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[Harry Goodwin]

Pardon my stupidity but could someone in a very short shot tell me what twitter and face book are on a puter. I follow a lot of woodworking sites and they are talking both on commercial and forum about twitter and facebook. I have no desire to talk to anyone outside of the woodworking community. Harry

[Paul Ryan]

I couldn't agree more. I really have no reason to be on face book. I know what it is and frankly I don't need it. The people I care to talk to now I do, people from my past that I don't keep in touch with, oh well it wasn't meant to be. I have some friends that I have knowm for 30 years, and yes I am only 34. I still talk to 2 of them and get together with frequently. Others that I knew when I went to high school, college, and after and I don't talk to anymore, so be it. I don't see the point. Every now and then it would be nice to hook up with an ex girl freind for an evening if you know what I mean, but I know my wife wouldn't agree to it. And there is a reason I am not married to the other women.

So I really think it can only do more harm than good. Last I checked we still have phones, if you want to talk to me call me.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'll give it a stab:

Twitter: A website where users post reguarly post short paragraphs saying what they're doing (or something like that). Their "friends" can then see those updates.

Facebook: Identical to Twitter in purpose, but with much more advanced features like posting pictures, writting longer messages, chating with other users, locating new friends (eg, "Show me a list of people who are in my sociology class..."), etc.

These are both mostly popular among young adults and teens. Recently, many companies have been jumping on the bandwagon by trying to market their products through these websites. Sometimes this could be useful, but mostly it's companies like Rockler who want us to "Join [them] on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter!!" I imagine most of these ideas come from old executives who barely understand the internet at all, yet hear something about Twitter, and decide that its the "next big thing", when in reality, it WAS a big thing, 2 years ago.

IMHO, companies like Rockler advertising on Twitter/Facebook makes about as much sense as saying "Let's take Grandma to the roller disco!" - the demographic you target is wrong, the logistics of what they're going to do once they get there are unclear, and everyone else stopped playing that game a LONG time ago...

[Scott Shepherd]

Anyone seen this video clip about some of it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Really stunning numbers. Hard to ignore. It's the direction it's all going. Might as well hop on for the ride instead of getting run over by it

[Dan Friedrichs]

Anyone seen this video clip about some of it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Really stunning numbers. Hard to ignore. It's the direction it's all going. Might as well hop on for the ride instead of getting run over by it

I sure hope you don't base business decisions on such shady, unsubstantiated information as was contained in that video. This page gives the "sources" for the information in that video:
http://socialnomics.net/2009/08/11/s...han-you-think/

But then again, I don't think simply saying "Metro Newspaper" (and no other information, such as date, article title, author, etc) qualifies as a "source".

Take a few minutes to read through the comments. After seeing some of the rebuttal given, I don't believe there is a single statistic in that video that is accurate.

Other things in that video are downright untrue. It says Boston College stopped giving out email addresses to incoming freshmen because "Gen Y" students "find email passe". This site from Boston College seems to say that they do, in fact, give everyone an email address:
http://www.bc.edu/offices/help/meta-...about001.shtml

How about the one where they say, "80% of companies use LinkedIn as their primary hiring tool"? I know SMC isn't a representative sample, but how many business owners on here have even HEARD of LinkedIn, let alone use it as their PRIMARY hiring tool?


This is EXACTLY the problem with the "social media phenomenon" - people who don't really understand it get all hyped up for no reason, to the point that they loose their common sense.


For reference, I'm a 23-yr old highly-technically-literate student, and while it's true that I do some things different because of the internet and social media (eg, reading my news online rather than in a printed paper, trying to buy anything I can over the internet, never using a printed phone book, only having a cell phone, etc), I'm certain that, despite my affection for Facebook, it is not going to dramatically change ANYONE's life.


(Scott: Just to clarify, my displeasure is directed at the authors of that video, not you! You are right that the numbers - the accurate ones, that is - are hard to ignore).

[Jim Becker]

Harry, they are what is called "social networking" sites. SMC, in some ways is a very focused version of "social networking". Facebook, Twitter and others are more general purpose and eclectic in many ways. Twitter and FaceBook have some similarities, but also some key differences. Twitter posts ("tweets") are limited to 140 characters--very much like texting from a mobile phone--and one can "follow" nearly anyone of interest. A lot of celebrities as well as businesses participate. It's like subscribing to a particular thread at SMC that you are interested in. FaceBook is more oriented to developing your own network of family and friends, although you have the ability to post publically, too. As already mentioned, it's fully multi-media oriented, too.

These are both mostly popular among young adults and teens.

Actually, FaceBook is very, very, VERY popular with middle-age and older folks now, too. Why? Because of reconnection and the ease of staying connected with friends, family and "classmates from the past" that are scattered all over.

My 79 year old father is on FaceBook!

