There seems to be a rash of posts and articles today that draw a circle around some of the big social media questions.
Yesterday I was following a little of the Andrew Keen discussion at the Sydney Morning Herald website and today I find the full text of the Web 2.0 discussion between Keen and David Weinberger. Obviously, my view falls on the side of David Weinberger and on the side of optimism (though my reason are less to do with optimism and more to do with ability to achieve optimistic outcomes).
I particularly like the the gentle, but persistent way, that David Weinberger pushes the conversation from technology to people, from rhetoric to potential and from professionalism to amateurism … it is well worth a read.
On a similar path, there is also Dina Mehta’s excellent explanation of blogging and how the technologies or social media terminologies sometimes get in the way of positioning the strategic nature of what is ACTUALLY happening. I wish I had written this explanation:
I think there is a mismatch here in what your team understands about what blogging is – and what it actually is. Most non-bloggers seem to refer to blogging as merely writing a diary. But that’s not complete, nor does it do blogging any justice. Blogging is the act of publishing content online in a space that is yours …
Bruce Nussbaum and David Armano have been bouncing ideas around that go to the very heart of the value of social media within a brand, innovation and creative context. And while much of the discussion centres on the disconnect between agencies and their use/understanding of new media, this is not a conversation that can be had in isolation — media networks, newspapers, TV and radio are all partly contributing to innovation inertia.
What all of these articles do is place social media firmly in the frame. Is it relevant to your company, brand, media empire? Of course it is … it is where the influencers, innovators and aggregators of consumer behaviour now play. It’s not about the technology … as usual, it is about the people. Who do you think it is firing the bullets?
I hate to polarize this subject so severely, but I’m afraid I can’t help it. You either “get it” or you don’t. You’re either in or you’re out.
It’s never too late to get in, and people will surely welcome you with open arms, but until you experience it firsthand–you can’t pass judgment.
It’s like claiming you hate cheese without ever tasting it. I’m fine with people ripping this space (although I’m not sure why many would) once they’ve been immersed in it. But before then, any criticism must be reserved.
You also bring up another HUGE point about how this is about People, not technology. The apps are vehicles. They allow us to connect. But at the heart of everything, this is real human interaction. It just happens to take place on a global and slightly less tangible scale.
But we’ve seen time and time again that it actually IS tangible. People are meeting people in ‘real’ life and being changed for the better as a result.
So keep on doin’ what you’re doin’ and keep expanding and improving this space. The potential is boundless and infinite. Let us never settle for anything less than utterly amazing.
All the best.
Excellent points.
I believe social media can be ignored; just like some people don’t watch television (that would be me). But the vast majority of people and companies will embrace social media b/c inherently we need information, we need conversation, we need opportunity. All of which, and more, are provided through social media.
To those who have accepted social media I believe nothing has been lost; but what about those who have ignored it, have they lost anything? Only we will know the answer to that.
I think this is so true. It is so interesting how the whole idea of marketing is having to reorient itself back to the “people” and away from the “product”. It is all about the conversation and being part of it. Hey have you checked out the upcoming http://www.postiecon.com? I think it might be something you will find interesting.
Ryan … too true — it really is all about connecting in real life. It is the offline meetings and even the phone calls or Skype hookups that make blogging all the more human.
Clint … that is a great question — does the person who doesn’t know about social media miss out on something? How would they know? I think that depends on their social network — if social currency or value within your network depends on technology or online conversation then yes, you do miss out (hence the explosion of social networking within younger folks). Thanks … your question has given me a great idea 😉