Phoenix Lindsay

So as some of you know, the last twelve months in my life have been full of turmoil.  Everything has been in a state of upheaval as I grapple with the obstacles and changes I’ve been faced with: a bitter lawsuit, near-bankruptcy and business failure, the decay of formerly strong relationships, the loss of my career, the opportunity to go to law and business school, the expansion of our company, an upcoming move, a breakup and a Caesar-esque betrayal by some of the “friends” I thought were those whom I could trust most.

These periods of disturbance aren’t unheard of in my life.  Like the Phoenix, every few years my life begins to swirl in anticipation of major change.  At first the change is slow and the obstacles incremental, but gradually they begin to increase in intensity and frequency.  When I enter these periods I unconsciously begin to switch to hibernation mode – building the nest that will become my pyre.  Then, suddenly and all at once, this pensive period of contraction is followed by a short burst of complete destruction where everything I relied on falls apart.  The terms by which I had defined my life are consumed and annihilated in the process.  Inevitably, this phase is accompanied by a sense of darkness, despair, defeat, hurt and anger; these feelings converge and temporarily paralyze my senses.  Then, just as I begin to think that the destruction of my so-called life will in fact destroy me,  I suddenly find myself wiping off the tears and picking myself up to start over again.  I am reborn from the ashes – reinvented, reinvigorated and more determined than ever.

It is one of these periods of self-annihilation from which I am now just beginning to emerge.

This is certainly not the first, nor the last of such rebirths in my life.  My first took place at 18 when I went from a straight-A student in my private school, with college acceptance letters at Georgetown and Dartmouth, to a drop-out who was kicked out of my parents’ homes and had my college offers rescinded.  From what I thought was the bottom I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got back in the saddle.  I ended up with a GED, and ultimately, a double-degree in Asian Studies and Japanese Literature with a minor in Political Science, from the University of Washington – graduating with honors.

The second occurred when I went through a divorce at 24.  Single for the first time in six years, with no money, and having lost some friends in the “settlement”, I started a business and discovered a new life.

The third was at 26.  Having sold my business in Seattle, my then-boyfriend and I moved to Boise – a city where we knew no one.  In our naivety of the impending market crash, we bought a house at the peak of the bubble to “settle down in” and run his business from.  Until . . . we broke up two weeks later.  With no job, a degree and employment history that were useless in Idaho, no money, a mortgage payment to make and no friends, I managed to create what is now the Urban Agent Team, build a fulfilling life and meet some of the most influential and closest friends I’ve ever known.

And now, here I am again.  Facing major changes in my life and setbacks that would have crippled many, I have yet again determined to reinvent myself and begin anew.  Where this path leads has thus far been only partially revealed, but full of hope for the future and determination to succeed, like the Phoenix, I too will rise from the ashes.  Painful lessons have been learned and I’m a stronger person for having survived.  I am confident.  I have no fear.  My resolve is firm – I WILL conquer this next chapter of my life.  I am unstoppable because I am Phoenix Lindsay.

• You are not the only buyers in the world and you are certainly not the only buyers looking for a “steal”.  Of course you’re the only buyers in my world (the only ones that matter anyway), but you aren’t the only buyers in your local market looking for a  __bedroom, __bathroom, __square foot home in __neighborhood for under $__.  In fact, there are LOTS of other buyers just like you (yes, even now).  And guess what?  They’re looking for a great deal too!  Weird huh?  So . . . my advice?  When you see a house that’s priced WELL under market value and is what you’re looking for, don’t a) drag your feet or b) offer $344k less than their asking price or . . . (SHOCKING!) you won’t get the house and someone else – probably one of those other buyers I mentioned that are just like you will (they’re just like you except they’re the FUTURE you.  They’ve already seen other houses they liked & wrote offers on but missed out on them because they offered too less or took too long and someone else bought them).

