Social Networking Observations
Posted on August 29, 2007
Have you ever noticed that it’s hard to sell someone on using Facebook or Twitter or MySpace or Tumblr or Jaiku or LinkedIn or Del.icio.us or Flickr or Picasa or Plaxo or Pownce or any other new, latest and greatest social networking site? I have.
I’ve gotten the blank stare, the ‘what?’, the ‘huh?’, the endless questions of why does it matter? and what’s the point? I’m having fun in the social media world and I know a lot of people that are out there having fun too. I also know a lot of people who couldn’t care less. Social networking is termed that because it is designed to be social and if you are out in this social world alone it’s not fun.
- I like Facebook because I have a lot of friends out there
- I like Twitter because I have several friends out there and we converse back and forth randomly
- I think I will like Plaxo but at the moment, I only have one friend. :(Â (Thanks Ula!)
I don’t really have friends on any other sites so I don’t really like them. That brings me to my observation, if someone has a friend or more at a site, they are more likely to sign up. Most people are not going to give one of these sites a try just for fun, there needs to be some additional motivation.
- Can I bring value to someone who is not already plugged in to one or more online communities?
- Can you bring value to someone who is not already plugged in to one or more online communities?
That’s the question, I don’t know how to overcome that and I also don’t know if it matters. It’s takes time and effort to keep up on Facebook or Twitter or other similar sites and you have to care about it to keep it up. (By the way, if you need a friend on Facebook to jump in and get started, here’s a link to my profile, I’ll be your friend.) Blogging is the same, by the way, I used to try to convince people to start their own blog, but not anymore because you have to want it to do it. The desire comes from within, not from someone nagging you.
I think I need to give up on my social networking hard sell, you’ve got to make the decision for yourself, but when you get to that point, let me know and I’ll help you get acclimated.
What do you think? Am I off base on this one?
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8 Responses to “Social Networking Observations”
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I don’t think you’re off base at all. I am a reformed blogger. At one time, I used a blog similar to the way any teenager today would use one. I reaped what I sowed, and had some major consequences to pay.
Ever since, I have been very, very anti social-website. I finally broke down and started my current blog, and have since learned from my past stupid mistakes. I then got a MySpace just so I could blog devotionals and things to the teen group I mentor. A few days ago, I switched to facebook, following all the teens lead. I have to say, I’m loving facebook. Everything seems infinitely better than MySpace.
I think cell phones are similar cultural phenomenon. I don’t ever have to call a house anymore. I can always call who I want directly. Social websites are a part of culture now, and resisting them is futile. Although it seems I still try.
I don’t get any blank stares from the younger generation, they get it. In fact my oldest daughter can’t wait to get to high school so that she can get her own facebook account. I think there is a generation gap here as well as a usefulness question.
Older people don’t seem to understand the paradigm of social networking. I am not speaking ill of my elders, but even I had to work at understanding the whole Facebook concept and it’s value.
I like Shellie comment. It is similar to home phone vs cell phone world.
But anyway I wanted to say, that there is “wall” also in minds of young people. Those who are “out” of social networking don’t understand what is the difference. And I know some young adults saying they don’t have enough time or they have too many accounts already for facebooking.
I think we all want to have all those friends in one place - but there is no such a social network to have them all together, thats way people are waiting till the time it’s gonna be this way.
Shellie, I agree about the cell phone phenomenon, I don’t even have a home phone, we all have cell phones.
Bill, good point about the younger generation getting it, my conversations are with the older crowd, like myself.
I feel like I am about 15-20 years behind when it comes to this sort of thing.
Youlay, I barely have time for facebook and I do want a single social platform, as you suggest. For now, facebook is it, that’s where all my online friends are, I see potential for Plaxo to complement or replace facebook.
hummmm, I definitely think that the older generations don’t understand the technology enough to even try it. I’ve seen a pattern in my parent’s generation to be afraid of technology in fear of having to learn something new. (and of course there are the one or two people that stand out from the crowd) Is it a possibility that the older generations fear online activities because the news media is always having WARNING stories about the “dangers of the internet”…..who knows.
I’ve recently added a profile on Facebook, and actually I really like it. I jumped on the MyChurch bandwagon when they first launched and got a lot of my church folks to jump on board but now, most of their profiles are abandoned.
Hey Jim…I cant remember the name of it (sad i read the article 3 days ago [i think])…the Google site Orkut is planning on rolling out a social networking site network. In english…they want to connect all the sites together…you edit your orkut profile and it would filter down into myspace, Facebook, etc.
I saw your invite to plaxo…i dont know how to work it lol…or i would have accepted….
All hail chief geek…..
JK…..James
Being one of the token representatives of “that other generation”, I would suggest that our generation has difficulty with the “social” as much as the “networking.
We seldom know how to “hang out”. We were reared on the “rugged individualism” of John Wayne and Lassie. While not as bad as our parents, one of our major issues is “performance anxiety” in one form or another.
What we don’t get is the connectedness of community.
But being the exception that proves the rule…
Twitter connections are welcome at http://twitter.com/HowlerGeek and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641654467
Building community is difficult in any circumstance. Do electronic connections help or hinder the process?
I think the next killer app, or the social networking site that will rise above the rest is the one that lets you manage all your social networking profiles from one place. For now, its just ridiculous to make and maintain so many profiles so many places.