The Obvious?

Top two hits on Google

"One click away from danger"

The title of this post is the tag line of a trailer for this Monday's Panorama which is yet another scare story from "trusted" BBC journalists about kids and social networking sites.

The one click I am making less and less is the one that turns my TV on!

The map is not the territory

It has just dawned on me that there are two reasons that I get a nervous tick every time anyone mentions social network analysis.

Image © www.eriding.net

The first is because the activity is invariably couched in terms of one group - managers, the business - mapping the relationships of everyone else - the people prepared to open up and use the social tools in the first place.

The second is because they seek to make explicit something that is much better left implicit. We can all work out what the network is and where the good guys are from the using the tools and inhabiting the environments they create without having to have it drawn out for us.

If I felt that someone else was mapping my conversions and the relationships they represented - and wasn't prepared to have the same done to them, I would soon stop talking.

Something to hide?

I have always felt that those who express most concern about online indiscretions had something to hide themselves and were projecting their fears onto others. Earl Mardle in a comment to a previous post puts it well:

And while online indiscretions may be a problem, among the upcoming generation those who have polished, indiscretion-free online personas will NOT be trusted because they not only have something to hide like everyone else, they are too good at doing it.

Making a difference

If you've lived and learned, there are probably people here who could benefit from your wisdom. Don't keep it all locked up inside your head - share it with others who might benefit from hearing how you've handled something, managed something or achieved something.

Horsesmouth

I guess a lot of people will have made new year's resolutions and many of those will have involved helping others in one way or another. A very direct way to help others is to pass on experience and wisdom often gained through struggle and hard work.

I have been advising Horsesmouth on and off over the past few years and have mentioned them here before but I wanted to point to their newly revamped site again today as it seemed timely to do so.