The #nerds have spoken ...
Friday, February 25, 2011 at 2:35AMAmazing! Thanks guys for all the comments on the #nerdsunite: state of the union. Question, and this is totally sincere - I am not at all trying to come off that way, but does "houseless" sound better? I am not at all trying to poke fun at anyone, or come off as something that I am not. If I did in any way, shape, or form, I will apologize from the depths of my soul. Dude, I'm trying right now to volunteer at a shelter in Hollywood. Very near and dear to my heart, no bullshit. Back in CT, I used to work in a lot of soup kitchens with my church, was an avid supporter of the project Empty Bowls at my old high school, and even befriended a few buddies down in Venice when I slept there last year.
If you guys thumbs up this, I'll totally change it in the About Us section as well, and make a commitment to the site to never use that term again in reference to my situation. That sound rad?
Thanks guys! You're the fluff to my fluffernutter!
MMMMM FLUUUUFFFEERRRNNUUUTTTEERRRRRR
#drool
Reader Comments (8)
People are really busting your balls aren't they?!? I can see where everyone is getting upset about the home(house)less thing. That is your choice, so most of us have a hard time feeling any sympathy for someone who chooses to be homeless, I know I do, I honestly don't feel one bit bad for you. Tthat you couch surf and don't have a bed. If that really was a big deal for you, you'd find a way to get enough income from either a job on top of this site or advertising that paid enough for rent. As for the living off of $10 for a year, you didn't "live" off of $10, if you had somehow invested in or put it in a slot machine and won $5000 and lived off of that then I'd believe you. But we know you've received donations and money/giftcards that you are able to get things like food. So I only lived off of $120 last year, because that is the amount of money that I had to my name in my bank account at the beginning of the year. Sure I had a job that gave me more money every week so I could pay my mortgage and car payment, insurance, utilities, grocery bill, etc but I only lived on $120 for the year.... (see my point?)
People are busting you balls because the front you've put out there is unrealistic. In theory you are not lying that you are homeless and lived on $10, but you're stretching the truth way out. You've said you're addicted to Starbucks coffee and you showed everyone how to make a $2 whatever, so you had 5 of those the entire year and that's all you've bought?
We are coming down on you because this site has changed. Look at your first posts, look at your first videos. All of that excitement towards technology and social media and life. Now it's spirithood this, pilot that... be a nerd don't just say you are! If you're going to give back to the community, trying to donate your time to one homeless shelter is like applying for one job and when you don't get it saying, "I tried so I'll just wait until they are hiring again since there are no other places to work." Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, big brother/little sister programs, there are plenty of outlets to psychically, and not just cyberly, get out and help people.
The way you live is your choice, but it's just that, a choice! I could never do it, I have too much pride to lose things like you have chosen to give up. That's why there is so much stuff out there if people just ask, it's because a lot of people like me don't like to "beg." Which asking feels like begging to us when it comes to products or money.
If you videoed a day in the life kind of thing, to answer that question, I probably wouldn't watch it, that's just me though. I don't watch any of those kinds of things, I like articles because if something doesn't interest me I can jump paragraphs. Other people may love it, just not my thing.
I'm glad to see your posts are starting to be more real and not just "yeah life is awesome" all the time. But you do need to think of how you are coming across, I would LOVE to not have bills anymore and my life would be awesome not to have that extra burden BUT if I decided to pursue my dreams and got rid of my house and car and couch surf I wouldn't be homeless or even houseless (technically by definition blah blah blah... yes I would be) but in reality I'd have a place to stay, aka a house, I'd have food from the people I stayed with and bartered for money/giftcards. So life would be pretty good, but the burden of not having my own bed would be pretty small compared to having BILLS!
Thanks for reading this, and I'm sure I'm getting under your skin (we can tell we are even though you say we can't). Keep it going, show us more! More social media, not just okc stuff(again technically it is social media and nerds do it but so does everyone else just like facebook). Techie stuff is coming out all the time, social media is constantly changing keep us up on that, lifecast too but if this site it just lifecasting with the occasional nerdy/social media thing then it's really just another blog.
One last thing, I'm sure you're saying: "you hate my site but keep coming back so who cares, I'm getting your traffic and your attention." Why do I keep coming back, reading your stuff? The reason is I'm an asshole, I make fun of probably 75% of what's on here lately and I have a feeling there are a lot of people like me. ( The Lybia/Libya thing - a typo, it happens, it's not like they wrote the president is going down to labia, so seriously, don't judge, we all make mistakes) So do you want traffic that is just getting a laugh out of you or to actually be bringing in people that are reading your stuff and are on your side and loving it? I don't see many positive responses/comments to your posts if any at all, the other contributors appear to me to be getting much more traffic. So I'll stop before i start talking in circles, just a little food for though, one more ball busting for your Thursday.
Just trying to open your eyes, you're obviously doing something right but at the same time something very wrong.
@question dude, thank you so so much. i didnt see it like that. hmmmmmmmmm this giving me an idea.
I think "houseless" refers to generally all those that are not homeowners or lost their homes. Why is there a need to label where or how you live? Do you need such a dramatic flare, that you need to hype every bloody thing. Just be genuinely honest, refrain from sugar coating or hyping up/down and see how your readers respond.
no its not about the drama, its a matter of people like to label and package things. its psychological to help them understand it. im about to have a lot of people to answer to, and id rather ask the community first what they prefer and what sounds less pretentious. im just being incredibly genuine in this babe. i really just dont know, asking for guidance. thanks a heap!
