My mom is following me on Twitter.com. Both my parents are my Facebook friends. I started these social network accounts to find and attract people who could be interested in my own social networks. They've been invaluable to me for getting the word spread about MySaline.com and Arkansite.com.

But now I think I know how my son feels since I have connected with him on Facebook. I've tried not to embarrass him too badly. I wouldn't want him to have to explain to his buds about how he got the name “Sugar Bear.” Woops, did I just write that in the local newspaper?

I have to wonder what opinion visitors form when they see that I have founded Web site with lots of members and there are my mommy and daddy as members. It could go one way, like David Letterman having his mom report from the Olympics one year – that was clever and funny. It could be something entirely different though – like Orville Reddenbacher and his weird grandson.

I'm lucky, because my parents are the cool parents, just like [I think] my husband and I are. They're good neighbors, they've got recipes and gardening tips to share, and if you are looking for a great back yard to hang out in, they have made it. More importantly for not embarrassing me online, they've got good spelling and grammar skills! They show up at my events and help me with setup and takedown. They even promote my Web sites when they think about it.

My questions is, what is my mom doing on Twitter? One of her updates was telling people she was going to dig up something in the garden to give to somebody at her history society group, Questers. Did I need to know that? Who needed to know? Mo-o-om, this is why people bash Twitter!

Nobody wants to know that someone out there is going to lunch in a few minutes, or it's time for bed. People want info they can use. The problem for so many users is that they don't have any useful information to offer. I'm not saying those folks are stumps. I'm merely advising those people whose name I won’t mention, to get some useful information and share that instead of telling me you just stubbed your toe on the lamp.

Case in point: Do you want President Obama's tweet (that's what they call it when you make an update on Twitter) to be "Just received a high-five from Hillary. *shudders*" or would you rather read, "White House announcement at noon re: doctors and teachers getting the same amount of salary." Now, just because of the President's celebrity, you are likely to retweet (that's when you forward a message to your own Twitter followers) either message. However, the one with lasting impact is the second. Actually, that was maybe not the best example, since the first message could be very useful in getting some laughs.

I have to tell you that there are some exceptions to the “useful” rule in updating your status. 1) Facebook is more casual, so it’s tolerance level of mediocrity is higher. 2) There are certain occasions when you know that there is a high percentage of people doing the very thing that you’re doing, so it’s very okay to comment on it. This does not include tooth brushing and supper making, but rather a more exciting activity such as watching the finale of American Idol.

On Wednesday night, a good number of MySaline.com members and others crammed into Luigi’s new back room not just for its full bar and big-screen TVs, but because we wanted to share what ended up being a local Arkansas boy’s shining moment in the national spotlight. Packed as Luigi’s in Bryant was, there were parties going on in Kris Allen’s home of Conway, that were a much closer representation of the reported 38 million votes AT&T says it logged from Arkansas the night before.

In other Arkansas cities, there were people gathered in places watching and sharing the anticipation of Allen being named the next American Idol. How do I know this? Yes, it was on the news, but I knew before the news came on, because I was getting and giving ongoing not-so-informative and very silly Twitter and Facebook updates. Get on either site and search for Arkansite and you will find me.