Social Networking's New Digital Flavors
If you are looking for variety, just ask the “man on the street” what they think about the idea of networking. You will likely get all 31 flavors. Ask a mature member of the workforce and they may have a bad taste in their mouth. For a several generations networking was closely identified with Network Marketing. Many, who figuratively if not literally, had to eat the soap products they peddled to friends and family. Much of what they remember has left a bad taste in their mouth.
Ask another generation and they will identify the hand shaking “Rotary Days” of getting business done. For years the “good ole’ boys” have mixed business with breakfast as a systematic way to get things done.
Today, there is a new flavor on the horizon, and it is as cool as mint chocolate chip. Social networking has bubbled up from a kid’s game to a “friction free” format for individuals and professionals alike to meet, greet, hinge, and leverage skill sets in a connected world. Like all networking before it, social networking portals like Myspace, Facebook, and linked-in build on who you know in your sphere of influence, and makes them available to all the others in your circle with a very important distinction.
The Primary difference is a permissions based approach to making a connection with all that are in a common link. Typically there is a digital invitation that allows the recipient to grant access to a new contact based on their own determination of perceived value.
The problem with social networks in the real world is that most of the connections between people are hidden. It is good to mix with a “Rotary” style network. It may have huge potential, but it's only as valuable as the people and connections that you can see.
This problem is being solved with technology. These social networking websites help you see connections that are hidden in the real world. Here's how it works. You sign up for a free account and fill out your profile. Then, you look for people you know.
When you find someone, you click a button that says, "Add as Friend". Once you do this, you and that person have a connection on the website that others can see. They are a member of your network, and you are a member of theirs.
What's really cool, mint or not, is that you can see who your friends know, and who your friends' friends know. You're no longer a stranger, so you can contact them more easily. This solves a real world problem because your network has hidden opportunities. Social networking sites make these connections between people visible. Your network is suddenly more useful.