tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80844502024-03-08T08:59:20.752+13:00Step by StepWhat's your experience of using the Internet?
Almost everyone I've spoken too says that the Internet is wonderful. But hardly any people and NO COMPANY is getting real future changing value from it. The information Super-Highway never arrived. Businesses use the Internet poorly, and understand social networking hardly at all. This blog is for business executives and company directors. (January 2008)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-77863692086916247942010-04-04T13:40:00.005+12:002010-04-04T19:19:39.788+12:00Putting Yourself in the Picture<h4><a href="http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-twitter-is-so-powerful.html">Why Twitter is so powerful</a></h4><p>Steve Wheeler writes:<br />
"There are two types of people in the world. Those who get Twitter and those who don't."</p><p>"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."</p><p>"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."</p>In his blog "The Obvious" Euan Semple writes about the need to be human. <br />
<h4><a href="http://www.euansemple.com/theobvious/2010/4/2/being-human.html">Being Human</a></h4><p>"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."</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>Teacher: "Jane why can't your stop talking/"</p><p>Jane: "If I don't talk, Miss, how will I know what I'm thinking?" </p><p>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. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch <br />
The Network Ambassador <br />
<a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/forms/personalrequest.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><table width="430" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="0"><tr> <td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8084450&postID=7786369208691624794&isPopup=true"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/comments2.jpg" alt="Comments" title="Public Comment" width="50" height="40" hspace="3" border="0"></a></td> <td><a href="http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/putting-yourself-in-picture.html"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/thispost.jpg" alt="URL" title="Copy URL" width="40" height="40" hspace="0" border="0"></a></td><td><a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Putting+Yourself+in+the+Picture.+Finding%20the%20courage%20to%20reject%20all%20the%20rubbish%20you've%20been%20taught+-++http://tinyurl.com/yj3efxj" class="twitter" rel="nofollow external" target="_blank" title="Retweet Putting Yourself in the Picture"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/twitter-button.gif" alt="Twitter" title="Retweet" width="40" height="40" hspace="5" border="0"></a></td> <td><a href="mailto:?subject=Putting%20yourself%20in%20the%20Picture%22&body=When%20we%20talk%20to%20others%20in%20conversation,%20we%20find%20ourselves%20saying%20things%20that%20we%20didn't%20know%20 we%20 knew.%20The 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%20is%20good%20for. %20http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/putting-yourself-in-picture.html" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Email this to a friend?"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/emaillogo.jpg" alt="" width="41" height="40" border="0"></a></td> <td><strong>Share<br />
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</table><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags : <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=" alt="tag" /></a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Steve+Wheeler" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Steve+Wheeler" alt="tag" />Steve Wheeler</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Euan+Semple " rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Euan+Semple " alt="tag" />Euan Semple </a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Twitter" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Twitter" alt="tag" />Twitter</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/critical+mass" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=critical+mass" alt="tag" />critical mass</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/talk+to+other+people" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=talk+to+other+peoplet" alt="tag" />talk to other people</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/write+yourself" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=write+yourself" alt="tag" />write yourself</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+networking" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+networking" alt="tag" />social networking</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/your+own+knowledge" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=your+own+knowledge" alt="tag" />your own knowledge</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/develop+contacts" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=develop+contacts" alt="tag" />develop contacts</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/good+value" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=good+value" alt="tag" />good value</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/useful+content " rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=useful+content " alt="tag" />useful content </a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/share+their+emotions" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag= share+their+emotions" alt="tag" /> share their emotions</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="Tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-14909669816195548142010-04-02T20:51:00.019+13:002010-04-04T12:16:11.826+12:00Getting started in a new Social Network<p>This post was written about Ryze, but the principles here apply to every online social network.</p><p>People come to new social networks with personal preconceptions that prevent success.</p><p><strong>It's NOT ABOUT YOU.</strong></p><p><strong>It's not about your ADVERTISING.</strong></p><p>The first things you need to do help you to find out where you are. What is Ryze (in this case) like. "Seek first to understand" says Steven Covey. Please take his advice. Whatever network you have joined, try to look around first. (If it's a very new network there may not be much to find. But try to discover what's there. Give it a few days and a few hours too. </p><p>To become a real member you have to DO something. Having looked around as you have you'll be able to see what needs to be done first. Usually that means joining some groups, networks, boards, or something similar. On Ryze I recommend:</p><p><strong>1. Join at least TEN networks.</strong></p><p>Then do some reading, find out what's of interest. I mean what sorts of topics are discussed and were advertising is allowed and not allowed, and then find experienced people. (They are usually the ones writing the interesting posts.)</p><p><strong>2. Identify the key people here.</strong></p><p>Come willing to learn. Visit the Ryze homepages of at least 30 experienced network members. Note the NAMES of the ten people with the best personal pages.</p><p>Go back to those pages and try to work out why those pages are "Best" in your view. You probably can't do as good as that yet, but in a year or so, you page will be "best" too.</p><p><strong>3. Build a NEW profile here.</strong></p><p>The next task is to create your own profile page. There are some general rules.</p><p>Use your real name - build trust; try to be a real person - not your business. Restrain the urge to advertise.</p><p>Complete your personal information as required. Usually this demands filling in a lot of boxes. It's tempting to past stuff from previous networks but I recommend beginning again. Make this one different. I find they tend to get better, and for me they are also getting shorter. Include a photograph of yourself, and not the dog. Write 15-25 lines about yourself. You don't need a lot, your main purpose is to be real to your readers. Finally if there is one, open your Guest Book. </p><p>That's about a month's work for most people, two days for some.</p><p>I've found that 80% of new members remain forever newbies, they NEVER find out how to use whatever network they have joined. Most people after four years have made only about a months worth of progress. Why? Because they never took the time in the beginning to find out how to use this network. </p><p>18% of people do a good deal better than that. But I want to point to the top 2%. They make remarkable and rapid progress. They do it by doing very simple things. They are not wonder-kind. They simply communicate easily and well in a conversational way with lots of people.</p><p>You can do that too. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br />
The Network Ambassador <br />
<a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/forms/personalrequest.html"> Comment privately to John S Veitch.</a></p><table width="470" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="0"><tr> <td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8084450&postID=5628077046586653350&isPopup=true"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/comments2.jpg" alt="Comments" title="Public Comment" width="50" height="40" hspace="3" border="0"></a></td> <td><a href="http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-started-in-new-social-network.html"><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/thispost.jpg" alt="URL" title="Copy URL" width="40" height="40" hspace="0" border="0"></a></td> <td><a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=http://tinyurl.com/yj2vwe4" class="twitter" rel="nofollow external" target="_blank" title="Retweet Getting Started in a New Social Network "><img src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/twitter-button.gif" alt="Twitter" title="Retweet" width="40" height="40" hspace="5" border="0"></a></td> <td><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,height=600,width=750,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no'); return false;" href="http://www.technorati.com/faves?add=http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-started-in-new-social-network.html&title=Getting+Started+in+a+New+Social+Network" rel="nofollow" title="Getting Started in a New Social Network"><img class="social_img" src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/technorati.jpg" width="37" height="40" border="0" align="top" title="Add to Technorati" alt="Add to Technorati" /></a></td> <td><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=6&r=http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-started-in-new-social-network.html"></script></td> <td><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,height=600,width=750,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no'); return false;" href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&output=popup&bkmk=http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-started-in-new-social-network.html&title=Getting Started in a New Social Network" rel="nofollow" title="Add Getting Started in a New Social Network to Google Bookmarks"><img class="social_img" src="http://www.ate.co.nz/buttons/google.jpg" alt="" width="34" height="40" border="0" align="top" title="Add to Google Bookmarks" alt="Add to Google Bookmarks"></a></td> </tr>
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</table><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags : <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/online+social+network" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=online+social+network" alt="tag" />online social network</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/preconceptions" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=preconceptions" alt="tag" />preconceptions</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/prevent+success" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=prevent+success" alt="tag" />prevent success</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Steven+Covey" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Steven+Covey" alt="tag" />Steven Covey</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/join+groups" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=join+groups" alt="tag" />join groups</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/experienced+people" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=experienced+people" alt="tag" />experienced people</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/willing+to+learn" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=willing+to+learn" alt="tag" />willing to learn</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/profile+page" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=profile+page" alt="tag" />profile page</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal+information," rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=personal+information," alt="tag" />personal information,</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/newbies" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=newbies" alt="tag" />newbies</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="Tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> <br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-56280770465866533502009-09-25T00:50:00.004+12:002009-09-25T01:25:23.509+12:00Protecting the Social Commons<p>I was invited to be a team leader in a new marketing effort based on "traffic generation". It was a well prepared and well documented offer. Maybe it was an opportunity to make quite a lot of money. I said no. We've seen this all before. Most of these people have little or no impact. But the tools are changing as our ability to communicate across the social networking commons improves.</p><p>Remember the time when robots harvested email addresses from web sites and we all got hundreds of emails about things that had no connection to us. SPAM.Today we protect ourselves with spam-filters, but the attack, changed forever how email is used.</p><p>The problem with spam, was that it destroyed the value of a perfectly good and very cheap tool. Email space was a common, and pirates tried to steal it from us. Largely they SUCCEEDED. In terms of personal communication of an important kind, I no longer use email. Email for me is reserved for easy group communication.</p><p>Some of the new personal communication is on Facebook, a little on Ryze. Only business matters on LinkedIn and Twitter. Skype has become a key tool. In each of these new social networking spaces there is a communication common, free of unwanted noise.There are tools in each social network that so far have kept that space relatively free of "noise".</p><p>People are planning to invade our communication common with marketing messages.One guy's set up 100's of interconnected blogs, and thousands of bogus twitter accounts. I think I discovered someone creating hundreds of bogus Ryze accounts too. The plan is to invade your privacy, and to profit from social media.</p><p>There are lots of people, in the social media common, who would like to,and expect to, profit from being a member of the Social Media space, on Facebook, Xing, LinkedIn, Ryze and elsewhere. That's fine. There are social ways to achieve that, and there are destructive anti-social ways to do it.</p><p>Our commons is protected in two ways. The administrative rules of Ryze, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are part of the defense. But users themselves need also to understand first that the common exists, and second that it needs to be defended.</p><p>There is a long inglorious history about "the Commons". The rules are never strong enough, and social action is too weak and too late. Eventually the commons is invaded and destroyed. This battle is being fought today. Our task?To remain alert, and to do your best to protect what you have.</p><p>John Stephen Veitch <br>The Network Ambassador <br><a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/marketing" rel="marketing"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=marketing" alt="tag" />marketing</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+networking" rel="social+networking"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+networking" alt="tag" />social networking</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Facebook" rel="Facebook"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Facebook" alt="tag" />Facebook</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Skype" rel="Skype"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Skype" alt="tag" />Skype</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/" rel=""><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Twitter" alt="tag" />Twitter</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ryze" rel="Ryze"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Ryze" alt="tag" />Ryze</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/the+commons" rel="the+commons"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=the+commons" alt="tag" />the Commons</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/LinkedIn" rel="LinkedIn"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=LinkedIn" alt="tag" />LinkedIn</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/communication+common" rel="communication+common"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=communication+common" alt="tag" />communication common</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/networking+spaces" rel="networking+spaces"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=networking+spaces" alt="tag" />networking spaces</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anti-social" rel="anti-social"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=anti-social" alt="tag" />anti-social</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Social+Media" rel="Social+Media"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Social+Media" alt="tag" />Social Media</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/marketing+messages" rel="marketing+messages"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=marketing+messages" alt="tag" />marketing messages</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="John+Stephen+Veitch"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-26564142596426958902009-09-13T15:08:00.002+12:002009-09-13T16:54:54.172+12:00Using a News Reader<p>I've been a heavy user of the Internet for 18 years. I kept a hand written journal for 24 years before that. When blogging first became possible I was a reader, although not a writer in the beginning. If we wanted to follow a blog we subscribed to an email notification, which is one reason why I get so much mail. </p><p>In July, 2009, here in Christchurch NZ, I collected data about how people really use the Internet. I asked people to give me NUMBERS, no opinions, about their Internet use. One surprising number was that of 90 people who responded, only ONE wrote a blog, and he had not updated for some time. Even more surprising was that only THREE people read blogs. Those numbers seem incredibly at odds with what most surveys tell us. The reason for that is in the methodology. Both sets of data are correct. e.g. "80% of Internet users read blogs." The question was "In the last 12 months have you ever read a blog?". My data says "3% of Internet users read blogs" and my question was "How many blogs did you read in the last 7 days". 97% of my respondents replied NONE.</p><p>Another startling statistic. Not a single person in my sample uses an RSS Reader. Now at the time I didn't use a reader either. I had FeedDemon on my computer, but I never opened it. Installed but never used in 2+ years. For me the old email system worked OK, and I'd never bothered to change. But now I'm interested, why don't people use RSS Readers, or News Readers? Essentially because they don't know about them.</p> <p>RSS stands for really simple syndication, which explains exactly nothing. It's a formatted text feed, with integrated pictures and video, so in a reader it presents like an electronic newspaper. Depending on the source, you get a heading and the first 250 words or so, or you get the full feed. Clicking on the heading opens the original source in your browser. News readers have lots of tricks for searching for information and saving the very best, and for discarding the rest. </p><p>Every Internet user should as part of his or her daily routine open a News Reader. That news reader should be subscribed to RSS Feeds from people or information sources that interest you. You should be getting the FEED, and not the EMAIL. It saves a lot of TIME. Also because it's so much easier to do, you'll actually end up reading much more, and being better informed. </p><h3>What Feed Reader should you use?</h3><p>My knowledge here is suspect. I've only ever used FeedDemon to any extent. I've had a play with Google Reader, and that seems OK too. Here is what a few hours work tells me. First of all there is a fundamental choice; do you use Google or not? </p><h4>Google Reader and variations. </h4><p><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/">Google Reader</a> is widely praised as being easy to use and with lots of tools and shortcuts to suit many needs. I found in my short time using it that I quickly adapted to it's style. </p><p><a href="http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/FeedDemon/Default.aspx">FeedDemon 3.0</a> is a standalone programme that synchronizes with Google Reader. If you are at home you use FeedDemon because you prefer it's style and functions, but if you are somewhere else, all your feeds are also available on Google Reader.