I was involved in social networks many years ago before the fancy title, a writing forum that acted much like Twitter in the relationships being formed both online and off. There were meetups, but I think they were called gatherings or something goofy like that. I once went camping with a bunch of strangers I had only met online, from a handful of states. We didn’t ‘check-in’ to the woods, post drunken pictures on Facebook, or stare at our phones when new friends were in front of our face. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had and my first look at what an online community can blossom into.
Being a curious observer of human behavior, I spent a couple years on this site, doing some writing but mostly building relationships and observing how others communicate, interact, and support one another. I once won a contest not because of my writing ability, as evidenced by my blogs, but by understanding how to influence others and relate to their needs. It was a shocking victory that still holds as one of my favorite accomplishments I typically don’t share. Today I would blast the sh*t out of it on every platform out there, like you guys do. 
Most interesting to observe were the relationships being formed and the group dynamics shifting over a period of time. New members would join and old members would get jealous. Fights would happen all the time as there wasn’t a focus on building personal brands, rather say what’s on your mind without a concern in the world. People would get so mad they’d create alter ego accounts, today’s version of the spammer. Social networking has been around for quite some time, we just didn’t have the tools in place back then to search for conversations and capture the data.
Which leads us to today where there seems to be a shift right now in how we’re spending time on these networks and how we communicate with one another. It’s the natural evolution of how we implement knowledge we gain over time, and through trial and error make adjustments when necessary. We’re not the same person at 30 as we were at 16. We’re not the same person who signed up for Twitter just two short years ago or at least we shouldn’t be.
What are your thoughts? Have you witnessed the shift of how people are now communicating online compared to when you first started? Do you feel as though you’ve changed and if so, how? I’m very curious to get feedback on this.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey David,
I think as the internet and social media have evolved over the years people have moved towards compact communications. Websites have provided people the opportunity to learn and follow information from anywhere. The line between renown journalist and blogger has been blurred. Not to mention the likes of Facebook, and Twitter have allowed people to process information at their own pace. The main positives that I have seen from social media and blogging revolved around clutter. Each of these sites allows you to interact with who you want and how you want to. It used to be that most media was thrown against the wall and whatever stuck stayed. Filing through things that you “like” and don’t like have become easier and accessible anywhere. In my mind the main negatives revolve around over exposure to blogs that don’t provide accurate facts, tweets that are misleading and Facebook pages that serve no real purpose, but again at least people have options to pick and choose from. A solid example would bemusing your blog to reach out to people and gather information on view points. I found your blog through a trusted “news source” that I follow on twitter. Without this technology I would be unaware of your voice, ideas, and questions . Not sure how helpful this is, but needless to say I am a fan of the direction technology is going. However I still question the society we live in and the direction we are headed, which would be a problem with or without this technology.
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Yes, I see a change in myself and the friends and connections I’ve made. Over time, I’ve learned the importance of having conversations as opposed to just blasting out info. And it bothers me too when I’m at a family get-together and my nieces are texting away (lol) rather than hanging out with us grown-ups and looking bored like we used to do. As a result of meeting you, I’ve learned the importance of networking with really interesting people and the value I find in blogging that is amplified when I read and contribute to others’ blogs. So for that, thank YOU Dave.
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Josh – Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Brenda – I appreciate the kind words and am glad we’ve connected online and off. I hope to continue to learn from people like yourself as well as share my thoughts and opinions.