Finding the sort of elusive connection that is normally the domain of plain dumb luck is, of course, the promise of social networking.  But if you spend any time on social networking sites, you seldom find it works the way you thought you know it would work.

Most sites offer quantity over quality which is the "buzz" about growing your network, followers, or contacts. 

The problem is that most of us don't know how to use these mediums of a global web when we have a question or need input from the right people.

Are these questions hard to find the answer to or the right people hard to track down?  No.  But until you start to work within each social media port, you may just run circles in chit chat and whiner forums. 

Needless to say, until the RE community view social networking in the same view as the MLS, most will continue to play catch up on the proper use of each medium for marketing and self promotional structures.

The RE community will benefit with these forums in return for giving something up.  The sacrifice is up to each, but the ones who work on the edge will run when the rest are walking. 

The drawback to social networking is the transparency is demands.  People are just not thrilled about giving up privacy in their business and their personal lives.

Well I just want to say "GET A GRIP". 

I have argued in my posts before with some over the importance of the social media that has taken global command.   And I will make the ride through town with the Revere cry "The echo boomers are coming, the echo boomers are coming".  Yes they are coming and they are addicted to all social formats and the web.

*note*  Please understand that intelligent social tools, no matter how smart they get will sometimes fail to solve the problems they are meant to answer.  That is because despite all the emphasis we tend to place these days on online activity, many of the most efficient people still complete a lot of their work the old fashioned way, phone calls, handshakes, meetings, or cold calls. 

In the future you will be judged by the technology tools and personal interaction in your "facebook" along with just plain dumb luck.      

Maverick Rules!