</p><p><a href="http://www.newsgator.com/INDIVIDUALS/NETNEWSWIRE/">NetNewsWire 3.2</a> (Mac Users) This is the Mac version of FeedDemon. </p><p><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8538">Feedly</a> is a Firefox Browser addon that links to Google Reader.</p><h4>Other Options:</h4><p><a href="http://www.newzcrawler.com/">NewzCrawler</a> 14 day free trial - US$24.95</p><p><a href="http://www.disobey.com/amphetadesk/">Amphetadesk</a> is a free, cross platform, open-sourced, syndicated news aggregator - it obediently sits on your desktop, downloads the latest news that interests you, and displays them in a quick and easy to use.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloglines.com/">Bloglines</a> (Web Based) Voted Best Blog/Feed Search Engine by the Search Engine Watch Awards in 2005</p><p>John Stephen Veitch <br>The Network Ambassador <br><a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/News+Reader" rel="News+Reader"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=News+Reader" alt="tag" />News Reader</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogging" rel="blogging"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blogging" alt="tag" />blogging</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/RSS+Reader" rel="RSS+Reader"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=RSS+Reader" alt="tag" />RSS Reader</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/electronic+newspaper" rel="electronic+newspaper"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=electronic+newspaper" alt="tag" />electronic newspaper</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FeedDemon" rel="FeedDemon"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=FeedDemon" alt="tag" />FeedDemon</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Google+Reader" rel="Google+Reader"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Google+Reader" alt="tag" />Google Reader</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NewzCrawler" rel="NewzCrawler"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=NewzCrawler" alt="tag" />NewzCrawler</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NetNewsWire" rel="NetNewsWire"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=NetNewsWire" alt="tag" />NetNewsWire</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Amphetadesk" rel="Amphetadesk"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Amphetadesk" alt="tag" />Amphetadesk</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Feedly" rel="Feedly"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Feedly" alt="tag" />Feedly</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bloglines" rel="Bloglines"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=" alt="tag" />Bloglines</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="John+Stephen+Veitch"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-47202627428855356812009-09-12T00:33:00.004+12:002009-09-12T02:13:05.899+12:00Email for Social Networking<p>One of the things that worries many people is the "overload" they seem to get on the internet. TOO much mail, far too much mail.</p><p>There are two key techniques for dealing with that. One is the secondary email account. The other is to use RSS feed instead of getting mail.</p><p>Today I'm talking about that secondary email account. You can almost certainly have a free account, if you accept a little advertising. If you choose to pay as little as US$10.00 a year you can probably get add free mail and some other useful services too. </p><p>When I look at the options there seem to be FOUR. Which one you'll choose will depend quite a bit on how you feel about Microsoft, and Google, and Yahoo. I've been very happy with my Google service, but yes it does concern me that Google does "everything" and does it "free" but it's also collecting huge amounts of personal data. One day, that might go bad. </p><h4>Here are the options:</h4><p><strong><a href="http://login.live.com/login.srf?">Windows Live ID</a></strong><br>Windows Live ID gets you into Hotmail, Messenger, and Xbox LIVE. I'm a Microsoft avoider, so I don't use it. But if you are using Windows Live for Chat, then this is a natural option for you.</p><p><strong><a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/">Gmail</a></strong><br>I've been a Gmail User for about 4 years. I didn't like it in the beginning, but it's ability to search and come up with that old lost letter is remarkable.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://mail.yahoo.com/">Yahoo Mail</a></strong><br>I once had a Yahoo Mail account. Perfectly functional. Today they are offering email with "apps". Some of you might like this option.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.fastmail.fm/mail/personal.html">Fastmail</a></strong><br>FastMail is a fourth option. In this case there's a very limited free version, and for quite a small number you can get upgraded services. If you are really concerned about the big companies controlling all the data, this is your choice.</p> <h4>How to use your new account. </h4><p>When you join social networks use the secondary email address.</p><p>Almost all the mail coming to you in Social Networks is non-personal, it was written for a group of people to read. So if you do, or do not, read it, isn't mission critical. </p><p>Create folders or labels (Google) to separate the mail into groups. You use filters, to separate the mail as it comes in. I'll tell you how to do that if you need help. </p><p>Go through your mail in your personal email account. How much of this is non-personal? For most people the great bulk of their mail never need to be read. So open letters like that, find the subscribe and unsubscribe links. Remove your personal email address and re-subscribe with your secondary email address. It might take a few weeks to complete this task, but slowly you'll get your mail under control. That will be especially true if you turn some of your mail off, and get an RSS Feed instead. I'll talk about that next time. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch <br>The Network Ambassador <br><a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/overload" rel="overload"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=overload" alt="tag" />overload</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/email+account" rel="email+account"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=email+account" alt="tag" />email account</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/free+mail" rel="free+mail"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=free+mail" alt="tag" />free mail</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Windows+Live" rel="Windows+Live"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Windows+Live" alt="tag" />Windows Live</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Hotmail," rel="Hotmail,"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Hotmail," alt="tag" />Hotmail,</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Gmail" rel="Gmail"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Gmail" alt="tag" />Gmail</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Fastmail" rel="Fastmail"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Fastmail" alt="tag" />Fastmail</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Yahoo+Mail" rel="Yahoo+Mail"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Yahoo+Mail" alt="tag" />Yahoo Mail</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Social+Networks" rel="Social+Networks"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Social+Networks" alt="tag" />Social Networks</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal+email" rel="personal+email"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=personal+email" alt="tag" />personal email</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/unsubscribe" rel="unsubscribe"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=unsubscribe" alt="tag" />unsubscribe</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/subscribe" rel="subscribe"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=subscribe" alt="tag" />subscribe</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/RSS+Feed" rel="RSS+Feed"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=RSS+Feed" alt="tag" />RSS Feed</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="John+Stephen+Veitch"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-25139358089643517462009-09-08T20:18:00.004+12:002009-09-09T18:26:03.960+12:00Protecting Your Computer from Attack<p>OK, so we're starting from scratch here. You've got a new machine connected to the Internet and the machine vendor already has installed an anti-virus programme. Of course that's a subtle attempt to sell you on an upgrade. You might have anywhere between a month and a year to decide what to do. </p><p>If you are a low volume user, and the things on your computer don't include important business files. It's quite likely you can install a free anti-virus programme. The recommended programme tends to change over time, but at this moment for home use, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.5.406, is being recommended. AVG do sell an upgrade version at a very similar price to other vendors, about US$40.00 a year. "AVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product."</p><p>Perhaps the most common Anti-Virus software I've seen is <a href="http://www.symantec.com/norton/index.jsp">Symantic Software's Norton</a>. The current version is Norton AntiVirus 2009, available for a 15 day free trial and then US$40.00 a year. There is also Norton Internet Security at the slightly dearer price of US$60.00 per year. </p><p>If you feel you need a strong upgraded product, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, from <a href="http://www.kaspersky.com/">Kaspersky Labs,</a> is recommended. This has a price tag of US$50.00. There is a slimmed down Antivirus version for US40.00. </p><p>For many years I've been a user of <a href="http://us.trendmicro.com/us/home/home-user/">Trend Micro's Antivirus software</a>. Currently I'm running Trend Micro Internet Security 2010, which is for sale at US$50.00 a year but I brought a two year deal for US$80.00. The version I use has Antivirus protection, and web site protection and safeguards against exposing certain sensitive data online. There is a cheaper Antivirus only version for US$40.00 per year. My version upgrades itself about three times a day. I've never had a problem since installing Trend Micro. </p><p>Trend Micro also have a product called "Housecall" that will check your computer for viruses and malware online. I've used it several times to sort out a problem for a friend. </p><p>Make your choice. It's your responsibility to make sure that your computer in not infected by a spam-bot or some other form of malware. Of course the possible loss of sensitive data about you or your passwords or your banking ID, should also concern you. Any of these programme's should give you a trouble free experience. I'm a heavy user and I've no hesitation in paying for the service I enjoy. Simply choose the programme you want, click on the download button, and save it to your hard-drive. It's best to have a folder called "downloads" for this purpose. </p><p>Once the programme is downloaded click on it and it should install itself. You'll need to allow the programme to check all your existing files, a process that can go on in the background, but may take several hours. You won't need to pay for the programme until the trial period expires. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch <br>The Network Ambassador <br><a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anti-virus+programme" rel="anti-virus+programme"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=anti-virus+programme" alt="tag" />anti-virus programme</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/AVG+Anti-Virus" rel="AVG+Anti-Virus"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=AVG+Anti-Virus" alt="tag" />AVG Anti-Virus</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/home+users" rel="home+users"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=home+users" alt="tag" />home users</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Symantic" rel="Symantic"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Symantic" alt="tag" />Symantic</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Norton" rel="Norton"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Norton" alt="tag" />Norton</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Kaspersky+Internet+Security" rel="Kaspersky+Internet+Security"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Kaspersky+Internet+Security" alt="tag" />Kaspersky Internet Security</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Trend+Micro+Internet+Security" rel="Trend+Micro+Internet+Security"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Trend+Micro+Internet+Security" alt="tag" />Trend Micro Internet Security</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Housecall" rel="Housecall"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Housecall" alt="tag" />Housecall</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/malware" rel="malware"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=malware" alt="tag" />malware</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/passwords" rel="passwords"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=passwords" alt="tag" />passwords</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/download" rel="download"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=" alt="tag" />download</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/trial+period" rel="trial+period"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag= trial+period" alt="tag" /> trial period</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="John+Stephen+Veitch"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="tag" />John Stephen Veitch</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-42504247952944745212009-09-07T20:59:00.011+12:002009-09-07T22:15:27.897+12:00A New Direction for Step by Step<p>I'm concerned about the growing digital divide occurring on the Internet. This blog originally had very limited aims, essentially to teach people how to use the Ryze social network. My blog was a brave effort but the objective failed. </p><p>I've not written here for over a year, because I couldn't imagine who the audience was. However in June 2009, I did some research in Christchurch which allowed me to meet over 100 real live Internet users. I now know who I'm talking to. Let me introduce them to you.</p><h3>Bryndwr - Internet Use Project</h3><h4>Researcher John Stephen Veitch - June, 2009</h4><p>78% of households in this survey are Internet connected. Of those, 81% were on broad-band. This is a distinctly middle class area, of well educated people who you would expect to be substantial users of the Internet. </p><h4>Age and Gender of 100 People</h4><p>The 100 chosen participants in age order. (There were 10 who finally "refused" to supply data.)</p><table width="400" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="2" align="center"><tr><th colspan="4">Colour Key:</th><td class="male" colspan="3">Male</td><td class="female" colspan="3">Female</td></tr><tr><td colspan="10">This table tells you about the age and gender of the most active Internet user in each house. In age order. </td></tr><tr><th colspan="10">Percentiles 1 to 5</th></tr><tr><td width="42" class="male">86</td><td width="42" class="male">84</td><td width="42" class="male">84</td><td width="42" class="male">73</td><td width="42" class="female">73</td><td width="42" class="female">69</td><td width="42" class="male">68</td><td width="42" class="female">68</td><td width="42" class="male">67</td> <td width="42" class="male">67</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="female">67</td><td width="42" class="female">66</td><td width="42" class="female">65</td><td width="42" class="male">64</td> <td width="42" class="female">64</td><td width="42" class="female">64</td> <td width="42" class="male">63</td> <td width="42" class="male">63</td><td width="42" class="female">62</td><td width="42" class="female">62</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="male">61</td><td width="42" class="male">61</td><td width="42" class="female">60</td> <td width="42" class="male">59</td> <td width="42" class="female">57</td><td width="42" class="female">57</td> <td width="42" class="female">57</td><td width="42" class="male">56</td><td width="42" class="male">56</td><td width="42" class="female">56</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="male">55</td> <td width="42" class="female">54</td><td width="42" class="male">54</td><td width="42" class="male">53</td><td width="42" class="male">51</td><td width="42" class="male">50</td><td width="42" class="female">50</td><td width="42" class="female">50</td><td width="42" class="female">50</td> <td width="42" class="male">49</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="male">48</td><td width="42" class="female">47</td><td width="42" class="female">45</td><td width="42" class="male">40</td> <td width="42" class="male">40</td><td width="42" class="male">39</td> <td width="42" class="female">38</td> <td width="42" class="female">38</td> <td width="42" class="female">38</td><td width="42" class="female">38</td></tr><tr><th colspan="10" class="center">Median 38</th></tr><tr><th colspan="10">Percentiles 6 to 10</th></tr><tr><td width="42" class="female">36</td> <td width="42" class="male">36</td><td width="42" class="female">36</td><td width="42" class="male">35</td><td width="42" class="male">35</td><td width="42" class="male">35</td><td width="42" class="male">35</td><td width="42" class="female">32</td> <td width="42" class="female">32</td><td width="42" class="female">32</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="female">32</td> <td width="42" class="male">32</td><td width="42" class="male">32</td><td width="42" class="male">31</td> <td width="42" class="female">31</td><td width="42" class="male">30</td><td width="42" class="male">30</td><td width="42" class="female">30</td><td width="42" class="male">29</td> <td width="42" class="male">29</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="female">29</td><td width="42" class="female">28</td> <td width="42" class="male">28</td><td width="42" class="female">27</td><td width="42" class="male">25</td><td width="42" class="female">25</td><td width="42" class="male">24</td><td width="42" class="male">23</td> <td width="42" class="male">23</td> <td width="42" class="female">20</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="female">19</td><td width="42" class="male">19</td> <td width="42" class="male">18</td> <td width="42" class="female">18</td><td width="42" class="female">16</td> <td width="42" class="male">16</td><td width="42" class="male">16</td> <td width="42" class="male">15</td><td width="42" class="male">15</td> <td width="42" class="female">15</td></tr><tr><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td><td width="42" class="refused">REF</td></tr></table><p>The median person was 24 when the Internet became widely available. In our sample there is a cluster of heavy users (7 people) aged between 50 and 40. (As a side issue the researcher, myself, is also a heavy user, and at 67, seems to be outside this framework.) There were 4 more heavy users 36, 35, 32 and 31 with no heavy users at a younger age. That information might destroy some commonly held assumptions about young people being more skilled with these technologies than older people. </p><p>In the next few months I want to make available two short posts a week which I hope these people who I now "know" will be able to use.