Farewell, My Friend...

This morning, I learned of the untimely death of Ryan Suenaga (@rsuenaga). I remember shaking his hand for the first time at the Kapiolani Eat the Street. Because of our connection through Twitter, it was like we were old friends. He was one of the most generous, helpful people I have ever met. And now he's gone.

Ryan impacted countless others and his departure left a void none will ever fill. Ryan Ozawa (@hawaii) posted Aloha, Ryan, followed by Catherine Toth's (@thedailydish) #nowplaying C&K ‘Goodbye’. This morning, Burt Lum (@bytemarks) put together a very fitting tribute, Remembering Ryan Suenaga.

In honor of Ryan's memory, I ask that you do good today. If we all lived just one day the way Ryan lived his entire life, this world would be a much better place.

Why Twitter?

The conversation usually goes something like this…
Non-Twitter person: “You twit? tweeter? Whatever you call it?”
Me: “I’m on Twitter, yes.”
Non-Twitter person: “What's the point? I don’t get it.”

Despite being listed as a Hawaii Power User by Melissa Chang (@Melissa808), I do not consider myself a super user. I do, however, believe that Twitter is starting to reshape the way we communicate with each other and I would venture to say it has changed the world. Personally, I've found that the real value of Twitter is its ability to connect people. For the average person, that translates to complete and unfettered access to people, places, and events we normally wouldn't have. Case in point, I received a reply from Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) yesterday. Now, I don’t know about you, but it isn’t everyday that I interact with a celebrity. In fact, the last one I can remember was Steven Spielberg back when he was filming Jurassic Park on Kauai. Yeah, the first one! I digress…

Still not feelin’ it? Well, let me break down some of my personal experiences from 2010. We rang in the year from one of the Penthouse Suites at the Waikiki Resort Hotel (@Waikiki_Resort) because of Twitter. A few months later, I purchased Adobe's Creative Suite 4, a week shy of their CS5 announcement. I had heard that Adobe sometimes offers post-announce upgrades and called to inquire. After getting the runaround for weeks, I tweeted my frustration. Adobe Customer Care on Twitter (@Adobe_Care) responded and within 2 business days, I had my copy of CS5. In December, I won $150 worth of gift cards from Ala Moana Center (@AlaMoanaCenter), a 10-piece meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken (@KFChawaii), a CD autographed by Jack Johnson (@jackjohnson) from Kanu Hawaii (@kanuhawaii), and free music from recording artist Mike Peralta (@mikeperalta). Ricky Li (@rickyli99) of HI I Shoot Stuff (@hiishootstuff) cut us a great deal on an awesome family Christmas portrait. Lastly, I got to attend an advance screening of Little Fockers.

So that's my story. If you are already on Twitter, connect with me! If not, understand this: opportunities are out there and being on Twitter is the only way you're going to capitalize on them. I'd love to see you chronicle your own journey... in 140 character bursts.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don't know where to start? I recommend you connect with Neenz Faleafine (@NEENZ) and ask her about being A.L.I.V.E. in Social Media. She's a great resource and will definitely get you headed in the right direction.

The @HealthPass Tweetup

DISCLAIMER: I am currently employed by a subsidiary of the Hawaii Medical Service Association, but these thoughts are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer or its parent company.

HealthPass (@HealthPass) is a benefit for most of HMSA's commercial plan members (click here to find out more). This past Wednesday, we hosted our first tweetup in conjunction with our 20th anniversary celebration. Though it did not have the glitz and glamor of the Nonstop Honolulu (@nonstophonolulu) launch, it definitely had a charm of its own. More importantly, there was a genuine sense of community prevailing in the room that night. Everyone understood that whether you have HMSA coverage or not, we share an important commonality: we all call Hawaii our home. It became apparent to me that the best way to keep HMSA members healthy, is to keep all of Hawaii healthy. It's an ambitious goal, but one that must be met if we are to have any hope of controlling the skyrocketing cost of health care. These changes will not happen in one day and certainly not in a single tweetup, but the conversations that evoke change have already started to take place. For example, after Renee (@surfchik4jesus) sent this tweet about her results, an entire conversation about diabetes ensued on Twitter. The next day, Sara Kata (@sarakata) blogged about "The Cholesterol Ninja" on Posterous. It was followed a day later by Rick Nakama's (@ricknakama) Bangga Bangga "Really Spicy Poke Bowl" post. The common thread? A heightened awareness of their health status brought on by information gleaned at the tweetup.

If you weren't able to attend the event, be sure to check out Ricky Li's (@rickyli99) gallery on Facebook. He took some great pics and really captured the essence of the evening.

Neenz Faleafine (@NEENZ) and her kids exploring the salt content in various foods.


Tweeps Ryan Ozawa (@hawaii), Garry (@funhiguy), Dan Seto (@danseto) and Joannie Pan (@trulyjoannies) learning functional exercises from Rodney, a health educator.