• The sky is not falling.  Real estate is not going to disappear. Yes, we are in a recession, but ever since they began keeping records on real estate sales data, real estate has been a solid investment if held for THE LONG TERM. (1995: “long term” = 5-7 years  2006: “long term” = 30 days  2010: “long term” = 5-7 years)As illustrated by some economist smarter than me, you can see that if you bought a house in 1980 you’d still have gained equity since you purchased it – both from the market and from paying down your principal – despite the housing crash we’ve recently seen.  Second, real estate is real property and guess what guys???  Last I checked they weren’t planning on making any more land anytime soon. Third, it’s your home.  You live there.  People have to live in houses and people sometimes have to change houses.  I’m pretty sure that’s been going on for centuries and I kinda doubt that’s going to change anytime soon.

• You are not going to make $344 million in real estate investing just because you attended Nouveau Riche University, bought some shitty tapes and attended a Zig Ziglar motivational event. (Umm . . . hate to burst your bubble but Nouveau Riche isn’t a real university.  Nice try. You’d be better off spending your money at the local community college.  Oh – and Zig Ziglar can be counted on for sales secrets circa 1898 when he was last selling). If you still think you’re going to make 34% return on your investment after buying a “beater” and flipping it 24 days later you’re in worse shape than I thought.

• Be patient on REO’s and short sales. Banks don’t “owe” you anything.  Quite frankly, they don’t give a damn about this one individual property that might be your future home (when they have 344 million others throughout the US that are either in the short-sale process or have been foreclosed on).  You and your American home ownership dream are not at the top of their priority list.  Remember that “foreclosure crisis” thing everyone keeps talking about??  The people at the bank that review your offers are just average American citizens overworked for insufficient pay who hate their jobs and their boss (the bank) as much as you do.

• I don’t know if we’re at the bottom of the market and neither do you. If I knew when the ABSOLUTE bottom was I’d be richer than Warren Buffett and I’d likely be doing something besides selling homes to my clients (Like drinking martinis on my yacht in the Mediterranean that was paid for by buying up properties for myself at the bottom of the market and dumping them on idiots at the peak) and if you knew when the bottom was then I doubt you’d have hired me to help you look for a 5 bedroom, 3 bath, fixer upper in the nicest neighborhood in town for $10.

Whew.  Now who’s ready to go house shopping?

Lots of love,
Your favorite Realtor: Urban Lindsay

Divorcing one’s car sounds easier than it is.  For me it was a decision that’s been in the works for years.  In fact, one of the biggest reasons that my ex and I moved to Boise was so that we could afford to buy a house walking and biking distance to EVERYTHING we needed.  We succeeded (though I can’t say the same for our relationship).

That was 4 years ago yet I’m just now putting my foot down and divorcing my car for good.

Why the delay?  Put simply: culture.

It’s impressive what an affect an area’s culture can have on one’s actions.  After my ex and I succeeded in finding our dream home we succeeded in killing our relationship.  I was left high and dry with a house in a town where I knew no one and had no job prospects.  In a testament to tenacity I overcame the odds in true Caesarian form; I created a new career, new friends and a new life.  Veni, vidi, vici – that is everything BUT my car.

Conquering the car culture of Boise was more difficult than I anticipated.  Looking back I can remember the moment that I realized I was, in the words of Dorothy, “a long way from home” (home being Seattle of course).

There was one evening soon after I’d started making new friends when we set out for an evening on the town from my house.  We were starting our evening’s adventures in Hyde Park – a mere 5 blocks from my humble abode:

Stepping out the door, I turned from my walkway onto the sidewalk to begin the short walk to the bar and immediately heard laughter behind me.  I turned to see them hopping into the car.  When I protested that we should walk they acted as if I’d lost my mind.  Sensing that this was an argument I wasn’t going to win with such tenuous (ie – new) friends, I submitted and got into the car.  The door slammed behind me and my fate as a Boise car junkie was sealed.