</p><hr /><p>John Stephen Veitch <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/connected" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=connected" alt="connected" />connected</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bryndwr" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Bryndwr" alt="Bryndwr" />Bryndwr</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet+users" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Internet+users" alt="Internet users" />Internet users</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/young+people" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=young+people" alt="young people" />young people</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ryze" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Ryze" alt="Ryze" />Ryze</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/research" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=research" alt="research" />research</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/households" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=households" alt="households" />households</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/broadband" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=broadband" alt="broadband" />broadband</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/broad-band" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=broad-band" alt="broad-band" />broad-band</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt="Author" />John Stephen Veitch</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-40008343821301255472008-06-26T11:15:00.003+12:002008-06-26T21:06:08.054+12:00Volunteer to be Successful<p>The openness of your own future, depends on YOU. Your ability to VOLUNTEER to do new things and to take on new ideas is the key to your future. So have you volunteered to be part of an online social network? Having done so, what did you do then? </p><p>Sadly, 90% of those who join a social network, are unsure why they did so, and are reluctant to participate. The opportunity to connect to other people is there, but the connections are not made. For instance, of the 20 million members of LinkedIn about 10 million have fewer than FIVE connections and most have not completed their profiles.</p><p><strong>Be a Taker from the Useful Common:</strong><br>You come to online social networks, with a real world network already in place. The online world, list serv's, web sites, search engines, groups and social networks enlarge and extend the "useful common". There is far more content and value in the useful common than you can possibly absorb. So, drink all you choose, but drink with discipline; you can drown in content. Try to find what you need "just in time" a little bit every day. Take the opportunity to build the strength and value of the useful common you have access to. At first you will be a taker. Later when your confidence grows you'll become a giver. </p><p><strong>Join a Social Network – Write About Yourself:</strong><br>In the beginning, writing an interesting page about yourself is a difficult but necessary task. It's impossible to write a perfect page about “yourself” because you can never capture the fullness of your life. Be content with what you can write today. (I actually recommend joining TWO networks, LinkedIn, and one other of your choice, any place where they have interesting forums. You need to read and eventually to write, to get the best our of this process.) </p><p><strong>Build the Number of Contacts you have:</strong><br>I'm one of those who was online early, and I've built a large network, but along the way I've also met and been influenced by some amazing people. You need to grow you own network. Begin by reading the discussion forums. Find out who's here. Visit the profile pages of the people who have useful things to say, find out more about them. Tell them by dropping a note, or filling in a guest book, that you liked what they wrote. Quietly, build the list of people you know. Once you have 30 or 40 connections, your network will begin to grow with less effort. Thus far, building your network is bringing together people of like mind, who didn't previously know each other.</p><p>I've built a large network, on several different platforms, but I don't recommend that to everyone. You'll know, if for some reason you need a large network, for the rest of you, somewhere between 100 and 500 connections should be very useful. More important than building more connections is to engage a small number of your online contacts in regular discussions. I've been experimenting with that. It's not easy. The conversation keeps running dry, and you have to re-boot it again. It takes two people to keep a conversation going. You know the sound of one hand clapping. If it's too hard to sustain, that relationship dies. If you can find in 100 connections four new people that you enjoy talking to across the world, if you can talk to people who don't exist in the same cultural bubble as yourself, you will discover value.</p><p>You need to be proactive to succeed online. That means you need to volunteer, to put yourself forward. If today you don't have the courage to do that, join a group, and spend time in the forums. Drink deep on what other people are saying. Learn. One day you'll feel the courage to participate yourself. Step by step, that's how we get there. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+network" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+network" alt=" " />social network</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/your+future" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=your+future" alt=" " />your future</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/volunteer" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=volunteer" alt=" " />volunteer</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/LinkedIn" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=LinkedIn" alt=" " />LinkedIn</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Useful+Common" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Useful+Common" alt=" " />Useful Common</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/drown+in+content" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=drown+in+content" alt=" " />drown in content</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/just+in+time" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=just+in+time" alt=" " />just in time</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/about+yourself" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=about+yourself" alt=" " />about yourself</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/proactive" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=proactive" alt=" " />proactive</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/large+network" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=large+network" alt=" " />large network</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/regular+discussions" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=regular+discussions" alt=" " />regular discussions</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/participate+yourself" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=participate+yourself" alt=" " />participate yourself</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/step+by+step" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=step+by+step" alt=" " />Step by step</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-53017850292184461772008-06-13T17:40:00.002+12:002008-06-13T18:28:48.644+12:00Are we Ready Yet? - Some of Us Perhaps.<p><a href="http://www.cluetrain.com/">The Cluetrain Manifesto</a> makes the claim that, “we are getting smarter, more informed and more organised.” Of course <a href="http://www.rheingold.com/">Howard Rheingold</a> probably originated the idea of "smart mobs". </p><p>There are aspects of the Internet that certainly prove that point. One clear example is the success of Wikipedia, and another is the use of spare capacity on people’s machines and off the network to transfer files, particularly music and video files. (A downside is the success of the Internet as a means of distributing pornography.) Also remarkable is the growth of online dating, and the high satisfaction expressed by most of the people who have tried to do that. Online dating is interesting because you have to “put yourself on the line” and people are very reluctant to do that. So of course there are a few “fake ID’s” but that entirely defeats the purpose. Those people are quickly exposed online. The general experience is that people are excessively genuine and helpful and even honest about themselves.</p><p>People who don’t know, often laugh at the idea of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikipedia</a>. How can a site which anyone can edit be credible? I can only say try it. Not only will you find pages for thousands of topics that would never rate a mention in any printed encyclopedia, but even on the most obscure topics there’s usually been some basic quality check. For instance a page that’s poorly developed is likely to be tagged with a statement saying that the page doesn’t meet the basic standards of Wikipedia and inviting people to verify the statements and to provide references. The English language version if printed like an encyclopedia would currently run to 787 volumes. <a href="http://www.herecomeseverybody.org/">Prof. Clay Shirky</a>, estimates that Wikipedia represents the accumulation of over 100 million hours of human thought and effort. But this is a tiny amount of time really, given that TV viewers in the USA spend that much time every week, just watching advertising. Of all the users of Wikipedia, only some small number, ever edit a page. </p><p>Another way we get smarter is by <a href="http://www.ate.co.nz/open/theorganisation.html">joining groups of people who share our interests</a>. When I first began to work on the Internet this was mostly achieved by joining a “listserv” and the best listserv’s were run by universities. Later there were sites like Yahoo Groups and several commercial competitors. It’s very hard work to build and sustain an active list. Hence lists come and go, but the best of them are very active and enormously valuable to their members.</p><p>In the last eight years web based social networks have become common. Each social network requires you join a “special group” and you have to go to a special place to get group mail, or to read about group activities. Because we all have limited time we can only be active in one or two places like this. So the idea that the Internet makes it possible to “connect to everyone” is a nonsense. However, there is a demand for each person to have a single identity and login that’s common to different networks. One day that will happen. Inside a network like this, it’s possible to “meet” the same person over and over in different discussions. So you “get to know” who these people are even if you live on the other side of the globe. In the process you get to understand more about how people are different, and how they are the same. You will also find that if you participate in the discussion that you develop an identity, that you “become someone” and the way other people respond to that, teaches you a lot about your own strengths and weaknesses.</p><p>However, the Cluetrain Manifesto was wrong if the word “we” was intended to include all Internet users. I’ve been disappointed for at least 10 years now at the low level of understanding and participation by most people who are “online”. Those who are “getting smarter” are in my view only about 10% of those who are online. The rest lack the confidence to join groups and to get involved. If you don’t join groups, and give your participation some time to develop, you can’t begin to benefit as a member. Prof. Clay Shirky has called his new book, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Everybody-Clay-Shirky/dp/0713999896?tag=particculturf-20">Here Comes Everybody</a>” and like the writers of the Cluetrain Manifesto he’s making the claim of online benefits for “everybody”. That’s a claim that will prove false. There is a new digital divide, even in households where there is good Internet access, between those who participate and those who don’t.</p><p>Those who are engaged on the Internet are involved in a multi-person conversation that requires the development of new skills in navigation, in keyboarding, in understanding cultural and religious differences, in expressing one’s views clearly, in learning about the things other people are interested in. If this is your life, your learning rate is accelerated. If this is not what you do with your time, the chances are that you watch TV, each night becoming more and more switched off, more and more indoctrinated, less and less informed.</p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Cluetrain+Manifesto" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Cluetrain+Manifesto" alt=" " />Cluetrain Manifesto</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Howard+Rheingold" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Howard+Rheingold" alt=" " />Howard Rheingold</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/smart+mobs" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=smart+mobs" alt=" " />smart mobs</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Wikipedia" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Wikipedia" alt=" " />Wikipedia</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/online+dating" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=online+dating" alt=" " />online dating</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Clay+Shirky" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Clay+Shirky" alt=" " />Clay Shirky</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/strengths+and+weaknesses" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=strengths+and+weaknesses" alt=" " />strengths and weaknesses</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/joining+groups" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=joining+groups" alt=" " />joining groups</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+networks" alt=" " />social networks</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/connect+to+everyone" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=connect+to+everyone" alt=" " />connect to everyone</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/participate+in+discussion" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=participate+in+discussion" alt=" " />participate in discussion</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Here+Comes+Everybody" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Here+Comes+Everybody" alt=" " />Here Comes Everybody</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/develop+an+identity" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=develop+an+identity" alt=" " />develop an identity</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-49382781340093035152008-06-03T14:10:00.016+12:002008-06-26T21:02:41.615+12:00Cluetrain Manifesto at 10 Years<p>This blog is for people who are finding their way into social networking and personal learning online. Much of the Cluetrain Manifesto addresses the same issues. They say that networked users of the Internet support each other and know more than the "experts" on almost every topic. They say clearly, "we are getting smarter, more informed and more organised". In 10 years that reality has been demonstrated over and over, but sadly 80% of all the Internet users who should be an active part of this communication revolution are reluctant to be engaged.</p><p><a href="http://www.cluetrain.com/rick.html">Rick Levine</a>, <a href="http://www.cluetrain.com/clocke.html">Christopher Locke</a>, <a href="http://www.cluetrain.com/doc.html">Doc Searls</a> and <a href="http://www.cluetrain.com/david.html">David Weinberger</a> published the Cluetrain Manifesto ten years ago. When I first found that text some six months later, I was amazed and deeply inspired. The text seemed to speak to me.</p><p>Since that time I've always had a page in my site that promotes the Cluetrain Manifesto, a page like this one, <a href="http://www.ate.co.nz/open/shortcluetrain.html">An Introduction to the Cluetrain Manifesto</a>. I've invited hundreds of people to consider the value of the text, but it frightens people, and they back away. That's sad, because the writers of the Cluetrain Manifesto had the message mostly right, and the last 10 years have vindicated their optimism about the power of all of us together. </p><p>My own research tells me that while 80% of people in the developed world have access to the Internet, only a tiny number of people use the Internet in a way that makes an important difference to their lives. That's a problem, a new digital divide between confident Internet users and poorly informed users. Read previous posts in this blog to learn more about that. (See <a href="http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2004/12/networking-principles.html">networking principles</a>, <a href="http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2004/08/internet-literacy.html">Internet literacy</a> and joining <a href="http://newbiesstepbystep.blogspot.com/2004/10/first-steps-on-ryze.html">social networks</a>)</p><p>With the benefit of hindsight, I've discovered in the rather repetitive 95 Theses, three general themes that concern people who are new to the Internet. They are:</p><p><strong>Networking and Network Groups.</strong> The Internet allows people to speak to each other in ways that were never before possible. But to have access to these other people we need to JOIN online networks or social groups. Back in the previous posts on this blog there is lots of help on the process of joining groups and social networks. NOTHING is more important to enhance your ability to do things online. When you are a member you can ask questions and get answers that make sense to you that are not contaminated by propaganda. Together we know a great deal about almost everything. The power of the Internet to make group forming easy is one of the keys to it's success. Your ability to find the right groups to join, is one of the keys to your own success. To find out more about that you need to join some groups; become a member.</p><p><strong>The Power of a Human Voice.</strong> In real conversations people speak with a human voice and in language we can all understand. When you join social networks or become engaged with list mail, you'll discover that people have learned to talk quite naturally to each other. Such conversations encourage trust and honesty and an open sharing of our time and our knowledge. By the sound of the human voice we recognise other "members" of our community. There may also be outbursts of angry language, tirades we used to call "flaming". Thankfully today such behaviour is very rare. It's amazing to me how disciplined people are, even when the level of disagreement is very sharp. The human voice is normally very respectful of other people.</p><p><strong>The Value of Conversation.</strong> Conversations cannot be forced to continue. The glue that holds a conversation together is a genuine sharing of points of view about a topic of mutual interest. Conversations are remarkable because nobody can control the direction of the dialogue. Whoever speaks next can take the discussion to some different domain. The other participants ca then choose to follow that lead, or to return to the previous topic. Conversations occur between peers, none of whom have the power to control what comes next. </p><p>There is a revolution going on. A quiet insistent progressive shift in the quality of what we all know. Too often this knowledge starkly contradicts what leading government officials and professional advisers tell us. So who do we believe? Our online experience tells us that our friends may not have PhD's or high office, but they do tell us the truth as best they know it. The track record of people in social networks getting the message right isn't perfect, but it is still by far the most reliable guide. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p>
