We all have heard of the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game in which one connects any actor to Kevin bacon. Its a fun game based on a real principal. (See Six Degrees of Separation ) I first heard of the "real", mathematical, social aspects of this while reading Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point". An excellent book, by the way, particularly if you are interested in social media as I am.
Every morning I "set-up" my computer. Turn "the beast" on, log into my wireless network, and open my browser. My homepage is my personalized iGoogle page with a widget for my email. Then I open up tabs for facebook, LinkedIn, my Yahoo! mail account, and my Blogger dashboard. Then I might bookmark some interesting articles on my delicious account in order to read them later. Check out the simplyhired.com job website. Make a blog post, watch a video, have a quick chat via GoogleTalk.
I spend a lot of time in social networking. I have friends, contacts, links, videos, documents, and images out there "in the clouds". I shouldn't be surprised when I see friends and contacts collide, i.e. when people from different groups are connected. But I am.
About a year ago I noticed one of my facebook friends had just friended a new person and his name sounded familiar. When I checked him out I found that he was a long-time "real-life" friend of another of my friends - I'll call her Monica. Monica and I traveled a few times to watch this guy perform. (He is a musician.) I thought it interesting but thought the chances of it happening again were small. (Wrong. The chances are probably not that small.)
Then, just today, it happened again. I found a guy I went to school with is friended to one of my little brother's childhood friends. I don't know how they know each other, it can't be the "old neighborhood", high school, college or jobs. I don't even care how, I just think its cool. I love social media and I love the idea that I can keep in touch with people whom I might not be in contact with because of distance. Distance, both chronologically and geographically.
I have friends, family members, and colleagues who refuse to get on any social networks for a variety of reasons. Some of them include:
"If I don't talk to the person now, I don't need to talk to them." Really? You did talk to them at one time, perhaps everyday. You might have even been friends. Why not again?
If I want to talk to someone I'll call one the phone and meet up in person. People spend all their time online chatting and writing they never make any friends. How is a friendship, online, any different from a friendship carried out via mail? In the past entire friendships, romances even, were carried out via letters. To disregard all relationships that happen electronically is to disregard all relationships that don't happen face to face. What about the guy how works from home, a 1000 miles away from the office. Does he not have a relationship with his co-workers and the company? What about a woman serving in the military in another country? Are her electronic chats home to her husband and kids suspect because she isn't in the same room? And, NO, it isn't different.
Its so annoying when I'm with someone and all they are doing is checking facebook. Well, yes, you are right there. But those people are just rude, its not the problem with the media.
I don't want some old boyfriend to find me. Your old boyfriend can still find you whether you have an online presence or not. And what if he does? You DON'T have to friend/connect with him.
Who cares what a bunch of amateurs have to say? That stuff is so bad. Professionals need to be creating content for the world. Two words - "Reality TV" Nuff said.
I love social networking/media. For years we were forced to be simply consumers of media. Now we are consumers AND creators of media. (Shirky) I'd rather be making a youtube video than watching the junk on TV. I'd rather be trying to figure out how my facebook friends know each other. I'd rather be blogging.
References:
Clay Shirkey, Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, 2010 Tantor Press.
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