Following up on the recent email interview I did with Nick Bradbury this is the first of what I hope I will be an on-going series of email interviews with people in social media space that I find interesting. Hopefully I will ask the types of questions, some easy and maybe some not so easy, that readers will have wanted to know the answers to. If not then I hope the interviews are at least informative.

Corvida Raven

I have known Corvida since almost the beginning of my time following the social media world. She is an incredibly bright young woman who has grown over the time I’ve known her. When it comes to enthusiasm about the subjects she talks about it is hard to keep up with her.

Blog: SheGeeks – http://shegeeks.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/corvida

Interview

1. Who is Corvida Raven

I’m a successful Technology blogger that grew up in one of the toughest areas of Miami, FL. I’m on a mission to become one of the greatest bloggers of all time and I’m actively working to build that dream. I grew up surrounded by hip-hop music and discover an instant attraction to technology around 11 or 12. Since then, I’ve been using both to try to make sense of my life.

2. If I recall correctly you seem to burst onto the social media scene in the early days of Twitter. Was this really your first involvement with blogging, social media or were you involved before your “fame” hit and how much?

Not at all. I’d been active around Livejournal, Vox, and other forums and messageboards for quite a few years before bringing SheGeeks to light. I designed my own websites at that time because there were no WordPress platforms around at the time I started, at least none that I could afford. That’s why Livejournal and Vox were so appealing to me back in the day.

3. Given your involvement with social media how has it affected your life in the past couple of years?

Social media has taken me places I’d never thought I’d be. I travel the country, have opportunities to speak outside the country. I’ve met some great people and made a lot more friends and mentors than I could’ve ever imagined. Social media helped me make a difference in not just my life, but others who really need it. It’s humbled me. It’s a terrific honor and position to be in.

4. I know from past conversations you and I have that it hasn’t been an easy road for you to get to this point in your career. Has the attitude of family and friends changed at all regarding the decisions you’ve made about your career path from when you first started?

Some of them have come around to it. Some haven’t. People will be people at the end of the day because you can’t please everyone. What’s become more important for me is making sure I’m doing things that I’m comfortable with, regardless of what others have to say about it. It’s my life, my passion, my work, and my choice.

5. Given that within the social media field there appears to be a larger number of men who are the leading voices in social media, have you found that this inequality to be a a hindrance as you have tried to advance your career?

Not directly. I understand the conversations about sexism in tech, but great men such as yourself, Louis Gray, Marshall Kirkpatrick, and Chris Brogan were some of the first to recognize me and provide me with opportunities to expand my career. I don’t think men are simply leading. I think they just might be louder in certain circles. I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with just as many brilliant women like Sarah Perez, Cathy Brooks, Marsha Collier, Erin Vest, Lynne D Johnson, Angela Benton, Adria Richards, Christina Warren, Sukhjit and many more.

6. Have you found that you are treated differently from other people involved in social media and all the services around it due to your openness about being gay?

My sexuality isn’t a problem for anyone because it shouldn’t be. The communities I participate in and the people I surround myself with wouldn’t have the time to trivialize something like that. It would be a complete waste of an opportunity to connect. On the other hand, I’m not walking around rubbing it in anyone’s face.

7. What is it about social media and services like Twitter, Facebook etc that draws you in the way it does?

Social media draws me in because of the community. If there were no community, I wouldn’t be here. They make it worth it day in and day out. I can find so many people who try to understand technology the way I do or simply know about technology in a way that I don’t. We share ideas and there’s a lot of love to go around. I have fun!

8. People seem to find niches within social media that are the places they can really shine as a leader or influencer so which niche do you find yourself feeling the most comfortable and the most able to help people

I don’t have a niche because I don’t want to box myself in. I like technology as a whole, but my focuses would be on mobile gadgets and apps, web apps, and social networks. That’s not to say I can’t talk about the latest graphics card to hit the market, or how tech stocks are looking these days. I’d kill myself trying to cover them all. Instead, I focus on what I feel most passionate about.

9. How do you feel about some of the new things that are happening within social media .. like Twitter Lists, Friendfeed getting bought by Facebook and the idea of the real-time web itself

I think it’s crazy. It’s crazy for me to be able to see this happening almost right before my eyes. I love watching how acquisitions play out and how communities react to new features. It’s an amazing story to watch unfold. I don’t give too much thought behind it because I never expect anything to stay the same. I learned that a long time ago when it comes to technology and social media.

10. Where do you see things like Twitter, Facebook and social media in general heading in the next 6 months .. the next year…

I see more connections going offline thanks to all these geo-location services like Brightkite, Whrrl, and Foursquare. I love the thought too. We’ll be building more bridges right in our own backyard and still maintain connections across the sea and on the go. I think the next year for social media will be a huge success on many levels. We just have to wait and watch.