Resolutions of a Type-A, Non-Traditional Professional

Another year, another set of New Year's resolutions. But this time, we are doing something a bit different. And you are going to have to head over to LinkedIn to check out our latest blog post.

Are you a small business owner? Freelancer? Remote Worker? Or maybe you are just looking to re-vamp your 9-to-5 grind. Click here for New Year's resolutions you'll actually want to keep.

The Pros and Cons of a Facebook Dislike Button

Although it's hard to imagine, Facebook existed for five whole years before introducing the iconic "Like" button in February of 2009. Naturally, providing the ability for users to give positive feedback and easily connect with things they care about left us all wondering- what about the alternative? Where is the "Dislike" button? And it seems like it's a question that just won't go away. Flash forward another five years, the "Dislike" button remains one of the top feature requests submitted to Facebook.

Requesters rejoice: today Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, addressed the topic during a Townhall at Facebook's HQ. Click here to hear The Zuck's firsthand take on the matter. And while we fully support his response, the Devil's Advocate in us couldn't help but to debate the issue just a wee bit more.

Pros:

• Every yin needs a yang, especially a platform that stands for authentic human interactions in the digital age
• Being able to just as easily express your DISSATISFACTION with a post
• Not feeling like a jerk when you "like" something that is actually very sad
• For brands, being able to get a better pulse check on the negative sentiment of content- imagine a comprehensive Negative Feedback Rate!
• If brands are receiving an overwhelming amount of "dislikes", wouldn't it force them to create content that is truly appealing?
• A quicker way to let Facebook know something is annoying you; meaning a very specific way to say "I don't want to see this" without risking future updates
• Maybe, just maybe, it would reduce the number of complaints and mean-spirited comments running rampant on the platform

Cons:

• Does the world really need more negativity? More so, can our egos really handle having more dislikes than likes?
• Trolls. Internet trolls that is; people will abuse the button just for kicks creating a less than pleasant environment
• The inevitable hostility towards ads, Facebook's lifeblood and key source of revenue
• Two words: Passive. Aggressive.
• What about sarcasm? Wouldn't that further confuse brands when trying to distinguish between positive and negative sentiment?
• Speaking of, what would that mean for the ever-debated-and-always-differing "Engagement" metric?

So, what side are you on? Pro "Dislike" button? Con? Or do you join us in supporting The Zuck POV?

27 things to do besides complain about the snow

Despite living in the Northeastern part of the United States for, well, ever, the first snow fall always seems to catch everyone off guard. And as the flakes begin to fly it's inevitable your Facebook and Twitter feeds will begin to be filled with updates from people complaining about the weather. How much they hate the winter. Ugh, snow. OMG this traffic, don't you people remember how to drive? And of course the ever popular "I am going to move" declaration. 

So in attempt to cheer up our social feeds this winter, we decided to put together a list of things that would be far more productive than taking to the internets to rant about Mother Nature.

1.  Update your LinkedIn Profile.
2.  Check your Facebook privacy settings.
3.  Go fund a project on Kickstarter.
4.  Help change the world.
5.  Donate to our dear friend's wonderful charity, Untapped Shores.
6.  Discover a new recipe.
7.  Learn a new language.
8.  Rock your body and break a sweat.
9.  Save a cat.
10.  Or a dog.
11.  Feed someone.
12.  Start your holiday shopping.
13.  Take a class.
14.  Explore the world.
15.  Overhaul your dated, boring resume.
16.  Check your credit score.
17.  Thank a soldier.
18.  Now cry.
19.  Watch this.
20.  Laugh because you just fell for that.
21.  Throw yourself a party.
22.  Send a loved one a note.
23.  Wish you were somewhere else.
24.  Embrace the snow.
25.  Or stay inside and bingewatch.
26.  Just calm down.
27.  And realize that this list is nice and all but doing almost anything is better than complaining via social media.