Alright, there are a lot of people complaining that they find Twitter boring. And understandably. With only 140 characters to work with, it’s usually just the facts on Twitter.

I call it Facebook Lite. Twitter is like the Blackberry of social media while Facebook is the iPhone. No wonder long-winded, game playing Facebook types find Twitter boring. It’s just them and their friends. No distractions.

I say mix it up. Don’t follow your friends on Twitter! Most of them probably suck anyway! Start following the alphabet soup of celebrity lists. A, B, C and, yes, D-listers are SO gonna be more fun than your friends.

Trust me. This is why I follow Cher. On Twitter there’s no beads, no wigs, no makeup. It’s just Cher, and this bitch is crazy! Spelling mistakes and all!

- Richard Ryder is never boring on Twitter. (He spells right, two.)

For many gay men, there’s nothing more attractive than a masculine man.  And from birth we are inundated with information on what it means to be a man’s man, a real guy, a dude.

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This exhibit, from 2009, is called 'Please Do Not Disturb'

It has finally happened people!  This is the year!  FINALLY I’m in Toronto to witness and participate in the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, an event that sweeps Toronto off it’s feet year after year.  The event takes over Toronto this Saturday night.

Yes, that’s right, I’m a Nuit Blanche virgin, always arriving back in Toronto after the event only to hear how amazing it was.  I’ve heard that the event is so large it can be overwhelming, so I’ve been doing some pre-planning and thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned if you’re in the same boat.

You can check out what the different artists are planning to do at Nuit Blanche on YouTube .  Agnes Winter stands out in my mind.  She’s from Paris, has done similar exhibitions around the world and will definitely make you smile if you are in front of the Holt Renfrew building the night of Nuit Blanche.

Naturally, Nuit Blanche is on Facebook (great pics from previous Nuit Blanche events!) and Twitter (I imagine everyone out Saturday night will be Tweeting pics like no one’s business)

To avoid feeling overwhelmed by ALL of what’s going on, organizers have smartly put information centres in all 3 of the ‘zones’.  Zone A being Yonge & Bloor.  Zone B at Yonge & Dundas.  And Zone C at the Bay Adelaide Centre.

This year, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche wants you to throw in your own two cents, asking you to cast your vote for your Scotiabank People’s Choice favourite art project at any of the 3 information centres.  Check out the art projects all over town, then vote online, in person or at the info centres.  You get a chance of winning an iPad or a $100 Pre-Paid Visa Card – and the artist with the most votes walks away with $5,000.  Get all the voting details here!

Also, this year, Nuit Blanche is sponsoring the Creative Works Studio at St. Michael’s Hospital.  This studio acts as a safe place for creative expression for people living with a mental illness.   To find check out some of the art work, find information about other events and to make a donation, go to their really cool website.

Now that I know all that I do, I can’t believe I waited so long to do it!  See you out there!

A recently befriended a guy sent me a dick shot on the second or third message  Everyone knows I’m not a prude. It’s Facebook not Dickbook. I congratulated him, he was my first Facebook flasher.

Social media has a few uses for me. The first is obvious, social. It’s been a great way to keep up with real “friends” and connect with others. The other takes the  form of getting word out on various writing and other projects. Facebook becomes akin to a cyber office. Trying to balance these two functions can be challenging at times.

I was inspired by this video for this post, along with my recent dick shot.

video from  the website Your Tango, it’s fun.

That got me thinking about Facebook etiquette.  My list is a rip off of what I’ve seen elsewhere plus my own additions made. Please feel free to add your own. Why stop at ten?

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Lets face it: Facebook is a great invention. I can only imagine for record labels, night clubs and promoters how this social network has worked greatly for them, and also worked as a royal pain in the neck.

Before Facebook I insisted on DJs/producers to mail me a demo which included a disc with artwork on its face enclosed in a jewel case with proper design illustrating the artist’s sound, personality by way of colour and/or design. If it looked appealing it then made me want to slide into my player to hear what the visual sounded like. Thus creating intrigue for the artist who produced it.

Move now to 2010 I receive (and I’m sure many of you do as well) links in my private Facebook inbox to so many DJ mixes. Before I go any further let me emphasize the astronomical amount of links I receive of what I call “nameless” links to a DJ’s latest mix. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the drive and enthusiasm. I don’t however appreciate the laziness behind it.

By this I mean a link with no description, no story. Just a link.

I’m not a label owner, or work for Sony, nor am I the biggest, baddest booking agent in this country, but then again who is? Yet I do have pull, but I’m not going to push anyone who sends me just a link to my Facebook inbox. Plain and simple, I’m not. Call me a bitch, call me an asshole. Call me a scene destroyer, but than again you should know better.

I love music (obviously) and I love receiving it. Unlike the label heads or some music critics I’m much kinder and don’t receive the pay cheques they receive. Therefore I’m open to new talent and new sounds. All I ask is to be PROFESSIONAL!

Sorry, just because you can illegally download a software program, or can mix like no other due to the many post production software programs out there, does not mean you can hold a crowd of 50, let alone 2000! Or that anyone will download and listen to your Facebook link and know who you are. Because many of those who blindly send these links never within their mix announce who the mix is by. Seriously! In this day and age a DJ can’t announce their name during intervals throughout the mix? Guess that’s why they end up forgotten or worse yet deleted from potential’s listener’s playlists, too bad.

Remember Facebook is a ‘social network’, not a ‘find a job’, ‘book me’, ‘add me to you roster’ network.

Please stop sending me links with no presentation. Statistically they’re not downloaded as much as you think.

Here’s an example. You receive a piece of junk mail in your mailbox. Yes another piece of junk (which costs far more than your mix). Yet the image on the envelope is enticing to you. It’s full of the colours you like and has an image you can’t help but stare at wondering what it’s all about. So you open it.

