Alright, I’ve had it.
The next person who posts a ‘Top xxxxx on Twitter’ or “Top Social Media blah blah blah” is getting kicked.
Hard.
We’ve gotten to the point of anointing Prom Kings and Queens and much like high school, I’m over it.
Let me explain, and I will use Twitter as the example because it’s the easiest and one of the most widely used social media platforms:
Twitter is much like a cocktail party. A very big cocktail party. With all sorts of people in the same room, talking to each other, talking to their martini glasses, talking to no one in particular. Everyone came to the party without an invite, and for a different reason.
Some people show up to network. It’s good for business.
Some people show up to make sure you know all about their new product.
Some people show up to just hang out and chat.
Some people show up simply for the free booze.
Some people show up because their partner or spouse dragged them along.
It’s a social setting. We chat about kids and work and what we’re doing at any given moment. In one corner of the party I’m talking to business associates and we’re making deals, at the end of the room I’ve run into my cousin and we’re catching up on family matters. Right in the middle of the party and over by the bar I find a bunch of my girlfriends and we’re going to cackle and crack jokes and watch a hockey game.
Now imaging waking up the next morning from that cocktail party to find your social skills rated and your name on or off a list. Your social actions judged, critiqued, and analyzed by others. Your friendships and how you maintain them left for public comment.
It would never happen.
Why? It’s rude and totally poor etiquette.
I know of no other medium where a public assessment of your cocktail party networking successes, failures, and friendships were listed and ranked.
In fact, I’ve been to many a party and there was no score-sheet after on who worked the room better than anyone else. Relationships were not analyzed and then discussed by s0-called “experts.”
Sure, we might whisper about it over the water cooler the next day, but we’re certainly not going to rank you for all the world to see next to your colleagues, family, or friends.
At what point did gossiping about who’s the coolest Prom King and Queen become a “marketing tool” and considered anything other than RUDE?
Why are we talking about the people who are talking? Where is the value in that? Why are we measuring who can work a room better, when everyone in that room does NOT have the same motives?
I realize social media isn’t always mainstream, but our basic culture has not changed. People like to party and foster relationships for whatever reason strikes them that day. I find no value in playing arm-chair quarterback after the party is over and airing the social ineptitude or grace of my circle of friends.
It is not socially acceptable to rank your relationships. Nor is it socially acceptable to rank the relationships of others.
Find me the industry analysts that quantify what that golf-game between several CEO’s did and I’ll give you your “lists.” Find me the publication that ranks the top _fill-in-the-blank_ professional and how well they “do lunch” and I’ll concede the talkers talking about all the talking have value.
Right now, I see no value. Only opportunists.
Rude ones, at that.
