I love the connections and coincidences that abound in the social media “www.world.” For example, one of the people who read the “Fingers Crossed” post (about my Philippine Tarsier book idea) was actually reading it from the Philippines! I think that is too cool for school. Today, however, I would like your opinion.
What is your take on social media? Is it useful or just a shiny way to waste a tonne of time? Do you use facebook, Linkedin, twitter, all three—or none? What about Pinterest, Youtube and the dizzying array of other options? How do you keep it all from taking over, or do you even try? Does it bring you sales, knowledge, friends? The time that you invest, does it pay dividends? How do you determine or track your social media successes?
What would you say that “one most important thing” was, in 140 characters or less? Just kidding, LOL… use as many characters as you like. Send your TBH (To Be Honest), it could be FUN 😉
R. D. GIRVAN 
Social Media you say? hmmmm like all things, I think it depends on your intent. If, for instance one uses it as a convenient excuse to procrastinate, then indeed it is a valuable time waster. However, if you use it to connect, albeit briefly, with someone that you wish you could see more often due to geographical circumstance or other reasons… then i think SM is a powerful tool.
That’s all i got 🙂
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You are so right; intent can easily turn that ‘powerful tool’ into a ‘valuable time waster.’ I think my SM is morphing, right… now! No… NOW! Gotta go 😉
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My main reason for not using facebook, Linkedin, twitter, blogs, texts, or any other SM is that I can’t see getting started. Maybe I’m just showing my age, but I feel like I would not be able to keep up. I can’t even return phone calls in a timely manner, and forget email! My life is constantly behind trying to keep up with work backlogs, family routines, and personal projects, I don’t think I can fathom having enough time to even read much of the posts, let alone respond, or create anything to share. MIght SM bring sales? Many of my friends and clients say it would, but I can’t keep up with the demands from word-of-mouth referrals already. Might it bring knowledge? Perhaps, but would it bring more knowledge than I can already glean from my non-SM world of surfing, books, face-to-face colleagues, meditation? I find it hard to believe that the dividends would be worth the investment. Might it bring more friends? Perhaps, but I already lament the dwindling time that I spend with friends and soul-mates from the many years before SM. Would SM bring me back to those I cherished in years gone by? Perhaps, if they also used SM, and if one could have in SM the depth of exchange that fostered those relationships in the first place. Somehow, I don’t think that my neural networks that formed late into the night around the kitchen table, during the summer and winter campfires, and in the 2-hour phone discourses would help me much in the Twitterverse or the world of Like and Poke.
WIthout trying to be oppositional, I find I am attracted to places or persons of accomplishment that are hidden in broad daylight – the school in a remote valley village, the artisan tradesman working from a garage, the health clinic in a hard-to-find residential neighborhood – a simple sign with only a name and their profession – no webpage, no twitter handle, no email address. They don’ t have any Likes; but they do like their lives.
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David, thank you for such a well-written and thoughtful post. We LIKE you a lot. 🙂
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