Last fall, I shared a post explaining what we call social discovery. Social discovery is a method of learning where information and perspective is passed through trusted social networks. Here, instead of explicitly searching for information or browsing a newspaper, we encounter information because our friends, family, or colleagues share it with us.
In the offline world, this happens when someone casually mentions something. This knowledge spreads in twos and threes, cascading across broader and broader circles over days and weeks. In the online world, social discovery occurs far faster and information cascades far more broadly. For example, if you join a conversation on Gather, your friends see that and may follow you into the dialog. If you create a public group on Gather, your friends are also notified and may join you in the experience.
When I wrote my post, we were just beginning to observe the power of social discovery here on Gather. In today's Media Post, Gavin O'Malley puts some web-wide numbers behind the theory. His article shows that social media sites are driving video consumption competitively with video search sites (like Google and Yahoo). Of course, social discovery is just beginning to grow as a method of information discovery, where search is well understood and established.
So today's question of the day: How much of what you know did you learn from the people in your life?
-----------------------------------------------------------
For more of my thoughts on the space, join my nascent professional blog.
To learn more about Social Media, join the Social Media Ad Consortium (SMAC) group on Gather.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 23
Blessings and best wishes - S.
Interesting question. I think that is hard to determine if you are thinking about percentages. I know I have learned a lot of what I know from my father. He is the smartest man I know. I am not saying that because he is my father but because he is truly the smartest person I have ever know. I know that just talking to him increases my knowledge on pretty much any subject. On the othr hand I love to read and learn on my own too and do so daily. I make it my daily goal to learn something new. I do think that the majority of a persons knowledge comes from interacting with other. Whether it be a teacher, a parent, a friend, we all learn from others.
We all have busy lives so we depend on the people in our lives to keep us in tune with the happenings in the world.
And we are all exposed to different types of news and media. When you share some of the knowledge that you have learned with someone who didnt watch a particular news cast or read a newspaper then you are enlightening them.
Look at the way urban legends are passed around the world.
So fast that there are websites with the specific purpose of debunking these rumors.
My mom follows CSPAN and a series of national columnists online. She passes on information to us and we discuss/debate various topics when we get together. I get other information from friends and family both in person and online. I think I trust the people in my life to sift through all the noise out there and distill it down to the most important or relevant events. I reciprocate by e-mailing or bookmarking relevant articles for them too.
Again ... a big part of believing information is trusting the source. We used to believe in the integrity of reporters, news programs, and broadcasters and I think a lot of those beliefs have been shattered over the last few decades. My mom's most recent debate was about the impact of failing newspapers on our country and government. She quoted Thomas Jefferson ... something like "I would rather have a newspaper without government than government without a newspaper." I took the opposite view that in this age we might not need a newspaper per se in order to have really good journalism!
In short: I trust people that have demonstrated themselves trustworthy. The rest, I take with a grain (or tablespoon) of salt.
there have been four or five mentors I have had at various points in my life, they taught many many good things..
other people have basically taught me to be discerning about who and what I accept.