Connected

I’ve fired up my much neglected Facebook and updated my LinkedIn.

Boy, did I gather up a whole bunch of new people!  With Facebook, it’s friends and new activity buddies (like Thrill the World people).  With LinkedIn, some long lost coworkers and recent connections.

I personally haven’t used my LinkedIn to full potential, I’m sure.  The Former DemiBoss is a true goddess when it comes to these things.  She’s a real connector in person and that carries into her life in the social media.

I used to really hate it when people say, “I’m glad we could connect,” or “Let us connect later.”

*shudder*

I like the word.  I like what it does.  Connect.  It’s a good thing.  But when it becomes a buzz word for the business world, it loses a bit of magic.

I like to keep in touch with people.  I like to know what is up to with them.  For example, if I hadn’t been sifting through my list, I wouldn’t have found out a former colleague just had her baby in July, or that a spouse of the lady I befriended while at a training class had won an Emmy.

Knowing that people I know are doing well makes me happy.  It makes me truly appreciate the power of the internet to connect people from all over.  Something I couldn’t have done 10 years ago.

Some folks in the business world work the connections because they want to get something.  They want to “connect” because they want to drop the names.  They want to “connect” so they can ask for what they want.  They want to “connect” to get something.

A former coworker (/wave hi you!)  dropped me a pearl of wisdom that works even out of the context of the conversation we were having.

Two kinds of people in the world, Oakley.  The ones who ask, “What’s in it for me?” and the ones who ask, “What can I do to help?”

Obviously, I’m the “What can I do to help?” kind.  Therefore the “What’s in it for me?” folks bug the crap out of me.

Link me so I can USE you down the road for something.

I hate that.

Is there a point to this post?  Not really.  Just venting, I guess.

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