Okay, I’m a pussy.  Okay, I’m a pushover.  Okay, I’m lazy.  Call me what you like, but the simple truth is that I was introduced into a culture quite different from the one I’d come from.  In Seattle parking was IMPOSSIBLE (and/or expensive).  Owning a car was more of a nuisance than a benefit – and this was BEFORE lightrail there.  Boise, on the other hand, was a car-lover’s wet dream.  When I first learned that parking was free on weekends and that you got 20 minutes free ANY weekday I almost shat my pants.  When I discovered that you could likely find parking (even on the busiest evenings) RIGHT OUT FRONT of where you were going with no more than 1-3 laps around the block I literally had a heart attack.  Then I saw Boise’s version of “traffic” and I couldn’t stop laughing for weeks.  All of this was unheard of; it became obvious why everyone drove everywhere – there was no reason not to.

I can’t say I’m proud of it – or that it makes much sense – or that I stuck to my guns and my values, but I got suckered into the culture that surrounded me.  I let my guard down and my determination slip – until Peter Hurley, the Project Manager at the Portland Office of Transportation, came to my Sustainable Building Advisor class to discuss transportation and land use issues.

I’d already started spending more time in Portland as a result of our company’s impending expansion to that market, and I was familiar with the strong cycling ethos of the city, but when he detailed the programs that they’d put in place and the success that the city had with reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) my former commitment to killing my car came rushing back.

I know this may come as a surprise to some of my friends that haven’t gotten out of Boise in FAR too long, but they actually have started to have bike traffic jams in Portland!!

As a result of my new-found commitment to the cause I started digging for resources in Boise.  Lo and behold I found . . . 2.  There are classes OCCASIONALLY about bike safety, commuting basics, etc. but not nearly enough to help create the momentum that we need to get ACHD to finally implement their 700 page, BITCHIN’ “Roadways to Bikeways” plan.

So what did I do?  In typical Urban Lindsay fashion I decided to take on ANOTHER cause.  I Tweeted about it and I talked about it until I tracked down cycling gurus in our community.  Nothing has happened yet, but I can tell you that we are working on putting together downtown bike commuting workshops covering a range of issues from safety and repair to gear and style – and we’re planning to hold them regularly.

And where does this leave me?  For starters – with two bikes in the shop getting retrofitted with baskets & racks for my groceries & laptop, a third bike specifically for my office commute on the way, racking up some impressive “SMT” (sneaker miles traveled), a clear conscience and ZERO gas bills.

Who knew that divorce could feel this good?

Hipsters . . . where does one begin?

Oh I know . . . they’re retarded.  Yes.  I did just say hipsters are retarded and yes, I used the word “retarded” (I’m sorry for being un-PC).

I’ve always considered “hipsters” to be those people who try way too hard and care way too little.  By that I mean, they try too hard to impress others and care too little about the world outside of MacWorld, Anthropologie’s newest collection and who they can outdo with their random, unknown music collection.

Given my overall perception of these so-called “hipsters” I never considered myself to be one.  In fact, I always thought of myself as more of a conscientious objector to all things “hipster”.  I think irony, filth and apathy for the sake of attention are all stupid and simply refuse to participate.

You can imagine my shock then when I received the image above from a friend, entitled “Evolution of the Hipster” and upon examination found many similarities between the appearances of these individuals and myself. (maybe he was trying to gently send me a message?)

My heart raced . . . could I be one of them???

So like any good investigator I examined the evidence:

Exhibit A: me

Exhibit A: full sleeve tattoo in progress.  It fits the description of the circa 2009 female hipster in “Evolution” so I begrudgingly admitted “strike one”.

Exhibit A: thick black glasses.  They aren’t horn-rimmed and I do actually need them to see, but I did spend like $800 on them . .

Exhibit A: BRIGHT red hair.  I love it – if you don’t then screw you.  (another strike???)

Exhibit B: My new Onitsuka Tigers

Exhibit B: My new vintage-reproduction, vegan Asics with a Japanese name.  Need I say more?

Exhibit C: My new bike

Exhibit C: The bike I’m saving up for.

*Gasp* Do people consider me to be a hipster?” I wondered. . .

Terrified and with an impending identity crisis on my hands I turned to the internet to prove to myself that I was in fact NOT a hipster.

