I was reading Connie’s post about connecting with people via Facebook this morning, and I clicked out to Thomas’s post, which is really a more rounded expansion on the thoughts I dropped in Connie’s comments section: that the beauty of internet-based interactions is that it’s incredibly easy to get in touch with all kinds of people, all the way up to GMs at Microsoft.
Amid all the business and political possibilities we all see in Social Networks like Facebook, it’s sometimes easy to forget that at the basis of all of what we’re doing (OK, with Zuckerberg yelling “SOCIAL GRAPH! SOCIAL GRAPH!” in everyone’s ear, it’s not THAT hard to forget) are these connections we’re drawing between ourselves and other people.
Since we launched this blog, I think the list of friends I have on Facebook has grown by forty or fifty, which for me is a reasonably big leap, since I don’t actively seek to expand my friend’s list (I know I explained this before I can’t for the life of me find the link).
It’s amazingly cool because though Facebook, Twitter, Pownce, Blog posts, comments, and even email, I can talk to people that, in a pre-internet world, would have been essentially impossible for me to reach. I think that’s probably the coolest part to me.
Welcome to our community! If you like what you see, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed!
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thomas 09.13.07 at 11:32 am
The ability to connect with a variety of people has been demonstrated to me multiple times, but I am still blown away by it.
Social Networking has given me the opportunity to meet and interact with people I didn’t think I would have a chance to meet face to face. Web 2.0 is really fostering the democratization of social interaction.
You can begin interacting with someone simply by reading and commenting on their blog, flickr stream or facebook profile. The ability to interact with people it is not likely you would meet face to face is wide open.
Jason Preston 09.13.07 at 2:49 pm
@Thomas I think that’s exactly it. Thanks for the comment!
Connie Bensen 09.13.07 at 9:06 pm
Hey Jason - great thoughts. I agree.
You got me thinking (again) & I posted some ideas for befriending people even if it seems hard.
http://www.conniebensen.com/blog/2007/09/13/befriending-on-facebook-elsewhere/
Sean ODriscoll 09.13.07 at 9:35 pm
oh no…don’t put me in that “all the way up” bucket
I’m not that hard to find!!
I’m stunned by how many interesting people I’ve met through proactive play and engagement in social media.
Seanod
microsoft and blogger (www.communitygrouptherapy.com)
Jason Preston 09.14.07 at 10:34 am
@Connie cool post! I posted the link in our WCF Group!
@Sean clearly you’re not that hard to find!
Connie Bensen 09.18.07 at 7:50 am
@Sean O’Driscoll I agree that you’re very easy to find! In fact, it was Sean that found me.