Are you a Commenter, Complainer, Conversationalist or a Curator? Or maybe none of the above?
Brian Solis recently wrote this article on identifying the behavioral patterns of social media users. Benevolence, unselfish behavior that encourages reciprocity and recognition, is at the core, while more negative traits like TMI, complainers and spammers dance around the edges. I think we all know at least one person who would fit in each category; it’s always easier to identify traits in others. The much harder question is, “which one am I?”
At this stage, I’d say I most likely fit into the Observer or Conversationalist category. I spend most of my time just watching and listening, but more recently have started engaging with others in conversation. I don’t want to be a fly on the wall forever. But I won’t lie, sometimes it feels good to complain too. Social media is about building trust and community, and if you’re having a bad day it feels good to vent to those people. It’s also a direct line of communication, so if you’re dissatisfied with a particular company, product or service, it’s a way to have your voice heard.
Personally, I’d rather save the complaining for a more private and personal space like Facebook. One also has to consider personal branding, so for me Twitter is much more public space and I only share things with the understanding that the world is watching, egocentric as it may be.
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I’m so glad you put this up. I loved this post. Really points out some of the values that people have that differentiate them as community builders and engagers (listeners) or one way communicators. Humility is key to the conversation.