Comments on: Putting the Social back in Social Networks http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/25/putting-the-social-back-in-social-networks/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:24:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: With friends like these… « Electric Squid http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/25/putting-the-social-back-in-social-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-1384 With friends like these… « Electric Squid Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:35:18 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1073#comment-1384 [...] what are social networks good for? Are they only good for throwing sheep? Are they just vast databases of dubious friend lists? My answers are: 1. I suspect a lot, 2. no, and 3. no. Before I start spewing rhetoric about online [...] [...] what are social networks good for? Are they only good for throwing sheep? Are they just vast databases of dubious friend lists? My answers are: 1. I suspect a lot, 2. no, and 3. no. Before I start spewing rhetoric about online [...]

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/25/putting-the-social-back-in-social-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-1280 Daniel Tunkelang Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:26:01 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1073#comment-1280 I agree in preferring "connection" to "friend", but there's still an issue of attention scarcity. Given the relatively low attention demands of LinkedIn, it's not implausible to have 1,000 people with whom you share some kind of professional relationship. But when I see someone following 10,000+ people on Twitter, I can't imagine what value that person obtains from doing so. I'm sure there are many interesting people whose ideas I'd love to incorporate into my life. But the constraints of reality make us prioritize how we allocate our attention. I agree in preferring “connection” to “friend”, but there’s still an issue of attention scarcity. Given the relatively low attention demands of LinkedIn, it’s not implausible to have 1,000 people with whom you share some kind of professional relationship. But when I see someone following 10,000+ people on Twitter, I can’t imagine what value that person obtains from doing so.

I’m sure there are many interesting people whose ideas I’d love to incorporate into my life. But the constraints of reality make us prioritize how we allocate our attention.

]]> By: Ben Shoemate http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/25/putting-the-social-back-in-social-networks/comment-page-1/#comment-1279 Ben Shoemate Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:22:49 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=1073#comment-1279 Perhaps what needs to be changed here is the use of the word "friend". I prefer linkedIn.com's term: connection. Having a connection simply means you recognize that this person and your self are a part of the same community and share something in common. Even if it is nothing more that existing at the same time on the same planet - cosmologists will tell you that alone is a fantastic coincidence. I agree with what I heard Robert Scoble say on this subject - There are easily 100,000 interesting people on the world, and I'd like to "follow" them all. I wont necessarily put them all in the "friend" category but if you had the opportunity to be a contemporary of Shakespeare or Jesus or Aristotle you'd be a fool not to try and be a fly on the wall to their conversations. Not for the ego, but for the experience. Perhaps what needs to be changed here is the use of the word “friend”. I prefer linkedIn.com’s term: connection. Having a connection simply means you recognize that this person and your self are a part of the same community and share something in common. Even if it is nothing more that existing at the same time on the same planet – cosmologists will tell you that alone is a fantastic coincidence.

I agree with what I heard Robert Scoble say on this subject – There are easily 100,000 interesting people on the world, and I’d like to “follow” them all. I wont necessarily put them all in the “friend” category but if you had the opportunity to be a contemporary of Shakespeare or Jesus or Aristotle you’d be a fool not to try and be a fly on the wall to their conversations. Not for the ego, but for the experience.

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