Is there no escape?
There was a time that social networks were just that.
They were places to go to discuss with like-minded or totally contrary people the subjects of the day. People, in other words, would socialise!
I don't know how long you have been in such networks as this, but I wonder if you, like me, miss the fact that very little socialising goes on. Everything seems to be aimed at using the latest gormless guru ideas on using these networks to 'promote' your business. In reality, what this means is slam-dunking adverts into the mail boxes of all those in your network.
JUST HOW SAD IS THAT?
Imagine going to a party at a friends house and all of the 200 people there did nothing but expound upon their latest, greatest, can't fail to make a million by lunch time tomorrow plan. (Oh, and you couldn't lend me the taxi fare home could you? I didn't bring my wallet and I have had a couple of drinks.)
The internet has become, in the rarified reaches inhabited by those who love to call themselves 'Internet Marketers', something akin to a canibals hors douvres tray. The unwary will be gobbled up by the latest team schemes and carried along on a wave of artificially generated euphoria.
There are very few social sites that I have retained my membership in. It seems that everywhere I go I see the same faces, read the same rubbish, fall across the same vain self agrandisement of people not fit to breathe the same air as my dogs.
As long as Internet Marketers continue to promote scams, programmes, matrices and any other fly-blown scheme doomed to collapse within months because they have this naïve idea that this is the way to go.... As long as they scratch around in the dirt like demented chickens looking for the last wood louse.... As long as they actually believe that it is, somehow, OK to rip off the people they claim to know as friends.... As long as they continue to believe in a cyber world where the rules of commerce are suspended.... they will continue to, in the main part, be programme hoppers and losers. BIG TIME LOSERS!
99% of internet users are not marketers.
Over 40% of people on line at any one time are looking for something to buy.
Aren't THEY the people we should be looking at and, within our social network, discussing ways to attract?
Or am I really stupid thinking that there is no future in a vomitous, triple decked, stroked to death, overflowing, strangulated matrix?
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Comments (27)
Karl Rose6
The thought of attending a party with 200+ WALKING and TALKING advertisements SCARES the HELL out of me. Hopefully I NEVER find myself in a setting like that. But the SAD TRUTH is that social sites have turned into JUST THAT for the most part. I try to keep all my stuff as discussion 'type' topics. On one site I have a 'STRICTLY ADVERTISING' blog. My main page is for friendly communication...PERIOD. I DELETE all comments with ADS in them just to keep my page clean and I refer the 'SPAMMER' to my
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
Well, Jeunelle has sure said a mouthful or two and I agree with most of what she has said. (I can't agree with all of it because I don't have personal experience of all of it.)
As for viral marketing - I am desperately unimpressed.
A virus is a micro-organism that travels around from mouth to mouth infecting anybody that it manages to invade if they don't carry the necessary anti-bodies in their blood.
The virus could not care less about who it's victim is.
Viral marketing is the sa
Mark Hultgren7
Wordpress Specialist
Part of web 2.0 is 'interaction' . Another part that has been overlooked or downplayed is the 'Viral Marketing' aspect of interaction. Now, I know many of you may think that Viral Marketing is just another GooRoo term that they came up with to push sales and change titles, but it has been around for as long as salesmanship has been here. VM is nothing more than the tried and tested 'Word Of Mouth'. It has worked for eons and will continue to work, as long as you trust the work of a friend or col
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
Hi, Jeunelle,
So, people don't know what Web 2 is all about.
I suppose very few people do because it's only the same old web with a bit more inter-action.
Think of it like the letters on the back of a motor car.
Letters like TDI.
Impressive - or what!
But what do they actually mean?
Turbo Diesel Injection.
The only part that is new is the Turbo.
How many Diesels are Injection?
All of them!
But those that are not Turbo powered don't have DI on the back.
Web 2 is very much for
Mark Hultgren7
Wordpress Specialist
I have to admit that OC has hit the nail on the head. I think this is just another fact of life in the way children have been brought up. Many of the 'ME' generation cannot think about anyone else's perspective simply because they were not TAUGHT HOW!. They were brought up with the mentality of 'What's in it for me?" and most marketers are still focused on that aspect and it is glaring in every one of their sales pages. GooRoos will tout how, in order to sell, you have to focus on the BENEFITS a
Dave Thomas6
Cracking article,
Some excellent points made, I used to work in the financial services industry and one of the key points we laboured on was Building relationships.
If the time is taken to build a relationship in the begining, then the long term benifits will always outlast any short term gains. Yes you may never sell anything to that individual however you are building your reputation as a trustworthy and reliable person and if that individual should require something in the future that y
Not Here8
just want my account deleted
RIGHT ON DAVID!!! There are those of us who are COMPLETELY DEDICATED to QUALITY in LIFE as well as HERE ON APSense!!! Those who are, you know who you are!!..Those who aren't..what heck is your problem..WAKE UP and GET IN THE GAME!!!!!!!!!
