Wild Dingo.Net

It’s been raining all week, which means not so much outside play time for the terrible twosome. So they busied themselves in “other ways.” I walked into my office the other day to find this:

Yup, Loki decided to start himself a Facebook account. And Juno, never one to be left out, started one as well, but I couldn’t catch her in the act, being a sneaky husky and all. Both are pretty P.O.’d that I haven’t posted their biographies on Wild Dingo yet, being that they are now officially partners in the Wild Dingo Enterprise. So they went ahead and took the bull by the horns and did their own thing. Sigh.

It’s no secret I’m a SocNet cynic. (Oh say that five times fast!) SocNets. You gotta love that word. I love saying it. Socnet. Socnet. Socnet. Feels like warm feet.

I joined Facebook in August 2007, but until last Friday, never used it. I also had a Linked-in account that sat idle since 2006. I resisted participating in them because frankly it felt a little foolish to converse with people via a keyboard and public forum. I mean, nature gave us eyes, ears and a mouth. And yet we’ve evolved to using our phalanges to converse with our friends and family. What’s going on?

Have we become so busy that we can’t even pick up a phone? It seems the more technology evolves, the busier we become and the busier we become, the more we rely on technology to keep in touch with our close friends and family. SocNets have filled that gap. But haven’t they simultaneously widened the gap by making our relationships less intimate, less personal and more public? Have we settled for communicating tidbits of information to a public audience over up -close and in person relationships?

One Gen-X friend recently remarked that using Facebook made him feel young. I can’t argue with that. I do feel like I’m in high school again, especially when I compare my meager list of 27 friends to the list of one of my friends who has over 1500. Just goes to show me not much has changed since high school. I’m as much a wall flower on the ‘Net as I was in high school! What a loser!

My husband scoffed at blogs (even Wild Dingo’s blog), blog readers, forum participation and anyone socializing on the ‘Net. Then the other day, he invited me to be his friend on a Facebook. Ha! Until a few days ago, his idea of spending free time was on a bike with friends, having dinner parties, reading a book on Greek history or drinking a fresh Sierra Nevada while listening to some rockin’ to Augie March tunes. Except for that Greek history book reading, that guy knew how to hang out! Now he has one more distraction to ignore me when he gets home from work. Maybe I can write on his wall to ask him what he wants for dinner.

Speaking of blogging, have SocNets replaced blogging tools? Fellow blogger Denise sums it up that Facebooks and Twitter tools are faster methods of communicating. Not much thought has to go into a two-sentence blurb versus a blog where the writer has to compose a string of comprehensible thought and produce somewhat grammatically well-written document. Blogging is more time consuming. Facebooking and twittering are less time consuming.

Ok, I get that. But as a writer, I enjoy the puzzle of putting together logical streams of thought and mulling over just the right word to use. Writing had always been a huge part of my career but now that I do mostly programming and graphic design, writing has taken a back seat for my client’s needs, so blogging has become food for my soul. Facebook and Twitter seem like Gu, a quick fix to get you through the rest of your workout but not enough to really nourish the body. Blogging keeps me alive while Facebook keeps me from bonking.

Still, you can’t deny that Facebook and Twitter have their uses. Dana of Pixel Position, is one of the best examples on the ‘Net on how to use these SocNets for more than just socializing. She acknowledges that SocNets are where people hang out and companies and consultants should spend time interacting with their customers on SocNets as well. In a sense, SocNets become another place for companies to hang their billboard. Yet, unlike many of the cheesy companies leveraging Twitter and Facebook for blatant advertising, anything that Dana actually posts on Twitter that is related to her business is of real informational value in her expertise, not something you’ll find as a Wiki page. Companies should take a hint on what “free information” should look like. It shouldn’t look like anything that is already “public domain” or common sense. ‘Net users are savvier than that and they need real juice. They will see right through the veil of fluff information and move on.

Shiny Toys of Today
No doubt the Internet keeps enticing users with upgraded ways to converse in cyberspace. It started with e-mail and free e-mail accounts, then group forums and bulletin boards showed up. There were groups and forums for just about every subject imaginable. Soon after, people were able to get free Web sites on MySpace where they could share some data, photos and just connect to friends. The blogging revolution followed shortly and soon millions had blogs on “free” blog platforms. SocNets of today are supped up versions of all of those tools wrapped into one. They managed to merge a Web space to place photos, videos and content, with conversational tools such as blogging & commenting and wrap it up with every piece a person’s identity such as photos, interests, education, work history so that you can network with thousands of individuals. SocNets have become the hottest toy on the Internet market for Gen-X and Gen-Y.

Internet technology is moving fast and furious. Information sharing is getting time consuming but oh so addictive and essential for our lives. (How else am I going to know what Mr. Wild Dingo wants for dinner?) SocNets have stepped up and made publishing a quick easy thing to do that costs no money, can be done from a cell phone and in as little time as a few seconds to type 140 characters. And it costs nothing, right? Ah. Not so fast.

In return for your new toy, you’ll need to share alma maters, job histories, co-workers, age, city of birth, activities and so forth. Sure they’re not required, but if you really want to “connect” and open up your network, then you’ll have to give it up–all of it. And therein is the proverbial catch 22. It all begins to click when you open your email or postal mail boxes and find stacks of information from new companies you’ve never heard of, or you find your alma mater finally tracked you down to haunt you with endless requests for donations. Don’t kid yourself. Web advertising is not the only method of making money. Your data is their good to sell. I still can’t figure out how some people found me in Linked-In a few years ago, even though then, all my data was either made up or did not exist other than my name “Wild Dingo.” My regular e-mail was not listed on the account either. Somehow, relevant (and very distant relavant) people found me. That just gave me some shivers.

To SocNet or Not to SocNet?
I’m still a cynic but I want to have fun too. I must admit, Facebook is entertaining. But I won’t share all my information. In fact, my Linked In account, now updated with my e-mail, does not have any educational or job history. Sure, I’m not really benefiting from the connection, because listing those items will open up my network in thousands of ways, but I feel better knowing that I have complete control of my data. I point people to my Web site where my information is stored in the method I want it to be stored. I have a private CV that I point prospective clients to where they can review my educational background and job history. My mom always told me never to give my home address to strangers. What makes sharing my personal data to the World Wide Web any different than that? Seriously. Maybe you don’t publish your address anywhere, but somewhere, somehow, it is connected. And it doesn’t take long to connect the dots to more personal information. Don’t even get me started on Google GPS tracking or Google Health care on the ‘Net. (Shivers!)

My professional advice to my clients who want to use SocNets as part of their marketing:

1. Find out where your customers are really hanging out: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or a specific Blog.Choose one or two of those SocNets and set up an account.
2. Share your personal data sparingly or on a need to know basis. Protect your personal data; it’s too valuable to give up. But do use your real identity especially if you want to cultivate honest relationships.
3. Converse wisely. Don’t use the SocNets only for direct advertising. Talk about information on your subject that matters.
4. Share information that is fresh. Avoid “buy my product now” pushes.
5. Or just have fun and connect with your friends. Keep it light. Take heavy conversations or disputes off line.
6. Try not to check your account more than twice per day otherwise it will become a huge time sink for you and you’ll get nothing done.
7. DO NOT leave your computers on at home in the office with your dog or cat or soon, you’ll be fighting over the keyboard for checking your Facebook account.
8. Try to learn something from your SocNet group, but above all, have fun!