Why are advertising social networks so dysfunctional?
1. Why do the vast majority of the people in these networks end up as lurkers? Most of the people in our network do not actively or consistently participate.
2. Why don’t these networks attract more people from our business? Social networks attract just a minuscule fraction of the entire population of the people working in our industry.
3. Why do only a few people out of the total population have anything to say? We are in the communication business, why don’t we know how to communicate with each other?
4. Why do only a few people out of the total population actively post or comment on other people’s posts or profiles? There are thousands of members, but only a few posts with a few comments.
5. Why do only a few people out of the total population make friends or network in a social network of their peers?
6. Why do only a few people out of the total population stay, while most just stop by for a while, then move on, or rarely check in from time to time?
7. Real life operates one way, and virtual life operates another, why is that? For example, in real life when you say hi to someone, or welcome someone, or make the first move to speak with someone, they will usually respond to you. Not true here. People will often avoid contact in a social network after they have been approached. So why do they come to a social network in the first place?
8. Are most of the people in our business really that boring, or have nothing to say?
9. Are most of the people in our business really that shy or rude?
10. Are most of the people in our business really that unfriendly towards each other, envious of each other, intimidated by each other, not care about each other, or are afraid of each other?
11. Are most of the people in our business really that fucked up?
(Help me out here folks, please. I can’t figure this out??????????)
2. Why don’t these networks attract more people from our business? Social networks attract just a minuscule fraction of the entire population of the people working in our industry.
3. Why do only a few people out of the total population have anything to say? We are in the communication business, why don’t we know how to communicate with each other?
4. Why do only a few people out of the total population actively post or comment on other people’s posts or profiles? There are thousands of members, but only a few posts with a few comments.
5. Why do only a few people out of the total population make friends or network in a social network of their peers?
6. Why do only a few people out of the total population stay, while most just stop by for a while, then move on, or rarely check in from time to time?
7. Real life operates one way, and virtual life operates another, why is that? For example, in real life when you say hi to someone, or welcome someone, or make the first move to speak with someone, they will usually respond to you. Not true here. People will often avoid contact in a social network after they have been approached. So why do they come to a social network in the first place?
8. Are most of the people in our business really that boring, or have nothing to say?
9. Are most of the people in our business really that shy or rude?
10. Are most of the people in our business really that unfriendly towards each other, envious of each other, intimidated by each other, not care about each other, or are afraid of each other?
11. Are most of the people in our business really that fucked up?
(Help me out here folks, please. I can’t figure this out??????????)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Diana Oyaga on -
this says that most of the people either just join a network but don't participate or just view and read stuff... that means that at least there is a lot of traffic but if what adgabber wants is for people to participate and for all of us to exchange valuable information this must become a site specifically for people who want to participate. Lurkers begone.. or join in the fun.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hollingsworth on -
Perhaps part of the issue is that people tend to get stuck in a conversation. The 25 pages of comments for this question (and a fine question it is) might imply that even those who participate are part of the reason for the dysfunctional nature of social networks, especially the smaller ones.
Buddy posted this question over 3 months ago and we are still discussing it. I don't know if that displays dysfunction that can be focused specifically on advertising networks, but at the same time, it's a bit obsessive.
I haven't been participating as much as I'd have liked to as of late (I've simply been to busy), but stagnation is dangerous for any environment such as this. Perhaps the continuation of the same conversation creates lurkers.
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Permalink Reply by Buddy 'Friendly' Wachenheimer on
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Getting stuck usually means looking for a way to get unstuck. Is that obsessive OR just practical? Stagnation only happens to those who refuse to get unstuck, no?
Perhaps the continuation of this question means no answers have been found?
No good solutions have been given?
That these are very important questions that need to be addressed, until they are addressed?
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hollingsworth on
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Perhaps. But the question that you posed is not one with a clear cut, yes-no answer. It's rhetorical, it has no specific solution. There are no clear cut answers.
You want answers, I'll give you answers.
1. Because some people are introverted and fear rejection.
2. Because people are still skeptical of this medium, and equate the term social network with MySpace and Facebook only.
3. Because not everyone is comfortable voicing their opinions in an arena that they cannot control.
4. See #1,2,3. Oh and because some people join, decide it's not for them and never come back.
5. See 1-4
6. See 1-4
7. Because in the virtual world you don't have to make eye contact with that person, it's much easier to virtually ignore people.
8. Neither, they're just not necessarily contributing to this space.
9. Not in my experience, but I can only judge our "business" by my own experience.
10. Possibly. We exist in a competitive space where the winner gets the spoils. Most of the time the boss gets the bonus, not the guy doing the grunt work.
11. Most people in all businesses are that fucked up, that's what adversarial systems do.
There, those are answers. Are they right, I don't know. They make sense to me, but they're only opinions. That's the problem with rhetoric, there is no end to it.
I'm not trying to imply that they are not important questions, they are, but they are questions that have no clear answers, only opinions that we choose whether or not we agree with.
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Nice Greg! See that wasn't so hard was it? Thanks pal ;)
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Permalink Reply by Diana Oyaga on
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well I think that we could find solutions such as doing some kind of a IN-BLOG campaign to get people to participate, give us their opinions, teach us something...
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Interesting, show me a sample would you, Diana?
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Permalink Reply by Ben Watson on -
Buddy inciting a riot...I concur with everyone's reasons for doing what they do, so let's give peace a chance!
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Ben, riots are fun. They're a riot.
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Permalink Reply by Diana Oyaga on
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ok what I think is that we should have ads in pictures and video if possible selling adgabber to its members and inviting them to participate, and also could be some kind of a contest... I don't know much about designing internet advertising but I could try if we agree.
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Permalink Reply by J.S. Gilbert on
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Perhaps we could force people to participate.
Let's start by getting some of the people who signed up and then never bothered to come back and check out any answers to their posts. We simply have some of their family members removed from their beds during the night.
The we let out the word - participating in AdGabber is a "good" thing.
I'm pretty sure however if we put it to a vote, somebody, probably Buddy will bring up the old "electrodes to testicles" approach, which I personally find cliche and dated.
Or we could just raise the price of gas so high that people will have no choice but to stay home and party on social sites. Of course the Bush adminstration is already working that little plan.
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Shuuuuuuuuuu, keep that quiet.
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