Possibilities at sunrise: a new horizon
It was 10 years ago this spring that the #smchat community made our initial foray into the online exchange of ideas.
The topic? Exploring the value proposition of Social Media, where we asked about the possibilities.
Much has changed, but the questions are still relevant. Arguably, the opportunity for collaborative exchange has been eclipsed by political diatribe and angry rants. Many have turned away from Twitter, in favor of the pastoral scenes of Instagram, or the more familiar chit chat of Facebook.
But Twitter and future tools like it still hold the potential for something more. Sharing little more than a topic, a hashtag, and a convenient time, a group of thinkers can come together to converse, challenging each other, and in the process, laying the groundwork for new thinking. It sounds idyllic. But possibilities often are.
All of that said, the realities of 21st century demands have moved many away from dialogs like #smchat. From this point forward, our chats will be opportunistic, with leaders coming together to discuss topics when there’s a need or desire. I hope you’ll watch for #smchat in the stream.
Meantime, let’s celebrate our 10-year dialog on #socialmedia with some shared perspectives, with our WEDS 5/22/19 chat. We’ll use the following agenda.
- Q1. Can the surge of broadcast-style rants give way to collaborative dialog, like #smchat?
- Q2. How will AI, machine-learning and intelligent agents (aka “bots”) allow #socialmedia to evolve?
- Q3. What features might Twitter (or it’s future progeny) provide to make the #twitterchat more intuitive and easier to orchestrate?
- Q4. In 2019 and beyond, what are the possibilities of #socialmedia !?
I’ve thanked this group many times, but the sentiment falls short. The countless hours invested in #smchat are truly remarkable. Our community would not have been possible without the on-going, year over year participation of hundreds of regulars. And we’ve depended on the thoughtful leadership of the dozen or so moderators who have made #smchat one of a kind among chats. In particular, a shout goes to @sharonmostyn, @autom, @ajmunn, @ambercleveland and frequent guests @paulellisuk @johnwlewis and so many more.
I hope you’ll join us 5/22, and again in the future, as opportunities allow.
As I’ve said before, and it bears repeating. The possibilities are endless. We hope to see you online. And please, stay in touch.
Chris Jones aka @sourcepov