Garnet Nagy
The Number ONE Business SOCIAL Network Online!
David Schupbach7
Being the hard-headed youngster that I am, I WILL NOT accept the demise either of Social Networking, or Apsense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not now, Not EVER!
I may go kicking and screaming into that long goodnight, But I will still be standing for QUALITY! For what really MATTERS! And No One, or No Thing will change that.
David C Schupbach.
Pete Balasch Jr.14
Internet Marketer Pod caster
Chuck there is still hope I think folks are still in the learning stage
of what it means to be social. I guess you can say a Lost art from the past
Every thing boils down to relationship.
That is web 2.0 is and most do not understand the term of what it is.
Chuck Bartok10
Veteran Entrepreneur now Sharing
OOPs forgot one of my Favorites from
Seth Grodin, owner of Suidoo.....
"Selling to people who actually want to
hear from youis more effective than interrupting
those who don't"
Right on Seth and
Arthur
Chuck Bartok10
Veteran Entrepreneur now Sharing
Another breath of fresh air and
some wisdome here at Apsense.
Is it because we are old?
I don't think so..just full of common sense.
Thank you for your comments.
You have surrounded yourself in this Blog with
fantastic people
Jenny Stewart11
Well now - Ii am going to say I TOLD YOU SO!!!
All your comments about the demise of quality in many social networks may be true - but as you are seeing from the response to this blog, there are still people here at ApSense who are ignoring the BS and building up a great social network which is of interest and helpful to us all.
The QCWG is just one expample of a group of people within ApSense who are determined to create a genuine social/business network. And along with their own blogs and t
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
Hi, Fishie (not from my home town of Grimsby, are you?)
It has been very gratifying to read the responses to my post because they give me great cause for rejoicing. Maybe I have found anew what has been so callously destroyed elsewhere.
What I have found so distressing about the destruction of other communities has been the total disregard of any warnings given by concerned members. The rot starts with a little innocuous sounding repartee. This soon becomes personal attacks and ends up as
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
Hi, Morambler,
Jenny certainly has a way of creating targets for people to meet but please accept that I am not 'the old coot' for no reason. I speak as I find, ask no quarter and take no prisoners.
I like the idea of a 'reverse virus' but fear there is simply too much supuration for that to work. The real world has to be seen by the IM sheeple. They have to raise their eyes from a resolution of 1024 and accept unlimited vistas.
They won't, of course.
They have found themselves a lit
Theresa6
HI Arthur! Very nice to meet you.
It seems that most of the writers here agree with you regarding the "social network site". Sad as the social network scene is becomming, I am hoping that Apsense is different. Only because the people (members) within it are 'different' --choosing not to SELL one another but to offer one another tools, encouragement, friendships, and yes, a smile or two. What I like most of this little group you have found is that most just plain enjoy writing and each other's
David Schupbach7
Ok guys, this is my last contribution to Apsense tonight! I guess I better make it good!
First, Arthur it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance, through your blog, and let me thank you for joining QCWG! You came highly recommended by Jenny, a Lady (obviously) of impeccable taste and quality!
I love your writing style Arthur, and your command of sentence and structure is impressive. You definitely know how to set a tone, and back it up by knowing your subject.
Now I would like to dr
Not Here8
just want my account deleted
This is about the best network I have seen as far as real discussion goes, the really sad thing about that is out of 20000 members there are only about 50 who are actively participating in the discussions! The good news is we have the power to shape this community, quality content is coming out on top time and time again, thanks to some great people who reconize the true potenial of this community. In my experience it took me a little while to get this too, it's just so easy for a newbie to ge
Arthur Webster7
Just plain honesty
It seems that there is a concensus in this small group, any way. That's good.
I suppose, if I ever generate a big enough network, that I would get a similar response from most people who have been members of a social site for more than a year.
Social sites have been destroyed by gurus trying to make a name for themselves by trying to invent the wheel again. About nine months ago I saw the first guru promotion of blog posting as a sales/advertising medium. It wasn't long before every guru w
Wendy7
OMG You mean chickens are demented Holy oh Hanna NO wonder they were so easy to catch and load into crates
Ok sorry of topic again
Social Networking is great I have to admit though I too felt I had to get here and promote, promote and promote some more.
Then I too a few weeks off. Came back and read. Read some more. Let what I was reading sink in
Yes my poor befuddled pea brain finally absorbed what I suppose to be doing.
Cheryl mentioned about using the ABC Hmmm.......... I use it to prom
Cheryl Baumgartner12
Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Quality will out as they say. Yes there are so many get rich by playing on the internet, for doing nothing or just signing up schemes as to be scary. The serious people here have a product. They use APSense as a tool to meet new people AND promote their product. This is probably why their are so many blank ABC's. What are you going to fill it with if you are just promoting a site?
Eventually they will fall by the wayside and you will have the people with a solid product as a presence on AP