Monday, July 20, 2009
Will social networking replace traditional networking?
The Economist recently published a couple of articles on social networking versus traditional networking, “Insider Out” and “Joining the Club”. They make some interesting points about online social networks creating more of a meritocracy of networking, after rightfully bashing the unfairness of some traditional closed networking groups. Yes, in theory, people have better information and can more directly access the very best people for each networking need, if they are both targeted and creative in their contacting. The interesting question to me is: Will the new online sites just strengthen the traditional closed ones? The combination of the two is what’s really powerful, so I’d say yes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comments:
I'd actually say no. In many cases social networking is merely an extension of current relationships. How often do you accept an invite from a total stranger? Now think about how often you accept a business card from total strangers. Strangely enough there is something more casual in the face to face meeting. We let our guard down a bit more. I believe social networking will definitely become a major arm of the relationship building game, but as humans we are definitely wired towards being in proximity to build trust.
Post a Comment