<div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christopher+Locke" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Christopher+Locke" alt=" " />Christopher Locke</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rick+Levine" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Rick+Levine" alt=" " />Rick Levine</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Doc+Searls" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Doc+Searls" alt=" " />Doc Searls</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/David+Weinberger" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=David+Weinberger" alt=" " />David Weinberger</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Cluetrain+Manifesto" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Cluetrain+Manifesto" alt=" " />Cluetrain Manifesto</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/digital+divide" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=digital+divide" alt=" " />digital divide</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Internet+literacy" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Internet+literacy" alt=" " />Internet literacy</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+networks" alt=" " />social networks</a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/networking+principles" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=networking+principles" alt=" " />networking principles</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/conversation" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=conversation" alt=" " />conversation</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/human+voice" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=human+voice" alt=" " />human voice</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/propaganda" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=propaganda" alt=" " />propaganda</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-78091807248766227462008-02-03T13:44:00.002+13:002008-06-12T20:08:28.140+12:00Be the Master of Your Online Activity<p>New Zealand is a <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/letters/nzonline.html#Arnnei01">"small place"</a> with only 4.5 million people. We are used to knowing each other fairly well on a face to face basis. Rebels are rare here, and they stand out from the crowd very easily. We have a way of bringing into line people who stand out too much, or who try to rise too tall; it's called tall poppy syndrome. It was New Zealand that prosecuted "<a href="http://johnsveitch.blogspot.com/2008/01/being-modern-person.html">The Last Western Heretic</a>". </p><p>I've been confused for the last five years by the FACT that among the general public, the Internet has hardly caused a ripple. "I love the Internet" they say; because that's the expected response, but then they say, "But I seldom use it." I know that this is not the accepted view but I've actually sat with people and watched them use the Internet. I've asked them to demonstrate what they usually do. The fact is, "not much". </p><p>15 years ago New Zealand users of the Internet, and many NZ developers of software and web sites were doing leading edge stuff. Along with Norway and Sweden, New Zealand was proving that countries "on the edge" were enthusiastic about the Internet and how it would change their economic and social opportunities. Following closely behind Canada the NZ government promised us the <a href="http://www.digitalfutureblog.org.nz/">NZ Digital Strategy</a> to make the age of digital information a key driver of the NZ economy. There have been results that I applaud, but just a few. Government web sites are easy to use, and sometimes informative. The software industry in NZ continues to develop, but it's operating in a little bubble of it's own, disconnected. That's dangerous in a global world. </p><p>My interviews with NZ Internet users show me that usually they DON'T JOIN email lists and social networks. When they do join, they are seldom, real that as almost NEVER, active participants. There are THREE active email forums (non-technical) for the public in New Zealand. There have been many others but the all fold for lack of interest. The most successful by far is <a href="http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/canterburyissues/">Canterbury Issues</a>, a relatively new forum using <a href="http://onlinegroups.net/">Online Groups</a>. </p><p>It can be argued, and I would agree that lack of participation is a world wide issue. The "long tail" of non-participating members of every online social network is well understood. But the situation in NZ is more severe I'm sure. Non-participation on two networks where I'm an active member is about 85%, and the top 5% generate and get 50% of all the attention in the network. In New Zealand I'm comfortable with saying that non-participation is close to 95%. For instance <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsveitch">I'm the most highly connected person in NZ, on LinkedIn</a>. I'm very easy to find and get a message to. Only ONE person in NZ has ever been proactive and asked me to join their network. I live in Christchurch. I've tried to build my Christchurch connections, but frankly, it's hard work.</p><p>At Christchurch Airport, I met a young Italian man, a geologist by training, who has been working to collect seabed data off the coast, south of NZ. We were discussing social networks, facebook in particular, when he mentioned that he was a member of LinkedIn. That makes sense for a young professional man. His University Professor recommended that he join. Once again that is good news, University Professors should be leading the way in that practical manner. So the young man and I are now connected on LinkedIn and he now has 18 connections. Sadly his Professor only has 8. </p><p>When I look at the 600 LinkedIn members in Christchurch, representation for Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury is sparse. Moreover, they are also notable of not bothering to develop their networks. </p><p>The Universities will of course counter that they have their own well developed academic lists and forums, regular conferences and departmental meetings. Researchers in any field often know each other both by their publications and by face to face meetings. I accept that. But the University needs to connect with it's community, and social networks would help to make that connection. When a University is talking about downgrading or closing courses, that community connection is even more relevant. There are 80 staff of the University of Canterbury who are LinkedIn members, only 6 of whom have more than 30 connections, the minimal number in my view to begin to have a successful LinkedIn network. </p><p>So there is work to do. If you live in New Zealand, here are some places to get in touch online. </p><p>Yahoo: <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/new_zealand/">New Zealand</a>: (439 Members) </p><p><a href="http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/canterburyissues/">Canterbury Issues</a>: (Discussion about Christchurch and Canterbury only)</p><p><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VirtualHandshakeNZ/">Virtual Handshake NZ</a>: (57 Members) </p><p><a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/kiwiscrum/">Kiwi Scrum</a>: A NEW approved group for LinkedIn (58 members)</p><p>In the process of searching for links for this Blog entry I discovered this very optimistic video about the Tuhoe Digital Journey facilitated by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/13558887847347922330">Paul Reynolds</a>. I'm thrilled to represent it here. </p>
<object width="425" height="373"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GV6xiMX2W_U&rel=1&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GV6xiMX2W_U&rel=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="373"></embed></object><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/New+Zealand" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=New+Zealand" alt=" " />New Zealand</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/small+place" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=small+place" alt=" " />small place</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/face+to+face" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=face+to+face" alt=" " />face to face</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Last+Western+Heretic" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=The+Last+Western+Heretic" alt=" " />The Last Western Heretic</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/on+the+edge" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=on+the+edge" alt=" " />on the edge</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NZ+Digital+Strategy" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=NZ+Digital+Strategy" alt=" " />NZ Digital Strategy</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Canterbury+Issues" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Canterbury+Issues" alt=" " />Canterbury Issues</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Online+Groups" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Online+Groups" alt=" " />Online Groups</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+networks" alt=" " />social networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Tuhoe" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Tuhoe" alt=" " />Tuhoe</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Lincoln+University" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Lincoln+University" alt=" " />Lincoln University</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/University+of+Canterbury" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=University+of+Canterbury" alt=" " />University of Canterbury</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-90366978034057068142008-01-19T09:00:00.004+13:002008-06-12T20:09:52.515+12:00The Information Super-Highway Isn't Used<p>In 1995 New Zealand was like several other small fringe nations, very active on the Internet. This was driven, in my view, by the isolation we felt, by a need to connect to some imagined centre where better information and expertise might be found. Connecting to the world was important, at least it was for me. The Internet was commonly spoken about as the Information Super-Highway, but most of the imagined benefits of that have not been realized.</p><p>Both government and business leaders seem focused on the poor quality of NZ broadband. <a href="http://www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz/">The NZ Digital Strategy</a> has become very narrow compared with the original vision. I agree that much faster and more reliable broadband would be desirable, but I recognize a different and deeper problem. </p><p><a href="http://johnsveitch.blogspot.com/2008/01/being-modern-person.html">Prof. Lloyd Geering </a>on TVNZ last Saturday spoke about his acceptance of whatever his teachers told him, and of his acceptance of what people in authority said. Do you remember those days? I certainly do. That was me too. We suffered from an inferiority complex, looking to "Home" or England for people with expertise, we were unwilling to accept the knowledge and expertise of our own people, preferring to buy from overseas people who supposedly had experience that NZ couldn't provide. Too often New Zealanders could not be recognized as successful at home until they had proven themselves overseas. We did not understand who we were. </p><p>The social climate in NZ was excessively focused on finding the one source of authority that could be relied upon. Missing from my early training was the concept of mentors, and the idea of networking. I had bosses, who could have been mentors, who might have tried to be mentors, but the concept wasn't in my mind. I developed a journal that I've kept for 35 years, which was my way to find mentors, hundreds of them, most of whom have no knowledge that they helped me. In New Zealand, probably because of our small population, where everyone knows everyone, there was no great emphasis on networking, nothing like what we can see overseas. I've recognized these failings in my own life in the last 15 years, with my connection to the Internet, <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/ryze/">particularly on Ryze</a>, providing the mirror that has allowed me to see myself in a new way. People on Ryze saw in me, knowledge and expertise that I couldn't clearly see in myself. That was a gift, that can never be fully repaid. </p><p>When I was first introduced to Ryze by <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/balapillai">Bala Pillai</a>, it made no sense to me at all. I didn't join. Six months later I recognized what a big mistake I had made. I've been an enthusiastic paying member ever since. But efforts to encourage other New Zealanders to join Ryze have fallen on deaf ears. There are perhaps three New Zealanders with successful histories on Ryze. </p><p>My experience on LinkedIn follows that pattern. When <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/linkedin/">Introduced to LinkedIn</a> I joined immediately, (I try not to repeat my mistakes) but for a long time it was just a directory service. Ryze was so much better for talking to people. In comparison the people on LinkedIn seemed shallow and inexperienced. But networks change, the services any network offers are likely to improve, membership grows and the experience of the members develops. In the five years I'm talking about Ryze went from 200,000 to 350,000 members, and LinkedIn from nothing to 19 million. </p><p>There are 730 NZ members of Ryze. In contrast there are about 8000 NZ members of LinkedIn, but of those only a tiny number are active. People understand enough to join, but having joined, they didn't know intuitively how to use it. That was exactly the situation I found myself in. It was my connection to Bill Vick on Ryze that forced me to look seriously at LinkedIn. <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/billvick">Bill Vick</a> is the author of "LinkedIn For Recruiting" and lives in Dallas. <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/deswalsh">Des Walsh</a> of Tweed Heads, NSW, Australia also on Ryze invited me to join a <a href="http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyLinkedinPowerForum/">LinkedIn discussion list on Yahoo</a>. Slowly I was educated about some of the ways people were finding LinkedIn a practical and useful business tool. Today I'm an enthusiastic advocate. </p><p>Of the 8000 NZ Members of LinkedIn only 18 people have more than 500 connections. 550 have in excess of 100 connections. But the mean number of connections over all NZ members is a number less than FIVE. For people with only 5 connections, LinkedIn is not going to be an effective tool. Even with as many as 30 connections LinkedIn is only beginning to be useful. Restrictions on what LinkedIn will let me see (Limit 500 entries) prevent me from producing better NZ data. </p><p>I can however produce more detail about Christchurch, my home town. Christchurch members of LinkedIn are now about 500. The median number of connections is closer the THREE than four. 12 people have more than 100 connections. If we take 30 connections as the beginning of LinkedIn being useful as a tool, another 39 are able to experience that. For the 250+ people who have fewer than 4 connections, "the benefits of LinkedIn membership" remains a meaningless statement. </p><p>The problem behind to poor success rate on social networks is not in Ryze, Xing, Facebook or LinkedIn, it's in our own heads and in the community. There is a lack of social permission in the community to be strongly involved in these networks. People don't appreciate why anyone would need to do that. To make any social network an effective tool in your life you need to learn some skills that are not widely distributed in New Zealand. For instance of the 18 people on LinkedIn with 500+ connections, 8 were born and educated overseas, 3 have considerable work experience overseas, two completed their academic education overseas. I'm one of the other 5. My reason for being in this company is the first web site I built, <strong>New Zealand Dances</strong>, dating from 1995. To build that site, I relied on networking with dancers all over the world, over 700 of whom contributed to the site. Long before good search engines and before social networking became popular I was enjoying a cooperative and helpful Internet experience. The business failure of NZDances was a great loss to the dance industry here. Few people understand what they lost. There were over 700 pages in the site at it's best. <a href="http://www.archive.org/index.php">There are more than 62 pages on the Way-Back Machine</a>. (search for www.nzdances.co.nz) </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br><a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/New+Zealand" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=New+Zealand" alt=" " />New Zealand</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Information+Super-Highway" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Information+Super-Highway" alt=" " />Information Super-Highway</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NZ+Digital+Strategy" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=NZ+Digital+Strategy" alt=" " />NZ Digital Strategy</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Lloyd+Geering" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Lloyd+Geering" alt=" " />Lloyd Geering</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/LinkedIn" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=LinkedIn" alt=" " />LinkedIn</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bala+Pillai" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Bala+Pillai" alt=" " />Bala Pillai</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bill+Vick" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Bill+Vick" alt=" " />Bill Vick</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+permission" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+permission" alt=" " />social permission</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Des+Walsh" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Des+Walsh" alt=" " />Des Walsh</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NZDances" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=NZDances" alt=" " />NZDances</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/www.nzdances.co.nz" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=www.nzdances.co.nz" alt=" " />www.nzdances.co.nz</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Way-Back+Machine" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Way-Back+Machine" alt=" " />Way-Back Machine</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-56061143709187742492008-01-17T14:38:00.004+13:002008-06-12T20:14:26.489+12:00Learning by Using the Internet<p>How do we learn anything? We learn on the playing field, we learn by doing it, we learn from our friends and associates. So YOU learn about the Internet by using it and often by trying out new things your friends told you about.</p><p>How does your BUSINESS learn about the Internet? Too often it's by employing someone with a very technical disposition, someone with a precise sort of mind, to take care of the details. So she/he builds a website, an Intranet and a perhaps some databases for "company knowledge". This is a fair bit of work, but it usually achieves very little and sometimes nothing at all. While the company is "on the Internet" company knowledge of the Internet is close to nil. While the company has an Intranet, it's badly supported, disorganised and employees try to avoid it rather than use it. As for the "Knowledge Base", it's cost a lot of money and is drives nothing at all.</p><p>What's wrong here? Essentially the people who work for the company are not in the picture. Executive staff are left out, supervisory staff are left out, and the people at the coal face have no part to play. What is the company learning? Where are your companies ambassadors? Where are the connections to <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/innovation/">new ideas and knowledge that will drive future innovation?</a> Where is the ongoing learning for each staff member? In a global economy, where are your companies connections to the world?</p><p>The MAJOR failure is that both companies and government have <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/learningdisability.html">neglected the learning opportunity</a> that the Information Super-Highway was supposed to bring us. I've been a severe critic of the <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00158.htm">NZ Government Digital Strategy</a>. Nothing changes with the "Dec 2007 Refresh" A focus on broadband and on software development, won't do anything to help New Zealanders overcome their dismal failure to use the Internet effectively. What's missing is a social and educational programme that's well funded, that I was calling for 5 years ago. There have however been some successes. Maori have a presence on the Internet, and generally the quality and functionality of government web sites is excellent. (Would somebody tell site designers that ALL URL's should be very close to permanent. We forever go to government sites to see "This item has been moved". Why?) </p><p>It is my hope that this Blog and the Open Future web site and my connections with colleagues in New Zealand and across the world can help bring the value of the Internet into the business world. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br><a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ryze" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Ryze" alt=" " />Ryze</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/confidence" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=confidence" alt=" " />confidence</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/learning" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=learning" alt=" " />learning</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/conversation" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=" alt=" " />conversation</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/not+knowing" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=not+knowing" alt=" " />not knowing</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/broadband" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=broadband" alt=" " />broadband</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Knowledge+Base" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Knowledge+Base" alt=" " />Knowledge Base</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/New+Zealand" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=New+Zealand" alt=" " />New Zealand</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Open+Future" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Open+Future" alt=" " />Open Future</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/new+ideas" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=new+ideas" alt=" " />new ideas</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/innovation" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=innovation" alt=" " />innovation</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Learn" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Learn" alt=" " />Learn</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ongoing+learning" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=ongoing+learning" alt=" " />ongoing learning</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/global+economy" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=global+economy" alt=" " />global economy</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Information+Super-Highway" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Information+Super-Highway" alt=" " />Information Super-Highway</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Digital+Strategy" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Digital+Strategy" alt=" " />Digital Strategy,</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/executive" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=executive" alt=" " />executive </a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1157162126281587592006-09-02T13:44:00.002+12:002008-06-12T16:40:34.715+12:00Learning on Ryze<p>Balla Pillai introduced me to Ryze in 2001, Ryze was new, I couldn't see the point. I didn't join. I did join in 2003. Ryze had been through a big growth spurt, and the networks were buzzing. Generally I found the business focused networks were a waste of time, but the help networks were helpful and the political networks were informative. 