the hot seat with matt ames

Ever wonder who is the face behind the Facebook group for TrueNorth Church? Matt Ames is no stranger to social networking. He is Mr. Facebook, he is a Twitterer and a super blogger! Check out his mad blogging skillz at www.mattames.wordpress.com.

Matt, how do you think Facebook is enhancing the community of TrueNorth Church?
Like social media as a whole, it gives people a place to express their thoughts and get further connected. It makes news and announcements more dialogue than monologue. When a status update or story is posted, it shows up in people's news feeds with the opportunity for instant feedback, or to find what others think. That's hard to do in an organization of any size, so it's been great watching people take to it.

What do you think about your MOM having a Facebook account? I see that she is trying to hook you up.
HA! Moms are good like that. I'm okay with it. Not only has more family joined Facebook, but it also gives us a chance to learn more about each other. I think when I say something on Facebook, she can see how much it is a part of my life. It helps eliminate that "Geeze, Mom! Take an interest!" feel. The other good thing is we can chat from the other room. It cuts back on that whole getting up and walking thing. What's the deal with that anyway?

By following your Facebook statuses, it appears that you sleep all day while we work all day. What kind of job do you have that keeps you up all night?
I get the sun ready to come out in the mornings. I'm usually pretty spent from that by dawn, so I go right to sleep. Actually, I work overnights doing production work for radio stations. Although that isn't the same as getting the sun ready, I do make sure people are ready to wake up to some of their favorite morning shows and get their day started. In that sense, I suppose you can call me a radio barista. I don't make their coffee, but I do give them a double-shot of their favorite personalities. Yeah, that might have been a little corny. That's why they put me in a building by myself most of the night!

What are the challenges you face with blogging?
I try to blog at least once every weekday. A challenge I face with that sometimes is keeping things fresh. It's also more difficult for me to get as much feedback on a blog versus writing a "note" on Facebook. However, these are small in comparison to the biggest challenge of taking yourself too seriously. Personal blogs should be enjoyable and not another task on the agenda. Write every day. Write once a week. Write twice a year even. Write your thoughts on God, or your thoughts on dogs. Just be you. That's who your were designed to be. People will catch on to that.

Do you Twitter? Convince me that I should Twitter too.
Yes. I Twitter. I'm on my second account, actually. The first time I was on Twitter, I left because it just wasn't clicking. I decided it was worth another shot, and it turns out I took to it more the second time around. Should you Twitter? That's up to you. It's funny. I read a lot on the Internet about how people should Twitter, should blog, should this, should that. Dude, it's the Internet. Aside from returning your boss' emails, the only thing you should be doing is having fun with it. And if you're wanting to use the Internet to reach people, do it in a way that works for you. Just because something's the hot new thing doesn't mean it's your recipe for success.

Can I get up now? This chair is starting to burn!