It used to be that the people you talked to online were totally anonymous. There was a time, and there still are places, where people communicate entirely under pseudonyms. Having conversations with your “online” friends was rarely interrupted by spending time with your “real” friends.
Enter social media.
Times are a’ changin’. No longer are we bound to communicating and sharing friendship within our local communities. Cities are losing their borders with their suburbs, countries are blurring their lines and people are interconnecting.
This is happening online as well as offline. Now we live in a culture when you can share a beer in a hangout with people from 4 different continents and then coffee in the morning with people from 3 others. Or, you could hangout with +will.i.am while he performs live in NYC to learn that one of the people doing the very same thing lives right in your neighborhood.
Location Isn’t Anything
It doesn’t matter where you live anymore. It’s changing the way people shop. It’s changing the way people communicate. The Internet is changing the way businesses seek talent.
If you don’t have a LinkedIn page yet, HR departments might not take a serious look at you. If you have a very niche hobby or talent, the Internet can put you in touch with people that share your interests better than you might find in your own small community.
The Internet is blurring borders and all of a sudden your “online” friends mean just as much to you as your “real” friends. Anyone that has attending SXSW will most likely tell you that they’ve made some of the best friendships in their lives in Austin, TX.
In Conclusion
So, as the digital cloud starts touching down on planet Earth we’re starting to live in what I call “The Fog” and that’s a great thing. I wanted to share with you probably the BEST piece of GMail I’ve ever received in my life and tell you that social networking, with a little time invested, can create some of the strongest bonds, friendships, conversations and opportunities. But, you have to put yourself out there, engage your audience, and most importantly, interact.
Happy Holidays, +Zach Eggert!