500 Citizens was a joy, and Sans Fronteirs was a delight. Then we had an unfortunate election in the USA. The mail on the political networks became accusatory, entrenched and repetitive. There was no discussion going on, only flag waving and banner parades. There was little value in that.</p><p>Like others, I've found my experience here has forced me to learn more about things I was relatively uninformed about, Cuba and Venezuela for instance, but also the American political and social system. That knowledge has increased my confidence.</p><p>Posting my ideas in a public forum and seeing the response from others, and feeling my own strength in defending my position, has taught me a lot about myself. It's helped me define who I am, and what's important to me. Slowly I've found the courage to say in public many things I've privately come to believe, but I'd never heard expressed. To my absolute surprise I often found other people agreeing with me on those points. It's really encouraging to know that your most wild ideas are not perhaps without foundation, and that in the future some of these dreams might become real.</p><p>Posting to Ryze and other networks has increased my ability to put together my own ideas, and to have confidence in expressing them in public. I now know that I can stand my ground when I'm right, and I can concede ground easily and freely when I'm wrong. In both cases I'm a winner. I've been re-educated and I've been able to change my mind about lots of things over time. To some extent that has changed what I think, what I deem to be important and to some degree I guess, who I am.</p><p>If you are capable of being non-dogmatic, if you can allow yourself not to know, and keep open the ability to doubt and to reconsider, if you can postpone the desire to choose your "truth" before the evidence is in, these discussions offer you a great deal. You can learn, you can change, you can become more powerful as a person.</p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Learning" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Learning" alt=" " />Learning</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Ryze" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Ryze" alt=" " />Ryze</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Balla+Pillai" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Balla+Pillai" alt=" " />Balla Pillai</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/help+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=help+networks" alt=" " />help networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/political+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=political+networks" alt=" " />political networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/my+confidence" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=my+confidence" alt=" " />my confidence</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/public+forum" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=public+forum" alt=" " />public forum</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/who+I+am " rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=who+I+am " alt=" " />who I am</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ability+to+doubt" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=ability+to+doubt" alt=" " />ability to doubt</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/my+own+ideas" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=my+own+ideas" alt=" " />my own ideas</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/change+my+mind" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=change+my+mind" alt=" " />change my mind</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/non-dogmatic" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=non-dogmatic" alt=" " />non-dogmatic</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/choose+your+truth" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=choose+your+truth" alt=" " />choose your truth</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1126666933756352292005-09-14T14:10:00.002+12:002008-06-12T20:13:17.918+12:00Networking Articles are "Uninformed and Unhelpful"<p>It's quite clear that most journalists don't understand the basics of networking practice. I don't blame them for that. Networking online is new, we do have access to many more people, but we don't have personal capacity to keep in memory and consciousness any more people than previously. Those of us who are deeply connected on Ryze, Linked In or Ecademy for instance, have not yet learned for ourselves how best to use this new ability to connect. It should not surprise us that people who are even less connected don't understand the process.</p><p>Journalists, particularly business journalists, assume you can determine in advance what you want to achieve by networking and can measure the cost performance of your involvement. They are wrong. Planning the precise outcome can't be done in any sensible way. Networking is a journey. You are going into unmapped territory. There are NO POSSIBLE MAPS of who you will meet and what will occur as a result.</p><p>Think about exploration in history. Tell me what explorers wanted to find in this unmapped territory that would make their exploration a success? They wanted a quick easy reward. The discovery of gold, oil, slaves, free land, virgin forests, new opportunity? In history when explorers have entered new territory, they often failed to find the "riches" they expected to find, and also completely failed to notice real wealth that existed in this unmapped territory that was beyond their original narrow vision. Settlers went to California to find gold and become wealthy. Most of them found poverty and many died. Those who became rich were not the gold miners. Nobody was thinking about grapes, wine, oranges or films. Nobody was thinking about the value of the climate and the beaches.</p><p>Joining a network is taking a journey into unmapped territory. A "friends" list is a rough sort of map that each of us makes of that territory. Joining networks is another way to make a rough map of what's there. But you can't beat living there for a couple of years to sort out which of the "friends" are people of substance, and which networks are sources of both good people and sound data. The discovery of one person who thinks well and who asks good questions is far more valuable as a long term resource than 1000 pages of public opinion. But to discover that person you will need to read a lot of "public opinion".</p><p>If you come to networking like Christopher Columbus, with "orders from the Queen of Spain", determined to establish yourself as the "Governor" and focused on becoming fabulously wealthy, you are likely to get a rather cold reception from the natives. Self engrandizement, elevator pitches, trying to make yourself out to be the "Governor" is the wrong response to the network environment. </p><p>In a network, in fact in all of life, nothing is more important that your ability to be accepted as a member. If you are a member, people listen to you. If you are a member you are given good data and help when you need it. If you are a member your rights as a member will be protected and respected by others. If you are a member you pay attention to what other "members" say and do and you respect and protect their rights as members.</p><p>So what do I mean by "membership"? There are at least two forms of membership. Let's think about Ryze membership. You join, when you subscribe to Ryze as a free member. . In one sense "you are a member of this network" but you are not a member to the "members", they don't know you yet. You become a member (in your own eyes) by subscribing to "networks" and reading the posts. But you are not a member to anyone else. You become a member to others when you occasionally respond to what someone else has written in a sensible way (so people feel that you have read the posts and in a way that "fits in".) and that shows knowledge of and respect for the "member" you responding to. When people read what you wrote, they choose, they choose either to accept you or to reject you. If they accept you, your posts will be read, and your opinion listened to. If they decide you didn't understand the group, or didn't show respect for a "member" you might get a lashing, but more likely you'll just get ignored. If they choose to ignore you, it's probably your own fault. </p><p>How do you succeed in a networking situation? Listen to what other people are saying. Respond to their needs and interests. Be supportive or other members, and you might become a "member" yourself.</p><p>In my experience the journalists who write about networking don't seem to understand the simple social rules that apply to all networks. When a network member introduces his "elevator pitch" to make sure he "stands out from the crowd" he poisons the place where he's trying to become accepted. The "members" will reject him. It's the same online as it is offline. Offline, people are less likely to make silly social mistakes. Online you see new people commit social errors all the time. In this sense, the vast numbers of people who sit silently on networks might be doing the right thing. At least if they are reading the posts, before posting themselves, that is a wise way to behave.</p><p>Sadly on Ryze 70%+ of all members join no networks at all. Even those who do spend little time reading the posts. They learn nothing, because they do nothing. On Ryze 50% of the members have fewer than 3 friends because they make no effort to find out who the other people are on the network. On Ryze lots of people create a page that ADVERTISES some product or one's skills and interests, that is connected to zero networks and one friend. That page won't be visited, and it it is, 97% of the people who go there can't leave a message. People don't understand what to do.</p><p>On LinkedIn another network I know well, a huge number of people have only one contact, or a small group of people link to each other in a small disconnected cluster. I have not done the numbers, but I expect the pattern we see on Ryze is repeated. People prepare a Homepage for others to view, but they never bother to read the homepages of other members. People usually have one connection, but very few make the effort to build their links to other people they know.</p><p>I trust this view introduces some ideas we can discuss. Like how to give newbies to social networks a better idea of what they need to do, and how we can help the silent majorities on all our networks to be more involved.</p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Networking+articles" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Networking+articles" alt=" " />Networking articles</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/journalist" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=journalist" alt=" " />journalist</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/networking+practice" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=networking+practice" alt=" " />networking practice</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ability+to+connect" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=ability+to+connect" alt=" " />ability to connect</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/measure+the+cost" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=measure+the+cost" alt=" " />measure the cost</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/unmapped+territory" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=unmapped+territory" alt=" " />unmapped territory</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/new+opportunity" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=new+opportunity" alt=" " />new opportunity</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/joining+networks" rel="tsg"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=joining+networks" alt=" " />joining +networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/good+questions" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=good+questions" alt=" " />good questions</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/as+a+member" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=as+a+member" alt=" " />as a member</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christopher+Columbus" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Christopher+Columbus" alt=" " />Christopher Columbus</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+rules" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+rules" alt=" " />social rules</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/social+mistakes" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=social+mistakes" alt=" " />social mistakes</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1125406950039263412005-08-31T00:55:00.001+12:002008-06-12T15:49:54.470+12:00The Virtual Handshake: (Book Review)<h3>The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online.</h3><p>By David Teten and Scott Allen</p><p>Until now too many people have been unsure what to do "now that I'm online". The Virtual Handshake is a solution to that problem. It's plain and clear that what you choose to do online is important, and the authors give you strong, specific and easily understood instructions about how to "do it" right.</p><p>For internet newbies The Virtual Handshake has detailed instruction on the simple things you need to do to get started. The Virtual Handshake also tells you how to create an online presence that will attract to you the people who are most likely to help you to succeed.</p><p>There is detailed help in the use of Blogs for that purpose by demonstrating your competence and knowledge in your posts. In the process you collect contacts with other people, most of those contacts being very weak connections. By controlling your use of email and lists and social networks like Ryze, you can develop from those weak connections a number of "strong virtual connections" with people who have skills and abilities that are likely to be useful to you.</p><p>There is very strong emphasis in the book on doing the right things, and in every chapter there is help and advice to make it possible for you too to succeed online. The last sections of the book focus on finding work, on making sales and building our businesses, essential tasks that are doable, with the right approach.</p><p>This book is worth every dollar of the price. As you can tell I highly recommend it.</p><p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0814472869/102-8719683-8481752">View the Book at Amazon Here.</a></p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Virtual+Handshake" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=The+Virtual+Handshake" alt=" " />The Virtual Handshake</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Opening+Doors" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Opening+Doors" alt=" " />Opening Doors</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Closing+Deals" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Closing+Deals" alt=" " />Closing Deals</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/David+Teten" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=David+Teten" alt=" " />David Teten</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Scott+Allen" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Scott+Allen" alt=" " />Scott Allen</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/internet+newbies" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=internet+newbies" alt=" " />internet newbies</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/detailed+instruction" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=detailed+instruction" alt=" " />detailed instruction</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/online+presence" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=online+presence" alt=" " />online presence</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/doing+the+right+things" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=doing+the+right+things" alt=" " />doing the right things</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/use+of+Blogs" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=use+of+Blogs" alt=" " />use of Blogs</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/skills+and+abilities" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=skills+and+abilities" alt=" " />skills and abilities</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/finding+work" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=finding+work" alt=" " />finding work</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/making+sales" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=making+sales" alt=" " />making sales</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1118610599261197762005-06-13T09:02:00.004+12:002008-06-12T15:33:07.829+12:00Networking and Learning<p>While it's possible to learn from books, film, or audio resources, we learn best when we are shown how to do things by people we know and admire. In fact often the key lesson is in the mode and manner of the person, as much as in the detail of anything they have to pass on. In a very real way we learn our teachers, as much as we learn a subject.</p><p>Social networks are important because they give us a chance to make many weak contacts with people who are not in our own environment. It's not obvious at first glance why that is so important. </p><p>We have strong and close ties with many people who are family members or who share business activities or who live in our own community. We will share with those people almost the same set of ideas. That is why we can have such close ties with them. But can they be effective teachers? Certainly, but they are likely only to reinforce the expected thinking of the local environment. </p><p>Online, or in a new country, beyond your normal environment, you are likely to be confronted with a set of ideas and expectations that are not your own. If there is no personal relationship between yourself and the "new idea set" then you can ignore it. But if you "know" the person in a social way, you are likely to give the idea more than a dismissive reading. The process of giving this "new idea set" serious consideration enlarges your own idea set, and gives you new things to think about. You may then choose to reject the new view, or to examine it further.</p><p>The beauty of the "weak connection" is that you don't have to agree, and you don't have make a decision now. You have many options to examine or to set aside or the leave un-examined the issue that has been raised. You can learn from the issue, but only if you choose.</p><p>Contrast that with what happens in your own community or at work. There is already a well established climate that everyone understands that enables certain modes of thinking and disables or forbids alternative modes of thinking. There is a cultural climate that is supposed to promote constructive and positive contributions to the team effort. Usually that is the result. However, it can also lead to "group think" where the group in an effort to build and sustain commitment to each other and to the task at hand, become blind to external realities. </p><p>Social Networks allow us to make lots of weak links to many people. Because the links are weak, we are free to express our own ideas more strongly than we might at home or at work. We are also able to pay attention to the sort of ideas our own close contacts are unlikely to express. In accepting or rejecting these new ideas a learning process is going on.</p><p>If you are to live in a society where knowledge is important, nothing is more important than maintaining your own ability to learn. Learning is a precondition to being able to adapt your own behavior. I call my web site <a href="http://www.ate.co.nz/">Adapt to Experience</a>. If you can successfully adapt to the environment you are likely to succeed. Those who fail to adapt are guaranteed failure.