Melissa Chang (@melissa808), Don Aweau (@aweau), Jeff Kang (@jeffkang) and Linda (@alohagadgetgal) catching up with Noe Mediola (@noe808) and Neenz.

3 Things I Learned at [re]Think Hawaii

10/21 UPDATE: Big mahalo to Ricky Li (@rickyli99) for sending me this pic of the conference speakers. He was the designated photographer, so be sure to watch his site for official photo coverage of the event.

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Thanks to Joan Pan (@trulyjoannies), I had the privilege of attending yesterday's [re]think Hawaii Speaker Series at the Regal Dole Theaters. It was a full day, but I thoroughly enjoyed the lineup of presenters. The event certainly had a "one from every village" feel to it, with a nice mix of talent sourced locally and from abroad. Here's a glimpse of what I took away from the event.

1) Less is More
Each presenter was given just 10 minutes to talk about what they do. When you think about it, this isn't a whole lot of time to discuss that which you are most passionate about, but they each did an excellent job of condensing their presentations to fit within the allotted time. This also helped move things along at a nice pace.
The less is more theme was echoed in some of the presentations as well. Cheyne Gallarde (@thecheyne) of Firebird Photography emphasized "nearsighted creativity" and the importance of "finding new uses for old things." His success is based on his ability to reinterpret his surroundings, finding perspectives others may have overlooked; it isn't because he's got the latest and greatest equipment in his camera bag. Chef Ed Kenney (@edstown) talked about the importance of reducing the distance between farm and table. One of the tragedies of living in Hawaii is that most of our food travels thousands of miles before being consumed. The more we can grow locally, the better off our island community will be.

2) Connectivity is Key
Being that the event was centered around entrepreneurship, this was a logical topic. I particularly enjoyed the insights shared by Shaherose Charania (@shaherose) and Neenz Faleafine (@NEENZ). Shaherose talk was about empowering women through the use of technology. She talked about how mobile telephony changed the lives of women living in Bangladesh. She also established Women 2.0, a networking incubator created to foster the ideas of women entrepreneurs. Neenz, on the other hand, focused more on the importance of using in-person relationships to reinforce the connections made online.

3) Technology is Just a Tool
A lot of organizations make the mistake of thinking technology, on its own, will move them forward. They forget that it is incapable of crafting vision, lacks tenacity, and cannot replicate the human element. Granted, when used properly, technology has the potential to do great things for a business. Speaker Bear Woznick said going digital for his business has given him a lot of freedom and opened up countless opportunities. Overall, however, I was surprised by the lack of technical jargon and geek speak, given the nature of [re]think and its target audience. I was reminded of a quote I heard at a data governance conference last year: "technology is an enabler." Sure it is necessary for some of us to do the work that we do, but it isn't meant to replace it.

This was a tremendous experience and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend. Special thanks to organizers Christine Lu (@christinelu), Chris Noble (@cfnoble), and Shuchi Rana (@autkast) for planning and coordinating the event. I enjoyed the organic, laid back feel. It gave me the impression that the presenters were there to learn just as much as we were.

If you missed out on [re]Think, check out Ed Morita's (@nctrnlbst) gallery on Nonstop Honolulu.

Kanu's Eat Local Challenge: Day 1

I admire and respect people who force me to question my own beliefs. Such is the case with my Twitter friend @scrivener, whom I have known IRL for many years. Some may find his probing exasperating, but I welcome the pondering it elicits of the people, causes, and ideologies I support. Kanu's (@kanuhawaii) Eat Local Challenge is a good example. He posted this tweet about eating fish during the challenge week. The ensuing conversation made me think about why I've chosen to become involved in the campaign. I'm not doing it to try to prove anything; I'm doing it to raise awareness about the precarious state of Hawaii's food supply. I believe we, as consumers, have the power to effect real change by how we choose to spend our dollar. I, for one, would like to be able to walk into a supermarket and know that there will be locally grown fruits and vegetables in the produce section or milk and eggs produced from locally grown livestock. I don't want my food flown in from a random South American country, even if that means giving up some of the choices we've grown accustomed to. So, @Scrivener, thanks for having these conversations with me and others about the Eat Local Challenge. The increased dialogue is evidence to me that the campaign is working.

3 Things I Learned at the NonstopHonolulu Launch

1. Malika Dudley (@MalikaDudley) is tall. If you know me IRL, you're probably chuckling to yourself as you read this, given my towering 5 feet, 4 inch stature (and that's on a good day), but really, she is tall.
2. Not everyone gets a Swarm badge :( Yes, I am a little bitter about that. I checked in when I got there (at the time, the count was at 35) and after the announcements started blowing up my Twitter stream, I checked in a few more times for good measure. Nothing. Apparently I wasn't the only one, based on this tweet by Ricky Li (@rickyli99)
3. Lastly (and this was more of a reminder than an actual lesson learned), but as Melissa Chang (@Melissa808) points out in her blog, social media has a very personal component to it. It doesn't matter where you come from, what your socio-economic status is, or how many Twitter follows you have. Everyone was there to have a good time. My only complaint? There wasn't enough time to say hi to everyone or get to know those I've never met before.
Overall, it was an awesome experience. Here's to a long, successful journey for Nonstop Honolulu!

