Social Networking...Not So Easy

It surprises me that companies would still be adverse to using social networking as a means of connecting with the public. I understand that Chris Brogan's post about a company completely rejecting social networking is more than a year old, but based on how management was described, I can't imagine much has changed. It seems like common sense that companies would use blogs, Twitter and other tools to communicate with current and prospective customers. And that those not using these tools would start doing so immediately.

However, it's not that easy. Paul Boag's 10 harsh truths associated with corporate blogging demonstrate how easily an organization's attempt at blogging can fail (I think these probably apply to the whole concept of social networking as well). It takes thought, even research, for a company to properly utilize social networking. For example, if the company Brogan wrote about was to suddenly start blogging (let's say, without the help of "Bob"), it would likely result in an epic fail. And I think this holds true for many people and companies.

I have a friend who works at a non-profit organization that is less than technologically-savvy and sort of reminds me of "Bob's" company. There are members of the organization's leadership that still reject the concept of email. Seriously. Yet, they recently decided it was important to put the organization on Facebook and Twitter as a means of attracting new, younger members. The non-profit thinks its mere presence on these social networking sites will cause a buzz--a direct violation of Broag's first truth.

I forwarded Broag's blog to my friend, hoping he can use it to convince the powers-that-be to make the most of their social networking experience. It would be a shame for them to have taken such a leap from traditional practices, only to be met with disappointment. Hopefully he won't receive the same response as "Bob" did.

(picture from CUarts Blog)

"Wikipedia With Everything"

I learned a lot about the term "crowdsourcing" this week, and I learned it all from Jeff Howe. In an article that focuses on the design industry, Howe poses the question of whether or not crowdsourcing is evil. As this was my first exposure to the term, after reading this piece I was leaning toward "evil," however it did seem like a great way for designers to practice and possibly become successful in an industry in which they were previously unknown. That said, with my limited knowledge, crowdsourcing seemed unfair: an easy way for companies to receive a lot of great work while incurring minimal wage expense.

Then I watched a video where Howe explains more about crowdsourcing. He states that crowdsourcing "doesn't eradicate business, it just changes it dramatically." He also describes it as "Wikipedia with everything." Maybe crowdsourcing isn't so terrible. Wikipedia has certainly changed the way we all get information, so it would make sense for other areas of our lives to change in a similar fashion. Maybe this is just the latest way social media is changing the way we operate on a regular basis.

While I am not sold on the fact that crowdsourcing is evil, I question whether it will really take off as Howe predicts. I wouldn't be surprised if individuals answering the open calls of crowdsourcing eventually use social media to organize and demand more equitable means of compensation than the "contests" Howe mentions. I also think that crowdsourcing could present difficulties in areas such as communication and relationships, and I wonder if companies will find that dealing with such difficulties is worth the cost savings. Hopefully Howe will keep us updated.

Learning to Appreciate Online Networking

Reading Clive Thompson's article comparing in-person social networking to that on Facebook (Thompson on Real-World Social Networks vs. Facebook 'Friends', Wired Magazine, July 2008) reaffirmed my belief that online social networks create a false sense of relationships. However, after reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg" (The New Yorker, January 1999), I am beginning to see that online social networking facilitates the type of networking people have always engaged in.

In the effort of full disclosure, I have to say that I am not a strong member of the online social networking community. I refuse to touch Twitter, my Linkedin account is rarely touched, and I use Facebook purely for recreation. It makes me uncomfortable when someone I barely know tries to "connect" with me, or when people share every detail of their lives through these mediums. I have trouble with the fact that these sites lack "intimacy," which Benjamin Waber--the social scientist whose work is the basis of Thompson's article--describes as the difference between Web-based and in-person social networking. To me, these sites are for connecting with established friends, not for creating new relationships.

Learning about Lois Weisberg helped me better understand the benefits of online social networking. These social networks can help you spot more "Lois's"--people who know everyone. Maybe these individuals' connections are not as genuine are Lois's are, and they may not be the product of thoughtful effort, but they are connections nonetheless. That girl that lived down the hall from you freshman year may not have 1,094 close friends, but 1,094 people did accept her Facebook friendship. She has 1,094 legitimate connections. Social networking sites are helping to create more Lois Weisberg's, and likely benefiting countless others as a result.

Gladwell comments that weak ties are more powerful than strong ties, that weak ties have the possibility to get your further because these ties come from outside your comfort zone. I realize that I never considered social networking sites as a means of actually networking, that the people I was hesitating to connect with could be those "weak ties." Maybe this reading assignment is the inspiration I need to deal with my 12 pending "friend requests."

My First Blog Post...Ever!

My name is Caitie Simpson and I am a graduate student at American University's Kogod School of Business. I am writing this blog for my social media class and will be updating it weekly.

On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.