</p><p>People who are members of social groups thrive. People who neglect to maintain their membership become isolated and shut out. They die.</p>
<p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/key+lesson" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=key+lesson" alt=" " />key lesson</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/learn" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=learn" alt=" " />learn</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/teachers" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=teachers" alt=" " />teachers</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Social+networks" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Social+networks" alt=" " />Social networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/weak+contacts" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=weak+contacts" alt=" " />weak contacts</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/family+members" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=family+members" alt=" " />family members</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/business+activities" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=business+activities" alt=" " />business activities</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/own+community" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=own+community" alt=" " />own community</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/close+ties" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=close+ties" alt=" " />close ties</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/local+environment" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=local+environment" alt=" " />local environment</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/own+behavior" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=own+behavior" alt=" " />own behavior</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/members" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=members" alt=" " />members</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/become+isolated" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=become+isolated" alt=" " />become isolated</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/John+Stephen+Veitch" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=John+Stephen+Veitch" alt=" " />John Stephen Veitch</a>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1115563977485791832005-05-09T02:49:00.002+12:002008-06-12T15:10:27.369+12:00Joe Doe and Jane Plain - Networkers?<p>When I examine the personal pages of people who are active networkers I find people who have a belief that talking to others and meeting new people is useful and helpful. But the vast majority of people who join social and business networks are unsure why they joined, and quickly drop out.</p><p>So why should Joe Doe and Jane Plain have any interest in what happens on networks like Ryze, Ecademy or Linked In? </p><p>First of all, in our lives we all invest a great deal of time and money in various activities that help to identify who we are. I say "invest" but I mean "over invest" we have a passion for something and we give that activity an undue share of our time and money and attention. We define ourselves by this activity. Over time the chosen activity changes, but most of us have a passion for something that we like to express strongly. </p><p>For me that was soccer, later studying, then my job, a journal, a house, public speaking, dancing. Each of these was pursued with excess enthusiasm for a few years, sometimes many years. These activities have helped define who I am, and who my friends are. </p><p>On any large worldwide network, whatever your passion, you will find people who share your vision and your desire to succeed, or to be recognized. On a network like Ryze you can find people like yourself. Those people can help you to learn more about who you are and about the things you care about. No big deal here. Join, find some groups or networks related to the things that interest you. Then look for a few friends in those groups. People like you. Keep in touch. </p><p>Two things will happen, but over a few years, not immediately. First you may find that you meet more friends than you expect, and that some of them introduce you to new things. And over time your interests change and you begin to find other groups that are more interesting to be part of. Being a member, even at low levels of participation, perhaps visiting once a week, keeps you in touch and enlarges your life options. </p><p>Who you are depends on what you've done in the past. Who you will become depends on what you do now, and on what you do in the future. Investing time to be connected to other people across the world is an investment in your own future. If you quietly pursue that idea, join the most interesting groups, get to know the best people, become involved in thinking about the ideas that concern them and concern you, over time you'll become a different person. You'll become someone with knowledge, someone with ideas, and someone with lots of friends and useful contacts. We all need that.</p><p>You don't need a business, you don't need to go on the internet to make sales. Your purpose is to become a person who understands "the world" because you know as friends and talk with people in dozens of countries. Those friends will help you think about who you are and about your own country in new ways. Your understanding about what is interesting and what is or isn't important will change. You'll slowly develop a larger "vision" of the world and your place in it. Because you DID something different, you will become a different person. You will be a person with new and better options, a person with a changed future.</p><p>We become what we do. We tend to be like the things we think about most of the time. Our friends are the people who share an interest in the things we care most about. In the short term you have the life you have. In the long term you will have the life you made for yourself. If you have the courage to choose your interests and your friends wisely your life will be like that. If you choose to not to choose, to just drift along, your life will drift along too, and other people will each day decide what becomes of you. </p><p>John Stephen Veitch<br>
<a href="http://www.openfuture.biz/">Open Future Limited</a> - <a href="http://www.openfuture.co.nz/services/request/personalrequestform.html"> You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form.</a></p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1112853309228479382005-04-07T17:50:00.000+12:002005-04-07T17:55:09.233+12:00<h3>Network Memberships - Evaluating?</h3><p>On another network, David Fuller, reviewed his experience using business/social networks. He called his article, "My Networking Subscriptions are about to run out, so do I renew for another year?"</p><p>Mr Fuller recommends that to evaluate your networking experience you "Determine what you are trying to achieve" and measure the value of networking against that vision. He says we should measure the return against the budget, thinking about both the cost of money and the cost of time. Finally he asks if the site you are on gives you a chance to "stand out from the crowd", suggesting that we should take every opportunity to present our "elevator pitch". </p><p><a href="http://www.commpiled.com/more.php?id=122_0_1_4_M" name="Commpiled.com - David Fuller">You can read his full article here</a>, but I disagree with most of what he says, he is uninformed and unhelpful.</p><p>It's quite clear that David Fuller doesn't understand the basics of networking practice. I don't blame him for that. Networking online is new, we do have access to many more people, but we don't have personal capacity to keep in memory and consciousness any more people than previously. Those of us who are deeply connected on Ryze, Linked In or Ecademy for instance, have not yet learned for ourselves how best to use this new ability to connect. It should not surprise us that people who are less connected don't understand the process. </p><p>David Fuller assumes you can determine in advance what you want to achieve by networking and can measure the cost performance of your involvement. He's wrong. That can't be done in any sensible way. Networking is a journey. You are going into unmapped territory. NO MAPS. Now tell me what you want to find in this unmapped territory that would make your exploration a success? The discovery of gold, oil, slaves, free land, virgin forests, new opportunity? In history when explorers have entered new territory, they often failed to find the "riches" they expected to find, and also completely failed to notice real wealth that existed in this unmapped territory that was beyond their original narrow vision. </p><p>Joining a network is taking a journey into unmapped territory. A "friends" list is a rough sort of map that each of us makes of that territory. Joining networks is another way to make a rough map of what's there. But you can't beat living there for a couple of years to sort out which of the "friends" are people of substance, and which networks are sources of both good people and sound data. </p><p>If you come to networking like Christopher Columbus, with "orders from the Queen of Spain", determined to establish yourself as the "Governor" and focused on becoming fabulously wealthy, you are likely to get a rather cold reception from the natives. Self engrandizement, elevator pitches, trying to make yourself out to be the "Governor" is the wrong response to the network environment. </p><p>In a network, in fact in all of life, nothing is more important that your ability to be accepted as a member. If you are a member, people listen to you. If you are a member you are given good data and help when you need it. If you are a member your rights as a member will be protected and respected by others. If you are a member you pay attention to what other "members" say and do and you respect and protect their rights as members. </p><p>So what do I mean by "membership"? There are at least two forms of membership. Let's think about Ryze Networks. (Or Ryze if you prefer) You join, when you subscribe to the network. In one sense "you are a member of this network" but you are not a member to the "members", they don't know you yet. You become a member by reading the posts and by occasionally responding to what someone else has written in a sensible way (so people feel that you have read the posts and that you respond in a way that "fits in".). You need to show knowledge of and respect for the "member" you responding to. When people read what you wrote, they choose, they choose either to accept you or to reject you. If they accept you, your posts will be read, and your opinion listened to. If they decide you didn't understand the group, or didn't show respect for a "member" you might get a lashing, but more likely you'll just get ignored. If they choose to ignore you, it's probably your own fault. </p><p>How do you succeed in a networking situation? Listen to what other people are saying. Respond to their needs and interests. Be supportive or other members, and you might become a "member" yourself.</p><p>David Fuller doesn't seem to understand the simple social rules that apply to all networks. When he introduces his "elevator pitch" to make sure he "stands out from the crowd" he poisons the place where he's trying to become accepted. The "members" will reject him. It's the same online of offline. Offline, people are less likely to make silly social mistakes. Online you see new people commit social errors all the time. In this sense, the vast numbers of people who sit silently on networks might be doing the right thing. At least if they are reading the posts that is a wise way to behave.</p><p>I trust this view introduces some ideas we can discuss. Like how to give newbies on Ryze a better idea of what they need to do in social networks, and how we can help the silent majorities on all our networks to be more involved. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1106772070538752752005-01-27T09:38:00.000+13:002005-01-27T09:41:10.536+13:00Your Own Web Cluster<div align="center"><h3>Your Own Web Cluster</h3></div>
<p>Ryze is good but not perfect. There are several features I'd like to see added to the site, but money is short, and Ryze seems to develop in it's own way, and in it's own time. (Thankfully it is moving forward.)</p>
<p>I would like to see each Ryze member with space for several web pages and images, most Ryze users need blog space, and a formal easy to maintain contact record is desirable. This can all be done, using services outside of Ryze, with a little effort. All the services have valuable free versions too.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about how to improve the way my Ryze page is presented. It got far too large. I wasn't happy with the uncontrolled way the pictures were displayed. I wasn't sure what to do either. In principle you need to choose the resources you need and to combine them in a little cluster that connects in a seamless way. </p>
<h4>Creating your cluster</h4>
<p><b>Blog Space: </b> I have opened two blogs using <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Blogger</a></b>. There is a link to both those documents from my Ryze Page. </p>
<p><b>Web Space: </b>My ISP does not offer free web space with my connection, but most ISP's do. You could put some photographs to use on your Ryze site in your ISP's web space. My solution was to go to <b><a href="http://www.geocities.com/">Geocities</a></b>, a site that in my past experience was slow and cluttered with annoying advertisements. I congratulate Yahoo on the amount of web space they now offer and the ease of use of the Geocities site. The free service, currently provided is both usable and manageable. </p>
<p><b>A Formal Listing: </b>I'm also using <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/">Linked In</a></b>, to hold a different sort of record, something more formal. My record at Linked In is more like a formal record of past employment and activities. </p>
<h4>Linking</h4>
<p>I've created a little chain of internet connections, each linked to the others. But there are also many links from my material to the material of other people. I hope in the fullness of time other people will link into my material. These links not only bring visitors to your pages, but search engines see inward links from other people (not your own links to yourself) as a sign that particular pages have valuable or interesting information. Of course you need to prepare valuable and interesting information first. If your material is good you might be surprised over time how many people link to you. The world wide web was named because of the linking feature. Too many people neglect to put links to other people into their material, and lose the value of pointing to other places that provide value. </p>
<p>I began at Geocities just setting up a dummy page and adding half a dozen photographs that I could use on Ryze. A couple of weeks later I've built several additional pages. Here's why.</p>
<p>I wanted to shorten my Ryze page. Two large chunks were removed an re-posted at Geocities. They are still available, and my Ryze page is a much better length. For some time in my <b><a href="http://veech-network.ryze.com/">Veech Innovation Network</a></b> (at Ryze) I wanted to make a record of the key <a href="http://www.geocities.com/johnsveitch/backposts.html"><b>back posts</b></a>. So I've done that at Geocities. That inspired another idea, what about listing some of my more interesting posts to various Ryze networks. I've made a start on that too. </p>
<p>Once I got started I began to imagine lots of new possibilities. One was to remove all my photographs a Ryze and house them at Geocities. Now I can create tables in which to put images and comments in the Ryze site, and call those images from the Geocities web space. </p>
<p>These are things I've been learning in the last week. You do need a little skill with HTMl, but you don't need to be an expert. On Ryze you can use the network <b><a href="http://lead-network.ryze.com/">HTML Helper</a></b> to get ideas and to improve your skills. It does take some time, but building a web presence always takes time. That's also an advantage. You can do it slowly, and as your skills improve you'll do better. </p>
<p>Regards<br>John<br><b><a href="http://www.geocities.com/johnsveitch/index.html">John S Veitch at Geocities.</a></b></p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1102137566989546392004-12-04T18:18:00.000+13:002004-12-04T21:52:37.236+13:00Networking Principles?<h4>What Networking Principles?</h4><p>Joining Ryze or Ecademy or LinkedIn does not make you a networker. You become a networker because of the things you do. Doing things takes time. Sadly for most of us TIME is our most valuable resource: it's your LIFE we are talking about. What are you going to do with your life? <b>Why should you spend part of your LIFE in an online social network? </b></p><p>Effective networking expands your understanding, your thinking skills and your life opportunities. That's something you might want. But online networking is new and there are lots of very unreal ideas about the way to network and the supposed benefits. </p><p><b>Networking Theories: </b> We are new to online networking, and most of the theories about the best way to do it are problematic. I don't personally subscribe to the idea the that more contacts the better, I choose to choose my contacts. That said, I'm not overly particular, you can't tell what qualities new people bring, so an element of randomness does enter who I choose to have as a friend or contact. I do not expect to make any sales directly from my network activities. That may happen, but not because I focused on that outcome and expected it to happen. I do try to find and join expert groups. I'm not active in them all, I don't have the time. I've become a member of too many interest groups. That tends to waste too much of my time, although when I write my own letters to such groups it can be personally involving, intensely interesting, often educational and sometimes even useful. </p><h4>A Suggested Networking Method</h4><p><b>Establish a Personal Profile: </b> This profile should be easy to read, and interesting. 50 keywords as recommended by Ecademy, may be useful on your homepage in Ryze too. Photographs certainly help but they shouldn't be too large. Strive to be professional, but also seek to be a real person with interests and passions. </p><p><b>Be a proactive reader and responder: </b> Join groups, clubs or networks on topics that interest you. Read that mail, at least read the best of it. The very best should be printed, read critically and you should feel free to hi-light it and to write your own notes on it. <b>You learn when you DO things.</b> This is easy when people say things that you agree with. However, take time to identify articulate people who put a good case for opinions you don't feel comfortable with, and try to understand what they say and why they say it. Be critical of course: you are responsible for what you feed your brain. </p><p><b>Find Good People: </b> You should make a point of identifying the people who write quality opinions. Visit their homepage's, leave them messages of appreciation, perhaps at a later stage make them contacts or friends. As appropriate exchange personal messages with these people. Choose to associate with quality people. Whatever you do, remember to be a person, an associate, a friend, and not a salesman. </p><p><b>Use the Network to Stimulate Your Thinking: </b> You are now involved in a network of thinking proactive people who are directing you to certain topics of mutual interest. From your own knowledge and experience you have a new and unique reaction to that. Take the time to put your own view into writing. That exercise is valuable to you, it structures your own thinking. Send your view to the network. Because you are writing for others you will more effort into making your points clear. You will be stimulated to put forward your best effort. It matters not one bit if anyone responds or not, you have gained because you made the effort. If your letter attracts constructive feedback all the better. Over time people will come to recognise you for the type of input you give. </p><p><b>Help Others; Be Useful: </b> As <a href="http://www.ryze.com/go/lonedreamer">H. Dean Hua</a> said, "Trust is a high form of capital." One of the best ways to generate trust is to listen to other people and to respond to their needs. Be a reliable person. Act in a reasonable and constructive way. Offer assistance where it's required. Do you have some expertise? Can you offer some of that knowledge to other people in an accessible way that doesn't cost you a fortune in time. For me, that's why I maintain this blog. I have another blog for business purposes. This blog is one of my public service efforts. Readership is good. Other people pass on the address to their friends. </p><p><b>Being Strategically Strong: </b> I worked in a previous employment for most of two years before people began to know about me. Face to face networking takes time too. You don't build a reputation overnight. </p><p>So it is online. I've been on Ryze for 14 months. I have not made the best use of my time because I didn't know what to do. Slowly my efforts have become more effective. I try to do the things above. I'm a member of far fewer Ryze networks than I could join, about 30 (Limit 100) but I do visit them all at least once a month. I do create new topics and discussions on one network or another at least once a week. I respond to a letter or two at least once a day. In addition I try to maintain the Veech Innovation Network, and occasionally this blog. </p><p>Look at my Public Ryze Guestbook. The sort of comments people choose to write, are partly a response to my reputation, and partly a response to how I've treated them as individuals. Over a long period of time those comments start to mean something, not only to me but to other people. It's easy to get noticed. It's more important to get noticed for the right reasons. </p><p>Slowly, things have begun to happen that I couldn't plan for. People have begun to approach me, often just asking for help, but often at the same time making me a reciprocal offer of help, or suggesting an opportunity for me, so I might be even more useful. When people approach you, you have increased options, you can deal from a position of strength. That doesn't place you in a position of power, more in a position of responsibility. As H. Dean Hua said, "Trust is a high form of capital". Trust is hard to earn and easily destroyed. </p><p><b>You learn by what you DO. Use your contact with your network to do more things, read, respond, write, think, be useful to other people.