Sharing like a real human being

September 12, 3:45 PMSF Boomers ExaminerSuzanna Stinnett

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I had forgotten about Chris Brogan, after reading his blog back in March and making a note to myself “highly readable, contact.” Now that I’ve got him back in the radar, I’m going to point to this post of his, Share Share Share Share Share, as another bunch of concepts that tell us why it is so important to start learning the language of digital natives.

Chris talks about how hard it is for companies to embrace the best of social media and online communication. He refers to making a “more human-shaped web.” He says sharing is not “in the genetics” of companies, and I agree. Bless their corporate hearts, the people who must put new systems of communication and collaboration into place are simply not prepared. Not at all.

Marc Prensky is focused on solving the problems of teaching digital natives, and Chris Brogan, working with CrossTech Media, is helping us evolve solutions for similar problems in the corporate arena. Sharing, as a kind of framework in the brain, is worth pondering. I think competition models push our brains in some unnatural directions, even while perhaps making us stronger and leaner (and meaner). Teamwork comes a little closer, but it’s no more than a third cousin to the concept of sharing.

It occurs to me, while I’m working with the glossary, shambling around in the fields of a new hybrid language, it does often feel remedial. But doesn’t any immigrant, who wisely learns the newly adopted culture and language from their children, feel the same way? Let us be new.

As digital immigrants who want to get a whole lot better at using technology’s communication tools, we might try getting in touch with that inner kindergartener, and resume the practice of sharing. The things that feel a little awkward to me, personally,  about this are: Saying what I want, wondering if my sharing will be reciprocated, and wanting it all to be “fair.”

Tell me, how good are you at sharing ideas? Friends? Contacts? Do you feel like you play a little close to the chest? Does sharing scare you?

Would you feel better if we called it collaboration?

Get a little practice here today, by sharing your thoughts right there in the comments. --Smile!

Suzanna

Tune in to the conversation by participating in the Glossary series:

Day 5: Social Media

Read more about Chris Brogan:

www.ChrisBrogan.com