A Tech Mom's New Year's Resolutions

I've learned a lot writing daily about tech and family for Yahoo! Tech in 2006 and from you, as you've shared what works for your family and what doesn't. I joined this terrific group of advisors as the least techie of an impressive bunch, as a mom who is trying to make good tech-related decisions for her family and sharing what I learn along the way. It's been a blast, and I can't wait to keep learning and sharing with you in 2007...which leads nicely into my list of resolutions:

Keep learning. If we've learned anything in 2006, it's that life on the Internet will continue to change quickly, and we've got to keep learning and changing with it. I resolve to read as much as I can online and offline and to take a class to learn something new.

Take more photos, organize them, and back them up. I told you in this post on Photojojo's Project 365 that taking more photos in the hopes of becoming a better photographer would make it onto my resolutions list. But if I'm taking more photos, I've got to figure out a better way to organize them than in dated My Pictures folders. Then, I have to follow through on my advice to you to back them up!

Back everything up more. While I'm at it, I vow to back up all important documents and files more often. For some good advice on backing up data, check out Chris' post on something he practices better than the rest of us.

Clean out e-mail and old files more frequently. As busy days seem to grow shorter, my in-boxes grow bigger. I vow to delete read and unwanted e-mails right away and put ones that I need to keep in folders. Same goes with my multiplying Word files.

Talk to my kids more about social networking on the Internet. I don't want to scare them away from social networking sites. (They get enough scary stories in Internet safety talks in school.) I'd rather they learn how to communicate online safely and smartly because they will conduct so much of their personal, school, and work lives online.

Find ways to save money on phone plans and TV service. The bills keep getting bigger, but the options are widening, too. Is this the year we go for VoIP (Internet phone calling) or switch to Verizon's fiber optic TV service? Can't say now, but I'll be researching and passing on what I learn and decide.

Oh, and of course, find some hours in the week away from my computer for exercise and spending downtime with my family, because our three kids are growing up faster than I can believe.

That's a start for the new year. What are your tech and family resolutions for 2007? Post 'em, and we'll work on them together.