[This post is an extract of this post on my blog.]
Online we interact and try to connect with folks we have never met and may never meet. At the heart of this tension is trust. The software/platform can help, a skype connection could help, but at the end of the day, even my “friend” will have to ask themselves, “what’s in this for me?” I think that’s our basic instinct. And certainly as things have tightened up financially, the “how does this impact the bottom line?” question is becoming more urgent.
So to summarize a simplified formula I would express it like this.
People [multiplied by] Platform [divided by] each Individual’s ability to express themselves during the connection [minus] Misses, misques, or clash of style that degrades the communication.
So a simplified social media equation might be written like this:
P x P / I – M = T [trust ratio of a connection/community]
Now available at cost ($10.99) as a t-shirt from Cafe Press.
@jmacofearth
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