skip to Main Content

The opposite of Networlding: Websucking

The Opposite Of Networlding: Websucking

NetworldingCraigNetworking1
There’s a yin to every yang, for better or worse. If the term NETWORLDING is a process for “Establishing mutually beneficial relationships for transformational opportunities,” what’s the opposite? I offer that the polar-opposite process would be “Establishing one-way relationships to preserve stagnation.” Let’s call it “WEBSUCKING.” Most of the world of social media exists between.

In NETWORLDING, LinkedIn and other social media exist for the purposes of establishing meaningful connections. Long before the Internet, connections were built upon mutual interests, common causes, and trust. Respect was earned, never granted. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are amazing maps that can quickly and efficiently connect one person with another. However, when misused, the connections are shallow and baseless.

We’ve all heard this phrase: “Hey, got a minute? Can I pick your brains for a while?”. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to feel like the frog that I had to pith in eighth-grade biology class. Or how about the person who incessantly barrages you with one-sided promotional messages, with total disregard to anything you are communicating? I don’t know about you, but my fingers are getting worn down by hitting the delete button so often. WEBSUCKING is truly baseless and unfortunately rampant in the technological world we live in today.

As NETWORLDING and WEBSUCKING are polar-opposite methodologies, keep in mind nothing is ever pure, and most day-to-day practices fall somewhere in between. My advice is to remember your actions to develop new friends, business associates, and charitable concerns–IF there was no Internet. In a face-to-face world, authenticity ultimately prevails. Therefore, it’s up to you to preserve your relationships by learning about your connections; understanding and caring about what’s important to them, and ultimately getting together and breaking some bread. This time-tested tradition’s been practiced for thousands of years. You will find that you will develop a potential lifetime of NETWORLDING connections.

by Craig S. Wilson, author and blogger

Back To Top