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This post strikes the nail on the head for me. I have a Twitter account, but never use it. I have no interest in FaceBook nor do I have a blog. I've never found

This post strikes the nail on the head for me. I have a Twitter account, but never use it. I have no interest in FaceBook nor do I have a blog. I've never found a compelling reason to be that public with my life. On the other hand, I was building websites in the mid-90's and can remember the "why do I need a website" questions, and I would always struggle with a compelling answer. I guess I'm on the other side of the coin this time and I never thought to draw the parallels between early websites and early social media. Got some thinking to do...

lucumo 18y ago
Well, on the other hand... There was a short period where (some?) people were massively enthusiastic about getting in Second Life. Companies were buying virtual property to market their brand. That didn't last too long.
- smartbear 18y ago
  Agree with both of you! :-) Ignoring it is like ignoring the Internet, but you still have to be cautious with new technologies.
- frossie 18y ago
  Yeah, the "They laughed at Galileo, they laughed at Newton, they laughed at Bozo the Clown" effect. Just because people were slow to take to the web doesn't mean that anything people are slow to take to will be the next web. First, I didn't like the tone of the article. My kneejerk reaction was "Don't tell me what I have to do". Secondly, I'd like to see some real analysis behind the statements. For example I keep hearing about Zappos, and twitter and what not, but I have been buying from Zappos for years because they have a large selection, fair prices, good photos and free fedex shipping both ways. I couldn't care less what they twitter about. As to customer reviews, that is appropriate at the retail end. I am not going to go to Sennheiser's web site and look for headphone reviews. I am going to go to Amazon (did I mention how much I like free shipping both ways?) and read the reviews there. So browbeating Sennheiser into a blog, customer reviews and a twitter feed isn't going to make me more likely to buy their headphones. Reviews on Amazon saying "most confortable headphones I have ever bought; no sound leak; great audio quality; sturdier than the Other Brand" is what will make me buy. As for blogs, god help me from another boring ill-conceived company blog. Over the course of a year, I consume products from hundreds of manufacturers and brands. You think I am going to add them all on my RSS feed? The blogs I read are by real human beings on deeply human topics. Not about which pair of shoes has sexy heels. The reality is that in most cases, a consumer has a very brief relationship with a manufacturer eg, "My headphones broke. I need new headphones. I will research headphones. I will buy headphones. Done with headphones". A social network is based on building long term relationships. I do not want a long-term relationship with an entity I am only going to deal with once every three years. Things like Nike are exceptions because it is a kind of brand that has fans, just like a sports team. It then becomes a special interest group, not just a commercial communication. The comparison to Second Life is very apt, I find.

lucumo 18y ago

Well, on the other hand... There was a short period where (some?) people were massively enthusiastic about getting in Second Life. Companies were buying virtual property to market their brand. That didn't last too long.

smartbear 18y ago
Agree with both of you! :-) Ignoring it is like ignoring the Internet, but you still have to be cautious with new technologies.
frossie 18y ago
Yeah, the "They laughed at Galileo, they laughed at Newton, they laughed at Bozo the Clown" effect. Just because people were slow to take to the web doesn't mean that anything people are slow to take to will be the next web. First, I didn't like the tone of the article. My kneejerk reaction was "Don't tell me what I have to do". Secondly, I'd like to see some real analysis behind the statements. For example I keep hearing about Zappos, and twitter and what not, but I have been buying from Zappos for years because they have a large selection, fair prices, good photos and free fedex shipping both ways. I couldn't care less what they twitter about. As to customer reviews, that is appropriate at the retail end. I am not going to go to Sennheiser's web site and look for headphone reviews. I am going to go to Amazon (did I mention how much I like free shipping both ways?) and read the reviews there. So browbeating Sennheiser into a blog, customer reviews and a twitter feed isn't going to make me more likely to buy their headphones. Reviews on Amazon saying "most confortable headphones I have ever bought; no sound leak; great audio quality; sturdier than the Other Brand" is what will make me buy. As for blogs, god help me from another boring ill-conceived company blog. Over the course of a year, I consume products from hundreds of manufacturers and brands. You think I am going to add them all on my RSS feed? The blogs I read are by real human beings on deeply human topics. Not about which pair of shoes has sexy heels. The reality is that in most cases, a consumer has a very brief relationship with a manufacturer eg, "My headphones broke. I need new headphones. I will research headphones. I will buy headphones. Done with headphones". A social network is based on building long term relationships. I do not want a long-term relationship with an entity I am only going to deal with once every three years. Things like Nike are exceptions because it is a kind of brand that has fans, just like a sports team. It then becomes a special interest group, not just a commercial communication. The comparison to Second Life is very apt, I find.