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August 26, 2007
Networking for the UnSocial
I've gone and joined some of the largest, most popular social networking sites in existence. Why? Those who know me are bound to be puzzled, as I'm not really, you know, social. (Clarification: I'm not anti-social. That has different implications and connotations. I just don't actively pursue socialization, so I call my status UnSocial. I'm not bothered in the least by utter solitude, yet I try amiably to get along when I do have company.)
I suppose it started with getting a few invites from work acquaintances to join the LinkedIn business networking tool. I signed up, but didn't pay attention much. I'm not a ladder-climber (much to my bank account's dismay, I suppose), and while I wouldn't turn down an attractive job offer if it showed up on my doorstep, I'm not always out there scratching and clawing.
I kept reading about Facebook and MySpace, mostly about the latter, and different people's experiences with them. The sites just didn't seem like they held anything for me.
Last year sometime, I created a YouTube account so that I could post videos here (as well as to entertain the boy). I didn't consider YouTube (pre-Google takeover) to be a social networking site, but I've since seen it listed along with the others. I guess it is.
I'm not sure what changed, but I am listed on all four of these networks now. I spent the better part of yesterday setting things up on Facebook. I haven't done as much with MySpace. I'll try this stuff until it gets boring, or comes back to bite me, whichever occurs first.
A primary organizational point: I think it makes sense to use each site for different purposes; otherwise, I'm just storing redundant data, and I don't care for that.
LinkedIn: Simply put, this is for professional contacts. It's not really that simple, though, as I still don't know what I'm going to be when I grow up, so I don't know if I will steer this toward writing/blogging/citizen journalism, or the Business Analyst/IT arena I've inhabited for the past several years, or something different altogether. (I trained to be a college music theory professor, for whatever that's worth.)
Facebook: This is the one that is the most interesting so far, and the one I intend to use for locating and communicating with friends. (Sure, there is some crossover with LinkedIn and whatever else.) I don't know what to do about photo sharing, as I recently started using Google (Picasa, or what of it they offer for Mac) for that. I could change. Someone has mentioned Facebook's capability to include content from multiple platforms. We'll see.
MySpace: I may not stay on MySpace at all, since I'm happily married, and therefore have no need for a lot of what I've found there. However, I'm thinking of building a cheezy, fun sort of page to indulge all my held-over teenage/twentysomething music fantasies. The only problem is, while I was setting it up I chose the url 'tennesseeticket' as if it had something to do with this blog. (Someone had already taken 'joelance'.) It may not matter. And hey, I've already successfully added one of my long-ago guitar heroes as a friend: one Rik Emmett, formerly of the "other" Toronto power trio, Triumph. (No disrespect here: I like Alex Lifeson too.) We all grow older and change: Emmett is now playing acoustic guitar (not that he never did before) and singing about a State of Grace. I rather liked Thunder Seven myself. I am also considering signing up for a MySpace artist page, to upload some of my own stuff.
YouTube: What can I say? (So far) it can't be beat in terms of video sharing, so I'll keep doing that there. (There's an app for importing them to Facebook too.)
I apologize for pinging some of you, my fellow bloggers, multiple times as I've attempted to learn the workings of each site. That's one of my least favorite parts of this whole thing, the uninvited invite. I don't like being interrupted, so the Golden Rule would have me not do the interrupting, either. (And what's this "poke him/her" business? That's just rude, although I did have to try it once.) Ah, the life of the UnSocial is complicated.
(UPDATE: Everyone's raving about this Twitter. Back in a few weeks....)
Community , Sunday Drive | By joe lance | 11:30 AM