Step by Step: Putting Yourself in the Picture

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Putting Yourself in the Picture

Why Twitter is so powerful

Steve Wheeler writes:
"There are two types of people in the world. Those who get Twitter and those who don't."

"For me, the value of Twitter is in tapping into its social critical mass. I think that most people who try Twitter and fail to see its value don't give it enough time. If they persisted and put some time into developing their contacts and connections on Twitter, they may discover that it pays them back for the time they have invested. To do this they can use lists, following those who are good value and produce useful content, while at the same time tweeting content that others may find useful."

"Twitter is powerful because it allows people to share their emotions - you can gain a window on their everyday experiences, and that often helps you in your own daily struggles. I am often encouraged by people who share snapshots of what is happening in their lives right now. It's an important dimension - I have made many friends on Twitter whom I have later met and strengthened my friendships with. Self disclosure is a risky thing, but others often reciprocate."

In his blog "The Obvious" Euan Semple writes about the need to be human.

Being Human

"In order for the promised benefits of Enterprise 2.0 to become reality people have to be prepared to say what they think. Sadly in conversation about this many people say something along the lines of "most people don't want to think". I am beginning to suspect they may be right. The biggest challenge to getting people to share isn't to do with technology it is to do with very personal challenges and issues that relate to their sense of self and their relationship with their employers."

In my experience problems occur in blogs and forums when people post material from third sources, and do not disclose their own personal viewpoint. They hide behind some supposed "expert". This helps to spread propaganda across the Internet, but does nothing to lift the level of communication or to develop trust.

Too many people are not sure what they think. You gain confidence about that when you talk to other people or when you write yourself in a blog or on a forum. The old teachers joke about the child in first grade, contains a truth that applies to us all.

Teacher: "Jane why can't your stop talking/"

Jane: "If I don't talk, Miss, how will I know what I'm thinking?"

It's true. When we talk to others in conversation, we find ourselves saying things that we didn't know we knew. The same thing occurs when you begin to write something. The words develop a story of their own. Tapping into that creative stream of your own knowledge, and confirming it, and finding the courage to reject all the rubbish you've been taught, that is also "in you" somewhere, is what social networking is good for.

John Stephen Veitch
The Network Ambassador
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