Ok. So before I even joined a social networking site I was oversaturated and underwhelmed by the whole phenomenon.
Maybe it was the hype: Social networking has gotten enough (L)ink to fill an ocean of coverage. Oh what a frenzy. Magazine covers, blogs, television specials, even Geraldo’s got game in cyber life. I watched Friendster’s surprising rise and even more stunning crash and burn to internet reincarnation. I mused at the explosion of MySpace and LinkedIn and wondered at the sizzzle crackle and pop of sites more limited in scope or ambition like Artistic Pursuit and Classmates.com.
For sure the “networking thing” has captured the fancy of marketers as well as the energy, attention and rabid devotion of a hundred million plus devotees. And I was completely content to let it pass me by.
Then came a dabble in Second Life. Doh! I am in waste deep before I know it.
Then a friend hooked me into LinkedIn. And I am treading cyber water–completely surrounded by contacts and information and people and opportunities to “join”, “share”, “network”, “exchange” and do business. No sooner had I stopped fighting with my girlfriend’s daughter about the ever disproportionate ratio of Myspace to homework time, then I found myself spending hours on Flickr. Agggh.
When I add actual work and real social time to the calendar, why I hardly have time to browse newsfeeds and blog.
Then comes Twitter. Or rather, Steve Rubel’s blog on Twitter. Mr. Rubel is a blogger and an expert on internet marketing and pr. He’s always on the go and always writing. For him Twitter is sort of IM meets BLOG meets SOCIAL NETWORKING space delivered via mobile or web.
The article is short, sweet and targeted right at folks like me: time deprived, short attention spanned info “snackers” who are desperate to stay in touch and to reach out and touch–but who are always behind!
In a multi-tasking, hyper connected culture who has time for newspapers or magazines or maybe today’s media that will soon be yesterday’s news—blogs?
Twitter is social networking for micro-boggers, IM’ers and mobile mobsters.The fundamental question: “what are YOU doing?” is a come on that is, quite frankly, irresistible. What are you doing, right now? Let’s share it? or llet’s meet? Let’s drink. Let’s hang out. Let’s (ok, a big stretch here) TALK.
Another blogster, Matt Deegan writes about Twitter from the other side of the Atlantic where SMS has been big for years. He wryly observes that we are just now catching on to the whole notion of real “social mobility” and that Twitter is a natural for today’s highly mobile culture.
This is a beautiful thing. It’s the next wave of a trend this month’s Wired Magazine covered in their story on “snackable media”
(note: I have tried to link to this article six times and it has bounced each time. If you don’t see a link below it’s because they are refusing it. go to: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/snackminifesto.html)
I love this. A “fast food” diet of bits and bytes delivered wherever I am, whenever I am hungry.
I also tryed to stay away from networking. but it is so convient to meet and research infomation. all the new technology on these sites. they need to stay upto date to keep everyone interested.. the only one i have been on youtube for this class, but by the end of this class i am sure i will feel more comfortable on the social networking sites.
Great article.
I hope you’ll surf on my blog..
Thank you again
Thanks your article is delightful.
I will definitely read your blog..
Regards