Example of a scale-free network (courtesy of H.G. Katzgraber)
Because
of technology, we’re a highly connected society, yet we’re the most
uncommunicative one. When I first started blogging, it was a way for me to get
in the habit of writing at least once a week. It was to share whatever’s on
mind from life experiences and travels to poetry and book promotions, with people
who are interested. I also wanted to
know what other people thought. As of today, I still feel this way. I want to
connect with people who want to connect instead of seeing my follower count go
up but they’re really not following. In a world saturated with information,
news, gossip, YouTube videos, etc. I’d rather communicate more on a personal
level than for the sake of popularity. It’s funny because I’ve never gave ‘being
popular’ a thought. I guess it’s all about getting your name out there.
And
then, as I continued to blog and I published a few books, I decided to join Twitter and Facebook. I have to admit, I don’t
‘get’ Twitter. I’ve never seen much discussion from most of my Twitter followers,
even when I ask a question because everyone’s too busy asking their own questions
and posting links. When I do venture over to Twitter, which isn’t often, all I
see are people posting links with comments such as, “Read my review!” “Check
out my blog.” “Huff Post and Amazon!” I’m sure some people think this is a way
of communicating, but not me. I'm not saying that I don't retweet and promote mine and my friends stuff, but I don't think that's all Twitter should be about ... or maybe I just don’t get
the whole Twitter concept.
But
I do get the whole Facebook concept and I refuse to pay for promotion. The one nice
thing I have to say about my Facebook page is that people DO talk—they’ll leave
comments. I think it’s great to see people giving their input about a
particular question or about someone’s success.
What
it really comes down to is that for all the different ways we can socialize, we’re
not very social. We want our names out there, 15 minutes of fame, but we don’t
want to talk to anyone on the way. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud many of you
for tackling the social networking sites and really promoting on them. It’s a
job all in itself.
Social
networking should also be about socializing and discussing our lives along with
world events, politics, religion, etc. We should be more apt to discuss than
argue because of the many outlets we’re given to express ourselves. Instead, we
argue and/or avoid altogether crucial subjects for fear of people not liking
us.
What
are your thoughts about social networking? What do you like or dislike about it?
Networking
and Unsocial,
Bea
P.S.
One social networking site I love is Pinterest.
