Does Social Media Participation Affect What You Do?

I keep thinking about the "blogging killing planning" discussion.  It made me think about how much I've reaped creatively from "blogsourcing" (which I've done a lot of over the past year).  But I'm curious—has anyone out there who is either writing or even reading blogs feel that it has impacted their area of expertise in a negative way?  If so—why?

Or on the flip side, why do you feel blogs (or blogging) makes what you do better?  We all got along fine before the existence of social media, (at least the digital kind) so how is it making what we do better or worse?

Comments

[Valeria Maltoni]

It's definitely making my thinking and doing better. This is a "driven" crowd -- in the sense that everyone already has enough on their plate before getting into posting online in the middle of the night. The passion alone deploys energy and amplification.

I've had some of the most challenging and interesting conversations since I started my blog. It's not about proving something, it's about challenging the original story sometimes... isn't that what journalists do? We are explorers and, because these are our personal brands, we are also experiencing in first person.

The collective becomes personal and the personal is adopted collectively. Having developed a business network through a social medium online for almost 7 years, I can tell how much the work, the interactions, the lessons changed me -- and for the better.

The blogosphere has amplified that because at this stage it's still a self-selected group of professionals who feel strongly they have something to contribute.

Planning also has its unintended consequences -- we planned to open shop with the blog, so to speak. The evolution in our thinking may go places we had not planned for specifically. There's a "meant to be" component to my thinking on this as well. And now I'm writing a thesis, better stop now!

[DA]

Valeria,

You said a mouthful, but it's all good. Interestingly enough, I'm replying to your comment from a plane just before takeoff. It's symbolic of how passionate I am about this medium.

And I also like your point about the unpredictable nature. Blogging is so much like life, you think you know exactly what you want to do but then things take on a life their own and go in places you would never expect.

Maybe that's what makes this all so interesting. At least for us. To others it may seem like a compete waste of time.

[olivier blanchard]

I can't thinkof a single negative impact blogging has had on my life or career. Quite the contrary. I have access to some of the most brilliant minds in the marketing, technology, sociology and design fields, and we're having conversations almost daily.

Back in the day, access to this level of expertise and insight could only be enjoyed by attending universities or reading books. Now, all you have to do is launch your browser, shoot an email, or launch skype. Blogs accelerate the speed at which ideas evolve, and broaden the reach of knowledge and insight. It'spretty amazing stuff, really.

[gianandrea facchini]

the first positive impact of blogging is the my english improved a lot!!
the second impact is the chance to see things from a different viewpoint.
the third one, i admit it, is that i'm proud to have more than hundred blogs linked to mine: proud and committed to stay in touch with all of them, to say and to listen something which can deliver.

[Asi]

How can a free big pool of open source thinking and creativity can have any negative effect on it's participants???

Have a great weekend!

Asi.

[Tom Asacker]

If there is indeed truth in proverbs, then consider "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

While I certainly agree with my friend Olivier that blogging is a net plus on my life, I do find it to be a bit overwhelming and paralyzing at times.

It's a wonderful source of cultural and psychological insights, but at some point the "entrepreneur" must distill those insights, shut down the blog noise, and get on with something disruptive and valuable.

[Lewis Green]

David,

As a newbie to the Northeast, having moved my family and my business here from Seattle, blogging has helped me in several ways:
1. I have met people in person and online that I would never have met otherwise.
2. I am able to use blogging to pre-promote my next book, "Lead With Your Heart."
3. I have gotten a gig with MarketingProfs The Daily my brand exposure.
4. I have increased my marketing research activities in order to write smarter about ideas, increasing my knowledge.
5. I have learned new things and sometimes contrary ideas from the community.
6. I have become a member of a great community.
7. I feel better about myself and have appreciated wonderful support from that community.

All good!

[Maria Lopez]

There are few places where a person can interactively become exposed to new ideas and expand on old ones. Everyone has a fresh voice, and a slightly different perspective.

I for one, have become a better marketer as a result. How can you not? Whether you're a passive reader (which I was for quite awhile), or an active participant, you walk away a little bit wiser.

