In part ten of a series of conversations exploring the state of social media, Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo (@26dottwo) and I speculate on the future of social networks.
Social networking as it exists today is not scalable nor is it representative of how social beings connect and engage. We are complex individuals we are defined by what we share, consume, and to whom we connect. Our social graphs are woven with the fabrics of our interests, passions, and relations. One update does not resonate across the social graph. Networks will evolve to match content to context and allow us to seamlessly connect relevant information and people based on frames of reference and subjects.
This series was filmed at the new video studio at KickLabs SF where I spend time as an entrepreneur in residence.
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I think because we are so complex and as you wrote “one update does not resonate across the social graph” this is why its so important to find your niche and cater to them. In order to resonate with someone they must relate to you.
Thanks Kyle…yes!
Do you really feel that social media is violating privacy? I agree that we're inclined to be less conservative with our personal details, and people are rapidly learning that they need to moderate their opinions online, but is this really any different than chatting at the water cooler?
Privacy online is very interesting. Only now we begin to see it as a whole, like we've seen personalities in real life, and social media is kind of linking our different sides of personality as one. We who have been here for many many years, have to take what it brings. In good and in bad. I recently decided not even try to smooth my 'brand' as it's impossible, and actually I feel very free to be what I am. No regrets, no secrets, take it or leave it. But I try to be very careful what to publish about other people, as that is also a huge problem here. Trying to keep in mind how to respect others' privacy, as it anyway should always be oneself who decides about it. Then the responsibility belongs to the one who also carries the consequences.
Thank you for excellent blogs.
Sanni
You made a good point on privacy and how companies and schools look at social networks before they inlist or hire a person and as you said: “people get fired of what they share online”. But these are things of what a person does in his own time.. One becomes pretty biased because of checking someones Facebook page or what they Tweet. That means one cannot post everything they would like to… self censorship..Point : we like to share with friends… but companies or schools should not judge on what future personel/ students do in their free time, maybe they miss out on grade A students or future member of the board… Were do we draw a line or do you think we “willingly” give up on our privacy?
I suppose there's a balance on both sides that we need to discover and embrace. I wonder however, if at some point, we will create separate “public” profiles that are curated to offer a “social” resume of sorts until the world finds an equilibrium.
Privacy? What's privacy?
We definitely agree that we will need to master setting boundaries. Social media is kind of like a new parent that will learn by trial and error how to condition appropriate behavior. It seems as though American users are not too concerned about it, though other countries definitely appreciate the gravity of the matter. A friend of ours in Spain is 27 and a lawyer specializing in digital privacy law. It's a big market over there.
Thanks for the quality vids! We just came across your site today and are subscribing riiiiigghtt….now.
that was great and all but it was not about video as the social network of the future which is what the headline led me to believe. not that this was a video and it was about the future of social networking which i now realize is what you meant.
Thanks Brian – you're dead right that “we” are the last generation to hold traditional cultural values around the notion of privacy. We value privacy traditionally because it gives us a way to take control of our immediate and distanced social spaces.
This value can be seen as a currency, metaphorically – and the new values of privacy should also have a economic/social currency which would provide a way of measuring our investment in social networks. I think Google has already negotiated a part of this through its personal search, which is a new domain where we agree to give up a part of our private (online) lives in return for information that is more relevant, timely and useful.
Some thoughtful people in this space have already raised the idea of a very basic monetary value – we will be rewarded financially by giving up more of our private lives, thoughts and beliefs. I'm not so sure that will work in the long term as all “commodities” are drained of commercial value over time.
The idea of multiple online selves similarly does not have long-term benefit, whereas the idea of a less individual, separate and often disconnected self that now exists online through sharing openly, surely has great benefits.
Two things would help this: “sharing convergence” of all the social network platforms, which is happening, and a redefinition of the ethics of personality. By that I mean we have to be more accepting, less judgemental of behaviours. A crude example might that I, as a potential employer, would miss the chance of a lifetime to hire a person who would add enormous value to my company, because I saw their Facebook page that had images and thoughts I consider “professionally unacceptable”.
Interesting post. I understand the issue of the privacy, especially what concerns kids and etc, but I think moving to more open environment and society, that what social media is really about. I agree that one wrong update can change a lot of things and being conscious about this fact might decrease creativity (because thinking too much about what you are doing), but on another side I think it solves a problem, it opens an opportunity to be yourself. In business terms, it's kind of “Love it or Hate it” scenario, the business can't be nice to everyone and I don't think it's worth trying to be nice to everyone, convincing that you are right may take much more time than gaining new customers. Moreover, I think just it simplifies life in general – one personality for everyone; we can see that it's coming with personal branding initiatives and etc. But I don't think there is a rigt answer to this topic as matching the content to audience, might be a soliution for future social networks, but FB is doing this already (with the help of publishing to your certin friends lists), doesn't seem too many people are using this option thought, it takes time to do that as well. Well it’s an interesting subject and it got me really thinking, will have to write a proper answer with a blog post tomorrow.