether my position carries merit or not. This approach allows me to remain humble as a humble person is rarely humiliated. I also try to look for situations where I am wrong, and admit my mistakes. This approach allows me to better myself as an individual.

I use the power of communication in order to facilitate my ultimate objective, which is to leave the world knowing I have contributed to humanity in such a way as to provide myself with a clear conscience. I firmly believe that God, or any other similarly Omnipotent or Almighty presence, will not judge me any more than I will judge myself.

My slogan, on that issue, is: “you’re going to pay for your own ride…” It’s very similar to the creed of most religions, “Do unto others as you’d have done unto you…”

While the purpose of this post is to educate you, as a part of the social media experiment, I feel as though my use of social media should be primarily relevant to education, in both directions, from me to others, and from others to me. I hope to be an educator at nearly every available opportunity. I also attempt to learn as much from my own writing as I can hope to convey to others, a trick learned from Dr. Isaac Asimov.

By the end of your research regarding me, and my online presence (see @techjen and @geekmommy blogs for reference to difference between “me,” and, “my online presence…”) you will know much more about me than I will know about you, but, in the vein of the parenthetically mentioned blogs, assumptions can be misleading. I can tell you, for example, that just this week alone, using the case of @jetblue as reference (business and education aren’t that far apart when it comes to social media), that the role of social networking in education is to eliminate, or at least to shed a positive light on, assumptions, as I’ve just done for you, regarding me.

CMC (computer mediated communication), as you are most likely aware of, especially given that I’ll assume you have knowledge of the Journal of CMC, based here at IU, presents trials and tribulations, and new media opportunities, representative of the need to further understand social networking, and, ultimately, societal structure, given that my claim that “humans are intrinsically inclined to participate in social behaviour,” is correct.

@jpostman; @chrisbrogan: Joel and Chris, both in the list of influential new media personalities, discuss the vital need for individuals, organizations and businesses to remain ethical and transparent in the growing new media environment. This issue is one that we see unfolding even as I type. The GM blogs are often referenced, as is the Dell presence, when discussing the proper way to use the blogosphere and new media to promote a healthy and morally sound link between a corporation and its customer base (both existing and prospective). Again, I believe education and business share a common link in the new media environment, and ultimately, that new media will provide solutions for the problems facing the larger human network.

Educating in this environment is a challenging, rewarding and worthwhile undertaking in that the contributions of education assist in the development of knowledge. Knowledge which is useful in understanding the evolutionary human process, and even questions like, “how do you use twitter?”

I’m hoping to impart to you my affinity for social networking and for CMC as it pertains to the societal structure, but, also, more importantly, and on task to this communication, that I understand social networking and its potential to serve education. Further, my communication, sales and management experience combine with my professionalism to qualify me as an educator, elder and participant of ongoing learning as I assume the roles I take in social media and in life.

Typically, in life, and in business, I take the stance that I can assist you, if you choose to allow me to do so.

Regards,
~!jesatiu (jesse loop)