Intimidated By Social Media
The new hype in the cybersphere is if you are a member of a social media network. It used to be if you have an email. Now if one isn't a facebooker fan or a twitter bird, you are considered uncool, out of touch and old fashion.
So it seems the more social network you are a member of, like those days one's social status is the number of clubs you belong to, the more it reflect you techie status or web status.
These days too, the more fitness club you are a member of, you receive recognition as a health freak or addict which is supposed to be good for you like you keep in ship shape, a healthy body which will turn heads. Nothing is mentioned about the mental health though as there are many with the superman profile but mental ability of two face or the joker personality that will turn you off.
Just as the number of clubs you belong or fitness club you are a member, the number of social media network you are a fan or member has no correlation to how technie, sociable or popular or connected you are with the rest of mankind.
Let's be honest how may fans in one's social network are really friends of our understanding of friends. They are more 'toch n go' kind of faceless people. One cannot be sure if the profile is anything genuine at all. Most likely the profile info is the person one's imagine one is rather than the real you!
But thoae in social media think they have become a very powerful and invincible pressure group and lay claim to several mega success of late. The most notable or rather fashionable these past weeks is bringing down governments, dictators are most vulnerable and seem the past times of social media people who have genuine concerns or grouses or have so much time on their hands to participate in cyber protests.
Not so long back, the facebook or FB blog was buzzing when one fbooker started to blog and accuse an organisation for doing nothing or coming to the aid of a public member who was hurt in the premises. There was also a case a friend related! where s omeone passed out and was twittered which soon got into FB chats and other social media network.
The odd thing is the fello who fb it was complaining of slow and unhelpful staff in handling such situation but one can ask, why didn't you do anything as you were there! Odd this person had time to twitter and chat about it but didn't think of chucking away the mobile and give assistance since he was right where the action happened! Seems the company felt so intimidated by the fb chat that they were pushing panic button how to deal with fb chats or social media network.
It is agreeable that organisations need to pay attention to social media because they get the quickest to a face to face or email or letter complain or complement of customers using their business. Having to monitor social networks, one come across customers sending in even pictures of supposedly lazy staff and even describing their relaxing attitude from rather graphic feedback of 'picking the nose to the staff on fb'!
The fans in a social network are a powerful force and companies who ignore the influence and power of social network do so at their own peril! The events in the Middle East is an example how the bloke behind a pc tapping away is able to bring down dictators and despots.
And with only a cheap pc, sensitive sites have been hacked and compromised. Money stolen, trade secrets exposed and personal information exposed.
The new weapon of opposition and dissent are no more the marches on streets though this is still the most potent. The ammunition to light up or rather add a diverse section of society to participate in bodily protests now is the internet via social networks that are more powerful than the militia, secret service or thugs who attack peaceful gatherings. Even trying to switch off the network only serve to spark more dissent!
The weekend articles devote considerable attention to social network and their influence in the Middle East events. Even social media influence has resulte! d in a b an for university students participating in campus elections.
Given the empowerment those in social network feel they have, the question is are they really real power? What's the point of chatting and twittering about one's disgruntlement when it doesn't move the fbooker and chatter to action. Like the fello who complained noone came to the aid of the fello in front of him who was hurt but didn't think it to lend a hand! Seems during the course of the chatting, none of those in the chat ever thought of questioning why that fello didn't do anything in the first place!
It points to the concern that the social network community are rather closed knit, which means close minded to alternative views or opinions becoz they tend to be gregarious in their response as their friends or fan books are those who share commonness right? So you defend your friends and fans' views right?
It'S also pointless to bookmark blogs or join groups that only share one's political views and what note, if you don't take the trouble to register as a voter and go out and vote when it matters!
"Who do these bloggers, chatters, fbookers or twitter folks think they are trying to pin point every detail of our service and making comments. Don't they have a life? Are they even our customers in the first place that we spend so much time to 'correct' their bias chats," are some of the common feedback from those who are in charge of social media network. Which points to the wrong use of social media by the companies in the first place.
Some companies think that by jumping on say the FB bandwagon they are in tune with their customers and in fashion with them. It means they did not understand why FB was set up for? They have turned it into a complaints resolution medium which should be taken care of by their call centre, no?
And those who are FB addicts think they know about FB and why the company should also have a FB page!
Should we be intimidated by social media? Everyone seems to be an expe! rt in so cial media just because they have 1001 fans or have fans that have names like 1Malaysia or Bieber they know somebody and they become somebody important? Some friends have fan names as 'sexypussy' and 'evilone' and any badguy movie name is also on the list. What does it reflect them or their friends?
