Chris Brogan talks about loading up his “system†with different ways of providing information and insight into how to most effectively utilize Social Media. His “system†is geared toward that very mission. I am most struck by this assertion:
Frankly, I don’t worry about competition. I worry that there aren’t enough people executing effectively for companies
When “niches†arise in the business world (and “Social Media†is certainly a “niche†that we see out there being “claimed†by thousands upon thousands of “Social Media Expertsâ€), there is a competition implied. But Brogan is worried more about the companies’ lack of execution in generating social capital.
As I read Jesse Rice’s The Church of Facebook, I am struck by how the church , for the most part, has joined in the deluge of “stuff†they put out there, mostly marketing their own events and putting out claims of being a place to “belongâ€. While it is indeed a major mark of church that its members “belongâ€, how can we “stand out†; how can we “feed our system†with as many ways and means of expressing who we are most authentically and most welcoming and with the most humility? (See those terms , Jesse? Boy that was a great book. I just finished it. Or . reading it through the first time. There is so much there for the church to carefully consider as a guide to thinking about who we are ONLINE. The Church of Facebook. The Church ON Facebook. The Church ON Twitter. What is our mission in the online world? How do we become GOOD NEWS online? How do we be “Resident Aliens†online (“alien†in that we must have a different mode of operation with different motivations than those most prevalent in the online world), but also “residents†in that we live here too (the online world is ONE of those places we inhabit. As in the face to face world, our mode of habitation is crucial.
