Trimming the Social Networking Fat

Social networking is a curious beast. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I agree that the networking potential is limitless. It's a fun way to keep up on news and events of family and friends. It allows us to find connections and share information with others with whom we have common interests. It is an important vehicle through which we can promote a business, a book, or a philosophy. But it is also a time swallower and an information overloader, and my guess is that few of us need such pests in our lives.

Since I've tapped into the various networking arenas for the sake of introducing Heaven's Wait to the outside world, I've learned some interesting things. I've had to take a hard look at those things and decide how to make social networking relevant to my overall vision.

Though I enjoy both Facebook and Twitter, they have taught me that a silent majority lies within my present circle of "friends". Most of them admit that they simply lurk, seldom participating in comments or conversations. But then, there are those who feel the need to preach, and those who share things that shouldn't go public. While some people and businesses share just the right amount of relevant information, others bombard us with "who-cares" status updates and retweets that overload cyberspace.

Then there is the idea that higher numbers are better. "If you follow my tweets, I'll follow yours." "If you 'like' my FB page, I'll 'like' yours." That makes sense from the standpoint that numbers attract more numbers. But I've found that in that situation, most people are out to promote their own agenda. They're not really interested in what the other person has to offer. Should I follow a man in Hawaii who writes books about volcanoes simply because he followed me so he could add a number to his list of followers? If we suddenly have hundreds or thousands of tweets through which to scroll every day, how can we possibly locate the ones that are relevant to our interests and who we are as individuals?

So, for the sake of streamlining my valuable time and information overload, I'll be trimming those I follow on various networking sites. Though I appreciate each person for the valuable things he or she has to say, I choose to spend my online time with those with whom I feel a connection. If I lose some followers in the process, so be it. My goal is to steadily move forward with my Heaven's Wait platform so that by the time Book 7 (yes, Book 7) is complete, we will have established a cozy community that feels the common bond of Heaven's Wait.

There are various ways you can explore the Heaven's Wait community. Check out the links to the right of my posts.