About

* I have been on Twitter (@mediamum) since the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, in 2007. When I signed up, I didn’t “get” it and dumped it for six months, but then took it up as my summer project over the Christmas break that year, and … boom. I never realised that it would be such a constant presence for me, and that it would lead to myriad papers and research. But I love the promise of what Twitter represents for society, and I enjoy performing my research into the communities that use it.

* After a very successful career as a magazine journalist and PR consultant, I decided to teach. I did a BA with a major in Comms as a Distance Ed student over three years while raising my four wonderful children, graduating in 2005 with a Distinction average. At various stages, my children saw me cry, dance – and work my butt off. At my graduation as I walked across the stage to get my degree, my only daughter screamed “Go Mum!” from somewhere in the middle of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Best. Day. Ever.

* I was employed as a full time teacher of Marketing, Advertising, Event Management and Journalism by TAFE NSW (Australia’s public community college network.) While there, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Adult Education through Charles Sturt University, fully funded by TAFE NSW.

* I am a Masters student and hold a full TA appointment at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. I plan to complete my thesis in Spring 2010. I am planning a PhD.

* I am one of the most rare commodities – a woman who has completed a high end IT incubator program. I graduated from the inaugural Founder Institute program in Silicon Valley in Summer 2009 with my two co-founders, @jedwhite and @dazwal. Our startup, TribeVibe, is preparing for full launch.

* My husband works even harder than I do, but he still can’t change a loo roll or pick up his shoes. He does, however push a mean dishwasher button. We are a bootstrapping start-up family.

* I am one of the biggest Split Enz/anything-Finn fans in the universe. My tagline is part of a lyric from The Devil You Know, a Neil Finn song. (“Hung on a cliff, in search of something big.”) I have travelled to see these guys. Not just to different cities, but to New Zealand where I was able to see a full dress rehearsal that was invitation to just 25 people in Wellington.

Bryce at Flybal

* I love flyball (dog sport). I chose to leave my dog, Bryce, in Australia with family when we moved to the USA. Bryce has a national flyball title but is now retired. I’m looking forward to getting a small dog in the US that can be my new flyball buddy. I enjoy scoring at tournaments for the RUFF Flyball Team in Colorado (not that kind of scoring).

* Before my journalism and media career, I used to work in the music industry. I started in Australian band management (The Allniters, Sharon O’Neill, Dragon) and moved to international touring artists (Elton John, Lionel Ritchie, etc). I’m thanked on Moving Pictures last album.

* I was editor of GAMESTAR magazine, chief sub-editor on Australian Personal Computer magazine, and Deputy Editor on PC User magazine for Australian Consolidated Press.

* I worked in Public Relations (the dark side) for numerous IT firms in consultancy, inhouse and freelance. As an IT writer, I am proficient at taking technical copy and turning it into copy that can be read by a layperson.

* I can tie a jelly snake into a knot using only my tongue. I have recently expanded this to cherry stems.

* I dearly wish I had time to quilt and scrapbook.

* I Rock.

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