Watching yesterday’s TWIT video, @LeoLaporte @JeffJarvis @THErealDVORAK , @MikeElgan, and Cedric Ingrand (who doesn’t tweet at all, for some reason,  so I didn’t bother including his twitter handle.) 

they were discussing ,  among many things,  the use of Facebook,  and they asked the audience who “likes” Facebook.  A comment was made that “It’s the only thing out there”.  That should read,  actually,  that it’s THE thing out there;  it’s where everyone is,  and thus it has currency. 

This came up in a discussion of Google Plus,  and Dvorak doesn’t see a future in it.  Leo and Jeff emphasize the engagement they get there.  Perhaps I would get more if there were more people there who would find my particular slant and perspective  (Church, theology, and tech)  of interest.  Since Plus is not yet public,  the lion’s share of the users are tech people,  and the people they have invited (or ,  in some cases,  “forcefully invited” — I have several people who have told me that they don’t even like Facebook,  so why would they like Google Plus?  I don’t know where to begin with those people.  At best,  it doesn’t seem like they have much of any interest in the Social sphere/aspects of the Network. )

Of course,  Facebook has the numbers.  So Facebook is ,  by definition,  a valuable network.  A case can be made that they are THE most valuable network.  But they are so freakin’ closed.  They hold a tight fist around their data.  This is where I have hope for Google building something in Plus that will show how things can work if our data is more easily shared across platforms.  If we’re going to be talking about the power of our Social Networks,  then Facebook needs to become more ”social” in its approach to “other” social networks,  instead of keeping such a tight grip on ITS Social Network,  working hard to force us all into their silo,  and be considered THE SOCIAL NETWORK.  The fact that the movie was titled that way must be a source of extreme satisfaction to Facebook.