Okay, we all have them - What are some of your Beefs with Social Networking?

[Garnet Nagy]

Hopefully this won't turn into a total Andy Rooney Rap session, but it'd be good to get some of those little(or big) things that bug us about social networks and how people act on them out in the open and possibly avoid such issues here.

So out with it, what are those beefs?

P.S. I'd start this off, but instead I will now have mercy upon you all and shut up!

[Garnet Nagy]

No Beefs? Wow.......................................did I mention you can even name pushy bushmen who carry live fish around and have a twisted sense of humour? ;-)

[Lindy Asimus]

Doing all the heavy lifting to get a relationship going.

[Garnet Nagy]

UGH! And constantly having to set the example to little or no avail...Man I'm tired! :))

[Hayley Solich]

People who have beefs... (just jokes!)

People who just post their "info", looking to make a quick buck off someone else, with no interest in developing any kind of valuable relationship.

[Garnet Nagy]

ROF! Love the humour Hayley! Actually, you raise a good point there too....reckonizing a less than desirable situation is one thing, holding a grudge over it is quite another!! Dare I add people with no sense of humour to the list??

As for the post and runners, their link farm profiles are the equvilent of spam as far as I'm concerned!

[Teddy Towncrier]

Thanks for your contribution, Garnet.

Please help me understand how focussing on beefs will empower me.?

Come seeking a solution and you'll have my full attention and resources.

Maybe I'm out of touch. Are beefing threads a must have in the new empowerment paradigm?

Sorry .... I don't have a wardrobe suitable for pity parties.

Teddy Towncrier CPP Towncrier-Media.com Supercharging Your Visions.

[Garnet Nagy]

HI Teddy,

How will focusing on beefs empower you?

Maybe it won't but perhaps it may empower someone who just hasn't figured out social networking is about so much more than copy/paste adverts and link farming?

Pity Parties? You may have to help me understand how I would come to you seeking a solution if I didn't first have a problem...Lol

[Garnet Nagy]

Okay, now that I actually have a minute I would like to thank you, Teddy, for bringing up 'solutions'.....

This post was never about pity, simply reckonizing less than ideal circumstances and Avoiding Them...thus perhaps a better and more empowering network?

From a personal perspective, I've seen far too many once great networks fall to peices and become little more than a giant traffic exchange posing as a social network....perhaps my biggest beef. Yet this is only one issue of many I have observed in my experience.

So the purpose of this post?(which was never about pity! :))

1) To see if there are other experienced social networkers who have reckonized less than ideal situations they would not like to see transpire in the networks they frequent?

2) If so, to see what these issues are and if anyone has any proactive insight on prevention strategies?

3) Hopefully, someone would read this discussion and realize their actions are peeving people off...and that they are only really hurting themselves!

and last, thanks to your reminder Teddy, I am able to both demonstrate and state that they're are no real problems...only solutions and opportunity. For instance, in my previous reply to Lindy what I did not mention was that 'being the one doing all the heavy lifting to get a relationship going' and 'constantly leading by example' is really opportunity(I just couldn't resist the urge to joke around about it!) If it weren't for the state of so many of these 'social' networks, they're probably wouldn't be much need for this one, and others, where quality networking can occur!

[Lindy Asimus]

Hi Garnet.

I'm not sure that a lot of networks spring up due to need. There seems to be a real frenzy to create networks and this is not helped on ning with the suggestion on every page to "start your own network" - I can see why Ning owners would want that, but really, I would hope that everyone who does, understands the amount of work involved in making it viable, and useful - certainly before they send me (yet another) invite! ;-)

Perhaps the thing that I would like to see, is for members who join a network to understand that they are accepting at least some modicum of responsibility to add something to that network of which they have become a member. At least fill out their profile fully. At least make an effort to participate in some way from time to time.

So Garnet, would you like to expand on your idea of opportunity that you mention in the previous post?

[Garnet Nagy]

Hi Lindy,

The opportunity I was refering to was simply by taking a more serious approach like you are suggesting, anyone can easily STAND OUT from the crowd.

As for the sheer amount of networks and the ning invites...Lol...One, you are making me feel guilty I haven't gotten more involved in yours yet! :( And two, I would suggest that people don't accept any invites unless it happens to fit in with what they are actively doing at the moment.

[Alexandra Popovic]

Here, here! I've received quite a few invites to other nings and I know some would say, just get yourself on there and don't worry about maintaining it etc but I just don't see the point in that. And that is my beef, those that just don't make the effort not even bothering to fill in their basic profile etc. That speaks volumes to me!

Anyhoo, I'm sticking to what I've got now and only joining something if I really see a worthwhile benefit out of it, otherwise I'm only wasting time I already don't have! ;)

[Hayley Solich]

This thread is getting really interesting. I'm a member in about 14 ning sites, which I contribute to regularly because I feel an obligation to be "present" with people. However, I am also realising that it is taking up a significant amount of my time, which has meant that I have been copying and pasting my contributions between networks as I don't have the time to create completely original discussions everywhere.

So, in an act of self-discipline I have just gone to all the ning groups I'm a member of and where I feel like I haven't made a significant contribution or connection with people I have deleted my account. I think that is an important part of social networking. If you aren't going to be an active participant then delete yourself out of the network. 5 people that post regularly is way more exciting than 75 where 5 post semi-regularly. I prefer quality to quantity and that's why I feel that Twitter-Go-Getters is really one of the best sites I'm involved with.

So thanks, everyone, for making this site an interesting and inspiring place to be, despite our beefs! :)