I started with the Urban Dictionary and their definition of Hipster:

1. Listens to bands you’ve never heard of.
Nope.  My friends do and burn me CD’s though . . .
2. Has hairstyle that can only be described as “complicated.” (Most likely achieved by a minimum of one week not washing it.)
I don’t choose not to wash it except once a week – I was told NOT to.
3. Probably tattooed.
Umm . . . exhibit A?
4. Maybe gay.
Only sometimes
5. Definitely cooler than you.
Depends on who “you” is.
6. Reads Black Book, Nylon, and the Styles section of the New York Times.
Huh?
7. Drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon. Often.
Gross.  Remove “Pabst Blue Ribbon” though and that changes everything . . .
8. Complains.
Who? Me? No way. That’s stupid.
9. Always denies being a hipster.
Ummm . . . yeah, about this post.
10. Hates the word.
Sentence #3 of this post.
11. Probably living off parents money – and spends a great deal of it to look like they don’t have any.
part a) I wish.  Definitely not – at least until they’re dead.
part b) I don’t just look poor – I really am.  It’s called “entrepreneurship”
12. Has friends and/or self cut hair
I pay my friend!!!
13. Dyes it frequently (black, white-blonde, etc. and until scalp bleeds).
Does bright red fit into that “etc.” catagory?
14.Has a closet full of clothing but usually wears same three things OVER AND OVER (most likely very tight black pants, scarf, and ironic tee-shirt).
Yes.  And yes.  But I only wear the same three things over and over and my pants are only tight because I got fat.
15. Chips off nail polish artfully after $50 manicure.
@NIQUE22 – Shhh!
16. Sleeps with everyone and talks about it at great volume in crowded coffee shops.
Plead the 5th
17. Addicted to coffee, cigarettes (Parliaments, Kamel Reds, Lucky Strikes, etc.), and possibly cocaine.
Mmm, Mmmm, and Mmmmm
18. Claims to be in a band.
I have been known to compare The Urbans to The Partridge Family.
19. Rehearsals consist of choosing outfits for next show and drinking PBR.
Nope.
20. Always on the list.
No, but one of my friends always is – usually Urban Nick, Shea-Z, Famefifteen or Lili Von Shtupp
21. Majors or majored in art, writing, or queer studies.
Does Japanese Literature count?
22. Name-drops.
Uh – does #20 count?
23. May go by “Penny Lane,” “Eleanor Rigby,” etc. when drunk. On PBR. Which is usually.
Does “Urban Lindsay” count if I go by it all the time?

*Gulp* . . . No, it can’t be . . . .

#FML

]]> http://urbanlindsay.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/who-me/feed/ 3 urbanlindsay Hipster Evolution bands that don't exist hipster Linz New Years photo Urban Sanchez http://urbanlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/honey-stop-the-car-it-has-gasp-running-water/ http://urbanlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/honey-stop-the-car-it-has-gasp-running-water/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:32:22 +0000 urbanlindsay http://urbanlindsay.wordpress.com/?p=94 ]]>

Follow the arrow to a home of the future. . .

When I first saw this sign I was speechless. . . I mean, it wasn’t like I was on a tour of villages in the Amazon – this sign was planted right at a major arterial entrance to one of the more expensive and most desired neighborhoods in Boise.

If Urban Nick had been in town or it had been April Fool’s Day I would have been convinced someone was punking me; but alas, Nick was in Seattle and it was early October.

We’ve all seen real estate sign riders trying to pump up properties by highlighting some feature worthy of particular interest:

“Pool”
“Foreclosure”
“Waterfront”
“New Price”
“4 Car Garage”
“Short Sale”
“Owner Financing Available”
“One Year Home Warranty”

and the ones that were once ubiquitous but have become rarer in today’s market:

“Sold”
“Pending”

or how about the one we all laugh at (and that makes me cringe to be in the real estate industry):

“Honey, Stop The Car!”

But honestly . . . “Indoor Plumbing”????  Some dumbass Realtor really thought that was a home feature unique enough to be worthy of its own sign rider?  In fairness, I can see how if you were an agent selling a home in the early 1900′s “indoor plumbing” would be something worth mentioning, but last I checked we live in the 21st century and in American cities running water a) has been around for over 100 years and b) is a right, not a “bonus feature”.

