Social networking

Yesterday I went to a presentation about Social Networking... and well... let's just say that I had expected a lot more. While that woman had her specialty, I actually knew about 75% she told already plus I know a lot more on SOCIAL networking. She looks at it from a business side, I look at it from a social side... which is the most important think about Social Networking.

For example, Netiquette (which that woman called Net-etiquette; that term is soooo 2001). I know quite a bit on playing the digital fields. I know how I can convince a mass to jump and troll an innocent being. I know how I can turn a Flamer against himself. I know how and when to break off an argument, managing to make the other feel bad and people thinking he's a ****. And technically, I also know how to ruin a person's sanity by effectively trolling and flaming.

But the fact I know how to manipulate the digital social world, doesn't mean I do it. Actually, most of it was done to me, though I never was a flamer (I was a troll in my early, early, EARLY online days. 16 and helping out a friend... I learned my lesson and am not proud of those days).

Like the guy who started an argument that St Nicolas was a festival for racists. He tried to lure me back into talking to him by apologising, but I didn't even respond to that.

Like the girl who stole my character, nicknames and all, and when I confronted her, she send all her friends at me, who told me I stole every design in my gallery. If you know where to look, the comments are still there. If I'd hide them, I'd show my fear and defeat. You want to accuse me? Go ahead! I will keep your insults, reply to them with kindness and truth... and your false accusations will be online till the day DA crashes forever.

And the ruining sanity part: not done to me, but to a person I know. Plus I made a huge report about Internet Bullying. The reply: 'It's not that bad and it won't be that bad either'. Sure teacher, you might want to open your eyes and go online for a change. The online world is not filled with peaches and roses. It's filled with flamers, trolls and n00bs... but luckily, there's also friendship.

And that friendship can go a loooooong way.... In the real life people can have about 400 offline contacts? Well, if I'd count my online contacts... I probably know about 600 people; in the past till now. How many of them are business-possibilities?

Business is something from the real world. If a business goes on a social network, they have to know the rules to play the game effectively. At this moment, it's mostly 'Let's add as much people I know or who want to know me in the hopes they will one day come to me and ask me to do an assignment for them'. But gathering people means nothing if you don't know the rules; don't know the game. It's like gathering business cards at the moment. You keep them in a folder and you end up with 17 painters, 16 bank people and 10 chefs... and then you still take the one you met offline and know offline.

I'm sorry, but social networking is not ready for the business world. In my perspective anyway... because the business people don't know the laws of social internet. Only if you know how to play the game, you can be part of it.

And that's the biggest point the woman from last night's presentation missed. That's why the generation after me will be able to use social networking for business effectively. Not the generation now.

20% of them doesn't even know how to answer an e-mail properly.... ¬¬