XeeSM: A Directory of Your Social Business Tools

Just a quick post noting that I've had my hands full the past several weeks working with Centriq's Social Business division on some projects. It's been exciting stuff. I have been enjoying some of the few social media tools out there that I've already been using (LinkedIn for business, Facebook for personal and Delicious especially for both). But I've been exposed to so many tools I never new existed, and it's cool stuff that can open your eyes to lots of new opportunities and methods to dealing with common problems.

For now, though, it's late and I just want to list one example of a helpful tool considering that there ARE so many of these social media/social computing tools/Web 2.0 services out there. It's called XeeSM (pronounced "See-Sam") and it helps you provide a one-stop listing of your various Web 2.0 profiles and social media publications.

As these tools continue to multiply (and as some of them fail or are replaced) it can be nice to be able to "keep up with" people in your network or that you respect.

Here's mine:
http://www.xeesm.com/EricReid/

Feel free to send me your XeeSM link or feedback as well!

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid

LinkedIn, Web 2.0 and Social Networking

So there’s been a lot of talk (and drama) around Web 2.0 – this whole idea that the web has evolved in the past few years to be more interactive, more social, more elastic than just static pages and even just forms that fulfill orders. It’s sort of intoxicating to read about all these open source developers creating helpful applications for “all of us”, and these bloggers and the blogosphere and the impact “the little guy” is having on the world. But really, I think many people are just “using the Internet” and not thinking a lot about it all.

Oh, I’ve dipped my toe in. I’ve been blogging for a few years now, professionally and personally. I’ve developed some accounts on some social networking sites and kicked the tires. I’ve seen some use for it, had a great time getting into contact with long-lost-acquaintances and friends. But lately, I’ve started to see what some of the hype is about. You really can meet more people, talk to more people, express  or share more opinions, and collaborate more when there are tools out there that are accessible, widely used, and targeted. It’s not that the Web is new again. It’s that it’s being used more interactively by more people, which in and of itself creates a dynamic.

For example, I have been seeing more use for Facebook and LinkedIn. Both have started growing exponentially in my field of connections. I am seeing old high school and college connections materialize and find each other on Facebook like never before. I am seeing LinkedIn professional contacts expand into a web of who-knows-and-recommends-whom. It’s exciting. But more than that. It’s useful.

Why is it useful? Because it makes it easier to keep track of people, as long as they continue to opt in. I have long used my own personal website as a means to promote staying in touch, and being part of different social groups. But people have to come to my website, and remember that they’re part of that group. They have to ask me to update their information and I have to take the time to do it. (That could be fixed with a little more interactivity built-in, but that’s a different issue.) However, with a widely recognized social networking site, people can update their information, find their own connections, and bring them into the fold quickly. You can’t argue with greater ease, speed and control – especially when popularity means you are actually more likely to find people.

Plus, some networks provide something beyond staying in touch. MySpace can be good for finding new music, based on how you can embed songs from a favorite band that’s already using MySpace. Twitter can keep you posted on what friends are doing right then and there. And my favorite, LinkedIn, has started to reach a critical mass where you are able to make new connections, promote your business, help bridge the connection-gap for professional contacts, and do research for job-hunting or hiring.

With LinkedIn, here are a few blog posts that might challenge your perception of the usefulness of a social networking site:

• ·         10 ways to use LinkedIn: http://blog.linkedin.com/blog/2007/07/ten-ways-to-use.html
  
• ·         Getting Set up: http://www.aspirekc.com/Blog/2008/04/16/how-to-get-up-to-speed-on-linked-in/#more-101
  
• ·         Some tips and trick: http://time-blog.com/work_in_progress/2007/06/linkedin_tricks_for_networkers.html
  

Here’s to extending our reach into the world, over the wire.

On the Road,
Eric J. Reid