Forgive the title – it is shamelessly stolen from The Wizard of Oz (“Lions & tigers & bears, oh my”).  I must admit, sometimes I feel a little like Dorothy when I start looking at all the social network options available. This whirlwind of online chatter is mind blowing.

Facts & Trends magazine – of which yours truly is the editor – began more than 50 years ago as a free 4-page newsletter sent out from LifeWay to a couple of hundred Southern Baptist pastors and ministers of education. It let them know what was going on at LifeWay and, as often as not, about one-fourth of it was devoted to a listing of new employees coming in and old employees leaving.

Today, Facts & Trends goes out to about 65,000 people – church staffs, seminaries, colleges/universities, denominational leaders and lots of lay leaders. We still mostly mail to Southern Baptists, but other denominations have seen the good in knowing what LifeWay is doing and what we have to offer as ministry ideas and resources. Best of all, it's still free. I like to think that some things are just too good to sell!

But I digress …

I am a print gal! Old school. I like a magazine that I can hold in my hands. I like big pictures. I like reading. I still read honest to goodness books. I’m the proud owner and frequent user of a Metro Davidson County Public Library card.

But again, I digress …

Things change and grow. That's good. We change and grow with them or we die. Facts & Trends is now so much more than just a print magazine. Facts & Trends Online has a growing following. We now have a Facebook page where you can be a “fan” just by typing Facts & Trends in Facebook’s search window. Having “fans” sounds great!

Now, Facts & Trends has a Twitter account (@FTOmagazine). I understand that Twitter is the fastest growing communication tool the history of the known universe … moving at something akin to light speed.

But, I confess. I had to be pulled into Twitter. For so long, Twitter seemed to me to be the playground of egocentric individuals who thought I would care what they were having for lunch or that they were waiting in the movie line. News flash – I didn’t!

It seems that Twitter is quickly becoming the playground for business movement. Tweeters, Twitter-ers, Twits (I still can't remember all the Twitter terminology) have gotten past the fluff and now use the online community for quick updates, information, etc.

As I was watching the early morning news recently, I heard a reporter in Haiti talking about how Twitter has been a real lifeline for people there getting information out. It's a legitimate tool.
So, I will tweet, even though I think that makes me sound like the red, red robin who went bob, bob, bobbin’ along.

Sign up to follow FTOmagazine on Twitter. I’ll give you updates on things that come to mind as I work on Facts & Trends. But, just to let you know … don’t expect to find out what I had for breakfast!

Posted by Polly House
Editor, Facts & Trends Magazine

 

This entry was posted on January 27, 2010 4:00 PM and is filed under Reflections . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.