So from time time I will write a post relating to a new social network or the power of social networks.  Social networking and social media have changed my life, in the last six months, in ways that I never imagined.

Social networking used to be known, simply, as Facebook or MySpace.  Twitter came along in 2007 (but really became a hit this year) and that infrastructure began changing the way I communicate to people.  It also widened my network of “friends” and these past six months, I’ve met some amazing people. The best way for me to explain this is through my own, personal story:

If you recall, I’ve written a few posts on specifically how social networking is changing the foundation in how we connect with others online.  Whether it’s by finding a job with Twitter or interacting daily with people outside of your physical network, social networks are here to stay.  Web 2.0 isn’t 2.0 without the social networking piece embedded into it.  So, this post isn’t about me trying to persuade you that social networks are important; rather, it’s here to show you how it’s helped me in the past 6 months.

I’ve been awarded three part-time jobs thanks to my networking via Twitter, Plurk and blogging.  I’m a guest writer on Culture Feast and PC Authorities.  I’ve also had the opportunity to create corporations’ profiles on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.  Obviously, the extra income has been a pleasant surprise.  I recently was interviewed by Brazen Careerist because I started my company’s first-ever recruiting approach using social networking and microblogs.

I’ve been a guest on The Neal Show and when I wrote about fixing Woopra on a Mac, Geekbrief’s Cali Lewis mentioned me on her show which caused my Woopra post to be one of the highest read posts I’ve ever written.  I still get around 30 to 40 unique hits per day on that post which was written a few months ago!  How did this happen?  Luck had a part of it.  Social networks had the rest.  Twitter has some of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the chance of knowing.  99% of them are educated, interested in what you have to say and they will support you in almost anything you ask.  I don’t find too much on other social networks.  Plurk, Twitter’s first cousin, has that beginning support, but it’s not as strong as Twitter, in my opinion.

I’m also currently working with Tony C. Hall on a podcast that he and I will be publishing very soon.  It’s all about microblogging and I really think it’s going to be a great success.  I wouldn’t have had the chance of meeting Tony if it weren’t for social networking.

So, in my eyes, social networking and social media have changed my life in the last six months.  Those that know me will know this blog post isn’t me bragging.  On the contrary, it’s just showing those who may not “get” social networking’s power to understand how “little ol’ me” has blossomed in this wonderful world of technology.  I may not be a Cali Lewis or a Michael Arrington, but I am Jeff McCord… and well, that’s just moxie to me!

Share your story… how have social networks changed your life or your perspective in 2008?

I know the title sounds like a catchy, new book that is about to come out but the reality is a dream of mine came true today even though I’m going through one of the hardest trials in my life. Some things will always remain private, but my life has turned upside down (literally) a few days ago and I don’t think I’ve personally felt as much pain and angst as I did since my brother passed away in 2005.

On a much more positive note, Cali Lewis from Geekbrief.tv not only mentioned my name in today’s episode but she also discussed a blog post I wrote regarding getting Woopra installed on a Mac. This has been a dream of mine ever since I began watching Geekbrief.TV back in August 2007.

Thank you, my readers, for keeping me blogging and for subscribing to my blog and continuing to support me. It means the world.

You can watch the Geekbrief episode here.

The post of mine that Geekbrief is referring is here.

If you read my blog and if you really know me, you know that two of my favorite people online are Cali Lewis and Neal Campbell. Hello! I was a GUEST on The Neal Show and it doesn’t get any cooler than that.

So with that said, Cali and Neal are taking GeekBrief.tv on a big road trip and they need OUR support. So please make a donation by clicking HERE and help Geekbrief.tv make their dreams come true! I beg you… plus it’s super moxie of you to support them! I will be making a pixel donation by the end of next week, won’t you too?!

If you missed Cali Lewis’ twitter call to join her and Geoff Smith live at 12:00am Tuesday, then you definitely missed out on a really cool announcement. Don’t fret, I have the announcement all right here.

Geoff Smith, a musical composer and produce (also from Geekbrief.tv fame), just announced a new ringtone service for iPhone users. For just $1.98/MONTH, you can download 5 custom ringtones that Geoff Smith has produced. ($19.98/year) The ringtones get pushed out on iTunes every month (just like podcasts). It’s super easy!

They’re awesome! For information on subscribing and an in-depth FAQ, check out Geoff’s website here.

Have iTunes installed? Then check out a promotional sample of his ringtones here.

Here’s a sample of one of the first 5 ringtones for the month of April. Check it out!

It’s official my friends and family. A dream of mine has come true. I got to meet Cali Lewis and Neal Campbell (Geekbrief.tv, The Neal Show) at their place and I was a guest on The Neal Show!!!! They are the nicest, sweetest people I’ve met through social media/online and the fact that Geekbrief.tv was my first and most favorite podcast, well this has just come full circle for me.

I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for not only having a great time with the both of them, but they also spent at least 20 to 30 minutes answering all of my questions and giving me some great insight into my blog and my passion (social media). They’re just as awesome in real life as they are online.

As soon as the episode of The Neal Show gets published, I’ll post the link. Thank you Neal and Cali!!!

Below is just a quick video I made while I was a guest on The Neal Show…. enjoy (for my family!)

http://www.vimeo.com/948401

Cali Lewis, from Geekbrief.tv, just informed all of us viewers about an awesome new technology that, to me, is so moxie I couldn’t help but write about it as well! Publicis and Hal Riney have a new way to surf their site… WITH THE MOTION OF YOUR HANDS! No more touching the keys on your keypad. No more using the mouse to navigate. As long as you have a webcam, you can use the “Air Hands” technology to navigate!

Check out the demo I made while on the site… it’s fantastic and quite moxie!

You will see, at first, the intro to the website where you do a test to make sure your webcam is monitoring your hand signals. Then you’ll see the actual site and me navigating my way (left, right, and top) through it.

Please DIGG this if you think it’s interesting/cool…

http://www.vimeo.com/933053

Thanks a million for my 2 fantastic friends, the ever-so-famous-yet-love-to-help-the-little-guys “tech celebrities” Cali Lewis and Neal Campbell.  Not only do I love these 2 for living in Dallas and having one of the largely watched podcasts in the world, but I also love them for their down-to-earth sincerinity and great twitter conversations that Neal and I (from tech news, to politics, to God, to my doggie!)

Anyways, they were kind enough to give me an invite code to Woopra.  Woopra is the stats manager of all statistics for a website.  Anyone who owns a website and wants REAL-TIME graphical information and unbeilevably cool graphics that show what your users are reading, doing, leaving on, etc… well it’s a huge help and it’s been needed for quite some time.

Click here to check out Cali Lewis’ GeekBrief.TV episode: they were the first to interview the owners of Woopra…

The video below is my 3 minutes of showing you what Woopra is doing for me and some of the cool things you can see when others are on your site.  At the time of filming, I had no one on my website actively so I went ahead and logged on from my other laptop to show you how Woopra populates when a new user comes on - all live!  Incredible!  Enjoy!