I started writing this post with an introduction something like this:
Is it just Pirates and Ninjas for you, or do you use it as a communications medium/platform, like email? (Just more informal and personable?)
But then I started thinking, the beauty of social networking, as mediated through the internet, is that it reflects our social networking in the real world; whom we connect with, what we talk about, how we talk about it; it just adds another communication channel, like phone, text, or email. It can be whatever you want or need it to be - the same way some people share weird chain messages with each other via email, others play Pirates and Ninjas and SuperPoke each other on Facebook.
Communicating and building relationships on Facebook does not have to be just one or the other, in fact, they are just examples of the many rich ways that people interact with one another.
The new privacy controls released by Facebook last week have added another great way to reflect our real world relationships online. Some relationships are created by who we are in closest proximity to - the people at your school, in your workplace, in your town, etc. Yet, other relationships (and perhaps the most rewarding ones to build) are the ones we make that are facilitated by knowing the same people, whether it is a chance encounter or an introduction by your common friends. That second type of relationship connection is the type that professional networking site LinkedIn revolves around - LinkedIn uses the “recommendations” concept; when you are looking for and employer or employees you want to leverage the people you know the best and trust the most first. After all, these are the people your friends have vetted, you don’t have to check up on them - as long as you trust the people that recommended them, your friends.
For me, Facebook has become a kind of rich communications medium - a supercharged email client, or a Generation Y personal Sharepoint. I’m not too much of a fan of Pirates and Ninjas, but that’s just my preference, and it doesn’t have to be a part of how I operate on Facebook. For me, I want to be able to communicate and connect in a rich medium with friends and colleagues.
How do you Facebook (or myspace, or orkut, whatever)?? What do you want to get out of your interactions there (consciously and unconsciously)?? Think about that the next time you log on and SuperPoke someone - you are actually building stronger relationships, creating new ones and connecting to people, whether you want to or not.
Comments 4
Interesting take on flexibility. In tech as in art, there are people who dislike the fact that their work is used beyond its original intent while others rejoice at the opportunity to have their work repurposed.
Posted 24 Mar 2008 at 3:28 pm ¶Despite its perceived “closedness,” Facebook has been pretty good at allowing a number of things which weren’t originally expected. I’d say that Twitter is fairly similar as people used it in many ways which go quite far away from “telling friends what we’re doing, right this instant.”
Still, you’re right, Fb’s coolness factor comes in part from its flexibility. It doesn’t force the user into a single mode of social interaction.
(BTW, there seems to be an issue between ReCaptcha and OpenID)
As the group of people I know grows and becomes more geographically diverse, I need a suite of tools to manage the interaction. E-mail is great for point-to-point communication, especially around projects and deliverables. Tools like Facebook are a great way to manage the loose connectivity around status updates, thoughts, and stories that help me stay in touch (or feel like I’m in touch) with a much larger group. I think some of these tools will eventually turn into tools for collaboration and team-work as work teams become more distributed.
Posted 24 Mar 2008 at 4:58 pm ¶- Todd
@Alexandre That shows the big difference in the planning in Facebook’s development versus Twitter’s; Facebook has always been run with the intent of making it a “platform” - more or less multipurpose, while Twitter goes the opposite route of doing one very narrowly defined task very well. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.
@Todd That’s a way to think about it - Facebook + email as parts of a suite to “manage the interaction.” That phrase sounds like social networking is doing exactly what it was intended to do - very cool.
Posted 25 Mar 2008 at 7:55 am ¶Your headline caught my interest. I’m looking to learn how to take advantage of social networking. If i walk into a cocktail party where I don’t know anyone I have the ability to make friends quickly. When it comes to social networking I feel like I am walking in with both my shoes tied together and haven’t showered in a week.
Posted 02 Apr 2008 at 10:16 am ¶Your info is helping me learn social graces in social networkville. Learning but not there yet. Thanks for info
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