It sounds like someone needs to fire their agent – and if they happen to need a new one I know just where to find a team of agents who understand how to market and sell homes in 2009 rather than say. . . 1909??

My question is: “People who live in Portland and aren’t staying here actually hang out on the stairwell?  Aren’t there like a million better places to be?”

Maybe if you weren’t such a  hipster you could be a winner. . . .

room in the Ace Hotel, PDX

#GoEffYourself #Snobbery

CitySide Lofts

Recently the CitySide Lofts surprised everyone when they posted a large sign facing the intersection of Myrtle & 13th Streets advertising “AUCTION”.  I Tweeted about it and immediately received dozens of responses from people wanting the “dirt”.

So here we go. . .

I’ve been to the CitySide Lofts before – about 2 years ago when they were finishing up Phase I and was relatively impressed at the prices.  In 2007, 1 bedroom, 1-1.5 bath units sold for between $201-250k.  Ultimately, with the help of CCDC – who brought in an architect from Portland to assist the developer’s architect to make them more “urban” – the units emerged as a front-runner in Boise’s residential urbanization efforts.  Phase I had 42 units.  In typical condo fashion, the most and least expensive sold first, but regardless of what sold first, two years later there are only 9 left.  The original plan was for Phase I (the building further from Myrtle to the South) to be residential, while Phase II (corner of Myrtle & 13th St.) was to be offices.  However, with the success of Phase I under their belt the developer switched gears and decided to quickly rehash the office layouts (without the assistance of the CCDC architect) and turn Phase II into residential as well.  This is where they got into problems and began their trip to the auction bloc.

Phase II has 35 units – of which only 3 have sold . . . (*ouch*)

When you preview Phase II it’s easy to see why only 3 have sold.  They are AWFUL! AWFUL! AWFUL!  Did I mention that they’re AWFUL?  They serve as a monument to why office floorplans are not residential floorplans and why the 6P1C prevails: “prior proper planning prevents piss poor construction”.  The colors are off, the finishes are off, the staging reeks of suburbia, but most importantly the floorplans are off.  There’s wasted space everywhere, long hallways, dark kitchens, small, boxy rooms, no privacy, harsh corners and awkward living areas.

One of the CitySide Lofts in Phase II: dark kitchen, awful staging, wrong finishes

On the MLS it says the following:

PUBLIC REMARKS:
*Live Public Absolute Auction* – Sat., Sept. 12th 12PM onsite. 5 Condos WILL SELL to the highest bidder with NO Minimum & NO Reserve. New high quality, contemporary styled condos in CitySide Lofts. This beautiful one-of-a-kind property is located in the heart of downtown Boise with secured underground parking and storage. Each luxurious condo offers top of the line interior finishes, expansive windows, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood, tile and/or carpeted floors. BTVAI

AGENT REMARKS:
Realtors! 3% commission for accepted offer before auction; 2% day of auction. *Live Public Absolute Auction* – Sat., Sept. 12th 12PM onsite. 5 Condos WILL SELL to the highest bidder with NO Minimum & NO Reserve. (Additional condos may be added day of auction.) 5% Buyer’s Premium added to the final live bid to arrive at the total purchase price. $25,000 per condo due on auction day as nonrefundable deposit. Call for showing instructions. See website for Open House dates.

So what does this all mean?

Essentially it means that THEORETICALLY you can get a condo in downtown Boise for as low as $25k (assuming no one else bids against you).  However, you must have not only the $25k in CASH on the day of the auction, but if the units sell for say $100k – you have to come up with the remaining $75k in cash within 30 days.

The logic behind the decision to “auction” the units was supposedly to get some interest and get a few moving; however, I think this logic is short-sighted, overlooks some serious issues and raises important questions:

1 – How many people in Boise have $25-$100k+ to throw down?  A: Not many, otherwise there wouldn’t be the need for the $8k tax credit advance, IHFA Good Rewards Second, and other programs to help buyers come up with the down payment alone – let alone the entire amount!

