chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

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Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

fred perry shirts — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:36:13 -0000

I agree with you on so many points. With twitter I try to keep up with a
select few who I have made an effort to get to know. I cannot know and
be everything to everybody.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Jessica — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:23:30 -0000

I am actually having the same problem. Since I have been spending a lot of time with limited internet access it becomes difficult to keep up with all my social networking and media sites. I've been looking for tools to keep it all organized, but I don't to use something that is going to make my contact less personal.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Liana — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:15:30 -0000

Great post, Corvida. I admit that I follow everyone who follows me. RSS is my lifeline.

The way I filter everything is by subscribing to feeds of terms I search at search.twitter.com. So, I don't really follow people but conversations. This allows me to see and hear from new people, too.

I feel like we always look to the same people and listen to the same voices collectively. That's not bad, but I also want to hear some new voices, get some different perspectives. Following search terms helps me find some new people.

I also use search.twitter.com to search and follow via RSS a handful of people (about 20) who I actually know and want to read their Tweets.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Brent Logan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:16:07 -0000

Twitter needs more features, namely groups. Until then, Tweetdeck allows me to filter for the people I really want to track. The rest of the tweets go by in a stream that I'll glance at periodically.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

TheJennTaFur — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:22:04 -0000

@corvida..

I agree with you on so many points. With twitter I try to keep up with a select few who I have made an effort to get to know. I cannot know and be everything to everybody. It is IMPOSSIBLE.

I have a twitter checklist too but now it is getting a little hard for me now where people in other social networks want to add me on twitter and I have to remember from what network do I know them from.

I do twitter a lot and maybe that is why people want to add me because they know I am always on twitter which in reality is a real drawback.

I have halted my blogging for awhile to have a better strategy to approach all the requests that I am getting to blog or just read someone's blog post.

I am like you overwhelmed and this is when you have to set limits on what works best for you.

Further, I refuse to use my real professional contacts for people who I do not know at all. I have had some very bizarre requests from some asking me to help them to connect to others and I do not know who they are at all.

Thanks for a great post!

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Patty Azzarello — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:12:47 -0000

For me it always starts with "What is your Desired Outcome?"

Social Networks are great for increasing and maintaing the ability to connect with people -- but what for?

Authentic Networking starts with connections with people you like, respect, and have a real reason to connect with. To keep these relationships requires caring and effort vs. tools.

What the social networking tools are great at taking advantage of the adage that "nobody is as smart as everybody", what they are not great at is real relationships.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

TimWalker — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:22:08 -0000

By the way, I realize now that I made a mistake when I wrote my comment above: I missed the explanatory note at the top saying this post was from Corvida, so I directed my reply to Chris. I think the concept still applies, but I wanted to note the dissonance.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Keren Dagan — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:18:34 -0000

I also realized that as my social network grows so does my social commitments. So, yes, definitely, each node on my social graph gets less attention. We will probably learn how to scale that too:)

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Steve Cook — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:26:26 -0000

In the end doesn't it come down to goals? As your network has grown bigger adding people relentlessly may no longer fit your goal.

If your main aim is to increase awareness of your own brand, then it may be worth continuing to add everyone (possibly worth outsourcing this to someone who can click the links for you and let you know if there are any particularly noteworthy new contacts).

However if your main goal is having a high quality network with a high signal to noise ration, then adding everyone will eventually become a problem.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

jawbreaker — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:44:02 -0000

Hi there!...I have also tried mypage.com, it's free and its nice. They have a lot of apps.and also communities you can be a part of.(":)

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

TimWalker — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:29:49 -0000

My take: this is as much a human problem -- how we *think* about things -- as it is a technological one.

For instance, you could cut in half the number of people you're following on Twitter. You could limit it only to people you know, or only to those you know well, or only those who regularly trade tweets with you. Everybody else could still get your attention by typing @chrisbrogan anytime, so it's not like you'd be blocking them. But your incoming stream would be a lot more manageable.

In other words, not to point the finger but just as an observation, your experience of Twitter has changed based on actions of your own -- following a lot of people you don't know -- and could presumably be changed back by taking different actions.

