Remember the snow? No? Oh well then here is a little reminder...

It's amazing really how something so beautiful can cause so much anxiety and chaos (similar to a tiger you might say - or Cheryl Cole). Fortunately for Hertfordshire, we are currently enjoying a lovely snow reprieve, hence why I felt this was a good time to put up some of the pics I took out in the good old Herts countryside. So enjoy and look back with fond memories - I suggest quickly though - before the next load comes down and pandemonium / extremely loud and constant swearing fills the land once more....

LinkedIn – A Christmas Appeal.

For months colleagues and associates alike have insisted it’s “the next big thing”. Time and time again I have been assured I wouldn’t regret getting involved. I can think of numerous occasions where I have been reminded that I’m no-one until I’m “linked”. So eventually, I caved, and registered an account with the allegedly new social networking phenomenon, ‘LinkedIn’.

And boy do I regret it (damn those who assured…). From what I can make out it is nothing except an annoyance that sends endless, useless emails to my professional email box that I get unnecessarily excited about (only a special chosen few get the professional account address, and they normally have something interesting to say). Sure, I am now “Linked” with my father (who I also live with so probably not such a networking breakthrough), and numerous ex-colleagues (most of which I am also Facebook ‘friends’ – so again, fairly lacking in substance), but it is yet to bring me the fame and fortune result I was anticipating (true, it’s only been a month, but I like to see instance results in anything where I have invested effort).

I’m certain I’m not using it right. Perhaps I need some tutoring (can you hire someone for that kind of service?)I know Twitter took a while to kick in – maybe I just need some more time. (From a now twitterholic to all the non-twitter users out there – trust me – I’m a journalist - once you get past the far-spread and incorrect assumption that it is just mere ‘Facebook updates’, you will venture into a wonderfully intricate world of information, contacts, and people pretending to be people that they’re not – it’s simply delightful).

So am I dismissing ‘LinkedIn’ too quickly? Will my rash decision to delete my account be one I will regret for the rest of my life? Will potentially useful contacts be overlooked for ones with some fabulously horrific Facebook photo albums? I just don’t know at this point. So this is my Christmas appeal to you all. If there are any LinkedIn pros out there, then please, please, do get in touch. I really need your help. Thank you.