What’s Next Now

I’ve noticed a trend in blog post titles.  It seems the world of Social Media Practitioners is in love with lists.  Heck, I’m in love with lists!  One of the tools I use to help me glean what’s next now is the gigantic, ever-changing popularity list at popurls.  As I write this, four of the top ten items on that site’s “popular today” list are… lists! The Internet has gone so crazy about lists, I’m thinking of starting a 12-step self-help program for those wishing to break the list habit! Of course, all documentation for the Listaholics Anonymous program will be provided in a handy and attractive list format.

“Hi, I’m Bob Finch.  I am a Listaholic.  I haven’t clicked on a list in 17 minutes…”

Is it too obvious I’m feeling goofy today?  It’s Friday and I’m feeling lazy and have too much to do aside from this blog; plus, because it’s my first Friday at What’s Next Now, I will silly this up a bit.

Drumroll please!

Here is my top ten list of lists for those interested in Web 2.0, Social Media and generally using the Internet to get ahead:

1. Neatorama » Blog Archive » 10 Things You Should Know About the Internet

Ah, the Internet: you use it every day for school, work or fun. In such a short period of time, the Net has grown into an essential every day thing that it’s hard to imagine life without it.

But how much do you know about the Internet? Did you know that you have the Soviets to thank for this wonderful invention? Or that despite the flack that he got for inventing the Internet, Al Gore actually did play a major role in the creation of the Net?

2. 35+ Examples of Corporate Social Media in Action

We’ve discussed some tactics to get your company better engaged with social media. Lest you think there’s a limit to how you can connect with business and customer facing audiences, we’ve assembled this list of more than 35 companies who are experimenting with social media in a host of different ways.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and it represents a wide variety of businesses, industries and social media tools. As you can see, engagement takes many forms. Some are likely to generate more discussions with the company while others might result better connections between customers. Some will fade away over the next 6-12 months while others will continue to grow and evolve.

3. 50+ Personal Productivity Blogs You’ve Never Heard of Before (and about a dozen you probably have) – Stepcase Lifehack

The personal productivity niche on the Web has grown by leaps and bounds since Lifehack launched only a few years ago. While a few sites dominate the rankings, there are lots and lots of lesser-known sites that are as good or even better than the “A-list” productivity blogs.

4. Disruptive Conversations: Revisiting “the 10 ways I learned to use Twitter”… and adding “Attention Lens” and “Presence”

Why do you use Twitter? After the folks at Twitter added a “Share Your Story” link yesterday where they are asking people why they use Twitter, this has prompted a number of folks to blog about why they use Twitter. One nice piece was from Paul Colligan: “Why I Twitter – And Why It Just Might Make Business Sense” – and then there was Stowe Boyd’s that I’ll mention later.

5. Lifehacker Top 10: Top 10 Conversation Hacks

A whole lot more than just words passes between people who are talking, so a few simple conversational skills can help you recognize what’s really being said and help you lead the discussion your way. Learn how to read body language and facial expressions, de-code euphemisms, ask sensitive questions, criticize constructively, get what you want in negotiations, cut off chatterboxes, and more with our top 10 conversation hacks.

6. 50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice | chrisbrogan.com

You’ve told the boss that you’re going to implement social media stuff for your organization, and in your mind, you’ve decided that means an account on Twitter and a blog. Maybe there’s a bit more to it than that. For instance, what are your goals? Are you there to show customers and prospective new customers that you care? Are you there to solve customer issues? Are you building awareness and attempting new forms of digital marketing? Knowing this up front makes a world of difference.

7. 10 Essential Sites for Tips and How-To’s

The advent of the Internet and social media have spawned a number of how-to sites, which has made finding tips and resources easier than ever before. We’ve put together a list of 10 essential sites where you can find or in some cases contribute tips and how-to’s on a wide range of topics.

8. 50+ Sites To Help You Bury Negative Posts About You or Your Company! | Search Engine People Blog

Have you ever had a client come to you in a state of desperation, begging for help to remove a blog post that ranks for their business name, and portrays them in less than a positive light?

Or perhaps you had a very contentious break-up with an old flame, and they’ve since decided to air their beefs with you in a more public forum, and these complaints now appear every time you type your name into Google. Maybe you merely made a mistake one evening after a few too many beverages, but the proof now appears in video form online and as a result has become part of your public resume.

9. 100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man’s Library | The Art of Manliness

There are the books you read, and then there are the books that change your life. We can all look back on the books that have shaped our perspective on politics, religion, money, and love. Some will even become a source of inspiration for the rest of your life. From a seemingly infinite list of books of anecdotal or literal merit, we have narrowed down the top 100 books that have shaped the lives of individual men while also helping define broader cultural ideas of what it means to be a man.

10. 8 Great Anti-Hacks to Fundamentally Change Your Life | Zen Habits

Albert Einstein stated that “problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Einstein, of course, was right. Sometimes our problems require more than life hacks, tips, tweaks, etc. Sometimes our lives don’t need optimization, they need to be fundamentally reconfigured.

Those aren’t in any particular order, but I do find them most useful.  While it isn’t a list of the sort above, I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug my friend Jonathan Lyons’ spiffy list site, mywallah.

For more information about feeding your list addiction, please visit the grand list of great lists I’m building at SecondBrain.  And, if you have other lists you’d like to promote, please, ummm, list them in the comments section.

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