A Month In Review – Web huh? Social what?

I started this blog a month ago, and  I find myself talking to people more and more about Web 2.0 and social tools, and asking people what their thoughts are on the topic.  To my honest surprise, most people look at me and go Web huh? Social what?

I surround myself with smart people, people that I like and respect a lot, but the look on their faces is one of confusion and wonderment as I try to justify my hours spent and my passion on the topic.

The response from most people is the same.  Social networking… yeah my kids spend too much time on Facebook, what a waste of time.  I am too busy to spend time on the computer, I have too many important things to do, there are too many social tools out there to use, etc…

Translation = I don’t understand what Web 2.0 means.  I am comfortable with not knowing, and I don’t want to change.

My response to my friends and family:  The whole concept of Web 2.0 and social tools allow you to create an online presence and share your passions with other people who have similar passions.  It allows you to connect and build a network of people that you would have never otherwise met, and connecting with these people increases your knowledge and passion for what  you are sharing in the first place.  It is a tremendous tool for personal learning and growth.

And for the business aspect (This is a much harder connection for people to make):

Social tools in the workplace engage employees and cultivate a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing –

Finding information you need to complete a project quickly.
Collaborating with colleagues across the country with a wiki.
Replying to your CEO’s weekly blog, and feeling like you are being heard.
Locating the right person to ask your question, and help solve your problem, even if you have never talked to this person before and they sit 2000 km’s away.

I jumped into it, because I stumbled across a couple people online that I found interesting.  This led me to more and more information and people.  It has changed the way I look at engineering and business processes at work.

And I recognize that my time online is valuable to me because I am growing, learning and changing!