Tanya McGinnity

Design print by newbeautiful on etsy.com

I’ve been giving some thought to how we connect with each other in the online space and after a recent offline exchange saw how easy it is to be a digital citizen who puts on the airs of knowledge in the space by being one of those folks who perpetually retweets the findings, thoughts and beliefs of other people but in person, demonstrates that they rely on the thoughts of others to prop up their identity.

I’m not trying to be a downer here. I’m not looking to call anyone out. I’m just hoping to spark a discussion or gather some thoughts from others who may have experienced this too.

The thinking behind this post might get back to my previous post on Identity Camp and how we self promote and connect online. It also might go back to my participation in communities during my “formative years” and how fearful I was of being stuck with the tag of ‘poser’. It was the ultimate diss for a skaterat to hear that word.

Authenticity is the currency of the web. It’s how we share, connect and express ourselves. Take a look at your digital presence and evaluate where you’re at.

Do you have a website? Is it listed in your Twitter bio? Do you still track analytics on your personal site or has this gone by the wayside?

Are you commenting on other people’s blogs? Are you as active as you once were or are you now spending all your time with the blue bird of Twitter?

Are you still blogging and displaying thought leadership or are you spending your time MilliVanilli-ing it up and retweeting everything that sounds remotely interesting as a link? (-50 points if you don’t bother to open the link before retweeting it and folks see that it’s obvious you didn’t read it in the first place).

One of my favourite bloggers is Gwen Bell. Sure her tweets are engaging, but it’s her blog that really gives me food for thought. Much more than 140 characters could ever lead me to. Same is true with Julian Smith and Chris Brogan. What these folks are doing is contributing to the ecosystem and bringing new perspectives and ideas to the table.

Sharing is caring.

I do give a damm about my reputation Joan. During a meeting today, I was hooting on about the power of community and positive connections made thorugh social media and it kept getting back to reputation. How are you regarded within your community? Are you seen as someone who plays fair, who values real exchange or are you a pusher or taker – someone who just pushes their messages to others without any thought to the utility or purpose involved?

Consider your reputation. Ask others what their perceptions of you are. Sometimes the answers may be shocking – but are most beneficial. Examine your voice. Do you sound like a know-it-all or are you truly engaging and kind? SEO is important but I also believe in taking a Self Examination Overview (SEO for those concerned with their reputation).

Check to see:

• How many comments you leave and receive in the blogosphere?
• How often you mention the words ‘sharing’, ‘community’, ‘help’ in your daily vernacular.
• How much you listen rather than speak.
• How often do you smile or giggle?

If you’re not laughing or smiling often enough, then you are either taking yourself too seriously or have too much of an emphasis on the “I” in ‘social’.  Kind of anti-social isn’t it?