To The Girl Who Cried Jewel,
I think you are missing the point. While yes, house-less-ness is less obnoxious. But it still comes off as an unnecessary and transparent attempt to portray yourself as some heroic victim of circumstance. You are couch surfer. You have a roof. You have a shower. You have a bathroom and a kitchen. You pay rent, albeit through untraditional means. You are as houseless as MANY of the other young artist types I know. YOU ARE A TENANT. And again, you CHOSE this path.
Stop fixating on where you live as a way to brand yourself and frame yourself as part of some real life Cinderalla story-in-the-making.
Instead, focus instead on doing what you do best-- honing your site. Refining your brand. Building something big. And not through all these stretched truths. If you truly want your brand to grow into something huge, you need to give it some laser focus.
For instance, I find much of your site fine... but unfocused. Scattered. Especially for the casual reader who shows up for a second. Ask yourself...
1.Is this a site about social commentary on social media (as stated in the tagline)?
If so, great. Do more of that then. Don't dilute it with stuff that really isn't about that. And when you do cover social media, make it more insightful than merely parroting "i love social media" a lot. Mashable does not do that. Nor do other sites. Plus, in terms of that topic, you basically only talk about Facebook and Twitter and Apple with some rare coverage of others. Discuss Ning. Discuss EventBrite. Just pay off the premise of your tagline or find a new motto.
2. Is this a site about being nerdy?
If so, great. Do more of that then! Make it more about nerd culture. Less about stuff that isn't. Or at least clarify what you mean by nerdiness. Define it. Because your taste in music and movie and the lifestyle you lead... is not really on par with that most people view as nerdy. Does liking social media make you nerdy? Or just a girl in her 20s? Coding is nerdy (if what you are doing is actually writing PHP and CSS and stuff like that). But is talking about Twitter nerdy? It's pretty damn mainstream. But again, if that is nerdy to you, explain it. Or at least address that you do not fit the criteria that most people think of when they hear nerds. Because without that clarity, you basically come off as a poser-- former TV model who has an active dating life and likes very mainstream music (re: as evidenced by listening to tunes in your videos) and decided once day co-opt the term nerd because she thought it was, well, adorable. Whether that is truly you or not, you need to understand, that it is only natural for one to make that conclusion. So if this is a site about nerdiness, great-- explain what that means, and pay that premise off. Don't dilute. Until then, you are making the word "nerdy" meaningless.
And Chuck Norris as a meme is like 9 years past its expiration. Your use of that only underscores a gravitation towards things that are already absorbed by mainstream culture.
3. Is this a site about JF's life?
If so, great. Then change the motto up top and make it MORE about that. Why are there so many culture pieces and advice columns about dating and other stuff? Don't dilute.
4. Is this a site about a 4-5 people's lives, as anchored by JF?
If so, great. See above. Refocus the site's messaging. And make that vast majority of everyone's post be about one's life.
5. Is this a lifecasting forum?
If so, then that should be clear from the get go. This concept is not suggested by your site's title, your tagline or logo. Your "about" section is long and unfocused and also does not fully express this. And to be fair, this site comes off as less of a lifecasting thing... and more as a blog. That is occasionally personal. But not always. When I hear the term lifecast, I think video. Your site does not do much in the way of vlogging. Nor is it that clear what times/hours one would watch you vlog, assuming it is live. How is this not just a blog?
6. Is this about honesty?
If so, great. Then stop streeeeetching the truth in order to get readers to connect with your journey. Whether you realize it or not, you say a lot of half-truths on this site (ie. you are not homeless; you were not "invited" to the oscars) that are semi accurate but misleading. And they discredit whatever cool things you actually do have going for yourself. For instance, it IS very cool that you got a freelance gig working at the oscars. Very fun. But when you say "I got invited" or that you are "attending" that just makes people roll their eyes when they realize the reality. And it's unfortunate because it cheapens your well-intentioned message and your actual hard-earned achievements.
7. Is this a site a hybrid stew of all of the above?
If so, that is fine too. But then find some sort of 'umbrella concept' that can basically house all of these divergent ideas in a tidy way that makes sense to your MOST casual visitors. Right now, it feels like a lot of half formed, half executed themes that don't fully pay off.
In short, stop fixating on ways to term or frame your living situation. And instead focus your notably intense enthusiasm (no doubt, a great asset) and apply it to sharpening your brand. Have a compelling message. Make it simple. Express it. Stick to it.
Baller!!! Really amazing critique. im definitely not the one that should sit here and try to package. should focus more on growth and brand, and let the rest fall into place. dude, you're so right.
will definitely absorb and re-asses. OOHHH the joys of growing pains.
sincerely, thank you.
#nerdsunite
AMAZING! These are the exact points I was unable to vocalize to you Jen, and the reasons I was struggling with the site and brand as a whole. I agree with all of these, and I'm glad other people were able to put it into words when I wasn't able to.
@Jensquard - DUDE! I am loving this!!!!!!!! HAHA see how everything just clicks - takes a community, man ... takes a community.
xoxoxoxxoxxoxoxo