How Much Connectivity is too Much Connectivity?
In the last couple of weeks we have two companies announce products geared toward integrating social media more heavily into our online activities. Facebook announced a new messaging system that will attempt to bring together email, instant messaging, Facebook posts, and other forms of communication into one streamlined ‘conversation' timeline. Rockmelt announced that it will be launching a new browser that will integrate Facebook, Twitter, and other social media tools into the browser itself, making the entire web surfing experience more socially enabled.
As I read these announcements and much of the commentary on them I began to ask myself, how much social media connectedness is enough – or too much? Certainly, the use of social media has grown exponentially in the past few years. These days it seems odd to meet someone who doesn't have a Facebook account. It almost feels like by default, everyone must be connected via some social media site, whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or some other option.
I love social media at least as much as the next internet marketer, but I have to wonder if people really want to be even more immersed in social media than they already are. Today, you go online and then decide to log in to Facebook or Twitter or whatever other social media site or application you choose. You have some options as to just how connected you want to be.
If you had something like Rockmelt as your browser, you are immediately connected to your various social media personae as soon as you jump online (at least that is what it looks like form the demo). All of your friends' profile photos staring at you from the edge of your browser as you visit different websites. It apparently makes it incredibly easy to share even more of your daily activities with all your friends and followers and keep up with whatever they are up to. Similarly, with Facebook's new messaging system, you would bring all of your online communication together under one big umbrella.
Honestly, I felt a bit of déjà vu with both the Facebook and Rockmelt announcements. Google's Wave and Buzz both came to mind. You remember Wave, right? Actually, maybe you don't. It came and went pretty quickly. But, it was touted as a communication and collaboration tool that allowed people to easily share information online in real time. Buzz was touted as a way to incorporate more social media features into your pre-existing Gmail account and share information more easily with everyone you know.
It wasn't all that long ago that Google launched both these features to much fanfare, only to have development on Wave shut down in August (it will apparently remain live until the end of the year, but isn't going to get any further updates or development) and I'm not sure I know anyone who actually uses Buzz. While I'm sure that some people found both of these tools to be incredibly cool and useful – most people haven't seen enough benefits to make them successful. Maybe both features were bit ahead of their time and now (months later) the average internet user is ready to become even more immersed in online sharing and social media. But, honestly, I'm not sold on the idea.
Admittedly, I really can't speak for the average internet user. Probably none of us who work in this industry can, since we are likely to look at these kinds of tools from a skewed viewpoint. But, if it feels like the new tools take social media sharing beyond where I have any interest, then I have to wonder if people who are less in-tune with online developments will be turned off by this level of connectedness. Is the average internet user ready or even interested in these types of new tools today? Only time will tell, but at this point, consider me one of the skeptics.
What do you think? Are these new social media tools going to take off or follow the Wave and be lost at sea?
Questions and Answers
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