What are you gaining from social networking?

For some, social networking is a way of life. They use it to promote themselves and keep the channels of conversation and relationship open, posting many times a day on many different networks. Some are even building their own.

For others, though, social networking is just a time waster and offers no real benefit to their business or blogging. Some have even gone as far to say that having a large network is all about ego.

So what do I think?

I think social networking is a tool - just as a blog or a website is a tool. The tool on its own is neither good nor bad. It’s how the tool is used that decides its value in your business or personal life.

You know the old saying about a knife. A knife can be used to cut the bread to feed people. Yet that same knife can be used to kill people. But is the knife bad or good? No, it’s just a knife. It’s just a tool.

Personally, I don’t think social media is a waste of time. And I’m certainly not doing it to boost my ego. I’m interested in conversation and relationships. So outside of my blog is there a better place to spend my time building relationships?

Social networking is just a tool. How are you using this tool?

Feel free to add me to your social network and I’ll reciprocate:
Facebook • StumbleUpon • Netscape • MyBlogLog • LinkedIn • Pownce • Twitter • BUMPzee

I just completed a new static site at The Campaign for You. Matt Hugg and I worked together to plan, develop and create a site that would easily and clearly market his many offers. For instance, you’ll see on the homepage that we highlighted his ebook, The Complete Campaign for You Workbook.

Ease of use for his visitors was a key to the design. No page or service is more than 1 click away from another. His ability to self-manage his content was a vital and necessary part of our project. I used Adobe Contribute as the platform for content management basically because of its ease of use.

Matt, by the way, is a career coach. While he focuses on the non-profit world, his knowledge, tools and materials are applicable in any job/career setting. Matt’s concept of The Campaign for You is in teaching you how to treat your own career and job search as a campaign, ultimately finding the ‘job you love with the organization you want’.

Michael Miller over at informit.com has written a nice article exploring some of Google’s lesser known features. Here’s a list from the site. The article goes into an explanation of each feature. Definitely work a looksee.

1. Google Is a Calculator
2. Google Knows Mathematical Constants
3. Google Converts Units of Measure
4. Google Is a Dictionary
5. Google Is a Glossary
6. Google Lists All the Facts
7. Google Displays Weather Reports
8. Google Knows Current Airport Conditions
9. Google Tracks Flight Status
10. Google Tracks Packages
11. Google Is a Giant Phone Directory
12. Google Knows Area Codes
13. Google Has Movie Information
14. Google Loves Music
15. Google Knows the Answer to the Ultimate Question