O is for Online, not Owned.

For the past couple of weeks, I've been hearing, reading (accosted at every turn) by professional profiles of people who 'own' this business or that website.

At the risk of sounding a little crochety, I can't help thinking, 'stop with the spin already' and just tell me what you really want to say.  Because you're a single operator, working with and for yourself (and maybe a virtual assistant) and the idea that you 'own' your online business or media production company is a bit like me saying, I own my blog.

No, I possess a password which provides me with privileged access to a self-constructed profile created using open source software (blogger), which for the moment remains FOC, although could at any time (and without any prior warning) disappear from the indexed face of the world wide web.

Besides, isn't 'owning' a piece of the www a little like laying claim to a piece of George Street, just because you rent offices there? Maybe I'm missing the point, but while ownership was once a sign (and still is for some) a measure of success, online is about engagement, interactivity and laying claim to a cyber-territory or 'community' rather than owning a piece of paper, renting offices and installing a 'director of first impressions' to make you 'look the part'.

Online, stake your claim, but be yourself.  Transparency is key, or at least it should be.

Afterall, the 'Western web' is housed in approximately seven (7) primary locations and we don't have access to the much larger 'Eastern web' we that lies behind 'The Great Firewall of China'.

So the idea of 'owning' anything online seems a little ludicrous in the extreme, doesn't it...?

Netiquette

I consider access to my network a privilege. To de-friend once is excusable.
Just as they are in person, stumbles in the online social sphere are to be expected and assisted. That is how we learn afterall. But a little word of warning re: the defriend: STOP.

Take time to consider how your actions could be interpreted...

Imagine for a moment, the Australian Wallabies have just played the All Blacks in Hong Kong and you're an expat living in Hong Kong. Because of your high profile in Asian banking you are invited (along with a 100 other corporates) to the official after-match function with both teams.

Now this is an exciting prospect for you, because not only do you as an individual get to indulge your great love of a game you used to play, quite well and actually speak to the top professionals doing what you tried but never could, you also have an invaluable opportunity to schmooze with like-minded individuals in a safe environment, free from prying media eyes - a so called private public space - if you will. You also have a potential client along for the ride who is suitably impressed just by having access to this world they consider is yours.

Now walk away from that potential client and go talk to someone else in the room.

You just defriended your potential lead. What effect do you think that will have on your business relationship?

Then imagine you are the potential client who just got de-friended. How does it feel? And more importantly, what do you think of that high profile banker? Do you want to nurture a relationship (business or otherwise) them?

Now I've had people of all ages tell me they use de-friend as a way of cleaning out their inbox, managing their contacts and for getting rid of the 'deadwood'. Then you look at their profiles and you see they have over 1000 'friends'. Really? A thousand of your closest buddies. Wow, birthday celebrations would get expensive!

But seriously, I use this point to highlight the role of considered action in online social networking communities like facebook.com - especially as it increasingly seems to be converging with the stated business network for professionals - www.linkedin.com where deleting someone as a contact - usually results in a passive aggressive phone call 'wanting to catch up'.

So, whether you are a whet behind the ears graduate or a bonafide dinosaur of the corporate world, take the time to STOP and CONSIDER the social networking IMPLICATIONS of a CLICK.

If you think it's appropriate to use and abuse connections, then the de-friend is your tool of choice. Conversely, if you are being used or abused by a connection within your community, then you have the right to extricate yourself from that abuse.

I prefer to associate with like-minded, well-mannered individuals and groups so whether it is in work or in play, for me, netiquette is a primary expectation.

So just like the ubiquitous global mass media space, community networks such as facebook, twitter and linkedin while increasingly convergent spaces, belonging to them remains a privilege not a right and social grace and poise valued assets.

Think twice before de-friending or conversely, being a little more selective who you 'friend'.

Random Thought: danah boyd

While the technological features are consistent, cultures that emerge around Social Networking sites (SNSs) are varied...

Nothing surprising there, right...?

This got me thinking...
What are the technological features that are consistent?
What is culture as opposed to a culture?
How does 'culture' manifest/ replicate on SNSs?
Is it significant for marketers, public relations practioners, journalists, organisations and individuals in general?