socialmedian: Be a Real Friend to Your Social Networking "Friends"

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Be a Real Friend to Your Social Networking "Friends"

Source: louisgray.com

Nov 08, 2008

Summary

Not every single contact you make online is somebody you would want to spend time with in real life. While you might be following thousands of people and making new "friends" on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, FriendFeed and all the other networks, you would likely hesitate before sending them an open invitation to your home. But I've personally seen many examples of people I've known online crossing the chasm and operating in the world once reserved for classmates, colleagues, fellow church members and family. What might have started out as a casual acquaintance, or connection through similar interests can easily transform to one where you can connect in a more personal way.

The debate of labeling such a contact a "friend" is not new. Mark Dykeman, in a post on Mashable, asked in September, Is a Social Media Friend Really a Friend?, asking, "Would you trust a social media friend with your money? Your home? Your significant other? Your children? Your life?"

The answer of course is not uniform. Each example listed above has a certain weight of importance, and impli ...Read the full article

Comments (2)

Gbnetx,

Nov 08, 2008

I'm sure I've had this happen elsewhere, but I had a meeting just the other night with someone with whom I have interacted on social networks yet never met in person. This was a business meeting and nothing intimate was really revealed, I feel we built from a strong base already created online.

Emmravalimanana,

Nov 09, 2008

Talking to different people is amazing because everybody can talk and discuss to the various of subjects. And, it's not difficult having real friends to any different networking. It depends on how we define the Friend. For me, a friend is anyone with who I wish sharing interesting thoughts but it is not systematically a Lovely one with who I want spending time in life. I have friends from different networking for exchanging different cultures: language, foods, fashion, news, .....
I have differents friends for businesses too but I have no intimate with. About intimate, it so great if 2 people sharing really the most same things, most compatibility, most complementarity to everything. It so nice taking time to know on what we are really want to see to a partner because we couldn't change partner everytime! It based on real LOVE. To Social Media, is Friend is Really a Friend? After my Friend definition, I have a great and real friend!