Today I cast my vote for A NEW DAY IN HAWAII

Today was the very first time I cast a vote in a primary election. That's right, the first time. EVER. I've made it a point to vote in the general election and I'm proud to say that I have exercised that right in every election since I turned 18. But the primaries? I never bothered. I guess I've always considered them unimportant - much like a preseason football game. My attitude used to be, "Who cares? After all, it's the general election that REALLY matters, right?" So why is this year any different? Well, I felt compelled to vote for Neil Abercrombie (@neilabercrombie) as Governor of Hawaii. Pretty strong statement coming from a guy who never voted in the primaries before, huh?
Generally, I agree with Mr. Abercrombie's plan, outlined in a 43 page document entitled A New Day in Hawaii. In particular, my views are aligned with his position on education, healthcare, and sustainability for the state. But it isn't politics that really convinced me to cast my vote. It wasn't a debate or public event, either. The deciding factor for me are the people who work for him. People like L.P. Neenz Faleafine (@NEENZ), Ed Morita (@NctrnlBst), and Melissa Chang (@Melissa808). People I have come to know through Social Media and now consider to be good friends of mine. From a Follow Friday shout out from Neenz to lunch with Melissa to being included in a video produced by Ed, I enjoy hanging out with these people and have come to truly value their friendship. They have supported me in many of my endeavors and I felt that this was a small, yet significant, opportunity for me to reciprocate. Russ (@ParkRat) blogged a similar sentiment here. Not once did they exploit our friendship for the sake of the campaign and for that I am also grateful. If they had used our relationship to solicit a vote from me, things would definitely be different.
Whether or not you agree with me and my choice for Hawaii's next governor, I implore you to cast a vote. If you feel you need more information, there are great resources available online like this one compiled by Kanu Hawaii. It is our duty, our kuleana to make our voices heard.

Hello, my name is @MikeSumida

I did it. I broke one of the cardinal rules of Twitter. I changed my name. Yup, I am no longer @L3379LAD180R. I am now just @MikeSumida.
One of the main motivators for doing this was to avoid the awkward (and somewhat embarrassing) experience of introducing myself at tweetups. The conversation usually went something like this:
Me: "Hi, I'm Mike."
New Person: "What's your Twitter name/handle?"
Me: "Leet Gladiator."
"What?!"
"L-3-3-7-9..."
"Oh, you're THAT guy!"
"Yup, that's me..." :\
All kidding aside, the more I learn about Social Media, the more I realize how important it is to have a personal brand, an identity. I must admit, I'm still getting used to it, but so far the response has all be positive. Here's to new beginnings :D

Happy New Year!

Looking back...

For me, 2009 will be remembered as the year of Social Media. I created a twitter account, a Flickr stream, started this blog with a post on social media, and connected Facebook, Twitter, Xbox Live, Netflix, and some of my iPhone apps to each other.

Twitter has proven especially useful. I've made several friends that I actually hang out with IRL (in real life) and I've scored free food, entertainment, and more along the way.

Looking forward...

Now it's time to close the door on 2009. I don't know what 2010 holds, but I confidently look forward with optimism and anticipation, knowing that both the successes and failures to come will help shape me into a better person.

I'm not one to write New Year's resolutions, but this year, I thought I'd at least set some goals for myself:

1) Spend more quality time with my family. I want to laugh more with my son and go on more regular dates with my wife. I'm going to try hard to get us on a regular schedule of taking evening walks together.

2) Help my church establish a social media presence. At the very least, I want to help churches understand the value of social media in engaging people.

3) Learn to appreciate what I have instead of focusing on what I don't. As a technophile, I am always looking for the latest and greatest. As someone living on planet earth, however, I realize there are finite resources.

What about you? Have you started setting goals for 2010? What do you hope to accomplish?

In search of the elusive magic number...

So I've been a member of the Xbox Live community on and off since I first signed up as a beta tester; I have had a Facebook account for a couple of years; in March, I posted my first tweet; yesterday, I became a member of the LinkedIn community; and now I'm writing my first blog. All this has got me thinking...what's the magic number? Although I feel like I'm on social networking overload, I know I've only scratched the surface. Digg, Youtube, Delicious are all out there, waiting to be tapped. I mean, I understand that the whole point of social media is to connect with as many people as possible, using whatever channels are available, but surely there's a point where you start to get diminishing returns or find yourself spread too thin. Where is the balance - that magic number? How many different communities must you join to maximize your reach, while still keeping things manageable?