</b></p><p><b>Be Patient. The cream rises to the top of the milk. You can see that on Ryze too, over 2-3 years the people with much to offer distinguish themselves.</b></p><p>Regards<br>John<br><b><a href="http://www.ryze.com/networkindex.php?network=veech">Veech Innovation Network</a></b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1102035197026110432004-12-03T13:51:00.000+13:002004-12-04T18:18:21.536+13:00Why Network?<h4>Why Network? </h4><p>Some of us are really dumb. I'm including myself in that group. I'm by nature or family indoctrination or childhood education one of the people who likes to join groups and to be an active member of those groups. For me the idea of the internet and listservers and chat rooms and social networking always made basic sense. But hundreds of hours online have not been productive in the way I imagined. As with many examples what happens on the internet is often confusing and counter intuitive. </p><p>20 years ago I was talking to a lawyer about the failure of my business to attract the right sort of clients. I was building my client base by door knocking, by face to face contact. That was working, but I was being invited to help mostly as a low cost accounting service, we were not dealing with the key issues of business structure, strategy and innovation. The lawyer said, "Are you approaching your clients, or do they approach you?" Of course I was approaching my clients. In his eyes that was a strategically weak position. When new clients approach you because you are the person many people recommend, you have a strategically strong position.</p><p><b>The value of networking is that over time you can develop a strategically strong position.</b></p><h4>Networking Theories</h4><p><b>Maximize Contacts: </b>Many people involved in both face to face networking and in online networking believe that the numbers are important. When you first meet people, or when people first become known contacts, you can't tell if that will be helpful of not. This theory says, "since I can't choose the good or the bad contacts it's best just to accumulate as many contacts as possible. If one in 20 is likely to be "productive" in a business sense, then I'm better to have 10,000 contacts than 100 contacts. </p><p><b>Random Contacts: </b>Thomas Power of Ecademy is very strong on the idea that "random contacts" have value. My expertise is in innovation. One of the realities of most innovations is an accident or a random event that allows the innovator to see what he or she couldn't see before. Even so, if you are planning to do something you try to make a plan and to act in a constructive and directed manner. Randomly casting about isn't likely to be most productive way to behave.</p><p><b>Making Sales: </b>It seems so obvious that with a few million people online, that one should be able to "sell" things to these people. But in fact the power of online advertising and email marketing is weak. Not many of us have a product that has real value that we can effectively deliver "online". If your product can be more efficiently delivered locally and face to face, you probably have a competitor in the local market who is much better placed to make the sale than you can ever be. It's much easier to spam people and to offer products of zero or doubtful value to people than it is to offer products or services that have genuine value. "Free" has become a dirty word because it's been consistently misused on the internet. Despite the news to the contrary, online sales are not "taking off." Despite what you are told, "advertising online" is not a value proposition.</p><p><b>Expert Groups: </b> One of the key reasons I have joined so many networks is to be part of many expert groups. In the early days of the Internet these groups were easy to access and very informative. Sadly These groups have become inactive or harder to access. Spam attacks killed the very useful Usenet system. Yahoo Groups were for a time very valuable, but lax security at Yahoo allowed the group mail addresses to be harvested by robots, and Yahoo groups members became the target of spam attacks. Today expert groups have largely become private. They are on university or government servers, or inside social networks like Ryze, or are perhaps operating as Yahoo Groups or Google Groups. These groups may not be available to the public. Many website's offer a bulletin board for user discussions, but these are usually poorly used. </p><p>Expert groups exist. Usually membership is free and open to peers, but unless you are a peer you are unlikely to know how to find and access that group. Peers openly and routinely share information and expertise with each other. But generally they charge other people for this sort of help, so if you arrive as a newbie, you will probably need to prove your status as a peer before you are accepted. You might be able join a list, but you become a member, when the existing members accept you as a serious voice. Most of the expert groups that were too public have gone silent. </p><p><b>Interest Groups: </b> Many groups that look like expert groups are in fact mostly populated by wanabees. There may be peers of two types, the inexperienced and the experienced. Both groups tend to sit silent. The inexperienced not knowing what to say, and unwilling to expose themselves to adverse comment. The experienced looking to find and meet their real peers and not very interested otherwise. Most of these groups have limited amounts of mail and the quality of that mail is only fair to good. So how does that help? First it gives you a clear idea that the Internet is chest deep in newbies. When you get a letter that misunderstands an idea you know about, you can reply. Lift the quality of debate. Offer your own knowledge. In answering letters like this you often discover were your own growing knowledge lies. You don't learn much by mearly reading the posts of others. <b>When you research and write your own post, you stand to learn a great deal. </b> First you consolidate your own ideas, second you may get some feedback that will enlarge your thinking on that topic. Then you slowly establish your reputation among those who read the mail. Finally, you come to the attention of the few real experts in the group. When you are recognized as a peer you will be contacted by them. <b>To succeed in networking you need to be proactive. Do things. Initiate activity. Take a stand. </b></p><p>Many people join social networks and make no progress as members. They simply don't know what to do. But H. Dean Hua, isn't like that. He joined Ryze and did all the right things. He was very active and built lots of contacts and an excellent reputation, but it didn't turn into immediate business. Here's what Dean wrote in December 2004. </p><p><b>When networking, don't expect too much</b><br>by H.Dean Hua</p><p><font color="Blue">Regardless if you are networking online or offline, try not to expect too much from a meeting. Sometimes, you should just try to enjoy the journey before arriving at the destination itself. It's been said many times, but it takes time and trust to develop any sort of relationship with people. Trust is a high form of capital that many individuals don't have yet. But once you have gained it, you may well consider yourself to be very wealthy...in more ways than one.</font></p><p><font color="Blue">That's my thought of the day.</font></p><p><a href="http://www.ryze.com/go/lonedreamer">Dean ~~ the financial quarterback</a></p><p>I understand what Dean is saying. I share that experience, but I've learnt so much, I can have no regrets. The problem is that what Dean and I have done takes too much time for too little result. So how can we network more wisely? More Tomorrow. </p><p>Regards<br>John<br><b><a href="http://www.ryze.com/networkindex.php?network=veech">Veech Innovation Network</a></b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1097722699449029252004-10-14T15:56:00.001+13:002009-10-12T11:53:27.531+13:00First Steps on Ryze<p>Ryze is a very friendly and very effective social and business network. But most of the people who join don't go on to become participating members. Here are some really bad numbers that I want to change. These numbers are based on a small sample, but they are indicative of a problem new members have. </p>
<p>74 people join Ryze. 30 never join any networks and 30 more only join a few networks. Of the other 14 about half never generate more than 4 or 5 friends. Of the 74, only 8 became well established on Ryze. So I ask why? The simple answer is that it seems too hard. So I ask, Why?</p>
<p>One problem has become clear to me only after being active here for three years. When you first join you have some idea why joining Ryze might be useful. Then perhaps immediately you strike a barrier, something you've never done before. It seems too hard. So you do nothing. OR The reason you joined, maybe to sell your product, is made difficult on Ryze because the rules prevent (or at least limit) sending spam to people, and advertising AT them doesn't work either. If this is you: don't rush off too soon. There is much more here of value, far more valuable than all the sales you might make. The opportunity to discover new directions and a new life for yourself. That opportunity is real, but the discovery depends on what you do.</p>
<p>My research on the things successful people do comes up with these 4 simple things.<br><br>1. Complete your Ryze Page, simple plain text is OK, you don't need to write, HTML.<br>2. Join at least TEN networks and read enough of the mail to get to know some of the people who write.<br>3. Drop a personal message to some of these people or make entries in their Guestbook's. Tell them you like what they write.<br>4. Ask some of these people to become your friends. </p>
<p>There is nothing too hard about any of that. Join, show and interest in other people, tell them you are interested. Be an interesting real person yourself, let people see what interests you. </p>
<p><b>Complete your Ryze Page:</b> I suggest you load a small picture of yourself, or of something you love. In addition in plain text write a few words about yourself and add half a dozen quotes that you like. Half a page is fine. Fill in the "Have" and "Wants" fields. Finally if you wish, and I suggest you do, make your guestbook public.</p>
<p><b>Join TEN Networks:</b> Just put your interests into the search engine on the networks page. You'll soon find at least ten to join. In the beginning as you join the networks leave the mail notification turned on. Back in your mail system create a file for "Ryze Mail" and when the first letters begin to arrive make a filter to sent that mail directly to the "Ryze Mail" box, rather than into your own "In-box". Finally, one or two of the networks you have joined might turn out to be "high traffic networks". 20 or more letters a day for instance. Go to your Network Page, "Edit Networks" and turn off the mail from those high, traffic networks. (But remember to look in most days and see what mail is there.) Ten networks should be easy to manage. If you want to join more, by all means do so. </p>
<p><b>Read the Mail and Respond: </b>Try to read at least some Ryze Mail every day. Of course you don't need to read it all. Try to find the interesting stuff. When you find something you really like, tell the author. Go to the author's guestbook, or leave a personal message. If you feel very confident you can even write to the network, but if you do that try to say something that adds to the debate. (Don't say something like, "I agree." That wastes far too much of the valuable time people never have enough of.) </p>
<p><b>Ask people to be your friend:</b> It's simple really. First you get to know people in the networks. When you know them, it's no big deal to agree to be friends. </p>
<p>There in four simple easy to do steps is a "how to get started on Ryze" that everyone can do. I wish you well. Remember you join a business network like Ryze so that you can learn from other people. When you join a Ryze network, it's like taking up a position on a crossroad. You get to see all the passing traffic. That traffic allows you to learn. You can learn by just lurking, but you'll pay far more attention and be much more engaged if you begin to make posts yourself. Where learning is occurring there will be innovation, and that innovation is the key to your future. Make a start now, <a href="http://www.ryze.com/networks.php">join some networks and find out what other people are saying</a>. </p>
<p>Regards<br>John<br><b><a href="http://innovation-network.ryze.com/">The Innovation Network</a></b></p><p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ryze" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ryze</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/openbc" rel="tag" class="techtag">OpenBC</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/guestbook" rel="tag" class="techtag">guestbook</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/friends" rel="tag" class="techtag">friends</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/networks" rel="tag" class="techtag">networks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal+profile" rel="tag" class="techtag">personal profile</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/engagement" rel="tag" class="techtag">engagement</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/thank+you" rel="tag" class="techtag">thank you</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/crossroads" rel="tag" class="techtag">crossroads</a></div></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1095340759089245982004-09-17T01:18:00.000+12:002006-09-16T22:59:38.740+12:00Paid Membership On Ryze<h4>Paid Membership On Ryze - </h4><p>Ryze earns part of it's income from paid memberships. In my view the description of what's offered is not well considered. Ryze pretends there are several "benefits" that a not real for most people. <b>However, there are real benefits.</b> Ryze management is just confused (temporarily I hope) about what they are. </p><p>Gold membership of Ryze costs $9.95 per month. (Annual Gold membership for $99.95/yr) Many pay for the satisfaction of knowing that they are full participants in Ryze. It's expected that paid membership of Ryze will mostly interest business people and have a business purpose. By recently creating restrictions on the ability of Free Members see and contact each other, Ryze has made Gold Membership more important. Time will tell how that change will affect how Ryze develops. (Ecademy has restrictions like this too. That was one of the key reasons I focused most of my efforts on Ryze.) </p><p><b>Loading More Pictures: </b>Gold members can load up to four extra pictures on their Ryze Homepage's. Can I make a plea here for small pictures. Too many pages have four or five large pictures which have not been compressed. If your page won't load in 20 or 30 seconds change the images. </p><p><b>Send Messages to Distant Members: </b>Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"With a Gold membership, you can communicate with up to 25 distant members per month, people who are not within 2 friends of you and not in the same Networks as you."</font> This is the new restriction posing as a benefit. However it's a fair call. If you needed to build a network and you can only invite 25 distant members a month, you can still contact a lot of people in a year. Considerately contacting new people takes time. You must choose your audience and write only to people who are likely to be interested. You can use pivot searching to find people who share interests. </p><p><font color="Blue">"If you want, you can let any member communicate with you, without counting towards their communication limit."</font> You should turn that option on, it doesn't help you, but it may help others. </p><p><b>Increase Your Ability to "See" and "Be Seen":</b> Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"Web site URLs in profiles are now only visible if you're a Gold member or visiting a Gold member's page, or within 2 friends of the person."</font> That means that if you are promoting a business, your business URL will not be visible to many "free members" unless you are a Gold or Platinum Member. In addition as a paying member you get to see <b>almost all </b>the content of any members page, including their business links and the networks they have joined. (But not their guestbook's if they are set to "friends Only".)</p><p><font color="Blue">"Have your photo displayed in a large size (instead of tiny) next to your posts to the message boards, giving you better visibility and marketing"</font> It's certainly true that recognition by your photograph is very useful. People are visual, they remember images. </p><p><b>Scan the List of Newest Members: </b> Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"Save 4 hours each month using the Newest Members List -- Scan through mini-bios of the newest members all in one page without having to click through to each." </font> <b>This is a non-benefit pretending to have value</b>. New members are not good material to network with. (They might be great to send spam too, but we're not doing that.) A few of those who join are new to Ryze but not really internet newbies. People like that will find materials like this Blog quite easily. They will very soon come to visit you. Trying to chase them isn't good use of your time. There are better things to do on Ryze.</p><p>New members on Ryze need mentors to help them get established. I suggest to Ryze that they establish a mentor programme for volunteer established members. A trade off. New Members are asked to choose a mentor, to be their "guide for a month". The person chosen gets a month's Gold Membership. Thousands of people join Ryze and never really get started. What a waste. </p><p><b>(Off Topic Note) Internet Newbies:</b> Internet Newbies (About 80% of all Internet users in my view.) are unresponsive to realistic messages. They are newbies because they lack understanding and confidence. Any time you spend on them is 90% wasted. Please note that I believe training newbies is a very important task. This Blog is my response to that need. But I'm not going to hold every hand until each one develops the confidence to be independent. <b>There is an enormous need to train newbies</b>, but it costs a fortune in time and effort. I've met people with five years of internet experience who remain newbies. The main problem is that they won't "join" so they never get into a group where they might learn something. All learning is social. Newbies are human beings. They are probably engaged in some other social activity, that gives them pleasure. In the worst case they watch TV. They don't want to "join" or to be "trained" so they "resist" in every conceivable way. They will learn when they are "ready" and not before. Newbies have to turn themselves "on". Joining Ryze is a wonderful step in the right direction. But thousands of people join Ryze, partly set up a Ryze Homepage and then lose interest or get frightened off by fear of the unknown.