Lets define social media once more. Someone must buy it!
by Stii
It is all starting to look, feel, taste and sound very much like pie in the sky Web 2.0. It seems everyone has his own perception and opinion. Why, dear lord, why? Why, for the love of Jack Daniels, do people try and over complicate things?
(Totally unrelated picture. Sure is cool, isn’t it?)
What seem to happen is that someone defines social media. They try to be fairly specific and clear about it. Along comes the other experts and add some other bullshit to it to make it sound more impressive. Wash, rinse, repeat. Already I see there is quite a few definitions, all saying something similar but with a slightly different focus. It almost seems that if it cannot be sold, they change the definition until it is sold! Can you say WEB TWO POINT OH? C’mon, give me a HALLELUJAH! Here we go again. Silly of me to think we learned our lesson.
Suddenly, social media is all about two way dialogues. About blogs, message boards, podcasts, micro blogs, lifestreams, bookmarks, networks, communities, wikis, and vlogs facilitating conversations. About “democratizing” content. It is the shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in a conversational format between authors and people. (Source: Web Pro News, Thanks Walter)
Why not simply say: It is blogs, message boards, podcasts, micro blogs, lifestreams, bookmarks, networks, communities, wikis, and vlogs. Finish. Explained. Done and dusted. A definition every one understands. What is said above is the effects of social media, but it is NOT social media! Don’t you get it? It is two completely different things, really!
I have no idea how social networking works to be honest :) I just use the stuff and try not to be a social media expert.
What is that thing? A Koala?
LOL, thats the spirit!
Its a Sloth. ;-)
“It almost seems that if it cannot be sold, they change the definition until it is sold!”
Thats exactly how they do it.
Social media is a lifestyle not a campaign.
Lifestyle? That’s quite an interesting way of seeing it. It’s not wrong, but I’ve never thought of it that way.
I’ve always thought social media was a man who lived in a hut in Umlazi. I knew something was amiss with such an ignorant postulation.
I think we’re all about as likely to find the meaning of life as we are the true definition of social media. Because if social media is all about conversation and conversation has as its root our language, well then its not a huge leap to think that what we are trying to understand is how and why humans communicate in the way that they do. Good luck trying to find out why we do the things we do. Most philosophical types died scratching their beards quizzically.
Yeah you could call me a hypocrite for writing on the matter in the DA Saga of ’09, the great big f-ing mass-debate, and calling out someone for not using “social media” correctly but I figure I’m entitled to have various opinions on the same subject – its what so fun about the internet, fractured reality playing out on multiple stages all under google’s spotlight and begore the googles unforgiving memory..
begore is a new word I just invented for your site Stii. I hope you keep it company because its friend ‘before’ has just been sent to the gallows.
begore. It sounds catchy, although a tad gory.
You’re probably right about the meaning of life and social media. We had exactly this problem with Web2.0 and ended up with endless and quite fruitless debates around the subject. Why? Shouldn’t it be simple and clear cut? I, for one, will admit that I don’t get it and that makes me feel frustrated and stupid/dumb. I don’t really like feeling that way, in all honesty.
You’re as much entitled to an opinion as everyone. No, it doesn’t make you a hypocrite. Yes, it got me ranting about confusing definitions, but that’s as much an opinion as your own. I’m not an expert, but experts will have to live with non-experts challenging their opinions/theories/findings/beliefs. Isn’t that the point of it, after all?
The DA debate is a good thing. Make no mistake about it, but personally I think the DA guys were having a go at you just to add fuel to the fire and make it spread. Publicity and all that. Could be wrong…
Now begore I get too philosophical, let me rather do what needs to be done. The job at hand!
Awesome lazy unrelated picture – very nice :)
Ach, since the beginning of time marketers and communication professionals have spent half their time redefining concepts and creating jargon to confuse and challenge people.
I find it pretty silly and entertaining but at the same time I must say that I’m all for keeping it simple :)
Isn’t it a great pic?
It is a good thing keeping things simple, Melissa. I’m all for that.
I think if you quit the Jack Daniels and switch to Chivas it will make a lot more sense!
LOL, no ways man! Jack’s the MAN!
Nice sloth. This is so damn stupid man. Blogging about blogging. Let me chunder all over you and others who have nothing else to do besides this. Like a cesspool of revoltingness. STFU you and others. Get over yourselves, you overtly left-brain sociopaths clinging to any shreds of imagined peer respect in the hi-tech world of THA INTURNETZ. The web is full of your crap. PUKE.
Uhm, yes, thank you. I see that now.
I say let’s just use the digital “tools” correctly, that reach our objectives and ad relevance to our target audiences and users. It’s only a channel people.
I say tomAto, you say TOmato
Is this a blog or what? i stumbled upon this in my desperate rush to be with it in the digital space. and here i am -an alien -from the mainstream advertising planet. is this new planet my digital nirvana?