The ‘problem’ of social networking

It seems we have a host of “solutions” to electronic networking–from Facebook to LinkedIn to Google+ to GovLoop (not to mention Pinterest, Yammer, Scibd, the still active Google and Yahoo groups and MySpace, group “texting” and others).  What is common to all?

People try to connect with each other. But no one set up fits everyone. We’re all busy, so what do we do? No one social network is designed to meet everyone’s needs.  I decided, for example, to pay for a photo sharing site rather than use “free” sites because I can control how it is used better, and because I have lots of photos to share with “family” but also have some groups of professionals and other extended family members who don’t need to have access to all my photos, but like to see some of them.

Similarly, I have postings for Facebook (including family/friend/professional group members for those whose only social network is FB), Google+ and its many circles, LinkedIn (mostly my professional contacts with a few family members who joined it for professional reasons only, such as both of my sons who are private sector professionals in property appraisal and accounting), GovLoop (another professional social network for government professionals and those who deal with governmental performance issues, including many in the private sector). And I use group settings for each of these.  I use Scribd to share documents just as I use Phanfare to share photos.  And WordPress blogs such as this and for family and professional associations.

I wish there was an umbrella software solution to cross-post to each of my social network applications (including those I haven’t imagined yet).  I haven’t found one that is so all-encompassing that I can use it for all these apps I mentioned above, though I have used. So I’ve given up…I just try to connect in as many ways as possible, using any device such as my work (though government generally hasn’t got it that people communicate how they want to and will find ways to do it despite, so they block employees from using Facebook on a work PC, even for professional purposes), my home PC, my Android telephone, and iPad and a Color Nook tricked as an Android tablet (I know, why do I continue this since I can do as much with my iPad?)

Anybody out there with a solution? If so, I’d love to hear about it.  Comment, share or e-mail me at doug.detling@gmail.com.