Why be intimidated? is my reaction whenever people get worked up by a response in the social media website. Those who give you 80% of your company's profit are most likey not fbooking or chatting but out there working to earn money and spend on your compnany's products most likely. If you seem to get the same fello always chatting in your facebook, he or she ain't working or a small timer tying to impress you he or she is someone important that you need to respond immediately to earn his millions sale to you huh?
As yourself, do those who spend millinos want to respond to you on your facebook? If they do either your company don't value client's confidentiality or invest in hiring people to give what is the word we use 'relationship personnel' to take care of every whims and fancies' of your million ringgit client, huh?
Noone say to ignore social media. Embrace it by all means, but to be intimidated by it and now think they are the new overlords that have the power to ruin you even if they are not your customers is not using social media to your advantage.
If any social media addict claims he or she is speaking the truth, he is mistaken because there will be anti-thesis to what ever view one gives right?
There is truth that not everything is believable when reported in cyberspace though it also applies to any written, printed or spoken word. Social media just expects us to respond instantaneously.
But to expect one to believe you hasn't change either with or without social media. Take for example, those who are sceptical of the government will adopt the same attitude no matter what channel the government tries to explain its policies or counter any unfavourable views. ! It's jus t that in cyberworld, you are able to gauge the climate of an issue and get some sense of who is with or against you. And humans being gregarious and when they think they have enough numbers who share their views will most likely join in a call for action. After all, we are social animals and have been taught the 'united we stand, divided we fall'.
Which may give weight to that 1001 fans in your facebook that they can be put to good use provided they share a commonality of an issue, be it the service at the counter, or those provided by the civil service or even the behaviour of politicians and governments.
So whether we accept it or not, social media can be an intimidating force, if we are unable to learn the lessons where social media had a role or understand what social media can do and how it impacts the live of those who are members. Even if one sets up a gossip blog, and BolehLand being Bolehland where everything under the cloud or moon is politicised, the faceless fbooker or twitter is a little ripple in the sea of fans.
And when ripples, gather and gain strength it can turn into one tsunami, right? Now isn't that one reason why there is this rush to police the net and social media and come up with laws and issue warnings by the government. As well as leaders reminding us suddenly we are different from the Middle East when all the times one thought the religion was the common factor where BolehLand likes to impose on this land. And leaders probably asking the MSMedia to downplay the similarity of social media influence and to try and dissociate the Middle East events as very dissimilar and would never happen in BolehLand.
But don't the Middle East fellos are also FB and twitter fans and addicts like our BolehLand folks too, huh?
So who is fearful and intimidated by social media? The companies, the schools, university, political parties, politicians or government of the day?
So it seems the more social network you are a member of, like those days one's social status is the number of clubs you belong to, the more it reflect you techie status or web status.
These days too, the more fitness club you are a member of, you receive recognition as a health freak or addict which is supposed to be good for you like you keep in ship shape, a healthy body which will turn heads. Nothing is mentioned about the mental health though as there are many with the superman profile but mental ability of two face or the joker personality that will turn you off.
Just as the number of clubs you belong or fitness club you are a member, the number of social media network you are a fan or member has no correlation to how technie, sociable or popular or connected you are with the rest of mankind.
Let's be honest how may fans in one's social network are really friends of our understanding of friends. They are more 'toch n go' kind of faceless people. One cannot be sure if the profile is anything genuine at all. Most likely the profile info is the person one's imagine one is rather than the real you!
But thoae in social media think they have become a very powerful and invincible pressure group and lay claim to several mega success of late. The most notable or rather fashionable these past weeks is bringing down governments, dictators are most vulnerable and seem the past times of social media people who have genuine concerns or grouses or have so much time on their hands to participate in cyber protests.
Not so long back, the facebook or FB blog was buzzing when one fbooker started to blog and accuse an organisation for doing nothing or coming to the aid of a public member who was hurt in the premises. There was also a case a friend related! where s omeone passed out and was twittered which soon got into FB chats and other social media network.
The odd thing is the fello who fb it was complaining of slow and unhelpful staff in handling such situation but one can ask, why didn't you do anything as you were there! Odd this person had time to twitter and chat about it but didn't think of chucking away the mobile and give assistance since he was right where the action happened! Seems the company felt so intimidated by the fb chat that they were pushing panic button how to deal with fb chats or social media network.
It is agreeable that organisations need to pay attention to social media because they get the quickest to a face to face or email or letter complain or complement of customers using their business. Having to monitor social networks, one come across customers sending in even pictures of supposedly lazy staff and even describing their relaxing attitude from rather graphic feedback of 'picking the nose to the staff on fb'!
The fans in a social network are a powerful force and companies who ignore the influence and power of social network do so at their own peril! The events in the Middle East is an example how the bloke behind a pc tapping away is able to bring down dictators and despots.
And with only a cheap pc, sensitive sites have been hacked and compromised. Money stolen, trade secrets exposed and personal information exposed.
