My friend, Kate Carruthers, has a great blog post up in which she draws the analogy between those touting social networks as the next great place to make money and the Bible story of Jesus and the money-changers. She says:
I hate this approach to social networks. To me they are community gathering places not centres of commerce. Sure asking people to take social or charitable action fits in. But commercial exercises feel very unnatural.
Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!
Until less than two years ago, I very much doubt I had professionally met someone whose job was explicitly marketing or advertising. Let alone met them in the context of a social network and our collective engagement in it.
I am beyond over the cynical exhortations of those who believe using social networks will make them popular or rich or sell their amazing new product. This despite some in the marketing industry who believe that what people like me say supports their position or has value to them.
Let’s stop thinking about using social networks to sell stuff! Rather, let’s use them to create, build and nurture powerful, connected, creative and engaged communities that help each other, that bring humanity to the connections made there, and, if we’re using them for business, at least have a modicum of altruism about them and consider being of use to the customers of that business rather than sucking additional dollars from them.
Of course, it’s not everyone doing this. Some are thinking and doing what Kate and I consider the right thing. If that’s you, please keep doing it. And tell people what you think.
The sooner the money-changers are banished from the temple, the better.