2 – If one or two units sell for $100k – it’s a great deal for the Buyer but further decreases the property values of other CitySide Lofts – and other nearby condo/townhouse projects.

3 – If they want to sell them so badly why didn’t they just lower the price??  By accepting only cash they’re eliminating the vast majority of buyers in today’s market – particularly the first-time home buyer, echo-boomer demographic that downtown condo living appeals to.  #FAIL #MAJORFAIL

In the end I simply want to shake my head and chalk the CitySide Lofts story up under “lessons learned”, but it continues to baffle me how so many developers and Realtors can get something with the potential to be so right, so wrong.

Eight years ago, as we were moving from Salt Lake to Seattle I distinctly remember turning to my then-boyfriend and saying as we clipped along I84 westward through Boise: “What a F*@#ing shithole – who would ever live here?” in a sneering tone of incredulity. As fate would have it (and perhaps as karmic retribution). . . I would eventually live here.

Unfortunately, what we beheld eight years ago along the 84 corridor is what still greets drivers headed west along the interstate: a scarred, barren, industrial landscape littered with boxcars, dilapidated train tracks, faded, windowless warehouses and vast stretches of pavement covered in semi-trailers. The image screams the Chamber’s mantra: “Welcome to Boise – a great place to live, work and visit!”

Right?

Well, not really.

I am reminded of my initial impression of Boise EVERY time I drive home from visiting family in Utah, and each time I cringe at the impression we as a city are making on EVERY road traveler that glances at the landscape greeting them and chooses to drive on – never even giving the *real* Boise a chance to capture their hearts as it did mine 4 years ago. . .

After years in Seattle I was ready for a new adventure – thus I struck out in search of *greener* pastures (as if it gets any “greener” than Seattle).

My dad was actually the first to suggest Boise when I mentioned my quest for a new Western city to call home. I resisted initially – largely because of the impression the city had made on me that fateful day eight years ago when I drove through the first time. After hearing his oft-repeated praises of the city, however, I finally caved and agreed to “check it out”. My dad – having experienced the Boise that many Boiseans fiercely love & defend to outsiders – wisely instructed me to “KEEP DRIVING from 84 all the way down Vista until you crest the hill . . . and reserve your judgment until then.”

Lucky for me I listened to my dad for once. Sure enough, after the barren stretch of 84 (and after the run-down store-fronts along Vista), it was like an oasis appeared from the desert. The further I got into the heart of the city the more I fell in love with it.

Like they say about true love – when you fall, you fall hard: Four months later I closed on my new home in Boise’s historic Hyde Park; Six months from taking Dad’s advice and eight years after my initial impression of the city, I was a newbie Boisean (pronounced without a “z” for those of you who haven’t yet called Boise home) and in the nearly four years since I’ve never been happier.

As much as I’d like to think of myself as unique (as those of you who know me can attest to), I highly doubt that the initial impression I had of Boise is something solely I can claim. I’m not a planner, and I’m not a politician, but I am a passionate citizen and the message that keeps ringing in my head upon reflection of my experience is: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”.

This is a mantra that I think we as Boiseans need to truly take to heart. As a community seeking to grow & thrive, we should ask ourselves everyday: “What impression are we making on outsiders?” While a lot of thought seems to be given to what impression our quality of life, schools, businesses, entrepreneurial spirit, tax incentives, etc. make on the world at large, we need to simultaneously direct some thoughtfulness to what impression our *looks* are making on outsiders.

If it looks like a duck but trumpets like a swan aren’t we confusing people? If we want to be swans shouldn’t we present ourselves as such?

The SW Idaho chapter of the USGBC is organizing a group collaboration at the Idaho Green Expo at The Boise Center on the Grove July 18th from 10:00am-Noon. Room TBA

The collaboration will serve as an introductory forum to discuss a mission, goals and forming and organizing a high-level task force to continue the efforts toward identifying opportunities and finding solutions within the residential green building industry to increase market share. The gathering of this collaboration is to discuss residential green building and the ideas, challenges, barriers and issues surrounding residential green construction. Attendees will be from all aspects of the residential building industry, each bringing their knowledge and background to the table for discussion. The collaborative meeting will be moderated and a draft agenda will be in place to expand on from the attendees and prioritize topics during the collaboration.