The new weapon of opposition and dissent are no more the marches on streets though this is still the most potent. The ammunition to light up or rather add a diverse section of society to participate in bodily protests now is the internet via social networks that are more powerful than the militia, secret service or thugs who attack peaceful gatherings. Even trying to switch off the network only serve to spark more dissent!
The weekend articles devote considerable attention to social network and their influence in the Middle East events. Even social media influence has resulte! d in a b an for university students participating in campus elections.
Given the empowerment those in social network feel they have, the question is are they really real power? What's the point of chatting and twittering about one's disgruntlement when it doesn't move the fbooker and chatter to action. Like the fello who complained noone came to the aid of the fello in front of him who was hurt but didn't think it to lend a hand! Seems during the course of the chatting, none of those in the chat ever thought of questioning why that fello didn't do anything in the first place!
It points to the concern that the social network community are rather closed knit, which means close minded to alternative views or opinions becoz they tend to be gregarious in their response as their friends or fan books are those who share commonness right? So you defend your friends and fans' views right?
It'S also pointless to bookmark blogs or join groups that only share one's political views and what note, if you don't take the trouble to register as a voter and go out and vote when it matters!
"Who do these bloggers, chatters, fbookers or twitter folks think they are trying to pin point every detail of our service and making comments. Don't they have a life? Are they even our customers in the first place that we spend so much time to 'correct' their bias chats," are some of the common feedback from those who are in charge of social media network. Which points to the wrong use of social media by the companies in the first place.
Some companies think that by jumping on say the FB bandwagon they are in tune with their customers and in fashion with them. It means they did not understand why FB was set up for? They have turned it into a complaints resolution medium which should be taken care of by their call centre, no?
And those who are FB addicts think they know about FB and why the company should also have a FB page!
Should we be intimidated by social media? Everyone seems to be an expe! rt in so cial media just because they have 1001 fans or have fans that have names like 1Malaysia or Bieber they know somebody and they become somebody important? Some friends have fan names as 'sexypussy' and 'evilone' and any badguy movie name is also on the list. What does it reflect them or their friends?
Why be intimidated? is my reaction whenever people get worked up by a response in the social media website. Those who give you 80% of your company's profit are most likey not fbooking or chatting but out there working to earn money and spend on your compnany's products most likely. If you seem to get the same fello always chatting in your facebook, he or she ain't working or a small timer tying to impress you he or she is someone important that you need to respond immediately to earn his millions sale to you huh?
As yourself, do those who spend millinos want to respond to you on your facebook? If they do either your company don't value client's confidentiality or invest in hiring people to give what is the word we use 'relationship personnel' to take care of every whims and fancies' of your million ringgit client, huh?
Noone say to ignore social media. Embrace it by all means, but to be intimidated by it and now think they are the new overlords that have the power to ruin you even if they are not your customers is not using social media to your advantage.
If any social media addict claims he or she is speaking the truth, he is mistaken because there will be anti-thesis to what ever view one gives right?
There is truth that not everything is believable when reported in cyberspace though it also applies to any written, printed or spoken word. Social media just expects us to respond instantaneously.
But to expect one to believe you hasn't change either with or without social media. Take for example, those who are sceptical of the government will adopt the same attitude no matter what channel the government tries to explain its policies or counter any unfavourable views. ! It's jus t that in cyberworld, you are able to gauge the climate of an issue and get some sense of who is with or against you. And humans being gregarious and when they think they have enough numbers who share their views will most likely join in a call for action. After all, we are social animals and have been taught the 'united we stand, divided we fall'.
Which may give weight to that 1001 fans in your facebook that they can be put to good use provided they share a commonality of an issue, be it the service at the counter, or those provided by the civil service or even the behaviour of politicians and governments.
So whether we accept it or not, social media can be an intimidating force, if we are unable to learn the lessons where social media had a role or understand what social media can do and how it impacts the live of those who are members. Even if one sets up a gossip blog, and BolehLand being Bolehland where everything under the cloud or moon is politicised, the faceless fbooker or twitter is a little ripple in the sea of fans.
And when ripples, gather and gain strength it can turn into one tsunami, right? Now isn't that one reason why there is this rush to police the net and social media and come up with laws and issue warnings by the government. As well as leaders reminding us suddenly we are different from the Middle East when all the times one thought the religion was the common factor where BolehLand likes to impose on this land. And leaders probably asking the MSMedia to downplay the similarity of social media influence and to try and dissociate the Middle East events as very dissimilar and would never happen in BolehLand.
But don't the Middle East fellos are also FB and twitter fans and addicts like our BolehLand folks too, huh?
So who is fearful and intimidated by social media? The companies, the schools, university, political parties, politicians or government of the day?
YAHMEH!!!
Comments