Futurelawyer

Houston, We Have A Problem.

The flap over Elon Musk acquiring Twitter is highlighting the problem with social media. When does a social media company get so pervasive that it needs to be treated like newspapers? Free speech principles should apply to social media. Otherwise, the single biggest bedrock principle of democracy is in danger. 

Why Twitter Must Be Abolished.

Why is everyone surprised? This is what happens when you give a forum to the self-righteous.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Decide Whether To Have An Internet Presence.

I have a message for my lawyer colleagues. You need a social media presence, and you need to be authentic and genuine when you post there. Remember the Eighties, when I told you Email was the future? Remember the Nineties, when I told you that the Internet was the future? Okay, many of you weren't alive then. But, you are now. And, you need to be on Twitter, Linked In, FaceBook, and other social media sites. Why? Because, that is where your clients are. That is where you can have conversations. Just don't be boring. Don't hire someone else to be you. Be yourself. Be your authentic self. Show that you are a complete human being, and not an automaton who has nothing to say unless it relates to arcane legal principles. 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Control My Use Of Social Media.

Social Media is, like other forms of modern communication, conducive to productive, sane use, as well as insane, destructive use. Like society, there are good actors and bad actors. Deciding which is which, in a polarized political society, can create conflict, which is exacerbated by the ubiquity of the message. So, it is not surprising that modern discourse can descend into chaos on social media. I humbly suggest that, for lawyers, the medium can be used to connect with clients and prospective clients, and to create a caring, professional image, if used properly. It is certainly how the FutureLawyer tries to use it. I publish my blog posts on several social media sites, ranging from Twitter, to Facebook, to Tumblr and more. Each audience is different, and it is sometimes difficult to walk the fine line between the groups. However, on balance, if a user uses social media for balanced and sane discussion of issues, it can be a very good thing. Don't be anti-social in your use of social media. Use your pulpit for good. If everyone adopts that attitude, the effect on society can be profound. 

Never Trust Anything You Read On The Internet Or Social Media.

The Internet is full of lies, damned lies and statistics. You can't believe anything you read on social media. People make up stuff, and publish it. Please, just don't trust fake news.

Call Me Prolific, Just Don't Call Me Late For Dinner.

This chart of law blog statistics from 2020 came across my twitter feed again this morning. I haven't seen the 2021 chart; but, it is likely that I am again atop the list. I knew that, one day, my ability to be "prolific" would outstretch my ability to be relevant, and substantive. Of course, it is easy to be a prolific law blogger when combining poetry, philosophy, law, technology, and my other avocations to the blogosphere. Thanks, LexBlog, and Bob Ambrogi, for calling attention to my addiction in a way that is positive and life affirming. Of course, calling me a "machine" is somewhat dehumanizing.

There Is A Method To Social Media Madness.

Sometimes, social media is just social media. It doesn't need some inspiring, educational, or life altering purpose. It is what it is.

Find The FutureLawyer On Tumblr.

FutureLawyer On Tumblr. You can find me on Typepad. You can find me on LinkedIn. You can find me on Twitter. You can find me on Facebook. You can find me on MeWe. You can get a daily email from me. You can find me on SubStack. You can find me at LawBlog. Now, you can get me on Tumblr. Pick your poison. The FutureLawyer is everywhere.

John Madden - Advice For Bloggers.

John Madden was successful in everything he did because he didn't try to impress anyone, or act like anyone else. He was authentic, and bloggers who want to be successful, or lawyers using social media, or any other person, for that matter, can take a lesson from him. Be yourself, all the time. Be authentic, and don't worry about what other people might think. Don't hire someone to write posts for you; in effect, to be you. Life is easier if you aren't trying to live it according to somebody else's blueprint.

#ParrotSunday - Social Media Explained.

 

This was first posted nine years ago, in 2012:

 

Social Media Explained. My fraternity newsmagazine, Phi Alpha Delta Reporter, had a little article in it this month, explaining Social Media. It is informative, and establishes that Google+ is the best social media application for building your law practice. I have modified it slightly:

Twitter: I have Parrots in my office.

Facebook: I like Parrots.

FourSquare: This is where my Parrots live.

Instagram: Look at the cute pictures of my Parrots.

YouTube: Watch my Parrots perform tricks.

LinkedIn: My skills include Parrot litigation.

Pinterest: 10 tips for raising Parrots.

MeWe: I am a lawyer who has Parrots in my office.