A brief summary of the goals of this meeting:

Bring together major stakeholders from the residential sector to identify the challenges that are impeding market penetration and develop solutions that overcome the identified challenges. To promote cooperation between residential professions that will minimize both real and perceived challenges and misconceptions.

The Goal of the Collaborative is to discuss and work toward increasing awareness and education as well as the percentage of new and existing housing that meets or exceeds existing voluntary codes.

If you are interested in attending, would like further information or have any comments, experiences or input regarding residential green building to share please feel free to contact Hans Glenn (208)-559-8421 or by Email: hans_glenn@yahoo.com.

I don’t know about all of you Twitter users out there, but since I first joined Twitter over a year ago I’ve seen a lot of change. I’m certainly no #TwitterSnob and I certainly wasn’t among the early, early adopters back in July of 2006, but since my Twitterversary of May 6, 2008, my stream has gone from a select few uber-geeks and early adopters to every Tom, Dick & Harry who considers himself to be an “entrepreneur”.

I remember the day that local Twitter celebrity, and early adopter, Tac Anderson posted a blog on Tech Boise naming “Boise Online Social Networkers”. There were a paltry 62 of us that he knew of in Boise. . .

I also still remember awkward Tweetups when groups of notoriously geeky, socially-shy nerds got together to share Moon’s milkshakes and awkward conversation. Tweetups in Boise at that time weren’t: Networking 101. The purpose of them was certainly to meet the people you’d been carrying on conversations and exchanging ideas with online, however, they were REAL. The experience was more akin to internet dating than Chamber of Commerce Business After-Hours; we weren’t there to sell to one another or ask for a referral, we were there to come out and say hello and maybe meet some new friends – no strings attached. And it worked for business precisely because it wasn’t about business – it was about people – and it was FUN! Our streams were relatively small and it was easy enough to keep up with one another’s Tweets, carry on meaningful dialogue and get to know each other. No longer. . .

Not surprisingly word leaked about this great new “business tool” and Twitter exploded. Celebrities jumped on, news stations picked it up and many of us in the local Twitter community sang its praises far and wide. It wasn’t long after that the Boise Twitterverse began to change: the dialogue, the people, the connections, the relationship dynamics, even the tone changed.

Today, just over a year later, my stream is so diluted that I can’t even keep up with the people I care about most. I can’t remember the last time some of my original Twitter pals Tweeted, let alone the last time we @ messaged each other or planned an impromptu Tweetup. Certainly tools like Tweetdeck are meant to help with such tasks and do so to an extent, but the fact that using Twitter takes almost as much time to manage as a part-time job is enough to discourage my formerly casual, yet frequent involvement.

I suppose that we should hail the mass adoption of new technologies; I certainly appreciate and applaud the assimilation of such; however, I can’t help but feel that the “safe zone” of my early Twitterverse – where I could get to know people and make new friends on the merits of our connections as individuals, has been replaced by something far less desirable and far too common – “networking”. Part of the magic that drew me to Twitter is gone and has been supplanted by the very forces that fuel my dislike of Facebook and Myspace.

I have always detested “networking” as a farce which is why I avoid events like BYP Happy Hour & The Chamber After-Hours like The Plague. To be fair, I am not saying that they don’t have their use for some individuals and their business, but the business-card pushing, referral-requests, phony smiles and superficial small talk of such events send shivers down my spine.

I have built both my friendships and my business on one-on-one interactions and relationship development. There is no shortcut to bypass this step and there is no substitute for taking the time to get to know the people you follow. Having 50,000 followers isn’t going to guarantee that you have 50x the amount of business or friendships as someone with 1,000 followers. If you think that it will, however, I encourage you to stay off my stream, keep your business cards & referral requests to yourself and head back to the Chamber of Commerce “networking” events.

#KeepTwitterReal