When I joined Twitter late last year, more than once I heard that it was good practice (or even mandatory for good etiquette) to follow back everyone who follows you. I quickly discovered that this advice didn't work for me, because I got overwhelmed by the flow of tweets. So now I view my decision to follow as independent from the other person's decision to follow. There's no reason for me to get mad at, say, Merlin Mann for not following me back, and similarly I'm not beholden to follow someone else's tweets just because they're following mine. Indeed, I can be grateful for their attention -- and open in corresponding if they decide to trade tweets with me directly -- without falsely pretending that I share many of their interests.

All that to say this: sometimes I do come across a clear technological need in a tool -- a button or widget or whatever that would make it more useful. But more often I come across the need for me to think through my own practices more carefully.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Evelyn Rodriguez — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:12:41 -0000

Corvida, I share the same perceptions, although I am only following 513. It was so much sweeter when it was a tighter group, and I did actually read each and EVERY incoming tweet. The connection definitely feels shallower as the 'network' grows.

I don't have any solution, just noting the predicament you describe rings so true. Right now, I am mostly not following any new people unless they are incredibly compelling - which to me means they are unique than most of the people I already follow. Oh, and I follow poets, musicians, artists, writers, filmmakers, etc anytime.

Perhaps your name contains a seed clue...corvida - core vida - core life (spanish). Focus on core, prune the rest?

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Stephen Jackson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:44:42 -0000

Twitter brings me information I would not search for but I'm finding valuable, plus I like to connect with people in different areas of the world and see how they're dealing with life and business.

I use LinkedIn for the people I've built an offline relationship with. I'm not looking for 500+ connections to people that may or may not assist in my endeavors or I may or may not assist in theirs. I will provide answers on LinkedIn but I'm not always looking to connect.

I don't see any of these tools cutting into my productivity, I see Twitter as a boost to my creativity I can asks quick questions and get quicker responses than some of the forums I belong to.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Nicky — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:04:04 -0000

How do I maintain relationships with my networks....
I use different networks for different things. Facebook I use for people I know or have met. It's almost entirely personal, I update my status frequently but don't sweat it. For some reason my friends are quite interested in what I'm up to - and when I meet them I must admit being amused when someone says to me, offline, "oh, yes, I saw that on your Facebook update!"

My Linked In network is entirely professional, with past and present work and employement. I've met or have had several interactions with, all my connections... and I have just over 100. With Linked in I think that if I asked any of my connections for a recommendation they could give me one, and vice-versa.
I keep in touch with my connections via email.. and sometimes phone and meetings - depending on where they are.

Twitter... I have just joined and I'm using it to contribute and learn and for exposure;it will probably be mainly business. I don't "know" my "followers" or those I follow in quite the same way, but I'm impressed with the info they share. It's wait and see, but I'm not after hundreds of followers because I know I won't be able to keep up.
I'm thinking of trying Friendfeed, but haven't yet.
I can't think of any other tools I need... but I'm sure some will be invented ;)

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

BillGrey — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:57:48 -0000

I use Twitter as a kind of tech and marketing magazine to see what people are doing and keep tabs on the latest utilities and marketing resources. I don't follow too many people and, I don't post a lot mainly because my time is at a premium right now (cancer caretaking). Because of our situation, it has become clear that all of this can become wheel-spinning unless we know why we're doing it. It's really important to know why you're following people and even if you NEED this in your life at all! How many associates do we really need in our lives? How much business do we really need? Everyone has to answer that for themselves, I know. But it has to create some kind of value... or it's...well.... valueless :-) It shouldn't be a ritual.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

David Murray — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:45:18 -0000

No more Mom and Pop store for you! What will you do with this added responsibility, because regardless if Twitter cuts into your productivity or not - do have the responsibility of your followers or fans who may want to learn from you? Maybe hire a Twitter assistant?

On a serious note - quality before quantity.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Beth Kanter — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:21:57 -0000

This is such a good question and I'm struggling with it myself. I've been trying to be explicit with my friending policies -
http://beth.typepad.com/bet...