[David Armano]

Some excellent perspectives here. I like the range from Olivier citing the access to intellectual capital to Tom's caution that we need to maintain the integrity of our own thoughts relative to how the thoughts of others influence us. "Group think" in my opinion is never a good thing.

I also appreciate how Lewis shares in a very concise way how he's personally benefitted.

Notice that I framed the question around "what we do" vs. "who we are". Personally I do feel that there are some drawbacks if you look at how participation can impact your life (too much of a good thing—taking away from family life etc.—if you let it)

But when it comes to "what we do"—there do seem to be many benefits to be had. Unless you let it get in the way of your actual work of course then it can become a negative—speaking of, I need to get back to the paying job now... ;)

[John J]

I thought blogging worked off the Underpants Gnome model.

1. Blog
2. ???
3. Creativity

;)

(Please note the tongue-in-cheek attitude)

[Paul Marobella]

david,

for me, blog networking has done wonders for my inspiration and exploring my marketing-consciousness.

the effect of being able to engage so many smart people in the course of sitting down and reading their thoughts, has been my favorite part of getting involved.

thank you for your ideas, thoughts and insights.

paul

[dan]

I love the idea of blogsourcing, its definately in practice out there and happening. I feel like its always been happening its just that the web enabled us to track it and graph it.

Negatives in blogging. I think there's a few.

1st impressions via text only, i've always been a bad speller but does that mean my ideas dont matter? My grammar sucks but the core thoughts are good, so its all about the lens you pick it up in. If my site design blows or i hit you with too many widgets am i crazy, what impression do i make with my words, my style, my stamp?

Blogging enables yer brain to just open up full throttle. You can absorb as much as you can take, and you can dish out as much as you want, but there were never any protocols, or must dos, or format. I think for me, my brain would reject that. Its like improv comedy, or true creativity, the more constraints you put on it, the less real it is.

So sometimes you're read wrong, but you can never control that, but if you ever wonder, that'll drive ya nuts.

Fear based search marketing. For awhile there we had a wave of "yer potential employeer can find you via the web.. watch what you type!" that sucks. Still happens, fear still there, does it get to you, dunno.

Keepin it up. I blogged hard and fast for 3 years and then tapped out. Needed a better means to get my brain online. Vlogging works, semi easier, harder to tag and catagorize, organize and more. I'm sure another method will pop as well someday.

Weight. I used to blog about bloglines intimidates me at times. I go in and see (200) entries to be read and inside i'd sigh. I'm 200 entries behind. I need a bigger brain. I'm 200 moments that that person captured, recored, encoded, processed, thought were worthy. I'd always go for the quick wins, that person has (4) or (10) new entires.. wooohoo!

I could go on... but ya good stuff. Like the graph!

[dan]

man i'm such a skimmer now too!

—has anyone out there who is either writing or even reading blogs feel that it has impacted their area of expertise in a negative way? If so—why?

Only real negative is that it often enables you too much. It can put you on the far edge of the edge. The closer the blogoshpere userthink you are, the more likely you can see patterns, trends, you start to see the curve, the wave coming on this concept or that idea.

And then yer like only violin player gettin on the titanic gettin that vibe of like.. ya know.. am I gonna end up playing my tunes and goin down with the ship? Maybe i should pass on this maiden voyage.

Sometimes you get too tuned in. At least for me in the biz of user experience, theres a whole new frontier of virtual anthropolgy happening out there. What researchers wished they could do 20 years ago people do now everyday, for fun.

So much to tap into. Some folks are old school on methods and yer hard wired now, new pathways are burned in, you come off like the crazed lunatic raving on about stuff. Then you get shut down, and 9 months later, that idea you had, arrives.

I think blog people are a special breed. Or maybe that theres surfers, bloggers, sponges, and leapers.

Surfers are like co workers, they check it out at a distance, neat.

Bloggers are like oh yeah, lets ride, here's my scope, my story, my interest, my version.

Sponges are bloggers who've evolved into blackholes, absorbing as much as they can, thinking how it could apply, where is value, what is next, future is here somewhere in this block of text.

Leapers are sponges that leap off the ledge. They find the pattern, the vien of goodness and go for it. They make the product that enables that pattern they saw years ago.

Gah! too much coffee... ok bye lol..