Ok, let’s be slightly theoretical for a while. In a discussion about personalization, socialization, information and relations Bud and Ross disagrees.
Where Ross says…
“Replace the word information with relationship, and you get how people want to use the net, with other people.”
…Bud says…
“It’s not entirely clear to me that people want to use the net for relationships. They want to use it as a medium for communication and information search. Relationships are an overlay on top of that. If you give people the means to easily communicate and find information, they will form relationships.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I think these kind of discussions are extremely relevant. Those who don’t probably thinks this is just a quibble over semantics.
To me this is a question about (among other things) what to focus on when we create communications solutions. Say our aim is to help build relationships inside an organization or between a company and its customers.
Should we focus on relations or on information, communication? Our focus will result in different approaches — our methods to “sell” the solution will not be the same, even if a successful result is relations in both cases.
Or in other words: Should we strive for relationships, or have faith in that they will be formed?
I don’t think Ross, Bud, me or anyone else can say for sure yet what the best approach is. But I’m inclined to agree with Bud. In a business environment I rarely meet people that want to use the net with other people. That’s not a goal in itself. Still, when things go that way all involved see the potential in and benefits from it.
Fredrik Wacka is the author and founder of the popular CorporateBlogging.Info blog which is a guide to business and corporate blogging.
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