Over a year ago, my friend Darren Herman wrote a post about the social networks Facebook and LinkedIn colliding. I saw this happening on a small scale at the time but not on the major scale it is now. I now have clients, MBA classmates, colleagues, friends, family, Michael Phelps, dogs, cats, etc. all in one place! This is NOT why I signed up for Facebook! I signed up because I wanted to have easier access to my family as well as friends of past and present. Also, when I was single, I could see if that girl I just met was crazy or not. Anyway, like Darren, I wanted a place that I could keep in touch with real people or friends that I’ve actually met.
I have another acquaintance Ryan Coleman, a successful entrepreneur, that runs NextForce and argues (in short) that it shouldn’t matter what picture, videos, etc. are on your site because if your culture lines up with a prospective employer’s culture, then it’s all “gravy.” I agree and disagree with him, and this is where my aggravation with Facebook comes into play.
Gen-Y understands Facebook…the new business networkers (largely Gen-X and beyond) do not understand it beyond having an electronic organizer. I can tell they don’t get it because they have no picture or one, most likely from their company website, and then there is nothing else on their Facebook page. People are becoming scared to put things up about themselves. I have friends looking for jobs that feel the need to take down their walls, delist their relationship status and disassociate themselves with groups their passionate about. I don’t blame them. I would do the same…now.
Facebook is about to become LinkedIn Part 2. It’s going to become a contact tool instead of a place to share things. Facebook isn’t going to be the only one dying off. This cycle will repeat until a solution is found. Maybe an invite-only Ning is the way to go or the ever-elusive ASW. Maybe Web 3.0 is all about tagging people as entities or degrees of separation. i.e. Darren Herman (email, facebook, linkedin, mobile, AIM, in-person) or Ryan Coleman (email, facebook, mobile).
Gen-Y is still another 10 years from being the majority in hiring roles. Until then, I can’t fully buy into Ryan’s way of thinking.
BTW, ONLY add me to Facebook here if you meet any of the following criteria:
1) I have no idea who you are.
2) You have 1 or 0 pictures of yourself up.
3) You are reading my blog for the first time.
