Drones & Your Online Reputation

Beekeeper - 1964-2014+

When first a beekeeper I was too young to drive.  My mother accommodated  visits to my bee yard.  That was the nicest vehicle ever used to transport heavy, sticky, oozing hive parts.  Later when I started to drive I managed to crumple the front end of the 1962 Pontiac Catalina (389 4-barrel).

The bees have been a bit of a constant, there through high school, college, jobs, newborn children, empty nesters, etc.  It's become much more difficult to be successful at beekeeping.  My cousin and I talk about the ease with which one could start a business in the 1950s and even the 1960s from many perspectives, financing, customers, regulations and competition.  Over the years prices have risen along with costs and the losses have changed from unsold product to bees that simply die from mites and pesticides.

My better half is a good listener and knows most of the standard stories from me regarding bees.  Now that fall is upon us she relishes the notion of the unlucky drones, the males, who after a season of not working, lounging about, not defending the hive (without stingers) and not even being able to feed themselves, are kicked out of the hive at the first frost.  No freeloaders in the house for the winter.

My repertoire of  bee humor centers on reproduction, the standards of desire, pursuit and conquest and regret.  The short version is this:  "The queens mates with one or more drones in flight.  At the moment of ecstasy the drones unit breaks off.  He dies."

This evening she asked me from the kitchen "do male bumblebees die in the fall, too."  Strangely tonight is the first widespread frost in Minnesota so looked to see if the front door was open.  Apparently safe I did a quick search for the answer.  Honeybees winter as a colony of bees, and that is somewhat unique.  Other bees winter as a single queen.  In the spring she builds up some cells, forages, lays eggs and nurtures the larvae.  Once there is a substantive community she lays male eggs.  The drones of the bumblebee world, like honeybees do little work, actually none.  They leave and live a solitary life, foraging for themselves and flying around in pursuit of female conquest.  One of seven are successful in that conquest...and then they die.  With a bit more entomological research I've going to find out if that is a standard throughout the insect world.

Online Reputation...my, oh my, what people know

 It seems that between what I've decided to follow and what Facebook likes to send me in the form of advertisements that at quick glance seem like something I should click on, this has gone beyond following a few friends and topics. For instance, Facebook apparently knows that I own a Ford F-150. That is public information but not something that I choose to share with everyone. It's also apparent that while logged into Facebook my browsing history becomes part of my public/private record, as well. Google & Yahoo I more or less trust. They're decent neighbors. Just for the record I want my friends to know that I'm considering purchasing a new DeWalt cordless drill, a 9V lithium battery for my 'up north' FreezeAlarm, some new 21" band saw blades and some new boxers. It's just some that everyone should know, not just Facebook.

We've yet to totally understand the implications of social media (and social media derived data) which goes far beyond our conventional notion of privacy (like name, address, SSN, etc.) but expands to your physical location, political inclinations, spending, etc. It's possible that "big data/meta data" may predict your next actions even better than your significant other.

What's The Point of this Blog Post?

Certainly during my next interview someone is going to ask about bee sex or why I talk about that, or I'm not even going to get to the interview stage because it's offensive.  "We are not going to call this guy in for an interview.  He posted some bee porn on his blog (or on Facebook or whatever)."  Actually I'm going to a seminar next week on "your social media brand."   It's put on by something called the National Institute of Social Media.  My LHH consultant and I have talked about this.  His suggestion is remain anonymous.  I think one has to be cautious and thoughtful but I think you have to also be proactive, creating multiple dimension of that brand.