am I a loser?
posted 2004.03.30
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. :)
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*laughs* Thanks, Cameron! I got quite a chuckle out of this - who knows, you may be the man I thank years from now for pulling me out of virtual invisibility. ;-)
I kinda thought the same myself.....this helped a bit
http://www.zefrank.com/smallworld/
lol, Angie. Thanks for accepting the invite.
Hi, Angie!
Thanks for the mention!
As for the effortlessness of my networking, I'll borrow a line from my friend Mark Pilgrim and simply say "a lot of effort went into making this look effortless".
Please accept the Orkut invitation that will appear in your email as a token of my thanks.
Patrick, that video was too funny. Thanks.
And Joey! You're most welcome for the mention. I resolutely stand in awe of your networking skills. Believe me, I can appreciate the work (and overhead no doubt!) involved in meeting and keeping in touch with all those people!
Thanks for the Orkut invite. I will be playing with both that and the LinkedIn site this weekend.
*laughs* Who knew? I started out the day a loser and ended it with two new friends!
I still haven't figured out if I'm a maven or a connector--I've got traits of both.
Loved your Amazon search rant, will send you a Breedster egg (which serves as an invitation into the system) as a thank you for it.
I've also added you to the sidebar of misbehaving.net...wish I'd known about your blog earlier. :)
Angie, I've also never gotten an invitation from a social networking club. What's worse, when I dig through my computer laptop case I see business cards that I never even followed up on...that's a loser profile! Since my company started circling the drain some months ago I did put together some software to help me overcome this pathetic pattern of behavior. It's freeware for bloggers at http://careernudgeusers.blogspot.com so I you and anyone else to enjoy if it appeals to you!
I know all about social networking from the analytical perspective. But as a card-carrying Aspie, it's a tough ask to actually put it all to work.
Still, skills can be learned, and I do it. Differently, to be sure, but I've got my mojo working -- if only I can prevent my social ineptitude from screwing it all up! *lol*
Go for it, Angie. :)
Angie, just sent an invitation to try LinkedIn.com. Seems to be a decent networking tool from what I've seen so far. Give it a whirl if you're up for it.