Social Media & Networking, Strategy
5

7 Elements of a Successful Social Network – #4

Posted by John Saddington on Feb 17, 2009

elements21We’re now into the 4th Element of a Successful Social Network Series and have already touched upon the “Getting and Giving Feedback,” “Ownership and Customization,” and “Exchanges and Gifting.” Make sure you read those posts as well for a full lineup!

Today we’ll look at an element that surprised me, not because it’s hard to understand or conceive, but because I had never thought about it during my work.

But now I can’t stop thinking about it because of it’s apparent power to create, sustain, grow, and build successful social networks.

So let’s jump right in to Element #4.

petrifedrockElement #4 – Collecting Things

The first thing that popped into my mind when I first crossed paths with this particular research were “rocks.” But not just any type of rock, petrified rock.

You see, the first thing that I really began to collect while a youngster were pieces of petrified rock. I can’t explain why I liked collecting them, but I just did.

I remember finding my first one in my backyard while digging for some “dinosaur” bones back near the raspberry bushes that my parents had grown. I found this odd shaped rock that looked like wood but was most definitely a rock. It had these concentric circles and was a bit shiny.

I was hooked.

I began collecting them, buying them if a store had them, and creating a nice little cache of all sizes, types, and classes of these rocks.

Yes. Rocks. Just rocks.

I mean, come on! They were rocks! But they were special to me, for whatever reason.

And apparently, some successful social networks have completely capitalized on this “collecting” and “collection” aspect of the human condition. Apparently, we’ve been wired to “collect” stuff, or enjoy the process of collecting something.

Just think about some of the stuff you own, some of the stuff that you collect. Thought about it…? … Right? Right?

Amazing.

So as you begin to define your strategy for whatever medium or purpose in the online space, consider collecting things as a potential functional aspect of your build.

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John Saddington

John is the Chief Editor @ The 8BIT Network and Senior Blog Junkie here at ChurchCrunch.He enjoys Triple-Tall Americanos, developing Wordpress Themes, and a few other Random Things.

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5 Responses to “7 Elements of a Successful Social Network – #4”

  1. Adam_S
    Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    Have you seen the video on Out of Ur (Christianity Today's leadership blog)? Shane Hipps talks about virtual community. He argues that virtual community can't exist because community requires four components: proximity, shared history, shared purpose and permanence. He says that any time you don't have all four it is not community. I disagree because his components would disallow lots of other types of community in addition to virtual community. Scot McKnight wrote a blog response but didn't hit any of my issues.

    Here is the original video. http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archive...

    I have two major issues: 1) an outsider defining a community usually just doesn't get it, even if he has some points, 2) Even if virtual community is lesser than "real life community" sometimes it is the only community possible, sometimes it is a supplement to the same real life community and sometimes it is done instead and inappropriately. But that is part of free will and choice, by preventing lesser do we automatically make people have the greater community. That is the argument of the record companies (stolen music would have been purchased, when the reality is that most stolen music just would not have been consumed.) We need to leave open doors for people to access the gospel. This is one of them.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 1:44 am

      I think that video is bogus. I'm not exactly sure how much he really knows or experienced community online.. because i'm not sure he would have said a number of the things he said if he really expereinced it.

      at least he got a book deal out of it. good for him.

      Reply
  2. Ancoti
    Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 3:45 pm

    We collect, and we possess. We need be careful that possession does not lead to pride of possession, and that possession does not lead to idolatry.

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 1:42 am

      dude. love it. scripture!

      Reply

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