This is a follow on to my post about not knowing many of the folks requesting to connect to me and it implications for social media effectiveness (sorry, I'm in a contrarian mood today).  Jay Deragon posted on why people connect with people.

There are three main reasons why people spend time finding other people. These are:

   1. Business purposes
   2. Social purposes
   3. Private purposes

Each purpose has an objective and it takes people and processes to accomplish objectives, regardless of purpose. We live in a global community and as the Wall Street article suggest “You’re Nobody Unless Your Name Googles Well“. The social web, and related technologies, is creating a seamlessly connected world of people and things aimed at different purposes and possibilities yet to be discovered.

I agree with the three purposes Jay outlines.  I still submit that we have not yet realized the value intrinsic in making connections with "unknowns" and that it remains to be seen if we will.  I also agree that we live in a Global community and that I guess the reason folks connect with strangers is to see if indeed a new connection in their lives  are possible... heck, how do we meet new folks if we don't try to connect with them? That's the issue I am having though.  I am all for new connections and I'm all for expanding networks... but I see so many folks connecting to build a big network with no intention of using that network.  I'm guilty of some of this myself.  I'm going to stop though because its a waste of time unless leveraged.


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