Newly Emerging Groups

If managers aren't important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or Myspace have provided newly emerging groups?

Social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace, and Meetup.com, have shaped the future of communicating with your friends, coworkers, and even people you just met. Facebook was first established for college students to connect with their new classmates. Students were able to go online and talk to their fellow classmates about missed classwork or if they had questions about an assignment. Now, it has boomed all over the world for people to keep in touch. Not only it is for the social aspect but also for the working environment. I know a lot businesses that have pages on Facebook and Myspace to get their name out and for their employees to communicate and organize business related events. This allows the business to expand all over and get their name out to anyone whose interested in what they do; it's almost like an online business card. Anything on the Internet can expand all over the world or just the community, just like the example Clay Shirky gave to us in Here Comes Everybody. Clay told a story about a girl, Ivanna, who had lost her phone in a cab and her friend, Evan, took it upon himself to find it. When communicating with the girl that had taken her phone didn't work, he turned to the Internet. His word spread all over, from the community to the police. Word of mouth is contagious, especially when it's something so easily attainable like on the web. The community took it upon themselves to help Evan get Ivanna's phone back and was successful. This story just shows how powerful the Internet is. With social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace, and Meetup.com, it's even more powerful. Groups have formed all over the web. Facebook has billions upon billions of groups from Sororities to Fraternities to Sport Teams. Facebook has every group you could possibly think of. And billions upon billions of people see these groups daily. If a newly emerging group was attempting to get their name out, the Internet is the most promising tool to use to spread their name, especially social groups. Not to mention, Facebook makes it so easy to create a group and is so organized in their format of the group. Facebook, Myspace and Meetup.com are gateways to success for newly emerging groups. Word of mouth has never spread faster than through the Internet cable.


Resources:

Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky