August 2007

While the world doesn't stop in August, it does seem to slow down a little (at least, that small part of the world in which I'm located.) I've been taking some time off, and have been doing things away from the online world. I'm finding this time away is allowing me to actually think, long thoughts uninterrupted by the need to check email, respond to a phone call, or do just about an other electronic-related communication. It feels good... and so I'll be away from this blog until early next week (but I will be back.)

Why We're Not Grasping "Social Media"

Perhaps you've heard of LinkedIn. Or someone in your office keeps talking about Facebook. Or your kids are all over MySpace.

That's what I'm talking about here. Online places where we can create profiles describing ourselves, upload information and pictures, link to others in various networks, and explore profiles across the country and around the world.

But some of us aren't grasping it. When we get an email requesting we link to a friend or colleague, we think "I don't understand the usefulness of this stuff."

Why aren't we getting it? Maybe:

we're wary of broadcasting our lives over electronic media;
we believe that the best way to meet someone is in person;
we're comfortable using the Internet for sending, receiving and researching information, but not for building communities;
we're overworked, over-scheduled and under-rested;
we're unsure about where we can find more information;
we feel we'll be buried by the information we do find;
we're unaware of what's out there;
we think we're too old and set in our ways to learn something new;
we're confused because Friendster was the ticket, and then Friendster was out and everyone was using MySpace; then MySpace turned into a haven for kids and everyone moved to Facebook and LinkedIn;
we don't want to use the wrong application;
we hope it's all just a fad that will play itself out soon;
we don't realize we're already doing it.

I've been all those things, and probably more. The remedy? Read Chris Brogan - A Conversation with a Community about Digital Relationships. Chris calls it like it is - and gives voice to when he doesn't understand how some aspect of "social media" will work out. Online community building is the big thing that's growing right now, and there are even job announcements for online community organizers.

It's exciting to think about how an organization or an individual can build a community around an idea, a project, a product, or a discipline. It's also daunting, for all the reasons outlined above.

The trick is to keep learning, even if just a little, every day, and start to play with the tools that are out there.