Live Blogging the Oscars

Yesterday was the Fashion Superbowl, known officially as the Academy Awards Ceremony. It is the biggest night for Hollywood, a night of full on glamour and glitz.

Instead of expounding on the fanfare in this post, I really want to talk about what I did during the Oscars: live micro-blogging by way of Twitter and Facebook. Think speed-dating for blogging, in 140 characters or less.

The assignment, to micro-blog your thoughts, opinions, take on what you're watching. In this case, the pre-Oscar Red Carpet Events and the awards ceremony.

This was my first live micro-blogging attempt, and here are my first impressions:

1. I need more adjectives! For events like this one, a thesaurus should be kept nearby.
2. Let people know what you're doing; unexpected guests dropping by will result in a serious interruption of micro-blogging posts, making your friends wonder if your fingers have fallen off.
3. Turn off email and text notifications! Unless you like watching your phone jitter spastically across the coffee table while simultaneously draining your battery and running up your text message count, it is best to disable these features so that when your friends comment on your posts, your phone isn't spammed to the point of near death.
4. Exercise your fingers! Live micro-blogging is serious business and trying to type up a comment or opinion as you are watching a live event, while managing responses from friends, is a true exercise in speed typing, and if your fingers aren't appropriately warmed up, you might sprain something.
5. Be prepared to make some frenemies. Those of your friends that aren't watching the event being micro-blogged may unfriend you for cluttering their wall with your, let's face it, unsolicited, and likely stupid, opinion. An apology upfront (see #2) may help prevent unfriending, as said friends can hide your posts for the duration.

That being said, I had a blast! Live micro-blogging is challenging but hilariously fun, especially if a group of your friends are doing it with you. It's like having a party, but without having them come over and make a mess which they'll leave you to clean up on your own!

Here's to the next live micro-blogging event!



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