But that is time consuming and not fulfilling to have to ask each stranger who wants to be friends - now who are you? Why do you want to be friends.

I've leading a discussion about professional networking over at social edge and posted a link to this post.

http://www.socialedge.org/d...

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Corvida — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:13:26 -0000

Thank you all for your informative and well thought responses. I'm glad Chris gave me the opportunity to engage with you all.

@"Reechard" - Once you go on a self-imposed exile on Twitter, you don't come back the same. I completely understand where you're coming from and it is a bit heartbreaking and frustrating to spend so much time and energy on a service, and then suddenly have all these problems with it.

@Tracy Lee - Maybe the depersonalization of it all is the real problem.

With all the limits that everyone is imposing, doesn't that just further the depersonalization process? Doesn't it get frustrating after a while. I know I've gotten to a point where sometimes I'll add people just because I don't feel like checking to see if they meet my "limits/requirements". Has anyone else found themselves doing this?

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

reechard — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:51:38 -0000

Hi, Corvida! You make some excellent points.... and echo my own feelings about Twitter over the past year or so. It was fun while it lasted, but the combination of scaling problems and lack of innovation led me to a self-imposed twitter break. After which the honeymoon was essentially over. I've found that key people like Mona on FriendFeed can make such services fun, personal and compelling. Tomorrow, however, is "another day" and in the end, issues of IP ownership, the future, and even ownership of your own contact graph haven't really been addressed. I'm a little disappointed in myself that I spent so much time accumulating an interesting friend graph only to grow weary of the service itself. I do still follow some around the non-twitterverse, such as yourself :-)

Best -- "reechard"

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

IdoNotes — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:37:29 -0000

Corvida? I scanned my Twitter/FriendFeed list and found I was following you. Huh, who knew. :p

All kidding aside, as Corvida's partner-in-crime, she knows I limit the amount of people I follow for that very reason, and every so often I peek through and rmeove those that do not post or don't have content I want to see on a constant basis. While that does not mean that I don't like you as a person, it just means I use Twitter differently than all social activity. You cannot keep a close relationship with everyone by following thousands. Twitter themselves limited the amount one person can follow to 2k now right?

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

AngelaConnor — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:35:35 -0000

You know, I started off with a noble goal of essentially keeping my facebook account pretty much professional and not personal. But slowly but surely all of these old college friends are discovering Facebook and sending friend requests and I cannot refuse. So now it's this hodgepodge of professional contacts and personal contacts so I've decided to simply be very picky about what I post and make sure everything that originates from me is for the most part semi-professional. Now, about Twitter. I started out following anyone who followed me because that seemed like the right thing to do. Now I check their posts first to see what they tweet about and if it seems to be a full-time job on their part that's largely about lunch dates and vet appointments, I don't even bother. I have also stopped following a few. Very few. I have now come to terms with the fact that I don't have to super poke everyone who pokes me, or engage in a game of Scrabulous just because a co-worker from 1996 enjoys it and thinks I should to.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Tracy Lee — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:52:06 -0000

I agree with you completely. I have seen it on every single network I have been a part of, including AOL where I was staff when there were less than 200K members. I find myself dropping out as things become more and more depersonalized. I am not sure what the answer is, other than to keep moving to "the next big thing". After 16 years o trotting about the nets, it does become wearisome though.

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

Craig — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:39:59 -0000

It all depends on the value you would like to achieve. The price of becoming more popular and having your status grow is to develop a larger network. Of course the larger the network the more unrealistic it is to be personal with all of them. I don't think there is any tool that could help that cause and to be honest, you or anyone else is extremely busy and does not have time to devote to establishing personal relationships with the masses. It must be tough and nice at the same time and I think you have to do whats best for you and allows you to enjoy what you are doing.

Craig
www.budgetpulse.com

Re: Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

IndyChristian — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:24:03 -0000

If the goal is to create a large group of 'followers', that's one thing. But if the larger goal (really) is to create a wedge-shaped long-tail of replicating ADVOCATES for your mission... that's quite another; isn't it? If so, then in the final analysis, you may never know the ultimate impact (and impactees) of what you're doing.