Social media

are computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks. Social media is defined as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.”[1] Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities, and individuals.[2] These changes are the focus of the emerging field of technoself studies.  (From Wikipedia article on Social Media)

Or in plain language: Social media are computer programs that allow people to share stories and pictures and comment on each others’ posts.

Spectrum participates in social media for three reasons:

  1. To share stories of people getting good lives in community
  2. To be an active participant in important conversations about good lives in community
  3. To learn what is happening in our communities and around the world

There are four programs Spectrum uses for social media:

  1. Twitter
    1. Spectrum’s Twitter Account: @ssclspectrum
    2. Spectrum Press’s Account: @101friendsBC
    3. People at Spectrum that use Twitter:
      1. Aaron: @imagineacircle
      2. Ernie: @ejbaatz
      3. Jules: @globalinclude
    4. Twitter Lists: A list is a curated group of Twitter users and a great way to organize your interests. Jules has created a few lists that allow you see a stream of posts about community living:
      1. People: https://twitter.com/Globalinclude/lists/people
      2. Organizations: https://twitter.com/Globalinclude/lists/Organizations
  2. Facebook
    1. Spectrum has a facebook page that allows us to share stories, pictures and events: https://www.facebook.com/SpectrumSociety
  3. Flickr
    1. Spectrum has a Flickr page to share photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/spectrumsocietyphotos/
  4. Blogs
    1. Spectrum has a blog called 101 Friends: http://101friends.ca/
    2. Our website is based on WordPress, so articles added to it are blog posts.  You can see posts categorized as:
      1. Public Announcements
      2. Directors’ Blog
      3. Our Stories
      4. Paystub Inserts
      5. Health & Safety