Joshua Wong of Washburn Communication & SSMP

Posted by admin

June 8, 2009

“columnbreak? Err… columnbreak…Wait… huh?” That was my reaction the first time I saw the handle pop up across my screen. I had just received a friend invite via Zune from “columnbreak” and was left confused as I couldn’t recall who it was. “Should I know this guy from somewhere? If I don’t, why would he be interested in knowing that I just listened to Milli Vanilli’s ‘Blame It on the Rain’ six times in a row?” Not sure what to do, I accepted the friend request and hoped for the best.

Soon after that, I had the pleasure of actually meeting the man known as columnbreak after an SMC Seattle event and quickly discovered that he is a really good guy who’s passionate about social media. His actual name is Joshua Wong and he works as a mild-mannered Production Editor by day, but by night, he’s a social media junkie who really enjoys all things Japan. It was about six months ago that I met Josh and, speaking truthfully, having gotten to know him over that period has been a real pleasure.

Get to know Josh already, wouldja?

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Joshua Wong

2. E-mail?
joshua@columnbreak.com

3. What is your occupation/company?
Production Editor at Washburn Communication.

4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area? (if applicable)
I’ve spent most of my life in Renton, Washington.

5. How can people find you on the web?
I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and columnbreak.

Social Media:

6. Why do you like social media?
Social media is great a way to learn about people and events, keep in contact with friends, and be actively involved with some unique happenings both online and offline. It’s just a really easy, evolving way to learn and develop personal and professional relationships, and there are so many people that participate in it who don’t even realize what kind of impact they’re making on others.

7. How do you utilize social media?
I use social media to learn more about what’s going on in the world. I regularly read news on the MSNBC website, but what I watch on YouTube channels, read from friends on Twitter, and view on Flickr aren’t just articles or media, they’re experiences that I gain insight from. It’s enlightening to soak in and apply the vast amounts of information that I stumble on. For example:

A photo of a Japanese temple on Flickr might prompt me to visit that temple when I go to Japan.
A friend’s music taste on their Zune page might convince me to download some of the songs that they listen to.
My live video streaming of a local band on Qik might influence someone to attend a show and become a fan of the band’s music.

Without these experiences, I would be missing out on a lot of great things. And, it’s always comforting to think “That was awesome” after attending an event, eating at a restaurant that someone recommended, or getting a couple of solid opinions to an open-ended question.

8. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
I think that people should just have fun with social media. Companies shouldn’t worry about proving an ROI from YouTube and they shouldn’t use it to solely advertise products or services on Twitter. Common (um… and uncommon, I suppose) folks shouldn’t have to feel that they need to understand what it is to be involved. The fun with being involved in social media is the ability to gradually understanding what it is and how we can grow from it.

9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
I hope that folks will find what I say entertaining. I definitely provide some honest insights, but nothing brutal. Occasionally, I’ll favorite someone’s tweet, read it five days later, and re-tweet it. I figure that, as long as the material isn’t time-sensitive, others who might’ve not seen it can see it at a later time. Plus, I’m not big on re-tweeting something that’s been re-tweeted by five or more people within an hour, so that’s why I sometimes sit on it for awhile.

10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
The social media scene here is active, open, and friendly. My biggest worry about going to SMC Seattle events, tweetups, and other monthly gatherings was that I’d feel like a wallflower. That’s totally not the case. Even for me, a fairly shy guy, it’s really easy to get comfortable at these events.

Also, for anyone on the fence about going to a social media event, give it a shot. I know a few people that were hesitant to go because they weren’t sure what to talk about or had the idea that people only talked about technology or social media. What surprises them is that conversations go in all sorts of directions. It’s great having such a growing, diverse group of people!

11. Do you have a good social media success story or “wow” moment?
I’ve had a couple of social media “neat” moments, but my “wow” moment came fairly recently.

A friend on Twitter who lives in Japan asked a question aimed at software developers. The next day, he asked the same question, mentioning that no one had answered him. I re-tweeted his question and within 10 minutes, one of my developer friends from the Seattle area @ replied him. It was pretty amazing, especially given the distance between the two, the immediate response, and how I acted as a middleman to get a question answered.

12. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about? Please include dates, locations, etc. Where can more information be found?
Y’know, I usually don’t know of any conferences or events until someone re-tweets about them. A good place to start is the SMC Seattle calendar. And, although I haven’t tried it yet, I think that subscribing to RSS feeds like “bellevuetweetup” on Twitter or becoming fans of local social groups that have Facebook pages could be helpful if you don’t have time to search for local events.

Just For Fun:

13. What are your hobbies?
I enjoy cooking, playing basketball, and doing karaoke.

14. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
Japan is my all-time favorite place for vacation. I love taking the trains to different places in and around Tokyo. The trains are 99% on time, which makes planning an excursion really easy.

15. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
My favorite restaurant is Wann, a Japanese place in downtown Seattle. I don’t eat out much, but when I think about doing so, that place is the first one that pops into my head. I like the atmosphere, the happy-hour food, and their oolong high (oolong tea mixed with shochu). My favorite food is definitely the chicken karaage.

16. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
Nothing beats driving around and listening to 90’s rap with the windows rolled down (Will Smith’s “Summertime,” anyone?). Usually, though, I have a destination in mind, like a barbeque with friends or playing basketball.

17. Most embarrassing CD you own?
It would definitely have to be my imported version of an NSYNC CD. I paid $45 for it on eBay about 10 years ago in hopes of selling it to my sister. That didn’t work out, so I’ve been stuck with it since then. It doesn’t get much play.

18. Any hidden talents?
Not really. I can make a frog face with my hands and sound like Kermit the Frog. Nothing game-changing, though.

19. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I’m a dog person.