Whether the outcome is successful or not, the point is it was inspiring, opened and read. Thus targeted to you!

Yes the demographics, the market audience all hold true no matter the industry. So, before you decide to send me a private message (or post a link on my Wall) on Facebook to what you think is an awesome mix, think before you click Send.

Give me and others a reason to listen. Do something different.

I woke up this morning and logged onto Facebook, as I normally do. Its my morning ritual. Some people have coffee, I have friend requests. I was greeted with a message from the people at Facebook that stated there were new privacy features that could restrict who sees what on my profile. To be completely honest, I don’t need these features. I screen people myself when they try and add me as a friend. I’m not a size queen who worries about collecting people and calling them my friends. If I know you, I’ll accept you. If I have no clue who you are, I chalk you up as a tranny chaser and give you a big ol fat decline. Simple as that. What concerns me about Facebook is the fact that I had one of my photos stolen from my boy account. Someone by the name of Fener Cilgin copied the small thumbnail image of my display pic and is using it as his display picture. I was enraged when I saw it. It is identity theft to the extreme. I reported it to Facebook and the guy’s profile has still not been deleted. I submitted 3 complaints and yet there is my beautiful Italian boy face being used for what I can assume is some 40 year old Swedish guy’s profile. So, being the bitch that I am, I added him under my Heroine Marks drag Facebook account. Still waiting on a response. Lets just say, if he accepts me he’s in for it.

Another thing about Facebook. Did you know they have employees and branches all over the world? A friend of mine just moved to Germany to work for the branch located there. Doesn’t working for Facebook defeat the purpose of working? How else are you going to be distracted? Do Facebook employees get a Twitter account to put off doing their work? Just something to think about.

Not sure if you’ve heard the news, but apparently Pride week is being pushed back a week due to the G8 summit. I think I just heard a million livers scream with joy at the exact same time. Or maybe that was just the Mexican I had for dinner. Not sure. Anyways, the police will be needed for security during the summit and will not be able to do both the summit and gay-a-palozza! Good thing. If there were no cops during Pride, there would be a whole lot of bitch slapping going on. “You drank the last Rev, biatch!” *slap slap* 

With love and venom,

Heroine Marks

xoxo

Last week, I published the TMI (Too Much Information) reated video, and this week, with the permission of Person X, I’m bringing you this week my TMI-rated FaceBook chat.

You see I have many outlets for which I have to provide content. It doesn’t take long before everything is viewed with the lens of “Hmmm can I publish this???”

Brandon Williams (Step 2) and I are working very hard giving birth to our shamelessly promoted PositiveLite.com which does go viral on December 1, 2009, World AIDS Day.

Person X 21 November at 21:47
LOL yes I got it poor puppet try walking away from the computer once in a while LOL

Brian Finch 21 November at 21:50
I went out for a little bit, and I’m about to turn it off.

Person X 21 November at 21:52
goo turn it off walk away from the desk LOL

Brian Finch 21 November at 21:56
it’s a laptop. Ever since I went wireless, it’s been all-downhill from there. Total ADD.

Person X 21 November at 21:57
LOL I know the feeling I even take mine with me to the washroom LOL

Brian Finch 21 November at 22:12
You know, as crazy as it gets, it’s rare I take it to the washroom. Probably cause with these meds I’m just quickly hopping on and off.

Person X 21 November at 22:14
hmm so a change in your meds. causing that is it….

Brian Finch 21 November at 22:19
it’s probably not as I haven’t varied anything lately. For me it’s kind of like eating, I do it quite quickly. But there have been a couple of times when I have. I think that’s when an intervention is order. For which I may be a candidate soon.

Person X 21 November at 22:36
hmmm intervention INTERVENTION LOL

Brian Finch 21 November at 22:41
Ok, so are you on the toilet now? just asking…:)

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One of my biggest pet peeves is explored in this episode of Step 2:. Are you guilty of saying this in your life and can you determine which side of the fence you will sit on? I urge you to make a decision today!!!!!Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Blip.tv video.

GayGuideToronto.com and Life Coach Brandon Williams are pleased to present an opportunity to attend a social media tele-class with Social Media Coach Staci J. Sheldon. This 1 1/2 hour tele-class will answer all your social media questions and more as well as raise valuable funds for the AIDS Committee of Toronto. Enter today below!!!!Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Blip.tv video.

Staci’s Website

Staci’s Blog

Rainbow Jars Photographed Exclusively for GGT 2.0 By Peter Tamlin (petertamlin.com)

I’m looking for a boyfriend. The power search engines options range from cock size, to preferred sexual position to amount of body hair.  Categories on your favorite gay dating/sex sites aside, what about things like tastes in cinema?  favorite wines?  fashion sense?

Where does an art fag like me to go to find compatibility? I’ve known long-term hipster couples who have broken up for little more than “artistic differences”! Bars aren’t an option either, with loud music, drinks and gyration, it’s hard to start a conversation, plus most times all the boys are in competition for that ONE cute boy.  How am I going to find out if he prefers Chekhov or Dostoevsky? No, I’ve come to accept bars are more for socializing with friends than pair bonding.

What about the good old fashioned pick-up? Nowadays if you even make eye contact (nevermind speak) directely to a stranger you might end up tazered, or arrested (yet ironically you may later end up trading “anonymous” cock pics some hours later on dudesnude….alas, it seems the interweb is the only place to go to meet cute atistic guys but what site has the right tempering of smarts, arts and hotbodies? FACEBOOK! (or at least untill they create fuckbook). So, I’m off to lurk artfags on this genuis of social mediums, page-by-page, the hard part is garnering the add, before i can stalk them and all there friends, wish me luck and dont forget to facefuck..oops i mean Facebook  me:)

Rainbow Jars: petertamlin.com