What's The State Of Social Networking Sites & What's The Point Of A Network

I was reading a book on business prospecting yesterday and it was talking about networks and it REALLY touched me,because it said EXACTLY what I felt!

It said "a real network is not a group of acquaintances who might be able to help you out someday.Instead,a network is an association of individuals who have a solid relationship with each other and a strong commitment to the success of everyone within that group".

This got me thinking about the state of social networking sites and more specifically groups on those sites,as well as elsewhere.

 

How many of these groups and websites fit this definition?

As some of you may know I've been a part of the bwwm (black women white men) community for 12yrs now.Five years of this I have been part of the online bwwm (black women white men) groups and two years of it I have had my own bwwm (black women white men) groups called blackwhiteconnections.

What I have noticed and seen over the years in these groups is that most of the time they get a number of members and for around three months they do well with members coming in and responding to questions,discussion topics,and adding question and discussion topics themselves,but then the group just dies.

People stop coming to the group,checking it,and adding to it.Either by answering questions,discussion topics,or adding their own.

IN my own group on myspace (http://groups.myspace.com/blackwhiteconnections) after a year I sent out a mass email asking what was going on with the group and asking members to add the groups profile page to their friends list,so I could send one update to reach everyone so I didn't have to email all 2,500 members.

Over half of these members (1,500) didn't even know or remember they were even a part of the group or what it was!!!

What I found out through my group and then talking to other people that have bwwm (black women white men) groups is

• Most people end up joining because they are curious and visit the group two or three times and then forget about it,as well as that they are still members.
• They also don't usually introduce themselves or add anything to the group.

Now also this seems to be the case with people on social networking sites as well that aren't even in groups.

They add a slew of people to their friends list building it up into the high hundreds and even thousands,then don't even bother to reach out to these people through email or instant messages sent to them from these people on their friends list.

This brings me back to the definition of networks that I described in the beginning of this blog and to ask a question

• What's the point of joining a social networking site or group if your not going to interact with the people in the groups you join or the people you add to your friends list?

• Why do you think these groups and websites were started?

It's my hope and prayer that this blog brings about a lot of discussion and makes people wake up and realize what they are doing and how they are being viewed,as I know MANY people that won't even add someone if they have more than 100 people on their friends list for this very reason.