Wisest of the crowds

Joel Burslem continues to demonstrate his deep knowledge of tech by discussing how the real estate industry can leverage social networking sites like Facebook to broaden their network of clients and market their listings. In an article entitled Marketing Real Estate on Facebook, Burslem outlines five basic ways an agent can use social networks. Naturally, we agree with Joel. My-Currency is a vertical social network, a term I first read many moons ago at the blog Social Degree. The difference between My-Currency and Facebook is the difference between Walmart and Whole Foods. Walmart has everything but Whole Foods has only the best.

My-Currency is trying to be more relevant to users by focusing on, and aggregating, content specific to housing consumers. We give you all the tools you need to get inside housing problems. For a professional, it should prove a resource that demonstrates to your current clients authority while hooking and incubating future clients. For consumers, its an opportunity to share information and get professional advice - free. The site has all the basic building blocks in place. The open question is whether a vertical network will better serve consumers and professionals than a horizontal network. We obviously think so. That is not to say Facebook and their like are not of value. They are - use them! In fact, we will look to integrate with them and other parts of the internet ecosystem. Its just that we think focus, focus, focus will create better relevancy and better engagement with those interested in housing.

So when you want to purchase Tide Detergent go to Walmart. When you need a 25 year old bottle of Academia Barilla Balsamic Vinegar from Modena, Italy, go to Whole Foods. Do you, as an agent, want to be lost in aisles of Walmart like poorly selling lines of Tide detergent?

People Magazine names Drew Barrymore as its most beautiful woman. What the bleeping $%^%$*!!! Unless People Magazine is looking beyond skin deep (which it should), this is absolutely off! (Drew, we love ya but come-on…)

Okay so this is a perfect example of why Wisdom of the Crowds is SOOOOOO much better than the “expert” paradigm that we are just starting to shake off. People Magazine probably has some complicated relationship with the various parts of the Hollywood ecosystems resulting in this warped beauty contest outcome.

Do I really care that what People Magazine thinks?? NO! This is just an example of why social media will persist - it is inherently democratic and therefore structurally superior in reflecting the current zeitgeist. We the People will decide for ourselves thank you very much.
People Magazine should either re-tune its pop culture antennae or consider changing its name. How does Studio Boss Magazine sound?

The discussion of Social Media and whether the term is best continues, fueled by Doc Searls reaction to Brian Solis’s post, which Brian followed-up on a few days later. Doc does a nice job of reminding us of what this is all about:

The human need to increase what we know, and to help each other do the same, is what the Net at its best is all about. Yeah, it’s about other things. But it needs to be respected as an accessory to our humanity. And terms like “social media”, forgive me, don’t do that. (At least not for me.)

Very true! So perhaps the way to think of this, piecing together Doc’s words and combining it with what is core to what is happening, shall we call it “informed social authoring”? Again Doc opines:

I think of it as writing that will hopefully inform readers. Informing is not the same as delivering information. Inform is derived from the verb to form. When you inform me, you form me. You enlarge that which makes me most human: what I know. I am, to some degree, authored by you.

Okay what say you? If your thinking, ‘well, I am new to this so I don’t have a view”. My response is that you have an opportunity to bring your fresh perspective to author me and others. So, what are you waiting for?