Jeffrey Veen's latest post on social software got me thinking all over again. Friendster, Orkut, et al - I know of them peripherally, which is to say I've read some of the stuff that people blog about these programs.

But I haven't been to any of the sites personally, nor do I have any great interest, really. I haven't received a single invite (well, to be honest, if it looked like spam, I may have deleted it by accident).

Does this make me a loser? Should I jump off a cliff because I am unknown and unloved in the blogosphere? Does it all really boil down to the fact that without social software, without a first degree list and a second degree list and FOAF lists all over the damn place I do not exist?

Hmm. I'm not sure.

I will go so far as to say I'm absolutely terrible at networking - I'm a bit better at it online, but no matter how books and tutorials and articles I read to the contrary, I can't remember someone's name to save my life, though I do recognize faces. I sit in awe of people who can remember hundreds of names and faces in a single meeting. People who manage to network effortlessly boggle my mind. I wish I could be like them, but I'm beginning to suspect I just don't have it in me.

I am most definitely not a connector at heart. I am much closer to a maven. And if you have no idea what the heck those last two sentences meant, you really must read The Tipping Point.

Yes, I know this lack of networking skills will hinder me as I grow my business. I know I need to get out there more (in both virtual and meatspace). It's an item on my to-do list.

One of thousands. :)

posted on 2004.03.30 at 08:53 AM

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