Rethinking Serendipitous Connections & The Power of Informal Networking

Walking blog 2:

Perhaps I've been too serious about my approach to social media. Sometime ago I decided that there are plenty of posts to Twitter and I don't need to add unnecessary garbage (but I still do on occasion). However this morning I learned of a fundraising goal by some VCU students and a faculty member to raise over $10,000 in the fight against childhood cancer. This was largely done through connections in Twitter. Perhaps these connections were formed by the more informal sharing of information about basketball games or other personal interests and not just through more serious posts. Maybe I have been wrong. It just maybe those trivial posts that allow one to build a significant network and through that, allow someone to see my more serious thoughts and the sharing of information that matters. 

By the way, a few shaved heads raised over $12,000. Thanks to @proffigment (Lisa Phipps), her students and the power of social media.

Quick Thoughts on Social Media

While talking with Brit Watwood (bwatwood) about the development of an upcoming brown-bag discussion of social media, I quickly listed some approaches and then scribbled the following thoughts.

In regard to our work, the social networks we formed in the past were primarily with our colleagues on the local level and those whom we met during participation in conferences.
Image by luc legay via Flickr
Online social media has allowed individuals to quickly identify people and experts with common interests and connect in ways that were just not possible a few years ago. People who cannot physically attend conferences may participate in real-time conversations with on-site participants via Twitter and similar tools. Ideas and/or resources may be quickly shared or requests for help on a particular topic may be solicited with the expectation of almost immediate help from the "community". Image via Wikipedia

Various tools lend themselves to a particular expression and the "conversations" which occur may migrate to various media. The important component is the ability to create relationships with both individuals and communities of people with common interests and a willingness to share.