</p><p><b>Your Own Network:</b> Gold members can <font color="Blue">"Create a Network on Ryze, adding hundreds to your network and increasing your prominence and visibility"</font> This is a real benefit, but most network leaders fail to build successful networks. Note the emphasis on "adding hundreds to your network". That will only happen if you know how to work with people. There is a great deal involved in being a successful network leader. Much of it is in the art of being useful to other people. </p><p>Success as a network leader involves choosing an interesting topic, setting fair rules for your network and creating yourself a large number of interesting posts while the membership slowly grows. You can use the pivot search process to identify people who might enjoy your network. As a Gold Member you can contact up to 25 such people every month and advise them about your network. Please do more than that. Be useful to these people, offer them something that helps. </p><p>There is a Ryze Network called <b><a href="http://www.ryze.com/networkindex.php?network=networkleaders">Ryze Network Leaders</a></b> and another one called <b><a href="http://thevirtualhandshake-network.ryze.com/">The Virtual Handshake</a></b>. All people leading networks should join both of those. </p><p><b>Writing in HTML:</b> Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"Use of an HTML Editor, that lets you create your home page, message board posts, event descriptions, etc., without programming or installing software (it's in Flash)"</font> I view this as a doubtful benefit. There are much better HTML editors available free. I usually suggest using the Composer function of the old Mozilla browser. <br><b><a href="http://www.ryze.com/view.php?who=wiifm">Warren Contreras</a></b> suggests the <b><a href="http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/index.html">Arachnophilia Editor</a></b> which looks functional to me.<br>I've just discovered the joy of <b><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/">Mozilla's Firefox Browser</a></b>, and you can add the CuneAform HTML Editor to it's toolbar. </p><p>You only need six or eight tags to write functional HTML text for letters to Ryze forums. Anyone can do it.</p><p><b>Face to Face Meetings: </b> Ryze tell us to <font color="Blue">"Save $3+ at Ryze mixers and other featured events (easily covers at least half the cost of gold membership)"</font> This is another doubtful benefit. You have to spend money to make the "saving" and there needs to be a programme of Ryze Mixers in your area. On the other hand people report excellent benefits from attending Ryze Mixers. Any social gathering is as good or as bad as it's organization. That depends entirely on the skills and abilities of the local organizer. If the leadership is good the mixers will be worthwhile. </p><p><b>Be a Person of Value: </b> Ryze suggests that you should <font color="Blue">"Plan for productive networking at Mixers using the View Attendees Bio's. You get a summary of all attendees' backgrounds all in one page, without having to click through to each! So you can connect with the 5-10 most relevant people for you to network with at an event."</font> This is another benefit in theory, that doesn't exist for most people. The emphasis here is on, "What can I get for me." The focus should be on, "What do I have to give the group?" Make yourself USEFUL to other people. Start by reading their Ryze Homepage's, take an interest in their posts to networks, listen to what they say. Be real to them. </p><h4>Platinum membership</h4><p>Ryze Platinum Membership costs $19.95 per month (Annual Platinum Membership $199.95) </p><p><font color="Blue">"With a Platinum membership, you can: Enjoy all the benefits of a Ryze Gold membership, plus"<br>"Lead up to 3 Networks on Ryze, instead of just one, giving you more visibility and the ability to market to different groups with different focuses."</font> There is a huge amount of work to leading one successful network, let alone three. Leading three networks on different topics is likely to confuse people about your purpose. </p><p>I can see uses for multiple networks in a business framework. You can run an active public network, and run two related "private" networks for your "paying customers". Access to the main network is open to all. Access to the private networks is restricted, invitation only, and subject to your approval. </p><p>Plus; you can <font color="Blue">"Communicate with up to 35 distant members per month, people who are not within 2 friends of you and not in the same Networks as you."</font> That's the ability to contact 10 additional distant members a month. Useful I guess, but if you are running three networks you'll probable never get the chance to use them. </p><h4>Innovation Realities</h4><p>The new restrictions on what you can see and who you can contact are I believe intended to drive up Gold Membership. I expect that after some people drop away, that effect will occur. Ryze needs a strong revenue model. If the network doesn't produce cash returns it will die. Ecademy tries to drive up revenue with advertising. Let's not use that model on Ryze. </p>
<p>[insert] Adrian Scott, Ryze Founder & CEO remarks in comment "1" below <font color="Blue">"The changes are designed to reduce spam and encourage thoughtful networking. The effects on Gold membership are unknown and a risk for Ryze, rather than a goal of these changes."</font> There is access to the <a href="http://www.ryze.com/nextsteps.php">"Updated version: improving the quality and experience of business networking on Ryze" here.</a> Thank you Adrian for the input. I don't mind being wrong, I just wish it didn't happen all the time. [/Insert] </p><p>In my view Ryze Platinum Membership, has been badly thought through. My expertise is in innovation. My knowledge tells me that all innovations are messy, and when large groups of people are involved bloody too. It's easy to be wise afterwards, very difficult looking forward. </p><p>None of us really know why Ryze works so well, and what small changes might enhance it or kill it. All our theories about that are simply ideas that we can't easily test. What will happen because guestbook's have become "Friends Only" areas for most people? We can't tell. Ryze hopes that people will use the guestbook's for chatty little personal notes I guess. Text Messaging via guestbook's perhaps. Maybe that will work. That's not what I see as the purpose of a guestbook. </p><p>There is enormous opportunity for Ryze and several other Social Networks to grow and prosper. These are early days. As our experience grows we begin to see new possibilities. We try to make changes that take us forward. We do something. We learn. Some of what we learn confounds our expectation. Why? We get some new ideas and we try again. Research Scientist, Andrew Wylie (He published in 1972 a paper on the discovery of apoptosis), described the innovation (discovery) process as like crawling down a blackened corridor on hands and knees looking for an exit. The problem is that you can find exits into rooms that have no real windows and only a single door, back into that black corridor. Trying to move forward with any innovation is like that. When you can "see" you are probably not making progress. When you are making progress you usually can't be sure if you're doing the right or the wrong thing. What you can be sure of, is that time teaches valuable lessons to those with eyes to see. We are all wiser with hindsight.</p><p>The latest changes to Ryze are interesting. Lessons will be learnt. Real innovations take a long time. Progress is made in many small steps, not always successful steps. It's important to conserve resources. Wrong moves and mistakes teach you how to succeed. So long as innovators maintain their resource base ( best ideas, people, customer base, leadership and cash) they can go forward to fight another day. </p><p>If innovation interests you see the <a href="http://www.ryze.com/networkindex.php?network=veech">Veech Innovation Network</a> on Ryze. </p>
<p>John S Veitch<br><a href="http://www.ate.co.nz/feedback.php">You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form. </a></p><p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gold+member" rel="tag" class="techtag">Gold member</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Platinum+member" rel="tag" class="techtag">Platinum member</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/distant+members" rel="tag" class="techtag">distant members</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/network+leader" rel="tag" class="techtag">network leader</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/new+members" rel="tag" class="techtag">new members</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Adrian+Scott" rel="tag" class="techtag">Adrian Scott</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/html" rel="tag" class="techtag">HTML</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/useful" rel="tag" class="techtag">useful</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ryze+success" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ryze success</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ryze" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ryze</a></div></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8084450.post-1095234180482380702004-09-15T19:41:00.000+12:002006-09-16T22:58:21.446+12:00How to Prosper On Ryze - Free Access<h4>How to Prosper On Ryze - Free Access</h4><p><b>Privacy:</b> When you join the Ryze Business Network your page is marked "private" until you make it "public". This gives you time to organise your page and make it look interesting. Provide a small photograph, if not of yourself, then of something that you are interested in. Add some basic personal details, but don't include your real email address. Find half a dozen quotes you like and put them on the page. Make your page "public". </p><p><b>Your Ryze Name:</b> You might also notice that almost everyone on Ryze, joins using their personal name, their real name. There are quite a number who choose a nickname, and a few who register under a business name. Using real names encourages trust. But it's possible that using a real name could cause you problems. How confident are you? How public is your real life? I've had lots of good things occur on Ryze because I use my real name. But I've also been abused by two people. (Called a "communist" and "Liberal moron" and a few similar things.) I'm a big boy, and things that are not true only hurt if you let them. Still there was a spat, I stepped up to the plate in defence of civil discussion and I got abused for it. That seldom happens on Ryze, but it's possible. </p><p><b>Who You Can Contact:</b> Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"Basic level members can only communicate with people within 2 friends of them, or in the same networks as them."</font> This means that there is encouragement for you to join many networks, or to develop a large lists of "friends". I personally think that works against building the best quality networks, but this emphasis on numbers is driven by commercial realities. Ryze is still learning how to make a great social success into a stable business. </p><p><b>Guestbooks:</b> Ryze Guestbooks are "On". You have the option to turn your guestbook "Friends Only" or to turn it "Off". You can change your guestbook <a href="http://www.ryze.com/preferences.php">Preferences Setting</a>. I suggest that you keep your guestbook public, but there might be good reasons why you would not want that. (You might for instance be the Prime Minister of some country. You need to lurk, but you don't want to be "public" and you of course don't use your real name.) </p><p><b><a href="http://www.ryze.com/view.php?who=ScottAllen">Scott Allen</a></b> is one of the leading authorities on internet networking. Scott says, <font color="Blue">"I'm a big advocate of guestbooks, but I believe they're <b>best</b> used to promote the other person, not yourself. Thank them publicly for a favour they've done you, congratulate them on a recent success, provide a testimonial regarding their product or service, etc. Do them a service by calling public attention to something positive about them. And you look better in the process, too."</font></p><p><b>Public Guestbooks: </b>When people visit your page they may leave a guestbook entry. In the beginning you might be "attacked" by a few foolish people trying to attract a newbie into their network marketing scheme. If you are not interested pay no attention. Delete the guestbook entry. When you visit a members Ryze page, you may have a chance of leaving a guestbook entry. If you have something interesting and positive to say, by all means make an entry. If your thoughts are negative, don't bother. It's a rare person who will appreciate an honest but critical remark. Save your efforts for things that are productive.</p><p><b>Join some networks:</b> I suggest that in the beginning you join one high traffic network and six to ten low traffic networks. You can't tell which is which until you see the traffic flows. Join networks that are related to things that interest you. Use the filter on your email system to direct all the mail from Ryze Networks into a Ryze Network folder, this mail should not go into your inbox at all. If you have joined a high traffic network the mail messages from that network will be huge, maybe as many as 100 letters a day. Turn the message notification to that network off. Decide to visit that network every day, and be sure you do that. The other networks with low traffic will get mail in little bursts. There may be nothing for a week or so and then a little clutch of 4-10 letters. You need email notification for networks like that.</p><p>Ryze says, <font color="Blue">"The Networks section of home pages is only visible to members within 2 friends or who are both in the same Network."</font> That means that one restriction on free members is the inability to see who's there, and to see all the information about the people who are there. This policy forces "free members" to join more networks if they want to extend their range of contacts. I think that leads to silly behaviours like joining networks you never visit and have little interest in.</p><p><b>Successful Lurking:</b> Now you need to spend perhaps half an hour a day reading the mail on your networks. They call this reading behaviour "lurking" because although you are a member, and although you read the mail, none of members of the network know you are there. This is a learning time. You will lurk until you have the knowledge and the courage to change your status and to write something yourself. Most people can't imagine that they will do that. Please remember this idea for later use: As a reader of a list or network you are not fully engaged. <b>Once you identify yourself and begin to write to a network your engagement with the group changes, and the benefits of membership begin to multiply.</b> All learning is social, but to benefit you need to behave in a social way. You decide when to claim your full rights as a peer. That starts when you begin to offer your own viewpoint in a public forum.</p><p><b>Friends:</b> One of the standard features of the social network scene is the identification of friends. As a new member, you may feel obliged to accept everyone who turns up as a "friend". You need not do that, just accept as "friends" those people you have developed a knowledge of, people who are known to you and who have a good reputation in your eyes. Choose your friends wisely. And choose wisely when you ask someone you know to be identified as your friend too. Current Ryze policy encourages people to add as many people as possible to their "friends List" which is entirely contrary to what I think a friends list should be. There is pressure for a second level of friends, perhaps, "People I know", but that option doesn't currently exist.</p><p><b>Contact Manager: </b>On Ryze there is an option to place a record in your "Contact Manager" when you visit the homepage of any Ryze Member. This tool is poorly understood and poorly used. I suggest you establish a routine were you add to your contacts anyone you are likely to be interested in at some future time. You can edit the information in the Contact Manager. If you leave a guestbook entry or send a personal massage, you might choose to record the date in the Contact Manager. If you make an offer to someone, you might record the date and the type of offer made. There is a place for Phone Numbers. Email, URL:, Company, Company Address, Home:, Home Address, Category, Follow Up Date, Interests, and Notes plus a direct link to the persons Ryze Homepage. I've neglected this facility, but now I see that I can edit the record and that it's private to myself, I'll make more use of it. </p><p><b>Pivot and Advanced Searching:</b>You can use the pivot search process to build a list of people who work in an industry, or to find out who lists photography as a hobby, or who shares my interest in innovation. If I'm looking for specific and uncommon expertise, this can be valuable. As a free member though, you will not be able to "see" all the people available because of the "two degrees" restriction. </p><p><b>Collecting "Knowledge" Data:</b> There are several more things you need to do as a member of Ryze to get the best benefits. First of all look for ideas and opinions that inform your knowledge base; learn. I end up printing several pages a day of interesting material collected on Ryze. I cut and paste the best letters, or parts of them into my word processor, edit slightly to remove extra blank lines and extraneous address details, and print the resulting text. It's much more efficient to read papers than to read text on screen. (However it also costs much more. I run a laser printer.) The very best of these papers eventually get filed in a subject labeled vertical file.</p><p><b>People Data:</b> Second, find people you identify as interesting and knowledgeable. Perhaps you might print part of the homepage's of those people, and keep that detail in a folder somewhere. <b>Too little attention is given to finding good people</b>. When you seek information on a topic you find something useful but specific. When you find a good person, he or she is likely to have sound ideas on hundreds of topics. Good people are the pure gold of networking. Of course you will do your best to be a "good person" in the eyes of other people. Ryze works because mostly that's what people are doing. </p><p><b>Network Data:</b> When you visit the Ryze pages of people you admire, check-out the networks they have joined. Have they found something interesting that might interest you? Some of the Networks you originally joined will be run by people who have poor leadership skills. Leave. You don't have the time to waste. As a free member sometimes the network memberships of a person you are visiting won't be visible to you. </p><p><b>Writing to Networks:</b> You can write to networks in plain text. Write only when you have something to say. Please avoid wasting the valuable time of other people, by posting two line "replies" that add nothing to the knowledge of the group. Form an opinion. Express your opinion. Quote from previous letters, but generally delete any previous text that's not part of the issue under discussion. You only become a full member of a network once you begin to post your own letters. When that happens your interest in the network will increase, and other people will learn that you are there, and who you are too. </p><p><b>Writing in HTML:</b> This seems like an advanced skill to a newbie. If you need to, get a copy of the Mozilla Browser which has a WYSIWYG editor caller Mozilla Composer in it. You can make headings, bold text, change fonts, and create links all without any special skills to learn. You can view the source, and you can cut and paste the source into a Ryze page or a Ryze letter. It's a simple process. You'll soon learn how to make minor changes to the source code. One day you will find you don't need the WYSIWYG editor any more.</p><p>John S Veitch<br><a href="http://www.ate.co.nz/feedback.php">You may comment privately to John S Veitch using this form. </a></p>
<p><div class="techtags">Technorati Tags <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ryze+business+network" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ryze Business Network</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/ryze+name" rel="tag" class="techtag">Ryze name</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/communicate" rel="tag" class="techtag">communicate</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/guestbooks" rel="tag" class="techtag">guestbooks</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/contact+manager" rel="tag" class="techtag">contact manager</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/your+knowledge" rel="tag" class="techtag">your knowledge</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/good+people" rel="tag" class="techtag">good people</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/your+opinion" rel="tag" class="techtag">your opinion</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/free+member" rel="tag" class="techtag">free member</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/writing+HTML" rel="tag" class="techtag">writing HTML</a></div></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">See our web site: http://www.ate.co.nz/</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06301802457644527858noreply@blogger.com4