The evolution of social networking: When membership “really” means something

Groucho Marx – and shame on you if you don’t know who he is, once said: “I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.”

Self-deprecating humor aside, it seems that social networking has finally re-awakened to the wisdom in his words. Specifically, the quality of a group’s members is more important than focusing on its size. Similar to the number of Facebook “Likes” boasting a large and vacuous membership count doesn’t mean anything.

To put it another way, when you have a membership in a group that leaves its front door wide open to anyone without scrutinizing the merits of granting them access, that is not a group to which most in our profession would like to belong.

Membership has its privileges  

If you have been on LinkedIn for any length of time, you know that in the early days it was a platform rich in features such as polling and “ask the expert” and protective of its members.

Never mind being vetted at the group gate, if you sent an invite to someone you did not know, you would first get the dreaded IDK as in I Don’t Know you. If you got 5 IDKs, your account became “restricted” meaning that you could not send someone an invite unless you entered their email address. The presumption here was if you knew them, you would at minimum have their email.

Over time, and for obvious reasons, i.e., financial the multitude of features fell by the wayside, as did the IDK deterrent. I will leave it to you to answer if LinkedIn is better today than it was in the past.

The point is, that membership had its privileges (and protection), ensuring that the quality of information and general dialogue “exchanged” between members were relevant and welcome.

Inclusive with a purpose

LinkedIn, of course, is still one of the best social networking platforms provided you are willing to take ownership of your points of access and engagement.

For example, if you are considering joining a particular group, check out the activity levels. If there are more promos and special offers it is a sure sign that the group administrator is either sleeping at the wheel and letting anyone in, or is being funded by a third-party organization who has wares to sell.

In this instance, it is a case of buyer beware.

Alternatively, and while a group’s owner will want to welcome as many new members as possible, it is incumbent on them to properly screen out the imposters to preserve the integrity of the dialogue and interests of the members.

At Procurement Foundry, we adhere to a strict vetting process to make sure that everyone who enters our club’s virtual doors has a reason for being there and will add value to the collective experience.

In this context, we are an inclusive group with a purpose.

Strength in the RIGHT numbers

When it comes to a group – any group, the benefits of vigilance are significant. In a world where we are all subject to a bombardment of self-serving messaging and well-crafted hyperbole, having a place where you can go, relax and openly share ideas, challenges, and opportunities to learn and grow is truly an oasis.

From a procurement standpoint, the free exchange in an environment of mutual interest and respect creates a sense of belonging to something special. It also means that we will all be “better equipped” to deal with a profession and business world that is rapidly changing with the knowledge that we are not alone.

And that is what we call strength in the RIGHT numbers.