Dan, LinkedIn is also pretty powerful and while it's not as much hiring/recruiting source for many smaller businesses (outside of tech), I assure you, it's a very important networking resource these days in the career market.

[Jim Rimmer]

Here's my two cents and kind of an explanation. Email killed the written letter. Facebook (primarily, IMO, for boomers) and MySpace (for teens and GenXers) has killed email. Now 99% of what I get on email is worn out jokes and urban legends.

I agree with the comment about finding old friends. You may want to or maybe not. I got on Facebook to see if I could find a guy that I was close friends with in HS and haven't heard from since August 1968. I found him - wish I hadn't - sometimes the memories are best left alone.

What I don't get is why Classmates is hanging on - a site that you have to pay to get what Facebook provides for free.

[Brent Leonard]

Social networking is the next wave. No doubt about it.
Buisnesses, entertainers, news outlets and run of the mill folks are getting on board in HUGE numbers.
How long the wave will last before the next one, that is the million $ question!

That being said, I find Facebook to be a mildly entertaining time waster. A modern day gossip club. I can stay in touch with friends, kinda like an ongoing BS session with all my friends going back to high school.

Do you need to be on it? NO
Is it of any real benefit? NO
Are you missing out on something? Hardly.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Actually, FaceBook is very, very, VERY popular with middle-age and older folks now, too.

Good point, Jim. However, I think younger and older peoples' uses of Facebook/etc are very different and not necessary related. Many people I know (around my age) used facebook extensively about 3 years ago. They don't use it as much anymore. Why? Because their parents are on it. It's no longer "cool".

Dan, LinkedIn is also pretty powerful and while it's not as much hiring/recruiting source for many smaller businesses (outside of tech), I assure you, it's a very important networking resource these days in the career market.

I suppose it's possible, and if you're seeing that - great. It seems like a good idea, and I hope it takes off. I don't know a single colleague from college who has a LinkedIn account, though - the only people I know who have them are decade(s) older. Perhaps they find it useful - from my limited perspective, though, many younger people do not.

[Scott Shepherd]

I don't know a single colleague from college who has a LinkedIn account, though - the only people I know who have them are decade(s) older. Perhaps they find it useful - from my limited perspective, though, many younger people do not.

Exactly. It's a tool that helps you build your network. Not many college students have a professional network, so I wouldn't expect them to have them. It's a unique site, and I agree with Jim. In the business world, it's becoming more and more important. It's like a professional Facebook without all the nonsense. You don't search out "friends" to just have friends, who you allow into your network says a lot about you. You let bums in, it reflects poorly on you. You let high quality people in, it reflects on you.

Dan, you should check it out and spend some time using it. For 6 months, I didn't get it. Then the lightbulb came on and I can't believe how powerful a business tool it is.

[Dave Wagner]

I just recently joined Facebook and connected with a lot old friends I haven't talked to or seen in 20+ years. It's kinda nice to see/know what others you went to school with are doing and where they are. Makes it easy to update your class reunion stuff if you are into that too. That's about it. I might look at it once a week if that.

Others I have seen on there, are addicted to it. They update things like every 10 minutes (Geesh, get a Life!, then again, maybe they don't have one.).

It does make it nice to connect to family and friends without direct email to everyone.
You can post updates and everyone in your network can see it.

[Harry Goodwin]

SMC is great because I now know enough to know I amnot interested. Thanks so very much for such great sharing of knowledge. Harry

[Aaron Koehl]

Possibly to the surprise of many, the average age of Facebook users is 34.

[Scott Shepherd]

Possibly to the surprise of many, the average age of Facebook users is 34.

Physically, 34....Mentally......??

[John Harden]

Here's my two cents and kind of an explanation. Email killed the written letter. Facebook (primarily, IMO, for boomers) and MySpace (for teens and GenXers) has killed email. Now 99% of what I get on email is worn out jokes and urban legends.

I don't agree with this comment at all. Like many, I've found old friends through Facebook, but that initial communication through Facebook was the last. We now communicate via e-mail or telephone. Why would I want to log on to someone's website to send a message to a friend? Of course the owners of these sites want you to do just that. No thanks.

LinkedIn is down right annoying with all the junk e-mail they send me trying to generate more hits to their site. I now have all their mail blocked with a spam filter. I registered and professional associates can find me and vice versa, but that's where it ends. If someone wants to communicate with me, they can send me an e-mail or pick up the phone.

I don't know of a single company that uses LinkedIn as a resource in hiring. I'm sure there are some, but I work for a firm with over 75,000 employees and we don't use it. There are far better resources out there.

I DO agree with the fellow whou posted that these social networking sites are a fun tool, but will never dramatically change anyones life. I read a funny article the other day where the author claimed that young people are abandoning Facebook in droves as all the "old people" have moved in. Point is they are just fads. What's cool today is old news tomorrow.

Regards,

John